March is National Social Work Month and we take this opportunity to acknowledge and commend the more than 250 social workers, both employees and managers, serving DMH consumers. The 2015 theme of this commemoration is "Social Work Paves the Way for Change," reflecting the positive changes that social workers bring about for society and for individuals without a voice.

This is certainly true for the Department's social workers who every day throughout the decades have made a difference in the lives of adults, children, adolescents and families living with serious mental illness.

DMH social workers provide rehabilitation and support to help individuals receiving services live independently in the community. Social workers are very often the bridge for DMH clients, working collaboratively across agencies to assist in obtaining citizenship, SSI and SSDI benefits, employment, housing, primary healthcare and providing help and education around parenting.  DMH social workers are among the leading advocates of behavioral health and primary care integration. Because community organizing is a prominent part of social work training, DMH social workers, especially those in leadership positions, are committed to DMH's Community First initiative, which sets the goal of independent living opportunities for all individuals, regardless of disability, age or mental health. The goal for DMH consumers to live in the least restrictive setting and receive community-based services and supports to help them find success where they live, work and play is always in the forefront of our social workers' mission.

Thank you, DMH social workers for your dedicated work on behalf of the individuals we serve.

John Oxenford of Somerville shared his story of courage and perseverance to overcome mental illness and substance abuse to achieve his three goals of emotional, mental and physical security. He credits DMH and Vinfen in helping him take charge of his life again and is now taking classes at Bunker Hill College and is very active in his community.

Pictured Left to Right: Patricia Kenny, Dawn Ludwig, Joy and Anne Whitman

Dawn Ludwig and her daughter Joy also shared their emotional family story. With the help of her DMH case manager Judy and the JRI programs of Cohannet Academy and Glen Haven Academy, she received mentoring from the My Life My Choice program. Joy has been able to overcome PTSD and substance abuse. "When her case mangers at DMH stepped in, they connected us with resources that we needed to get the help that we needed. That made all the difference," said Dawn. "DMH gave me back my life, they saved my life, they saved my family." 

Emcees Rachely Ramos and Gustavo Payano and Area Director Susan Wing led the Northeast Suburban Area Legislative Breakfast.  Legislative sponsors Sen. Bruce Tarr, pictured, and Rep. Paul Brodeur were recognized for their commitment to mental health.

Casandra Gonzalez, 21, from Billerica shared her compelling story. Casandra, with the help of her DMH Case managers John and Priscilla, has overcome mental health issues including severe social anxiety and substance abuse. She has been substance free for four years, is married and is currently attending Western New England University in Springfield pursuing a degree in psychology.

Mitchell Hallaby of Methuen is 56, but says he feels a lot younger. Mitchell shared his story of recovery from PTSD, severe depression and substance abuse which began at the age of 24 until he sought help in 2012. He credits his case manager Nicole who accepted him where he was at and coached him from there. Mitchell has had three careers over his lifetime. He considers his most recent career as a Certified Peer Specialist at the Northeast Recovery Learning Community of Lawrence the capstone of his professional life.

The final speaker, Kate Maffa Krailo of Reading, pictured here, is a physical therapist and mother of two adopted children ages 17 and 11. Since 2005 Kate has been advocating for children with special needs. She shared her family's story of advocating for her own children and their struggles with mental illness. Kate is on several boards and has also spoken regarding parity in behavioral and and mental health care before the Massachusetts Insurance Commission. Her mantra is "the family is the rock."

Join the conversation!

Thursday, March 12, Southeast Area Citizens Legislative Breakfast

(Great Hall, State House)

Friday, March 20, Western Mass Area Citizens Legislative Breakfast

(Springfield Technical Community College, Scibelli Hall)

Wednesday, March 25, Northeast-Suburban Area Citizens Legislative Breakfast 

Metro Suburban Communities (Great Hall, State House)

Friday, March 27, Central Mass Citizens Legislative Breakfast
(Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital, K2-A2 Conference Center)   

The breakfast events begin with registration and refreshments from 9:30 to 10 a.m. and the program starts promptly at 10 a.m. for approximately an hour.

View the photos from the Legislative Breakfasts on the DMH Flickr site.

  Watch recovery stories from the above speakers on the DMH Connections YouTube Channel. 

The Children's Behavioral Health Knowledge Center took another step forward when its first full-time Director took the helm recently. Kelly English, PhD, LICSW, comes to DMH from the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC), a national non-profit human services consulting firm. While there, she served as the project director for two initiatives focused on improving the quality of services delivered as part of the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative. In addition to Dr. English's recent experiences implementing children's behavioral health projects in Massachusetts, her work at TAC included assisting state and local governments design and implement behavioral health reform initiatives, conducting systemic performance evaluations and needs assessments and assisting states in developing services to ensure that vulnerable populations have access to the services they need to be successful at home and in the community.

Dr. English described the new position: "I am incredibly excited to take on this new role and implement the mission of the Center. Ensuring that the behavioral health workforce has the necessary skills and competencies to work effectively with families is critical to promoting high quality care. As we all know, nothing is more important than the quality of the interaction between the practitioner and the children and families they serve. It is my hope that the Center can play a key role in strengthening the quality of these interactions through initiatives intended to support workforce recruitment, retention, education and training."

In addition to its focus on workforce development, Dr. English indicated that the Center will also work to:

• Ensure that services development is firmly grounded in implementation science.
• Identify and promote innovative and promising practices in children's mental health.
• Convene expert panels to advise DMH and other stakeholders on critical issues impacting children's behavioral health in the Commonwealth.
• Organize educational events for providers and other key stakeholders.

Consistent with its mission, the Center will host its second annual Symposium and Gailanne Reeh Lecture in May at the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital. In celebration of Children's Mental Health Week, the symposium and lecture will provide an opportunity to showcase some of the innovative and promising practices happening in Massachusetts and allow attendees to hear from key leaders in children's behavioral health from across the state.

  News from Tunefoolery  

Eat for the Health of It
Challenge and Recipe Contest!

Are you the captain of your crock pot? Can nothing top your grandma's recipe for homemade meatballs? Then the GIC's WellMASS wellness program wants to hear from you!

WellMASS is holding a healthy recipe contest to celebrate its Eat for the Health of It nutrition challenge. Here's how the contest works:

• Come up with an original healthy recipe, or modify one from an existing source.
• All recipes must include at least one fruit, vegetable, or whole grain.
• Email your recipe, in the form of a Word document, to [email protected] by close of business on March 6, 2015. Make sure to include "Eat for the Health of It Recipe Contest" in the subject line.
• All recipes that meet contest criteria will be published in an eBook, which will be made available to all state employees.
• WellMASS staff and Wellness Champions will select one winning recipe based on nutritional value, originality, skill level, and taste.
• The author of the winning recipe will receive a deluxe gym bag full of kitchen goodies and will have their recipe featured on the WellMASS blog.

The Eat for the Health of It Challenge* deadline to register has been extended through April 1!
Register Online by visiting https://wellmass.staywell.com!

All state employees, contractors, and temporary workers are welcome to participate in the recipe contest. All recipe submissions will be vetted by a nutritionist; any recipe that does not meet certain nutritional criteria might not be published in the eBook.

Complete your WellMASS Health Questionnaire TODAY! 

EARN REWARDS:  

Now through JUNE 30

• Deluxe gym bag pictured right

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  

• Visit the Website: https://wellmass.staywell.com 
• Follow WellMASS on Twitter: @GICWellMASS
• Read the Blog: http://wellmass.wordpress.com  
• Call the HelpLine: 1-800-926-5455
• Learn More: www.mass.gov/gic/wellmass  

GIC-insured employees of the Executive and Legislative Branches and Constitutional Offices are eligible to take the Health Questionnaire. Your Health Questionnaire results are never shared with the GIC, your agency or your health plan.