To The Point April 2018 Crosspoint Human Services Employee Newsletter
Crosspoint Human Services
Board of Directors
Chairman
Maurie Miller
Vice Chairman
Mark Denman
Secretary
Rose Butler
Treasure
Terri Tate
Wendy Barnes
Nate Byram
Monica Campbell
John Drews
John Hart
Stan Hogsett
Terry Miles
Tammy Wilson
Executive Director
Thomas Pollock
210 Ave C
Danville, Il 61832
217-442-3200
217-442-8471 TTY
217-442-7460 Fax
Inside This Issue
Page 2
Y’s Buys
Staff Birthdays
Vocational Program Information
Page 3
New Faces
Page 4
GOTCHA’s
New Faces
NCAA Basketball Winners
New Vehicles for Crosspoint
Page 5
Thank You
Work Boot Planter Drawing
Page 6 & 7
Stories from PSR
Page 8
CPR & First Aid Training
TB Testing
Human Resources STOP Signs
April - 18 Years
Linda McLaughlin
Linda was left off of the
Anniversaries in April.
1 Year
Marty Cullison
Gail Fugh-Miller
Izzy Walden
3 Years
Malissa Weiser
7 Years
Michelle Toth 10 Years
Barbara Darr
12 Years
Karla Dieu
21 Years
Rhonda Parrish 35 Years
Maretta Withers
Staff Anniversaries in May
2018 Crosspoint Human Services
Margaret Ward Scholarship Award Winners
1st Place Winner—$1000 scholarship
Marissa Oxendine
From Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-
Alvin Cooperative High School
2nd Place Winner—$250 scholarship
Emily Simonich
From Oakwood High School
Page 2
Crosspoint Human Services
Directors and Supervisors
Medical Director
Dr. Bumyong Lee
Director Nursing
And Accreditation
Lisa Rhodes
Recovery Services, PSR &
Crisis Intervention
Amy Wiedmann - Director
Roberta Cundiff
Ellen Gilbert
Vanetta Harvey
Matilda Smith
Aimee Unakis
Crisis Response & Follow Up
Services
Amy Wiedmann - Director
Ellen Gilbert
Residential Services
Lisa Rhodes - Director
Linda Rudy
Developmental Services
Joe Rasmussen - Director
Sue Meeker
Cheryl Pichon
Tim Revello
Debra Rhoton
Human Resources &
Quality Assurance
Michelle Nelson - Director
Maintenance
Gary Miller - Director
Administrative Services
Michelle Glines - Director
Sonna Rodgers
Y Programs
Cher Pollock - Director
Shelter Services
Maretta Withers
Early Learning Center
Cindy Montgomery
Crosspoint’s Y’s Buys Thrift Store
208 N. Jackson (Right Behind the Y)
(217) 709-0331
Business Hours
Monday - Friday 9:00 - 4:30
Check Out Our Weekly Specials!!
Donations are accepted and welcomed.
You may drop off your donations during business hours
At the back door of the shop.
Staff Birthdays in May
April Estes 1
Sherry Huffman 3
Lisa Ping 5
Katrina Beinborn 8
Clara Davis 16
Keanna January 20
Lisa Rhodes 22
Vocational Program Information Do you know of a person served that thinks finding a job in Danville is impossible?
Do you know of a person served that has difficulty keeping a job because of their dis-
ability?
Crosspoint Human Services’ Individual Placement and Support Program can help them
change the impossible to POSSIBLE.
Our Employment Specialists can assist with identifying a job that will best match their
interests, situation and skills set. Other services include resume building, improving in-
terview skills, assistance with completing applications, meeting hiring managers, follow-
up services, and job retention training.
If you have any questions, please call Aimee Unakis, Vocation Supervisor, at 442-3200
ext 166 for more information or to make a referral.
Page 3 New Faces
At Crosspoint Accredited By:
Council On Accreditation of Ser-
vices for Families and Children
Licensed By:
Illinois Department of Human
Services and Illinois Department
of Public Health
Crosspoint Human Services has
been serving Vermilion County
since 1980 by consolidating the
services of the Vermilion Mental
Health and Developmental Cen-
ter, incorporated in 1955, and
the Retarded Children’s Center,
incorporated in 1964
Vision Statement
Crosspoint Human Services be-
lieves that all people should
have every opportunity to realize
their highest possible level for a
productive and healthy life in
their community.
Mission Statement
Crosspoint provides quality hu-
man services in a competent and
reliable fashion to individuals,
families and the community.
Crosspoint Human Services
210 Ave C
Danville, IL 61832
Phone: (217) 442-3200
Fax: (217) 442-7460
Email:
Nicole Barnes
ELC Teacher Aide
April 5, 2018
Sam Maudlin
Skills Trainer II
April 5, 2018
Jola Staniszewska
Crisis Counselor
April 5, 2018
Kymmie Weiser
ELC Teacher Aide
April 5, 2018
Angela Lee
Shelter Shift Staff
April 12, 2018
Continued on page 4
Page 4
Kathy Arnett GOTCHA’d by Lana Douglass, “Thank you for all the help and not making me feel bad for asking.”
Elaine Carlson GOTCHA’d by April Estes, “Thank you so much for coming right in and helping to get the little
ones to sleep and helping clean up our messes. Your work does not go unnoticed.”
Lana Douglas GOTCHA’d by Bri Shutes, “Thank you for ALWAYS helping me when I need it. You are very ap-
preciated!!!”
Shirley Maloy GOTCHA’d by Lana Douglass, “Thank you for going out of your way to help the other day.”
AND THE WINNER IS….SHIRLEY MALOY
Thank you, Shirley, and all the GOTCHA nominees, for going the “extra mile”
For your co-workers and persons served! We appreciate you!!!
From: The Employee Recognition Committee
The winner of the NCAA Men’s Bas-
ketball Bracket was:
Joe Rasmussen (66 points)
2nd Place: Jori Rhodes (65 points)
3rd Place: Michelle Nelson (62 points)
New Vehicles Coming Our Way! From: Joe Rasmussen
Crosspoint applied for four new vehicles through the
IDOT Consolidated Vehicle Procurement grant system
in the Spring 2017. We were recently notified that we
are getting all four requested vehicles! We will be tak-
ing delivery of two minivans and two light duty buses.
These vehicles will be welcome additions to our current
fleet. IDOT states that
the estimated delivery of
the vehicles will be this
fall 2018, so we will
keep our fingers
crossed we pick them
up before the snow flies!
May Day
Tuesday
May 1st
Keanna January
ELC Teacher Aide
April 19, 2018
Devin Johnson
Shelter Shift Staff
April 19, 2018
Susan Gale
Shelter Shift Staff
April 26, 2018
Page 5
May 13, 2018
Work Boot Planters
Drawing Free to Enter
This year the Employee Recognition
Committee is raffling off a pair of work
boots with pansies planted in them for
an outside decoration. If you would like
a chance to win these boots, please
contact Cheryl Allison, at the Y; Jeanine
Black, or Debra Zoerb at 210 Ave C. It’s
free to enter. The drawing will take place
on Friday, May 11.
To who it may concern:
I would like to extend
my thanks for my es-
say being chosen as
the winner of the Mar-
garet Ward Scholar-
ship. Mental health and
illness awareness is
very close to my heart. I hope to continue advocating
for mental illness awareness in college. Thank you
again for allowing me to represent Crosspoint and
this scholarship.
Sincerely yours,
Marissa Oxendine
6 Simple Words with Devious
Pronunciations
From: Reader’s Digest, Sept. 2017
Comptroller: She doesn’t troll com-
puters; she controls finances, which is
why this management title is techni-
cally pronounced “con-tro-ller.”
Gala: You won’t get kicked out of one
for saying “gal-luh,” but do know that
“gay-luh” is preferred.
Gyro: It may have the same root word
as gyroscope, but this spinning Greek
meat deserves a proper Greek pronun-
ciation: “yee-roh.”
Status: The Brits and the dictionary
say “stay-tus.” (In America, “stat-us”
gets by.)
Valet: Downton Abby got it right. It’s
not a French word, so no need to pro-
nounce the syllable as “ay.” It should
be sounded as “val-it.”
Victuals: This dated term for food
rhymes with whittles, not rituals.
Page 6 April Stories from PSR
Pet Therapy
I read an article about a therapy dog named 'Trixie' and
her owner 'Beth'. One day, Beth was watching and see-
ing how well Trixie interacted with her friends. She saw
that Trixie had the ability to ease a person's pain and anxi-
ety. So, she decided that Trixie would make a good ther-
apy animal. She decided to take Trixie to some hospitals
to entertain the kids who are there for treatment. As they
were going around visiting the kids, they were getting loads of smiles. The kids really en-
joyed petting Trixie. At the end of the visit, Beth said, "If it is OK, can we come back every
week?" The kids and the staff were overjoyed. I feel it is a good thing to have animals for the
children who are sick. I am glad that Trixie was able to spend time with the kids. I think it
was good therapy for the kids, the dog, and Beth. By: WM
Recently, I read about therapy animals. I learned that therapy animals are very smart and unique. I read about Rojo; he is a LIama who frequently visits hospitals, rehab centers, and schools. Rojo made over 800 visits since he was certified in 2007. He helps them feel pro-tected and calm. He brings their anxiety down. I never thought a Llama would be a therapy animal, but Rojo sounds as if he would be soothing and relaxing to have around. By: AB
My article is about "Pet partners." It is an organization that helps people get therapy ani-mals. Right now, there is a girl named Jackie who is 12 years old and has cancer. She was provided with a dog named Jenny to stay by her side and comfort her through treat-ments. The touch of Jenny’s paw reduces Jackie's stress and lowers her blood pres-sure. Jenny, the dog is also trained to help elderly people at nursing homes by giving them companionship. I think that Jenny the therapy dog is a good dog because she helps many people. By: CB
I read an article called “Therapy dogs: 'Perfect medicine.'" These dogs help students survive finals. They are part of an organization in Alpharetta Georgia called “Canine Assistants.” The dogs are trained to provide services to children and adults. The dogs are trained by “The Health Heelers,” who utilize them as therapy animals. The dogs live on a farm in Milton Geor-gia and go home with the volunteers to learn more things. They then travel to schools and other places to train more and become more involved with other people as a form of ther-apy. Henry, one of the Canine Assistants, visited Emory University to ease anxiety for stu-dents taking finals. Petting the dog helps students to clear their heads and relieve stress. I thought this article was good because dogs are very kind and helpful. They are great pets and I enjoy them. I enjoy the kind of therapy that they provide and how they help other peo-ple. By: VH
Continued on page 7
Page 7
Everything from pigs to llamas, many animals are used in ther-
apy. Unconditional love and companionship are two good things that
animals give. They visit hospitals, rehab facilities, and schools. I read
a story about Oscar, the famous therapy cat. Oscar has shown
the ability to predict death and recognize trauma. He stays by
the besides of those terminally ill until they pass. He pro-
vides comfort, cuddles, and companionship, so people do not die
alone. I think that Oscar is a very smart and amazing animal who pro-
vides for those who need him. By: CA
I recently read an article about Xander, the therapy dog. Xander lost both his eye's in an accident when he was a very young puppy. This didn't stop him from be-coming a wonderful therapy dog. Xander's main task; as a therapy dog, is to help children who are victims of emotional, physical, mental, and sexual abuse. I think that Xander is able to help them focus on more positive things in their lives. He plays with the children and kisses them and becomes a best friend. He helps them to feel comfortable. Thank you, Xan-der!!! By: LL I read one story where a pig was used at airports to calm travelers. I also read about a duck on a plane used to calm those with a fear of flying and with motion sickness. There are also universities that use animals to calm students. Animals can help students with concen-tration and test anxiety. I never thought animals would be in these places. I think ani-mals really help people more often than not. I think we need to get the word out there more about the success of animal therapy. By: BN The article I read was called “Science Says Your Pet Is Good for Your Mental Health.” It
talked about how having a pet or animal around increases your life span. Having pets of my
own, I know that my pets calm me down and help me relax in a stressful or panic state. A
therapy pet doesn’t have to always be a dog. In fact, there are many different kinds of animals
that are therapy animals. To name a few: cats, rabbits, llamas, horses, and the list can go
on forever. Some animals help people that are blind or unable to do basic day to day
tasks. Others however, visit hospitals, nursing homes, and even go to schools. The animals
help ease pain, loneliness, and even help kids feel more confident about reading aloud. I
think animals in general are amazing because no matter who you are, how much you make,
or what you look like, an animal has unconditional love and will always be by your side. By:
MG
PSR: Pet Therapy: continued from page 6
CPR TRAINING
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
9:00 a.m.
Group Room, 210 Ave C
Nicole Barnes
Lana Douglass
Susan Gale
Brenda Hays
Keanna January
Angela Lee
Becky Lucas
Sam Maudlin
Matilda Smith
Jola Staniszewska
Michelle Toth
Izzy Walden
Selaine Weaver
Kymmie Weiser
First Aid TRAINING
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
11:00 a.m.
Group Room, 210 Ave C
Nicole Barnes
Susan Gale
Keanna January
Angela Lee
Sam Maudlin
Sarah Meece
Jola Staniszweska
Selaine Weaver
TB Testing
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
8:45 –9:15 a.m.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
3:30 - 4:00 p.m.
In Human Resources
Nicole Barnes
Shannon Carey
Charlie Cargile
Roberta Cundiff
Lana Douglass
April Estes
Susan Gale
Brenda Hays
Ken Howard
Devin Johnson
Misty Johnson
Kris Kizer
Angela Lee
Linda McLaughlin
Sam Maudlin
Gary Miller
Cindy Montgomery
Rhonda Parrish
Mona Persaud-Kennett
Rusty Snapp
Jola Staniszewski
Kymmie Weiser
Tracy Wolfe
Mark Woods
Holiday’s in 2018 when Crosspoint will be CLOSED
Memorial Day - Monday, May 28
Independence Day - Wednesday, July 4
Labor Day, Monday, September 3
Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 22
Friday After Thanksgiving - Friday, November 23
Christmas Eve - Monday, December 24
Thought for the Month
If the world were merely seductive, that would be
easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be
no problem. But I rise in the morning torn be-
tween the desire to improve the world and a de-
sire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan
the day.
E. B. White
American Writer
Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little
Training and Testing
in May
Please watch for the
note on the Human
Resources doors
letting you know if
someone is taking a test for one of
the positions open here. The dis-
traction can cause them to lose
concentration and possibly fail the
test.