September 2013 - Family Services of Western Pennsylvania
Transcription
September 2013 - Family Services of Western Pennsylvania
Family Affairs September 2013 Family Affairs is a newsletter of Family Services of Western Pennsylvania Lost in Space: A Twenty-seven Year Odyssey Inside this issue Take Me Out to the Zoo...P.2 Spotlight...P.2 Save this Date!...P.3 Meet Grant Korgan...P.3 Did You Know...P.3 Scenes from the Ice Cream Blast...P.4 By Timothy Robinson, Supportive Living Specialist and Cindy Egnatz, MH Service Coordinator Mentor For twenty-seven years, Paul disappeared from the world, living his life in isolation. No, not because he was in jail, but because he was kept by his parents inside the family home. Think about it. Take your age and subtract twenty-seven years. What would you have missed in that time frame? Over the last half century, the answer would probably astound you as it did Paul! On December 12, 1966, Paul enjoyed his last outing in the community until a community intervention on February 1, 1993 that would change his life and that of his family. His family had experienced a traumatic event which set in motion an extensive period of overprotecting, lack of trust in others, and the belief that if Paul never left the house, he would be safe. When he was discovered, he was quite “frightened, really scared and didn’t trust anybody.” In March of 1993, after a month of psychiatric hospitalization and a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, Paul began receiving services from Family Services of Western Pennsylvania’s Service Coordination (case management) and Supportive Living programs. These programs assist individuals in linking to available community resources and helps them in developing skills and supports needed to reach particular life goals such as living independently. In Paul’s case it was coping with symptoms, taking a walk in the park, riding a bus, eating healthily, budgeting money properly and more. Despite Paul’s years of absence from society, it didn’t take long for staff to gain his trust. Paul adapted well to treatment and made baby steps back into the outside world. “Being outside my home felt caused him to be so untrusting, or if it was the many years of isolation and listening to the fears of his family. In either case, he isn’t dwelling on it. Paul (right) with one of his friends at Pirates game. wonderful. I enjoyed any place and every place. I often dreamed of going shopping in a real department store or taking a long ride in a car and now I was doing it.” He believed that he could do "lots of stuff" with no bad consequences as long as staff was with him for reassurance. As he said, “I just needed someone to be there is all." Paul still speaks of those days when he was confined to his home, passing time with his radio, his books and his imagination. Back then, he kept busy listening to sports on the radio and reading through his set of encyclopedias, his Bible and other books. In his house there was no phone, but he did have a battery-operated television set the family acquired in 1980. On that he watched his favorite television show, Lost in Space. And from time to time he would peel back the curtains to catch a glimpse of what was happening beyond his walls, but remained fearful of the unknown. Paul now wonders if it was his then undiagnosed condition that On May 8, 2013, at the age of 64, Paul did something he had long dreamed of doing. He attended a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game. His main goal for the day was to get team yearbooks, but he also found other activities enjoyable like watching the Pierogie Race. He felt comfortable enough and enjoyed this outing so much that he plans on attending a game next year. Even though this was just a Pirates game to everyone else, it was a major accomplishment for Paul■ Paul’s Top Three Discoveries...So Far 1. Traveling "anywhere and everywhere." Although Paul is very fearful that if he is alone on the bus he won't ever find his way back home, he is more than ready to accompany a friend or a staff member for a ride. 2. Shopping...shopping...shopping. "Malls are so amazing!" 3. “Going to my first Pirate game was the best yet." With a big smile he added "TV just doesn't give you the true feeling of the game. I will never forget that day, never." ■ Spotlight on: Dr. Robert Davis Occupation: Medical Director, Family Services of Western Pennsylvania Medical School: Penn State University, College of Medicine Residency: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA In his own words: I was born and raised in Philadelphia and moved from there to Pittsburgh with my family in 2012 to be the Medical Director of Family Services of Western Pennsylvania. I strongly believe in patient centered care, and I have a clinical interest in mood disorders, women's mental health, and chronic and persistent mental illness■ Sixty-Six Sixty-six holds a special place in the hearts of Pittsburgh hockey fans. It holds a special place in our hearts, too. Sixtysix is our United Way donor designation number. The annual United Way fundraising drive is underway. When you make your donation, please keep us in mind as we work to empower people to reach their full potential■ Take Me Out to the Zoo (Or Anywhere Great Memories are Made) Transition-age youth from our Community Outreach through Resources and Education program at the Pittsburgh Zoo. How about a trip to the aviary? Or to the Science Center? Or to the Benedum for a concert? A ballgame at PNC Park. For many of us, such events are kind of rites of passage, something we remember doing with our family or friends long after the event we attended has passed. For others, the memories of attending a Pirates game at PNC Park, watching a laser show at the Carnegie Science Center, or visiting with the penguins at the National Aviary are non-existent because, well, they never happened. These families didn’t have the financial wherewithal to do so. In the early to mid 1990’s, some astute people were looking at the attendance counts at events in Pittsburgh and noticed the size of the crowds and the capacities of venues where those events were held. And then they thought, “Hey, that event wasn’t a sellout. What do they do with those extra tickets?” In 1994, Tickets for Kids® Charities (TFK), was established after noticing the number of empty seats at some of the city’s shows, games and events. A coincidence? Nope. Remember the astute people we told you about? Yep. Tickets for Kids. The goal of TFK is to fill seats at local events with children and families from the area, preferably from a more diverse demographic, for whom cost of admission is prohibitive. TFK is the only regional organization devoted exclusively to this mission — and one of a few in the country. Since their inception they have reached more than 1.4 million local residents through their efforts. Those are a lot of new memories! How They Do It TFK obtains tickets to arts, cultural, educational, family entertainment and sporting events through a network of providing partners that includes individuals, sports teams, theaters, museums, zoos, aquariums, amusement parks, colleges, universities, local and national producing agencies and others. TFK then distributes those tickets through social-service agency partners like Family Services of Western Pennsylvania to thousands of children and their families throughout the year. Mindy Townsend, Unit Teacher with our Adolescent Diversion and Stabilization program, is a big fan of and grateful for the support from Tickets for Kids. “During the summer our students look forward to the fieldtrips provided by TFK. We develop a learning activity or lesson built around the event we are attending in order to enrich the student’s experience. Some of our clients do not have the opportunity to take trips in the community. It is pleasing to see their enthusiasm when they have a new opportunity to learn and enjoy during the outings provided by TFK.” Through the years individuals and families we serve have been to baseball games, the Carnegie Museum, Science Center, Laurel Caverns, Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, The Warhol and more because of the work that TFK has done in establishing connections with other organizations in our region. Since we believe strongly in the capacity of every individual to grow despite the challenges that he/she might face, we agree with the mission of TFK, that by granting people we serve the opportunity to experience something that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience, we are playing our part in filling seats with unlimited potential. Thank you, Tickets for Kids, for the experiences you’ve provided, for inspiring the next great artist or geologist, zoologist or saxophonist, pitcher or scientist...for the memories you’ve helped create■ Page 2 Save This Date! December 13, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Family Services of Western Pennsylvania Act 2: A Celebration of Second Chances Featuring the inspiring and motivational story of Grant Korgan Extreme adventurer and spinal cord injury survivor The evening includes: * An artfully remarkable performance by the August Wilson Dance Ensemble * The danceable groove of the Terrance Vaughn Band * Silent Auction and Raffle Tickets: $100 per person advance sale Jay Verno Studios, 3030 Jane Street, Pittsburgh (Southside) 15203 For more information contact: Laura Latini at 412-820-2050 ext. 412 or via email at [email protected]. Meet Grant Korgan Did You Know… ...that an estimated 26.2 million Americans ages 18 and older— about 1 in 4 Americans—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, yet millions of people living with these disorders do not receive the care they require. ...that mental illness strikes without regard for economic class, but the strain is acute for people with low incomes. That without access to affordable treatment, many have a hard time holding down a job yet do not qualify as formally disabled, thus leaving them locked out from insurance coverage. ...that according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, untreated mental illness costs the US more than $100 billion each year in lost productivity. Grant Korgan is an avid snowmobiler, skier, world-class kayaker, adventurer, nano-mechanics professional and husband. On March 5, 2010, while snowmobiling in the Sierra backcountry, the Lake Tahoe native fractured his L1 vertebrae, and suddenly added the world of spinal cord injury recovery to his list of activities. You can play a part in assisting people from our local communities in getting the help they need by contributing to Family Services. Here are two ways you can help us carry out our mission: Without a complex plan of recovery, Grant knew he needed only one thing – positive energy. His path of recovery began with complete loss of feeling and zero movement below his belly button. Refusing to take “no” for an answer, and through the help of the High Fives Foundation, Grant and his wife began a non-stop lifestyle of exercise brimming with love and support. In one short year, Grant graduated from wheelchair to walking with the help of two arm crutches. 1. Include Family Services in your will. For more information about our planned giving options contact Alyssa Cholodofsky, Director of Development & Communications, via email at [email protected] or by phone at 412-8202050 ext 428. 2. Contribute to our Helping Hand Fund which helps consumers whose needs might otherwise fall through the cracks. Contact Laura Latini at [email protected]. Two winters after being paralyzed from the waist down, Grant found his redemption on a minus45-degree day at the South Pole. In January, 2012, with a few final thrusts of his ski poles, Grant pushed his body the last 10 yards of a 75mile, 12-day trek across the 9,000-foot Polar Plateau. Ultimately, in his words, he plans to “show the world that everyone should remember to live the highest version of themselves, and that humanity Page 3 can choose every day to live their limitless potential.” Korgan chronicles his injury and road to recovery in Two Feet Back, the first in a series of three autobiographies. His South Pole expedition was filmed as part of noted director Steven Ziig's documentary The Push: A South Pole Adventure. Korgan's challenge was intended to help raise money for the California-based nonprofit High Fives Foundation, which helps injured winter athletes recover and get back to their sport. It also supports the Reeve Irvine Research Center, a science research facility at the University of California-Irvine devoted to the study of the repair, regeneration, and recovery of function after spinal cord injury■ Thank you for your support!■ Scenes from the 18th Annual ParentWISE Ice Cream Blast July 20, 2013, Nevin Arena/Lynch Field in Greensburg Family Services of Western Pennsylvania is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children, Inc. Family Services of Western Pennsylvania is a non-profit organization declared tax-exempt by the federal government (under section 501 C 3 of the IRS code) and the Commonwealth of Pa. A copy of our official registration may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free from within Pennsylvania 800-7320999. Registration does not imply endorsement All donations to Family Services of Western Pennsylvania are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Family Services of Western Pennsylvania receives funding from the United Way’s of Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland Counties. Julie Cawoski, ParentWISE Manager, presenting award to ice cream flavor winner from Seton Hill U’s Physician’s Assistant Program I love my big brother! Or the St. Louis Cardinals... Spin the wheel, think, win a prize... Mom and daughter sharing an afternoon together Looks like Doc Strawberry Cheesecake Bearry and his assistant from CoventryCares. It’s the volunteers that make a Blast! More photos are on the ParentWISE Facebook page. Thanks to all of the organizations that helped us make the 18th Annual Ice Cream Blast the best yet. And thanks to all of you who joined us for a day of ice cream and fun. Make your annual contribution to Family Services at fswp.org Family Affairs Administrative Office 3230 William Pitt Way Pittsburgh, PA 15238 412.820.2050 ph 412.820.2060 fax [email protected] email www.fswp.org website Bulk Mailing Center 104 Beta Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15238 Our United Way donor designation number is 66 Empower people to reach their full potential... September 2013 NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 29 NEW KENSINGTON, PA 15068