Connections September 2023

MICHAEL

Chapman is an administrative assistant in Evergreen’s Behavioral Health department. He greets patients, schedules appointments and helps counselors with patient follow-up. Michael is also a member of the Tuscarora Nation, and in his personal life he tries to bridge his work at Evergreen with his work in his community.

The Tuscarora Nation is a Native American tribe and First Nations band government of the Haudenosaunee, with members today in New York and Ontario. The Tuscarora reservation, where Michael grew up, is in Niagara County. Michael attended Buffalo State University, graduating with a degree in fine arts and interior design, and spent many years working in retail until he joined team Evergreen in January. "I was recommended for this job by a friend who worked here. They've known me for many years, and understand how important it is for me to be involved in helping the community. They thought Evergreen would be a great place for me because of what they stand for. I decided to work here because Evergreen helps make a difference."

When he started working at Evergreen, Michael realized he had seen a lot of the issues that patients in the behavioral health department were facing before: "I began to learn what our patients go through and how I can understand it on a personal level. Mental health and substance use are problems that tons of Natives face. I grew up seeing family members struggle with their issues. They didn't get the help that they needed. Now, some are able to."

As a respected member of both the Tuscarora Nation and the LGBTQ+ community, Michael’s words carry a great deal of weight in his community, and he's using that power to change attitudes about some of the issues people in the Nation face.

While there’s no official link between Evergreen and the Tuscarora Nation, Michael hopes his efforts to connect with his community outside of work will help make more people in the Nation aware of the care they can receive at Evergreen. He hopes to take lessons from programs and models of care at Evergreen as he builds community programs that could help people in the Nation who are struggling with mental health and substance use. In turn, he hopes that his colleagues at Evergreen can learn more about the Tuscarora Nation, the culture and way of life of Native people, and the health issues people in the Nation are facing.

Working at Evergreen, Michael has seen how the harm reduction model of care helps providers meet patients where they are, and work towards their goals in the way that’s best for them. The work he does at Evergreen, where he supports patients in the Behavioral Health department as they receive care for mental and behavioral health issues like depression and drug use, runs parallel to some of his lived experiences. Michael explains some of the issues that affect the health of people in the Tuscarora Nation: "Depression and addiction, these struggles have flowed down from being forced out of their land and into slavery, given smallpox blankets, put into residential school, having who they are ripped and whipped away from them." There is an additional layer of struggle for those who are LGBTQ+: "Growing up in a Native community as a gay male was tough," Michael recalls. "Homosexuality was looked down upon. I was uncomfortable and embarrassed of myself for many years, but that didn't stop me from trying to figure out who I am as a person while loving my culture. It was even a struggle with my parents. I had to deal with not having that safe place and constantly having to watch my back in fear."

Michael goes on to describe how mental health issues have affected his family: "I lost my uncle, who I looked up to as a father. He committed suicide. I lost my cousin, who was my best friend. We were hip to hip growing up and I lost him to suicide. A couple of months later I lost another cousin to suicide as well. I saw how important mental health is, for everyone. I wanted to take what I've learned and gone through to maybe help others one day. I feel it's important to share it because it's not talked about. Most of our friends, or strangers, don't understand what you go through."

In hopes of raising awareness of these issues within his community, Michael began volunteering. He worked alongside a family friend to create a program for people his age in the Nation, "to bring them together, get them away from drugs and teach them how to work together and help give back to their community."

In 2022, Michael worked with Susan Bissell Lewis, who runs the Nation’s Health Center, to bring the first Pride celebration event to the Tuscarora Nation. "Bringing Pride to the community was a long battle. We had to fight to get people to understand and to make this community a safe space for all.“ Michael was unable to attend the Tuscarora Nation's first Pride event in 2022 but was a leader of this year's 2023 Pride

event, and attended along with the Pride Center, who tabled at the event with information about services at the Pride Center, linkage to services at Evergreen and free safer sex supplies.

"We started the day by raising the Pride flag. Susan wanted me to raise the flag, to symbolize that I was starting to be a bigger part of the change that this community needs." Michael says, "change is coming. It isn't going to be easy. But it will be worth it to educate people and make our community a safe place for all. To make someone like myself or someone you know feel able to speak their stories."

Michael leaves us with a final bit of wisdom: "I want to leave something for everyone to think about. Always be kind to someone, say hello, give a comment, a smile, lend a hand. You never know what someone can be going through and something so simple can make their day so much better."

Left: Michael Chapman tables with the Pride Center staff at the Tuscarora Nation Pride event. Right: Susan Bissell Lewis and Michael at the event.

Publisher/Layout

John Carocci

Copy Editors

Jean Conway

Kristy Mangel

Contributors

Jean Conway

Megan Fagyas

Eric Poniatowski

Connections is the official monthly newsletter for employees and board members of Evergreen Health and its affilliates, the Pride Center of Western New York and Community Access Services. You can submit photos, comments or a "hello" via Outlook at Evergreen Connections.

Mark your calendar! The submission deadline for the October 2023 issue of Connections is Wednesday, September 20. Be sure to get your content in before the deadline to guarantee placement.

Kids, pets, vacations, recipes -we want to share it all with Team Evergreen! Email EvergreenConnections via Outlook.

EVERGREEN

has long recognized the value of the Harm Reduction Model, which helps our patients make their own health and wellness decisions with the respect and dignity they deserve. Our Harm Reduction Services (HRS) and Harm Reduction Center (HRC) help people who use drugs to stay safe, improve their health, reduce the risk of overdose and regain control of their lives.

Justin Haag is a linkage specialist at the HRC. He meets with clients at the Exchange or the Watkins Drop-In Center to create a rapport with the client and address their immediate needs. "It can be a shower or a load of laundry," said Justin. "It can also be a referral to detox or rehab, a hep C test, wound and vein care, or further education surrounding Harm Reduction."

Meeting people who use drugs where they are and building trust is an important part of Harm Reduction work. Giving them the information and skills they need to make positive changes can literally save their lives.

"I like the educational aspect of my work," said Justin. "Be it coworkers or clients. Many people don't understand the evolving nature of Harm Reduction, or even what it means. I enjoy when clients notice they’ve been practicing Harm Reduction and they didn’t even realize, and see the power they have over their lives!"

Stigma remains an obstacle for people who use drugs, but Justin notes that misperceptions around the Center itself can be a challenge as well. "It’s very important that people realize the Harm Reduction Center is not this place of sadness or depression. Everything we do, we root in positivity. We laugh as much as we can, and we end up laughing a lot. When we demonstrate that lack of judgment, the word spreads and our numbers grow. This is good for the Exchange, for Evergreen and Buffalo at large!"

Justin is a member of Evergreen's Boomerang Club. He first joined the agency in 2007

working in Care Coordination. "I learned case management under the tutelage of the great Cheryl Brunetti," Justin recalled. "I started as an assistant and graduated to my own caseload before being approached about a position with a new Evergreen project called the Wellness Center. Working together with Kevin Bidtah, we collaborated with other departments to bring therapies, groups and free lunches to patients of our agency within a safe, nonjudgmental context. I’m lucky to have worked with Kevin on this project and it’s one of my proudest accomplishments."

We asked Justin to share his thoughts on how Evergreen has changed over the years, and stayed the same. "I’ll pick the low hanging fruit and say the SIZE," he replied. "The breadth of services that are offered under our many roofs meet every single person where they are at. Piggybacking off of that, Evergreen has always been very fair and progressive in allowing the patients to tell us what is needed, and turning that input into action. Patients notice this, and I think it’s a more novel concept than it should be; we don’t pay lip service here. And that is one thing that has not changed, an intangible that helped bring me back: authenticity!"

Looking forward to the future of Harm Reduction Services, both at Evergreen and in general, Justin said, "I think we can clearly see the road in front of us, but it's not a 'yellow brick' one. It

At every training or webinar, I realized everything I had to contribute or knowledge I had to impart came from my time at Evergreen.

- Justin Haag

will be fraught with opposition and denial, but our team and incredible crew of peers are right there, on the front lines, armed with the newest knowledge and facts, and they are spoiling for a good debate when they represent us in Albany. Silence is the enemy and we don’t allow the conversation to go silent. Safe Consumption Sites and other progressive measures surrounding people who use drugs will only make more sense as studies are conducted and information disseminated and the HRS team will be on the forefront of doing so. The future is bright, but we will have to fight."

Justin is a native Western New Yorker. He grew up south of Buffalo, and attended Hilbert College in Hamburg for his undergraduate work. "I've lived in the city about 16 years. After working with people living with HIV/AIDS for over a decade at AIDS Community Services/Evergreen, the MOCHA Center and ECMC's Immunodeficiency Clinic, I had the opportunity to live in Germany and travel Europe for a year. Upon my return, I moved through a few different agencies as my own 'great resignations' occurred alongside COVID. During that time, at every training or webinar, I realized everything I had to contribute or knowledge I had to impart came from my time at Evergreen! It made me miss the authenticity of my work here, the dynamism. I took every opportunity I could to come back to the Evergreen family, and each morning when I see my new/ old coworkers like Cecil Sutton, Julie Rapp and Cortney Anderson, I’m so thankful I did."

When he's not changing lives at the HRC, Justin says he's an introvert. "I only play an extrovert at work! But you might catch me prowling the city streets with my camera. TV and movies are my guilty pleasure and I will talk all day about Marvel or Only Murders In The Building! I love the Bills, but the Sabres will always be my main squeeze."

Thank you for everything you do for our patients, Justin, and we're so glad to have you back at Evergreen!

Michael Gilbert

Mark Wolf

Lisa Paglicci

Neahsia Maye

September 3

September 3

September 4

September 5

Melinda Toomey ...........................September 6

Kylea Stewart

Reginald Zinnerman

Bridget McClain

Miguel Cocerez

September 7

September 8

September 10

September 10

Michael Lee ...................................September 10

Paul Hennigan

Brianna Barrett

September 10

September 10

Ashley Yan .....................................September 13

Robert Styles

Keith Garvey

Lovejeet Atwal

Amanda Thornton

September 14

September 14

September 14

September 14

Kimberly Lombard .......................September 15

Latrese Myers

Dakota Huston

Fatai Gbadamosi

Eris Morgan

September 15

September 16

September 16

September 16

Jessica Schanne ..........................September 17

Julie Vaughan

Honey Luvvs

Julie Falk

September 17

September 21

September 22

Ivette Chavez-Gonzalez September 24

Samuel Posey ...............................September 26

Emily McKeen

Tiffany Valentin

September 26

September 27

Jordon Frank .................................September 28

Jennifer Rivera

Beth Barone-Gregory

Chantell Newkirk

September 28

September 29

September 30

Congratulations MANAGER TRAINING PROGRAM graduates! Liz Brown (lead RN) and Brittany Price (clinical operations coordinator) completed Evergreen’s Manager Training Program in August. All managers complete a total of 23 hours of training over a two year time frame. Training topics include coaching for peak performance, resolving workplace conflict, and strategies for influencing others.

The first round of ANNUAL TRAININGS are due September 29. Annual training is required for all staff to complete and contain company trainings, policies, and acknowledgments. Required trainings have been automatically assigned in your Evergreen University profile. If you have any questions, please contact Eric Poniatowski, employee experience coordinator.

Share your ORGANIZATIONAL TIPS AND STRATEGIES! How do you focus and manage your time at work? We want to hear from you! Email your tips to Eric Poniatowski with an optional photo of you. We will share all of your great ideas on Blink this fall!

The headline says it all. Community Access Services held its annual Backpack Giveaway and distributed more than 300 backpacks to neighborhood children. Congratulations to CAS for putting on another great event for the community!

Congratulations to Community Access Services' correctional health educator Teresa Lee, who was honored as an Education Star at the most recent AIDS Institute Corrections Health Initiative provider meeting in Albany. According to CAS executive director Kim Brown, "Teresa was given the honor of presenting best practices for delivering peer education services to provider attendees which included other community based organizations, NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision medical staff and contract managers from NYS Department of Health AIDS Institute. We couldn’t be prouder of Teresa!"

The 2023 parade season came to a festive conclusion with the Puerto Rican and Hispanic Day parade, and Team Evergreen was out in full force.

Care Coordination celebrated summer with their annual picnic lakeside in Dunkirk. There was great food, music, and, of course, a fierce battle for the cornhole crown.

We goofed. Mindi Levine celebrated her 15 year anniverary with Evergreen and we left her name off the list. We're sorry, Mindi! Congratulations on 15 years, and thank you for all that you do for our patients every day.

Clockwise from upper left: the Analytics & Reporting team volunteered at Every Bottom Covered and packed close to 2,500 diapers! Thank you Jacob Perrello for the photos. Tabling in the lobby on Overdose Awareness Day. Testing and outreach at MOCHA's "We Outside" event.

Clockwise from upper left: Team Evergreen shows off the Buffalo Bills spirit! _____ assembled more than 120 bags filled with school supplies to distribute to the community.