" NO Room, NO Room said the March Hare and the Mad Hatter"

Each year as I prepare for the holiday season, I can’t help but notice the ever increasing presence of the materialism that is too often overwhelming our holiday traditions. Whether it’s the people camping out at storefronts on Thanksgiving eve in order to be the first in the stores on black Friday or the over-decorated shopping malls “selling” an ersatz Christmas spirit tied to an ever increasing consumerism, I believe that this focus on spending and consumption is somehow at odds with the financial reality of life for so many in our society.  Moreover, it seems totally incongruent considering the apparent lack of social justice that exists in our country and state and the difficulties that many of those we serve face on a daily basis.  Despite the fact that the United States is the richest country in the world and Connecticut is the richest state in the country there are so many people who because of mental illness or other unfortunate circumstances are forced to lead very marginal lives.  It does seem to me, given the unimaginable wealth that there is here in the United States, that we should be able to afford everyone in this country a decent place to live, enough food to eat, healthcare and meaningful work.  I am always sad that as a country we lack the will to do just that and that there are very many people who begrudge the least among us those things that most of us take for granted.

This is the third in a series of blogs that discuss our company culture.  This aspect of our company culture, our willingness to insist that those we serve deserve to live their lives as fully as possible and be recognized as citizens entitled to all of the rights of citizenship was addressed best by comments given by Cheryl Jacques, Chief  Executive Officer of the Southeastern Mental Authority.  I want to share with you now a portion of those comments made at the 2010 Board of Directors Annual Meeting where Ms. Jacques was the keynote speaker.  This past year, I have often thought about her remarks that evening.  Her comments eloquently remind us that we as human service professionals must always be able to identify with those we serve and insist that our society give to all of its citizens all of the benefits of citizenship.  Such awareness helps us assure we are doing the very best we can to help those with behavioral health needs recover and integrate into their communities.  Ms. Jacques said that evening:

 “It is my honor and privilege to speak with you this evening.  SMHA and SCS has enjoyed a long history of collaboration together – I want to recognize the outstanding and creative leadership you have at SCS.

I have worked for the past ten years in New London County and most recently as the CEO of SMHA. Prior to my experience in metal health I was a nurse in cardiac research in Boston. I continue to maintain an interest in issues of physical health and wellness. I am interested in how we can educate and influence those with serious mental health issues towards improving their own physical health. Recently, we hosted a NAMI meeting at SMHA and we asked those members how they measure a family member’s progress towards their recovery with mental illness. Surprising, to us, the family members cited an improvement in a loved one’s physical appearance and physical health as the first sign of progress toward their recovery from mental illness.  

The other thing you should know about me is that I am an avid fan of Alice in Wonderland, so much so that prior to graduate school I traveled to Oxford, England where Dobson, or Lewis Caroll the author of Alice in Wonderland, was a professor of mathematics.  The actual bakery that is referenced in Alice in Wonderland sits on a quiet street nestled among three or four shops and to the left of this group of shops is a wide open grassy area that leads down to a canal. You can actually sit on the bank and look down at the water, just as Alice and her sister sat with their books at the beginning of the story.  While sitting down on the grass, you can also look up and over to the left, across the street, to a group of cold grey stone buildings that are laden with ivy. These are the buildings of Oxford University.

So as you know, Alice got up from the bank that day and followed the white rabbit. While running after him, she fell into a hole tumbling down into the darkness, down, down, down – I believe that image resonates with each one of us who at any time can feel as though up is down, down is up and everything is moving sideways – but we need to always remember to identify with those we serve who are impoverished and in great need - that the end to such a fall may never come - at least not without services and supports. There is not one of us who has ever faced a difficult situation that we did not turn to another for advice or help. 

So to begin, I quote; “There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a Doormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head.  “Very uncomfortable for the Doormouse,” thought Alice, “only as it’s asleep, I suppose it doesn’t mind.”
The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it.  “No room! No room!” they cried out when they saw Alice coming.  “There’s plenty of room!” said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.
“I didn’t know it was your table,” said Alice:  “it’s laid for a great many more than three.”

This is our metaphor for this evening. We are together at the table – a large table, making room for others to join our partnership. The table does not belong to anyone of us individually.  As I share my ideas with you this evening, I want to focus on the care and concern of those with mental illness; and our shared fight to end homelessness in New London County.

We used to refer to the issue of having a serious and persistent mental illness as a problem with stigma. That we needed to educate more regarding recovery and highlight those successful individuals having a mental illness as being the norm; in order to challenge the stigma against mental illness. But it is not “stigma’ it is really about discrimination – and we need to label it for what it is and we need to look to these individuals as being discriminated against in our communities. Does an individual lose their housing because of the symptoms of their illness, or are they evicted reasonably in response to actual inappropriate behaviors? As the providers, we need to know the difference and when it is appropriate to advocate with law and public policy changes. “
So as you all join  your family and friends this Christmas season, let us be mindful of these we serve and let’s remember what Alice said when confronted with  “No room!, No Room!   “There’s plenty of room!” said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table."


My very best wishes to you all this Christmas season.

Gail


Be well!

Run to the Roar

Complex ideas are better explained, understood and remembered via stories.  In my days as a professor at Rhode Island College I always found that when I could convey something via a story my students seemed to understand and remember and often they were entertained as well.  This is the second in a series of blogs examining our agency culture.
This blog discusses a metaphor that the management team often uses when dealing with a difficult or crisis situation.  So I hope you  enjoy this little tale about a pride of lions hunting for dinner!

"I've heard this told as true it sure sounds like it could be.  I've heard, when a pride of lions are trying to catch their prey, they have a  very well thought-out plan.  What these wise animals do, of course working together, is to place the oldest, fiercest "sounding" lions at one side of a path frequented by antelope- a favorite meal for our pride of lions.  These old lions are well past their prime and are really no threat at all to their potential victims. Their teeth are old and worn out and they can't run very fast anymore either!  But they can do one thing-  they can roar- loud and fierce! Well now comes dinner bounding down the path-  a tender little antelope or other delicate morsel.   The fierce sounding  lions-  the ones with no teeth and the ones that can't run very fast  begin to roar ferociously with all their might.  The antelope, hearing the roaring stop dead in their tracks,  and run in the opposite direction-  They are of course trying to escape from the threat.   The remainder of the  pride,  the young lions, sharp of tooth and fleet of foot,  sit quietly waiting for the the silly antelope to run right to them. The antelope run away from the roar and become dinner!  Safety would have resulted from running TO the roar!"

The moral of this story  is really  quite simple.  Even though it is easier and definitely more comfortable to take the  path  away from the the roaring lions and avoid what might be difficult-  and "roaring lions" occur in  all of our lives- never, ever, blindly shy away or deny what is painful, difficult, frightening or unpleasant. Safety and  most oftentimes the success of some endeavor will result when you "run to the roar"- when you embrace the terrifying situation that is confronting you. As an agency we have often chosen to  "run to the roar."  When I tell this story I am often reminded of Terry Keyes and the the clients who stood with her and filed the discrimination lawsuit and fought for the rights of those we serve when First Step was denied its zoning permit for the old Truman Street building. They "ran to the roar" and refused to be cowered by the ill will of many New London citizens.  And just to be clear , while we never did occupy the Truman Street building,  it was her actions  and the support of those clients who were willing to face the ROAR of the New London Planning and Zoning  Commission public hearings and file the subsequent federal lawsuit that eventually resulted in our ability to purchase and occupy  our wonderful new building and Oasis Center. The moral of this story is:  don't give up your lunch money so easily- face the bully,  fight the fight,- or in other words, Run to the Roar. You will often find that the lion is indeed toothless!

Very best wishes to you all on this Thanksgiving.

Gail

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