Gardening with Clients

Yesterday in the garden, clients enjoyed the warm and sunny weather as well as tilling the earth. We all weeded for nearly an hour, casting aside unwanted plantings and pesky weeds. We are readying the ground for next week's planting of seeds to grow a number of different herbs, flowers and a few vegetables.

Several clients took turns removing two large root-bound daylilies (which found new homes with staff members). They appeared to enjoy the labor involved in removing the plants, which they had deemed inconvenient to the layout they crafted for the garden.

All clients reported that they will return next week. This, despite the hard labor of weeding during the first class. At next week's class each client will choose a packet of seeds to plant and nurture throughout the summer.

Job Opening at CHD

SAMHSA Project Coordinator Job Description

CHD is actively seeking a qualified clinical professional to coordinate its initiative funded by SAMHSA.

Program description: Continued integration of primary and behavioral health care within programs serving adults diagnosed with mental illnesses in Holyoke and Springfield. The program facilitates coordination of medical, mental health, and social support services including wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention and treatment initiatives.

Position responsibilities: Development and implementation of program policies, procedures and workflows in collaboration with Project Director and Chief Program Officer; supervision of program staff, subcontractors and student interns; overall responsibility for day-to-day operation of the Integration Program; supervision of two Care Managers; oversight of quality assurance and quality improvement processes; coordination of data collection and analysis with the program Data Evaluator; management of client recruitment, marketing and development; participation in ongoing professional advancement opportunities and networking with funding agency; facilitation of the integration of primary care services with psychiatric, therapy, and program social support services.

Qualifications: Masters Degree in related field; clinical or nursing license preferred; minimum two years supervisory and leadership experience; excellent organizational skills; high energy, creative and inspirational leader; experience utilizing Motivational Interviewing to promote change; experience utilizing data to improve service quality; bi-lingual, bi-cultural candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Applicants may apply online at www.chd.org using requisition number 14-0077.

Garden Clinic Beginning in May

One Client's Past-Year Treadmill Use

One male client aged 66 has been the most devoted in his use of the treadmill. Since the treadmill was installed in September 2013, this client has spent an average of 236 minutes on it per month. His total number of minutes on the treadmill, which began at just 1, is now a full 12. Below are graphs of his vital statistics collected during the past year as he used the treadmill. What is interesting is that although his weight has not decreased appreciably, it has remained constant and has not increased. Similarly, although the client's blood pressure was higher than first assessed between start and end treadmill use over the past year, there is visual evidence of improved health as the client's waist circumference has reduced.  

5K Walk, Run, Roll - September 14, 2014

 

 

Writing Class in Springfield, MA

Annual Program Data Summary (N=164)

The Center for Addiction Recovery (CAR) conducts the process and outcome evaluation of CHD’s Health and Wellness Program. There were 164 individuals served by Health and Wellness from February 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014. Of those 164 clients, 63 were matched at baseline and 6 month data collection points. What follows is the demographic composition of the population served and the analysis and comparison of the baseline and 6 month NOMs data collection.

There were 164 clients served by CHD’s Health and Wellness program as of March 31, 2014, the majority female (97, 59%). Just under 70% (69%, 113) of clients ranged in age from 25 to 54. Seventy-six percent (124) reported being heterosexual. The majority of Health and Wellness clients identified as Caucasian (107, 65%), followed by Puerto Rican (47, 29%) and American Indian (50, 30%). One client reports being a refugee. Five (3%) report having served in one branch of the military and 76 (46%) have at least one loved one currently serving. Twenty-one percent (30) of clients have no history of trauma. There are 10 cases (7%) of active physical violence in those served by Health & Wellness in the 30 days prior to intake.

Forty-four percent (64) of clients report their overall health to be excellent, very good or just good. Only 32% (46) of clients report not having symptoms that bother them; 59% (86) report no trouble handling daily life, feeling in control over their life (86), or having no trouble handling crises (87). Sixty-six percent get along with their family (97) and 92 report good social situations (63%). At intake, 63% (92) of clients report being satisfied with their housing situation.

Mental illness symptoms afflict many clients. Only 28% (43) report little or no problem with nervousness or restlessness in the past 30 days. Rates are slightly higher for those reporting that things are not an effort (49, 32%). About half of Health & Wellness participants report little to no feelings of hopelessness (76, 50%), depression (83, 55%) or worthlessness (82, 54%).

Four clients (3%) report being homeless in the past 30 days. Ninety-four percent (139) had not been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. In the past 30 days, 95% (141) had not been admitted to a detoxification unit, none had been to jail, and 93% (138) had not been admitted to the emergency room.

Only 9% (13) of clients are enrolled in school or job training and 10% (15) are employed. One-third of clients did not finish high school (47, 33%) and slightly more (52, 36%) have some college experience.

Two-thirds of program participants (95, 66%) report being satisfied with their friendships; 78% (112) have people with whom they do enjoyable things. Fewer feel a sense of belonging (83, 58%) and 72% (103) report enjoying the support of family when needed.

Biometric data collected on program participants at intake reveal many at risk of ill health, notably 52% (76) at high levels of CO Breath scores; 83% of participants have at risk BMI scores; 68% of men and 79% of women have high waist circumference measures. Blood draw sample size is small but outcomes for certain measures warrant further serious attention: notably blood sugar (35% at risk); hemoglobin A1C (63% at risk); total cholesterol (22% at risk); and, triglycerides level (40% at risk).

In this next section, outcomes are examined at six months for the 63 clients for whom there are matched intake and six-month data. There were increases in participants reporting good or better on all functioning domains, including overall health by 31%.

The exceptions were satisfaction with school or work (-21%) and whether symptoms were bothersome (-7%).

There were improvements in mental health symptoms for participants on every domain except hopelessness (-15%).

Clients reporting less than weekly use of tobacco didn’t change at the six-month data point. There was a small drop in the number of clients using cannabis less than weekly, and no change on any other illicit drug use, with no clients partaking (answering "never").

There was a significant increase by 20% in the number of clients fully housed at six months.

The number of clients reporting feeling happy with their friendships rose by 2% while those reporting having someone with whom to do something enjoyable dropped by 8%. Those feeling a sense of community rose by 9% and there was no change in attitude towards the support of family when in need.

 CO breath scores at caution dropped by 66% but scores at risk rose by 3%. More clients had BMI results that signaled caution (+66%). The results for waist circumference were mixed, men with caution level measures dropped by 50%, but 16% more had at risk waist measures. Women’s waist circumference dropped both in terms of those at caution (-300%) and at risk (-7%). More clients had a systolic BP outcome at caution (+10%) and risk (+62%). There was no change in the number at caution for diastolic blood pressure readings and an increase for those at risk by 25%.

Positive responses to program satisfaction questions ranged from 51% to 98%; with the lowest having to do with being informed of medication side effects (51%) and the highest about liking services (98%).

(Source: The Center for Addiction Recovery Report, March 31, 2014)