MDC Co-occurring Disorder Treatment and Supported Employment (powerpoint attached)

• James Oliver – outpatient program manager for MDC  - joliver@mdc-hope.org - (I hate using acronyms, but I’m tired of typing out Metropolitan Development Council – and everyone knows them as MDC anyway.. –ed).
• Happy blue Friday – I’m sorry for not wearing blue (I’m not wearing it either – I hate the idea of paying money to do their advertising for them. Logo merchandise should be at a discount, not a premium –ed)
• I manage a group of phenomenal people.  When you think of MDC and the Center and the co-occurring disorder program – I want you to think of these people. 
• Outpatient Services
  • Co-occurring program
  • Substance use disorder outpatient services – “The Center”
    • Lots of transformation happening here.  We have lots of co-occurring disorder clients
    • Using Living in Balance Curriculum ( https://www.hazelden.org/web/public/livinginbalance.page ) developed by Hazelden (an English name for “Hazel valley”, which is what I’m going to name a retirement mobile home park, if I ever get christening rights to one –ed). Lots of evidence based practices built into the curriculum.  It is easy to use for practitioners and has great outcomes for clients.  Has a number of tracks for training.
    • Recovery coaches are embedded in everything we do.  Recovery coaches make it all work
  • Paul Bruce – pbruce@mdc-hope.org - catch phrase: “Never give up” (James introduced his staff with their catch phrases, which reminds me of a rather mediocre episode – the Griz origin story -  of one of my favorite TV shows - We Bare Bears. The episodes are like 10 minutes long and always have a happy ending – perfect for people with short attention spans.  And Ice Bear rocks, as do most of the episodes. –ed) 
    • I came out of a world on nonsense for 30 or 40 years – I was a percussionist – could play with any band.  I took a lot of drugs – it was a very irresponsible way to live.  I got down to one best friend, and he said he couldn’t support that lifestyle.  I lived in different girls houses – bouncing around – not taking life seriously.  You can party every night in Seattle – I put all my money into that.  I didn’t realize what mental health issues I really had – had 10 hospitalizations in 10 years, with 2 commitments. 
    • What really turned my life around- a Mental Health Professional recommended inpatient treatment.  She said the meds you need can better be worked out in an inpatient program. 
    • Then someone told me I could be a peer – that I had something to give back.
    • As a recovery coach – I help  folks .  often they tell me things they don’t tell their therapist.  I can share stories about homelessness and eating out of dumpsters and all the things you do to stay warm. 
    • There is more than helping people than just putting them into shelters.  People come in with no shelter – they need a place to get shelter and some clothes and food.  We connect you to those resources – those that we have in the community.  There are some great resources and a lot of hope in this community. 
    • “not one person sleeping outside”.
    • James – when I met Paul – I was amazed at how amazing he was.
  • Vernell Hennings  - vhennings@mdc-hope.org - “You can do this”
    • I stared at MDC about a year and a half ago.
    • I came from prison – 20+ years.  I got lucky, and I got a conditional release.  After doing all this time - I’ve been to prison 4 times - I was a drug addict – bottom line.  Every time I got out I said I was going to do it this time. But I went back to drugs  and prision.  This last time, they gave me life without the possibility of parole – gave me 777 years, 77 months, and  77 days.  You get out one day before Jesus comes back. (it is all about the timing. –ed)
    • I was fortunate I had someone who believed in me.  She was my girlfriend, and she became my wife. She kept saying “you can do this”.  She said there was work I could do as a peer.  Someone at MDC gave me a job.  I couldn’t believe I had a job.  My friends in prison called me every week – they couldn’t believe that I had a job. 
    • What happened was I started believing I could do something positive.  People needed help, and all I want to do is help them.
    • I started seeing the police different too. 
    • I’m now going to court and shaking judges ands, prosecutors hands.  Before now, I never walked into a courtroom and walked back out again.
    • Thank you
  • We do treatment at the Nativity House Shelter – our staff does EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - EMDR is maybe a bit like OMD, but without all the digital sampling? Maybe not.. -ed) – we’ve seen some amazing transformation.   She is pretty booked out. Hiring another one for that program. We have a clinician station there.  Catholic Community Services is great to work with. (I’ve heard that too. –ed) We couldn’t do that work without Catholic Community Services – and we appreciate the City’s financial support.
• Supportive Employment
  • If you have clients that need jobs – this is the go-to gal.  she has placed some of the hardest to place clients
  • Shannon Hayes – shayes@mdc-hope.org
  • Vernell and Paul – their stories both ended with employment. (holy smokes, what a segue. –ed) I believe in employment with my heart and soul. 
  • We all have these histories of substance use and mental health
  • We are Medicaid funded
  • Program Requirements
    • Medicaid eligible – with significant  barrier to employment
    • Have to want a job
    • Even if doesn’t meet requirements – send them to me – we can work with them to get them pointed in the right direction
  • The supported employment program – we have till 2021 to prove that this program works. 
  • Client driven – you and I developing strong relationship, building trust, and finding a place you can feel valuable
  • Every day we are making a difference – why wouldn’t we want that in our lives.
  • Process
    • Refer a client to me – phone (Office: 253-284-7811, Cell: 253-278-6693) an e-mail ( shayes@mdc-hope.org )
    • Initial intake over the phone
    • Get Foundational Community Supports approval (Amerigroup) – takes 5 days
    • Formal intake – long conversation where we try to build trust.  Most clients haven’t been through something I haven’t been tested by
    • Career assessment
    • Job plan
    • Resume building
    • Intensive job search –in office 2 days, out enthusiastically working to find folks jobs (and after listening to Shannon talk, I have no doubt about the enthusiastic part. –ed)
      • Lots of education about how everyone has the skills and desire – and they just need clients to stand in front of them
      • No one wants to be a addicted and homeless.  The needs of this program can happen to anyone.  
    • Client Meetings
• Kenneth – what is the chance of someone getting a job?  Shannon – I’ve helped 14 people so far this year.  Kenneth – we are always looking for ways to connect folks. Shannon – you have my name and my phone number
• We’ll make sure to connect folks to mental health or drug treatment if they want it
• If I can’t help you, chances are I know someone who can.
• James
• MDC also has Housing Assistance, Energy Assistance, and an EOC program