Please join me in congratulating April Collins who has been appointed the Support Staff Leader for Burke and Screven Mental Health effective Monday, November 20, 2017.  April has been a valuable employee of Ogeechee for numerous years therefore bringing a wealth of knowledge to share with our support staff.

She will provide supervision to Brittany Askew, Yolanda Oliver, and Michelle Morrison.

Hats off for a job well done to all of our Quentin’s Place staff! Jennifer Munoz- Tevez and her Team have hit the ball out of the park during the ASO audit/quality review held on November 15 and 16, 2017. Felicia Blash assisted Jennifer with much of the follow-up and cross-checking to make sure that no stone was left unturned. A big shout out also goes to Lisa Montford, Marsha Williams, Larry Brown, and Tina Clements for pitching in across the months to make sure everything was in place before the reviewers arrived! We also want to send unlimited thanks to Dr. Bill Chism, Dr. Rob Shuman, Rosemary Johnson, PA, and Jennifer Cox, NP for all of their help in making sure “every I was dotted and every T was crossed”. Our Team finished the survey with a score of 98/100! Congratulations on this remarkable accomplishment!

Please give a rousing CSBMG SHOUT OUT to Mandi Evans and the Soar Clubhouse Youth for being tapped by Sally Vander Straeten, DBHDD Suicide Prevention Coordinator, and Shevon Jones, the Prevention Specialist with the GBI Child Fatality Review Unit, to participate in the filming of a Public Service Announcement.  Our youth will join other youth from the Sources of Strength Team in Cobb County to participate in the production of the PSA.

Key messaging on how to deal with stress, connecting with trusted adults, where to turn for help and how to know when you friends need help are some of the common themes that will be highlighted in the PSA.  Our Sources of Strength Team will also have input into what key messages need to be conveyed in a peer-t-peer message.

Congratulations to Mandi and our Soar Clubhouse Youth Team on this recognition, and the honor of being able to participate in this important Public Service Announcement.

Vivian Hunter and staff at Quentin’s Place along with our Ogeechee Team led by Sharon Jacobs-Washington are highlighted in the recent Imagine Hope, Inc. Annual Report. In addition, I’d like to commend Cali Hollis for assisting with our Dublin Division’s numbers. Way to go, Team! You all have done an awesome job this year!

Vivian Hunter and her colleagues at
Quentin’s Place
tested 282 – up by 137%.

Sharon Jacobs-Washington, HIV EIS
Coordinator for Ogeechee
and her team tested 318 clients this year – up 89%.

It was an uplifting day, and an honor for our agency to have been chosen as the recipient for the Peer Program of the Year award.  We are humbled by this, and pledge to continue to move forward with innovative programming and services to those in our communities, as well as to continue the transformative work of recovery. 

Inscription from the Award

PICTURING and REALIZING a life of RECOVERY, RESILLIENCY, and RESPECT
GEORGIA MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMER NETWORK
PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
CSB OF MIDDLE GEORGIA
PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM
DUBLIN, GA August 24, 2017

Overview of the Peer Programs

The Community Service Board of Middle Georgia (Independence House, Laurens County Site) serves an average of 40 individuals in our Peer Support program, employing an average of 10 individuals in our Supported Employment Program and an additional eight staff members who are Certified Peer Specialists working in the peer/psr programs. People with lived experience help with all aspects of services from treatment planning to facilitating groups and providing transportation. Peers also run an agency wide car wash that’s open to the public. Profits from the car wash are used to benefit the day service programs. We are also proud to mention that we began our first peer emerging adult group in 2014 out of our outpatient clinic. We have received Emerging Adult Support Services Supplemental Grants since 2014 which has allowed us to assist Emerging Adults in finding housing, enroll in GED/college classes, complete CPS/CPS-Y training, provide medication assistance, meals, and in seeking employment as well as assisting those Emerging Adults who present on crisis.   A comprehensive Emerging Adult Peer Support Program was launched in June of 2016 to serve young adults ages 16-26 years of age. The services we provide are Peer Support groups, PSR-I, WHAM, Individual/Family Therapy, and CSI. In November 2016 we opened “The Den” as a program space specific to our Emerging Adults. The Community Service Board of Middle Georgia (The Lighthouse, Emanuel County Ogeechee Division site) also serves an average of 13 individuals in our Peer Support program. Some community activities include designing a t-shirt for the 2017 Respect in Recovery 5K (DBHDD) and attending various recovery rallies. There are two Certified Peer Specialists who facilitate groups. Additionally, our very own Danny Coleman has organized a community-wide recovery event at the Swainsboro Boneyard for a number of years which is well attended and open to peers, advocates, community partners, and stakeholders.  Our agency embraces a strong belief in recovery and, furthermore, believes in people with lived experience. We are honored to be chosen as Peer Program of the Year and thank you for recognizing our efforts.

VOICES OF HOPE – SUICIDE PREVENTION COALITION – DUBLIN/LAURENS

Raffle tickets are being sold to benefit the Coalition.

1 Bottle and 2 Coffee Mugs decorated & donated by Sherlissa Coates.

Tickets are $1.00 each.

Tickets can be purchased from Ellise Tapley or Sherlissa Coates @ CSB of Middle Georgia. 478-272-1190