National Mental Health Month

2

CNN is Coming! 2

Staff Anniversaries 2

Military Training 3

Ohio Resiliency Ring 3

Inside this issue:

May 2019

Maumee Valley Guidance Center Volume 11, Issue 2

Expressions

Connie Planson, President & CEO

Board of Directors:

Glenn Miller

Kyle Weber

Lewis Hilkert

Jamie Gerken

Michael Shaffer

Jon Rupp

Mick Pocratsky

Shelley Agee

New Program: Parent Café

Maumee Valley Guidance Center is excited

to be bringing Parent Café to the Four

County Area! Parent Café is a prevention

program, aimed to prevent child abuse and

neglect and increase mental wellness. Par-

ent Café has been created out of the

Strengthening Families approach. This pre-

vention approach focuses on protective fac-

tors to build families’ strengths and resiliency. Parent Café helps to en-

courage and promote six main protective factors: 1. Parental Resilience,

2. Social Connections, 3. Knowledge of Parenting and Child Develop-

ment, 4. Concrete Support in Times of Need, 5. Social and emotional

competence of children, and 6. Nurturing and Attachment. Parent Café

is not structured like a traditional parenting class, but is structured as a

guided parenting discussion and support in which parents come togeth-

er to share experiences – both successes and problems. Through this

sharing and support, parent walk away with new ideas and have a

stronger connection to others in their community. Parents leave know-

ing they are not alone in their struggles and are encouraged to reach out

for help when needed, and community resources are made available.

This program has been made possible through a grant through the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund, and is offered at no cost. Any parent, guardian, or caretaker is invited to attend. Each Parent Café consists of three sessions. A free meal is provided and child care is available. Gas cards are also available for families who attend. Parent Café will continue to be offered in each of the four counties throughout the year. The next Parent Café is scheduled in Fulton County on June 4, 11, and 18

th from

5:30 – 7:30 at the First Church of God in Wauseon. For more infor-mation on the Parent Café program, contact Karen VonDeylen at 419-785-3835 or mvgckv@defnet.com.

Parent Cafe

Serving Defiance,

Fulton, Henry, and

Willliams Counties

since 1960

National Mental Health Month raises awareness

about mental illness and related issues in the United States. In recent times, attitudes towards mental health issues appear to be changing. Negative attitudes and stigma associated with mental health have reduced and there has been growing acceptance towards men-tal health issues and support for people with them.

Staff Anniversaries

May—National Mental Health Month

Page 2 Expressions

July

Leslie Taylor Taylor Hueston

Dawn Miller Teresa Eaton

Jim Wilson Chelsea Bunnell

Misty Gomez

August

Dave Brown Jasmine Torbet

Becky Elkins Candace Lawson

Megan Neville

September

Jenny Hoeffell Amy Zimmerman

Lauri Whiteford Ashley Brown

October

Eva Valle

November

Connie Planson Lizza Lewis

Rachelle McDonald Anna Williams

Kim Grimes Shannon Ries

Karen Lause

December

Jerrold Gray Cassie McConn

Thelma Esterline

Marissa Kosier

CNN’s Amy Chillag will be coming out to the Four County Area in June to do a story highlighting the Mental Health First Aid pro-gram that Maumee Valley Guidance Center offers to the commu-nity. Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based, 8-hour train-

ing that teaches participants how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Ms. Chillag will be interviewing staff and course participants, focusing on the benefits of the program, how the community has engaged with the training, and highlighting ways the skills taught in the training have been used in real-life situations. The story will air on CNN on June 18th and 20th. Mental Health First Aid is a program through the Nation-al Council for Behavioral Health. Funding for the program is provided by the Four County ADAMHs Board.

CNN is coming to Maumee Valley Guidance Center

Our staff are always trying to find ways to better serve our clients. Three outpatient thera-pists are completing training through Star Behavioral Health Providers to be able to better serve our military connected clients.

Outpatient therapists Anne Mallett, Meredith Kelch, and Thelma Esterline are completing an extensive five day training, separated into three tiers, to become Star Behavioral Health Providers. The process to become a Star Behavioral Health Provider begins with a one day training about mil-itary culture and the special needs for those connected with the military, including the basics on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The next step is completing a two day training on assess-ment and treatment of mental health concerns for the military and civilian populations, including sleep disorders, PTSD, and suicidality. The last step to becoming a Star Behavioral Health Provid-er is to complete a two day course on an evidence based treatment for a topic of their choice in-cluding trauma, insomnia, pain, suicidality, and depression. Meredith Kelch and Thelma Esterline recently completed the tier three training on Prolonged Exposure which is a treatment for PTSD. Prolonged Exposure Therapy is technique that has been shown to significantly decrease PTSD symptoms with eight to twelve one hour sessions.

Upon completion of all three tiers a provider is listed on the Star Behavioral Health Provider website as a civilian professional with military sensitivity. On the registry, MVGC Clinicians are the only three clinicians within a twenty mile radius who see adults, children, and adolescents. Alt-hough the training is made with a focus on military connected clients the information and tech-niques taught are applicable to many clients.

Military Training for Staff

Page 3 Volume 11, Issue 2

Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the

great things while they are small. A journey of a

thousand miles must begin with a single step.

Lao Tzu

Staff Attend the 14th Annual Ohio Resiliency Ring

On May 9th, members of Maumee Valley Guidance Center’s

Prevention Department attended the 14th Annual Ohio Resili-

ency Ring at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. In recogni-tion of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, the Resiliency Ring is an opportunity for youth, families, and organizations to celebrate strengths, resiliency, and tri-umphs, and bring awareness to youth mental health and

wellness. Maumee Valley Guidance Center joined other organizations from around the state, highlighting efforts in suicide prevention, school-based programs, and promotion of mental health awareness.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to enhance the

quality of life of those we serve

across the life span emphasizing

treatment, community involve-

ment, and innovative programs

and to diminish the prevalence

of behavioral health disor-

ders. Our mission also supports

preservation of the attributes,

traits, and qualities of small com-

munity life unique to Northwest

Ohio.

211 Biede Avenue Defiance, OH 43512

Maumee Valley Guidance Center

800-569-3980 Email: mvgc@defnet.com

Enhancing the Quality of Life for Those We Serve

www.maumeevalleyguidancecenter.org

Maumee Valley Guidance Center

211 Biede Avenue

Defiance, OH 43512

800-569-3980

Email: mvgc@defnet.com

www.maumeevalleyguidancecenter.org