Women Like Me by Gabby

Success Story
Gabby
ANNUAL
REPORT
2014
Gabby’s powerful poem illustrates her journey from pain and guilt to recovery.
While Gabby’s poem describes her own unique journey, it also illustrates what so
many other women who come to POWER have experienced.
Gabby wrote her poem in the workshop led by a POWER volunteer, a writer and mother
who lost a child of her own to addiction. In April, at our Volunteer Appreciation Tea, these
budding poets – some of whom had never written poetry before – read their works to
a tearful and appreciative audience.
Women Like Me
She says I’m a failure.
You’re nothing, a junkie,
just like your mother.
Why can’t you believe in me?
You don’t understand my pain
won’t go away. My past
is haunting me.
Get over it. Go away.
You’re worthless.
But you’re like a mother to me.
I love you. Why have you
disowned me?
They tell me I’m strong, beautiful,
kind. I say I’m weak, ugly, a liar.
by Gabby
I am dying inside. I have
destroyed everything.
They say you’re only human.
They say I can do it.
I can do it, I am strong, I won’t
give up. My guilt and shame
have slipped away. Nobody
can get me down.
I am happy, honest, and free.
I forgive you for me.
Who would have thought other
women like me would be the key.
Dear Friends...
What does healthcare reform mean to POWER?
For the past year, POWER’s leadership has sought the answer to that question, participating in multiple meetings about the
Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its potential impact on the way POWER delivers care to women and families. While many
questions remain unanswered, it’s become clear that a central focus of the ACA is the holistic integration of physical and
behavioral healthcare. Over the next year, we’ll continue to look for ways to enhance our care within this new context, as
always, with the greatest emphasis on quality.
Thanks to Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, Inc. – our region’s behavioral health managed care organization
for Medical Assistance recipients – POWER is involved in Behavioral Health Home Plus Expansion. This innovative initiative
was designed to help agencies create a “health home” and develop a wellness culture through coaching and training: an
excellent effort that supports what we know about improving integration between primary healthcare and drug and alcohol
treatment services. POWER hired a nurse with 25 years of extensive community outreach experience to serve as the lead
health navigator and wellness consultant to Mentors, staff who function as wellness coaches and who help their clients
achieve health-related goals. We’re so excited about this and look forward to what we believe will be significant results!
Healthcare reform is a major focus of our current strategic planning process, as is continuing to reinforce the organization’s
infrastructure, thereby ensuring staff has the resources necessary to concentrate their efforts on delivering quality care.
Our plan, a roadmap for the next three years, will provide the guidance we need to develop and implement bold strategic
objectives, which we look forward to sharing with you as they continue to unfold.
Also of significance, in Fiscal Year 2014, POWER was offered an opportunity to purchase the former St. Anselm Convent –
home to POWER House since 1991. We will finalize the purchase early in Fiscal Year 2015. As proud owners of this property,
we look forward to continuing to be a good neighbor in Swissvale and a valuable resource to the nearly 100 women who
will come through our residential treatment program each year.
You see, it’s been a busy year! Thanks for all you’ve done and continue to do to help make sure that women in our
region who struggle with substance use have a choice to pursue treatment in an environment that understands and
reflects their needs.
Sincerely,

Jan Bamford
Rosa Davis, MSW, ACSW
Board President
Executive Director
POWER Line: 412.243.8755
United Way Contributor Choice #3511
3 Rivers Combined Federal Campaign #85191
ANNUAL REPORT 2014
Financials
Unaudited
Interest/Misc.:
Fundraising:
$183,031
Contributions:
$182,290
Management/
General:
$532,499
$528,075
$3,141,204
Program Related
$2,425,674
$459,547
Recovery Support
Services:
Other
Program
Initiatives:
Revenues:
Outpatient Services:
$981,519
$87,195
Expenses:
$3,128,439
Residential
Treatment:
$889,813
Fundraising & Communications
Fiscal year 2014 was an active and successful fundraising year for POWER. A dedicated Development &
Communications Committee oversaw a variety of activities.
For the second year, $10,000 was allotted to marketing,
the event, with many bidding on one-of-a-kind works by local
primarily radio and TV ads that appeared over several
artists and purchasing items from the POWER Collection.
months. The feedback has been positive and we are
committed to continuing to enhance POWER’s visibility
in the community.
The POWER Collection is now sold through Local Goodness
Marketplace (localgoodness.com). We’ve made contact
with several new artists – including painter Keith Schmeidlin
We surpassed our goal and received $202,525 in operating
and textile artist Amber Coppings – and are working toward
funds from a wide range of foundations. We are grateful for
signing them on as POWER Collection collaborators. We
support from the foundation community, and take special
held two receptions for artists, one at Square Café and
care to earn and keep their trust.
another at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PCA), hosted
Levin Furniture’s Robert Levin and wife Dr. Kerry Bron served
as Honorary Chairs for POWER Promises – one of our most
successful ever – which brought in over $153,000! Our
Seeds of Hope awardee was Sherree Goldstein, POWER’s
Development Chair and owner of Square Café. With 24
by Pittsburgh Filmmakers/PCA Executive Director Charlie
Humphrey. Through these and other outreach efforts, we
have recruited several artists who will contribute items
to next year’s Sunflower POWER event and who may
eventually become POWER Collection collaborators.
years of sobriety herself, Sherree is a vocal advocate for
POWER began a coordinated planned giving initiative
women in recovery. She often hires former POWER clients
thanks to the urging of our Advisory Council Chair, Arthur
and she is exceptionally generous, constantly bringing
M. Scully, III. With assistance from MetLife professionals,
potential donors to visit and learn about POWER.
our efforts are beginning to bear fruit, with several Board,
Sunflower POWER, a celebration of National Recovery
Month, was held in September at PerLora on the South
Side and raised nearly $13,000. Over 200 people attended
Advisory Council, and staff members participating. We
are in the process of planning small group dinners and
we will contact individuals who we feel will be responsive
to our invitation.
Volunteers
Thanks to our amazing volunteers:
• 150 hours of education sessions were provided to
POWER House and POWER New Day clients, including
poetry, health education, legal information, team building,
journaling, literary discussion, gardening, holiday
observances, crafts, yoga, and aerobics.
• 25 hours of exercise and companionship were provided
by volunteers who walk with POWER House residents on
weekday mornings.
• 70 clients learned about resume writing, interviewing
for a job, and managing personal finances at all-day
business education and financial literacy seminars.
At the business education seminar, a fashion show of
professional clothing featured nine models who were
POWER clients.
• Over 100 clients received free clothing from two resale
shops and one church.
• 60 clients shared meals, received make-up tips,
and played games with members of three churches.
• Over 300 hours of clerical work were donated to
help POWER operations continue to run smoothly
and efficiently.
• 50 volunteers helped plan and staff fundraising events.
• Every POWER client received gifts for themselves and
their children at the holidays from eight churches, two
organizations, and the efforts of one volunteer who
has been organizing holiday gift-giving for 22 years.
• 10 clients took the stage to read their poetry at the
annual Volunteer Appreciation Tea.
Members of BNY Mellon’s Women’s
Initiative Network held a financial
literacy seminar for clients
Shana Wilson and Lucy Scales were
two volunteers at POWER Promises
Members of GlaxoSmithKline’s Women’s
Leadership Initiative hold business
educations seminars twice a year
Valerie Bacharach teaches poetry,
prints books of clients’ work, and
organizes readings of their poetry.
National Council of Jewish Women staff
Allison Milko and Andrea Glickman helped
organize the fashion show at the GSK
buiseness education seminar.
Rodman Street Missionary Baptist
Church members visited with House
clients and shared a meal.
www.power-recovery.com
7501 Penn Avenue - Suite 8 • Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Phone 412.243.7535 • Fax 412.243.8711
A copy of the official registration and financial information
of Pennsylvania Organization for Women in Early Recovery
may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of
State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 800-732-0999.
Registration does not imply endorsement.
Board of Directors
Jan Bamford
President
Eileen Simmons
Vice President
Susan S. Everingham
Secretary
Erin M. Felix
Treasurer
Tina Flowers
Sherree R. Goldstein
Judith Griggs, PhD
Christine Hoover
Dorothy P. Ingersoll
Nancy Kurdyla
Judith R. Owen
Stephen P. Paschall
Mary Prezioso
Yumna Rathore
Margaret Sitko
John Wilds, PhD
Roger Yost
Advisory Council
Arthur M. Scully, III
Chair
Jan Bleier
Paul Block
Darieth Chisolm
Christopher Dunn
Dr. Andrea Fox
Judge Livingstone M. Johnson
Gayle Manning
Grant McLaughlin
Terry Miller
Tom Murphy
Boyd Murray
Raj Narendran
Jan Pagliari
Norma Raiff
Kristi Rogers
Mindy Shreve
Lora Sigesmund
Joy Starzl
Jim Turner
Dr. Abraham Twerski
Virginia Volponi
Mike Walsh, PhD
Sheila Washington
Brenda Joyce Waters
Karen Farmer White
Lois R. O’Connor, Emeritus
Program Highlights
(across all programs for Fiscal Year 2014)
• Total number (unduplicated) of
clients served: 1,250
• Total number of individuals served
across all programs: 601
Community Connections
• Alpha Phi, Epsilon Iota Chapter
• Pittsburgh Mennonite Church
• Ben Avon Community Presbyterian Church
• Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church
• BNY Mellon Women’s
Initiatives Network (WIN)
• Shadyside Presbyterian Church
• BYS Yoga
• Delta Kappa Gamma
• Discovery Christian Church
• GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare
Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI)
• Ladies of Charity
• Lambda Kappa Sigma
• Message Carriers
• National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section (NCJW)
• Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR)
Community Memberships
• African American Chamber of Commerce
• Allegheny County Overdose Prevention Coalition (ACOPC)
• The Coalition for Leadership, Education and
Advocacy for Recovery (CLEAR)
Executive Director
• Pennsylvania Halfway House Association
Diane Johnson, RN, BSN
Associate & Clinical Director
Madelon Edelstone, MEd
Associate & Development Director
Debra Raubenstrauch, MPM
Director of Finance & Operations
Olivia Zitelli, SPHR
Director of Human Resources, HR-C
• Total number of clients who
received Mentoring: 369
• Total number of screenings: 1,007
Administration
Rosa Davis, MSW, ACSW
• Total number of assessments: 660
• Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council
• Standing Firm
• Shaolin Studios
• Swissvale Rotary Club
• Treasure House Fashions
• Union Baptist Church
• United Jewish Federation
• Unity Baptist Church
• University of Pittsburgh Campus Women’s
Organization
• Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh
• Zonta Three Rivers Pittsburgh North
Program Updates
In fiscal year 2014, POWER continued to implement and improve its major program initiatives.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
POWER embarked on a plan to accept women into its
residential facility, POWER House, who receive medication
assisted treatment (MAT) such as methadone. Methadone
treatment has long been the standard of care for women
who are pregnant and opioid-dependent. POWER House
accepted its first MAT client in January 2014.
The evidence shows that MAT is effective, particularly for those
who are opioid-dependent, and opiates are the number one
drug of choice for women seeking treatment at POWER.
POWER New Day Outpatient has been treating women who
are on MAT for a long time, so it was a natural transition to
also accept women receiving MAT into POWER House.
Electronic Medical Records & Outcomes
With grant funding, we brought an AmeriCorps member on
staff to conduct client surveys and develop a process we can
use when she leaves in July 2014.
Electronic medical records (EMR) are being used for
registration, screening, and assessment; progress notes;
treatment and aftercare plans; and discharge summaries;
and are beginning to provide data for outcomes reports.
An assessment conducted by Dr. Hide Yamatani, Associate
Dean at Pitt’s School of Social Work and president and
founder of Excellence Research, Inc. (ERI), has helped to
identify outcomes and develop a client profile.
The surveys assessed three sample groups at intake, discharge,
and 30 days post-discharge. Differences between clients at
intake and clients at 30 days after discharge include:
• A majority report no drug or alcohol use during the 30
days post-discharge.
• The number of children involved with CYF or living with
someone else due to a court order was reduced.
• Employment increased among clients.
• More clients report being in “very good” or “excellent”
health and fewer clients report serious depression.
Dr. Yamatani concluded, “Increased investment in POWER
and support of their programs would significantly reduce an
opportunity cost to the Greater Pittsburgh region, while helping
a vast number of clients with serious needs.”
Health & Wellness Initiative
POWER has always approached care holistically and in fiscal
year 2014 focused its efforts on integrating physical and
behavioral healthcare. POWER partners with the Squirrel
Hill Health Center to ensure that the primary health and
medical specialty needs of our clients are met. We are
also a participant in Community Care Behavioral Health
Organization’s Behavioral Health Home Plus Expansion
initiative. This project is intended to enhance the integration
of behavioral health with primary physical health via a team
approach that includes a registered nurse as the Lead
Health Navigator and peer recovery support specialists like
POWER’s Mentors. The addition of a nurse on POWER’s
staff in May 2014 has already enriched our approach to
comprehensive care.
As a member of the Allegheny County Overdose Prevention
Coalition (ACOPC), POWER was involved in a pilot project
in the Emergency Department at Allegheny Health Network’s
Allegheny General Hospital. A POWER Addictions Counselor
was on a rotation with other drug and alcohol treatment
providers to offer on-site screening, assessment, and linkage
to treatment as patients with potential substance use issues
were identified.
Peer Recovery Support
POWER hires individuals with lived experience. About half of
our nearly 60-member workforce is in recovery collectively,
representing more than 300 years of recovery! Mentors
– paid employees in recovery for a minimum of five years—
model healthy recovery for our clients, help them navigate
complex systems, and motivate them to remain engaged
in treatment. Mentors are trained as Wellness Coaches and
nearly all are credentialed as Certified Recovery Specialists.
Continuing our longstanding relationship with Magee-Womens
Hospital of UPMC, we are working with them to explore the
role of Mentors in supporting women who are involved with
its Pregnancy Recovery Center, which will launch soon.
We have expanded our recovery support services to engage
women who are in treatment or undergoing detox as they
transition from one level of care to another. This expansion has
strengthened our relationship with The Addiction Medicine
Program at UPMC Mercy, an 18-bed, medically supervised
detoxification program.
POWER House
As the 2014 fiscal year concludes, we are close to completing
the purchase of our residential treatment site, POWER House.
POWER’s first program opened its doors in 1991, renting
the former convent from the Word of God parish. The
purchasing process was initiated by Fr. John Lynam, Word
of God’s pastor, and will save POWER $26,000 each year.
We expect to conclude the process in July 2014.