Employment & Mental Health

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. According to the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), an estimated 22.1 percent of Americans age 18 and older – about one in five adults – suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

Most people living with a mental illness face a number of other life challenges, and many find themselves unemployed.  Although experts suggest that for people living with mental illness, work can be a critical factor in promoting health, recovery and social inclusion, myths and skepticism still exist. Some believe that people with a mental illness lack either  job readiness, or the qualities necessary to meet the job requirements.  Some employers do not want to hire people with a mental illness as they think a working environment will be too stressful for them. These biases only serve to increase barriers to employment for people living with a mental illness.

SUS provides a wide range of services for people living with a mental illness. Founded on the belief that all people can contribute meaningfully to society when given the right supports, SUS offers a full range of Employment Services, including  job readiness, job placement and job coaching. Our programs are designed to assist participants in leading a more independent life by helping them develop a sustainable career path.

Keith Haring

This month, together with tens of millions of people, we celebrate Keith Haring’s 54th birthday, the brilliant artist who died in 1990 of AIDS-related complications. His artwork, simple, colorful and energetic, carries deep meanings. You may have seen his iconic murals of “Happy Valentine New York” in the subway stations, his signature dancing figures on Madonna’s shirt in 80’s, or a “radiant child” coffee mug held in your hands. His work inspired many young artists and designers as well as those who are struggling with various life changing problems.

Long before Haring was diagnosed with AIDS, his distinguished artwork had reflected many socio-political subjects, such as discrimination, AIDS awareness, and the substance abuse epidemic. Over the years, peace, love and equality were the main themes of his work. His last project was called “Tuttomondo” (all-world) on the wall of the church of St. Anthony in Pisa, Italy. All figures link to each other in unique ways, representing different aspects of peace in the world.

Today, we memorize Keith Haring not only because of his outstanding artwork. More importantly, we want to let you know that any help counts. SUS provides tailored services to persons with complex needs such as developmental disabilities, HIV/AIDS, mental illness and homelessness. It is our belief that all people can live successfully in the community as long as they have the right supports. SUS serves more than 3,500 New Yorkers with special needs. But we are not alone. Local communities, educational institutions, business entities and individuals are working together to create more efficient services to help our consumers live more independent, fulfilling lives.  In addition, there are so many ways you can help: a generous donation, voluntary work or simply a word mentioned on Facebook and Twitter.

National Volunteer Week: A Salute to All Volunteers

Since its establishment in 1974 by President Nixon, National Volunteer Week has been successfully calling millions of men and women to dedicate their time and energy to a wide range of fields, such as community, education and human services. This week, we want to pay tribute to the amazing volunteers who dedicate their time to helping SUS.

From counting people who live on the street on cold winters night, to packing necessary kits and  personalized holiday gifts for our consumers, SUS volunteer programs give people a chance to learn about those who are underserved and the importance of community based human services. Through these programs, people are building a stronger bond not only to their communities and with other individuals, but also to their life goals. Just as one SUS volunteer has written:

“My volunteer experience with SUS has been wonderful so far. I have learned a great deal about the services SUS offers and the impact it has on people’s lives. I also have a better understanding of the mental health field and the importance of the peer specialist movement. This experience has motivated me to continue working hard at achieving my education and career goals.”

This Saturday (April 21), the SUS urban gardening program is holding a volunteer event for Earth Day. To learn more about how you can volunteer at SUS, please e mail Minjung Park mpark@sus.org.

SUS Veterans Service Fair

With the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and those returning from Afghanistan, there are a great number of skilled workers re-entering the job market. However, not all returning veterans are able to successfully make the transition back to civilian life without a little help.  Many Veterans face issues such as legal problems, physical injuries, mental illness, homelessness and unemployment.  To continue SUS’s history of assisting Veterans tackle these issues, SUS will be hosting the second Veterans Service Fair on May 23^rd at the Brooklyn Borough Hall.

The goal of the Fair is to provide veterans and veterans’ families with (1) a single point of entry into the network of government and non-profit agencies that help veterans address the major issues of housing, mental and physical wellness, criminal justice, and family reintegration, and (2) access to companies with jobs for veterans as well as assistance in the practical skills necessary for identifying and securing job opportunities.

SUS already has a long list of employers and service agencies signed up to participate in the fair.  More information on who is attending can be found by visiting this page on our website.

If you are a business owner who would like to hire returning heroes or to participate in the Veterans Service Fair, please contact Jason Dubrow jdubrow@sus.org (917-291-7215).

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month Q&A

Over the years, SUS Developmental Disabilities Services (DD) has gained a reputation and expertise in working with individuals with severe behavioral challenges. This March, in observance of the 25^th  National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, we want you to join us in helping people living with such challenges work towards greater independence and to reaching their individual potential as members of society.  Below are the answers to some common questions we get asked about people living with developmental disabilities and the services we provide:

Q: I’ve heard about Autism, but what other issues affect people with developmental disabilities?

A: Developmental disabilities are lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairment, manifested prior to the age of 22 (Centers for Disease Control). People with developmental disabilities can have challenges with major life activities such as language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living.

Q: Why is March Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month?

A: President Ronald Reagan proclaimed March as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in 1987. This observation is a call to each individual in society to become educated about people with such disabilities and the possibilities that lie within them.

Q: What kind of services does SUS have for people with developmental disabilities?

A: SUS offers a wide range of services for children and adults with developmental disabilities, many of whom have multiple challenges. Comprehensive and targeted services are tailored to the needs and preferences of the individuals. SUS provides services in a variety of settings (community residences, private homes, day and after school programs), that offer opportunities for naturally occurring learning and engagement. Specific services offered include life skills development, employment readiness, medical and nursing services, speech therapy, social work, psychological counseling, recreation and nutrition assistance.

Residential Programs

Supervised group living – a home with 24 hour staffing and supervision (ICF and Supervised IRA);
Supported (“semi-independent”) group living – a home with less than 24-hour staffing and supervision;
Non-Certified Housing Options – services that assist persons to locate, lease or buy, and access residential arrangements that are alternatives to traditional group living situations (e.g. Individualized Support Services (ISS))

Day Habilitation Programs

SUS operates community-based day habilitation programs. These programs consist of daytime activities including skill development, and prevocational services to people with developmental disabilities. Services vary in the staffing arrangements, locations, and supports they offer based on individual needs, interests, and preferences. The program focuses on reducing barriers to community inclusion and increasing each individual’s practical skills. Our individuals are involved in volunteer activities including “God’s Love We Deliver” (package lunches and deliver to homes), hospital work (cafeteria service and housekeeping), and training at trade shops (e.g. mechanics).

Respite Services (Recreation)

These services are provided during the day, evening, or weekend offering leisure-time and social activities. SUS’ After-School Programs are located in the Bronx, and provide individualized attention and care in the evening Mon-Fri and/or Saturday mornings for children and adolescents.

Medicaid Service Coordination (MSC)

Services focus on assisting people with developmental disabilities to gain access to necessary services and supports within the community appropriate to their needs and life goals. It is provided by qualified service coordinators and uses a person centered process to develop, implement and maintain an Individualized Service Plan (ISP). SUS provides MSC for individuals who live in our residences as well as for individuals who live at home with their families.

Family Support Services

These include a wide variety of services directed at parents, siblings, and other relatives that enhance a family’s capacity to continue caring for a family member with a developmental disability living at home. As part of Family Support Services, SUS administers a Family Reimbursement Program.

Under the Family Reimbursement Program, families apply to SUS for financial reimbursement for expenses not covered by Medicaid for service needs of their children with developmental disabilities. Services reimbursed include weekend getaways, babysitting, and medical equipment not covered by Medicaid

Japanese Researcher Visits the ACT Team

On Thursday 3/1/12 the SUS ACT Team hosted Dr. Naoko Yura Yasui who is a researcher from Research and Service in Rehabilitation in Japan. She came into the US to gather information on how ACT Teams integrates community treatment. Currently she is working on a project that is promoting Illness Management and Recovery program in ACT programs in Japan (Wellness and Self Management). She stayed all day at the SUS ACT Team gathering relevant information about how the SUS ACT Team implements Wellness Self Management with ACT clients. This was accomplished by her asking questions and hearing power point presentations. The presenters of the power points are Luis Lopez, Director of Evidence Based Practices and Peter Boutros, Team Leader. She also took a tour of the Recovery Center by visiting and gathering information from Don Holford, VP of Behavioral Health and Health, Paul Ney, Supervisor of the Wellness Clinic, Marie Sabatino Club House Director, and staff from Employment and the Veterans Program. The opportunity was made available through the recommendation of Pascal Jean Noel the director of the ACT Institute. She strongly recommended SUS ACT Team to provide the information of how the Wellness Self Management is implemented here in New York State with ACT Team clients.

Professional Development

In the field of human services, sustaining federally standardized high quality of care ultimately benefits our consumers. To achieve this goal, continued professional training and development is essential. It helps us align with the best practices in business and service delivery to meet the demands of the present and the needs of the future.

At SUS, various programs are, thus, designed to foster competence, confidence and professionalism among our staff. Two of the most recent initiatives are Sustainability Library and Trauma-Informed Care training.

Federally funded by CHAB (Co-Occurring and Homeless Activities Branch) of SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), our Sustainability Library, located at SUS WellnessWorks! PLWAoffice at housing programs for former homeless adults living with AIDS (St John Place and Davidson), is intended to be an expandable pool of knowledge and resources for not only our current staff members, but also future library visitors. This library contains references and training books, as well as DVDs, about psychotherapy and substance abuse treatment from classic texts to the most recommended clinical practice manuals.

Myrna Wilson, MSW (Harm Reduction Specialist at St. John Place of SUS) is using the library.

The idea of converting our present resources to durable and tangible assets came from Project Director and Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr. Michael Benibgui, Ph.D., who selected the most valuable reference materials (books, manuals, and training DVDs) on evidence-based treatments for co-occurring disorders from experts’ recommendations and his own research. Dr. Benibgui’s latest contribution towards ensuring standardized quality of care was to a SAMHSA and HHS (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) funded publication, entitled A Practical Guide for Providing Behavioral Health for People Living With or Affected by HIV/AIDS, which will soon be available in the library upon its publication.

Staff members at St John Place, SAMHSA-PLWA and SAMHSA- Mental Health have been borrowing books consistently since the establishment of the library. This corner of the office room is now popular knowledge replenishment for our clinical and housing staff, specialists and others who seek to hone their counseling skills in order to better serve consumers.

As the leading agency in the human services, we hope SUS Sustainability Library one day will grow and become available to other professionals in the field. The more we share, the higher the quality of human services can reach, therefore the better we can serve.

(For all of you who want to help, our library is still growing. Please contact Dr. Michael Benibgui,  Ph.D. if you have related books to donate.)

This notion of sharing lies in another important aspect of professional development at SUS, namely training. Our self-funded service improvement program – Trauma-Informed Care – is open to serve as a care cooperator with other agencies.

Since its initiation in November 2011, the “Trauma-Informed Care” team has trained around 100 wellness coaches, supervisors, peer specialists and group facilitators from SUS. Soon everyone who comes into contact with consumers will be trained with the knowledge of trauma and of how to avoid re-traumatization and reduce impacts of trauma.

One small step forward, by shifting the focus from asking the people “what is wrong” to “what happened”, we begin the process of developing more systematic and standardized services to accommodate the needs of our consumers.

One of SUS’s core values is to “engage in an ongoing effort to improve our services and internal practices”. We strongly believe that a high quality staff team is the essential element to help us achieve the state-of-the-art quality of care. By providing resources and opportunities, we are building up a highly competitive team in the field.

Cultivating a Vision in the Arts

SUS recently launched the Visionary Arts Project under the leadership of SUS Director, Marie Sabatino. According to Ms. Sabatino, this idea was influenced by a number of different elements which helped to bring this project to life. “I saw a great deal of artistic talent within SUS and an innate need for people to express themselves creatively, and I wondered how far these talents could go if we were to take it to the next level.” Soon after, this project was further conceptualized and pitched to SUS Vice President of Mental Health, Wanda Cruz-Lopez, and Chief Executive Officer, Donna Colonna, who showed a strong sense of enthusiasm and support for this endeavor. Ms. Sabatino then began to draw from her relationships with key figures in the creative arts arena, such as the art dealer and Director of Ricco/Maresca Gallery, Frank Maresca, and Director of Fountain Gallery, Jason Bowman. Once it became clear that there was an interest in collaboration, the group exhibit, MAKE. BELIEVE., was born!

MAKE. BELIEVE. features the works of several artists from SUS, Alfred Samba, Steven Wilks and Aubrey Hedge, as well as artists from other renowned art programs in New York City, including The Living Museum, HAI, Inc., and Fountain Gallery. The MAKE. BELIEVE. exhibition was curated by Frank Maresca and the opening reception took place on January 12, 2012. Mr. Bowman estimates that on opening night, several hundreds of people walked through its doors to admire all the work. The MAKE. BELIEVE. exhibit is on view until March 7, 2012 and is located at Fountain Gallery on 702 Ninth Avenue and 48^th Street,New York,New York.

SUS aims to expand its programs in the arts to even more people who are interested in pursuing this opportunity via its weekly art studio workshop at the SUS Brooklyn Psychosocial Clubhouse. Twelve artists living with mental health conditions have participated in this program and many more would like to explore their own potential for art-making. Without formal instruction and guidance, this can be a daunting prospect. SUS is committed to providing the mental health community with the resources and support to express themselves through the creative arts and to engage with the world-at-large to showcase their talents. With your help, SUS can expand these opportunities to an even larger artist base. Please consider donating to SUS and help us create more meaningful opportunities for our artists of the present and artists of the future!

For more information about The Visionary Arts Project, please contact Marie Sabatino: msabatino@sus.org

For more information about the MAKE. BELIEVE. exhibit, please go to the website.

Young Leadership Council volunteers at SUS

On Saturday, February 11^th SUS Young Leader s held their first volunteer activity of 2012.  Eight dedicated YLCers assembled hundreds of kits that SUS outreach staff give out in the SRO hotels to “engage clients”.

SUS’ SRO Project has been bringing services to more than 15 commercial SRO Hotels in Manhattan and the Bronx for over 10 years. The staff visit the hotels and try to engage residents in services. They provide residents with materials to promote safer sex and safer drug use so that the transmission of HIV can be decreased. The goal is to develop relationships with the residents and encourage them to make positive changes in their lives. The ultimate goal of the program is to make sure that each SRO resident gets connected to ongoing medical treatment and that they move to a more stable and safe living environment.

Because the volume of kits assembled on Saturday, SUS Outreach staff can spend more time in the SRO hotels meeting and talking to potential clients.  We thank all of the volunteers very much!

HIV/AIDS Support

Nearly a month after Science magazine chose a HIV-related clinical trial as its 2011 Breakthrough of the Year, two recent conferences addressed the social and financial support for HIV/AIDS treatment and services. One was the World Economic Forum at Davos, where two major anti-AIDS initiatives were launched to eradicate new HIV infection in children. The other conference was the Care Innovations Summit at Washington, DC, where an HIV Challenge campaign was unveiled to increase individuals’ access to HIV care and improve health outcomes.

These developments make two things possible: protecting vulnerable people against HIV infection and reducing HIV/AIDS mortality to the degree that the infection becomes a chronic condition rather than a death sentence.

While we cheer for the progress, social support is still needed. With 56,000 people becoming infected each year and more than 1.1 million HIV-positive Americans, HIV/AIDS remains an epidemic in the United States. People living with HIV are vulnerable to other social and health related issues, such as substance abuse, homelessness and mental illness; conversely, substance abuse and other mental disorders are risk factors for contracting HIV (source: WHO).  In addition, as many as half of individuals with HIV/AIDS are at risk of homelessness due to unaffordable housing costs and the high cost of medical care (source: NAEH), and the status of being homeless makes their risk of illness even higher. Co-morbidities complicate the various aspects of the healing process, including help-seeking, diagnosis, quality of care provided, treatment and its outcomes, and adherence.

To help them, we need to address their holistic situation.  Not only are residential and supportive services essential, a stigma free environment is also important. At SUS, our Supportive Housing for Individuals & Families, Supportive Housing for Seniors, Harm Reduction Education and Intervention provide help and a safe, non-judgmental environment for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Upon the observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, please join us with your support and help remove the stigma around people living with HIV/AIDS.