DMH Connections

A publication of the 

Massachusetts Department of Mental Health

July/August 2016 

 



DMH Connections Celebrates
8
Years
T hank You
for your readership as we proudly celebrate 
8 years of continuous publication!

In This Issue

DMH Office of Communications and Community Engagement

Questions or suggestions?

Contact Michelle
Communications Coordinator 
617-626-8118

Contribute to the next DMH Connections

Click here for the 2016 Editorial Calendar - September is Recovery Month!  

 

Submission Deadline is the 15th or the month prior to when you would like your article or event published

  

Please send all materials to 

  Michelle Cormier Tallman

 

Click here for Submission Guidelines

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Reach Hire offers young adults and anyone seeking a wealth of tools, advice, and resources designed to help you reach your dreams - for building a career, getting an education, and supporting yourself financially.  
With a positive attitude and the right support, you can make it a fun and fulfilling experience.
 
Get Started Today at:
Focus on 
Employment

The Schiff Awards Return to the Boston University School of Medicine's Heibert Lounge

By
Brian Osborne
Metro Boston Director of Rehabilitation Services

Due to the award's growing popularity, the Jonathan Schiff Awards returned to the 14 th floor of the Boston University School of Medicine's Heibert Lounge in 2016. The Jonathan Schiff Awards, which were created in 2002 to recognize the value of employment in recovery from serious and persistent mental illness, took place Tuesday May 31, 2016 and honored the following individuals:
 
  • Dalcelia McCall, Solomon Carter Fuller/Bay Cove Site
  • Carlos Vieira, Taunton/Attleboro Site
  • Kamar Martin, Brockton Site
  • Peter Leng, New Bedford Site
  • Clarke Hazelwood, Erich Lindemann Mental Health Site
  • Sabrina Davis, Massachusetts Mental Health Center
  • Devon Ferreira, Fall River Site
  • Benjamin Moore, Plymouth Site
  • Derek Fortin, Cape & Island and Islands Site
  • Helmer Beechman, represented the Cross Area Awardee
These individuals were among more than 39 people nominated for an award. 

In attendance to celebrate the accomplishments of all the nominees were Joan Mikula, DMH Commissioner, Michael Stepansky DMH Statewide Director of Employment Services, Area Directors Patty Kenny and Buddy Baker-Smith, DMH Site Directors Susanna Chan, Dan Fisher, Steve Jochim, Terry Harrison, Lynne Olsen-Vieira, Frank O'Reilly and Richard Jobin.  Other attendees included friends and family of the nominees and members of the Schiff family. 
 
Special thanks to Kim Anderson the Southeast Area Education and Employment Coordinator who co-hosted the ceremony with Brian Osborne the Metro Boston Director of Rehabilitation Services.  Daniel Fisher M.D., Ph.D,CEO of the National Empowerment Center provided the keynote address. 

The following nominators introduced the award winners by sharing their thoughts about why their nominee expressed recovery from mental illness through employment: Lynda Wyndham, Barbara Clarkson, Robert Holloway, Stephanie Andrade, Jessica Pederson, Steven McCue, Deborah Kaluzny, Mary Gregorio, Rothem Marshall-White and Tenzin Norgay.

The Schiff Awards Committee thanks the nominators for their Jonathan Schiff Award nominations, and especially thanks those who attended the event to celebrate the employment success of the 2016 Schiff nominees.  Congratulations to award recipients and nominees alike!

Conferences and Events   

or the calendar image below to view the NEW DMH Conferences and Events Calendar

 
Please send your event information to be added to the calendar to:
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Upcoming Events at The Bridge Training Institute  
Continuing Education for Mental Health Professionals - See our training calendar at www.thebridgetraininginstitute.org
Our day-long trainings are held at the Courtyard Marriott in Marlborough, MA. If accommodations are needed, please contact Stephen Murphy at stevem@thebridgecm.org 
or 508-755-0333
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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Suicide Prevention Training Calendar
Please click on the link below to register.
When registering for a workshop, please note that each event has  tabs titled with information regarding the workshop, available CEs and cost.    
Space is very limited for each workshop and fills up quickly, please register early.
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Upcoming Workshops at the Center for Professional Innovation 
(formerly Community Program Innovations) 
 CPI offers continuing education for mental health and healthcare professionals and educators, holding day-long workshops throughout Massachusetts on clinical and management topics. Trainings are held in Billerica, Foxborough and Springfield. To view the complete schedule and to register visit  
All facilities are wheelchair accessible. If accommodations such as ASL interpreters or visual aids are needed, email:  info@BridgewellCPI.org 
 or call 339-883-2118.
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  Click here for the Transformation Center website and all the latest information and events happening throughout the mental health community.   
 
Please send your event information to
by the 15th of each month for publication in DMH Connections
 

 DMH Cares - Think before you print logo

DMH Connections is posted on  the DMH's archives page of the DMH Internet.   View issues from 2008 to the Present at
Restraint - It's Not Just A Mental Health Issue
 
In January 2016, the 
Left to right: Chris Feltner, Performance Architect from  Ukeru Systems, Joan Mikula, Commissioner, and Bonnie Zampino, Engagement Specialist from Ukeru Systems.  Photo taken at the 
"New Restraint Prevention Techniques, Regulations & Recommendations for Supporting Staff and Students to Better Outcomes" conference.
Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Early Education and Care (DEEC) promulgated new restraint and seclusion (R/S) regulations for public/private C. 766 approved schools and community based residential programs, respectively.  Several new important prevention provisions were included which mirror the Six Core Strategy framework that has been part of the DMH and Inter-agency R/S Prevention Initiatives.  A key requirement of these new regulations is the prohibition of prone restraint except in limited situations. 

To assist the child-serving community implement these new changes, DMH has offered grand rounds and trainings on moving away from prone restraint.  The most recent event was on June 20, 2016 at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlboro in which Commissioner Joan Mikula kicked off a unique three-way collaborative event, sponsored by DMH, with the Mass. Association of Approved Private Schools (maaps), and the Mass. Association of Special Education Administrators (ASE).  The event featured Ukeru Systems' from Virginia and their work on R/S elimination without prone restraint with multiple child and adult populations.  A panel presentation to discuss implementation challenges included state leaders: Carmel Sullivan (EEC), Paul Bottome (ESE) and Andrea Cosgrove (DCF). 

This unique collaboration will continue with more shared events being planned including engagement with local police departments to effectively work together to manage behavioral crises in school and residential settings.  According to Commissioner Mikula, "The collaboration and focus on preventing restraint and seclusion represents the essential systemic approach that is needed to effectively address a common challenge."  

DMH and EOHHS Well-Represented at the 2016 Boston Pride Parade

By Joy Connell
DMH Diversity Officer
The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) was well-represented at the 2016 Boston Pride Parade held on Saturday, June 11, 2016.  A combined force from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and the Department of Mental Health (DMH), as well as staff from the Human Resources Division (HRD), participated in the event which marked its 46th year of celebration. 
 
The parade was the largest in its history with 258 groups participating - the equivalent of over 35,000 marchers, 28 floats, 80 vehicles, and an estimated 500,000+ spectators. The parade route started near Copley Square worked its way to the South End neighborhood, then made way to the Back Bay section of Boston, and then continued on through Downtown Boston ending at Boston City Hall Plaza.

Despite the rain, marchers had good spirits as they soaked in the outpouring of support from the spectators.  As Danielle McNeill-Speller, diversity officer for the Department of Transitional Assistance, stated, "DTA staff from the North Shore, Lawrence, Taunton, and Central offices, along with staff from DMH, HRD, friends and family danced through the 2.27 mile parade route. The energy level was off the charts."

DMH marcher Charlene Zuffante, director of Child and Adolescent Services for Metro Boston, noted, "It was quite a moving event on Saturday, with so many people cheering and excited about DMH being out and marching for the LGBTQ community. Being approached by young people for resources, truly a reason for us to be there, be visible and being proud." 
 
Data in the article is taken from the following resources:
 
Remembering Phyllis Stone: Reflections of a Life Well Lived
By Marilyn Johnson
From the Tewksbury Hospital DMH Executive Team
 
The saying "life can change in an instant'' is so very true. One day in late November of 2015, one-by-one we learned about the tragic impact a health crisis had on our friend and co-worker, Phyllis Stone.
 
Phyllis was employed by DMH for over 38 years and spent the last 23 years working at Tewksbury State Hospital in the role of Director of Clinical Social Work and Admissions.

Phyllis's knowledge, understanding, and leadership were vast and all encompassing. Her clinical reasoning and experience were second to none.
 
Phyllis held the belief that all individuals served had something to share and deserved to live in the community. Her beliefs were fueled by her passion, which made her a catalyst in the process of discharge.
 
Many admired Phyllis regarding her ability to lead difficult meetings. She conveyed compassion and empathy while truly connecting with the individual served. Her "out of the box thinking" was an asset and benefited all concerned.
 
Phyllis's sense of humor and smile were priceless. Some of the things that would make Phyllis smile were: an influx of money for creative discharges, anything Paris, gourmet meals, traveling, the finer things in life, and most definitely anything to do with family and friends
 
Now there is an empty chair at the leadership table, but Phyllis's spirit is a part of us and her presence lives on in our hearts.
 
Our lives changed on that day in late November, when Phyllis left us, but one thing is undoubtable - we were the lucky, privileged ones because we knew her and got to be part of her life.

Click here to read a memorial from the Clinical Social Work (CSW) Department of Tewksbury Hospital

Children's Behavioral Health Knowledge Center News

MassHealth and the Children's Behavioral Health Knowledge Center at the Department of Mental Health, are pleased to share an educational video on Intensive Care Coordination (ICC).


 
In the video Beth Chin, Senior Program Director at the Wayside Community Service Agency (CSA) describes how ICC works, and Johanna Rodriquez, a parent and Family Partner at Riverside Community Care, shares her family's experience with the service. At the end of the video, viewers learn how they can connect with one of the 32 Community Service Agencies across Massachusetts that provide ICC.

This video was created as a conversation starter on ICC as a tool for Outpatient providers and other referrers. For example, during a routine office visit a provider cou ld show the video to a family as they discuss service options. Or in advance of an initial appointment with a new family, an ICC provider could send out the link to the family to give them a sense of what to expect. Other referral sources, such as DCF workers, teachers, school-based counselors, staff from after school programs and community centers, etc. can use the video to educate themselves and families about the service. Families may also come across the video independently and self-refer to a CSA. The hope is that through this video, providers and families will have a common reference point to both describe and understand ICC. If you are having trouble viewing the video above click here or visit the MassHealth YouTube channel.  
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Visit the CBH Knowledge Center Website at: www.cbhknowledge.center 
Register Today

Riverside Trauma Center's 6th Annual Conference
"You Come to Us Endangered"
Legacies of Community Trauma, Narratives of Healing and Resilience

September 22, 2016
9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Crowne Plaza, Natick, 1360 Worcester Street, Natick (Rte. 9).

Registration at the event begins 8:15 a.m.
Lunch will be provided

Registration: Pre-registration is required. You can register online at www.communitytrauma.eventbrite.com and pay by credit card. You can also register using a credit card or a check by filling out the form below or contacting jhuynh@riversidecc.org.

If accommodations such as ASL interpreters or visual aids are needed, please contact jhuynh@riversidecc.org and/or call 781-433-0672, ext. 5738 by 8/31/16.

Conference Description: This year's annual conference  focuses on how the impact of trauma, even individual trauma, affects communities, and what can be done to foster resilience and healing, both individually and collectively.  Drawing from the experiences of specific communities including Ferguson, MO, the Black Lives Matter movement, American Muslims, and urban LGBTQ youth, the theme will be examined through the lens of community narratives that develop after traumatic events. We will explore ways in which these communities have used collective sharing, group work, political organizing, theater, poetry, and other forms of expression to shift narratives and create healing stories.

Continuing Education: Applications for 5.5 hours of continuing education credits will be submitted for Social Workers, LMHCs, LMFTs, and Nurses. Please contact Jenny Huynh jhuynh@riversidecc.org for the status of the CE accreditation. This training is approved for 5.5 hours of continuing education for Psychologists. Riverside Community Care is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor education for Psychologists. Riverside Community Care maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Photo of the Month
Honoring Those Buried at
Metfern Cemetery
       
On Tuesday June 14th the N ortheast Area honored those buried at Metfern Cemetery. The cemetery is located in Waltham and contains 310 burials from 1947-1979 of deceased individuals from the former Metropolitan Hospital and the Fernald School.

The service included a welcome and remembrance by Nicole McMahon, an Interdenominational prayer by Yale Hicks, music by Paul Sandford, words of inspiration by Daniel Sterne & others, closing remarks by Kerrie Fallon and
laying of the Flowers. 

This ceremony was made possible because of the kind generosity of the following sponsors: Shriver Center -Flowers, The Edinburg Center and Waverly Place.
 
Events prior to 2014 are posted on the 
DMH Photo Gallery on Shutterfly and all current events are on Flickr!

If you have photos of a DMH event that you would like featured here or on DMH's Flickr site, please send them to
 Michelle Cormier Tallman.