The Kim Foundation congratulates Joyce on her amazing achievement and would also like to thank her for her continuous efforts to increase awareness and decrease the stigma associated with mental health issues. To read more about Joyce and her accomplishments, check out the recent article about her in the Plattsmouth Journal.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment to get as many walkers as we do to come out to support suicide prevention awareness.” American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Nebraska chapter chairman Joyce Hicks said. “The first walk we had in Omaha had right around 100 participants, so we’ve seen tremendous growth in the last six years. We’ve been extremely lucky to have support from walkers to help generate awareness, and we’re grateful; now our focus is on increasing donations.”

Funds raised from the Out of the Darkness Walk go to support further research and education in suicide prevention. In addition to sponsoring support group training for individuals who express interest, the AFSP Nebraska chapter offers suicide prevention programs at the collegiate and high school levels. 

In use for the past year at Creighton University, the Internet Screening Program (ISP) is an online utility that students can use to assess their current mental state to help determine if they are suffering from depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, or some other mental health issue. Students can either conduct a Live Chat with a counselor or complete an online questionnaire that goes directly to the university counseling department. A counselor is then able to follow up with the student directly.

At the high school level AFSP does outreach and works to get the “More Than Sad” DVD, an educational video focusing on various causes of depression and applicable treatment plans, added to the curriculum. Currently the video is being shown in Plattsmouth High School and is part of the freshmen and senior class curriculum.

The “More than Sad” DVD portrays various situations or activities that can cause stress or lead to depression in a young person’s life and shows students possible coping mechanisms. From anxiety over an upcoming test to depression surrounding relationships and miscommunication, the video was created from the students’ perspective so students are better able to relate to the situations and understand their own feelings as Hicks says. 

“There are a lot of misconceptions and stigmas around depression. The DVD is truly about educating and expanding students’ horizons so they understand what they are feeling about what they are going through and some of the treatment plans that are available,” Hicks said.

In addition to the school-based programs, AFSP sponsors a billboard campaign in Omaha focused on overcoming the stigma associated with depression so people understand that depression can be fatal. Billboards run throughout the year in various locations across town.

The organization hopes an increase in walk donations this year will allow them to initiate new programs including expansion of the Internet Screening Program to the University of Nebraska at Omaha and implementation of a Survivor Outreach Program, which is a support program for family members or loved ones who have recently lost someone to suicide.

“The more we get out there, the more people we reach, the more education we provide, the bigger the impact we’ll have in increasing awareness of suicide prevention and decreasing the stigma of depression and other mental health issues,” Hicks said. “We’re out there doing all of this so no one else who will ever feel the pain suicide causes.” Hicks said. 

To participate in one of the Nebraska 2010 Out of the Darkness Walks visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Web site or contact Joyce Hicks at NebraskaAFSP@gmail.com for more information.

Offering a wide range of customized programs, Take Flight Farms serves a diverse group of people from youth to adults putting to work its mission to “develop capable and resilient individuals by incorporating horses into therapeutic and learning programs.”

“People of all ages and those needing assistance for a variety of reasons can benefit from equine assisted psychotherapy or equine assisted learning,” Take Flight Farms Executive Director Gale Faltin said. “From people in bereavement, those dealing with substance abuse, victims of domestic violence, to those with anger management issues, anxiety, depression, and a variety of other behavioral issues. . . equine assisted therapy can really make a difference.”

Unlike most animals, Faltin explains that horses have the ability to mirror exactly what human body language is telling them, so horses provide great opportunities for metaphor and lessons about oneself that help to facilitate change.

“Horses experience a large variety of emotions, just like we do. “They are very intuitive, social animals and each has their own personality and moods,” Faltin said. “Because of these similarities to humans, horses actually demonstrate and teach self awareness, honest communication, trust, patience, healthy boundaries, leadership, and so much more.”

As an alternative form of therapy, equine assisted therapy helps clients move beyond conventional therapy by approaching recovery from a different angle. Cindy Vaccaro, Take Flight Farms assistant director explains that for some it is easier to bond with a horse rather than a person, so the human-horse interaction helps people face the things that need to be dealt with most.

“For a lot of people verbalizing what is going on with them is extremely difficult or not even possible, and for kids who have been through a lot of trauma, it’s really difficult to bond with another human being,” Vaccaro said. “Equine therapy brings a person’s problems to the surface so they are able to look at the issues and really begin to take the steps to resolve them.”

As one of only four Distinguished Program Members of EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association), across the nation, Take Flight Farms adheres to stringent requirements to maintain its credentials. Staff members, including certified mental health professionals, are all accredited through EAGALA and participate in hours of continuing education workshops and conferences to stay up to date on the latest techniques in equine assisted therapy and learning. This dedication to learning is an accomplishment that Take Flight Farms is not only proud of, but says is what sets TFF apart from other organizations.

The EAGALA model is based on a team approach. A licensed mental health professional and an equine specialist work hand-in-hand with the client in a group or one-on-one setting. The role of the therapist is to observe what’s taking place between the client and the horses and bounce that information back to the client using questions and observation statements. The specific format of each session is based on the needs of the client; however, actual riding of the horses is not part of equine assisted therapy.

Vaccaro explains that once a person begins to truly understand the power of equine assisted therapy, the desire to ride goes away. “Anybody can ride a horse, whether it be at a farm or venue that offers horse rides for a fee; very few people get the opportunity to be on equal footing with a horse and be able to look them in the eyes and build a relationship with them – that’s a very special opportunity,” Vaccaro said.

“Often a group that you think might be the hardest to reach, the kids with maybe a little tougher exterior who come in thinking that ‘this is stupid’ or saying that they ‘hate horses’, are the kids who by the end of the program are fighting over which horse they get to work with, are hanging on their horses necks giving it hugs and kisses. It’s a sight to see,” Vaccaro said. “I think we paint a certain picture in our minds of what these kids are like when they have what I call a harder edge, so to see them softened by a horse, that’s a pretty big shift.”

In additional to therapy programs, Take Flight Farms also offers equine assisted learning sessions designed to aid in personal and professional development. These programs shift the focus from therapy to education and offer opportunities to learn about team work, leadership, and personal growth.

Take Flight Farms has worked with college sports teams, elementary school classes, and a variety of corporate groups offering specialized programs to address needs specific to the group. Recently TFF teamed up with the Respite Care Center to offer a unique program for caregivers that not only allowed for respite, but helped caregivers “find themselves again” as Faltin says.

“There are no limits to the work we do,” Faltin said. “It was truly an honor to be able to work with caregivers through the Respite Care Center and phenomenal to witness the change in people and to see them ‘rediscover’ themselves. This [equine assisted therapy and equine assisted learning] could benefit anybody from corporate America to an individual child coming in – and that’s the truth.”

To learn more about equine assisted therapy and equine assisted learning visit http://www.takeflightfarms.org or contact Cindy Vaccaro at 402.930.3037.

Traditionally thought of as an organization dedicated to helping only women, YWCA’s comprehensive approach incorporates programs for men and children as well all meant to reinforce support to women. The organization’s wide-ranging, school-based youth educational and prevention program is one such program.

“Our ultimate goal is primary prevention,” Lynn Pollitt, director of client services and youth education and prevention said. “We’re trying to stop violence in whatever form it takes before it even happens and one of the most effective ways we have found to reach youth is through school-based programming.”

Working with school guidance counselors and an array of teachers at the elementary school to university level, Pollitt educates students through presentations on topics ranging from personal safety, domestic violence, bullying, stereotyping, dating violence, and more using age-appropriate curriculum and engaging activities. In some cases, YWCA presentations provide the initial information and serve as an introduction to various hard-to-talk-about topics, which often open the door to disclosure by students.

“For whatever reason, when it’s not your guidance counselor or teacher, and it’s an outside party who starts the conversation, there’s more openness and a willingness [from students] to disclose something personal and that doesn’t always happen if the conversation is initiated by the people you know at school,” Pollitt said.

During the 2009 – 2010 school year, including this summer, Pollitt estimates that she conducted as many as 300 classroom presentations reaching approximately 7,500 individuals. An amazing feat by anyone’s standards, but if that wasn’t enough, the YWCA also offers resources for youth outside of the school setting.

Children age 7 to 14 are able to participate in YWCA led domestic violence recovery classes and have the option to work with a child adolescent therapist for further intervention. In the end though, even services provided to adults through YWCA programs effect children in need of support says Dr. Ann Potter, YWCA chief program officer.

“One of the things that we all feel really passionate about is that anytime we’re intervening with an adult, we’re potentially intervening with a child as well.” Potter said. “Even if we never see that child, hopefully the interventions that we are doing with the adults that we see will have a positive impact on whatever children are in that person’s life. And in that way, we hope we are able to prevent the circle of violence from continuing, and always search for ways to offer early detection and early intervention.”

YWCA Omaha has extensive plans to expand its youth school-based educational and prevention programs and is continually adding to its adult services based on the evolving needs of the community. To learn more about YWCA visit http://www.ywcaomaha.org/ or download a brochure to learn more about YWCA programs supported by the annual fundraising drive, which is going on right now.

Mildred Scott Wellness Center Opening at Uta Halee

More than just a building, as Uta Halee Director of Donor Relations Tracy Wells says, the Mildred Scott Wellness Center serves as the central hub of activity at the village with its main purpose to provide a space devoted to improving the girls’ mind, body, and spirit through a variety of wellness opportunities.

Conceived from years of research into the effects of adverse childhood experiences and thoughtful planning into how best to create a multi-purpose healing space, the Center serves as a resource that provides a healthy and safe alternative when coping with trauma.   

“People figure out how to cope with the traumas, or toxic stress, in their lives and some of those coping strategies, like binge eating, aggression, and inactivity from depression, aren’t very healthy. The Wellness Center offers a healthy alternative,” Wells said. “If wellness can become a part of these girls’ lives, if it can become a habit and something they look forward to every day, that’s tremendous and the results can really be life altering.”

Equipped with a nutrition center, healthy café, fitness facility with exercise equipment and floor space for yoga and other aerobic activities, art studio, nursing suite, conference and meeting room space, plus a multi-purpose mediation and activity area on the second floor, the 16,000 square foot, $7.5 million center officially opened Friday, June 18 and was commemorated with a celebration for supporters, residents, and staff.

“There are some phenomenal spaces within the Wellness Center walls and to be able to come together in groups and in one space dedicated to furthering our work through nutritional education, physical activity, spiritual development, art therapy, and so much more, is simply amazing,” Wells said.

The amazement is in how the Center makes one feel. Overlooking the woods, embellished by a plethora of windows, the Center is calm, yet vibrant says Wells and incorporates a circle theme throughout that symbolizes the circles one creates in their lives through family, friends and other support systems. The theme is extenuated by dramatic artwork completed by residents and other key elements with the hope that these calming details will have an immediate effect on those who enter the building without them ever knowing it.

“The entire design of the Center was geared so that the minute you walk in the doors, the kids we are so fortunate to serve, will think, maybe things will be different for me this time, even if that is never articulated verbally,” Wells said. “From that point, through the Center we want to help kids learn how to make better choices so they have a better future. Life is a series of balances and the more we can integrate and illustrate that balance through wellness, the better.”

For more information about Uta Halee Girls Village visit www.utahalee-cooper.org.

After working with Horizon Recovery and Counseling Center as then director of the Hastings mission, Dan Rutt jumped at the opportunity to purchase the center in 2008, re-incorporating it as Revive, Inc. Rutt chose the name “revive” because of what the word evokes. 

“When you think about [the word] “revive”, you think new life, and that’s what we do here, help people create a new life,” Rutt, Revive, Inc. director said. Recognizing the link between substance abuse and mental health issues, the center has helped countless individuals recover from drug and alcohol addiction using intensive out patient recovery programs, one-on-one relationships, and comprehensive, extended services that help individual deal not only with their substance abuse problems, but also the root causes of the abuse.

Revive offers a variety of recovery programs based on the clients’ individual needs and recommendations from trained drug and alcohol counselors at the center. What sets Revive apart from other 12-step based courses is its After Care and housing program, the Unity Houses.

Individuals who have completed an intensive out-patient program, whether at Revive or another facility, are able to participate in Revive’s 26-week After Care program which incorporates weekly group sessions and monthly one-on-one counseling sessions. Although not mandatory, while completing the After Care program, or any of Revive’s recovery programs, those interested can live for a minimum of six months at one of Revive’s three Unity Houses which provide a sober living environment for up to 10 individuals at a time in each of the homes. Currently, only men are able to participate in the housing program, but Revive is hoping to open a house for women in the future.

The Unity Houses find success using a self-managed approach with the help of mentors and house managers all of which are individuals who have successfully completed the recovery program. The house manager acts as liaison between individuals at the house and management at Revive.

“The mentors are supportive to the house manager – when things aren’t going well, the mentors will befriend these guys and will give them support and advice like a sponsor, but more on a friend basis than a sponsor. That is the piece that has been really working well for us with the housing program. As professionals, we can only do so much,” Rutt says. “The guys who actually lived it are the ones who can do a lot to help; the guys will listen to them [the mentors] because they’ve been through it. It’s kind of a unique environment.”

In fact, as the program continues, Rutt says that more and more men choose to come back as mentors and an increasing number of men decide to stay living at the Unity House beyond the six-month commitment, sometimes as long as 15 months.

“One of the guys recently said to me that when he was living in the house, for the longest time all he wanted to do was leave. Eventually he got to the point where he didn’t want to leave, and it was then that he knew he should, that now he was ready,” Rutt said. “When we can get guys to go from wanting to leave the house as soon as possible, to us having to encourage them to leave, that’s when we know that the program is working.”

Another key component to the success of the Unity Houses is that participants are encouraged to participate in the community and to help out others. From time to time Revive receives phone calls from people who want to help a participant earn money for their rent by taking on some side jobs. Rutt says that taking on these projects not only helps the guys earn some extra money, but it helps them build their self esteem.

“The philosophy here is to get clients involved in community activities and to let them know there are people who care about them,” Rutt said. “They’re building new relationships away from the environment that they were involved in before.”

In addition to Revive’s existing recovery programs, the center is hoping to initiate a co-occurring group for participants with dual diagnoses to help them deal with not only their addiction issues, but also their mental health issues and has plans to incorporate more life skills training to help participates overcome the stresses involved with budgeting, time management, and other personal skills.

Funding from the South Heartland District Health Department and through the Juvenile Justice Plan have allowed Revive, Inc. to offer sponsorships to individuals who are 185% poverty or who may have otherwise fallen through the cracks, as Rutt says, but donations to expand services and offer additional programming is always needed as the center is funded almost exclusively for services rendered.

Visit www.horizonrecoverycenter.com for more information about Revive, Inc. or contact the center by phone at 402.462.2066 to join the mailing list, make a donation, or to learn how you can help.

Statistics report that nationally one in four women will experience some form of domestic violence in their lifetime and that an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of a physical assault by an intimate partner each year. Thousands of those cases affect Omaha. The Domestic Violence Coordinating Council reports that in 2008 the number of domestic violence calls made in Douglas County topped 23,000 with nearly 5,000 women and children seeking support services though local shelters. The need to address those numbers is paramount.  

“The Domestic Violence Shelter came to be because the community recognized a need to serve victims of domestic violence and realized that women needed a safe place,” Frances Hauptman, Catholic Charities Director of Domestic Violence Services said.

To help ensure safety is provided, the Domestic Violence Shelter has adopted the philosophy of keeping the location of the shelter anonymous, a philosophy not followed by all domestic violence shelters. Around the clock locked doors and a curfew for those staying at the shelter provide another layer of safety.   

“Providing a safe place for those in crisis is our primary responsibility; that’s what we do best and that comes first. From that point, once the woman feels safe and can began to feel comfortable we ask her to identify three things that she would like to work on whether it be getting a place of her own, finding a new job, or just dealing with her feelings. The work that we do from then is determined by what she tells us she needs and that becomes our focus,” Hauptman said.

Hauptman, a licensed mental health practitioner and licensed clinical social worker who has worked with the Domestic Violence Shelter for the past 14 years says that in the last 15 years great strides have been made in regard to building awareness and support of domestic violence in the community and within the judicial system and law enforcement.

That support has helped the Domestic Violence Shelter serve nearly 430 women and children last year alone. Women who find themselves in domestic violence situation can contact the Shelter 24 hours, seven days a week for information about Shelter services. After the initial call, the woman can decide whether or not she wants to come in and stay at the Shelter, and if not, other arrangements and resources are offered.

“Sometimes woman are not ready to leave, and that’s OK. When that is the case, what we do is build what we call a Safety Plan with her so she can do things that will keep her potentially a little bit safer so she can start thinking about her next steps when she’s ready to leave,” Hauptman said.

Women who come to the Shelter have their own bedrooms and share the kitchen, dining room, and bathroom areas. In addition to an outside play area for kids, the house has several shared recreational spaces including a fitness room for adults and a learning center and Wii game room for families where they can enjoy quiet time or spend time together reconnecting as a family. Meals are coordinated by Shelter staff and prepared on a rotating basis by everyone staying at the house. Most importantly, during their stay at the Shelter, women and children are able to participate in group and one-on-one sessions designed to help them move forward.  

During the customized six-week program, women are encouraged to journal and are invited to participate in group therapy sessions led by Shelter staff trained in offering domestic violence support services. Sessions focus on a variety of topics from exploring feelings and emotions to learning about basic nutrition and self care. Women can also participate in one-on-one consultation sessions with staff to help them find housing, search for a job, and plan for the future both emotionally and financially as well as participate in parenting classes focused on how abuse impacts families and how to over come these challenges.   

One of the group sessions called Hidden Talents, a recreational therapy group focusing on arts and crafts, has been especially successful. “Although women are hesitant at first saying they aren’t “crafty” or creative, we found that clients really enjoy this group. They like making things, putting colors together, using paints, and glitter. What we learned was that many times women get a different kind of support from a group like Hidden Talents that they aren’t getting elsewhere,” Hauptman said. “The group touches something within themselves that had gone dormant or that they didn’t know they had in the first place.”

The Shelter offers additional outside resources as well. Community partnerships with organizations like the Henry Doorly Zoo, Children’s Museum, Visiting Nurses Association, and the Nebraska Humane Society make it possible for families to enjoy activities in the community, have any medical questions they might have answered, and have a safe haven for the family pet provided while staying in the Shelter. 

“We know that for many women their most important confidant is their pet and it’s a great comfort to them to know that the Nebraska Humane Society will keep their animals while they are with us so there is safety for their pet as well,” Hauptman said. “We have these resources because the community is working with us to meet the needs of victims of domestic violence and we couldn’t do what we do without the support of the community.”

The resources and support offered by the Domestic Violence Shelter does not stop once the women leave. After the six week program is over, Shelter After-Care Specialist will meet with the client in their home or another place of safety for six months to offer on-going support and on-going referrals to help the client re-integrate back into the community. Assistance through Catholic Charities and Community Alliance help to provide on-going mental help services or therapy and additional resources are offered as needed.

“Our job is to stay connected in the community and to know what resources are available in order to give the client the best fit and the best options,” Hauptman said. “Women in need should know that whatever their need is, there are people in the community who are ready to help.”

For more information about the services and programs offered at the Domestic Violence Shelter, the 24-hour number available seven days a week is 402.558.5700. In an emergency situation, call 911.

Our friend, Dr. William Marcil, of Creighton University School of Medicine, received the Good Samaritan Award at the luncheon for his role in developing the Magis Psychiatric Clinic located at the Siena/Francis House in aid of those who are homeless and experiencing mental illness.  The Magis Clinic was created and is staffed by Creighton University medical students, and is the only free clinic providing psychiatric care and medications with no waiting time!  Recognizing the need to have their work directed by a psychiatrist, the students enlisted the volunteer services of their teacher and friend, Dr. Marcil. They made an excellent choice!   

Dr. Marcil sees patients as people; people with an illness that has interfered with their life, their dreams, their abilities, and their hopes.  He mentors his students to look beyond the illness, and see the heart of the person.  Their illness has left them friendless, homeless, and often hopeless.  Dr. Marcil encourages students to become the patient’s advocate, their hope for tomorrow.     

Two of Dr. Marcil’s students who also volunteer their Saturdays at the Magis Clinic are graduating this year.  One is going into psychiatry and will carry with her the acceptance modeled by Dr. Marcil for people with neurobiological illnesses.  The other will become an emergency room doctor.  So many people in severe crisis because of their mental illness find themselves in the emergency room, how gratifying to know they will be recognized and respected by an understanding student of Dr. Marcil. 

We are grateful to the Heartland Chapter of the Red Cross for honoring the accomplishments of Dr. Marcil.  We celebrate that stigmas were reduced at the luncheon where over 700 people attended.  The words “mental illness” were spoken aloud several times and words of hope and encouragement were used regarding these illnesses.  The Red Cross became our hero too for recognizing the importance of mental wellness.

It is true, however, that we may witness or experience very painful, embarrassing, even frightening symptoms of these brain diseases.  Symptoms or behaviors generated by these illnesses may be unappreciated, or even unacceptable, however the person underneath the symptoms is still a fine, good, and deserving person, a person to be treated with respect.

A good friend stands by us if we are covered by the red blotches of chicken pox, or bleeding profusely from an accident, or writhing in pain from a kidney stone, or needing a hat because of cancer treatments.  A good friend will be there, too, should the symptoms of a biological abnormality become overwhelming.  It is okay to love the person, and hate the illness.  Mental illnesses are just that, illnesses, with symptoms.

The family themselves chair a team of professionals, other family members, and support workers, and then together designs a safety plan and identifies service gaps present in meeting the needs of the special child.  The team works together to overcome those hurdles.  The team and the family share responsibility and accountability and the coordinated system of services creates a cost saving for the state and county while increasing available resources to families.

The system is designed for overwhelmed families who find themselves dealing with foster care, mental health, and juvenile justice systems simultaneously, while youth are shuffled from agency to agency never receiving the coordinated care or amount of care needed.  In Nebraska we call it “the silo effect”.  In Wraparound Oregon, the families decide the supports needed, and help direct the process.  By creating and enacting a targeted plan developed specifically for each child and their family, there are no service gaps or duplication, and there is more effective use of available funds.

Oregon has three wraparound programs, early childhood, school age, and Nak-Nu-Wit, a native specific project.

Wraparound is working well in other states, also.  Hopefully Nebraska will be able to share similar success stories in the future.