In early November Brenda Merrill and Liz Tutino attended a lecture on Art and Addiction at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.  The lecture was presented by Dr. Jack Henningfield, PhD, a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Patricia B. Santora, PhD a Senior Public Health Advisor at the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.  The presenters described their Innovators Program which was developed to educate, prevent, and control substance abuse through art. Many moving pieces of art were displayed and it was clear that using art in substance abuse education captures the intense emotions of those who have family members with substance abuse issues or are substance abusers. Key Point has purchased a copy of their book Art &Addiction for use in MISA classes.

Key Point had a community Thanksgiving on November 23^rd.  Mountain Christian Church very generously donated funds so that a traditional Thanksgiving meal could be catered by Bob Evans.  All the clients had their fill of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy.  To contribute to this holiday meal clients went shopping on Tuesday and purchased cranberry sauce, apple cider, pies, and whipped topping.  During the month of November clients were daily encouraged to write down one thing they were thankful for.  The items were written on a piece of paper and a “Gratitude Chain” was hung for all to see.  Each day the chain grew a little longer and during the Thanksgiving celebration all the clients read one of the strips of paper.  Many clients then stood and expressed what they were thankful for.

By Liz Tutino

Early on October 20 clients went to Brad’s Produce in Churchville for a hayride.  It was a gorgeous fall day to pick pumpkins and everyone enjoyed the bumpy hayride through the fields.  For one client this was the first hayride she had ever been on and for another client being on the farm reminded him of happy memories of when he worked on a farm.  Everyone picked a small pumpkin and several clients decorated their pumpkins as centerpieces for our tables in the community room.

Our Advisory Board was very active planning the Halloween party and the monthly off-site trip calendar.  This committee typically involves ten or more clients.  Client participation is always encouraged and the PRP has quite a few clients with excellent communication and leadership skills which they utilize on this committee.  Many people wore costumes for the Halloween party including members of the ACHIEVE research study from Johns Hopkins – they were a hit as Batman and Robin.

On October 28^th Dr. Lynn Yukofski, a local podiatrist, came to Key Point to offer on-site podiatry services.  7 clients met with Dr. Lynn and reported how great their feet felt after seeing her.  Dr. Lynn provided education on foot care, trimmed nails, addressed calluses, and offered education on diabetic foot care. She also wrote a prescription for one client and provided a brace for another.  The client who received the brace commented that “it is helping tremendously, especially when I exercise.”  The PRP is planning for Dr. Lynn to come on a regular basis.

The PRP welcomes Wanda Moore as our new Kitchen Manager.  Wanda has had many roles at Harford PRP including van driver and counselor and party planner.  In addition to overseeing the kitchen and serving breakfast and lunch Wanda supervises 15 Key Point clients who work at the PRP as dishwashers, servers, and cleaners.  Key Point offers these vocational opportunities to help clients build skills so they can work in the community.

Monika Butke participated in two seminars at Sheppard Pratt.  One lecture was on “How to Talk about Spirituality” with your clients and the second one was on nicotine addiction.  Monika shared the material in the nicotine addiction seminar with clients in her MISA class. They had an interesting conversation on the effects of nicotine on the prepubescent brain and how that may affect mental illness.

It has several advantages:

• Several small Goal Time activities — many of them client-run — including Spanish club, women’s club, and men’s club
• Qigong 2x per week through the end of August
• 3 to 4 concurrent afternoon classes almost every day of the week
• New “Life After Diagnosis”, “Crossword Crew”, and “Current Events” classes

It’s a happening schedule — lots of activity right now.

– Michael

Wanda Moore has completed transitioning into a part-time counselor position.  She started as a driver this spring and came to us with experience in counseling from the ARC and other employers as well as a passion for helping clients.  Wanda has been a fixture in the community room, helping with ACHIEVE classes when she did not have to, and volunteering to assist with the client-run Spanish club and Frisbee in the park with Chris.

Denton Asdourian is a student intern with our Aberdeen PRP on Fridays from James Madison University.   He is planning to become a clinical psychologist.

Chris Manzo is a student from Salisbury University with our Aberdeen PRP on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.   He has been here since early summer and is helping teach Psychology 101 and Emotional Management.

Darwayne Moran Sr. has joined the Aberdeen PRP staff as a part-time driver.  He has most recently been a delivery truck driver after a long career as a mechanic, fireman, and member of the military.

Melissa Potemra has switched to a job closer to home and we are all reluctant to see her go.  We wish her the best.  She has been a really good counselor!  Melissa is staying on with Key Point as a relief Residential counselor.

During the summer months,  several consumers expressed interest in learning the Spanish language. A group of consumers gathered together and decided to form a Spanish Club, which is a peer-led group that gathers together for 45 mins. during goal time at the Harford PRP. Consumers are learning the basics of the Spanish language (i.e. days of the week, greetings, numbers, etc) and will advance as the meetings continue.

Stay tuned for more to come!!!!

The consumers at Key Point Health Services (Harford PRP) had the opportunity to participate in this years HCC Art Exhibit to celebrate 21 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under the direction of Liz Tutino, Consumers were able to submit their  personalized artwork and have it displayed at the Harford County Community College. The Harford County PRP of Key Point Health Services, along with other entries from The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region’s inclusive recreation program as well as by the Harford County Cultural Arts Board. Consumers were very excited to see their work displayed and this experience has not only increased their self-esteem and confidence, but it has allowed them to see that creativity is abundant in their lives.

Click to view slideshow.

This has obtained approval for 6.5 CEUs for LCPC/LGPC counselors since the brochure was printed.

Click here to download the brochure and registration information.

More information can also be obtained by calling 443-625-1583.

Registration deadline is July 14th.  Cost is $75.

Thanks,
Michael

S.P.I.N. Inc., commonly known as Support Peer Independence Now, located in Aberdeen, MD is a supportive group of peers that gather together to participate in a variety of activities, support groups with varied topics of interest, and programs that allow for consumers to hold one another accountable and to enrich their lives despite their illness, by providing an open door for recovery to take place and for Independence to become a reality in the lives of those who are active participants.

On Sunday, June 26th, 2011,  S.P.I.N. Inc. will be having a fundraiser from 8am-10am at the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar at 991 Beards Hill Road, Aberdeen, MD 21001. This event is all you can eat, so please come with an appetite.

For more information, tickets can be purchased at the door or at the S.P.I.N. Inc office located at 19 Franklin Street, Aberdeen, MD 21001 (Across from Aberdeen library)

Contact Number for tickets:

Tickets are: $5.00

443-327-7810

Please support such a good cause. It is greatly appreciated! See you there!

Monika Butke has joined us as a new full-time rehabilitation counselor effective this week.  Monika brings with her some fantastic experience in behavioral and educational plan creation.  In addition to her mental health background, she packs strong capabilities in the MR, substance abuse, and forensics areas.  She has a master’s in forensic psychology with a concentration in substance abuse from John Jay College of Criminal Justice / CUNY.

Wanda Moore is gradually stepping into her new role as a part-time counselor with the PRP during late June.  Since her hire as a driver several weeks ago she has spent every spare moment when not driving helping out in the computer lab, in the community room, and with classes.  More on her background and experience here.