Thoughts about integration as CHD Health & Wellness turns 1 year old

It was gratifying to know that we have made it through the first year with healthy financial outcomes. Of course there is much more to be achieved financially, but our outcomes are very solid for the program being only one-year old.

But financials provide only one reason to be gratified. Some of the best reasons for feeling gratified, however, are directly related to client outcomes. As mentioned before, clients report feeling very satisfied with the integrated services program, that they have safe housing, that they are satisfied with their social connectedness and that they are generally satisfied with their lives.

The real mark of the success of our program, even only at the one-year goal, is the physical health outcomes. Health indicator data are presently being analyzed and will be available for mention here soon. But for now, what can be said is that clients are actively moving about, engaging in exercise and other wellness programs and attending their primary care visits and follow-up appointments. One client recently said of the primary care provider, “I really like [her]. She is very different from all other doctors I’ve had because she listens to me. She spends time listening to me, she shows compassion and is very helpful and gives me good advice.”

So, as the program turns one-year old, permit me to thank all who have been involved with our program, namely the staff at CHD who have helped with our success. The CHD Health & Wellness team continues to be grateful for collegial support and looks forward to many more years of program success and enhanced client wellness.

Relationship Between Integration and Employment Behavior

A closer examination of the rates of employment and job training participation by clients enrolled in CHD Health & Wellness integrated services program is warranted. What is known is that at baseline, only 6% (5) of clients were enrolled in school or job training and 13% (10) were employed.  One-third of clients did not finish high school (28, 36%) and an equal proportion (26, 34%) has some college experience.

 

By the six-month data point, however, the number of clients receiving school or job training increased by 300%. Yet there was a drop of 40% in those employed at six months.

 

Six the data are for a mere six-month in time, the findings are merely trends. But it is interesting to speculate about what these trends may mean for participants in CHD Health & Wellness.

It is possible that clients become so engrossed in the wellness offerings provided by the integrated services program that their time is consumed by participation in the programs. Similarly, as a result of enhanced integrated clinical care, clients are feeling better and, as a result, encouraged to make a career change or return to school for further training. This last possibility is supported by the data which indicate that clients report feeling happier, more well-adjusted, and socially connected.

This is a trend that we will keep a close eye on as the 12-month data become available for analysis.

Mandalas | Self Symbols

Mandala is Sanskrit for “sacred circle”. It is way of creating order and balance by using the circle as a container for emotions, colors and patterns. In this exercise, clients were given a history of how the mandala is used in various cultures, including the meditative sand mandalas of Tibetan monks and the “medicine wheel” based on the four directions of Native American teachings. Clients could use mediums of their choosing and were given a template to fill in or an already designed mandala to color. Each client was asked to title their mandala.

The art therapy intern a new bulletin board that showcases the mandalas that were created in the two workshops. See photos below.

Double Self-Portraits

For this art therapy activitiy, clients were instructed to create a self-portrait using the medium of their choice to depict two self-portraits. The first portrait was to illustrate how they feel people see them. The second portrait was to illustrate how they wanted to be seen by others. Several client self-portraits are provided below.

 

 

 

 

 

Staff Impressions of CHD Health & Wellness

To date CHD Health & Wellness has enrolled approximately 120 enrollees. Regarding our program, one clinician had the following thoughts to share: “First of all, I think it’s brilliant to offer “whole care”; it just makes a lot of sense. When people come [to CHD], they are usually in high need. When I meet with people for an intake, I always ask if they have a primary care provider. When I can offer them primary care and wellness groups in addition to mental health services, they get really excited. And I think this approach helps retain clients; it keeps people more connected to their care; it provides a path for them to take care of themselves.”

 

Another staff member, a team coordinator at CHD, had similar comments about the integration program. "I think it is awesome. I give it two thumbs up! It is really fantastic to be able to bring clients here, clients who might otherwise experience a lot of anxiety around doctor's appointments due to crowded waiting rooms, and long wait times. There aren't wait times here and my clients are familiar with the building. This is so easy and really comfortable. I really like [the primary care provider], and I just think it is a great program."

Thoughts on Our Writing Retreat

The act of putting pen to paper for persons with mental illness is cathartic. It is true that clients who attend our writing retreats sometimes struggle to find their writing voices, many of whom have been told that they are not good writers or who have not been encouraged to write. But once they set fear and reluctance aside, they produce wonderfully descriptive and powerfully-written pieces.

The process of appearing for the retreat, preparing to write and settling into their physical writing spaces appears to embolden them, even more so time after time. They often proudly share their thoughts and plans for writing during the class. They offer one another suggestions for writing topics in keeping with the theme of the class. It is delightful to experience their growing confidence with the writing craft.

Although ours is a space in which clients can write about painful and terrible experiences, our clients appear not to either need or wish to do so. Perhaps these kinds of writings are saved for the confines of their private rooms and apartments, but in our writing space, clients tend to write about positive experiences. It is curious why this should be so, but perhaps our clients are a happier lot. Or, then again, maybe it is the space that we’ve created that enables them to feel hopeful about their craft and hopeful for their futures.