Letter to the Community from CEO Dick Courcelle

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Letter to the Community

It is with pleasure that we present the 2021 Annual Report for Community Care Network and its two agencies, Rutland Mental Health Services and Rutland Community Programs. This year marks the 70th year for Rutland Mental Health Services serving the Rutland Region.

In last year’s Annual Report, I wrote of how Community Care Network quickly pivoted to adapt to the disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As I write this, 20 months after the onset of the pandemic, we now also face workforce shortages, supply chain issues, inflationary costs- the list goes on, as does the pandemic. This adversity is shared by virtually every health and human services organization. The upside is that not only did we successfully adapt, but we learned that doing things differently in some cases was better for the people we serve and our staff; for example, telehealth services. Through adversity came creativity and a determination to meet the needs in front of us. That is the theme of this annual report- Innovation and Resilience.

As our buildings came back to life and more staff returned for in-person services, you could see joy in our faces (even with a mask on) as we greeted each other personally- often for the first time in many months. The sense of community at Community Care Network was uplifting. Our staff are resilient and creative in their approaches to provide care and support They have stuck with CCN during this most unsettling time. I find it inspiring that despite the pressures and demands that each day presents, there is an unwavering commitment to provide the best care and level of service possible under whatever the circumstances.

While this annual report is a look back at the past year, we are really looking ahead. I don’t think that there will ever be a return to normal, at least as it was before the pandemic. Work has changed. Our perceptions of work and what matters have changed. And our expectations have changed, and that includes the expectations of the people we serve and care for. As individuals, we look at the world differently now; Community Care Network must do so also.

We recently established our strategic direction for the next three years, and have set some ambitious goals around workforce development and support, integrated care, better use of internal resources, and treatment innovations to name a few. But we also face unprecedented challenges amidst the effects of this long-term pandemic, with the workforce shortage likely to persist and strain existing human resources. Meeting these challenges requires us to be bolder in some of our approaches, and willing to change and adapt more quickly than what was demanded of us in the past. I am confident in CCN’s ability to do just that, and in our collective resolve.

I hope you will enjoy reading a sampling of all the great work here at Community Care Network. And please check out the video stories using your smart phone’s QR reader. Be well. Be kind.