A recent DBHDD study found that individuals who participate in assertive community treatment (ACT) experience a significant decrease in both hospital readmission and length of inpatient stay as a result of ACT participation. ACT is a community-based alternative to hospitalization for people who have a severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) which has interrupted their ability to live in the community successfully. It is often referred to as a “hospital without walls” because it provides a full range of treatment and supports that enable individuals with SPMI to live in the community.
Data collected by the department over a 6-month period showed a 56 percent decrease in the number of days of hospital admission and a 69 percent decrease in the number of individuals receiving inpatient services. The sample included 264 individuals enrolled in ACT services.
The study was conducted to determine the short-term effectiveness of the ACT teams in reducing psychiatric hospitalization. Researchers compared the frequency of hospitalizations prior to and during enrollment, and after discharge. Future research will investigate longer-term outcomes of ACT services, as well as other services in the DBHDD continuum of care.
The 22 ACT teams included in this study serve more than 1,400 people in Georgia by providing a full range of treatment and supports to enable individuals with SPMI to live in the community. Services include counseling, medication, case management and peer support. The goal of ACT is to reduce hospitalization, incarceration and homelessness, and to promote community integration. Georgia’s 22 state-funded ACT teams receive oversight, guidance, technical assistance and fidelity monitoring from DBHDD’s Office of Adult Mental Health.
DBHDD mourns the loss of Charles Bernard Willis, who passed away June 14, 2015 at the age of 61.
Charles was a nationally renowned mental health advocate who exemplified what it means to live a life of recovery. He served on state councils, helped with research projects and spoke at national conferences, but he also made time to reach out to people in distress and give support. “He is a person who didn’t just speak recovery, he embodied it,” said DBHDD’s Chief of Staff Judy Fitzgerald.
After earning a master’s degree at Fort Valley State University, Charles worked for several state agencies and taught special education in Hancock County. He began experiencing symptoms of mental illness in his twenties and self-medicated with no success. For 27 years, he went through more than 20 treatment programs, committed crimes that sent him in and out of jails and experienced episodes of homelessness. He was also diagnosed HIV-positive.
A mentor helped him get on a path of recovery, and Charles began mentoring others and spreading a message of hope to everyone he met. He trained as one of the first certified peer specialists in Georgia and became a role model, working at the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network (GMHCN), an organization that promotes recovery through advocacy, education, employment, empowerment, peer support and self-help.
“Charles touched the lives of countless thousands of people across the state and the nation working as a champion of recovery,” said Decatur Peer Support Wellness and Respite Center Director Jayme Lynch. “Through a long battle with illness, Charles never lost the things that made him so memorable and so impactful: his infectious energy, his ceaseless empathy and his ability to light even the darkest night with his smile.”
He was nationally recognized as a speaker and trainer on self-directed care, whole health wellness and recovery. He led regional meetings for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, presented at conferences across the U.S., and testified at the Georgia State Capitol and in Washington about recovery resources.
Last year, he received the Clifford W. Beers Award, MHA’s highest honor. The award is given to those whose efforts improve conditions for and attitudes toward people living with mental health challenges.
DBHDD and advocates across Georgia remember Charles for his positive attitude and his enduring efforts to improve mental health care in our state.
“Charles’ spirit and smile made a lasting impression on all of us. He is a person who didn’t just speak recovery, he embodied it. He will surely be missed, but his hope and positivity remain with us.”
— Judy Fitzgerald, DBHDD chief of staff
“Rest in Power, Charles. Your unwavering voice will be missed, and continues to resonate loudly through all of us who carry on your legacy.”
― Leah H. Arlington, VA
“On Sunday June 14, 2015 our beloved friend and colleague Charles Willis passed away. Charles was able to stand apart as a titan. Charles touched the lives of countless thousands of people across the state and the nation working as a champion of recovery. Through a long battle with illness, Charles never lost the things that made him so memorable and so impactful: his infectious energy; his ceaseless empathy; and his ability to light even the darkest night with his smile. Charles will be missed more than words can convey. Since we all know how much Charles meant to us both individually and as a community, please seek support from your peers and offer support in return. Please keep Charles and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”
― Jayme L., Decatur
“I first met Charles at CPS training in Augusta last June and he instantly became a close friend. I said to him once during training that he made me feel good about myself just by walking in the room. He gave me a great big hug and said he felt the same way about me. Charles always called me “Professor” because I used to work as a teacher in the public schools. He was an amazing compassionate guy and I will really miss him.”
— Mark E.
“Charles told this amazing story of a butterfly that was struggling to break free of a cocoon. A hunter in the woods came upon the cocoon and saw its struggle to free itself of the cocoon. He took a knife and the soon to be butterfly fell to the ground. The story is about the importance of our struggle in growing wings of flight and that we have to do this on our own. He inspired me to write a workbook about the story that has inspired many others. I was always inspired by Charles. When I would call him, I would say “I love you” before hanging up. Charles would say, “I love you more!” I know this is just a saying, but I think Charles loved all of us more. He had so much to share. He lived life to the fullest where it matters, at the heart. I am not sure there is another supporter out there like Charles; his words were so full of hope and strength. I will miss him deeply.”
— Carol C., Lincoln Nebraska
“Words cannot express the sense of loss I feel. Charles was one of my heroes; his place in my recovery will never be replaced. His genuine care and compassion, and his passion will never fade from the mind or the heart. Love to all his friends and family in this great time of loss. What an incredible man.”
―Wade L.
“You have been a guiding light on our shared journey in improving the system in support of wellness. In writing this now, I see the joy in your face extending a hug, offering an impassioned opinion, and celebrating wellness. I am a better professional and better person from our collaboration and partnership. I will not forget your amazing light and will not let it cease to guide me even though I can’t share that hug with you in this time and space. Thank you for your amazing grace.”
— Wendy T.
“What a mark you made on those of us living with mental illness, your legacy will live on forever. May you rest in peace.”
― Julie R.
“Charles had a way of engaging people that was so present and attentive that he gave you the impression that you were the only person in the world at that moment. His smile, eye contact, and genuine manner gave a message of loving kindness to everyone he met. His life has touched many, and will continue to touch many like a pebble tossed on a still pond creating ever widening circles of energy. I miss him now and always will.”
— Gerri S.
“What a wonderfully compassionate and selfless man he was. He encouraged me many times when I felt like throwing in the towel. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. RIP Charles….you’ve made a difference that will never be forgotten.” ― Jewels M., Vidalia Georgia
“I first met Charles at my CPS training in 2006. I kept seeing him pop up everywhere and I knew he really knew recovery. I needed a sponsor because I was new in town. He said yes and remained my sponsor for six years. When he told pieces of his story I realized he had so much experience I knew nothing of, and faced many physical challenges I have never faced, and he was still Charles Willis, the most cheerful man I have ever met, whose laugh I delighted in mimicking. I knew that I wanted to have more of that. I did my first fifth step with Charles which was utterly painful, but he made it beautifully okay. He seemed to be able to do that wherever he went. So very often when I was looking for a new job situation he would call me out of the blue and tell me about some opportunities. He mainly just wanted to ask how I was doing.”
I believe that when someone of this caliber leaves us, I feel it is because he has done his job immaculately and has nothing else left to do but to guide us in spirit where he can be everywhere. I loved Charles Willis. I will miss his laugh the most of all.”
— Matt Bonaker, Atlanta, Georgia
“Here in Puerto Rico, today I’m sad remembering Steve Kiosk’s (RIP) birthday , and happy that I had the chance to meet him and have his support. Just now I learn about Charles leaving us and I have the same mixed feelings, but the amazement that overcomes us with this kind of news is never really gone. Fortunately, we’ll always have the memory of his incredible legacy and achievements, and the echoes of his laughter that will forever resonate. I’ll miss you Charles.”
— Katy Castro
DBHDD, along with the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, and the Albany and Moultrie chapters of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, co-sponsored Transforming 2 Wellness, a regional symposium held in Norman Park on April 29. The program highlighted area resources that help people achieve and sustain long-term recovery from mental health challenges and substance use disorders.
Speakers included individuals from Lee and Terrell counties, as well as other surrounding communities. Materials from exhibitors demonstrated the range of resources for mental health and addiction in southwest Georgia.
“We need to be very aware of what the local efforts are, what the local needs are, what the local gifts and the local talents are and that’s what we really trying to do here,” said Mark Baker, director of DBHDD’s Office of Recovery Transformation, which funds effort to raise recovery projects around the state.
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.
SHINE clubhouse kids attended the signing of the proclamation by Statesboro Mayor Jan Moore declaring May 3 – 9, 2015 Children’s Mental Health Week. Mayor Moore also recognized the youth for their work on “Adopt a Spot,” a local volunteer program that keeps public spaces clean.
Standing with Statesboro Mayor Jan Moore in green and yellow shirts printed with “Mental Health Awareness Month; Don’t let it stop you from shining,” kids from the SHINE clubhouse in Bulloch County were recognized this week for adopting an area to clean up and beautify.
The kids in the SHINE clubhouse program learn about community partnerships, attend various cultural events, take field trips to Atlanta, Stone Mountain and other attractions, visit nursing homes and create artwork and crafts to display at Stateboro’s First Friday events.
All these activities work toward the goal of recovery from substance use or mental health disorders by engaging youth and helping them manage behaviors and symptoms.
SHINE clubhouse kids attended the signing of the proclamation by Statesboro Mayor Jan Moore declaring May 3 – 9, 2015 Children’s Mental Health Week. Mayor Moore also recognized the youth for their work on “Adopt a Spot,” a local volunteer program that keeps public spaces clean.
“In the clubhouse, youth participate in life skills groups, social outings, educational supports, career development and exploration and other activities that teach them how to maintain a healthy and sober lifestyle. Youth are also connected to resources that will empower them to make informed decisions about their recovery,” said Yomi Makanjuola, DBHDD’s director of treatment services.
DBHDD provides funding and offers support through staff training and site visits in partnership with local providers for two types of adolescent clubhouses: substance abuse recovery support clubhouses and resiliency support clubhouses.
Substance abuse recovery support clubhouses are for youth with a primary diagnosis of substance use disorder. They provide a comprehensive recovery support model designed to engage youth and their families. Staff and clubhouse members work together to perform the jobs at the clubhouse and participate in social outings, educational supports, employment supports and transitional services. Most of the youth are between the age of 11 and 17 and are referred through probation, the Department of Juvenile Justice, community service boards and other substance abuse treatment programs.
As one component in the overall care that these adolescents receive, the clubhouses are designed to provide recovery support to youth as they strive to improve their life and wellness while decreasing or encouraging abstinence from alcohol and/or substance use. Participants in the program either currently receive substance abuse treatment at a community service board or they have recently completed treatment at a private facility.
Resiliency support clubhouses are designed to provide a full array of unique services for children and families coping with the isolation, stigma and other challenges of mental health disorders. These clubhouse programs provide similar services to the substance abuse recovery support clubhouses, but also include peer support, family engagement and social activities.
SHINE clubhouse kids clean up their “Adopt a Spot”.
Pineland Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, a community service board in eastern Georgia, offers both types of programs, and an additional co-occurring clubhouse program. SHINE is a resiliency support clubhouse that provides after-school care for children and adolescents in the area. Snacks are provided and computers are available to use, allowing kids to do their homework in a safe, supportive environment.
“The clubhouses are not focused on treatment, but on skill-building and exposing the kids to enriching activities,” said Dr. Cynthia Cone-Dekle, director of behavioral health at Pineland.
Pineland also runs IMPACT, a clubhouse for youth dealing with substance abuse challenges. Members in this program are typically older teens.
As youth are discharged from the clubhouse programs, outcome measures have shown a decrease in substance use, Department of Juvenile Justice involvement, and behavioral problems. Parents of clubhouse members have reported an increase in positive social function, school attendance and performance and improved family involvement and relationships.
DBHDD funds nine substance abuse recovery support clubhouses and six resiliency support clubhouses across the state.
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
A new affordable housing communityprovidingintegrated carefor residents with specials needsopenedin Covingtonlast week. The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on March 25 at the Clover Bridge apartments, which includes 28 one-bedroom units andseveralshared community rooms.
“Clover Bridge is a beautiful place to live and thrive in recovery.View Point Health is honored to offer individuals experiencing homelessness a permanent supported housing opportunity. Residents are supported by our wide service array customized to meet their individual needs while living in their own apartments,” said Jennifer Hibbard, CEO of View Point Health.
Funded by the U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Developmentandthe Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the housing community was developed by The Paces Foundation, whichtransferred ownership to View Point Health,DBHDD’s community service board for Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale counties.
“Clover Bridge posed unsurpassed challenges of complexity of interface with the many different partners and government agencies necessary to its completion. The design of the building, apartments and common areas as well as its placement within, and support from, the local community added to these monumental challenges. Paces is proud to have had the necessary skills and experience, garnered over 25 years of experience and more than 2500 units of affordable workforce housing, to weave thesemany stakeholders and challenges into the wonderful facility which is Clover Bridge: 28 one bedroom apartments for our chronically homeless mentally ill citizens,” said Mark du Mas, president of The Paces Foundation.
The Paces Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing and services for low-income residents.
Recovery from mental health and substance abuse challenges happens when people can access natural support systems and engage in a life of independence. DBHDD, through the Office of Recovery Transformation, is partnering with the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, and Georgia Parent Support Network as well as behavioral health providers, stakeholders, and families across the state to host “Recovery Symposiums” that foster the development of recovery-oriented communities.
“The Recovery Symposiums are the evolution of the numerous community forums and listening sessions held throughout Georgia as we continue the work of transforming our services to a community-based, recovery-oriented system of care,” said Mark Baker, director of DBHDD’s Office of Recovery Transformation.
Supported employment services offered by Briggs & Associates, a DBHDD provider in metro Atlanta, has helped S. B. find gainful employment after years of living with physical and psychological complications.
As a residential energy specialist for Greystone Power, S. B. works 20 hours per week in a modified position developed by Briggs to meet both her needs and those of her employer. Her job duties include creating flyers and providing staff support for special events, and assisting linemen during big storms.
S. B., who is in her 50s, plans to work at Greystone until she retires. She expressed to her career specialist that she has found peace by being able to afford things that she could not in the past.
