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2/25/10
HOLY ROSARY PRESCHOOL FIELD TRIP
The Children’s Center is a learning environment for young children and their families. Parent-Child Groups, Parent Groups along with an opportunity to play and socialize are some of the services offered. Parenting and educational resources are available to be used at the center or borrowed for use at home. The learning environment, designed in conjunction with Community Playthings, offers an outstanding array of hands-on learning activities. The Parents as Teachers staff is available to assist families and provide suggestions for fun developmentally appropriate acitivities. If you are a parent struggling to find the right toys for your children, stop in at the Children’s Center at the Community Education Council on 4 Erie Avenue in St. Marys. The Center’s hours are: Tuesday and Thursday 10am-7pm and Wednesday and Friday 9am-2pm. Lynn Floravit, the Children’s Center facilitator also offers playgroups every Friday starting at 10:00am. DMHC Parents as Teachers reminds parents that children learn through play. Children not only love to play they need to play. It looks fun, and it should be. It is important to realize that although your child’s play may seem loud, messy and even nonproductive, they are learning about themselves and their world. (((BACK TO TOP))) February is Dental Health Month
The American Dental Association recommends that a child be seen by a dentist as soon as his or her first tooth erupts, but at least no later than the first birthday. A dental visit at an early age is a “well baby checkup” for the teeth. Begin brushing your child’s teeth with a little water as soon as the first tooth appears. If you are considering using toothpaste before the child is two years of age, ask your dentist or physician first. Supervise tooth brushing to make sure children older than two years of age use only a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste and avoid swallowing it. Children should be taught to spit out remaining toothpaste and rinse with water after brushing. Most children will be able to brush on their own by the age of six or seven years. Parents should be using floss or an interdental cleaner on their children’s teeth as soon as any two teeth touch. Cleaning between the teeth is important because it removes plaque where a toothbrush cannot reach. Brush your child’s teeth twice a day unless your dentist recommends otherwise. Help your children maintain a lifelong healthy smile by providing them with a well-balanced diet, limiting snacks, ensuring that they brush twice a day and floss once per day, and scheduling regular dental checkups for them. Referenced JADA, Vol. 133, February 2002 (((BACK TO TOP)))
Article by Brent Addleman
Possibilities brings the diagnostics and treatments of autism to a local level.
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DMHC Looking to Expand Lifesharing Service
Lifesharing is when an individual with intellectual disabilities lives with an unrelated person(s) or family. It means living and sharing life’s experiences together, creating a caring household environment. It is both a close personal relationship and a place to live. Individuals in Lifesharing have a wide array of needs ranging from daily, hands-on support to having a lot of independence and minimal supervision. The ultimate goal is to provide a supportive, secure, and loving home.
Each person receiving lifesharing services is given many opportunities to participate in community activities, make choices in their daily lives, develop and maintain personal relationships and having the opportunity to grow. Each individual is encouraged to be independent as possible. Supervision plans and program goal plans are tailored to the capabilities of each person, are put in place to assist an individual with improving their skills, and, are always carried out with safety in mind. Qualified professionals help the Lifesharer and family adjust and to meet personal objectives. An individual’s total well-being is uppermost in all lifesharing homes.
The process of entering lifesharing can take up to 6 months and begins with an application and a home study. Potential providers need to talk with their family. Adding a Lifesharer means change. Any issues need to be identified and talked through before a match can be considered. Time and exploration is important. Both parties need to be sure of the arrangement. Lifesharers and individuals are carefully matched through the “Getting to Know You” period which involves a series of visits that increase in length and duration.
Lifesharing providers must
meet state licensing requirements, not have a criminal
history or child abuse, obtain a physical, and complete 24
hours of training, related to mental retardation, before an
individual can move into their home. In some cases,
licensing requirements may be waived if the individual needs
less then 30 hours of supervision per week. Regular
monitoring of the service is done by
Lifesharing is a commitment in
time and energy. Sometimes it can be too much for the
provider or a life event takes over. In these cases,
Substitute Care is available. Substitute care is provided by
any number of individuals who meet certain requirements
outlined in the regulations. They can provide care in the
family’s home or in their own home. The arrangement is
usually between the Provider and the Substitute Care
Provider.Lifesharing providers are independent contractors.
They receive a stipend which helps cover the costs of caring
for an individual as well as procuring substitute care. It
is not meant to be a family’s only source of income. Most
providers have a primary source of income. Lifesharing is
considered to be a form of “adult foster care” hence the
stipend is considered tax-free. The stipend may be
considered a form of income for other government related
benefits. Individuals typically receive social security
benefits and pay room and board. Room and Board is paid to
Any person interested in becoming a lifesharing provider needs to be sure of their decision before they begin the process. They also need to be willing to make a commitment to an individual, to add a new member to their family, to possess good communication skills, and to have extra room in their home, and, in their heart.
At present, Dickinson Mental Health operates 8 Lifesharing homes in the Potter County area. These homes now serve a total of 10 individuals. Our present goal is to extend this service to Elk, Cameron, and McKean Counties. If you think this program may be right for you, contact Wendy Hann at 814-274-3253 at the North Main Street Group Home in Coudersport or Paul Snyder at 814-772-2005, ext. 450, for more information about the Lifesharing program. (((BACK TO TOP)))
(((BACK TO TOP))) Sign Language as a Way of Communication
Start signing now!
You can sign "milk" to your newborn when it's time to nurse or
time for a bottle. Sign "sleep" at nap and bedtimes. Take your
baby's hands and help them sign "more" in-between each spoonful.
This will help integrate signs into your daily routine. Soon the
repetition and reinforcement will occur naturally as your infant
grows. Baby sign will also help your infant realize that crying
is not the only way of communicating. (((BACK TO TOP))) DMHC Offering More Behavioral Health Services to Cameron County and the Surrounding Community
Ms. Dippold is a long-time employee of DMHC and has served as its Director of Children’s Programs, as a consultant to its school based programs, a therapist for patients with persistent and chronic mental illness, program developer, and most recently has overseen its regional employee assistance program services. She holds a Bachelors Degree from the Pennsylvania State University and earned her Masters in Social Work from West Virginia University. She is a licensed clinical social worker and offers Eye Movement Desensitization Re-Processing as one of her primary clinical specialties. Ms. Dippold now makes her home in St. Marys. For scheduling behavioral health services at the Emporium Rural Health Center of Charles Cole Memorial Hospital, please contact 814.486.2078. Ms. Dippold will maintain scheduled office hours on Mondays and Fridays at this location. To schedule an appointment with Ms. Dippold at her Keystone Rural Health Consortia office location on Tuesdays and Thursdays, contact 814.486.1115 or visit the office at 90 East Second Street, Emporium, PA. (((BACK TO TOP)))
DR. MELISSA HUNTER TO LEAD DMHC AUTISM DIAGNOSTIC TEAM (RIDGWAY, PA) Dr. Melissa Hunter, PhD will join the staff of Dickinson Mental Health Center to lead the Autism Diagnostic Team. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, she was most recently employed as a Behavior Therapist/Licensed Psychologist with SunPointe Health in State College, PA where she provided outpatient assessment and therapy services to children and families with a variety of presenting problems, including autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities, disruptive behavior problems, sleep and toileting concerns, academic issues, parenting concerns, and others. She serves as a consultant with the Central Pennsylvania Autism Spectrum Disorders Academy (CPASDA) in Clearfield, PA where she provides teacher training, behavior consultation services, and parent support services. In 2006, she was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Developmental Disabilities at the Child Study Center at the University of Oklahoma and has served as adjunct facility at the Pennsylvania State University where she taught a course on Developmental Problems in Childhood and Adolescence. She is a member of the Consumer Advisory Network of the National Autism Center and has served as an article reviewer for their National Standards Project. Dr. Hunter has authored several professional articles and has presented nationally and internationally. She holds a professional membership in the Association for Behavior Analysis, National Association of School Psychologists, and the American Psychological Association. In addition to her position at the Autism Center she will provide outpatient services for children and adolescents at Dickinson Mental Health Center on a part time basis.
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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. 
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
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
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. 
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. 
Elkwood
Arts held a bake sale during the recent chainsaw
carving event. All proceeds from the bake sale were
donated to the Good Samaritan Food Bank. Pictured
are the employees from Elkwood Arts presenting a
check to John Smith for the Good Samaritan Food
Bank. Front row l-r: Liz Daghir, Richard Gardner,
John Smith, Mary Lou Dallasen. Back row l-r: Tessa
McCoole, Jim Martin, Tim Johnson and Jeff Knight.
Elkwood Arts, a vocational workshop/program of
Dickinson Mental Health Center, is licensed by the
PA Dept. Public Welfare’s Office of Developmental
Programs. Learn more at
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.
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.
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)
Elkwood
Arts, a program of Dickinson Mental Health Center,
is committed to providing jobs for adults with
intellectual and developmental disabilities. They
produce quality handmade products out of various
hardwoods. As part of a non-profit parent
organization, Elkwood Arts relies heavily upon the
generosity of local businesses, community leaders
and individuals. The Kane Hardwood Division of the
Collins Companies located in Kane PA has been a
consistent supporter of Elkwood Arts. The company
has donated lumber to Elkwood Arts throughout the
last several years. The consumers who work at
Elkwood Arts traveled to Kane to present plaques to
Connie Grenz, General Manager and Randy Byers, Sales
Manager to thank them for the continued support.
Elkwood Arts is located at 324 Allenhurst Ave. in
Ridgway, PA. For more information on Elkwood Arts
call (814)776-2174 or visit their website at
JOHNSONBURG –
Holy Rosary Preschool visited the DMHC Parents as Teacher’s
Children’s Center for a field trip. The PAT Children’s
Center is a facility under Dickinson Mental Health Center’s
Children’s Prevention Services that is open to the general
public for children ages birth to five, where children have
a unique opportunity to engage in a quality learning
environment. 
Elk
County –Alyssa Schlimm, Dental Hygienist with Dr. Joseph
Hawkins Dental Office, visited the DMHC Parents as Teacher
Children’s Center educating children about the importance of
dental health. This educational presentation was offered
during the Parents as Teachers weekly 10:30am Friday
playgroup. The children learned how important it is to brush
and floss their teeth along with maintaining a healthy diet.
Alyssa promoted guidelines as per American Dental
Association (
Nicole
Cashmer recently joined Dickinson Mental Health Center's (DMHC)
Children's Prevention Services team as Parents as Teachers
Educator. Nicole is trained in American Sign Language, which has
allowed Children's Services an innovative method to support
families interested in learning a second form of communication
for their toddler or baby. This is a popular request from
families with children with Autism or developmental delays.
However, Parents as Teachers is open to the general public and
signing can offer an extra learning opportunity to families
enrolled in the DMHC Parents as Teachers program. Nicole is
currently working at receiving her “Baby Signs” certification,
and will be offering a sign language group at the Parents as
Teacher’s Children’s Center on Erie Avenue in St. Marys. Visit
www.dmhc.org/prevention.htm for more information about
Children’s Prevention Services.
Dickinson
Mental Health Center, Inc. (DMHC) is pleased to announce that
Leah Dippold, LCSW is now accepting referrals for behavioral
health and counseling services to residents of Cameron County
and the surrounding community. Through a collaborative
partnership with Charles Cole Memorial Hospital and Keystone
Rural Health Consortia, Ms. Dippold is accepting new patient
referrals at each of these Emporium locations.