Summer 2005

FRO M TO UCHSTO NE MENTAL HEALTH

Kind Words VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2 SUMMER 2005

MERGING TREATMENTS: TOUCHSTONE MICD PROJECT

by Deb Hesli

Inside this issue NEW STAFF

2

ACUPUNCTURE POINTS

3

BEYOND THE MUCK

3

WISH LIST

3

RUMMAGE SALE

4

HEALING TRAUMA

4

DONORS

5

MOVING

6

2 8 2 9 U N I V E R S I T Y AV E N U E S E SUITE 400 MINNEAPOLIS MN 55414

Did you know that 60% to 80% of persons with mental illness also struggle with different levels of chemical abuse?

Frequently our clients with schizophrenia, depression, or bipolar disorder turn to alcohol or street drugs as a way to feel more comfortable socially, to act or feel normal, or to find temporary relief from symptoms such as anxiety, mania, or the experience of delusions and hallucinations. Clients tell us that the self-medicating effects of alcohol and drugs help them greatly in dealing with their mental illnesses.

In the past, the mental health and chemical health systems in Minnesota have run in a parallel fashion, with no collaboration to define treatments effective for persons with both disorders. In 2001, we were searching for ways to improve our ability to treat clients with co-occurring illnesses.

As a result of our efforts to address that need, Touchstone Mental Health received a grant in January 2002 from the Chemical Health Division of Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, with an extension for two additional years ending on June 30, 2006.

Ironically, often drug use just worsens our clients’ symptoms. For example, alcohol contributed to Tim’s failure to care for himself and his apartment, take his medications, and pay his bills. While drinking, he often was rude and belligerent and was committed to a Chemical Dependency program because of his harassment of personnel in a business office at a hospital.

The grant has improved case management services for clients with dual diagnoses, including funding my half-time position as Project Director; a full-time Case Manager, Angie Barrato; and 16 hours per week of nursing time from Barbara Sobocinski, R.N., and Renee Svoboda, R.N. The grant also allows us to train and provide consultation to staff at all three of our programs.

Use of alcohol and drugs also can result in significant consequences for a client’s health because of their interaction with psychiatric medications. Several of our clients have resided in nursing facilities due to the impact of drinking on their livers. And withdrawal symptoms can be severe.

During the first two years of the grant, Eugene Hoffman, a psychologist at Hennepin County Chemical Health, and Carl Isenhart, a psychologist at the Veterans Hospital, provided training and consultation about Motivational Interviewing. This counseling technique allows Continued on 2

MERGING, Continued practitioners to work with clients respectfully, accept clients as they are, and help them move through the stages of change in a gentle, nonjudgmental way.

Board Members Kelly Robert, Chair Jonathan Burris Bill Cochrane Michaela Diercks Sharon Toll Johnson Merrie Kaas, Ph.D. Liz Sjaastad

Management Team Helen Raleigh, LICSW Executive Director Glen Albert, LICSW Director of Supportive Housing Birgit Kelly, LICSW Program Director Margo Cohen, LICSW Treatment Director Cheryl Butz Finance & Benefits Director Peggy Wright Communications and Development Director Gabriel Bain Administrative and Technology Assistant

Editorial Staff Helen Raleigh Peggy Wright

In 2002 and 2003, the grant provided funding for Rhonda McKillip, an experienced mental health and substance abuse clinician from Spokane, Washington, to train our staff in the use of a curriculum she developed. Intended for persons with dual disorders, it provides clients with an educational experience that helps them develop skills for maintaining mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Angie Baratto and Brook Rutten, case managers from Touchstone, lead a group once a week that follows Rhonda’s curriculum.

Martin Williams, another Case Manager, leads a Chemical Health support group once a week that promotes communication skills and creates a safe place to talk about substance abuse.

immaculately. He also now works part-time at Orchestra Hall.

As a result of the grant being extended two more years, we added acupuncture services in October 2004. We are lucky to have Ingrid Bloom, a veteran Case Manager and Licensed Acupuncturist, on our staff. Acupuncture helps reduce clients’ anxiety and cravings resulting from withdrawal and promotes an overall sense of well-being. Through the grant, Touchstone contracted with Amy Martel from Hennepin Faculty Associates to train Ingrid in the specifics of treating clients with substance abuse.

Clients at all three of our programs are eligible for these groups. In addition, we offer the groups to clients residing at the Nancy Page Crisis Program, which People Inc. operates.

These groups help clients maintain or consider sobriety and make radical changes in their lives. Tim improved so much that he moved into his own apartment again, which he maintains

In the next year, we will continue to offer acupuncture and the other groups to all clients of Touchstone Mental Health. We are exploring ways to partner with other community agencies to offer integrated MICD services.

In the fall of this year, we will compete for a new round of funding that runs from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2008. Our proposal will continue existing Continued on page 5

Programs ASSISTED LIVING APARTMENTS 7376 Bass Lake Road New Hope, MN 55428 (763) 536–8134 assistedliving@touchstonemh.org CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES 300 Clifton Avenue, Carriage House Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 874–6409 casemanagement@touchstonemh.org RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT 2516 E. 24th Street Minneapolis, MN 55406 (612) 722–1892 residential@touchstonemh.org TOUCHSTONE MENTAL HEALTH

NEW STAFF Over the past several months, Margo Cohen, Treatment Director at Touchstone Residential Treatment, has hired a new clinical team that includes:

Staff Name

Education

Job Title

Sima Seaver

M.A., Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

Clinical Supervisor

Tina Lee

M.A. in Counseling Psychology

MH Counselor

Elena Walker

M.A. in Counseling

MH Counselor

Angie Pitzl

M.A. in Psychology

MH Counselor

Ruth Solberg

Registered Nurse

Nurse

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ACUPUNCTURE POINTS

by Ingrid Bloom Bob quit smoking and has stopped for many months now. His success in stopping is a bonus from the acupuncture that he has received by participating in a group established as part of the MICD (Mentally Ill and Chemically Dependent) project. Participating clients all have issues surrounding chemical use (see the article on page 1).

Acupuncture helps with all addictive feelings and cravings, and Bob’s treatment includes special points for quitting smoking. Motivation to quit also makes a big difference. The combination of inner determination and use of acupuncture is a powerful duo.

What do people want from the Acupuncture group? Why do clients come? They hope for a feeling of relief, for something besides medication that helps relieve their ill-at-ease feelings, anxiety and depression, aches and pains, and drug and alcohol cravings.

Henry said after acupuncture that “I feel the most relaxed I’ve ever felt.” And the back pain he’s experienced for months has gone away.

He is very excited about the improvement in his health and outlook. He also appreciates the fact that treatments produce no side-effects such as

medications often do, and he now is working to arrange rides so that he can come to group more often.

Many participants in the group shut their eyes, meditate, or even sleep. I find it very satisfying to see my clients able to find quiet and rest, which is not easy for them.

Clients PERSONAL CARE ITEMS

Not only does their mental illness cause them great mental and emotional stress, but also their medications are a problem due to side-effects. They feel pressures from their social workers and treatment team to meet their treatment goals.

Because pressure exists in our society to be busy, successful, and healthy, they also feel pressured to find things to do, to improve their lives. With a mental illness or with MI and CD diagnoses, these pressures sometimes can cause clients to feel even worse and can create added tension in their already tense lives.

In the Acupuncture group, I watch my clients finally rest—no questions asked of them, nothing for them to achieve, nothing for them to report— for an hour. Wouldn’t we all benefit from such a time out?

Ingrid Bloom, Case Manager and licensed acupuncturist, runs the Acupuncture group. The Chemical Health Division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services funds the MICD project.

• • • • • • • •

Donations for medication copays Shampoo & conditioner Toothbrushes & tooth paste Dental floss Deodorant Multivitamins Gift certificates for new shoes YM or YWCA or health-club memberships

OTHER ITEMS

• Bedroom Rug (approx. 3x5) • Bus passes • Craft kits • Firm pillow • Gift certificates to coffee shops • Lamp shade for large floor lamp • Long-distance phone cards • Magazine subscriptions • Portable TV with built-in VCR/DVD • VCR tapes/DVDs • Table lamps • Movie tickets

Programs and Staff

BEYOND THE MUCK OF THE MOMENT

by Helen Raleigh, Executive Director Surviving major change requires tactics for staff to maintain mental and physical health.

The mental health system for adults, including Rule 36 programs, has experienced huge changes during the past two years, with those

WISH LIST

programs required either to offer short-term, more intensive services or become some form of supportive housing. Case Management teams also experienced changes that demand more from them. We have worked to make these

• • • • •

IBM blank diskettes White copier paper Furniture dolly Services from a print shop Black pens

Continued on page 5 PAG E 3

TO U C H S TO N E M E N TA L H E A LT H

HEALING TRAUMA 2nd Annual Family Rummage Sale July 21, 22, and 23, 2005 Thursday and Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Elim Lutheran Church 3978 W. Broadway, on the corner of County Road 81 and 40th in Robbinsdale

Support Integrative Services!!  Volunteer to help before, during, or after the sale.  Donate items to the rummage sale.

Donated items are tax deductible.

Drop off items July 18th to 20th at the church.  Plan to shop at the sale; you’re bound to need something there!  Make a cash donation that also is tax deductible.

Help us obtain a $1600 matching grant from the Central Chapter of Thrivent Financial For more information or to donate items, contact Bob Marion at 612.874.6409 or bmarion@touchstonemh.org

by Peggy Wright One woman reported that she had visualized herself as a loving mother holding herself as a little child. After the Healing Touch session, Kara Vangen, Healing Touch practitioner and Case Manager, supported her use of this image as a resource when she feels fragile or is experiencing symptoms of her mental illness.

A young woman with severe symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) turned to Kara after a Healing Touch session and asked “Are you this nice to everyone that comes here?”

Kara believed that she had experienced a holding or deeper sense of safety that she longed for and which she found unable to express in other terms.

These incidents are just two of many positive moments with clients during Healing Touch sessions that Kara provided last year as part of a small pilot project she ran. The project looked at the effect of Healing Touch on the secondary symptoms of mental illness, and more specifically, at the impact on a client’s depression, anxiety, and stress.

Funded by the Healing Touch International Foundation, the study was very small, with only seven participants, six women and one man.

With that grant, Kara set up a Healing Touch clinic and provided three clients with three consecutive weekly sessions of Healing Touch and three with a monthly session for six months. A seventh client participated in two demonstrations. (She will participate again as part of a second grant.)

anxiety for those receiving the six treatments.

Clinically, any decrease in depression and anxiety contributes to an improvement in the quality of life that our clients experience, and therefore, demonstrates positive results. Given the suffering that many people with mental health disabilities endure, Kara believes that the post-session results demonstrate a relief of symptoms that is significant and worthy of continued exploration.

The really interesting findings came from clients’ qualitative statements, which seem to indicate the particular effectiveness of Healing Touch for clients with trauma-related disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Dissociative Identity Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, and other anxiety disorders secondary to trauma.

Kara found the results for adults who experience symptoms of PTSD to be especially remarkable. She received feedback from two such clients that the Healing Touch energy work directly impacted their work in therapy in a positive manner. One client brought her therapist to a session to allow her to get a sense of the Healing Touch work. That session was very

With such a small group, the results could never be statistically significant. Colleen McCann, a graduate student working as an intern at Touchstone, analyzed the data for her clinical research project and found a small decrease in depression for all participants and a small decrease in Continued on page 5 TOUCHSTONE MENTAL HEALTH

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DONORS 2005 Individuals

In Honor of

Anonymous (3) Judy Bernier Casey and Mishele Cunningham Michaela Diercks Marilyn Ehline Jane Garvin Lyn and Michael Gerdis Judi Gordon Ken Hepburn Lorrie and Marlyn Johnson Sharon Toll Johnson Barbara Koropchak Colleen McCann Allen Nelson Helen Raleigh Margaret and Carl Roser David Sagula Devona and Harley Swiggum Maryann Syers

Anonymous (1) in honor of Robin K. Smith Don and Betty Cashin in honor of Kathy Cashin Holly and Tim Cashin in honor of Kathy Cashin Mary and Ken Sutherland in honor of Kathy Cashin Charlotte Wieweck in honor of Allen and Christine Nelson

In Memory of Jane Garvin in memory of Hal Garvin Carol Williams in memory of Cynthia Riggs

Businesses and Organizations Caminar Software

Beyond the Muck, Continued

The Healthfund of Minnesota Healing Touch International Foundation, Inc. Merwin Long Term Care

In Kind Donations Gabe Bain Kathleen Bakke Coni Bell Mary Blegen and others at U. S. Bank Karena Boenigk Breadsmith Michelle Ducayet Dr. Tripti Meysman Nonin Medical Inc. Barbara Radke Helen Raleigh Richard and Ardelle Ronn Julie Ryan David Staehlin Ron Villejo

HEALING, Continued

MERGING, Continued

peaceful and seemed to be greatly supportive for the client.

services and will include training for our clients in the use of Mindfulness to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of their lives.

Her clients’ comments sparked Kara’s desire to develop and measure more thoroughly the impact of Healing Touch on symptoms of PTSD, particularly when collaborating with a therapist.

She continues to explore the impact of Healing Touch on clients’ symptoms through the second grant received from Healing Touch International in early 2005 and with the donations that we receive to fund our Integrated Services.

Through the grant, we increased our ability to identify clients’ chemical abuse involving alcohol, drugs, and even prescription medicines and to help clients work toward chemical health.

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changes palatable to consumers while our staff are experiencing stress from absorbing many new demands. Some tactics for comprehending and managing so much change include: 1) Deal with only one thing at a time.

How often do you find yourself listening to someone, adding items to your TO DO list, and considering phone calls that you must return by the end of the day? Other people can tell when your attention is divided. Slow down. Take a breath.

Multi-tasking is good in short bursts only. Strength and wisdom lie in being a calmer person.

2) Every morning and every night, make a list of 3 to 5 things you are grateful for.

That statement sounds like it’s right out of Oprah, but it does work.

Stress melts away if you remember what is going well in your life. I am grateful for having my family and a job that is never dull, eating chocolate, and taking nature hikes.

3) Finding something to laugh about.

Go to a really funny movie or to a really bad movie and make fun of it.

Watch The Daily Show on the Comic Channel or find something in your own experience that cracks you up.

Last weekend I was watering plants in my yard. Suddenly I was struck by a couple of huge rain drops. I decided to keep filling the watering can and see whether it was going to rain or if the drops were just a small cloud burst. As I moved around watering flowers, I felt no more rain, but each time I filled the sprinkling can, I was hit by more drops. I finally looked at the top of our three-story home and saw two sparrows taking a bath in the gutter.

Now that cracked me up—two little creatures making huge splashes and dousing me three stories below.

TO U C H S TO N E M E N TA L H E A LT H

WE’RE MOVING Our Administrative offices and Case Management Services are moving on September 1, 2005 to new offices at 2829 University Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414-3230 Call Bob Marion at 612.874.6409 if you have any questions.

2 8 2 9 U N I V E R S I T Y AV E N U E S E SUITE 400 MINNEAPOLIS MN 55414