AT
Evergreen, not only do we understand the complexity of risk factors which may lead people to contemplate suicide, we also find creative and innovative ways to support and improve circumstances. Research tells us that suicide prevention includes not
just therapy and medicine, although those are key resources for people, but supportive services. Having access to equitable housing and transportation, stigma-free HIV and drug user services, food pantries and healthcare services, as well as inclusive LGBTQ+ care, are all suicide prevention.
Despite being one of the leading causes of deaths for all demographics, suicide is rarely talked about.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), every eleven minutes someone dies from suicide. It is the second most common death in people ages 10 to 34, the fourth in people 35 to 54 and the eighth cause of death for people 55 to 64 years of age. According to the Suicide Prevention Center of New York State (SPCNY), Latinx, Black youth and Native and Indigenous populations all have significantly higher rates of suicide. These groups have greater self-reported feelings of hopelessness and sadness. Veterans are a growing population in suicide, particularly those who do not receive supportive services. SPCNY has identified protective measures, including community involvement and supportive and accessible health care, as effective means for suicide prevention.
Creating protective environments, where people feel supported and do not feel judged, is a key part
of suicide prevention. Evergreen’s harm reduction model means that we offer care based on patients’ selfprescribed goals. We will never make any patient do or be anything they are not comfortable with. Our services are stigma-free, whether it’s our syringe exchange program or STI testing. People who use drugs or have chronic health conditions are often at risk for suicide. We welcome everyone and specialize in substance use, HIV care and hep C care.
Supportive services like those offered in our THRIVE wellness program are a way for people who are
at risk for suicide to more actively become part of a group focused on addressing emotional, nutritional, physical and social needs. THRIVE activities promote connectivity to our patient’s physical and social health. Some wellness activities include art therapy and guided imagery, diabetes education, healthy lunches, cooking demonstrations and yoga.
continued on the next page >>
The CDC agrees that strengthening economic supports, including financial security and housing
stabilization are key factors in preventing suicide. Basic food, housing and transportation security are also crucial to suicide prevention. We know that these needs must be addressed before any real work on addressing mental health can happen. Our food pantries in Jamestown and Buffalo provide eligible patients and community members with a three-day supply of food and our nutrition classes teach participants how to give their bodies the best nourishment for their unique health goals. Transportation assistance, such as gas cards and bus passes, are available for qualified patients and our housing staff can help qualified patients with housing assistance.
Gay, lesbian and bisexual youth are nearly five times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual
peers and 40 percent of transgender adults reported having made at least one suicide attempt, according to The Trevor Project. Evergreen is a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals, founded in response to the AIDS crisis that was disproportionally affecting members of the LGBTQ+ community. With our affiliation to the Pride Center of Western New York, we remain committed providing compassionate and non-judgmental care to the LGBTQ+ community. Evergreen is a safe space for LGBTQ+ people struggling with suicide.
When resources are provided in a stigma-free environment, mental health improves. Our equitable
services lessen self-harm and promote a better understanding of self and community. We talk about suicide because it affects so many people we care about and we are actively working to provide resources to people who have suicidal thoughts or intentions. Evergreen’s mission of fostering healthy communities by providing medical, supportive and behavioral services to those underserved by the healthcare system speaks directly to suicide prevention. Housing is suicide prevention. Transportation is suicide prevention. Inclusive care is suicide prevention.
- Melissa Meyer and Maria LoTempio
If you or anyone you know is considering suicide, help is available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is open 24 hours a day with free confidential support at 1-800-273-8255 or for chat online. LGBTQ+ youth may also call the Trevor Project for a judgment-free place to talk at 1-866-488-7386.
As part of this year's Virtual Huddle, the next several issues of Connections will feature photos taken over the course of 2019 for the staff slideshow. See more on the next page!
Samantha Gaerte has one of those jobs where the title barely hints at what a typical work day can bring. "I'm a project manager in Administration," Sam explained. "I get to work on a wide variety of projects – things like helping get our new dental clinic licensed or navigating through the twoyear long process of applying for FQHC Look-Alike designation (we’re almost at the finish line!)." Sam works closely with Executive Team, Management Team, the Evergreen Health Board and departments throughout the agency. She's also supported by an amazing team (her words) to get these various projects completed. "No two days ever look the same, which I enjoy." Sam's road to Evergreen was long and twisty. She grew up in Spokane, Washington, and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for graduate school. "I studied public history," she said. "It's basically the history that happens outside of a textbook and the classroom. I wanted to work as a museum educator." After graduation Sam took a receptionist job at a small non-profit which offered a variety of services to the community such as housing, nutrition, education and employment assistance. Sound familiar? "My plan was to search for full-time museum work, but I grew to love the staff and clients I got to interact with." Sam remained with that organization for about a year until her husband received a job offer and they relocated to Western New York. Sam's job search in her new home finally led her to Evergreen. "During hours of Craigslist searching (still a thing in 2013, lol), I found a listing for a Housing Program administrative assistant at Evergreen. I’d gotten a small taste in Pittsburgh of what it was like to work for an organization that was community-focused and I was intrigued by Evergreen’s “one stop shop” model and mission. I applied for a wide variety of jobs all over Buffalo, and was honestly surprised when Evergreen called me in for an interview as I still lived out of town and had more experience working in archives than in healthcare or social services. I vividly remember driving up to Buffalo that day for the first time. I didn't know anything about Evergreen other than what I read on the website. I was offered the position. We moved into an apartment on the West Side and I started at Evergreen two days after moving. Seven years in and I’m still so grateful I found my way to this organization!" Sam's history with the agency and her current position have given her a bird's eye view of what goes on at Evergreen. "I love Evergreen’s core values," she said. " I see people in all different
departments put those values into practice daily. I love working with so many dedicated and inspiring coworkers. During my three years in Housing, I learned so much from the patients I got to work with every day and miss getting to spend time with them. My eyes were opened to the way stable housing is an essential part of healthcare (I have so much respect for the incredibly hard work our housing team does day in and day out!). Now I like that I get to use my project management skills to contribute to Evergreen’s future growth and sustainability and support departments who are providing direct care. It sounds cheesy, but Evergreen pushes me to be a better person. Getting to attend trainings over the years around harm reduction, trauma informed care, racial equity and so much more, I continue to be challenged in the best ways. My perspective has been widened; I continue to learn new skills." Like many of us, Sam has felt the impact of the pandemic on her work life. "I worked remotely for the first three months," she said. "I returned on-site at the beginning of July. Much of my job has remained the same, just WAY more Zoom work group and committee meetings. And of course, projects were shifted as our response to all three public health crises took precedence. It was really moving to watch Team Evergreen work so hard to ensure that patients continue to receive vital services, especially in those early days of the pandemic." With better days ahead, Sam looks forward to what the future holds for Evergreen. "It's exciting to see Evergreen continue to grow, in terms of services we’re able to offer the community and the patients we’re able to reach, while staying true to our missions and values. I feel lucky to be a part of it and look forward to doing what I can to help support our strategic goals." Much of Sam's time outside of Evergreen is spent with her daughter, Ida, who is 2 years old. "She may have only been 4 pounds when she was born, but she is full of determination and spunk! She reminds me every day of the good in the world, and inspires me to get out of my comfort zone and do what I can to make a difference and keep learning. We like to spend time outside, and go for lots of “hikes” (aka: zigzagging walks that involve stopping to pick up every stick and rock along the way) around the many beautiful trails in Western New York. Being able to be out in nature, while social distancing, has helped a lot during the pandemic." Connections
Evergreen wouldn't be where we are now without Sam Gaerte. - Ray Ganoe
Members of the organization's mental health team got together and hand-wrote messages of hope and encouragement to be included in food pantry bags for our patients. That's Evergreen spirit in action! Special thanks to Alicia Kohlhagen for these great photos.
LAST
month was Suicide Awareness Month. In recognition, and to continue our effort to educate our readers about Trauma Informed Care, Connections is working with Evergreen’s Behavioral Health team to better understand and inform YOU! In this issue we'll continue our efforts to not only educate you on the prevalence and impact of trauma but the relationship between trauma and suicide. You may recall that in previous issues of Connections we mentioned the world famous ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study. Those who have a strong ACE score also have a heightened risk for suicide. For example, those with an ACE score of 7 or greater have a 51 percent higher risk of attempting suicide in childhood and adolescence and a 30 percent higher risk in adulthood. In addition, 80 percent of children and adolescents and 64 percent of adults who attempt suicide report their attempt was directly related to ACEs.
Here is one Evergreen patient’s story in a nutshell:
• • • •
ACE score of 8 (out of 10; a score of 4 or higher indicates elevated risk) Began contemplating suicide at age 6 Was never successfully linked to mental health treatment in childhood/adolescence despite multiple suicide attempts Did not fully engage in treatment and recovery efforts until mid-30s
How can we improve our response to patients with high ACEs? And, furthermore, how can we reduce the risk of trauma-based suicide?
• • •
Understand the role trauma plays and it’s prevalence in our community Develop safeguards to ensure the environment and services are truly patient-centered and do not retraumatize patients (or staff) Gather input from those with lived experiences!
Remember to ask: “What happened to you?” Symptoms are simply an adaptation to traumatic experiences. Healing happens through relationships. Connect, connect, connect!
Evergreen staff were asked to submit examples of 2019's wins to be displayed at the Huddle in March. We were overwhelmed with the responses! Here are a few, and watch for more in future issues of Connections.
Mark your calendar! The submission
If you have follow-up questions for the Thursday update
deadline for the December 2020 issue of Connections is Wednesday,
from Ray and the team, you can submit them via email at
November 18. Be sure to get your
COVID19questions@evergreenhs.org.
content in before the deadline to guarantee placement. Kids, pets, recipes, your new home office -
In addition to Ray’s weekly email messages, you can find
we want to share them all! Send to
up to date information about how Evergreen is dealing with
EvergreenConnections via Outlook.
the situation by logging in to the ADP portal or checking the Evergreen website.
Clockwise from upper left: introducing Evergreen's newest happily married couple, Rebecca and Chris DeVoe. Congratulations! Julie Falk officiated and Katie Mego sent us the photo. The THRIVE Wellness Art Therapy Group decorated pumpkins for Halloween. Watch for more, along with the contest winner, in next month's issue of Connections. Justin Azzarella and Ray Ganoe met with SWBR, generous sponsors of our lobby space at 206 South Elmwood. Evergreen celebrated the successes of and showed appreciation for our Care Coordination team as part of National Care Coordination Week. And we made sure to do it safely, of course! Thank you Meghan Canfield for the photo.
Birthdays ZamZam Noor..................................... November 1 Zachary Marchese........................... November 1 Gail Ghiretti.......................................... November 1 Farieda Yafai....................................... November 1 Teourialeir Johnson........................ November 3 Joseph Sessa........................................ November 3 Lavine Hatten...................................... November 3 Marlyn Moore..................................... November 5 Cathleen Niedermayer.................. November 7 LaTanya Walton-Brown................. November 7 Susan Fiedler...................................... November 8 Joseph Pignatora............................... November 8 Kimberly Clarke................................ November 9 Angela Palmer.................................... November 10 Renee VanAernam........................... November 10 Kevin Bidtah........................................ November 10 Saw Min.................................................. November 11 Marcia Derby....................................... November 12 Brittney Warham............................... November 13 Sharee Harris...................................... November 15 Nicholas Eichelberger.................... November 17 Shari DeMarco.................................... November 18 Linda Berkoh-Asamoah................. November 20 Andrew Verity.................................... November 20 Clarissa Fischer................................. November 21 Christian Rossman........................... November 21 Nicholas Maggi................................... November 22 Eshea Spears....................................... November 22 Robert Moore...................................... November 22 Elisa Luciano....................................... November 23 Jermane Nauden............................... November 24 Kathryn Diebold................................ November 25 Maria Cruz............................................ November 26 Katherine Kawa................................. November 26 Tangela Watson-Bogan.................. November 26 Margaret Prell..................................... November 27 Alexandria Aiello............................. November 27 Christina Beauvoir........................... November 27 Kimberly Johnson............................. November 28 Christine Kemp.................................. November 30
Anniversaries Best Places to Work Survey The Best Places to Work Survey is an annual survey sent to all Evergreen employees to track the company’s level of engagement. This is an anonymous survey geared toward measuring key areas that make up Evergreen’s organizational culture and measures the levels of engagement exhibited by employees. This survey is an opportunity for all employees to be heard and provide your open and honest feedback about our employee culture and your day to day work experiences in a completely confidential way. You can review Evergreen’s past survey results on the Training Page of the Intranet.
Annual Training Time Don’t forget your second round of annual trainings are due on December 31, 2020. You can access your trainings through you Evergreen University profiles.
Hey, Managers! Did you know that the Manager’s Corner of the Intranet has had an overhaul? This page has been updated with new FAQs, onboarding forms, management best practices, links to external sources and much more! This page was created to support managers in their roles by providing a one-stop-shop for tools and resources. Check it out! If you have any questions about anything on the Manager’s Corner, please contact Jocelyn Leising.
Mia Magliazzo...............................................1 Year Sharon Yager.................................................1 Year Michaela Chatmon.....................................1 Year Anuj Jain..........................................................1 Year Deiona Baldwin............................................1 Year Kimberly Martin..........................................1 Year Isaac Resto Reyes........................................1 Year Marina Ward.................................................1 Year Nicole Callahan...........................................2 Years Dennis McKnight.........................................2 Years Phillip Aris......................................................2 Years Chanel McDaniel.........................................2 Years Alicia Kohlhagen.........................................2 Years Paula Brudo-Jurek......................................3 Years Felissha Humphries...................................3 Years Anabel Rivera...............................................3 Years Mustafa Abucar...........................................3 Years Courtney Bradley.......................................3 Years Susan Hanners.............................................3 Years Roosevelt Terry............................................3 Years Christina Sheppard...................................3 Years Santos Martinez...........................................4 Years Joseph Sessa..................................................4 Years Linda Scalise.................................................4 Years John Argo........................................................4 Years Stefanie Lyons...............................................4 Years Dawn Trotter.................................................6 Years Stephanie Vroman-Goodrich...............6 Years Samantha Gaerte........................................7 Years Marielena Camacho..................................7 Years Courtney Rhines.........................................14 Years Cortney Anderson......................................14 Years Bridget McClain...........................................18 Years
This year's Dining Out For Life - Buffalo's 18th - was a
60 resturants and cafes from all over Western
bit different from the previous 17. Thousands of Western
New York participated in Dining Out For Life 2020.
New Yorkers still enjoyed a delicious meal from one of
While restaurants weren't asked for a portion
the participating restaurants, but the meals were take-
of the day's proceeds this year, patrons were
out. In addition, because COVID has devastated the food
encouraged to make donations above and beyond
service industry, we didn't ask restaurants for donations.
their food bill. Once again our community came
We wanted them to keep all funds raised in appreciation
together to help support Evergreen and fight HIV.
for nearly two decades of generous support. Despite the differences, the purpose of Dining Out For Life 2020 was the same it has always been: to raise funds for and awareness of the fight against HIV in our community.
The event has raised over $11 thousand as of our
This year's Dining Out For Life had 66 volunteer
submission deadline. We'll update the total in next
ambassadors helping to make the event a
month's issue of Connections. Stay tuned!
success, including 14 Evergreen staff members... thank you for your help!
Left to right: c
1910 Queen A
@tinycastleb
out shopping
congratulations to new homeowner Melissa Meyer on the purchase of her home. She was smitten with this
Anne Victorian row house and she's detailing her home buying process and remodel on her instagram account
buffalo, for those who want to follow along. Proud mom Christine Marrano sent along this great shot of Rocky
g for pumpkins. Emma Hathaway's household celebrates Pride 24/7 with this freshly-painted mailbox.
Adria Reed
Jacob Perrello
Alan Jacyszyn
James Gerwitz
Alex McGann
Johnelle Ferby
Alexandria Aiello
Joseph Sessa
Alexandria Matyas
Katheryn Richards
Alicia Kohlhagen
Kaysha Cruz
Andrew Verity
Keisha Leavy
Christopher Patti
Kizzy Tell
Dale Kingston
Kristin Rickert
David Setlock
LaTanya Walton-Brown
Dawn Ganoe
Linda Colburn
Facilities/Security Staff
Liza Pereira
Gail Ghiretti
Matthew Faltisco
Gianna Puckett
Megan Bhatti
Ivette Chavez Gonzalez
Megan Brady
Recognizing Excellent Work at Evergreen from Septemb
Melissa Meyer Melissa Talbett Michael Canty Michele Messina Nakeie Carpenter Nicole Coonly Rachel Voelkle-Kuhlmann Rob Baird Rosemary Roche Seanna Pratt Shaina Beck
Publisher/Layout
Stefanie Warnick
John Carocci
Susan Buck
1.
Susan Hanners
2. Follow the prompt to record the Code Blue or Mr. Webber and say the exact location and building of the incident.
ber 20 - October 19
Dial extension 2222.
Copy Editor Melissa Meyer
Contributors
4. The Code Blue team and Security will respond to the incident.
Jocelyn Leising Shakiya Bell Melissa Delgado Arica Rouse Melissa Meyer Alicia Kohlhagen
You'll have 30 seconds to record your message. If you're not done in 30 seconds, you'll be cut off and your message will be automatically broadcast. It's imperative that you say the location and building in your message: “Code Blue in the men’s lobby bathroom in the Elmwood building” or “Could Mr. Webber please come to the Mathews building counselor room?.” The Code Blue/ Mr. Webber Softkey has been removed from all phones.
Connections is the monthly newsletter for employees and Board members of Evergreen Health and its affilliates, the Pride Center of Western New York and Community Access Services. Please send us your story ideas, photos, feedback or just a friendly hello at Evergreen Connections via Outlook.
3. Hang up your phone. This will prompt your message to be broadcast to all Evergreen locations.
Autumn brings with it a number of additional travel hazards. While many of us will be staying inside during this transitionally wet and cooler season, some will find themselves working outside meeting patients, traveling between sites and exposed to seasonal hazards. From slips and trips to increased periods of darkness – we advise on the risks and health and safety considerations for autumn.
Fallen leaves, wet weather and ice can lead to slips, trips and falls at work. Wet leaves create a risk for
employees by hiding hazards underneath them, while wet weather and ice can make surfaces slippery. Stairs, stairwells, ramps, sidewalks, and building entry areas can become slippery when wet – especially if you climb stairs with wet, slippery leaves stuck to your footwear. Wearing proper footwear such as shoes or boots that provide traction can help prevent slips, falls or other injuries. Boots made of non-slip rubber with grooved soles ensure good grip and protection.
Darker evenings, rain and early morning fog can impede your field of vision. And unexpected bright
sunlight can become a problem when driving or walking to work. Always leave plenty of time in your morning preparations for your commute to work. Be aware of driving limitations in inclement weather and slow down your speed. Wet leaves can be slippery and impair your ability to brake. When walking, be aware while crossing streets and only cross in designated crosswalks. Wear bright clothing or carry a flashlight if you are walking during times of darkness. Please take extra care when crossing South Elmwood Avenue. The corner of South Elmwood Avenue and West Chippewa has always been a hazardous intersection to pedestrians, especially during the autumn and winter months.
Please report any known hazards on campus to facilities via the ticketing system. - Robert Cunningham