Frontier Health Partners with Tennessee Mental Health for My Health, My Choice
   Frontier Health will partner with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health to provide a Peer Wellness Coach from mid January to June 2012 through the $35,000 My Health My Choice, My Life grant to help improve the health and well-being of Tennesseans who live with mental health, co-occurring and substance use conditions.
   Frontier Health was chosen as one of seven agencies in the state to provide the peer led program for each Mental Health Planning Region in the state.
   The Wellness Model includes eight dimensions:  emotional, financial, social, spiritual, occupational, physical, intellectual, and environmental. Wellness Coaching will help individuals pursue their chosen wellness goals.

Jessee Appointed to TDMH
Licensure Review Panel  
  Randy Jessee, Ph.D., was appointed to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health Licensure Review Panel. Jessee, senior vice president of Frontier Health Specialty Services, directs the organizations Crisis Stabilization Unit, Crisis Response, Magnolia Ridge, SAFE House Domestic Violence Shelter and other specialty services.
    As a pioneer in co-occurring treatment, Jessee revised Frontier Health’s alcohol and drug addiction and mental health disorder treatment program in 1998, long before simultaneous services for co-occurring diagnoses became a treatment trend.
   In 2000, he opened Magnolia Ridge Alcohol & Drug Treatment Center for adults experiencing a substance abuse addiction or a co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorder. Magnolia Ridge’s “whole” client approach treating both disorders at the same time led to its being a state pilot program in early 2001, less than a year after opening.
   The program received several state awards and expanded to include the women’s facility, Willow Ridge.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
   There are nearly 40,000 new victims of domestic violence in Tennessee shelters each year. In Virginia, 51,652 people in crisis situations contacted domestic violence programs.
   In Fiscal 2011, Kingsport’s SAFE House had 130 new clients and the division of Frontier Health served more than 12,000 victims of domestic violence since it opened in 1982.
   A 1998 Commonwealth Fund survey notes nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.
   Each year, more than half a million American women (588,490 women in 2001) were victims of nonfatal violence committed by an intimate partner. It doesn’t just affect children in the home; sometimes it affects children in the womb. As many as 324,000 women each year experience intimate partner violence during their pregnancy, according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence.
   “Domestic violence is your problem,” said Tina Johnson, SAFE House program director. “Three out of four people know someone who was affected by domestic violence. One in four women and one in nine men are victims, and each year 1,200 victims die. Two million injuries are suffered by women and there are 600,000 injuries among men.”
   During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, SAFE House held its 3rd Annual Flowers on the River — a tribute to domestic violence survivors, victims and families Friday, October 07, 2011, at Netherland Inn Park.
   SAFE House provides safe, confidential shelter, a 24-hour crisis line, transportation services, counseling and legal service to domestic violence victims and their families, and a weekly support group for women and children who are victims of family violence. Flowers for the event were provided by Rainbow’s End Gift and Floral. The shelter is in need of cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items for victims. For more information about services at SAFE House, or to offer donations or support, call (423) 246-2273, 2-1-1, or (423) 467-3714.

Break the Silence, Stigma of Widespread Illness  
  There is no illness more widespread or one that contributes as much to the burden of illness in the U.S. than mental illnesses. In October is Mental Illness Awareness Week, it’s an ideal time to break the silence and stigma that surround it.
   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) find that about half of U.S. adults will develop a mental illness during their lifetime. One in four adults experiences a mental disorder in any given year, and one in 17 lives with a serious mental illness like schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder. By 2020, mental and substance use disorders will surpass all physical diseases worldwide as major causes of disability.
   Perhaps it is natural that most people associate public health crises with physical illnesses. Yet here again, a CDC report released in September found that cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases are associated with mental illness. The report found that treatment of the mental illness also can reduce the effect of chronic diseases.
   The good news is that treatment works. According to the National Advisory Mental Health Council, the treatment success rate for bipolar disorder is a remarkable 80 percent. The recovery rates for other serious mental illnesses follow suit: major depression (65 to 80%), schizophrenia (60%) and addiction (70%).
   Sadly, almost 40 percent of people with mental and substance use disorders never get treated. Those who seek treatment typically do so after a decade or more of delays, during which time they are likely to develop additional problems. A survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that of the 2.5 million adults with mental and substance use disorders, only slightly more than 11 percent received treatment for both disorders.
   Effective mental health and addiction treatments also reduce costs. A Surgeon General’s report finds that $1 invested in substance use treatment has a return of $7 in cost savings on hospitalization, unemployment, school dropout rates, and crime and criminal justice costs. After all, people in recovery work, pay taxes, buy homes and contribute positively to society. Without adequate treatment, people with mental illness often end up in emergency rooms, homeless or in jail, all of which end up costing taxpayers more money in the long run.

Does a Drug Dealer Lurk in Your Medicine Cabinet? 
  Many teens falsely believe that taking prescription drugs to get high is safer than using street drugs and many parents tragically find out when teens overdose or even die after taking them from someone’s medicine cabinet. Be aware! Prescription drugs are dangerous and even lethal when they are not prescribed for you and/or are not used as directed by a doctor.
   National Recovery Month in September is a great time to sit down with teens and talk about the dangers of prescription drugs. It’s also a good time to properly dispose of unused and out of date prescription medications. To properly dispose of unwanted prescription drugs, there are several events held regionally. For assistance in between events, use the Johnson City Police Department disposal box permanently installed next to the records window.
   The National Institutes of Health says only a third of parents discuss the risks of abusing prescription medicines with their teens. “Parents are a teen’s best defense against drug abuse,” said Eric Greene, Division Director of Frontier Health’s Virginia Adult and Substance Abuse Services. “One in five teens has taken a drug that was not theirs to get high or to deal with problems. Teens are abusing pain pills, stimulants, and tranquilizers. Sadly, they take these drugs right out of the medicine cabinet — at home, at a friend’s house, or when visiting family.”

Frontier Health Early Childhood Nets Star of Excellence 
  Frontier Health awarded a Star of Excellence to its Virginia Early Childhood Developmental Services program for exceeding state averages by 23 percent for basic skill development and age expectations of children who receive services related to their developmental delays and/or disabilities.
   Early Childhood Development provides specialized services for infants during the first three years of life. The Early Childhood results were reported in a statewide outcome report from the U.S. Dept. of Education Virginia Office of Special Education Programs and the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia. Frontier Health’s Early Childhood program partners with Infant & Toddler Connection of DILENOWISCO to provide services.
   Individualized family service plans are created for children who have developmental delays so they are more able to reach their fullest potential. Families who receive support and information can better encourage their child’s development. Children receive an evaluation and assessment at no charge to their families.

Voices for Change Book Features SW VA Foster Children
   The Voices for Change exhibit traveled Virginia capturing the attention of the hearts of Virginians. On behalf of those teens, and the nearly 8,000 other kids in Virginia’s foster care system, four groups came together and created the project to inspire change. Several teens from Frontier Health's VALUES Therapeutic Foster Care won inclusion in the Voices for Change book and exhibit.
   Often, teens who are aging out of foster care into the adult world do have a voice and it’s in their own words and by their own hand. What began as a powerful exhibit of raw emotion became a book.
   “Voices for Change, the Creative Vision of Virginia’s Foster Youth,” sponsored by the Virginia Poverty Law Center, Voices for Virginia’s Children, Faces of Virginia Families, and Art 180.
  The teens in Frontier Health’s VALUES Foster Care include a 19 year old from Big Stone Gap is featured on page 23; 15 year old in Jonesville is featured on pages 50-51; an 18 year old from Jonesville is featured on page 55; an 18 year old from Duffield is featured on page 59; a 15 year old from Jonesville is on page 64; and a 16 year old from Norton in page 72. Some of that art is currently at the Fine Art Center of New River Valley in Pulaski.
   Therapeutic or Treatment Foster Care is specialized foster care with the foster parent receiving training, support, additional pay, and guidance for the care of the child.
   These foster parents are willing to make a difference in a child's life and aid the child in returning home, being adopted, or remain in foster care. Therapeutic Foster Parents are from all walks of life and many different backgrounds.
   For more information about VALUES Foster Care, call (888) 443-1804. For more on the latest Voices for Change book, visit http://www.vakids.org/pubs.htm.

Frontier Health Receives Funding for Disaster Services
   Frontier Health received a short-term Immediate Services Program grant to provide 60 days of free disaster related services including coping advice for adults and children, information on normal reactions to experiencing disaster, disaster resource connections including clean-up information, short-term supportive counseling and long-term counseling referrals.
   The grant is authorized under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), and is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It is administered through a federal partnership between FEMA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services.
   The goal of the program is to reach large numbers of people affected by disasters through face-to-face outreach to shelters, homes, and other locations.
   The teams assess the emotional needs of survivors and make referrals to tradition behavioral health services when necessary. They also identify tangible needs and link survivors to community resources and disaster relief services. They provide emotional support, education, basic crisis counseling and connection to familial and community support systems.

Sullivan House Teens Clean up Dumpsite, Need Help with Discarded Tires   
  BLOUNTVILLE—The, “No Dumping,” sign was ignored.
  Passersby littered the property directly behind the sign off a scenic country road with about 30 discarded tires, broken glass, shabby furniture, broken tables, dead Christmas trees and other disease bearing trash.
   The Sullivan County property became a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests while potentially hazardous materials leached into the ground.
   After a staff member witnessed a woman toss trash out of her vehicle, eight teen-age boys and Sullivan House staff Tony Varvoutis and Chris Price decided the danger to the community and environmental risks were too great.
   On a recent Sunday afternoon, they ignored the blaring sun and labored away. “I’ve never seen a group of boys work so hard on one project. I am so proud of their efforts,” Varvoutis said. “They never asked me for anything other than a Gatorade. They worked in teams to push themselves and get the job done. They even competed to collect the most trash.”
  The one-square block where the trash was dumped was on both sides of the Cross Community and Youth Center roads and includes the area where kids wait for the bus every morning. The boys cleaned up both sides of the road and along the driveway for the facility. “Our boys are hard workers,” he said. “If you give them a task they just get busy and it helps them learn they can help.”
  Now, the trash bin overflows with the trash and discarded items but the tires sit beside the bin. The boys hope someone will volunteer to pick them up for recycling. One teen said, “We’d like to see them used for a playground or something.”
  Not only did they succeed in restoring the beauty to the area and making the bus stop safer, they achieved community service hours that put them closer to achieving the 30 or more hours needed during their three to five month say in the Sullivan House program.
  They provide community service at places like Small Miracles Therapeutic Equestrian Center and No-Kill Animal Shelters. They also participate in summer community litter and river clean-ups and send cards to service men and women overseas.
  Sullivan House is a group home for males 13 to 18 who are referred by Juvenile Courts in Bristol, Kingsport and Sullivan County. Youth may be delinquent, unruly or chronically truant from school.
  The program helps build positive goals and better family relationships as they learn tools to be successful. The Sullivan House Program is funded by Sullivan County, who contracts directly with Frontier Health to operate the program. Frontier Health has managed the program since 1985.
  “The program focuses on what the boys personally need to change as they build their confidence and character so they can overcome adversity after they leave our program,” said Sullivan House Residential Manager Brynn Burger. “This helps them become successful, contributing members in their communities.”
  Burger showed how these teens are often written-off by most people after facing charges in Juvenile Court, “but they just need someone to set expectations for them and hold them to it even if it is a task like cleaning up a littered part of Blountville,” she said.
  “They excel if they are given structure. Some of these kids have the potential to be great leaders, teachers and community figures. They just need someone to push them and give them consistence and positive reinforcement.”
  She said she tells the boys, “If you flip a burger then flip a burger like no one else and if you become President of the United States, then do that like no one else. As long as you are doing your best, you have reason to be proud!”

Family Links Respite Program Receives PeyBack Foundation Grant

 Family Links Respite, a program of Frontier Health, received a $5,000 grant from the PeyBack Foundation.

  The PeyBack Foundation was established in 1999 by Peyton Manning to support programs that provide leadership and growth opportunities for at-risk children in Indiana, Tennessee, and Louisiana.

  This grant will fund the FLR Summer Camp Scholarship, as well as special trips and activities for children with severe emotional disturbances who receive Family Links services. The activities provide a much-needed break for parents and help the children served by Family Links to develop positive behavior and social skills.

   This is the first time Family Links Respite has received a grant through the PeyBack Foundation. “We are thankful for the PeyBack Foundation’s support for our program. This grant will help provide the children in our program with the chance to enjoy new experiences and develop life-long skills,” said Lisa Christian, Family Links program coordinator.

Family Links provides short-term respite services for parents and caregivers of children 2 to 15 years old with severe emotional disturbances or mental illness. The program works with families to improve behavioral issues and social skills. Family Links serves children in the Tri-Cities area. If you would like more information about Family Links respite services, call (423) 232-2719.

Eating Disorders Coalition,
Frontier Health Helps Put
New Face on Teen Awareness 

 Frontier Health staff Colleen Weems at Science Hill High School, Kristy Lamberson at Indian Trail Middle School, and Lee Hughes at Unicoi Elementary School, worked with the Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee — Northeast chapter, to put a new face on teen eating disorders awareness. Presentations were also made by Hughes at Chuckey Doak High School.

   The week-long program YES! (Youth Education and Support) Team educates youth about eating disorders, and helps them develop healthy body image, build friendships, and support each other. Frontier Health staff worked with coordinated school health staff, counselors, and teachers in several schools to assist with programs designed to prevent the development of eating disorders.
   The events were held in 31 schools in five regional systems, with staff from each school tailoring the curriculum to "fit" their school. Digitally touched up photos of teachers and others helped students decode media messages. The enhanced photos helped students see how beauty can be, "manufactured," in the media. Teens often use these drastic media changes to gauge themselves. The program also helped students realize that how they talk with each other can impact self-image and to discourage them from weight-and shape-related teasing.
   Students used the Wall of No Shame to leave personal messages that affirmed their own positive self image. Indian Trail also collected blue jeans for Anna’s Closet, dedicated to the memory of a former student. Mirrors were covered for a brief period to emphasize how many times students look in the mirror, or how they measure their value by physical appearance. "Get Real Barbie," a visual display of how unrealistic the Barbie doll proportions are, was displayed in some schools.