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On November 11 we celebrate Veterans Day. We honor those individuals who are serving and have served our country to protect our freedom. Returning home from duty comes with many mixed emotions. Reuniting with family and friends and the comforts of home can also come the stress of finding housing, work, and rebuilding social relationships. In addition, many veterans experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to trauma in combat. When untreated, PTSD leads to increased mental health issues, substance misuse and/or arrest.
Dr. David Smelson at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in partnership with Dr. Debra Pinals conducted a study called
MISSION DIRECT VET
.
The project's primary goal was examining whether individuals diverted from all courts in Worcester, Essex, Plymouth, Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties to the
Maintenance of Independence and Sobriety through Systems Integration, Outreach, and Networking - Diversion and Recovery for Traumatized Veterans
(MISSION-DIRECT Vet) Program have better outcomes in mental health and substance abuse domains and fewer legal problems than the treatment as usual group. A total of 450 participants were enrolled in the research (baseline, 6 month and 12 month assessment): 300 individuals receiving MISSION-DIRECT VET (MISSION-DIRECT VET) and 150 in treatment as usual.
Subsequently Dr. Smelson and The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health received a one-year award to evaluate the sustainability of MISSION Jail Diversion approach (Jail Diversion and Trauma Recovery Program, SAMSHA Grant #SM58804) for community-based providers and their ability to provide services that adequately meet the mental health, substance abuse and criminogenic needs of these clients.
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MISSION Direct Vet program video (produced in 2013)
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CHANGING PRACTICES AND CULTURE OF CARE AT BRIDGEWATER STATE HOSPITAL
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Under the leadership of Dr. Kevin A. Huckshorn, new Assistant Hospital Administrator at Bridgewater State Hospital (BSH), one hundred new BSH staff were given training in the
Six Core Strategies to prevent conflict, violence and the use of restraint and seclusion. The training was held at Bridgewater State University.
Changing practices and the culture of care at Bridgewater State Hospital has been a top priority for the Baker-Polito Administration. One of the most compelling features of this training was a presentation by leaders at the Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center, Dr. Mary-Louise White and Laurie McGeever, on their work on preventing and reducing the use of restraint and seclusion with a forensic population. Their presentation was grounded in solid, pragmatic experience and compassionate trauma-informed care. Other training faculty included Dr. Janice LeBel, from the Child, Youth, & Family Division at DMH, and Beth Caldwell, a national expert on implementing the Six Core Strategies and trauma-informed approaches.
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SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 2018 METRO BOSTON SCHIFF AWARDS
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Planning is underway for the 2018 Metro Boston Area
Schiff Awards
. Mark your calendars as they are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday May 29, 2018.
The
Jonathan Schiff Awards
were created in 2002 to recognize the value of employment in recovery from serious & persistent mental illness. The awards are given to individuals with lived experience with mental illness who receive services from the DMH Metro Boston Area; and who exemplify the principles of rehabilitation & recovery from mental illness through employment.
The
Schiff 2017
was a rousing success. More than 70 attendees celebrated the employment success of the following individuals at the 2017 16th annual ceremony:
The
Schiff 2017
Awardees
The Metro Boston Area
Dennis Barclay/Metro Boston Area-wide Schiff Awardee
The Metro Boston Child, Youth & Family Services
Keturah Bianco/Child Youth & Family Schiff Awardee
The Massachusetts Mental Health Center
Delilah Nesmith/Massachusetts Mental Health Center Schiff Awardee
Jason Moore/ Massachusetts Mental Health Center Schiff 2
nd
Awardee
The Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller-Bay Cove Site
Omolayo Soremekun/Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller-Bay Cove Site Schiff Awardee
Olando Mangrum/Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller-Bay Cove Site 2
nd
Awardee
The Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center
Felicia Sorrentino/Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center Schiff Awardee
Lennox Mercury/ Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center Schiff 2
nd
Awardee
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REMEMBERING MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET STAFF
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This past October, the DMH Management and Budget office and the DMH community mourned the loss of three beloved staff members; Kevin Guiney, Deb Combra, and Kris Mishra.
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Kevin Guiney
joined DMH in January of 1981 as a social worker at the Paul A. Dever State School in Taunton (when DMH and DMR were one agency). He served the Department for 36 years, his most recent position at DMH (2010-present) was Director of Fiscal and Resource Management in which role he was responsible for managing all accounts payable functions and financial reporting for the Department. Outside of DMH, Kevin acquired a love of golf, especially with his son Matt. Kevin would light up when he spoke about his granddaughter Madeline, and he would always have a picture or a story to tell. He cherished his time and travels with his dear partner Patti.
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Deb Combra began her first job with the Commonwealth at the Bridgewater State College library when she was only 15 years old. She had various roles throughout her career including Rehabilitation Coordinator at Lakeville Hospital and Mass Hospital School in Canton. She moved on to the the Operational Services Division (OSD) within the Executive Office for Administration and Finance. At OSD, Deb served as Procurement Team Coordinator and Procurement Manager. She joined DMH as a Commodity Purchasing Supervisor in 2011 and worked at Quincy Mental Health Center. Deb was the caregiver for her entire family, her husband, two sons, two sisters and her parents. She was always taking care of one of them in one way or another. She was known as the "coupon lady" for being amazing using coupons. She could literally go into a store and walk out with $50 worth of items and pay $0, or even get money back. She tried for years to teach her coworkers this skill, but none came close to mastering it like she did.
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Kris Mishra
joined DMH in January of 1989 and was an electrical engineer within the Facilities Management unit at DMH for the past 28 years. Prior to DMH, Kris worked at a computing center at the University of Kentucky and for 17 years designing, constructing, and operating electrical systems for commercial, residential, and hospital settings for the State Electricity Board in Poona, India. Kris emphasized that being a Professional Electrical Engineer defined who he was. He was caring and respectful to everyone, a dedicated worker, colleague and family man. His family was the most important thing to him, his two sons and especially his 4 year old granddaughter. He and his family travelled extensively throughout the United States and regularly to his home in Kanpur, India.
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ANA RODRIQUES HONORED FOR OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS
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Ana Rodriguez, a
Case Manager
from Lawrence Essex North Site and the Chair of the Northeast Area Diversity Committee travelled to Los Angeles California to
receive the
Dorothy Richardson Resident Leadership Award. The award from NeighborWorks America is given in recognition of outstanding contributions by dedicated community members. Ana received this honor
for her work and 25 year involvement with Lawrence Community Works. Community Works is a non-profit community organization which has worked to address housing needs and the renovation of Lawrence.
Ana is a great example of the
many Case Management staff that do exceptional work for their clients AND the communities where they work.
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Introducing the new Learning and Development Calendar Search for a variety of learning opportunities in your area or statewide. The learning calendar will be updated on an ongoing basis with personal and professional improvement opportunities as well as continuing education (CE) events. You can easily filter your search by clicking on any of the color-coded categories that are displayed on the calendar.
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Our Events Calendar is the one stop location for upcoming events planned around the state.
FEATURED UPCOMING EVENTS
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Based on veterans who have served in
Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF)
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What percentage of veterans have PTSD in a given year?
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Thank You to all who reviewed the site and offered your feedback!
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We'd love to hear more from you about DMH CONNECTIONS:
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NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS OR QUESTIONS CONTACT
Michelle Cormier - Communications Coordinator
To view past issues of DMH Connections visit our
Archive page
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STAY CONNECTED WITH DMH ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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