Veterans Advocacy Council for Mental
Health
An Independent Council working with
Robert J. Dole, VA Medical Center
October 1, 2012 to
September 30, 2013
2013 Annual Review Veterans Mental Health
Council
Date Council Began:
January 6, 2011
Facility or clinic
Information (examples):
The council is based
at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center Wichita Kansas, a city of about
630,000.
Veterans Mental Health
Council is a council that includes rural Community Based Outpatient Clinics and
Wichita with its’ surrounding areas.
Council Mission Statement:
The mission of the
Veterans Advocacy Council for Mental Health at the Robert J. Dole Medical
Center is to establish and maintain a council presided by Veterans without
management or control by the Veterans Administration (VA), and is therefore,
independent of the VA, to continue to strongly encourage the local VA facility
to maintain the mental health Consumer Advocate Liaison Council to facilitate
stakeholders’ input on the structure and operations of mental health
services. The Council will educate and
update Veterans on the minimum clinical requirements for Veterans Health
Administration (VHA) Mental Health Services in the VA Medical Centers and
Clinics, established in the “September 11, 2008 VHA Hand Book 1160.1.”
Veterans will be
informed of “Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program BHIP Teams”, a system
that’s designed around the needs of the Veteran to establish a truly meaningful
professional relationship between the VA Mental Health Staff, Community
Partners, and Veteran Service Organization in order to improve the quality of
VA Mental Health Services and improve the Veterans’ understanding of the
services available.
2012 Activities and Accomplishments:
The Advocacy Council invited the Suicide Prevention Coordinator and
Suicide Prevention Nurse Case Manager.
The council was asked if it would like to participate in a new project
where individual Veterans, would take training on how to identify and prevent
potential suicide victims and to train others to do the same. When all of the training has been developed
and finished, leaders would be given a Challenge Coin to identify them as the
select few people who are trained on how to recognize the symptoms of suicide
as well as how to get help.
During the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Mental Illness
Awareness Week (MIAW), the council developed handouts and postcards along with
a tri-fold poster providing information about the Advocacy Council. There was a table located in the main building
in the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center.
The Advocacy Council chairman
for the first time represented the council and was a candle lighter, at the
candlelight vigil at Kansas Newman College.
The Mental Illness Awareness Candlelight Ceremony is all about changing
the stigma of mental illness to a positive statement of working for mental
wellness. Dr. Jeremy Crosby Psy.D.,
Co-liaison, for our council, was the guest expert speaker at the event; while
the VA’s participation in the activity was co-lead by our other staff liaison
Janice Roberts LSCSW, Local Recovery Coordinator.
The Advocacy Council initiated
its own Certificate of Appreciation, separate and apart from the Facilities
awards program for staff. The
inspiration for the initiative was recognized, as our own chairman of the
council encountered a staff member in Emergency Room ER who represented the best
of what ER has to offer its’ Veterans.
It was not long after that the Certificate of Appreciation was placed in
the Center Director’s file along with being given to the head of ER and
personally presented by the council to the staff member with a photo op.
The Certificate of Appreciation was also given by the Veterans Advocacy
Council to Dr. John E. Pope, Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS). The council was placed on the agenda for the
Behavioral Services Staff Meeting to make the presentation.
2012 Annual Report Veterans Mental Health Council was completed by the
year’s end. A copy was provided to the
ACOS, our staff liaison LSCSW, and one emailed to Dr. Peggy Henderson, Director
of Consumer and Liaison Services, VACO-OMHS.
Pre-printed materials were made and given to
new members in order to make them more acquainted with the group quicker and ensure
that frequently asked questions are answered.
Effort was put forth to actively monitor and participate on actions
regarding information from the monthly National Veterans Council Conference
Call. Following the example of another
council, we developed a letter of introduction and explanation of benefits
available through Behavioral Health Services and sent it to all surrounding
rural area newspapers and televisions stations within the Robert J. Dole VA
Medical Center catchment area.
We also participated in giving feedback on the Uniform Mental Health
Services Handbook 5 year review when requested.
Our Peer Support Specialist Program began this year. The council invited the management staff and
newly hired Certified Peer Specialists to explain the role of this new program
in Behavioral Health Services and to request that we have open communication
and feedback.
The council invited representatives from the local NAMI chapter to
provide information on an affiliate group.
The Chapter is developing a NAMI Kansas Veterans & Military Council
affiliate. It will be formed and report
to the Kansas chain of command once it is established. We thanked them for their
information but declined to participate.
Rita Snider, LSCSW, VJO
Coordinator, partnered with the council’s chairman’s participation with the Sedgwick
County Sherriff’s Office in the Law
Enforcement’s Crisis Intervention Team CIT training. Representing the Council, the Chairman
completed the 12 hour and 8 hour courses, certified in both Adult and Youth
Mental Health First Aid USA. Months later as a representative of the
Veterans Advocacy Council with Rita Snider, Co-chair of the CIT Board, partnered
with the council in allowing our chairman to be on the CIT Board.
Frank E. Wheeler, Registered
Nurse Mental Health Clinic MHC, member of American Psychiatric Nurses
Association first approached the Chairman of the Veterans Advocacy Council
followed by Janice Roberts, LSCSW, Local Recovery Coordinator, and Council Co-
liaison to invite the Veterans Advocacy Council’s participation in the very
first Department of Veterans Affairs, Robert J. Dole VAMC Community Mental
Health Summit. The Chairman of the Advocacy
Council attended the local mental health summit. This was an all-day event with the intent of
building community partnerships to meet Mental Health needs of our Veterans and
their families.
During the last month of the
fiscal year, the Veterans Advocacy Council for Mental Health, an Independent
Council working with the Robert J. Dole, VA Medical Center took time to
re-invent and re-think what might be a more meaningful mission of the council. The council believes the core mission is to
provide education and knowledge of the responsibility and guidelines in
delivering new services and programs the VA aspires to. Our Veterans have enough on their plate with
disabilities, traumas, mental illness and accumulation of post military
survival.
Concerns brought up during the year that impact Veterans and the
delivery of mental health services:
1.
Computer
Access Lab – non- VA based, to allow
veterans internet access for job applications, e-mail access, etc.
2.
Cross-
training of new patients – information
sharing between the different services for comprehensive veterans care. What do you do between? Type of training
between organizations / disciplines, allowing veterans to query about different
treatment options within Behavioral Health Services.
3.
More Gender
Sensitive Services – Tele-med at
CBOCs, group participation, family education, etc.
VA Staff and Veterans Mental Health Council Information Sharing to
Medical Center:
Partnered with: Frank E. Wheeler, R.N. MHC, member of APNA, in
raising interest in the 1st Annual Robert J. Dole VA Mental Health Summit.
We met with
the three newly hired Certified Peer Support Specialists.
NAMI’s,
Mental Health Awareness Week at the Candlelight Ceremony as a presenter, with
Melissa Gronau, LSCSW, Homeless/HUD-VASH Coordinator at the Annual Homeless
Veteran & Community Stand Down.
Dr. Deselms, PhD, Suicide Prevention |Crisis Center
Coordinator and the Challenge Coin training initiative.
Rita Snider, LSCSW,
Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator, on the local Sedgwick County CIT (Crisis
Intervention Team).
Rene’ Strunk,
Executive Director, Project Independence Inc. CAPs (Consumers as Providers)
enabling Chairman of the Veteran's Mental Health Council to become a Certified
Peer Specialist.
Judge Richard
T. Ballinger in a project called "Community Crisis Center" for
individuals that are in crisis.
In communication with: Judge Eric R. Yost (Probate
Department, Division 12.) Jason Scheck,
(COMCARE, Director of Crisis Intervention Services, Sedgwick County.) Thomas Pletcher, (LCP, LCAC , Director of
Clinical Support and Community Outreach, COMCARE of Sedgwick County.) Dr. Barb Andre (Executive Director,
Breakthrough Club.) Dr. Matthew
Macaluso, DO (Medical Director, Via Christi Psychiatric Clinic.) Patrick Flaming (RN, BSN, Director of
Impatient Operations, Prairie View, Behavioral Healthcare.) Harold Casey (LAC CEO, Substance Abuse Center
of Kansas Inc.) Captain Hassan Ramzah
(Commander Patrol East Bureau Field Services Division, Deputy.) Sabrena Gresham ( Sedgwick County Sheriff’s
Office, CIT training.) Timothy V.
Kaufman (MPA, Director Sedgwick County, Division of Human Services) Allison Woods (Newman University School of
Social Work Veterans, The Department of Veterans Affairs Wichita Vet Center.)
V.A. STAFF
contacts: Frank Wheeler, RN MHC, Diane Henderson, Executive Secretary for the
Center Director, Connie Jarvais, LMSW Homeless Veterans, Michelle Moser, BHS
Operations Manager, and Donna Cox, Lead PSA, Council Staff Contacts, Rita
Snider, LSCSW Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator, Alisa Klick-Davis RN, Mental Health Intensive
Care Management Range Program, and Veteran Service Organizations.
Suggestions/Goals
for Fiscal Year 2014:
1. Improve
attendance at monthly meetings. We
have a large number of members that actively monitor e-mails, but we need more
personal contact.
2. Increase
membership: Develop handouts and posters and elevator speech to increase
membership.
3
Complete more projects and serve more
veterans: Become more proactive
with the support organizations.
Respectfully Submitted:
Veterans Advocacy Council for Mental Health an
Independent Council working with Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center.
Howard Hutchison (Chair)
Cc Staff Liaison
Janice Roberts, (LSCSW)
1. The council gives permission for a copy of this report
to be shared on the VA VMHC SharePoint.
__X__yes _____no
2. The council gives permission for a copy of this report
to be shared with other VMHCs.
__X__yes ______no
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