Post on 03-Apr-2022
transcript
corner QI in this issue
> Clear the Clut ter Out o f Your L i fe
> The Contractor ’s Spot-l ight—Sierra School
> Paul Sanford—Making an Impact through Suc-cess
> The Overn ight
> Qual i ty Q&A
> Tra in ing Update
> Debbie Terry-But ler—Making an Impact through Leadership
A Monthly Publica on from Solano County
Mental Health Division, Quality Improvement Unit
I s s u e 2
P ub l i s hed by : Qu a l i t y Im pr ove me n t Un i t M S : 5 - 2 50 P ho ne :7 84 -8 32 3 F a x : 7 84 -8 58 9 E -m a i l : qualityimprovement@solanocounty.com I n t ra n e t : http://hssweb/MH/default.aspx
Clu er, both mental and physical can do a number on our produc vity and eat away at our me. Think of all the minutes we waste looking for items that aren’t where they should be. When you can’t find things, you can feel frustrated, angry, and unpro‐duc ve. The stress of a clu ered life means we may miss deadlines, work longer hours, and lose im‐portant stuff. Whether it comes in the form of stuff, thoughts or toxic people, clu er equals stress. Clearing out the clu er will help relieve some of your stress. Start de‐clu ering by learning to let go.
De‐Clu er Your Desk and Work Space
Whether you work in a big office or a ny cubicle, there’s no way you can be totally produc ve in a space that doesn’t func on for you. We have all read the how‐to’s of organiza on. It is just a ma er of finding the me to do it. Organize your space in bite‐size bits; commit yourself to 15 minutes a day. You will be amazed at how good you feel.
De‐Clu er Your Thoughts
Clu er tends to spill over in other aspects of your life. Between a zillion to‐dos, work and family life, errant worries and obliga ons, it’s only natural that you would have a clu ered mind.
Clean sweep your thoughts with a hot bath, a medi‐
ta on prac ce, a long walk, a phone call to a friend—whatever works for you. Spend at least 15 minutes a day in a pursuit that allows you to decom‐press, clear your mind, and rid your thoughts of the mental chitchat that clouds your crea vity, passion, and produc vity.
De‐Clu er Your Life
While you can spend just 15 minutes clearing clu er from your space and thoughts, it may take a li le more to de‐clu er your life. “To be truly happy, some mes you must eliminate unhealthy people and situa ons from your life,” say Alex Lluch, author of Secrets to Love Life and Be Happy. For instance, if you feel stuck in a dead‐end job, resolve to make a change. Or if there’s someone in your life who constantly brings you down with a nega ve a tude, find a way to disentangle yourself. “It may take some courage to eliminate this stuff from your life, but you will feel much more fulfilled once you are able to concentrate on the people and things that do make you happy.”
For this complete ar cle, please visit: h p://www.webmd.com/balance/features/clear‐clu er‐out‐your‐life
Making an Impact
Making an Impact through Change
A p r i l 2 0 1 2
S ierra School of Solano County has been a
valued contractor for several years. Locat‐
ed in the small town of Elmira, Sierra oper‐
ates a school‐based Day Rehabilita on program
which provides such services as individual therapy,
individual and group rehabilita on, collateral, case
management and assessments in a school se ng.
Sierra works diligently with local districts to
“provide individual and effec ve strategies to help
our students meet and exceed both personal and
academic goals. They strive to make “lifelong learn‐
ers who can succeed in both school and society.”
Our Quality Improvement Unit recently per‐
formed their annual audit and found Sierra to be
one of our “gold standard” contractors. The results
of Sierra’s audits have been excep onal for the last
3 years. They were well organized with documents
appropriately labeled and tagged, all progress notes
and treatment plans were signed and they had zero
disallowances.
It is evident that Sierra’s school
mo o of “working together,
winning together”, works for
more than just their students.
Congratula ons, Sierra!
Let’s keep winning together.
Organize and s impl i fy your l i fe for bet ter emot ional heal th
The Contractor’s Spotlight
M a k i n g a n I m p a c t t h r o u g h S e r v i c e
Sierra School of Solano County
M any of us view a mental ill‐
ness, such as Bipolar Disor‐
der, as no laughing matter.
We imagine the struggles of living with
dramatic and unpredictable mood swings.
How do you find the norm between bouts
of mania with racing thoughts, inability to
sleep, restlessness, and agitation that can
soon become a bout of depression with
irritability, loss of energy, uncontrollable
crying and thoughts of death or suicide?
When I pitched the idea for this “success
story” article in a staff meeting, the an‐
swer was unanimous—I had to interview
Paul Sanford.
Though I have never met him, he is de‐
scribed by those who have as “funny” and
“quite a character”. Not knowing what to
expect, I called Paul armed with only a
pen, paper and a preconceived notion
that my “success story” would be about
someone who was “cured” or no longer
suffered from mental illness. Nothing
prepared me for the answers I found.
Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in 1987,
Paul has been living on a mental health
rollercoaster for over 25 years. He has
experienced the gamut of frustrations in
seeking mental health services such as,
inadequate services with an HMO, search‐
ing for any other provider who accepts
Medicare, and fighting to get refills time‐
ly. Paul has plenty he could be upset and
bitter about, but he isn’t.
In June 2011, he accompanied his daugh‐
ter to an open mic night under the prem‐
ise that he was there to watch her sing.
After signing herself up, she returned to
their table saying, “By the way, I just
signed you up to do comedy too.” With
only 45 minutes to prepare, Paul got on
stage, got some laughs and got hooked.
Getting anxious just thinking about it, my
natural question was, “Paul, weren’t you
nervous, weren’t you anxious, weren’t
you scared!?!” His response, “No more
anxious than when I have to leave the
house.” My first thought was how easy
that must be for him, until he described
how difficult it was for him to leave the
house some days. At times, Paul explains,
he can go 3 days in isolation where leav‐
ing the house can be impossible due to
lack of energy, overwhelming anxiety, and
the inability to make simple decisions
such as what socks to wear.
My notion that I had a “success story” was
shattered by this revelation until he
shared his views on life a little further.
Paul explains himself in such a positive,
humorous and charming way, with wit
that is infectious. He explains that bipo‐
lar doesn’t define him but, is merely an
“element of his personality” ‐ an element
for which he is grateful. Bipolar has im‐
planted a metaphoric “chip” in his brain
that allows him to “see things in a slightly
different way” and allows him to be
“productively creative”. Paul sees events
in his life as opportunities that he can
report in a funny way which is perfect for
his comedy act.
At 64, Paul has some rules by which to
live, that we can all learn from:
“One way to get well is to have a
place to go—it is too easy to isolate
yourself.”
“Having a routine helps.”
Be Active. Paul
represents con‐
sumers on Sola‐
no County’s
Quality Im‐
provement
Committee and
Cultural Competency Committee.
Do something. “You will feel like do‐
ing it when you do it.”
“Go to a support group—GO whether
you feel like it or not.”
Know that you have the ability to
“rise to the occasion”.
“Take advantage of how you are at
any given moment. Don’t feel guilty
if your productivity comes in spurts.”
In my brief conversation with Paul, my
view of “success” had changed. Success
isn’t being “cured” or no longer having
mental illness, and it isn’t finding the
“norm” between the highs and lows. It is
finding YOU and being happy with you.
Paul has found himself on stage doing
comedy at Pepperbelly’s and various com‐
edy clubs in San Francisco. He is currently
preparing to do his show entitled, “LOL,
Everybody, LOL” in nursing homes start‐
ing March 9th.
Thank you, Paul, for sharing your true
success story. You are an inspiration to
us all.
By the way, Paul asked that I mention in
addition to being incredibly funny, he is
also smart and handsome and likes atten‐
tion from the ladies. He also warned I
better spell his name right. LOL, Paul, LOL
One rewarding way of making an impact in our community is by doing charitable fundraising or volunteering. The American Foun‐da on for Suicide Preven on (AFSP) has organized The Out of the Darkness Overnight (The Overnight), a fundraising walk of up to 18 miles throughout the night , designed to raise funds and make a bold statement to bring the issue of suicide out into the light. A er you register, you are assigned a coach to help you get in shape and assist with mee ng your fundraising goals. There are volunteer opportuni es for those who are not interested in walk‐ing the event. The Overnight starts at 7:00 pm on Saturday, June
9th at Fort Mason in San Francisco and ends at 5:00 am. For more informa on, visit h p://theovernight.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseac on=cms.page&id=1021
The OvernightThe OvernightThe Overnight San FranciscoSan FranciscoSan Francisco
Saturday, June 9Saturday, June 9Saturday, June 9‐‐‐10, 201210, 201210, 2012
By Lynne Hunt
Space is s ll available for the Annual Documenta on Training. Classes are on a first come, first served basis and you must register before you a end. This is a mandatory, half‐day train‐ing held:
April 9thApril 9thApril 9th———April 12th April 12th April 12th
April 23rdApril 23rdApril 23rd———April 26thApril 26thApril 26th For registra on requests or ques ons regarding QI related
trainings e‐mail : qualityimprovement@solanocounty.com
Please check out the links below for other trainings that may
benefit you.
HR Training Intranet Site —h p://webstart/employees/training/info.asp
H&SS Training Intranet Site — h p://hssweb/Training/default.aspx
To sign up for HR or H&SS Trainings:
1) Obtain supervisor approval
2) Send your registra on requests or training related ques‐ons to hssmhtraining@solanocounty.com
QI Trainings Intranet Site — h p://hssweb/MH/New%20Intranet%20Pages/MH%20training.aspx
“A life is
not
important
except in
the impact
it has on
other
lives.”
‐ Jackie
Robinson
Make a Make a Make a SplashSplashSplash
Impact through Answer s
Q : I some mes find it difficult to write treatment plan goals. I
know they’re supposed to be measurable in some way. Any
sugges ons on how to make this easier?
A : The Client Service Plan asks that treatment objec ves be
wri en to be “specific, observable and/or quan fiable.” The
treatment objec ves should support the overall client goal
and be related to the assessment and diagnosis. One way to formulate
objec ves is to use a baseline and a target when working with the client
to determine what might be a reasonable change for the client to
achieve within the me lines of the treatment plan. Here is an example
of one objec ve for a client struggling with Major Depression and its
consequent impairments:
“Client will improve personal hygiene, as an aid to increasing self‐
esteem and reducing social isola on, by bathing daily (an increase from
current baseline of showering two to three mes a week) within the
next six months.” It is important to hold hope for a client, but Clinicians
some mes formulate objec ves that are too ambi ous or unrealis c,
and thereby make it difficult or impossible for the client to make much
progress on them. It is important to have an ongoing dialogue with the
client about his or her inten ons for treatment, and create a collabora‐
ve plan that reflects a client‐centered model for wellness and recovery.
When I think about someone making an impact through
leadership, Debbie Terry‐Butler is one of the first people
that comes to mind. While Debbie is a sharp dresser with a
beau ful smile and an infec ous laugh she is more than
just a pre y face. She has been a leader in Children’s Men‐
tal Health for over 2 decades. I asked Debbie a few ques‐
ons so we can all get to know her a li le be er.
Q: What is your favorite thing about working in Mental
Health?
A: I am inspired by the courage of our clients and their
families. I am passionate about County Mental Health.
It is important to help our young people; the earlier we
are able to make an impact the be er.
Q: What has been your toughest challenge?
A: Budget crunches. Difficult decisions have to be made.
It is important we try to maintain quality services while
we con nue to balance and shi .
Q: What vision do you have for the future of Children’s
Mental Health?
A: Despite all of the changes we face, I want for us to
con nue, in a very real way, to serve our clients with
the values and priori es set forth by the California
Children’s System of Care. It is our staff’s mission to
focus on family strength, cultural competency, resilien‐
cy, and client‐centered, client‐focused, individualized
plans.
Q: What song would you say best describes you?
A: Well, my husband would say it is, “You are my sun‐
shine.” [She responded, with a chuckle.]
Q: Do you have a mo o or words that you live by?
A: Challenges do come in life. I am a person of faith and
believe that things will always work out.
Debbie and her staff have had their share of challenges
lately as they have just moved office loca ons. When
asked about the move, she explained that while they are
facing some obstacles she believes that being close to the
pediatric clinic will be an advantage to our clients and will
help with coordina on of care.
As usual, Debbie is always looking on the bright side and
thinking about our clients first. Thank you for pu ng it all
into perspec ve for us, Ms. Debbie, and for bringing a li le
sunshine to us all.
Making an Impact through Leadership Debbie Terry-But ler
Fairfield Children’s MH Clinic is now at:
2101 Courage Drive, Fairfield, CA 94533
MS: 10‐270
Telephone: 784‐4900 Fax: 399‐4957
By Lynne Hunt