September 2006 Newsletter (Read-Only) - Wendat

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Page 4 WENDAT UPDATE New People and People News A warm welcome is extended to the newest members of the Wendat staff. Joining Kathy MacNeil the Crisis Services is Kathy MacNeil from Truro, Nova Scotia. Kathy holds a B.A. in Psychology and more recently completed a Bachelor of Social Work degree at Laurentian University. She gained valuable experience working in community mental health in Alberta as well as several locations in the USA. Kathy is filling the full time position made available with the promotion of Tara Murdock to Program Supervisor for Case Management. In addition to her responsibilities as a Program Supervisor, Tara has also returned to school on a parttime basis to com- Tara Murdock plete a Master’s degree in Social Work. Congratulations, Tara. Karen Lizotte Karen Lizotte has joined the Crisis Team as a part-time worker. Karen is an RN with many years of experience in mental health. She also holds a full time position with Out Patient Services of the Mental Health Centre. Krista Morrow Expanding their role at Wendat is Krista Morrow and Deborah Hanmer, who will be Deborah Hanmer supporting the Crisis Team on an occasional, part-time basis in addition to their case management responsibilities. Jill Spiker is the new Coordinator for the Social Club program. Jill graduated from Jill Spiker Laurentian University with a degree in gerontology. Her experience working at the Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene and at Hillcrest Village has well prepared her for the challenges of her new position. We are very pleased to have added a new person to our Peer Support staff with Dan Whittam. Dan’s wide range of interests and skills, ranging from a diploma as a Fish & Wildlife Technician to Fitness Instructor, will be a Dan Whittam great asset to the Social Club program. Wendat is fortunate to have a student placement for 3 days a week for the full school year, in the person of Nicole McDowell. Nikki is a Social Services student and will be involved in several program areas including the Social Club, case management support and fundraising. We have also said good-bye to two staff, Deb Dobbs and Kurt Frost. We wish them all the best in their new jobs.
WENDAT UPDATE Page 5 New Services for Seniors Expected to be up and running before the end of this year is Wendat’s newest program, Psychogeriatric Services. This program will serve seniors with serious and complex mental health needs. There are two services within the one program consisting of a transitional support program and a social work component. The transitional support program will primarily assist persons who are being discharged from the Geriatric Services Program of the Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene and going into a long term care facility within Muskoka or Simcoe County. Currently there are 23 nursing homes across this area. Transitional support workers will provide 2-6 weeks of intensive, daily, hands-on support just prior to and throughout the discharge period to help persons successfully adjust to living in a long term care facility. This includes direct support to the individual client as well as work with direct care-providers of the long term care home. The second component of the Psychogeriatric Service is to provide counselling, information and referral to families who have a senior with mental health needs living at home, and are experiencing difficulties. The goal will be to alleviate family stress and ensure the well-being of the elderly person so that they can hopefully remain living with their family. The staff of the program will consist of a Program Supervisor who will also provide some social work services, two full time transitional support workers and one full time social worker. Two positions are funded within this fiscal year with the remaining two to be funded in the 2007-08 fiscal year. Many thanks are extended to the Ministry of Health for funding this needed service and to the Geriatric Services Program of the Mental Health Centre for their support in identifying the gaps in service and the development of the program. Volunteering: an enormous gift Volunteers are the heart and soul of any non-profit organization. There are 161,000 non-profit organizations in Canada who currently benefit from the work of over 19 million volunteers. Wendat has been truly blessed with extremely dedicated and giving volunteers. We have a dynamic board of directors with a vast array of skills and expertise. Their caring and commitment to persons who are disabled by mental illness is unwavering. This is a group that not only gives huge amounts of their time and talent (the average tenure on the board is ten years), they have all made financial contributions to the agency as well. Our fundraising volunteers deserve special mention. It has been their hard work that enabled us to expand the building just two years ago, and to continue to expand our programs today. No less than 30 community volunteers involved themselves in the capital campaign and an equal number routinely turn out to assist with Tag Days, bingo, raffle ticket sales and special events. We are particularly proud of the many employees of Wendat who also volunteer during their off hours. While we often joke around the office about “mandatory volunteering”, the staff have a strong feeling of commitment to the agency and to the people we serve. It has been demonstrated time and again by the many employees who step up to the plate when the opportunity to volunteer arises. From participating in the annual variety show to painting the building, the volunteer efforts and talents of the employees are extraordinary and greatly appreciated. A total of 18 staff participated in our two Tag Days this year, helping the whole group of volunteers raise more than $7,800 for Wendat’s programs. Two of our employees truly excelled themselves with the last Tag Day held in August. Gord Atchison and Bill Tickle
Page 1 and 2: Executive Director’s Letter The l
Page 3: WENDAT UPDATE Page 3 Wendat Crisis
Page 7 and 8: WENDAT UPDATE Page 7 My Story by La

September 2006 Newsletter (Read-Only) - Wendat

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