Summer 2006

2829 UNIVERSITY AVENUE SE

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MINNEAPOLIS MN 55414-3230

Of Volunteers and Pool 3

Wish List: Clients 3

Growing Heart: Why I Volunteer 4

2006 Walk For Justice 4

Donors 2006 5

Diary of a Case Manager 5

Wish List: Program and Staff 6

Volunteering in Minnesota 6

BIPOLAR DISORDER: A TALE OF CHARACTER

Continued on page 2

Patricia’s story illustrates her statement well. In 2001, she was 22 years old and living alone in Winona. She knows now that she was becoming increasingly manic because she was erratic in her use of prescribed medication. Patricia describes herself while manic as “charming and manipulative,” and says that she convinced her family, friends, and new landlord in Robbinsdale that she had found a job in the Twin Cities.

But she didn’t have one. With no retail experience, she persuaded the manager of an office-supply store to hire her as Operational Assistant Manager, but unable to handle the responsibilities, she soon lost the job.

She didn’t eat. She didn’t sleep. She was homeless. Admitted to the hospital for the second time in her life, she stayed about a month. Her first admission was in 1994 at age 15, after not sleeping for seven days. This failure to sleep resulted in a psychotic episode, including paranoid symptoms such as hearing voices.

Life with Bipolar Disorder isn’t a piece of cake, but it sure builds character!

Nevertheless, her current life is a story of success. She began working with Kara Vangen, a Case Manager for Touchstone Mental Health, during her second hospitalization. Case Management Services, which serves 130 clients a year, works quietly behind the scenes of individuals’ lives. The work is usually not as dramatic as physically saving a life, but in the end, case managers accomplish just that through their relationships with consumers.

Case managers: Teach individuals to manage their illnesses. Make sure they take their prescribed

medications. Help them find housing. Work with them

to develop activities that give meaning to their lives, such as school, employment or recreation.

Encourage them to build relationships that support mind, body and spirit.

With Kara’s assistance, Patricia moved to People Inc.’s Nancy Paige program in Minneapolis upon her

A sample of Patricia’s art

Kind WordsFROM TOUCHSTONE MENTAL HEALTH

Inside this issue


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VOLUME 6

ISSUE 2SUMMER 2006

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and art therapist, for participation in a Visual Journaling group. Patricia states,

“I now refer to myself as an artist….I never really looked at my work before. I thought it wasn’t very good and just a bunch of lines…. This gift I possess, like many artists with mental health struggles, has helped me through my pain and has given me the confidence I have been searching for all along.”

Currently, Patricia earns a living in part through her art. She paints faces at company picnics and cancer benefits and murals for children’s rooms. She also works part-time at a coffee shop, and they allow her to design the chalkboard there, which she enjoys. She indicates that the pictures she takes of the boards will be great for her portfolio, which she has been updating for the first time since 1998.

With Kara’s encouragement and the help of Bruce Mortensen from the Minnesota Department of Rehabilitative Services, Patricia began working toward her B.A. degree, taking classes for the past three semesters at Metropolitan State University.

She now wants to attend the University of Minnesota to study interior design, with a minor in business. Her dream is to own her

own shop where she will sell the jewelry, furniture, paintings, clothing, and accessories that she designs.

Patricia wants to acknowledge the people who have helped her: “This healing journey wouldn’t have been possible without the support of staff atTouchstone Case Management Services, the Department of Rehabilitative Services, Nancy Paige Residence, Mental Health Resources, and my friends and family.”

Patricia’s tiled mirror that highlights the Art Wall at Case Management Services’ offices, 2829 University Avenue SE, Minneapolis.

Board MembersKelly Robert, Chair

Sara Barron-Leer

Bill Cochrane

Michaela Diercks

Sharon Toll Johnson, LICSW

Merrie Kaas, Ph.D.

Shelley Majors

Liz Sjaastad

Helen Raleigh, LICSWExecutive Director

Glen Albert, LICSWDirector of Supportive Housing, Assisted Living

Birgit Kelly, LICSWProgram Director, Case Management Services

Margo Cohen, LICSWTreatment Director, Residential Treatment

Lynette AndersonFinance and Benefits Director

Peggy WrightCommunications and Development Director

Mary WoodburyFinance and Administrative Assistant

Editorial StaffHelen RaleighPeggy Wright

ProgramsASSISTED LIVING APARTMENTS7376 Bass Lake RoadNew Hope, MN 55428-3861(763) 536–[email protected]

CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES2829 University Avenue SE, Suite 400Minneapolis, MN 55414-3230(612) 874–[email protected]

INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY3223 East 25th Street, Apt. 5Minneapolis, MN 55406(763) 536–[email protected]

RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT2516 E. 24th StreetMinneapolis, MN 55406-1209(612) 722–[email protected]

Administrative Team

PAGE 2TOUCHSTONE MENTAL HEALTH

BIPOLAR DISORDER,discharge from the hospital and lived there for four months. The Nancy Paige residence is a short-term, crisis-stabilization program serving persons with serious and persistent mental illness.

With the help that she received there, Patricia began her recovery. During those four months, Patricia applied for Section 8 housing, with Kara’s help, and moved to Bloomington when she became eligible.

With stable housing and effective medication, Patricia was able to enter a program that Kara had recommended for her called Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Patricia says,

“In an intense, five-day-a-week, ten-month program, I learned how to distract, self-soothe, observe, describe and take control of my life by creating activities and order. I have not missed a day of medication in five years. I try very hard to get eight hours of sleep every night. These two things cannot prevent another manic episode, but it is easier to monitor my own behavior when I take care of my body and brain.”

With her illness in remission, Patricia was able to pursue her passion, creating art. At 20, she had received an A.A. degree in commercial art. Recently, Kara referred her to Kathie Bailey, a

Continued

Little did Karthik Giridahr know that his role as volunteer would mean that he would spend time around a pool table in the student union at the University of Minnesota with our client Brad.

Only after Touchstone matched him with Brad as our first one-on-one volunteer did the two discover that they share that passion. Getting to know each other was easy after that realization.

Karthik and Brad also both enjoy playing cribbage. They try to get together twice a month.

Having become a nonprofit only in 1999, Touchstone is new to the recruitment of volunteers. In the Spring of 2005, Lyn Gerdis, Case Manager and Volunteer Coordinator, set up a booth at the University of Minnesota Health Fair, which provides an opportunity for health care agencies to recruit students both as employees and volunteers.

Lyn and I had developed our volunteer program during the previous year, and we chose the fair for our first attempt to meet potential volunteers.

PAGE 3 TOUCHSTONE MENTAL H EALTH

Clients

• Dental floss; toothbrushes & tooth paste; dental work

• Deodorant• Donations for medication copays• Facial tissue, toilet paper• Gift certificates for new shoes,

clothing• Shampoo & conditioner; hair care • Multivitamins• YM or YWCA or health-club

memberships

WISH LIST

• Art supplies, including colored pencils or markers, craft kits, a latch hook for rug hooking, knitting yarn

• Bus passes• Gift cards or certificates to coffee

shops, McDonald’s, Target, Cub• Household products—dish soap,

laundry soap, antitstatic sheets for the dryer, paper towels

• Household items—Flatware; bedroom rugs (approx. 3x5); table lamps, lamp shade for large floor lamp; laundry baskets with handles (net type to carry with one hand); TV, portable, with built-in VCR and DVD; microwave (small, digital, for the countertop); firm pillows

• Long-distance phone cards• Recreational products—Magazine

subscriptions, movie tickets, Scrabble game, VCR tapes/DVDs, men’s 10-speed bicycle; 35mm camera, used ok; film; Walkman

• Punch cards for the FUMC therapeutic pool

• Free or low cost veterinarian services

PERSONAL CARE ITEMS OR SERVICES

OTHER ITEMS

OF VOLUNTEERS AND POOL

Lyn spoke with many students that afternoon, not knowing which students, if any, might choose to become a part of Touchstone’s volunteer team. Karthik was one of the students who stopped by our booth.

A major in biochemistry, he was looking for volunteer opportunities in the field of mental health. Karthik’s father is a psychiatrist, and as a result, the field of mental health interests him.

Karthik and Lyn spoke briefly that day, discussing the different opportunities that Touchstone makes available to volunteers. Six months later Karthik called to inquire about volunteering, and soon thereafter, he became Touchstone’s very first volunteer.

Thank you, Karthik!

As Karthik spends time with our client, we all learn together. He was very patient as we developed our new Volunteer’s Handbook and worked with Hennepin County to change some of their regulations regarding volunteers.

This summer he is traveling in India but will return to his studies and to our program in the fall. We look forward once again to having him on our team!

Karthik Giridahr

PAGE 4TOUCHSTONE MENTAL HEALTH

GROWING HEART: WHY I VOLUNTEER

Continued on page 5

2006 Walk for JusticeOn September 17,

2006, staff and friends of Touchstone Mental

Health will participate in the Walk for Justice for the fourth time.

The funds that we raise through this walk support

the Cynthia Riggs Supportive Housing Fund.

This fund enables us to develop innovative new housing. For example, the funds raised in 2004 helped furnish our Assisted Living Apartments, the first such housing in Minnesota for persons with serious and persistent mental illness.

We need your support in this endeavor. To make a donation online: 1. Go to the Headwaters Foundation

Walk for Justice web site at http://walkforjustice.kintera.org.

2. Click the View Organizations link in the left menu.

3. Scroll down the list until you see the listing for Touchstone Mental Health and click on the link.

4. In the table under Organization Structure, click the Touchstone Mental Health Walkers link.

5. Click a walker’s link or the General Team Donation link.

6. Enter the amount of your donation in the Enter Donation Amount Here box and click Continue.

7. Enter the requested information and click Continue.

You also can mail a check directly to Peggy Wright, Communications and Development Director, Touchstone Mental Health, 2829 University Avenue SE, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55414-3230. Please make the check payable to the Headwaters Foundation Walk for Justice.

Service... Giving what you don’t have to give Giving when you don’t need to give Giving because you want to give Damien Hess

As a board member of Touchstone Mental Health for over six years and board chair for almost two, I have experienced the meaning of each of these phrases. When I ponder this definition of service, I am filled with a mixture of emotions—relief, pride and hope—because of what I have found through my experience.

Giving what you don’t have to give...RelievedServing would be called a hobby if it didn’t require us to reach out to those who need us despite our busy schedules and emotional baggage. Service almost always requires more of us than we feel we have to give. It requires more energy than we think we possess, more time than we think we have in our busy days, and more nerve than we think we can find to move out of our comfort zone and meet its demands.

When I read this part of Damien Hess’ words, though, I felt relief. When I accepted the position of board chair, I had no idea how much work the job would require. An at-home mother of two young children, I accepted the position while pregnant with my second, who is now just nine months old. I have questioned whether I have enough time or energy to serve on the board many times in the last two years.

Hess’ words helped me realize that whatever I can give is enough. Although I will probably never feel that I’m doing enough or that I am easily fitting the demands of service into my life, I am giving what I can.

Giving when you don’t need to give…ProudWe give out no awards at the end our board meetings, offer no applause or pats on the back when someone volunteers extra time outside of meetings or gives financially. Both current and past board members have given their time, experience and dollars simply because they “get it.” I am proud and honored to serve on a board with some of the most professional, intelligent and selfless individuals I know. They give simply because a need exists.

I want to thank Jonathan Burris, who recently left the board, for the gift of his experience as an attorney and for his practical solutions to issues. I always feel a loss when a board member leaves to serve elsewhere, and we will all miss him.

Giving because you want to give…HopefulDoes your blood boil when you see images of genocide in Darfur? Does your heart sink when

you visit an inner-city school? Do you toss and turn at night after watching images of children starving not only for food but also

for love? AIDS in Africa, relief after Hurricane Katrina, local homelessness, the needs of the world can be overwhelming. Many of us want to help but just do not know where to begin. We feel a

void in our souls when we do not direct our energies to some cause outside ourselves and our own lives, but we

also feel incapacitated by the needs that exist in the world.

Although I sometimes feel myself inundated by many good causes, I

recently realized that the solution is to choose a cause that moves my heart. I serve on

the board of Touchstone, an agency that works with people who struggle with mental illness, because I witness the daily struggles of a close

GROWING HEART,

DONORS 2006Ceil Raleigh Endowment FundAnonymous (1)Brian and Paula BergsRhonda Simpson BrownJoan RaleighJane Sebeczch

IndividualsAnonymous (1)Julie DappenMarilyn EhlineLyn and Michael GerdisDianne JensenLorrie and

Marlyn JohnsonSharon Toll JohnsonBarbara KoropchakLisa PoppMargaret and Carl RoserMary Ellen RossMary Kay RomportlClaire Wright

In Honor of Joan Bilinkoff in honor of

Helen RaleighDon and Betty Cashin in

honor of Kathy Cashin

PAGE 5 TOUCHSTONE MENTAL H EALTH

Connie Mortensen-Long in honor of her parents

Devona and Harley Swiggum in honor of Tami Swiggum

In Memory of Scott SandersonCharlene AhrensDick and Ann BergerKenneth and Mary CarterMargaret Anne CullumKenyeon DeGodtLoretta DisneyJeff FlemingDon and Donna FosterMelvin and Mary GratzJerome HaynesMartha KimmerlingThomas and

Patricia MatthewsWilliam and Mary MillerPhyllis Erickson Morton

and Gwyn MortonDeanna PehnertBrad PenceMarilyn RynearsonDick and Rita SandersonDouglas Stewart

Dick and Nancy StillPatricia TharpJeffrey and

Kimberly ThomasGerald Urbach

In Memory of Connie and Bill Riggs

in memory of Cynthia Riggs

Jennie Leskela and Douglas and Aidan Choate in memory of Cynthia Riggs

Jeannette Nelson in memory of Harold Nelson

Businesses and OrganizationsOsseo Lions ClubSt. Raphael’s Church

In Kind DonationsIndividualsAnonymous (1)Kathleen BakkeKathie Bailey

Continued

Ron BellMark HildmanPatricia NelsonBarry NienstadtBarbara RadkeKelly RobertJulie RolesJulie RyanRon VillejoIvy West

Businesses and OrganizationsFriends School of

MinnesotaHealth Recovery CenterMinnesota State Fair St. Paul Saints

Professional BaseballScratch and Dent

Furniture Warehouse

Diary of a Case Manager

June 1Helped Jane search for her first apartment, which must accept governmental housing subsidies. Now 35 years old, she has lived in group homes all her life. Found an apartment in a historic building with hardwood floors in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis.

June 9Went out for coffee with Cindy, who recently lost her significant other of five years. She is lonely and grieving deeply and spent a lot of time reminiscing while I listened. We explored ways to structure her day to find meaningful things to do.

June 15Went shopping with Jane for things she needs to set up her apartment. She picked out a couch, recliner and dining set at Bridging.

July 1Helped Jane unpack and settle in. She met one of her neighbors.

July 10Met with Dan in preparation for an upcoming appointment with his doctor. Helped him figure out what he wanted out of this visit. We wrote down a list of symptoms and side effects of his medication and planned how he would communicate with the doctor to obtain an effective change in his meds.

family member with a serious diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. My husband serves for an organization that advocates on behalf of the local Hispanic population. As a Puerto Rican, he wants to ensure that more Hispanics enjoy the opportunities that this country has afforded him.

Nothing is more beautiful than the idea of every healthy, capable and willing person following a passion and signing up to make a positive impact today. Recently Sara Baron-Leer and Shelley Majors chose Touchstone’s board of directors as a place to channel their passion. Although I’m delighted to welcome two intelligent,

experienced individuals to our board, what thrills me most is finding two people who give because they want to give. Finding individuals like Sara and Shelley makes me confident that we will continue to do better work, that Touchstone’s clients will continue to receive the best service.

Giving to Touchstone Mental Health…Service is not an easy task. Be relieved to know that we’ll take what you can give us and that the best service does not feel like an

obligation. We appreciate those of you who give of your time and resources because you

want to change lives. If you have a passion for persons

living with mental illness and/or have

an interest in joining our board, please contact me at

[email protected].

A full-time case manager sees about 12 clients in a typical week. Her days are rarely the same. Her interactions with clients and the assistance she provides vary greatly depending on each client’s current needs.


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Programs and Staff• Copier paper, white• Diskettes, blank IBM • Furniture dolly• Garbage bags (40 gal & 12 gal)• Laundry soap, dryer sheets• Laser Printer, new • Monitors, flat-panel • Mouse, Cordless (1 or more)• Pens, black • Paper shredder, new• Services from a print shop• Snow Removal for

Residential Sites

WISH LIST

VOLUNTEERING IN MINNESOTA

Minnesota is one of eight states in the nation in which the number of volunteers increased each year from 2002 to 2005.

The rate of volunteering in Minnesota for those years, 40.7%, is higher than the rate for the Midwest overall, 33.2%, and the nation, 28.8%.

For those years, Minnesota is one of the top states in the nation for rates of volunteering among seniors and young adults.

Volunteers in Minnesota spent a median of 45 hours annually in volunteering, which is lower than the median hours for the Midwest, 48 hours, and the nation, 51 hours.

Approximately 30% of Minnesota’s volunteers performed each of the following activities: participated in fundraising or sold items to raise money; collected, prepared, distributed, or served food; engaged in general labor or supplied transportation for people; or coached, referred, tutored, taught, or mentored.

The greatest percentage of Minnesota’s volunteers served primarily through religious organizations, 38.5%, the most popular organization for volunteering in the Midwest and nationally.

According to Volunteering in America, State Trends and Rankings: 2002–2005, which the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency, published in June 2006:

Touchstone Mental Health is seeking volunteers in all capacities: companions who are willing to join clients in recreational activities, fundraisers who can join us in the Walk for Justice, and people who can assist us administratively. Call Bob Marion at 612-874-6409 if you would like to volunteer.

Documents

Summer 2006