DMHC NEWS 2010

News Archives 2007-2009

12/30/10

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12/20/10

Nicky Cashmer Instructs Sign Language

Nicky Cashmer, Certified Baby Signs® Instructor for Dickinson’s Children’s Prevention Services’ Parents as Teacher’s Program, recently visited the third grade at the St. Marys Catholic Elementary School. The third grade Reading Class recently read a story involving the use of American Sign Language. During her visit, Nicky taught the children several signs relating to the Christmas season; along with a special song that the children may use later in the school year.  As shown above, Nicky is teaching the children the sign for “reindeer”.  For more information concerning the Baby Signs® Program, please contact Dickinson’s Children’s Prevention Services at (814) 834-2602.

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11/8/10

Dickinson's Possibilities  Autism Center staff receive Multi-Sensory Environment (MSE) training

RIDGWAY - The staff at Dickinson Possibilities Autism Center recently completed a  training in the use of multi-sensory environments (MSE) when working with children with autism spectrum disorder. The Autism Center, located at 20 Gillis Avenue, is equipped with a multi-sensory play environment and multi-sensory treatment room.  Linda Messbauer, MA, OTR/L traveled from New York City to present the training. Linda is one of the world’s leading experts on multi-sensory environments. She has over 30 years experience and was the first person to create a Snoezelon/MSE room in the United States.  Her mission is to assist organizations, groups and individuals who wish to utilize multi-sensory environments to provide treatment and quality care to the people they serve. Linda is a recognized International Trainer and founding member of the American Association of Multi-Sensory Environments.

Autism is marked by qualitative impairments in social interaction, qualitative impairments in communication and restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities.  Many individuals with autism have odd responses to sensory stimuli-- for example: oversensitivity to sounds, oversensitivity to being touched, exaggerated reactions to lights or odors and high thresholds for pain.  The multi-sensory environment serves to combine behavioral approaches with control of the sensory stimulation for the individual with autism. The environment targets the descriptive features of autism by empowering the individual, reducing stress and anxiety and creating a learning environment that effects change.

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11/4/10

Congressman Thompson and Representative Gabler meet with Dickinson to discuss Wellness Program

Congressman Thompson and Representative Gabler met with Dickinson staff to learn more about the efforts of their Children’s Prevention Services Wellness Program.

The Congressman and Representative learned how the Wellness Program was piloted in 2008 via Stackpole-Hall Foundation funding. They were informed about Stackpole-Hall’s 2006 Community Assessment which reflected wellness as a priority for youth in Elk County.  In 2009, Dickinson received funding from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that prioritizes efforts to decrease childhood obesity in Elk County. The program provides two Registered Nurses to the community that are committed to promoting healthy lifestyles in Elk County through personal visits, school/classroom education, community outreach and the Mobile Wellness Unit. As a result of the HRSA funding, the Wellness Program also partners with Elk Regional Health System .The funding has allowed Dickinson to contract with Elk Regional for specialized nutritional services and a Registered Certified Nurse Practitioner. The Wellness staff have supported wellness initiatives such as; nutrition, obesity, eating disorders, diabetes education, sex education and heart health.

“The Wellness Program has been received very positively by our community and is seen as a highly valued and beneficial children’s service,” Jack Goga, Dickinson’s CEO announced.  Goga reported it has provided an opportunity to “extend services to a very high risk consumer population in our region who would otherwise not have had access to this educational curriculum or its inherent health benefits”. 

In its partnership with Elk Regional Medical Center, Dickinson has brought a curriculum and message to community residents of the importance of healthy lifestyles and specialized nutritional services.  Goga added “as part of our long term strategic plan, one of the overarching goals is to build on what the Wellness Program has become and to fully integrate related wellness concepts within the organization’s Children’s Prevention Services, Intellectual Disabilities Program, and Behavioral Health Service domains.

“It is critical that we recognize the intrinsic value and benefits of blending physical and behavioral health care concepts into cost effective, accessible services for our community,” Goga concluded. 

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10/11/10

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9/28/10

Dickinson Earns Seal of Excellence

Dickinson passes rigorous ethics and accountability standards

Dickinson has been awarded the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) Seal of Excellence for successfully completing the Standards for Excellence certification program.  Dickinson participated in a voluntary peer review by PANO which examined Dickinson for compliance with its Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector.

Standards for Excellence are based on fundamental values such as honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, responsibility, and accountability.  Dickinson’s programs and services, management, fundraising, and financial practices were found to meet or exceed all standards for this certification status.  Dickinson is the 55^th organization to be certified under the standards program that began in 2002 in Pennsylvania.

Jack Goga, Chief Executive Officer, at Dickinson commented, “ The PANO application and certification review process was exceptionally rigorous and one which challenged our organization and its performance standards to excel at the highest levels possible in all service areas and programming”.  Goga added, “we consider this certification as a distinct honor and accomplishment, and as importantly, an embodiment of our employees’ compassion, excellence in service, and commitment to supporting others in their recovery from serious mental health conditions”.  According to Goga, “PANO’s Standards for Excellence include fundamental values which are embedded in our own organizational culture and represent who we are as a behavioral health provider…………this is as much an award for its employees as it is for Dickinson, itself”.

According to Joe Geiger, Executive Director of PANO, “Organizations which are successful in the certification program should be commended for their commitment to excellence and integrity.”  PANO encourages organizations to participate in the voluntary certification program because the Standards can help improve your organization.  Mr. Geiger added, “With every new organization that meets the Standards, we move one step closer to the day when the public will feel confident that its nonprofit organizations are acting ethically and are accountable in their program operations, governance, human resources, financial management, and fundraising practices.”

The first effort of its kind in the nation, the Standards for Excellence program was developed by a team of volunteers from Maryland’s nonprofit community.   The program is now being replicated in seven other states: Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In addition, there are two national replication partners: National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management and The Arc. The Standards for Excellence Institute, dba Maryland Nonprofits provides access to this program in all states.

PANO is the statewide membership organization serving and advancing the nonprofit sector through leadership, advocacy, education, and services in order to improve the quality of life in Pennsylvania.

For more information about the Standards for Excellence program or to request a copy of the Standards, contact PANO directly at (717) 236-8584 or visit http://www.pano.org/standards/standards.php on the web.

 Dickinson is a tax exempt, private nonprofit 501 (c) (3)  whose mission is to advance and provide quality and behavioral health care services in the most accessible and effective manner possible.

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9/20/10

Children's Prevention Services Programs Visit Local Schools

On Thursday, September 16, 2010, “Meet the Teacher” night was held at the South St. Marys Street Elementary School and “Open House” night was held at Johnsonburg Elementary School.

Pictured above are Debbie Freeburg (SSMSES) and Denise Walker (JES), LIFE/Incredible Years Program staff with Dickinson’s Children’s Prevention Services.  Debbie and Denise provided information on the programs that are offered through Children’s Prevention Services.  These programs include:  LIFE/Incredible Years, Student Assistance Program, Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program, Parents as Teachers, Incredible Years, Staying Connected with Your Teen, The Wellness Program, Baby Signs® and  Infant Massage USA®.   Additionally, Debbie and Denise provided information on the PLAY Project (Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters®) Dickinson’s new Autism Program.   Denise also gave parents at Johnsonburg a look at last summer’s Kindergarten Readiness Program; this program is offered annually to all incoming Kindergarten students at Johnsonburg Elementary and is part of the LIFE/Incredible Years Summer Program.

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9/20/10

RECOGNIZING SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS

The entire month of September is recognized by Dickinson’s Children’s Prevention Services as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

If someone were to ask you to name some signs and symptoms of depression and/or suicide, what would you say?  Would you be able to recognize these signs or symptoms in yourself or someone else?  If so, would you know what to do?  Imagine not knowing what to do; imagine being a teenager and not knowing what to do or where to turn. 

The Signs of Suicide Prevention® Program is one of the newer programs provided by Dickinson’s Children’s Prevention Services.  This program is possible due to the very generous funding by the A.J. and Sigismunda Palumbo Foundation.  The Foundation has made depression/suicide awareness and prevention a priority and are vested is this program.  During the 2007-2008 school year, a grant application was completed to the Palumbo Foundation for two very important reasons.  First, results from the 2005 PA Youth Survey (a survey administered to students in 6^th, 8th, 10^th, and 12^th grades that deals with trends in alcohol and drug use, mental health, as well as other areas) showed that 30-35% of sophomores and seniors reported feeling sad and depressed most days and that life wasn’t worth it.  Secondly, our area had no structured suicide prevention programming.  The need for a program focusing on depression and suicide became quite clear and we are now entering our fourth year of this program’s implementation. 

To address this very serious problem, Dickinson’s Children’s Prevention Services has been providing the Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program in the middle and high schools of Elk and Cameron County since the 2007-2008 school year.  SOS is a curriculum designed to teach middle and high school aged students the warning signs and symptoms of depression and suicide and what they can do if a friend or loved one (or even themselves) reports feeling depressed or suicidal.  The core of this curriculum is the acronym ACT – Acknowledge, Care, Tell.  Through SOS, students are taught to Acknowledge the problem (in either a friend or themselves), respond with Care and Tell a trusted adult.  This program is implemented each year to a chosen grade in our middle and high schools (Catholic and public schools) as determined by each school.  SOS uses a curriculum specific for middle and high school students. 

The middle school curriculum begins with an overview of not only the SOS program but the Student Assistance Program (SAP) as well; SOS facilitators are also SAP mental health liaisons.  Students then watch a video called “Get Into the ACT”.  This video shows a group of middle school students talking about what they should do if someone told them they were depressed or thinking about suicide.  One student takes questions about depression and suicide to her guidance counselor.  They talk about the difference between feeling sad and being depressed; they address the role of heredity in depression (just because depression runs in your family doesn’t automatically mean you will have depression but you want to be aware of how you are feeling and reacting to certain events); how depression can be managed (through medication, therapy and a combination of both); the negative affects drugs and alcohol can have on someone who is feeling depressed and the importance of telling someone if either you or a friend state they may be feeling depressed or suicidal.  This is one secret that should never be kept because it’s not up to you to try and “fix” this problem.  Knowing who you can turn to for assistance is vital to following the ACT steps.  The video proceeds with several different scenarios where a student is with a friend and is telling them about a problem or issue and how it is making them feel; sometimes the kids are contemplating suicide.  Some of the scenarios include a girl whose friends have turned on her and are ignoring her and a boy being cyber-bullied.  In each scenario, the friend handles the problem the “wrong” way; meaning they minimize the importance of their friend’s problem (“they weren’t real friends anyway”) or try to ignore it (“come on, let’s go play video games”).  The video will stop during the scenarios and explain to students why the scenario was handled incorrectly. The scenario is then replayed but this time, the friend uses the ACT steps; they acknowledge the problem, respond with care and tell a trusted adult.  At the conclusion of the video, there is time for discussion of what was just seen.  Students are then given a “Student Newsletter” which contains information on ACT, warning signs and symptoms, and even a game; among other information.  Students then fill out a “response card” which gives them the opportunity to ask to speak to someone further about themselves or a friend.  Students who answer “yes” to this question are met with privately to protect confidentiality.  After the video, SOS staff return to the school to provide follow-up games with the students on what was talked about to reinforce the message of SOS.

The high school curriculum also begins with an overview of SOS and SAP.  This video is called “Friends for Life” and features commentary from Douglas Jacobs, MD (the Scientific Director of the program), guidance counselors and teenagers who were directly impacted by depression and suicidal ideation.  Like the middle school video, “Friends For Life” goes through various scenarios.  For example, there is a very high achieving student who has not done well on his SAT tests and is convinced he won’t get into a good college, like his parents and sibling did; he sees himself as a failure and is turning to alcohol to cope with this.  He talks to a friend and makes him promise not to tell anyone about his current situation.  Again, the video will show the friend trying to help the “wrong” way; by promising not to tell and then will replay the situation with the ACT steps.  Additional information (newsletter, help card) is provided to the students after the video and discussion.  High school students then complete a Brief Screen for Adolescent Depression (BSAD).  This is not a diagnostic tool but rather a way for students to report on how they have been feeling over the past four weeks.  The BSAD asks seven question on overall physical/mental health with “yes” or “no” answers.  Two of the questions in this section are directly related to suicidal ideation.  The screening also includes several questions on drug/alcohol use.  Students who answer “yes” to one or both of the questions related to suicidal ideation are met with confidentially to assess their current situation and discuss possible referral options (to an outside counselor, the Student Assistance Program, etc.).  Students who answer “yes” to at least three questions (not including the suicidal ideation questions) are also met with confidentially to assess and possibly refer.  All students complete the response card and are met with if they respond that they need to talk to someone about themselves or a friend.

Since the program’s inception during the 2007-2008 school year through the conclusion of the 2009-2010 school year, over 2,000 students throughout Elk and Cameron counties have received SOS curriculum.  Looking back several years ago, the number of students in these counties receiving a depression/suicide awareness and prevention program was zero.  During the past summer, Elk County Children and Youth Services provided funding for additional curriculum to be purchased.  During the current school year, we will also incorporate the program ACT to Prevent Self Injury to high school students and high school seniors will be given the opportunity to participate with an SOS Booster Kit which will focus on the transition from high school to college.

In an effort to expand education on this topic, SOS staff have had the opportunity to provide an overview of the program to our area school faculty members.  It is a firm belief of SOS staff that administrators and teachers should see the program that is being shown to their students so they too can become more aware of the signs and symptoms of depression and suicide and so they can respond to and assist a student who may turn to them as their trusted adult.  To learn more about the Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program or the Student Assistance Program please call Shelly Meier, Elk County Program Supervisor with Dickinson’s Children’s Prevention Services office at 834-2602, Tana Funair, Cameron County Program Supervisor at 1-814-486-4000 ext. 2094 or visit our website at www.dmhc.org. 

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9/24/10

Promoting Suicide Prevention Awareness

Dickinson’s Children’s Prevention Services’ Signs of Suicide® (SOS) Program recently conducted a poster contest in conjunction with Cameron County High School.  Michael Slusarick’s poster was chosen as the winner by majority vote at a recent Cameron County Collaborative Board meeting.  Michael’s inspirational artwork was a project Dickinson offered Cameron County School District as a student-centered activity to help recognize September as Suicide Prevention Awareness month.  Michael’s artwork will be incorporated into a billboard to help raise community awareness regarding suicide and depression.  The poster states, “There is always a ray of hope, even in the darkest of situations.”  Michael additionally incorporated the A.C.T. acronym into his poster.  The goal of SOS is to teach students the specific action steps needed to respond to signs of suicide by teaching students to A.C.T.- Acknowledge the signs of suicide, Care-respond with care, Tell a trusted adult.

The Signs of Suicide Prevention® Program is one of the newer programs provided by Dickinson’s Children’s Prevention Services.  This program is possible due to the very generous funding by the A.J. and Sigismunda Palumbo Foundation.  The Foundation has made depression/suicide awareness and prevention a priority and are vested is this program.  During the 2007-2008 school year, a grant application was completed to the Palumbo Foundation for two very important reasons.  First, results from the 2005 PA Youth Survey (a survey administered to students in 6^th, 8th, 10^th, and 12^th grades that deals with trends in alcohol and drug use, mental health, as well as other areas) showed that 30-35% of sophomores and seniors reported feeling sad and depressed most days and that life wasn’t worth it.  Secondly, our area had no structured suicide prevention programming.  The need for a program focusing on depression and suicide became quite clear and we are now entering our fourth year of this program’s implementation. 

SOS is an evidence-based program of suicide prevention and depression awareness.  The program is conducted annually to secondary schools in Cameron and Elk county school districts. To date, more than 2,000 students in Elk and Cameron counties have received the curriculum.  Through a series of interviews and dramatizations, the SOS program video teaches teens that depression is a treatable illness and empowers them to respond to signs and symptoms of a friend or loved one (or even themselves) by using the A.C.T. technique.  SOS helps teens to understand that the cause of suicide is usually untreated depression.  As Dr. Douglas Jacobs states in the SOS curriculum video, “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.  People have to understand that thinking about suicide/feeling suicidal is usually an indication that there’s an underlying illness; that illness is usually depression, which is treatable.”    

Every September Dickinson’s Children’s Prevention Services conducts events through its Signs of Suicide® (SOS) Prevention Program in an effort to promote suicide prevention awareness.  This year, in addition to the poster contest, public service announcements and education regarding the program can be heard on the radio.  Also, during the September Collaborative Board meeting, a presentation was provided regarding the SOS program during which the parent of a suicide victim spoke.  Dickinson will continue efforts to promote community awareness of the effects of suicide and how the community can help as they go on to present at Rotary during the month of October.  Additionally, SOS staff has had the opportunity to provide an overview of the program to our area school faculty members.  By having administrators and teachers see the program, they too can become more aware of the signs and symptoms of depression and suicide so they can respond to and assist a student who may turn to them as their trusted adult. 

To learn more about the Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program or other programs and services Dickinson provides contact Tana Funair at 486-4000 x 2094 or you can visit our website at www.dmhc.org. 

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8/3/10

DICKINSON APPOINTS NEW LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

Dickinson Mental Health Center’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jack Goga, is proud to announce the recent appointment of Mr. Jim Prosper and Mr. Dave Webster to the leadership team effective August 2, 2010.

Jim Prosper accepted the position as the Community Programs Coordinator at DMHC. Jim graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in Health Policy and Administration. He later continued his education by receiving his master’s degree in Rehabilitative Science at Clarion University. Mr. Prosper has over fifteen years of experience in the mental health field. He will be responsible for programs such as Intellectual Disability Services (MR), Family Based, and Case Management.
 

Dave Webster has accepted the position as Mental Health Clinical Coordinator for DMHC. Dave is a graduate of Washington and Jefferson College where he received a bachelor’s degree in both Business Administration and Psychology. He then earned his master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at Slippery Rock University. Dave furthered his education by achieving his Master’s of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Webster has contributed over twenty years of service to the mental health field. Webster will be responsible for the following programs at DMHC: Outpatient Services, Partial Hospitalization, Forensics, and Psychiatric Rehabilitation.

 

Dickinson Mental Health Center is very excited about the new additions to its leadership team. With their collective experience, technical skills, and professionalism; Jim Prosper and Dave Webster will add a great deal to the operations of the agency.


 

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8/3/10

Kindergarten Readiness Program's “Moving On” Ceremony

Recently the LIFE/Incredible Years Program with Dickinson Mental Health Center Children’s Prevention Services, in conjunction with Johnsonburg Elementary School, held its annual Kindergarten Readiness “Moving On” Ceremony.  The Kindergarten Readiness Program is offered annually to all incoming Kindergarten students and is designed to prepare children for their entrance to Kindergarten.  The ceremony is a celebration of the children’s hard work over the summer and provides an opportunity to wish them well as they’re off to Kindergarten.  This Kindergarten Readiness Program is made possible by the generous support of the Johnsonburg Area School District, and the dedicated parents of the children who attended the program.   

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7/15/10

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6/28/10

Young students benefit from Kindergarten Readiness Program

The LIFE/Incredible Years Program, a program with Dickinson Mental Health Center (DMHC) Children’s Prevention Services, offers a Kindergarten Readiness Program to all children enrolling in Kindergarten at Johnsonburg Elementary School. In addition to helping the children prepare for the new challenges of Kindergarten, the program integrates other programming offered by DMHC. Nicole Cashmer, certified Baby Signs® Instructor for DMHC’s Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program, recently facilitated a lesson regarding sign language. She read the children a story and taught them the signs for vocabulary found in the book. Learning a second language is fun and has many developmental benefits. American Sign Language stimulates learning through different senses. Sign language is a blessing for children that are “visual”, “spatial” or “tactile” learners, and learning a second language raises a child’s IQ. DMHC’s Kindergarten Readiness Program is facilitated by Tana Funair and Stephanie Sidelinger.

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5/27/10

DMHC Spring Carnival

On Thursday, May 20, 2010, Dickinson Mental Health Center (DMHC) hosted a Spring Carnival at the Ridgway Firemen's Building in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. The carnival allowed the community to engage in a number of games and activities that were provided by the staff of the numerous programs that DMHC offers. Many of DMHC's staff was available to answer questions and provide information concerning their services. Clifford, the Big Red Dog, made many appearances throughout the day to the delight of all children in attendance. Attendees were eligible to win a flat-screen television as well as taking a chance on other various prizes that included tickets to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Kennywood Amusement Park. Dickinson's employees would like to thank all who attended and made this Mental Health Awareness Month event a great success.

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5/18/10

SAP visits St. Marys Catholic Middle School students
Student Assistance Program celebrates 25th anniversary

On Monday, May 17, 2010, the student body at the St. Marys Catholic Middle School enjoyed a day of BINGO in recognition of the 25^th Anniversary of the Student Assistance Program (SAP).  Mrs. Jill Struble, SAP Mental Health Liaison with Dickinson Mental Health Center’s Children’s Prevention Services, provided the students with an overview of the Student Assistance Program, how the program can be accessed and the program’s availability in all middle and high schools in Elk County.  Mrs. Struble also asked the members of the SAP Team at the Catholic Middle School to stand and be recognized by the students; those members present included Ms. Sharon Minnick, Mrs. Marsan O’Leary, Mrs. Kate Nekuza, and Mrs. Tia Meredith.  The other school members of the team include Mrs. Mary Agnes Marshall and Mrs. Karen Wendel.

  If you are interested in learning more about the Student Assistance Program, contact your school’s guidance department or call Dickinson Mental Health Center’s Children’s Prevention Services at 834-2602.

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5/17/10

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4/2910

Dickinson Mental Health Center Awarded $75,000
from Palumbo Charitable Trust

John Kowach, Grant Administrator with the Sigismunda & AJ Palumbo Charitable Trust presented $75,000.00 check to DMHC Children’s Prevention Services for the Signs of Suicide (SOS) Prevention Program in Elk and Cameron County.

SOS is an evidence-based program of suicide prevention and depression awareness. Dickinson Mental Health Center’s Student Assistance Program Staff will provide the SOS program to secondary schools in Elk and Cameron County School Districts. One of the most serious health problems facing young people in the United States is Suicide. Signs of Suicide is a relatively new approach to reducing incidence of suicide among adolescents. SOS is a school-based prevention program that incorporates two prominent suicide prevention strategies into a single program.

SOS program components are: 1. Screening for symptoms of depression and suicide, 2. Education about depression and suicide.

The goal of SOS is to teach students the specific action steps needed to respond to signs of suicide by teaching students the action step – A.C.T. Acknowledge the signs of suicide, Care– Respond with Care, Tell a trusted adult

Shelly Meier and Tana Funair, Elk and Cameron County Supervisors report that since program inception, 2,000 children will have received the curriculum.

Front Row: Adrienne Williams, SOS/SAP Staff; Shelly Meier, SAP/SOS Elk County Supervisor; Jennifer Dippold, DMHC Children’s Prevention Services Director; Tana Funair, SAP/SOS Cameron County Supervisor; Jill Struble, SOS/SAP Staff. Back Row: Kathy Kroeger, Cameron/Elk Mental Health/Mental Retardation; Billie Jo Weyant, Elk County Family Resource Network Chairperson; Patty Schwer, Principal Cameron County High School; Jack Goga, DMHC Chief Executive Officer; John Kowach, Sigismunda & AJ Palumbo Charitable Trust Grant Administrator/Vice-Chair; Mary Agnes Marshall, St. Marys Catholic Elementary & Middle School System Supervising Principle; Walter Fitch, Johnsonburg Area School District Superintendent; Anne Kearney, St. Marys Area School District Superintendent

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4/15/10

Highmark Mobile Unit Visits DMHC

On April 14th from 1 pm until 4 pm we were visited by the Highmark Mobile Unit. Marc Truszkowski, who is a Highmark Direct Field Manager, and Rena Carr, a Group Retail Marketer, were on hand to assist employees who have Highmark BC/BS Insurance plans work through technical issues; finding passwords, and identification numbers and working on their wellness surveys. Lisa Holden, our Health Promotion Consultant was also on hand to offer information about Highmark, their Lifestyle Returns Program and wellness and prevention programs, and support to employees making steps to improve their overall health and well-being.

Highmark now offer e-mail communication to avoid and limit the need for paper communication and promote eco-friendly communications. These services are available at any time if you were unable to make it to the Unit today. Computer support phone numbers are readily available on the Highmark Website and are available at a wide variety of times and days.

This Unit travels all over the country providing wellness awareness and wellness programs to employees of a wide variety of agencies and their employees. The small unit we were able to secure offers a couple of flat screen T.V.s that educate about Highmark’s services and several lap top computers to work on Personal Lifestyle Returns Programs. Both Rena and Mark assisted in technical support and answered questions about Highmark's Wellness and Prevention services. Philip, the Highmark Mobile Unit Truck driver, assembled this unit for our us and related enjoys our area and the local scenery.

Rena will be at our JUNE 9th DMHC Health Fair which will be held at the Court House Annex Gymnasium. She will again be providing technical support for employees wanting assistance or information as they complete steps 1 and 2 of their Lifestyle Returns Program or who are having technical difficulties coding and entering data on their Highmark web sites.

Both Mark and Rena complimented our Wellness Program, relating we are very active and offer a wide variety of annual wellness programs and initiatives for all programs. They are aware of our challenges in having programs so far apart from one another and offered their own ideas and suggestions for our Wellness Committee, which will be shared at the next Wellness Committee Meeting.

A special thanks goes out to all who were able to take time to visit the Unit and to our administration who support the Wellness efforts at DMHC, and our Highmark Support Staff who came out to see us!

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4/15/10

4/7/10

Elk Regional Health System sponsors local Easter basket

gift giving project

Elk Regional provided Dickinson's Children's Prevention Services Wellness staff and Dickinson's Parents as Teachers (PAT) staff baskets to give to families receiving services. Families who received these baskets were overwhelmed by the generosity of Elk Regional.

Pictured in photo (L-R): Nicole Cashmer, PAT Educator; Tricia Brendel, Wellness Nurse; Lianne Schneider, PAT Program Supervisor; Adair Rohr, Wellness Nurse; Deanna Meyer, Pat Educator; and Deb Love, PAT Educator.

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4/7/10

Elk County Catholic Students "Pay it Forward"

Jena Struble and Lexie Meholic presenting Lianne Schnedier, Parents as Teachers program Supervisor with homemade pillows and take home packets	Students from Elk County Catholic’s sophomore Theology class recently participated in the “Pay it Forward” project.  These students provided Dickinson’s Parents as Teachers with Easter baskets, take home packets, homemade pillows and blankets which will be distributed to families who participate in the Parents as Teachers Program.
	Abby Meyer presenting Easter baskets to Lianne Schneider, Parents as Teachers program Supervisor

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3/22/10

Second graders learn about helping others                                            

During their recent Incredible Years lessons at Woodland Elementary, second-grade students have been learning about being friendly.  The most recent lesson consisted of discussing what it means to help another person.  Children talked about what it means to be helpful; students cited specific helping behaviors and noted how they can help others at home and school.  To conclude the lesson, children wrote on cut-out construction paper hands specific ways they could help someone at home or at school.   Some of the helping behaviors included helping a fellow student at school with their school work and helping at home with pets or chores.  Pictured is Mrs. Slusarick’s second-grade class holding a banner comprised of the entire second grade’s helping hands. 

The Incredible Years Curriculum is being offered to students in grades K-2 by Dickinson Mental Health Center Children’s Prevention Services.  This curriculum has been extensively evaluated and has been shown to promote positive social interactions between students, to increase cooperation with teachers, and to reduce verbal and physical aggression in the classroom.  Dina Dinosaur’s Social Skills and Problem-Solving curriculum lessons take place once a month in the students’ classrooms.  Tana Funair, with DMHC’s Children’s Prevention Services, facilitates Dinosaur School in conjunction with the LIFE Program.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding these programs or your child feel free to contact Tana at the Woodland Elementary School at 486-4000.

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DMHC Potter County Behavioral Health Team

COUDERSPORT - Dickinson Mental Health Center’s satellite office, located in the Gunzberger location at 1 North Main Street in Coudersport, highlights their Behavioral Health Team psychiatrist Jon Grigg, M.D., Joe Sherry, LCSW, Deb Hamilton, MS Ed, and Jennifer Morrison, LCSW. (Deb Hamilton was unavailable for the press release)

Dr. Jon Grigg is a Board Certified psychiatrist. He currently services Dickinson’s Outpatient and Partial Hospitalization programs. He has served the citizens of Potter, Tioga, and surrounding counties since 1989. He has also been a consulting psychiatrist for The Rehabilitation Center in Olean, N.Y. since February 1990.

Dr. Grigg is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, where he attained the rank of Commander serving in both active duty and the Navy Reserves. In the 1980s Dr. Grigg served as medical director of the Naval Alcohol Rehabilitation Center and as head of the Department of Psychiatry at Sewells Point Branch Medical Clinic, both in Norfolk, Va.

Dr. Grigg received his Medical Degree from the University of Virginia in 1981. He is a 1977 magna cum laude graduate of Washington & Lee University. He was selected for Phi Beta Kappa, was Class Salutatorian and was a Robert E. Lee Research Scholar.

Joe Sherry obtained his Licensed Clinical Social Worker ( LCSW) Degree in 2009 has been working with DMHC since April 2008; he is is currently a Therapist at DMHC’s Outpatient Clinic. Joe started at Beacon Light Behavioral Health Systems in December 1999 taking on various positions throughout the years such as Therapeutic Staff Support, Mobile Therapist and Therapist. Joe was also part of Charles Cole Memorial Hospital where he provided care to individuals as a Family Based Case Manager.

Jennifer Morrison, obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Relations from the University of Pittsburgh in 1983. Her graduate study was at Case Western Reserve University where she obtained her Master of Science Degree in Social Administration in 2001. Jennifer became a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in 2001 and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) 2005. Jennifer joined Dickinson Mental Health as an outpatient therapist January of this year. Prior to that she was employed as a Care Manager with Community Care Behavioral Health Managed Care Organization. Her clinical experience includes employment as an outpatient therapist at Port Psychological Services, Director of Family Based Mental Health with Charles Cole and Psychiatric Social Worker for Bradford Regional Medical Center.

Dr. Jon Richard Grigg, Joe Sherry, LCSW and Jennifer Morrison, LCSW, have weekly office hours Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8am-5pm, Thursday 8am-6pm and Friday 8am-4pm at the Gunzberger location.

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3/4/10

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