Bright white chairs and tables fill a café-like setting to the right of the large welcoming lobby and receptionist desk. Down the hall, classrooms are filled with people taking a variety of courses, from music therapy to computer basics to relaxation skills. A large art installation featuring the composer Ludwig van Beethoven and the mathematician John Forbes Nash greets everyone who enters the new treatment mall at Georgia Regional Hospital – Atlanta (GRHA).
“Patience, they say, is what I must now choose for my guide, and I have done so,” Beethoven wrote in a 1802 letter to his brothers as he suffered from bipolar disorder. This quote, along with many others, are displayed in the lobby and serve as inspiration for the adult mental health patients who participate in therapeutic programming.
Opened in February 2015, the modern facility “embraces recovery with dignity and empowers those we serve,” said Andy Nguyen, treatment mall director.
With a full schedule of classes, break times for socialization and snacks, and lunch at the campus cafeteria, patients learn necessary life skills for independent living when they transition back to their communities. There are nurses, psychologists, activity therapists, social workers and dieticians, among other professionals, on site to help with their recovery.
This new model of hospitalization, where community-like settings are highlighted and emphasized, stands in stark contrast to the old type of institutionalization and isolation of mental health hospitals in the past.
Dr. Charles Li, GRHA’s hospital administrator, said that the new treatment mall teaches people how to live independently, such as cooking and managing their money. “You will see a lot of thought put into it – what it means to have active treatment and skilled training. We have a computer lab … so they can get a GED education. When people go back into the community, they have some skills to live, to work, to support themselves,” Dr. Li added.
To aid in their recovery, the staff at the treatment mall use three different types of programming. Treatment through individual and group therapy and classes teaches people how to deal with their illness such as anger management and medication management. The educational classes provide life skills and also knowledge about their illnesses. The recreational classes, including art and music therapy, enrich their lives.
In addition to the new treatment mall, more improvements to the GRHA campus are underway. Renovations to an existing building will house DBHDD’s Region 3 office on the hospital campus. There will also be a new multimedia training facility and a recreation center.
DBHDD is conducting a cost study for intellectual and developmental disability residential services. Residential services include community residential alternatives (group homes and host homes), community living supports, and respite services. The study will help the department create a new rate model that better accommodates individuals with varying levels of need.
Residential services are funded through the New Options Waiver (NOW) and Comprehensive Supports (COMP) waiver, a Medicaid program for individuals who need a full range of out-of-home services or intensive in-home services. These services account for about 65% of COMP waiver claims.
Partnering with a nationally recognized expert, DBHDD is collecting and analyzing provider data and developing draft rates. The department is engaging stakeholders and providing multiple opportunities for input, including provider surveys, webinars, and a public comment period. There is an advisory committee to help direct the study. The committee is made up of providers, a host home provider, and family members.
In celebration of National Nurses Week each year, West Central Georgia Regional Hospital hosts a nursing conference in Columbus. This year’s conference, “Manipulating the Brain: From Lobotomy to Deep Brain Stimulation,” enabled participants to apply knowledge of past and present interventions involving brain manipulation to identify patients who may benefit from these treatments.
The featured speaker was Dr. Nzinga Harrison, chief medical officer for Anka Behavioral Health Inc. and a member of the Clinical Adjunct Faculty in the nursing schools at Emory University and Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Harrison spoke on several topics, including defining and describing brain manipulation techniques; describing the history and past uses of brain manipulation techniques; discussing alternative interventions and their safety with patients; and identifying alternative interventions for common neurological diseases.
Artwork by Matt Jackson, junior at the Savannah School of Arts & Design
One of the oldest buildings on Milledgeville’s Central State Hospital campus received a fresh upgrade with a large-scale art mural.
“I wanted something painted on the wall that would reflect what is happening today at Central State Hospital,” said Darrell Davis, director of STEMversity. “There are a lot of great opportunities happening there for a lot of people.”
Matt Jackson, a junior at Savannah School of Arts & Design, painted a phoenix rising from ashes last month on the exterior wall of the Wilkes building. “I couldn’t believe that he wanted me to actually paint a mural on the outside of the building,” said Jackson. “Mr. Davis said what better way to use my concept since Central State is trying to rise up again.”
Artwork by Matt Jackson, junior at the Savannah School of Arts & Design
Davis is the founder of Committee for Action Programs Services – Analytical Training Laboratory (CAPS-ATL), the non-profit organization which runs STEMversity. STEM stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math”. STEMversity, which introduces middle and high school students from the Milledgeville area to the study of forensic science, will start its second Summer Science Training Academy this year on the CSH campus.
“It’s another way to bring art to STEM, too,” Jackson said. “Actually, I think they need to add the letter A to the word STEM to represent art.”
House Bill 512 will update Georgia law to align with changes occurring in DBHDD’s internal reorganization. Additionally, it clarifies the role of the current “regional planning boards” and renames them “regional advisory councils.”
Senate Bill 131 will modify the DBHDD crisis stabilization unit (CSU) licensing authority to a certifying authority, which will allow DBHDD to quickly adopt standards of care based upon the changing needs of the individuals seeking at those service sites.
CSB of Middle Georgia staff with program facilitators. Photo credit: Dina McDonald
DBHDD provides community-based, recovery-oriented care to help people live meaningful and fulfilling lives. The department is partnering with the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network (GMHCN), the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse (GCSA), and the Georgia Parent Support Network (GPSN) to offer Recovery-Focused Technical Assistance. This program supports community provider staff by sharing practices that promote a recovery-focused approach to all services. The organizations involved with this work are part of the Georgia Recovery Initiative, which seeks to promote recovery in Georgia.
“DBHDD, through the Office of Recovery Transformation, is building community recovery partnerships with community providers, stakeholders, and families,” said Office of Recovery Transformation Director Mark Baker, whose team is leading DBHDD’s efforts with the program.
CSB of Middle Georgia staff with program facilitators. Photo credit: Dina McDonald
Funded by DBHDD, the program has piloted with the CSB of Middle Georgia (Dublin), Advantage Behavioral Health (Athens), Cobb-Douglas CSB (Marietta) and Community Friendship (Atlanta). A team of facilitators, made up of consultants Dr. Dietra Hawkins and Dr. David Stayner, along with Brent Hoskinson and James Guffey of GMHCN, and Owen Dougherty and Tony Sanchez of GCSA, conducted the workshops and are continuing with follow-up technical assistance at each organization.
The program’s goal is to help provider staff make recovery sustainable for the people they serve. “This means supporting people as they move toward the life that they want to live, a joyful and happy life, that is based on their goals, dreams, and aspirations,” said Brent Hoskinson, one the program facilitators. “We are seeing amazing projects coming out of this process that organizations can put into practice almost immediately.”
The Recovery-Focused Technical Assistance program encourages collaboration between DBHDD’s providers on effective strategies for sustaining recovery. “What better process could there be than one that offers to our providers the opportunity to build on what they already know, what works best in their local community, and gives them an opportunity to learn from the successes of others?,” Hoskinson said.
“I was truly amazed at the energy, excitement, and participation during the two-day learning event,” said facilitator James Guffey. “By working in collaboration, as an inclusive team, this really mirrored what recovery is all about.”
Staff at CSB of Middle Georgia, the initial pilot site, gave the program rave reviews. Read what they had to say below:
“I learned so much and am looking forward to working with this group of people.”
Shannon Corso
“My experience with [the workshop] was amazing. I learned so much about myself and my fellow co-workers. I developed a strong bond with many co-workers that I had never met before or knew very little of. It strengthened my commitment to my job as well as the individuals that I serve.”
Ashley Lewis
“I am grateful and blessed that I work at CSB of Middle Georgia and about how open and enthused we all are in the positive changes to come.”
Lisa Clark
“I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. We were visited by many wonderful people, including Dr. Dietra Hawkins and Dr. David Stayner who helped us reignite the fire in the employees here in Central Georgia. Sometimes we start to lose sight, or forget, about what really matters: improving people’s lives. The [workshop] helped us put this back into perspective and helped us realize that change was not as difficult, nor as scary, as it seemed. Now, we have begun some small success projects and we’re also discussing the future — bigger successes. I know we truly have become an even more recovery oriented center with your assistance, support and encouragement.”
Elizabeth Button
“I really got a lot out of the training. It helped me to see that the people we help do have a voice. For me as a recovering person that is very encouraging. It also encouraged me to share my story. I really want to help others find that hope that they too can get well and recover from addiction, mental illness, or whatever the problem is. You can recover!!! How bad do you want to recover?”
Cynthia Thigpen
“When our team started out…, I believed that we would all learn new things. I absolutely had no idea that the two days spent with our Change Team and Change Team 2 members would have been as inspiring and humbling as they were. Dr. Dietra Hawkins, Dr. David Stayner, along with Owen Dougherty, Brent Hoskinson, Tony Sanchez, and James Duffey, were without blemish in their methods of keeping us on task and our eyes and hearts focused toward recovery. It was an emotionally-laden two days, but a wonderful opportunity to build our team relationships, both individually and collectively. It was the absolute best kick-off training to being a more recovery-focused agency that I have participated in during my tenure with the CSB of Middle Georgia. Our clinical, support, and administrative staff, as well as our staff with lived experience are excited to be participating with DBHDD as a pilot with regard to [the] training, and we look forward to seeing the fruits of our labors in the projects that we are undertaking at our agency, as well as the ripple effect that will occur in our community following our symposium, which is planned for April 10, 2015. The excitement, energy, and inspiration from those days in late February continue to resonate at our agency. We are looking for exceptionally good things to happen here throughout the weeks and months to come.”
Denise Forbes, CEO
As the conference host agency, DBHDD Commissioner Frank Berry will welcome all attendees on behalf our agency as a keynote presenter at the opening plenary session on March 30. He will also describe Georgia’s efforts in providing addiction treatment and recovery services. Others speakers at the session include Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and AATOD President Mark W. Parrino, who will present AATOD’s work with government in support of evidence-based opioid treatment.
Registration to the AATOD conference allows attendees access to workshops, pre-conference sessions and an exhibitor hall where more than 1500 people, including healthcare professionals, program administrators and other treatment providers, are expected to attend.
Friday marked day 30 of the 2015 legislative session. Day 30 is also known as Crossover Day because all bills must pass out of their originating chamber, and therefore cross over to the other chamber, by this date in order to have a chance to become laws this year.
House Bill 512 will update the Georgia Code to align with changes occurring in DBHDD’s reorganization. Additionally, it redefines the role of the current regional planning boards and renames them regional advisory councils. It passed out of the House on day 29 and is currently in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
Senate Bill 131 will modify DBHDD’s crisis stabilization unit (CSU) licensing authority to a certifying authority. This will allow DBHDD to quickly adopt standards of care based on the changing needs of the individuals at those service sites. It passed out of the Senate on day 26 and is currently in the House Health and Human Services Committee.
Two notable resolutions include House Resolution 641, which will create the Joint Study Committee on Children’s Mental Health, and House Resolution 642, which will create the Joint Study Committee on Postsecondary Education and Employment Options for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Governor Nathan Deal has already signed one bill of importance to DBHDD into law. Senate Bill 53 extends a provision created by last year’s Senate Bill 65, which permitted licensed professional counselors to perform emergency examinations of individuals experiencing mental health or drug- and alcohol-related crises. The original bill established a pilot provision that expired on March 15, 2015. Senate Bill 53 extends the provision until June 30, 2018.
DBHDD unveiled new vision and mission statements this week emphasizing the agency’s commitment to providing high-quality care to people with behavioral health challenges and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Vision Easy access to high-quality care that leads to a life of recovery and independence for the people we serve.
Mission Leading an accountable and effective continuum of care to support people with behavioral health challenges, and intellectual and developmental disabilities in a dynamic health care environment.
“At every level of our work, we are committed to providing easy access to high-quality care,” said Commissioner Berry. “The new vision and mission statements reflect the work we have focused on for the last several years.”
This marks the first change to DBHDD’s vision and mission statements since the agency was created in 2009.
Catherine Ivy, director of community services in the Division of Developmental Disabilities, hosts a forum in Norcross.
DBHDD administers funding supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the New Options Waiver (NOW) and the Comprehensive Supports Medicaid (COMP) Waiver. NOW and COMP are Medicaid programs that provide supports to people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities who want to live at home or in other kinds of community living arrangements. The services offered through these waivers provide supports 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires home and community-based services programs such as NOW and COMP to be renewed every five years. The COMP waiver is scheduled for renewal in late 2015. As we prepare for the renewal, DBHDD is hosting a series of community forums to receive input from individuals, family members and providers about the successes of the COMP waiver program, as well as opportunities for improvement. Because many of the services provided by NOW are similar to those provided by COMP, we are also seeking feedback about the NOW program.
Upcoming sessions will be held in Tifton on February 24 and in Athens on February 28.
Stakeholders are also invited to submit comments online.
For more information about these forums, or to view the presentation, please visit our website.
