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

The Euphemania Treadmill

Have you often wondered why the vocabulary in our field changes so frequently? Today the accepted terms for describing the difficulties we address and the people who experience those difficulties are "behavioral health" and "person served."  But not so very long ago the accepted terms were "mental illness” and "client". And if you look even farther back the terms “madness” and “patient” were used.  This change in language is interesting because if you are forgetful or foolish enough to use the old terms you would likely be considered insensitive or disrespectful to the individuals involved. Let me give you a more graphic example of this- as a young student of developmental psychology, the textbook that was chosen by the course professor was a relatively old one and the terms used to describe individuals with significant cognitive impairments -what we call developmental disabilities today- most of us would find disrespectful and repugnant.  The terms that were used in that textbook were “idiot, imbecile and moron.”   Not long after I completed that course, the terms used to describe individuals with cognitive impairments changed.  The terms “idiot, imbecile, moron” were viewed as pejorative and disrespectful and were replaced by the terms “mild”, “moderate” and “severely mentally retarded."  The term mentally retarded was in fashion for several years but eventually this term too was viewed as disrespectful and was replaced by "developmentally delayed."  And if history repeats itself, eventually the terms we now use will be replaced by some other terms which popular opinion and perhaps even scientific opnion will consider to be more appropriate, descriptive or respectful to the individuals involved.   

Are these changes in language merely an exercise in political correctness or are these changes in language indicative of some other issue?  A recent book by Ralph Keyes  (http://www.ralphkeyes.com/ ) examines this very interesting phenomenon and suggests some answers they may be helpful to us as we strive to foster recovery for those we serve. 

In his 2010 book Euphemania, Keyes postulates that we use euphemisms to discuss any topic we feel uncomfortable with.    In other words, euphemisms are a way for us to confront and deal with what we find distasteful or frightening or wish to avoid.  Keyes provides as evidence for his argument the euphemisms our society uses to describe death. For example when someone has died we say they have "passed." In a more humorous vein we may say the dead are "pushing up the daisies.”  In France, the French use  "eating the roots of dandelions" to describe someone who has died.  The use of these terms allow us to confront what we find ultimately and innately unpleasant and distasteful.

We have seen the same type of “euphemism treadmill” that Keyes describes in his book in the language of our field. The terms that have been used to discuss or describe behavioral health needs including “madness”, "mental illness" etc. eventually were replaced by a terms that are viewed as more descriptive or respectful.   The term mental illness have been  replaced  with  "behaviorally disordered" and people who receive treatment for their difficulties are no longer called patients or clients but consumers.  And in the last few years the term “consumer” has begun to lose favor and is slowly being replaced by the term "person served."  In fact, our agency began using the term person served about  three years ago.  We did so in part because the term “consumer” implied someone who used  up the community’s resources without making a contribution back to the community.

Is it possible that the euphemism phenomenon that we observe in the language we use to discuss mental illness  underscores the fact that our society continues to find  mental illness frightening and something to avoid.   Is the answer to the fear that drives the euphemism treadmill more education to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness?   See next week’s blog for the surprising answer to this question! 


This is the first of three essays addressing recovery and how we as an agency can foster recovery and greater acceptance by the community of those with mental health needs.




Be well!!


Gail

This is the first of three essays that addresses recovery and how as an agency we can better understand recovery and assist those we serve in integrating into the community.

I Thought You Would LIke to Know-

Much is happening and I thought I would use the Sounding Board to catch you all up on many of the changes and upcoming activities in our agency. 

Update on the New Oasis Center:    While many staff are aware of our plans for the new Oasis Center this project has been stalled for the last few weeks.  Here are the details- several weeks ago I was contacted by the State of Connecticut and asked if we would be interested in sub-letting a building that was soon to be vacated by  the Department of Developmental Services.  This building, located at 932 Bank Street, was used by DDS to run a day program very similar to our Social Rehabilitation program.    Since this building would allow us to improve service delivery by providing great space I quickly indicated  that  we would certainly be willing to  sublet that space.   There was much work necessary to develop the sublease and get the necessary approvals.  The process was going well but was stalled by the  State of Connecticut  Office  of Policy and Management.  Despite the fact that the sublease had been developed the  State of Connecticut’s own lawyers, OPM decided it would not give the necessary final approval on the sub-lease!  The process looked like it was hopelessly stalled and that we might lose the building.  Enter Ms. Deborah Heinrich-  Connecticut's recently appointed advocate for  CT non-profits.  (Ms. Heineich was appointed  to a cabinet level position by  Governor Malloy to assist non-profits http://www.ct.gov/malloy/cwp/view.asp?A=4010&Q=471320.)    I called ms Heinrich and filled her in on the details of this project and  the difficulties we were having with OPM.  Once Ms. Heinrich  understood the issues she immediately advocated on our behalf  with OPM and it now appears that  we will shortly have our lease and all the wonderful plans that have been made by Claudia and her staff can go forward.  I am cautiously hopeful that we will be able to move the Social Rehab and Employment programs into their new space early in February.    Keep your fingers crossed!

Management Team Additions:  As our agency has grown it has been obvious that additional expertise in technology and finance were necessary to assure that we maintain our leadership positions statewide- I am pleased to report to you all that there are two new senior managers joining our team.   Mr. Heath Bish joins our agency as Director of Technology and Information Systems.  While the agency has been well served by Mike Reynolds for many years our use of technology has grown exponentially over the last several years and the need for leadership in our acquisition and use of technology has been clear.   Heath will be with us full time beginning February 7^th and will assume responsibility for and supervision of all aspects of our technology use.  

Val Kent joined the agency in 2009 as a staff accountant.  Her work has been exceptional and she has been promoted to Associate Fiscal Director to provide additional expertise in the myriad Department of Labor and other regulatory  requirements that govern the operation of  non-profits here in Connecticut.  Val will focus her work on  payroll and benefits and accounts payable.   Please join me in welcoming Heath and congratulating Val!

New Funding : We continue to pursue additional funding streams to help us meet our mission to seve those with severe and persistent mental illness.   We were recently notified that we have been awarded a competitive grant by Access to Recovery to provide additional employment services to our clients.  This grant was written by Melissa Dunbar and Jessica DeFlumer-Trapp.  Well done Melissa and Jessica!

Reconfiguration of State Street Office Space:  As many of you know Emily Reynolds  is on a 6 month family leave and during that leave, her office will be used by Marie Salvemini as an Intake Office.  Tracey Hauser has moved to the Marie's office and Heath Bish is now in Tracey’s office.

35th Anniversary:  This year marks the 35^th anniversary of the founding of First Step/Sound Community Services.  In honor of the agency, the clients and the staff, our Board of Directors is planning a series of activities to celebrate this milestone.    The first of these activities will by a fund-raising lunch at the Dogwatch Cafe in  Stonington.  It will be followed by a client and staff art exhibit at the TseTse Gallery ( http://www.tsetsegallery.org/ )on State Street.

 I will provide more information about 35th Anniversary activities once the schedule  is finalized but I do hope you will join the Board of Directors in as many of these activities as possible.   Two of our staff members, Sue Himes and Sue Smith, have volunteered to work with the Board of Directors on the 35th Anniversary activities.  If anyone is interested in joining the committee planning the 35th Anniversary activities, please  give me, Sue Himes or Sue Smith a call.

And finally  a word about-

Snowmegeddon:  This has clearly been the very worst winter I have experienced since joining First Step and we are only 1/3 of the way through the winter!  It has always been my belief that since we serve the  very neediest in our  community, we should keep our agency open during periods of inclement weather whenever possible.  And while at times we have delayed the opening of our agency, until this winter our agency we had NEVER failed to open due to weather.  More than two feet of snow in many areas of the state simply made it impossible to open our day and outpatient programs.   I do want to thank and acknowledge the commitment of all staff members who have made it in over the past few weeks to provide services to our clients even when the weather has been terrible.  And of course a very special mention to our residential staff members who have operated their programs in spite of the weather. Thanks to all!

Be well!

Francis Church and Us

Before joining Sound Community Services I spent many years teaching at Rhode Island College in Providence.  Rhode Island College is best known for its School of Education and its Master level Counseling Program.  As a faculty member in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology I taught the first course that aspiring teachers were required to take - Educational Psychology- as well as the first course in the professional sequence for aspiring counselors- Introduction to Counseling.  Since both of these courses were usually the first step students took as they entered teaching or counseling I always spent some time encouraging them to explore their suitability and motivation for choosing teaching or counseling as a profession.

While teaching these courses, and keeping in contact with my students after they entered the field, I had the opportunity to watch many counselors at various points in their careers. And as I taught new students and advised those who had graduated, I observed that  that the students who went on to become excellent teachers and effective counselors had certain personality characteristics in common.  The first and most important of these characteristics is optimism. Teachers and counselors must first believe that people can learn and change through the experiences that they [the teachers/counselors] provide.  The second essential characteristic I observed is a belief that most people are, at base, good- that not only people can change, but that they also want to change for the better.  Without these beliefs guiding practice, teaching or counseling is an empty exercise- it is play-acting, without real meaning or substance.

It has been a difficult year for us- funding has been in question for most of the year, the State of Connecticut has required radical changes in our case management program, and further funding cuts are projected for FY12, and with all the stress these things have caused-I had almost forgotten what I had learned about optimism and the belief in the underlying goodness of people. Almost forgotten until I ran across an obscure reference to the work of Francis Pharcellus Church, a 19th century writer and newspaper man.

Let me tell you a bit about Mr. Church.  Church served as a war correspondent reporting on the activities of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War. I was so very surprised by his war correspondent experience that I spent a beautiful fall afternoon last October at The Library of Congress Main Reading Room researching some of the dispatches filed by the New York Times correspondents as they reported on the some of the most horrific battles of the Civil War including Antietam, Chancellorsville, The Wilderness, Fredricksburg and Gettysburg. These were some of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War.  In each of these battles there was terrible loss of life and in the case of Gettysburg in particular thousands of soldiers, horses and mules went unburied for days in the unbearable July heat of a Pennsylvania summer. The report of the battle in the New York Times spoke of unbelievable horrors and one can only imagine the sights, sounds and smells that Mr. Church experienced as the Army of the Potomac engaged Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia in the summer the spring and summer of 1863.

It is very hard to believe that living through such experiences would result in anything but a totally demoralized and pessimistic individual.  But not so,  and despite the more than one hundred and fifty years that separate us, Mr. Church  must have been very much like us.  We, as did he, see and hear about terrible things every day.  We see our clients ravaged by mental illness and substance abuse.  We work with clients who have been subject to horrific trauma, we work with clients abandoned by their families.  And yet we continue on with our work- we do believe that the work we do, the skills we teach, the support we provide can and will make a difference in the lives of those we serve.  We share an important characteristic with Mr. Church- optimism and the belief that good resides in all people.   

Mr. Church’s most famous and most remembered writing is not the retelling of a horrific Civil War battle, but rather a letter to a little girl. His optimism and belief in the goodness of all seems particularly appropriate during the Christmas season.  Here is the  letter and his response to the letter Mr.Church received when he worked as an editorial writer for the New York Sun.           

           
Dear Editor,

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says,   'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O'Hanlon.

115 West Ninety Fifth Street.

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

My very best wishes to you all this holiday season!

Gail         

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