Who Are We?

It has been an extremely busy summer- new buildings, a new program, many new staff, a hurricane and even an earthquake, an unexpected resignation and of course, the ongoing drama associated with the State of Connecticut budget and the threats to non-profit funding.  And these are just a few of the items that have demanded attention of the management team this summer!    With all of these things happening, it was very easy to get "lost in the weeds!"  But several interesting things have happened in the last several weeks that made me step back and reflect on who we are as an agency and how our corporate culture has affected the quality of the service we provide and the perception of our agency in the community.  So what exactly is corporate culture and what is the SCSI corporate culture?

Twenty years ago, no one talked about a company or agency culture.  For most people "culture" had to do with nationality or referred to the arts- you were "cultured" if you liked Beethoven or English literature for example.  Today we use the concept of culture to define a set of beliefs that govern what we value as an agency and govern what we do as professionals who work within that agency.

The first of these events was a request from L&M Hospital to participate in a series of interviews examining the quality and status of behavioral health services here in New London.  The consultants performing these interviews were from Maine and I was one of the last CEO's interviewed.  They had spoken to many other providers in the area and they had several questions about Sound Community Services and the work we do and the way we do it.  In addition to their questions they also commented to me about the information that many others had provided about the services we deliver and asked me to react to the comments that other providers had made.  In a nutshell what they said that many other providers in our area consider us to be the leader in providing community based care for individuals who are extremely ill!   I must admit, while I appreciated their kind words, I took their comments with more than a few grains of salt. Similarly, when a recently hired staff member who had worked for us a few years ago shortly after the merger of First Step and IBH stopped me in the hall and commented about how well run the agency was compared to the first few post-merger months, I was pleased of course.  And a few weeks ago we were visited by several staff of a substance abuse agency from Chicago who was interested in our use of Carelogic to support the provision of clinical services.  A few days later a received a note from one of the visiting team who had been a CEO for many years and who had worked in many mental health agencies that  complemented  us on  demonstrating the best clinical practices she had ever seen!  And while I recognize that I and many others have worked very hard to shape Sound Community Services, I did not give these comments much additional thought until the article about the OASIS Center and our Social Rehab Program appeared in The Day (New London Day: An 'oasis' for the mentally ill).  I hope you all read the article but more importantly I hope you read the comments  posted by  readers that accompanied the article   And what really made me begin to reflect on who we are as an agency- our corporate culture if you will- were the comments that were posted in response to that article.

For those of you new to our agency, there was a time that any mention of First Step in the newspaper would result angry letters to the editor about the people we serve and how our agency did not belong in New London.  At times, during the many meetings that we attended with the New London Planning and Zoning Commission as we sought to find a new building to house our agency my was breath was taken away by the vehemence of the hate speech that was directed  at our agency and the people we serve when it came time for public comment.  This time the comments from the public about the relocation of Oasis to Bank Street and our purchase of 21 Montauk however every comment that was published was unfailingly positive about the very good work we do and the importance of the services we provide to the community.  I believe that the SCSI corporate culture, which has changed and evolved since the old First Step/IBH  days, has been the determining factor in this change.

This is the first of three blogs about who we are as an agency and how we have brought our agency to the place of excellence we now hold- a discussion of our corporate culture if you will.  I invite your participation in that discussion. 

Two Very Special People 2011

“Excellence is a talent or quality which is unusually good and so surpasses ordinary standards. It is also an aimed for standard of performance.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excellence#History.  Donna Millette-Fridge exemplified excellence in the service of those who are challenged by mental illness.  Her dedication to those we serve and the contributions she made to First Step  provide the benchmarks by which we judge the quality of our own work.  

Each year the Board of Directors of Sound Community Services accepts nominations for the Donna Millette-Fridge Memorial Award.  For those of you who did not know Donna, she was a First Step employee for many years, her last position was as the Director of Employment Services.  Donna was preparing for her promotion to Associate Director at First Step at the time of her tragic and untimely death. Let me tell you about Donna.

Donna epitomized the values of social  work!  She always exhibited a very strong work ethic, strong leadership, and was an advocate for all of our clients. Donna's special interest was in young people experiencing behavioral health challenges who would be transitioning from their high school years into adulthood where many would be unprepared to face the stigma associated with mental illness which so many of our clients must deal with on a daily basis. She had dedicated her life to helping those young people become productive members of the community.

Donna was admired and respected by her clients and her colleagues. Shortly after her tragic death the Connecticut Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers posthumously awarded to Donna a Lifetime Achievement Award.  Upon the presentation of that award it was noted that, " Her social work colleagues saw in Donna woman who lived the values of social work. She had a vision that one day individuals with psychiatric disabilities would be fully integrated into society and have available to them the same opportunities and benefits we all enjoy.  Her belief in, energy and enthusiasm for individuals with psychiatric disabilities to become productive members of society were contagious and inspired coworkers throughout her agency. agency."  Donna was the "founding" member of  the Sound Community Services "aristocracy." And after her death our Board of Directors established an award in her name- the Donna Millette-Fridge Memorial Award.

The Donna Millette-Fridge Memorial Award is the most important award that Sound Community Services gives as it acknowledges the work of an employee who demonstrates the values that Donna brought to her work.  Each year the Board of Directors receives many nominations for several wonderful and committed employees.  Each year the Board of Directors looks to find that special employee who has demonstrated the dedication and commitment that made Donna so special.  In nominating this year’s winner December Heffernan wrote,

“Anyone who has met Karen Chalecki quickly realizes that working on behalf of the population served by Sound Community Services, Inc. is not simply a job, but a calling.  I first met Karin during my orientation to homeless outreach in August 2009.   The days we spent together were filled quickly as Karin introduced me to colleagues at a myriad of other agencies, educated me about the resources in the community, taught me about the processes for applying for numerous benefits, showed me how and where to venture off the street and into the woods and demonstrated for me the art  of outreach to a population that is often overlooked.  It was not uncommon for us to forget it was lunchtime or to look at the clock and recognize that the day needed to end, although the work would continue tomorrow.  Karin is naturally inclined to continue to work until her goals have been accomplished.  To say that Karin has a strong work ethic would be an understatement.

In the year and half following my orientation, I regularly looked to Karin for direction, knowing she would always have the best interests of the person served at heart.  She would always try to “think outside of the box” for individuals who were encountering obstacles in their lives and work collaboratively and creatively to advocate for them.  Watching Karin engage with some of the most difficult clients was something I learned a great deal from and borrowed for my own work.  I will never forget talking with Karin outside the Homeless Hospitality Center when she stated that this work was a “lesson in humanity.”  Karin’s compassion for our persons served is very real!

I have come to know that Karin’s drive comes from her passion and dedication to her work.  Karin has an amazing amount of energy, a wealth of knowledge, an unsurpassed commitment to the needs of our persons served, and an unrivaled passion for advocacy.   Her work is guided by the ethics and values shared by the late Donna Millette-Fridge.”

 I am pleased that once again the work and commitment of another member of the Sound Community Services family has been recognized by our Board of Directors.  Karin Chalecki joins Donna Millette-Fridge as a member of Sound Community Services'  "aristocracy.”  Please join me in thanking Karin for her work on behalf of those we serve and congratulate her as the winner of  2011 Donna Millette-Fridge Memorial Award.

If There Were No Standards, We Would Soon Notice!

We are beginning our one year “countdown” to our CARF accreditation visit. Our visit will occur sometime  in the spring of 2012.   Today Tracey Hauser shares her thoughts about accreditation and what  accreditation  brings to SCSI.

Be Well!

Gail

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) states that,

                “If there were no standards, we would soon notice.”  

How true that is.  With regard to behavioral healthcare, SCSI follows numerous business and healthcare standards designed to guide the services we deliver.  As a DMHAS funded agency, we provide recovery-focused services.  As a Department of Public Health licensed provider, we comply with licensing requirements in our outpatient clinics and respite program.  And as a CARF accredited provider, (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) we conform to CARF’s comprehensive behavioral healthcare standards. 

“With the rapid changes and advances in rehabilitation for mental health as well as alcohol and other addiction and substance abuse treatments, CARF's behavioral health standards reflect leadership in the field internationally.” – www.carf.org

CARF Standards address not only direct service programming, but general program oversight and administrative functions within organizations.  CARF, like SCSI, believes that persons served have the right to be treated with dignity and respect and should be empowered to exercise informed choice.  CARF uses a consultative approach to accreditation – promoting quality services and recovery outcomes. 

Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.  Sound Community Services proudly boasts 14 years as a CARF accredited behavioral healthcare provider.  As we enter our 15^th year, we approach our next CARF Accreditation Survey.  SCSI has successfully achieved a three-year accreditation following each of our previous surveys.   In the spring of 2012, SCSI will once again have the opportunity to renew our accreditation standing with CARF.

CARF employs professionals in the behavioral health care field as surveyors.  A CARF surveyor’s mission is to establish an agency’s conformance with the most current CARF behavioral health standards.  In the past, SCSI has been assigned three surveyors per survey visit.  CARF survey visits here at SCSI last for three days.  The first two days, surveyors are on-site all day, meeting with staff, talking with persons served and viewing program locations.  The third day, the surveyors finalize any remaining questions regarding conformance and hold an exit conference to share general findings.  The final CARF accreditation decision is made by CARF International, based on the survey team’s recommendations, and sent to the agency within 6 weeks.  Through CARF’s consultative approach to survey accreditation, SCSI has always fared well and learned much through the survey process.  To learn more about CARF, the survey process, and which SCSI programs are accredited, please visits the Quality Care site from the SCSI Start Page.

Tracy Hauser, LCSW

I Thought You Would Like to Know-

I thought you would like to know-

As many of you know, the executive director of First Step began the search for a new building more than 10 years ago.  That search has taken many twists and turns including a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of the agency and our clients by the ACLU (www.aclu.org/affiliate/connecticut)  when the New London Planning and Zoning refused give to Sound Community Services a zoning variance for the Truman Street Building.  That lawsuit resulted in a federal court order requiring the City to issue the zoning permit for Truman Street.  Unfortunately the Truman Street building proved to be totally unsuitable due to serious environmental concerns and that building was sold in 2005.  Since then we have continued to look for a building that would be a suitable home for all of our programs.    In 2009, we signed a purchase and sale agreement for 21 Montauk but once again the City of New London refused to issue a zoning permit and the purchase and sale agreement expired.  I did believe that the P & Z refusal was the result of their continuing prejudice against those we serve and solicited the assistance the ACLU once again.  Unfortunately the ACLU,  due to a shortage of attorneys, was unable to assist us and we proceeded on our own and filed a lawsuit in Superior Court.  Last week, after months of negotiation with the City, a zoning variance was granted as a quid pro quo for our dropping the Superior Court lawsuit.  I am sure it was due to the City finally realizing that they we would continue in our advocacy of those we serve and that the City of New London would  for the 2^nd time in 10 years  be subject to an adverse  judgment and monetary damages. 

So I am so very pleased to tell you that Sound Community Services, this time with the assistance  of the Corporation for  Independent  Living, is moving forward with the purchase of 21 Montauk.  We once again have a signed purchase and sale agreement to  buy 21 Montauk and will be moving forward as quickly as possible.  Over the next several weeks all of the work needed to be done prior to  closing will be ongoing including environmental, structural engineering and architectural studies as well as an appraisal will be completed.  And while it is not a “fait accompli” we are moving forward very quickly.    If all goes well, some of our State Street programs and offices will begin to move into our new permanent home by the summer. I will continue to keep you updated!

This is Sound’s 35the Anniversary year and  our Board of Directors with the assistance of Sue Smith, Sue Himes and Claudia Olson have been busy planning celebratory activities to mark this  occasion.  During March we celebrated with the art exhibit opening at the TseTse Gallery- and event that we hope will be repeated annually.  In April, the Board hosted a “restaurant night out” fundraiser at the Black Sheep Restaurant in Niantic with agency staff, friends and Board members attending.  In May the Board is collaborating with the Waterford Rotary and hosting wine and beer tasting.  This event, Make Mine Wine, will be held on Friday May 13 at the beautiful Eugene O’Neill Theatre on the Sound.  In May staff and Oasis Club members will join in the NAMI Walk (NAMI 2011 Hartford Walk) in Hartford.  In June, we will “officially” open the new Oasis Center with an Open House and reception. More events are planned for summer and the fall-  stay tuned for more information about these activities!  Thirty five years of providing services to those with behavioral health needs is a remarkable accomplishment.  I hope you will join with me in celebrating at some of the wonderful events that have been planned.

The new Oasis Center at 932 Bank has had its “soft” opening.  If you have not seen our new site, please make it a point to do so!   Don Hazzard, Claudia Olson and Pat Melfi have done an absolutely spectacular job in refurbishing this building for our Social Rehab and Employment programs.

During the 2012 FY we will be improving some of  the optional benefits we offer to our employees. One of the most popular benefits we offer is the Prime Pay Flexible Spending Account.  Flexible Spending Accounts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexible_spending_account)  allow Participants to use pre-tax dollars to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses and dependent care expenses that are not covered by their existing medical insurance.  The amounts deducted from the Participants salary to pay for these expenses are called elections.  Because these expenses are paid with pre-tax dollars, Participants are taxed on a lower gross salary, thereby saving money that would otherwise be spent on federal, state and FICA taxes.  In FY 2012 we will increase the amount from $2500 to $3500 that an employee here at Sound is able to set aside tax free. If you are considering enrolling in the Prime Pay program and you would like to talk to someone who has used this benefit, just give my office a call or send me an email and I will give you the name of someone who is using this benefit and willing to share their experiences.  If you have been using Prime Pay and would be willing to share your experience with a fellow employee please also drop me an email.

We have also decided to work with AFLAC (www.aflac.com ) as a provider of supplemental insurance for our agency.  They offer a menu of supplemental insurance products at very competitive rates.  More importantly AFLAC is known for its outstanding customer services.  Informational meetings will be held during May and June to introduce our employees to the AFLAC products.  We will be offering the following AFLAC products at our open enrollment for the plan year beginning 7/1/2011:

·         Short term disability

·         Life Insurance

·         Accident Insurance

·         Cancer Insurance

·         Hospital Indemnity Insurance

Be well!

                        

Gail

Who Dares to Teach Must Never Cease to Learn.

 This is the third in a series of three essays exploring recovery from mental illness, the stigma associated with mental illness and the work that we do to support recovery and reduce the stigma experienced by those we serve. 

Over the past three weeks I have shared with you some of the recent research on the stigma associated with mental illness.  Understanding this research has helped us to understand why all of our efforts at community education were largely unsuccessful in reducing the negative attitudes often expressed by the New London community.  So if education does not work in reducing the negative attitudes that are often expressed about those with mental illness what, if anything, will?

Recent research has suggested that stigma is reduced when those with mental illness are integrated into the community.  Further, focusing on skill development and improving and highlighting the strengths of those with mental illness also result in long-lasting stigma reduction.  Put simply, focusing on recovery and helping clients develop and maintain the skills they need to integrate into the community will, across time, lead to stigma reduction. 

So who in our agency has the greatest impact on stigma and  who can do the most to improve the lives of these we serve.  I suggest to you that  it is those direct service staff who work with our clients daily helping them to learn new  skills, maintain existing skills and  support community  integration. 

The importance of a highly competent and caring teacher, or case manager, or recovery specialist, or rehab specialist or employment specialist in assisting a client in learning a new skill became very clear to me a few weeks ago.   Perhaps you, like me, have forgotten how difficult, anxiety provoking and just plain scary it can be to do something you have never done before.   When was the last time you attempted something you never wanted to do or had never done before?  Putting myself in such a situation has given me insight into what our clients must face on a daily basis and a renewed appreciation for the work of our line staff.  Let me tell you about learning how to ski!

 Now just to be clear, I have never wanted to learn how to ski- I always thought it was dangerous and I really don’t like snow or being cold.  When Michael, my oldest son invited me out to Vail, Colorado I was not aware that he had arranged skiing lessons for me.   When I expressed my significant reservations about his plans I imagined the worst, being cold and wet all day, broken bones, embarrassment at my total lack of skill etc, etc.  With all the impatience of youth, Michael assured me that skiing was a skill I really should learn, that I had really waited too long and that there was no time like the present-  does this sound like what we tell our clients?  Well needless to say I was not at all convinced and considered giving the whole thing up until I met “Bones” Corsetti.    Bones Corsetti, was my ski instructor. For an entire day, Bones worked with me and 6 other beginner skiers.  He is perhaps one of the most gifted and generous teachers I have ever met!  And while I have spent much of my professional career teaching people how to teach. I had forgotten what it was to be a “student.” And I had forgotten what our clients must experience on a daily basis as they struggle to recover.

What made Bones so special? Clearly it was his unconditional positive regard for those he taught and his ability to encourage.  As we waited at the bottom of the mountain for all members of the class to arrive he got to know each of us and connected with who were.  Then it was time to go up the mountain-  OMG 10,000 feet up-  what a long way to fall! Once at the top of the mountain all I could imagine was careening from the top to the bottom  in some type of awful out- of -control fall.    But Bones continued to reassure that all be would be fine and that we would have the best day of our lives.  What then happened was nothing short of amazing.  As the absolutely worst student in the class, and I do mean worst,   Bones gently guided, encouraged, corrected and modeled how to ski.  He recognized what I needed to be successful- he skied backward so he could hold my hands,  skied immediately if front of me, skied next to me so I could mirror his movements, etc., etc .  And there was a never ending dialogue that encouraged, instructed and corrected.   And all of this was done with the utmost kindness and humor. Just amazing!   So by the end of the day I had actually ALMOST skied all the way down the bunny slope without falling!  But perhaps, more importantly, as a result of Bones I am already planning on another trip out to Vail-  I am ready to try again!.  So thank you  Bones-  you not only taught me a bit about skiing  while I had a genuinely good time-  you also helped me to understand what the people my agency serve  experience as we  teach them to live more fully in the  community!!

So hats off to all direct service staff, staff that on a daily basis encourage, teach and support recovery and community integration.   Your work is and continues to be some of the most important work that we do.

Be well!

Gail 

"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn."        John Cotton Dana, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cotton_Dana

Can We Learn? Do We Learn?

This is the 2^nd in a series of blogs discussing Recovery.

It does seem to me the popular media capitalizes and exploits the fear of mental illness that many people in our society experience.  Just a quick look at many of the popular television shows including CSI, Criminal Minds and the Law and Order franchise, the person who commits what is often a frightening and despicable crime is usually someone with mental illness.   And I am sure the way in which those with mental illness are portrayed in the popular media results in stigma. 

What is stigma exactly and how is it experienced by those we serve?  The classic work on stigma was written by Erving Goffman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goffman), a Canadian born sociologist and writer, in 1963. In Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity   stigma is defined “…as a visible or invisible ‘mark’ that disqualifies its bearer from full social acceptance.”   According to this idea mental illness marks affected individuals as having “blemishes of individual character,” the acquisition of which “spoils their identities and removes them from their place within the social hierarchy.”  Reflecting on this definition gives some insight to what many of those we serve must face on a daily basis and energizes us as professionals to help reduce the stigma of mental illness!

In order to address the stigmatizing attitudes in our own community toward those with mental illness,   First Step applied for and was awarded a grant in 2003 to hire a Community Educator whose job it would be to inform the community at large about mental illness.  The idea at the time was that the stigma, fear and anger associated with mental illness could be successfully combated with education.  As the theory went, the more you knew about mental illness the less likely you would be to be afraid of those with mental illness and the less likely you would be to discriminate.  First Step hired a talented and committed individual to fill this important role.  Jennifer Gross, the now Deputy Director of the Eastern Region Mental Health Board held the position of “community educator” for almost four years.  Jennifer was a skilled writer and presenter who spent much of her time writing and working with community groups to foster greater awareness and understanding about mental illness.    Jennifer penned many op-ed pieces, letters to the editor and topical articles that appeared in the local newspapers all of which were aimed at reducing the stigma associated with mental illness. 

First Step and subsequently Sound Community Services expended much time and resources on this educational approach to reducing stigma.  Jennifer worked for our agency for almost 4 years-   and each of those four years she wrote many articles and op-ed pieces, organized community presentations and activities and did whatever she could to reduce stigma.  And I was always dismayed that much of what we did seemed to have very little long lasting impact on the attitudes of the New London community. The City of New London Planning and Zoning Commission still refused to give us a zoning permit for our Social Rehab program and as recently as 18 months ago when we tried to  move our agency to 21 Montauk, the vehemence of the  public  “hate speech” at the hearing held by Planning and Zoning was appalling.  I vividly remember the individual who at the public hearing complained about how dangerous our clients were and how we interfered with business in the downtown area!

I never understood why we were so decidedly unsuccessful in changing attitudes in any meaningful way given our considerable educational efforts until I ran across some recent research that statisticians call meta-analysis.   In a January 2010 article, A Review of Interventions for Reducing Mental Health Stigma, David Godot points out that while educational interventions are the most frequently used and studied interventions for reducing stigma, the empirical research does not support the effectiveness of such approaches.  According to Godot, although many studies have found significant reductions on stigmatizing attitudes through exposure to college courses or informational sessions, the magnitude and duration of the effects tends to be limited. He further notes that the effects of educational interventions correlate to participants’ knowledge of mental illness prior to participation in the educational programs, indicating that the effects of education-based interventions may primarily reflect the attitudes of participants who had already agreed with the programs’ messages- a “preaching to the choir effect!” 

So all the work that our community educator did probably had a very limited and at best only a short term effect!  And for me personally, my belief that the solution to any problem is “more or better training or education” has been challenged.

So if education does not work to reduce stigma what does?

See next week’s blog for more on this topic!

Be well!

Gail