Seacoast Mental Health Center Fall 2010 Issue 1
The Good News in Mental Health
“Promoting Recovery since 1963”
A lot of positive changes have taken place in the field of mental health in the past several years. According to Jodie Lubarsky, Director of SMHC’s Child, Adolescent & Family Services (CAFS) Department, one significant change in mental health has been the increased use of evidence-based practices. Defined as interventions for which scientific evidence consistently shows improvement in client outcomes, Jodie says evidence-
based practices “help provide a scripted model for targeting and treating specific symptoms.” “It gives a direction and purpose for treatment—if ‘A’, then ‘B,’” she says. “Evidence-based practices SMHC’s Lucille Karatzas and Meredith Bowen help provide continuity. “ We now know that we have Fellow colleague Lucille Karatzas, treatments that work,” says SMHC’s Director of Elder Services, Lucille, who also serves as agrees and notes the impact statewide Director for SMHC’s evidence-based practices have Referral, Education, Assistance, had on services targeted for and Prevention (REAP) program. “Twenty years ago, we didn’t elders. have as much to offer.”
Helping the Homeless Find their PATH visiting primary care clinics and homeless shelters, providing transportation, and helping clients apply for benefits as well as gain access to other community-based agencies.
Fo r D a v e W h i t e , O u t r e a c h S p e c i a l i s t for SMHC’s Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program, everyday is unique. Referring to the services he provides Seacoast’s homeless population as “mobile case management,” he says a typical day for him consists of
“I pretty much do whatever it takes to make sure they know what they need to be doing,” says Dave. “It’s my job to provide them with that extra level of support they need.” Dave attributes the success of PATH to the agency’s emphasis on relationship-building.
“It’s about building relationships with other agencies, church groups, welfare officers--whatever avenue might exist to help these people,” says Dave. “Strong relationships mean better service.” About PATH PATH connects families and individuals, who are homeless or imminently homeless and suffering from serious mental illness and/or co-occurring substance-use disorders, with services in the community.
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ounded in 1963, the mission of Seacoast Mental Health Center is to provide a Fhealth broad, comprehensive array of high quality, effective and accessible mental services to residents of the eastern half of Rockingham County.
Beginning as a consultant for SMHC in 1968 and serving as its Medical Director since 1976 , Dr. Wassfy Hanna cites personal pride when discussing the continued growth of the Center and its impact on the greater Seacoast. “The majority of clinicians in the community have been trained and worked here,” says Dr. Hanna, who was named one of NH’s top doctors in 2008 and 2009. “I’m proud of our role in increasing the mental health of the community. “ According to Dr. Hanna, advances in the field of psychiatry have also been instrumental in helping to improve people’s overall mental health. “The development and improvement of medication has been very important,” he says. “With the progress of psychopharmacology, many people can return home and to the community. In some cases, people can avoid hospitalization.” He cites the development of the case management model as another important advance in how SMHC and other providers can help people adjust and live in the community. As for how SMHC has continued to consistently grow through the years, he says the answer is simple. “We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” says Dr. Hanna. “The difference with SMHC is that we provide a full spectrum of services--whatever you need, we have.”
Why SMHC? “Help is here and there’s no reason to feel afraid or ashamed. It’s been a gathering experience for me where they’ve helped me gather in my mind the things I need to make myself better. They have brought me joy and helped enlighten me to a better life.” Mary, former client at SMHC
Executive Director Notes In the coming months, we will better understand the impact the November 2010 Midterm Elections will have on our services and whether Congress will seek to repeal or significantly change the Affordable Care Act. In the meantime, we will continue to remind state agencies and the legislature of our shared commitment to restoring our state’s community mental health system as outlined in the Ten Year plan released in September, 2008. Locally, SMHC continues to expand its relationships with other agencies and stakeholders in the community. Mental Health Courts are now active in Portsmouth, Hampton and Exeter District Courts with a plan for a Drug Court in Rockingham County now underway. Clinical staff are present in many schools in our region as well as at Families First Health and Support Center and Lamprey Health. We have doubled in size our evidence-based supported employment staff and continue to seek new opportunities to work with others to best meet the needs of the communities we serve.
11th Erik Cogswell Memorial Bipolar Disorder Conference On November 12th, SMHC hosted the 11th Erik Cogswell Memorial Bipolar Disorder Conference at the Community Campus in Portsmouth. In memory of their son, Erik, who took his life after suffering from the potentially crippling illness of bipolar disorder, Karin and Ed Cogswell helped establish the conference to educate, support and provide resources to people living with and recovering from bipolar disorder, their families, friends, and the community at large. This year, SMHC welcomed Carol Bailey Floyd, Director of Programs for Mental Health Recovery and WRAP® (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) at the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery, who was recently honored by the Ohio Department of Mental Health for her efforts as project coordinator for the University of Illinois at Chicago’s WRAP research study. Exeter Hospital and CGI Employee Benefits Group were major sponsors of this year’s conference. To learn more about this year’s conference, please visit us at www.smhc-nh.org.
“Promoting Recovery since 1963”
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