SMHC Winter 2011 Newsletter

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Seacoast Mental Health Center Winter 2010-2011 Issue 2

Elder Services: Redefining “Old”

“Promoting Recovery since 1963”

help with things a lot of us take for granted, but that doesn’t mean they’re frail in the mind.”

With an estimated 20% of the elder ly population suffer ing from significant mental health problems, there is no such thing as a typical day for Diana Dumais, Case Manager within SMHC’s Elder Services department. Refusing the notion that elders are necessarily ‘old,’ she does admit they have very specific needs. “Many of our elder clients have trouble getting around or accessing public transportation, so I might need to help someone get groceries or visit with their PCP (Primary Care Physician),” she says. “They need

According to Diana, other services she performs range from providing assistance in filling out paperwork and accessing benefits to helping clients practice good self-care and manage the use of their medication. Readily acknowledging she will “do everything she can” to help an elder client, she says the wide range of services she provides underscore a very grim reality. “Often, I know I am the only person they have to depend on,” she says. “It’s a big responsibility to always be there for them no matter what.” For Diana, this sense of responsibility recently led her to find a temporary home for a cat whose owner, a longtime SMHC elder client, was in the hospital for an extended stay.

“I’m an animal lover and know how much cats can mean to someone,” says Diana, who found a home for the cat on her own time during the weekend. “I knew I had to help.” As for why working with the Seacoast’s elder population is so important to her, she says it is because the need for assistance is so great. “There is this misconception about the poor or those in need—that if they just tried they’d be in a better position,” she says. “But that’s not true. A lot of my clients led very normal lives, but all it takes is for just a few wrong set of circumstances to occur and it can have a snowball effect.”

About SMHC’s Elder Services Serving 815 elder clients in the past fiscal year, Elder Service’s mission is to help older adults and their caregivers lead, rich, fulfilling and productive lives.

SMHC In the News Upcoming Event Join us at Flatbread Pizza on Tuesday, April 26th at 4 pm where a portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit SMHC and our efforts to promote recovery and wellness for the Seacoast. Flatbread Pizza is located at 138 Congress Street in Portsmouth.

Join our email list at www.smhc-nh.org!

SMHC Board President Nike Speltz on a recent expedition to Antarctica with her husband, David.

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.


NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 226 PORTSMOUTH, NH 03801

Scenes from the Seacoast

‘RENEW’ing Children’s Lives on the Seacoast In an effort to provide services to at-risk youth, SMHC will begin using the RENEW (Rehabilitation for Empowerment, Natural Supports, Education and Work) model to address specific risk factors, including any individual, family, school and other community factors. According to Jodie Lubarsky, SMHC’s Child, Adolescent & Family Services Director, program success will be measured in four ways, which include (1) high school completion, (2) employment, (3) post-secondary education and training, and (4) community interaction. “I feel RENEW is a treatment model that will allow the staff and department to provide a more guided focus on the needs of transition aged youth in our catchment area. The objective is to keep kids on track towards graduation and future education and career goals,” says Jodie. “We are very eager to get started.” For more information on the RENEW model, visit www.smhc-nh.org.

Mental Health Courts: Redefining Incarceration With rates of severe mental illness (SMI) in today’s prison population three to four times higher than in the general population, SMHC helped launch a Community Wellness Court (CWC) with other stakeholders in 2008 to rehabilitate individuals charged with crimes who suffer from severe mental health illnesses through case management, psychiatric, therapeutic services and vocational and educational supports. According to Director of SMHC’s Community Support Program (CSP), Gretchen Estes, SMHC works closely with local police departments, the county jail, prosecutors, public defenders and the court system to offer alternative solutions to traditional incarceration. “Programs like this have been shown to lead to reduced recidivism rates and enhanced public safety while also offering a humane alternative that directly targets psychiatric symptoms and overall recovery goals.” said Estes. New Hampshire is currently home to four active Mental Health Courts: Portsmouth Community Wellness Court, Keene Mental Health Court, Hillsborough County Community Corrections Program and Strafford County Rochester District Mental Health Court. There are plans for expansion of these courts throughout the state.

“Promoting Recovery since 1963”

SEACOAST MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, INC. 1145 Sagamore Avenue Portsmouth, NH 03801 www.smhc-nh.org


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