ISSUE FIFTEEN | CENTERSTONE.ORG
A PUBLICATION OF CENTERSTONE
Integrated Caring
Meet Judy Benton
Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse | Well-Connect Services | Centerstone Research Institute
10
2 Cover Feature 2 Integrated Caring
Meet Judy Benton
Health and Wellness 7 Well-Connect Services 8 Physician Spotlight
12
9 Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse 10 Philanthropy in Action 12 News and Notes
Features 14 Prevention Services 15 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Myths & Facts 16 Zero Suicide Initiative 17 Centerstone Research Institute
Centerstone.org
facebook.com/Centerstone.org
twitter.com/Centerstone
youtube.com/CenterstoneVideos
ISSUE FIFTEEN
Editor in Chief Robert N. Vero, EdD Managing Editor David Schrader
Contributing Editors Karen H. Rhea, MD Natalie Stone Gwen Watts Contributing Writers Jeney Slusser Sheila Nickell Angela Suico
From the Editor in Chief
Graphic Design Michael Rivera Centerstone of Tennessee Board of Directors Mark Faulkner, Chair R. Parker Griffith, Vice Chair Albert Menefee III, Secretary Janet Ayers, Immediate Past Chair Kelly Crockett Crook Father Fred Dettwiller Vincent W. Durnan, Jr. Orville Kronk Dana Oman Dr. Carmen Reagan Steve Saliba Joan Sivley Sperry Bell Stadler Jim Sweeten Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate Dr. Robert N. Vero, CEO
ABOUT CENTERSTONE Centerstone, a not-for-profit organization, is one of the nation’s largest providers of behavioral healthcare. Focused on whole-person health, it offers a full range of mental health, addiction disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities services and integrated primary care to meet the needs of the 85,000 children, teens, adults and families it serves each year. With offices in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, the combined organization operates from more than 150 facilities and 220 partnership locations and through a provider network of 400 therapists and counselors nationwide. It also operates the Centerstone Foundation, Centerstone Research Institute, Advantage Behavioral Health, Centerstone Military Services and Centerstone Health Partners.
4,000-1014
Greetings from Centerstone! In a previous issue of “Reclaiming Lives,” I was excited to share news about our growing emphasis on “whole person” healthcare. We’ve teamed up with Unity Physician Partners to open a Unity Medical Clinic in several Centerstone locations throughout Middle Tennessee where behavioral and primary care services are now available together under one roof. While the facility renovations were exciting, service delivery is even more rewarding as you’ll discover in our cover story about Ms. Judy Benton. A longtime Centerstone client, Ms. Judy had several physical health issues as well and was encouraged by her trusted therapist to enroll in Centerstone’s Well-Connect Services. Doing so meant that Ms. Benton gained access to a Care Coordinator and Wellness Coach who improved communication between her behavioral and physical care providers, helped with diabetes management, gave nutrition and exercise advice and more. As you will read, her journey to integrated care has been truly life-changing. Centerstone Research Institute is also at the technological forefront of whole healthcare thanks to involvement with a new app. Coaction Health (page 17) helps a specific set of Medicaid clients better manage co-occurring behavioral and physical disorders. Ms. Judy recently spoke at a Centerstone management team meeting about her inspiring integrated care experience. Believe me when I say we’re all just as inspired by her recovery efforts. That’s why we’re here and so honored to serve you.
Robert N. Vero, EdD Chief Executive Officer
COVER FEATURE
2
ISSUE FIFTEEN
I N T EG R AT E D C A R I N G
A beloved patient discovers physical health benefits through
Well-Connect Services Meet Judy Benton Judy Benton wasn’t always properly cared for as a child growing up in South Carolina. The stories of abuse and mental illness running through her family history, combined with a later litany of personal physical ailments, haven’t easily amounted to the remarkably caring, often laughing person she is today at age 53 living in Tennessee. But some unexpected friends along the way showed her a gamechanging measure of support, not unlike what Centerstone does with Well-Connect Services. This new integrated care system, in partnership with Unity Medical Clinic, manages behavioral and primary health together for a greatly improved quality of life. And perhaps it’s no coincidence that “Ms. Judy”—who has visited Centerstone more than a decade for mental wellbeing—would sign up for Well-Connect, experience major physical health benefits in the first week, and then care deeply enough to share her turnaround story with readers of Reclaiming Lives.
CENTERSTONE.ORG
3
“
I was given love . . . what I needed,
what I longed for.”
Judy with Centerstone therapist Patricia Reinhardt
Something I Never Thought I’d Receive “It went like this,” Judy begins. “My mother was very abusive—all I had to do was look at her wrong to get backhanded. There were numerous times I got the blood beat out of me and couldn’t sit down at school the next day. But nobody ever really helped me. I left home at 19 with all intentions of living on the street because I was sick and tired of the situation.” Instead, she moved to Nashville and lived with her older sister, an arrangement their mother actually made. Judy worked retail and restaurant jobs but wasn’t doing much yet to address her painful past and the depression it caused. She remembers being “stonehearted,” rarely raising her head to speak to anyone. Soon after moving, however, Benton met a kind older woman at church, a spiritual leader in the community who would act as a compassionate parental figure for years to come. “Just knowing her changed me,” Judy recalls. “Without Mrs. Pursell in my life, I’d probably be six feet under today.” 4
ISSUE FIFTEEN
Mrs. Pursell was there to help when Judy began struggling with a string of physical illnesses, from a series of strokes to diverticulitis, diabetes, hernia surgery and later a hysterectomy. The woman allowed Benton to recover in her own home for weeks at a time, and their friendship took on a genuine mother-daughter dynamic. “She would take no money for her help,” says Judy. “So I said, ‘Okay, Mrs. Pursell, but I will make you this promise: In your declining years I will be there by you like you’ve been by me.’ She had given me something I never thought I’d receive. I was given love . . . what I needed, what I longed for.” True to her word, Judy would often look after Pursell until her passing in 2009. Benton says the woman’s last words to her—“You know, I sure do love you.”—ring in her ears today.
Fighting Depression Judy’s first stroke had occurred at age 28 and started a downward spiral of emotions like never before. Even with supportive friends and her growing ability to help others, the
need for a consistent personal mental health regimen became clear. In time, after a two-week hospitalization for severe depression, Benton reached out to someone who guided her to Centerstone. At the organization’s Frank Luton Center in Antioch, she came under the care of clinical therapist Patricia Reinhardt, who would prove to be another key encourager and an important link to life-changing integrated mind and body health. “Pat Reinhardt goes out of her way to help a client. I know. I’m one of them,” Judy says with a big smile on her face. “She helped me rebuild my confidence and has taught me a lot about how to deal with depression. I see Pat every two weeks and try to model myself after her. She will always listen to me. Now, when I can be of help to somebody, no matter what it is, I intend to do that.” Ms. Judy likes to tell the ways Reinhardt has helped her life move forward and says she would never have enough time to share every example. But beyond their regularly scheduled sessions, and even conversations by phone in rare moments of emotional crisis, her favorite story is about how Pat came to visit Benton during a serious physical health scare. “In early 2013, I was diagnosed with MRSA infection, double pneumonia, acute respiratory failure and E. coli in my kidneys,” Judy recalls. “Any one of those is bad enough, but all four put me in a tailspin. I was admitted to the hospital and expected to die—given less than a 5% chance to survive. But I remember Pat coming to see me there. She said, ‘Judy, if anybody can beat this and survive it, you can.’” And she has. Better yet, the fighting spirit Judy displayed while recovering from her physical illness led Reinhardt to suggest she enroll in Centerstone’s Well-Connect Services—to bridge any gaps between Benton’s primary and behavioral care. There are several Centerstone locations in Tennessee where Unity Medical Clinic physicians are onsite to make this service especially convenient (see page 7).
Embracing Whole Health Research shows that a person with behavioral health and/ or substance use disorders is more likely to develop chronic physical illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity or heart disease. That’s what prompted Centerstone to create Well-Connect Services, where clients are given access to a Care Coordinator who helps manage mental and physical health close together in order to improve both.
Judy with Centerstone care coordinator Andra Codrea
When Judy signed up for Well-Connect she met Andra Codrea. As a Centerstone Care Coordinator, she ensures clients have access to proper care and guides them to better understand and manage chronic health conditions. On a typical day, Andra attends medical appointments and health screenings with clients where lab results are reviewed with a Unity doctor. She also schedules meetings with specialists, helps clients obtain behavioral and primary medicine and offers practical wellness insights. Ms. Judy will never forget her first Well-Connect session with Codrea—because it may have saved her life. “I have type 2 diabetes, so at my initial Well-Connect appointment I had blood work done. The next day my phone rings, and it’s Andra. She says, ‘Judy, your blood sugar level was 621—dangerously high. You need to get to an emergency room as quick as you can.’ I pressed my emergency pendant for an ambulance and spent two days in the hospital on an insulin drip where Andra came to visit. I sure am glad she called that day! My level had risen to nearly 700. I’ve always done my regimens, but now my sugar only goes up past 300 if I’m in pain or very upset about something.” continues on page 6 CENTERSTONE.ORG
5
“
You like to go where everybody knows your name. That’s me. Here, I’m at home.”
Judy with Unity Medical Clinic’s Dr. Gina Dudley
Through Well-Connect Services, Judy also works with wellness coach Rebecca Bauer, meeting twice each month to discuss diabetes management, proper nutrition and exercise. Codrea is quick to point out Benton’s active part in making every aspect of the Well-Connect dynamic a success. “Ms. Judy is a joy to work with! She has such a positive attitude in spite of the serious medical conditions she is faced with. Without her hard work and efforts, our jobs would be much more difficult. During our last endocrinology appointment, her doctor praised her for keeping such thorough journals of blood sugar levels and calorie count and said she wouldn’t be able to treat Ms. Judy properly without this information. I’m certain I speak for all her providers when I say we look forward to every appointment.”
Where Everybody Knows Your Name Benton always looks forward to visiting Centerstone as well. In addition to appointments with Reinhardt and Codrea, she has enjoyed getting to know her new Unity physician, Dr. Gina Dudley, whose clinic is housed at the Centerstone facility in Antioch. “She always has a kind word, and never has she let on that anything was any different between us—I was just as good as she was,” says Judy. “And I love her staff. Whenever I’m at Centerstone and have a free minute, I’ll go by their office and say, ‘Hey, girls!’ and tell them a joke that I’ve heard or made up myself. They’re fun.” For Ms. Judy, being at Centerstone and Unity as a WellConnect Services client just feels like coming home now. “It’s like the song from that TV show, ‘Cheers.’ You like to go where everybody knows your name. That’s me. Here, 6
ISSUE FIFTEEN
I’m at home. I know that if I’m sick physically then I can see Dr. Dudley. She will fit me in. If I’m mentally sick and need help that way, Pat Reinhardt is here. She’s a great example of someone who will make time for others. When I come here and walk in through the doors out front, everyone behind the counter says, ‘Hi, Judy! Hi, Judy! Hi, Judy!’ I know there are people in both areas who care about me for me.”
Somebody Out There Who Cares The same can be said about Benton. Before having to stop regular work last year for health reasons, she made her living as an in-home caregiver and was “just honored to know that my life meant something to somebody.” Today, Judy often uses spare time to visit people in hospitals and nursing homes—even if she doesn’t know them. “I’ve been told I have a caregiver’s heart,” she says. “Really, my heart is bigger than what it should be in a lot of ways. But as time has rolled on, I’ve learned that I want people to know this about me: There is somebody out there who cares. And you don’t have to look very far to find me.” Centerstone and Unity are easy to find and connect with as well. Like Ms. Judy, we care about the needs of others. And we’re here to integrate mental and physical health care in ways that make life altogether better. “I’m a totally different person than what you would have seen all those years ago,” Benton concludes. “I wouldn’t be here today if it had not been for Centerstone and their employees. My life has made a total 180 degree turn. I don’t regret a day I’ve set foot in here; I have so much inside my heart that I just can’t say. The therapist, the doctor, the staff . . . they’ve all been good to me. And they’ll be that good to anyone else who will let them.” a
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Spotlight on Well-Connect Services An Integrated Care Solution at Centerstone Did you know that a person with behavioral health or substance use disorders (or both) is more likely to develop chronic physical illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity or heart disease? Research shows that in such cases one’s lifespan is shortened by 20-25 years on average. Centerstone’s Well-Connect Services is on a mission to lower those numbers and reclaim lives by helping clients manage mental and physical health together so that both will be improved. WellConnect helps: •
Obtain and coordinate behavioral health and primary care resources.
•
Manage chronic health conditions.
•
Improve overall health.
What Can Well-Connect Offer Me? Once enrolled in Well-Connect Services, clients gain access to a Care Coordinator and a Wellness Coach. The coordinator ensures that a person has access to care, assists in navigating health issues and concerns and helps better understand and manage chronic health conditions. The coach meets regularly with clients to offer educational counseling about proper nutrition (healthy choices, portion sizes, etc.), smoking cessation, simple exercise routines and more. Together, this Care Team routinely checks a person’s vitals and lab work to ensure he or she is making progress toward pre-set wellness goals. Well-Connect Services health homes are currently active at three Centerstone locations in Middle Tennessee: Centerstone, Frank Luton Center, 1921 Ransom Place (37217) Centerstone, Dede Wallace Campus, 2400 White Avenue (37204) Centerstone 620 South Gallatin Road (37115) For more information please contact us at 615.279.6711. a CENTERSTONE.ORG
7
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT
Thomas J. Lavie, M.D. Dr. Thomas Lavie is a psychiatrist at Centerstone in Nashville and has a special clinical interest in community mental health. Originally from New Orleans, he received his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine and moved to Music City after Hurricane Katrina. Soon after starting his medical practice, Lavie began painting. Today his mixed media figurative and abstract works are part of private collections from New York to California. They are also on display at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and in the new outpatient facility on Centerstone’s Dede Wallace Campus where Lavie practices. More of his works can be seen online at GalleryNoNa.com. Why do you choose to work at Centerstone? I have met many colleagues in Nashville who have worked at Centerstone, and they have always spoken well of it. I am happy to be part of such a reputable organization, such a great team. I consider the staff here to be amongst the best people I have ever worked with over my twenty-six year career. We have excellent leadership and management, gifted psychotherapists, energetic young case managers and a highly dedicated clinic nurse and medical assistant. I like the diversity of the patient population, and I love our new building in the Melrose neighborhood. What is the most significant advancement you have witnessed in mental health since you began practicing? Without a doubt, better medications and the loss of stigmatization that was once associated with psychiatry. I was a second year psychiatry resident when Prozac became available. Before that we had Elavil, Trazodone, MAO-Is, ECT and not much else for clinical depression. The number of medications for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder has skyrocketed since my early days. 8
ISSUE FIFTEEN
What future advances in the delivery of care excite you the most? Better, safer care being delivered in an integrated health atmosphere—a closer relationship between psychiatry and primary care. I am excited about the advancement of more evidence-based treatment, particularly in the field of psychotherapy. I am a big believer that patients do better when they are engaged in both psychotherapy and medication management. Tell us about your family. Most of my family lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. I have been married for twenty-two years to the best wife anyone could ask for. I have two beautiful, intelligent, talented, compassionate daughters. My oldest is in her second year at UT, taking a pre-med curriculum. She will likely take the MCAT soon. My youngest has expressed interest in art and health care. I myself am one of five children. My brother Carl is an awarded cardiologist who lives and practices in New Orleans. Three of his four children will be physicians. His oldest recently began his internship in neuro-radiology in New Orleans, and he has another son and daughter currently in medical school. What do you do in your spare time? I exercise daily—running, hiking, swimming. I try to paint almost every day. Creating works of art is a passion, and I have been fortunate to sell many paintings. I am an avid music collector, and I enjoy playing music with friends and family, as well as writing songs. What would people be surprised to learn about you? I do not think anything about me would really surprise the people who know me well. They would say, “He became a psychiatrist for good reason.” a
Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse by Sheila Nickell, Program Manager for Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services at Centerstone
When we hear the word addiction, we typically think of alcohol, cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine. However, none of these—or even several of them combined— are anywhere near the most significant substance abuse challenge we face in Tennessee: prescription drugs. The most prevalent addiction problem in our state is abuse of prescription opioids— pain relievers. In the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vital Signs report, Tennessee, along with two other southern states, has the highest rates of prescriptions for these medications written per person. This appears to be taking a toll. According to recently released numbers from the Tennessee Substance Abuse Data Task Force, treatment admissions for abuse of prescription drugs have increased 500 percent in the last decade. And, the number of admissions for opioid abuse has exceeded admissions for alcohol abuse. As a Centerstone alcohol and drug interventionist in Middle Tennessee, prescription drug abuse is the number one reason people call me for help. The effects of these drugs are often underestimated since they are legal and perceived as safe when prescribed by a physician, but they can be extremely dangerous. Because of this contradiction, the need for education—along with prevention and intervention—is paramount. It should be understood that prescription opioids have highly addictive qualities and can be as life-threatening as heroin and methamphetamine. In fact, prescription
opioid overdose is now the second-leading cause of accidental death in the United States, killing more people than heroin and cocaine combined. When visiting any doctor, people must take control of their health and treatment options. It’s so important to be an active participant in your treatment plan and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to have an open conversation about side-effects and talk with your doctor about the addictive nature of medications, particularly prescription painkillers. You also can ask for other suggestions for treatment, in addition to medication. For example, are there things like exercise, relaxation techniques or a new diet that could help supplement your treatment or substitute the use of painkillers? You don’t know unless you ask. It is estimated that nearly 24 million Americans use some form of illicit drugs during any given month, and this number continues to grow. Addiction does not discriminate based on age, sex, wealth, location or any other status. It affects every sector of society, and some of these 24 million users are our family, friends and neighbors. There is help available. You are not alone. If you suspect you or a loved one is battling addiction, I encourage you to take the first step toward recovery and seek support. a Centerstone substance abuse and intervention services experts can be reached 24 hours a day by calling 800.681.7444. Sheila Nickell provides intervention services for addiction disorders at Centerstone. CENTERSTONE.ORG
9
PHILANTHROPY IN ACTION
YWCA Women of Achievement Honor for Centerstone Board’s Janet Ayers Each year, the YWCA chooses a select few women who are truly making a difference in their community and honors them at the Academy for Women of Achievement ceremony. This year, Janet Ayers, Immediate Past Chair on the Centerstone of Tennessee (CTN) Board of Directors and current Vice Chair for Centerstone Research Institute (CRI), was recognized for her tireless work with our organization. Through her leadership and advocacy for both CTN and CRI, Janet has shown continuous dedication towards improving care to those with mental illness and advancing research.
Jim and Janet Ayers attend the Academy for Women of Achievement ceremony where she was honored for her leadership and community outreach.
Powerboats Run the Water to Benefit Centerstone The Tennessee Powerboat Club named Centerstone as the beneficiary of its Second Annual Old Hickory Fun Run. The weekend long event brought together more than 600 powerboat enthusiasts from across the country to Middle Tennessee to join in the festivities. Centerstone received more than $30,000 from The Tennessee Powerboat Club as beneficiary of its Second Annual Old Hickory Fun Run. Pictured at the event are (l-r): Chad Clarke (owner of Shipwreck Cove), Jeney Slusser (Centerstone Director of Advancement), John Page (retired Centerstone COO, Special Services) and Chad Collier (Tennessee Powerboat Club President)
Ben Middleton (Centerstone COO), Dr. Bob Vero (Centerstone CEO), Slusser, Alita Sparks (corporate sponsor Jet’s Pizza Director of Business Development), Collier and Clarke at the check presentation.
10
ISSUE FIFTEEN
Kicking off the event, a patron’s party was hosted on Friday night at Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Nashville where friends mingled on the rooftop patio enjoying food and live music. At 8am the next morning, participants met to go over rules and safety on the water before lining up. Soon the shot was fired and the race was on. After the final participant crossed the finish line back at Anchor High Marina in Hendersonville, a shrimp boil and live auction—complete with a signed guitar from Kenny Chesney—led the way into a night of food, music and fun. The event raised more than $30,000 to support Centerstone’s Children and Family Services.
Ambassadors Circle Welcomes Unity Medical Clinic to Clarksville
Centerstone recently welcomed Unity Medical Clinic to its Clarksville facility. Pictured at the opening event are (l-r): Dr. Jim Geraughty (President/CMO, Unity); Oba Hollie, M.D. (Unity); Michael Bailey (President/CEO, Unity); Bill Wyatt (President, F&M Bank); Carmen Reagan, DBA (Centerstone of Tennessee board member); Dixie Dennis, Ph.D. (Austin Peay State University); Dr. Bob Vero (CEO, Centerstone of Tennessee)
Centerstone’s Ambassadors Circle recently hosted a breakfast celebration in Clarksville to welcome partners at Unity Medical Clinic to the Montgomery County area. As the most recent primary care practice to open within a Centerstone location, community leaders were eager to meet their newest neighbors and learn more about Unity’s services, which include annual wellness checks, immunizations and vaccines, preventative health screenings and more.
Co-hosted by F & M Bank and Sunrise Rotary Club, the event featured several speakers. Centerstone CEO Dr. Bob Vero discussed preventable physical ailments that can contribute to the shortened lifespan of those with behavioral health disorders, who die on average 25 years earlier than those without such issues. Michael Bailey, President and CEO of Unity Medical Clinic, and Dr. Jim Geraughty, Chief Medical Officer of Unity Medical Clinic, shared their vision for treating the mind and body as a whole and discussed why their organization chose to partner with Centerstone to change the way patients approach healthcare.
Centerstone Staff Serve Clients Through Philanthropic Giving Centerstone recently launched its third annual Centerstone CARES Employee Giving Campaign. The two-week initiative brought together staff from across the Centerstone enterprise in an effort to raise much needed funds used to directly support clients. In total, the campaign raised more than $68,000.
Community Unites to Support Local Nonprofits Centerstone was honored to participate in The Big Payback, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s inaugural online day of giving created to increase local awareness and philanthropy. More than $3,000 was generously donated to help Centerstone provide mental health services to clients in need. Over 500 nonprofit organizations were involved in the event, and $1.4 million in donations was raised to support their collective life-changing work. Mark your calendar—The Big Payback will return Tuesday, May 5, 2015! a Each Ambassadors Circle event focuses on a different mental health or addiction topic. Members are encouraged to bring a friend to help spread the news of the vital work being done at Centerstone. To request or host an Ambassadors Circle program on a particular topic or in your area, please contact Jeney Slusser at 615-460-4181 or jeney.slusser@centerstone.org. CENTERSTONE.ORG
11
NEWS&NOTES Centerstone employees in Gallatin wore green each Friday in May to recognize Mental Health Month.
Centerstone Military Services’ Jennifer Carr (left) and Debbie Cagle (right) receive a $20,000 grant check from The Verizon Foundation’s Julie Smith (center). The funds will go toward enhancing services for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence within the military.
John Page, recently retired from Centerstone as Chief Operating Officer for Specialty Services after 21 years of service, receives NAMI Tennessee’s 2014 Professional Award from Dr. Richard P. Baxter.
12
Verizon Grant Helps Military Survivors of Assault, Violence
Centerstone Employees Wear Green for Mental Health Month
The Verizon Foundation has awarded a $20,000 grant to Centerstone Military Services to help fund enhanced services for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence within the military. While 3,500 cases of sexual assault are reported to the military annually, an anonymous Pentagon survey revealed that around 26,000 service members are sexually assaulted each year. In addition, 21 percent of domestic violence nationwide involves a combat veteran. Research shows veterans diagnosed with PTSD are more likely to perpetrate violence toward their partners.
To recognize Mental Health Month, Centerstone employees wore clothes featuring the national campaign’s signature color green each Friday in May. Green ribbons were also distributed among staff to serve as awareness conversation starters with the public. Other outside promotional efforts included op-ed pieces and social media posts about key mental health issues. Back in house, a “Green Fridays” contest asked clinical staff to submit a client’s recovery success story. One lucky clinician and client in turn were selected to each receive a green iPod Nano!
ISSUE FIFTEEN
John Page Receives NAMI TN Professional Award John Page, who recently retired from Centerstone as Chief Operating Officer for Specialty Services after 21 years of service, received the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Tennessee’s 2014 Professional Award during a reception held at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. The honor recognizes his exceptional efforts in decreasing stigma while raising public awareness and hope for those living with the effects of mental illness. Page worked more than 40 years in the mental health field and was nominated by colleagues because “his leadership brought about better quality of life for people.”
Centerstone’s Kerry Loy (bottom left) and Marcy Melvin (top right) film public service announcements about parent and child issues for Nashville Public Television.
CEO Dr. Bob Vero gives an overview of Centerstone’s new outpatient facility on the Dede Wallace Campus to Mental Health Corporations of America conference attendees.
Gillpatrick Writes Afterword for Book on Emotional Abuse
Nashville Public Television Films Public Service Announcements with Centerstone Centerstone’s Marcy Melvin (Clinical Supervisor) and Kerry Loy (Professional Life Coach for Child, Youth and Family Services) have filmed a series of one-minute public service announcements that will air on Nashville Public Television to reach parents of school-age children. Among the issues Melvin and Loy discussed included effective parenting, resilience, imaginative play, promoting emotional health through healthy lifestyle, social stress in teenagers as well as physical health in teenagers.
MHCA Conference Attendees Visit Centerstone’s New Outpatient Facility Mental Health Corporations of America held its spring conference in Nashville and arranged a tour of Centerstone’s new outpatient facility on the Dede Wallace Campus for attendees. CEO Dr. Bob Vero welcomed guests from around the country to learn how Centerstone is improving client access and outcomes, lowering costs and embracing integrated care. Kevin Niswender, M.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine also gave a presentation entitled “Food and Mood: The Link between Obesity, Metabolic Regulation, Nutrition and Mental Health.”
Susan Gillpatrick, Clinical Program Manager at Centerstone, has written the afterword for “Thorns on the Rose,” a new novel by Rose Reid. Based on true events, the book follows one woman on her journey of disappointment, disrespect, emotional abuse and divorce after age fifty. In the afterword, Susan writes, “Women need to know their high value and worth and accept nothing less than a love that is consistently respectful, adoring and giving.”
Centerstone Receives MHA Collaborative Nonprofit Award Centerstone recently received the Collaborative Nonprofit Partner Award from Mental Health America of Middle Tennessee at the organization’s 2014 annual meeting and awards luncheon in Nashville. CEO Dr. Bob Vero was on hand to accept the honor, one of several designed to celebrate the everyday mental health heroes in the community.
CENTERSTONE.ORG
13
FEATURE
Catching Up with Prevention Services Enthusiastic Staff Encouraging, Educating Youth across Middle Tennessee If you’ve been out and about lately then there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with Centerstone’s Prevention Services, dedicated to educating and empowering children, teens and their families to make positive decisions when faced with common real-life issues. The team’s Be Aware program provided an HIV testing clinic and prevention education at Live on the Green, a six-day outdoor concert series hosted by Nashville’s independent radio station Lightning 100. Prevention Services was also on hand to educate and engage throughout summer at the Nashville Shores water park and at Movies in the Park each Thursday night in June where families watched favorites including “Frozen” and “Despicable Me 2.” With school back in session, Prevention’s web site WhoYouWant2Be.org sponsored Friday Night Rivals, a weekly online broadcast of the top midstate high school football matchups on Fox17.com and WUXP (MyTV 30). Ashleigh Hall, Prevention Services Program Coordinator, did on-air halftime interviews to inform viewers of the work her team is doing throughout the region.
Ashleigh Hall, Prevention Coordinator, speaks on air with MyTV30 about Prevention Services.
Hunter Peebles, Prevention Specialist, models the WhoYouWant2Be sunglasses at Live on the Green.
“I am always encouraged when community members report how our programs, projects, and campaigns have made a difference in their youth,” said Hall. All told, Prevention Services provides a wide range of programs that impact over 100,000 youth and adults through outreach efforts and 8,000 more through direct services each year in 26 counties of Middle Tennessee. Issues addressed include substance abuse, violence and bullying, teen pregnancy, STDs and social skill enhancement. Learn more at WhoYouWant2Be.org. a 14
ISSUE FIFTEEN
This game wheel invites people at local events to answer a question about risky behavior in order to win a prize.
FEATURE
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Myths t and Facts
It’s a frequent punch-line to a story about a neat-freak: “Oh, that’s just her OCD!” While we think we know what Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is, the many myths about this mental illness can be a barrier in supporting and treating the 1 to 2% of Americans who actually live with OCD every day. Myth: OCD is primarily a
diagnosis for women. Fact: OCD occurs equally in men
and women. It affects adults and children as well as people of all races, religions and socioeconomic backgrounds. Myth: Children do not get OCD. Fact: OCD can strike as young as 4 years old, though it is most commonly first identified in individuals ages 6 to 25. Gender can play a role. OCD often occurs in boys between the ages of 6 and 15 and for girls in their 20s. Myth: OCD people are always neat and clean. Fact: For many people with OCD, cleanliness is not even an issue. Individuals with OCD have their own unique “obsession” or “compulsion” and actions they may need to do in order to calm their thought processes. Myth: It’s easy to stop obsessing. Just think about something else. Fact: OCD will often cause “brain
lock,” making it exceedingly difficult to even think about another topic until the obsession
or compulsion is temporarily resolved. The resulting calm may last only briefly until the cycle begins again. Myth: OCD cannot be managed. Fact: OCD cannot be cured.
However, a combination of medication and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can make a tremendous impact on an individual’s ability to reduce the frequency and intensity of the intrusive thoughts that interfere with daily life. Seeking help for OCD early will help individuals respond even better to treatment. Myth: OCD comes from poor parenting. Fact: No evidence suggests that
parenting has anything to do with contracting OCD. However, it is best to seek behavioral health services as early as possible to begin treating the OCD and structuring the child’s life to avoid parenting styles that may exacerbate the symptoms. Myth: OCD is easily diagnosed. Fact: OCD is often missed due to
a lack of understanding of the true nature and dynamics of the disorder.
Myth: OCD primarily affects
outward behavior. Fact: OCD is a mental illness.
For some people, the obsessions and compulsions of OCD can be entirely mental with no outward symptoms. You may be sitting next to a person who is both obsessing and completing compulsions and not even notice. Myth: It helps to just do the compulsion and get it over with so you can focus on something else. Fact: Every time you complete
a compulsion you feed the obsession and it gets stronger and will be even harder to resist the next time. Myth: OCD has no other
side-effects outside of its basic symptoms. Fact: OCD can lead to physical illness, depression, anxiety, fatigue, anger, psychiatric hospitalization and suicidal thoughts and actions. While OCD cannot be cured, treatment can help people to manage OCD and reduce the severity and intensity of the symptoms and side-effects. a
CENTERSTONE.ORG
15
FEATURE
Centerstone Helps Lead Zero Suicide Academy in D.C. and England
Centerstone’s Becky Stoll and Jennifer Lockman (fourth and third from the right) join colleagues from around the world at a Zero Suicide in Healthcare conference in Oxford, England.
Centerstone extended its national and international reach this past summer to Washington, D.C. and Oxford, England through pioneering work on the Zero Suicide in Healthcare initiative. Becky Stoll, Centerstone’s Vice President of Crisis & Disaster Management, taught at the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Zero Suicide Academy in the nation’s capital. The event provided tools and support that will help organizations adopt approaches to dramatically reduce suicide among people in their care. Attendees included a mix of professionals from physical, behavioral and integrated care organizations alongside departments of mental health, inpatient providers and more. They collaborated with instructors including Stoll to develop action plans for their own agencies. Centerstone joined the “Zero Suicide” prevention effort in 2012. This collaborative worked together to create a “Zero Suicide Toolkit” so other organizations won’t have to recreate a similar initiative time and again in the future. “Centerstone has committed to achieving a system of care that ‘bakes in’ the vital components needed to screen, assess, and assist those who are at the highest levels of suicide,” said Stoll. “We want to see no one in our care taken by their own hand, and we are grateful to be involved with the Zero Suicide in Healthcare initiative.” Stoll and Centerstone Program Evaluator Jennifer Lockman also traveled to the United Kingdom to present at the first international gathering of organizations committed to Zero Suicide in Healthcare. Joined by colleagues from New Zealand, Netherlands and elsewhere, they united through the words of Dutch psychiatrist Jan Mokkenstorm: “We are at the beginning of this journey and we start out from the core value that no one of our patients should die alone and in despair by suicide.” Back at home, Centerstone of Tennessee’s programs are operating in the Clinical Pathway for Suicide Prevention with encouraging results. The suicide rate among clients decreased from 3.1 (per 10,000) in July 2013 to 1.7 (per 10,000) in July 2014. In four separate months—August, October 2013 and June, July 2014—zero clients took their lives. a 16
ISSUE FIFTEEN
Centerstone Research Institute Helps Create App to Better Manage Mental, Physical Health Mental illness is a challenge. It’s even more so when it occurs on top of a physical health problem. With that in mind, Centerstone Research Institute (CRI) partnered with health care app developer Ginger.io and Verizon Wireless to create coaction Health, a program targeted specifically for high-Medicaid utilizers, or Medicaid consumers who have co-occurring disorders and more than $25,000 in annual health care expenses. These individuals are often referred to as ‘healthcare’s superutilizers.’ These superutilizers represent five percent of high-utilizer Medicaid beneficiaries, which is more than half of the state Medicaid dollars spent each year. These individuals typically have co-occurring mental and physical disorders that make managing their care difficult – a key factor in the development of coaction Health, an intervention program for individuals with complex behavioral health disorders that promotes greater health and wellbeing. To help them manage their conditions, coaction Health provided participants with smartphones with health-related tracking apps for three months. The 3-month pilot program required regular meetings with a wellness coach who was easily accessible through the smartphones. Participants could also use the phones to access a support team consisting of a consultant, an on-call nurse and a supervising licensed therapist. The results? Patients like “Helen” enjoyed the easy access to her caregivers.
“Everybody should have a chance to work with [smartphones],” said Helen, “because they would be amazed with what you can do, such as how to stay in contact with your therapist and case manager or get a message to your doctor.” There were also good results in patients’ overall health. One female participant lost 25 pounds and “had to buy new britches.” Another user, “Jesse,” confounded his doctors with the improvement in his lungs. “Two years ago I was dying,” said Jesse. “A lung transplant was all that would save me. Now I’ve miraculously gained 16% of my lungs back. I have an exercise program where I work out with a CPAT machine, and it has expanded my lungs back. The surgeons at Vanderbilt have no answer for what I’ve done; they’re saying it’s a miracle.” Before the program began, none of the participants felt confident in their ability to manage their conditions. By the time the program ended, 100 percent felt more confident in their ability to do so. Their stories show just how efficient health care can be with the proper alignment between patients, care givers and technology. Furthermore, understanding their needs and finding ways to help them better manage their health is critical in controlling healthcare costs. coaction Health is now being deployed to a larger test groups in Indiana and again in Tennessee. a CENTERSTONE.ORG
17
CENTERSTONE
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage
1101 Sixth Avenue North
PAID
Nashville, TN 37208-2650
Nashville, TN Permit # 2397
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please call (615) 463-6645 or email us at foundation@centerstone.org
The H Group Joins Centerstone Centerstone and The H Group, BBT, Inc., two leading non-profit behavioral healthcare organizations, have finalized an affiliation that combines their operations and expertise to advance behavioral healthcare nationwide.
The H Group is now Centerstone.
New Name. Same Promise: We Can Help. “As we have explored bringing Centerstone and The H Group together over the past few months, we have grown even more excited about the possibilities we see to transform the delivery of care and improve the lives of people with mental illness, addictions and intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said David C. Guth, Jr., CEO of Centerstone. “It has been inspiring to see how well the missions, visions and strategic direction of our organizations align. We are thrilled to get this dynamic partnership started and excited about the future ahead of us.”
The combined Centerstone organization has 146 locations across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee and approximately $160 million in annual revenues. It will employ more than 2,600 people and serve more than 84,000 individuals of all ages. The H Group is the largest behavioral healthcare provider in Southern Illinois, with a 50-year history of serving children, youth, adults and families through mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, life skills enrichment programs and services for adults with developmental disabilities. It serves nearly 9,000 clients, and with more than 600 employees is also among the region’s top employers. a