June 2016 SCSB News Letter - Southside Community Services Board

Summer 2016
Volume 1, Issue 3
June, 2016
Southside Connected
Southside Virginia Community Services Board
Keeping our Board and Staff Connected
PINWHEELS FOR PREVENTION
(Child Abuse Prevention)
C
What’s Inside:
PG
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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Southside Community Services' Behavioral
Health &Wellness Program “planted” Pinwheels throughout the Agency and at selected community sites. When you see a Pinwheel, pause and remember, we ALL
can make a difference in the life of a child, everyday; not just during the month of
April!
( Dee A. Holland– Brock)
More on Child Abuse Prevention Month inside on Page 3
U
T
Administration Shows Red 2
Nose Spirit
Halifax HDTC Special
Olympics
2
Employment
Specialist News
2
Child Abuse Prevention
(cont.)
3
Mental Health First Aid
for Teachers
3
Peer Support Team and
Wrap
3
Feature “ Travis Valentine”
4
Brunswick Garden
4
New Employees
4
U
R
E
Monthly Awareness
Newsletter Contest
Angie Clement, Reimbursement Technician at Brunswick Behavioral Health Center won the name the Newsletter contest. Angie has
been employed with
Southside Community Services Board for two years.
Angie loves the beach, gardening and refinishing furniture . Her greatest love is
spending time with her
grandchildren. She is all
smiles when Linda Stewart,
Operations Director presents
her with her gift card.
JUNE
August
July
September
ADMIN RED NOSE SPIRIT
Red Nose Day was Thursday, May
26th. Red Nose Day is a national event
to help fight kids’ poverty. Administration joined in the FUN and got seriously silly for a good cause by wearing red
noses. Every dollar helps! For example:
$1 is a meal for a child in a homeless
shelter, $5 is antibiotics to treat a child
with pneumonia, $35 is an eye exam
and glasses, $4 is an anti-malarial net
to protect a mother and her baby, $5 is
medical supplies for a doctor’s visit to a
mobile clinic, $15 could help keep a
Halifax DTC
child safe, sheltered and off the street
for a week and $7 can provide books,
supplies and activities to help a child
keep reading skills sharp during the
summer.
SPECIAL Olympics
From left to right Nancy Womack, Ernestine Toney, Joseph Jones, Greg Wood &
Stanley Crews all won first place in
Special Olympics Track & Field
Employment / Halifax CSP
After almost 10 years now, Diane Battle, Employment Specialist continues to successfully provide Work Readiness services
to consumers attending the HCSP. In addition to providing
Work Readiness Classes, consumers also have an opportunity
to progress to Supported Employment (in-house work experience) and gradually move toward securing permanent employment throughout the community. Local employers are encouraged to participate in making a difference in the lives of persons with disabilities. For more information or presentation,
please contact Diane Battle at 572-9563 ext. 314.
Mr. Michael Simon has taken
time out of his busy schedule to
collaborate with Ms. Diane Battle, CSP Employment Specialist,
and his HR Manager, Diane Ketron in "creating" a job for
Zachery, who will begin his new
job mid-June. Local Employers
are encouraged to participate in
our community effort in securing
jobs for persons with disabilities.
Page 2
Way to Go McDonald's!
Best Wishes Zachery
Halifax CSP participants were recognized with certificates that read "Outstanding Performance In Supported
Employment" on April 22nd. Pictured from left to
right...Anthony Banks (Most Improved) , Victory Majors,
Gregory Wood, Ernestine Toney, Thomas Wilson (Most
Likely to Succeed in the Workplace) and Willie Carter.
Summer 2016 Volume 1, Issue 3
Southside Connected
CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION
Students at Halifax County Middle School picked
a blustery day in April to plant a pinwheel garden on the schools front lawn. The 35 pinwheels
memorialized children who have died in the past
year from child abuse or neglect in Virginia. The
recognition was spearheaded by Kevin Chandler,
Behavioral Health & Wellness Specialist, at the
SCSB Administrative Offices. April was Child
Abuse Month and the Halifax Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking all citizens to become involved in raising children in a safe and
nurturing environment to mark the occasion.
Southside Community Services Board Hosts Mental Health First Aid for Teachers
Southside Community Services Board
hosted a Mental Health First Aid workshop for its coverage area which includes
Brunswick, Halifax and Mecklenburg
counties. Leading this prevention initiative was Kevin Chandler who works as the
Behavioral Health and Wellness Specialist
for SCSB. ”This training is relevant to all
of us,” said Chandler. “When you complete
the Mental Health First Aid training, you
will know how to intervene with someone
who is actively suicidal or help someone
who is having a panic attack.”
able to support veterans experiencing
PTSD symptoms or a college student
with a serious eating disorder. You
will be able to recognize a co-worker
who may be struggling with addiction
or a friend who is feeling depressed.”
“With one in four Americans experiencing a mental health or addiction
disorder each year, the National
Council is committed to making this
important training.as common as
CPR“ said Susan Blue, national Council board chair.
In January the National Council for
Behavioral Health announced a new
campaign, “Be 1 in a million , “ to
train 1 million people in Mental
Health First Aid.
Chandler added, “You will be
What Is A Peer Specialist?
A person with personal mental health and/or substance abuse
history who is trained and certified to help their peers recover,
using their own experience to connect with others and offer a
beacon of hope. Peer specialists assist their peers in articulating
their goals for recovery, learning and practicing new skills, helping them monitor their progress, assisting them in their treatment, modeling effective coping techniques and self help strategies based on the specialist’s own recovery experience, and supporting others in advocating for themselves to obtain effective
services.
Laverne
Halifax
James
Brunswick
Yevonne
Mecklenburg
Keeping our Board and Staff Connected
WRAP graduation photo.
Peer Support facilitated WRAP in Mecklenburg County in May.
WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) that allows individuals to
be in control if things become out of control. WRAP strengths are
built from Hope, Personal Responsibility, Self-advocacy, Education and Support. Individuals who complete the course begin to
recognize his/her own personal triggers and warning signs when
things are breaking down by acquiring the skills and tools necessary to cope and overcome.
Summer 2016
Volume 1, Issue 3
Page 3
Travis Valentine
MCSP
Southside Connected
The Potential of Self . . .
The Power of Support
A Few Words From Our Editor . . .
I saw this poster in a
magazine, cut it out
and gave to Travis as
a project. I wanted
him to create the
same poster for our
wall at the program.
He completed this
project! He is artistically talented and did
an excellent job!
“Why pay for a
poster/picture, when
you can create your
own!”, said Valaria
Seamans, MCSP
Supervisor.
Linda S. Stewart, MBA
Director of Operations
The contribution you all make daily for our clients and your willingness to share your stories and pictures are the ingredients that make
our newsletter both informative and entertaining. We hope you are
enjoying Southside Connected! I can definitely say that reading the
stories and seeing all the pictures certainly makes me smile!
We offer a sincere thanks to all who submitted items this quarter. If
you have information to be considered for the next issue, please submit to Victoria Owens at [email protected].
Thank you Victoria Owens for being the hub in the wheel of our newsletter! Your delight when you receive new stories and pictures also
makes me smile! Thanks to Tammy Brankley also for her contributions and proofing skills!
To Southside CSB staff-Thank you for your great work and always
remember...whether it is with a client or a co-worker, you have the
potential each and every day to positively impact a life!
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word,
a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all
of which have the potential to turn a life around. ~ Leo Buscaglia
Keeping Us Connected With Good News
BDTC GARDEN
The garden is one of our special projects that the individuals enjoy. They get the opportunity to go
through the whole process from building the plant
boxes, working the soil, planting the seeds and
watching them produce, harvesting the vegetables
and cooking and eating what was grown. Eating is
everybody’s favorite activity! This year we planted
cucumbers, string beans, tomatoes, squash, carrot,
beets, white potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Welcome to our New SCSB Employees!
Denise Baird, PT Residential Support Specialist (KING)
Serenity Coleman, PT Residential Technician (Hope House)
Charletha Craig, Children Services Case Manager ( BBHC)
Sharon Gavitt, HR Manager ( ADMIN)
Shalonda D. Grinan, Community Support Specialist (HCSP)
Concetta “Connie” Owen, Nurse, (MCFS)
Emily D. Spence, Children Services Therapist (MCFS)
Cynthia Turner, MH Skill Building Specialist (BBHC)
A Publication for
the Board of
Directors and
Employees of
Southside
Virginia
Community
Services Board
Congratulations!
Rebecca Simmerman, Emergency Services now CIT Assessment Clinician (HLFX)
Potential of Self, Power of Support
Summer 2016
Volume 1, Issue 3
Page 4