Bridges to Care and Recovery Program Report Fiscal Year 2017, Quarter 1 (July, August, & September 2016)

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1 PROGRAM PROGRESS TO DATE Bridges to Care and Recovery Program Report Fiscal Year 2017, Quarter 1 (July, August, & September 2016) This report represents an overview of progress made in the Bridges to Care and Recovery (BCR) program during the months of July, August, and September During this period, recruitment efforts were made to identify new churches to participate in the training program. Additionally, new staff were recruited, and the new workflow and processes have been established. Individualized Pastoral Orientation In order to solicit greater buy-in and understanding of the BCR mission and program, individualized orientation sessions were delivered to each new church. These sessions include the pastors and congregants who have been selected to serve as Wellness Champions. In some cases, the presentation was made to the Bible Study classes to encourage a higher level of participation. One hundred and thirty- seven (37) people in total were educated about the Bridges program and received an orientation to the training modules. In addition to the completion of an application packet and Memorandum of Understanding, a pre-assessment is completed to identify strengths and areas of development as it pertains to mental health and substance use related supports in the church. This gives a baseline to determine what supports are needed. At the end of training, we distribute the same survey to determine changes over time after participating in the training. Additionally, this process allows us to communicate the expectations for participation, provide an overview of the training dates and times, and establish a relationship with those willing to participate in the program. Recruitment of Cluster 3 The training schedule and potential sites to host the training were identified and selected. Approved churches had the opportunity to offer their sites for training. BCR wants all the churches to feel inclusive in being a part of the planning process when possible, and offering their churches for the training sessions helps churches to encourage more of their members to participate. By participating in this process, Wellness Champions have an opportunity to network while becoming We need to do this so when people come to our church, they can leave saying I am so much better since I lay my burden down. - Pastor Carl Smith, on the importance of churches joining Cluster 3 familiar with the community layout and to see how other churches are displaying their behavior health ministries. For instance, do bulletin boards include behavioral health information posted or are their tables with literature in areas that are visible to the members and visitors? These shared experiences will help spur ideas on what is working so the new Wellness Champions can improve the health ministries in their respective congregations. Page 1

2 Pastor s Brunch The Pastor's Brunch was held on Thursday, September 08, There were 23 pastors' in attendance. The group was excited to be a part of the training noting how great the need is in their church and community. As of this report, 14 churches have submitted their required paperwork and are on track to participate in the 20- hour training curriculum. Attendees of the Sept Pastor s Brunch Media Coverage of Bridges Our latest media coverage for the Bridges to Care and Recovery program appeared in the St. Louis American on 9/15/16. (see attached and link below). Pastor John Smith (seen in photo at right) and Elder Calvin Teague of Scruggs Memorial Christian Methodist Church and the Reverend Carl Smith of New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church are becoming great representatives and speakers on behalf of Bridges. They are sharing the success they are experiencing as pastors supporting their members and how the training has prepared them to provide assistance to those in need. The link to the article is below: Collaboration Activities Photo credit: Wiley Price, St. Louis American Bridges staff are working closely with BIAS (Bilingual International Assistance Services (BIAS) to present training on determining eligibility for health insurance through the Market Place, and for those ineligible, how to access Gateway to Better Health. BIAS and BCR entered into a contract to educate and inform the churches served by Bridges. BIAS staff have visited and presented at four BCR activities where the Wellness Champions were participating. Churches will have an opportunity to provide education about this important resource to their congregants and community members. BHN continues to work with contacts through the Federally Qualified Health Centers, Affinia Healthcare, People s Health Center and Myrtle Hilliard Davis. While they are no longer providing community connector services, they continue to refer people to BCR and provide support for people who are in need of primary care services. Page 2

3 Monthly Meetings The monthly meetings continue to expand and are held the fourth Thursday of every month at New Horizon. Each month a local organization is invited to present to the participants in attendance. These meetings are a way to introduce resources from the community to the wellness champions, so they will understand who to contact and how to access services needed for their congregations. Our monthly meetings have on average about 12 people. We are working to re-engage some of the churches from Cluster 1. Cluster 3 will be invited to participate but are expected to join us after they complete their scheduled training to become a Behavioral Health Friendly Congregation. Efforts will be made to re-engage those churches who do not participate as often in the monthly sessions. Additionally, we are asking the Wellness Champions to complete a brief monthly report to track the impact of their training as it pertains to behavioral health activities and referrals. Securing this information will help us to determine if our churches are benefitting and if they are providing information to the congregation. July Monthly Meeting Topics Behavioral Health Response (new community faith-based advisory committee invitation) Alive and Well Ambassadors Program August Senior Count Program Suicide Prevention September VOYCE- Long-term Care Options Christian Hospital Inpatient Senior Services Snapshot of Key Events October 09, 2016 Behavioral Health Kick-Off for Cluster 3 October 20, 2016 Monthly Meeting- Stress Management and Affinia New Opioid Inpatient Center October 22, 2016 Mental Health First Aid Training for Youth November 10, 2016 Becoming a Trauma Informed Congregation November 17, 2016 Monthly Meeting-Toxic Stress, Mental Health and You Hiring Update BHN is partnering with BHR to re-hire the Community Connector. An individual was hired for the position and spent several weeks training. However, due to personal circumstances was unable to continue in the role. Therefore, the position has been reposted and interviews will begin soon. Special Welcome to KALETA CRISP who joined the BHN team as the BCR Project Coordinator on November 1, Ms. Crisp holds a Masters of Public Policy Administration from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, with a Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management (2013) and Nonprofit Leadership Management (2014), She worked full time at BJC -Behavioral Health for ten years, most recently as the Senior Community Support Specialist. Ms. Crisp has utilized her experience to advocate for marginalized populations. She currently serves on the Anti-bias/Anti-racism board at City Garden Montessori. Page 3

4 PROGRAM IMPACT Behavioral Health Friendly Churches Development In addition to the activities described above, BCR continued collaboration with the church community resulted in between July 1, 2016 September 30, Number of Churches who have submitted all paperwork for Cluster 3: 14 Number of Congregants educated on the Marketplace through the BIAS collaboration: 75 Community Connector Impact A total of 154 people have been referred to Bridges Community Connector services since January Between July 1, 2016 September 30, 2016, 13 individuals were referred. Key characteristics of referrals included: 91% African American 44% had Medicaid; 24% were uninsured 68% Female 32% Male Of these 154, 93 individuals have engaged in BCR services (a 60% engagement rate). Of those who did not engage, 38 declined services, 22 could not be reached upon follow-up, and one was already in mental health services. (This individual was reconnected with their community mental health center upon referral.) Of those engaged, 69 individuals have been successfully connected to at least one service (a 75% engagement rate). Those engaged and not yet connected are currently being outreached or have referrals in progress. Motivational interviewing is utilized to foster motivation to connect and maintain participation in services. From July through Sept. 2016, 59 counseling sessions were delivered through Bridges funding. A total of 50 people have attended counseling services at Catholic Family Services and Provident between October 2015 April Individuals have received between one and twelve sessions based on clinical need. As a standard, clients are able to receive five sessions and extensions are available based on need. NEXT STEPS The emphasis will be on connecting to services, the provision of training for pastors on self-care, youth mental health first aid, and opportunities for church members to participate in training. The BCR staff will continue to market and encourage potential clients to use the free counseling available. After finalizing the process and operational guidelines, we will go live with our new hotline number established through BHR by the end of November. Additionally, we will: Finalize the hiring of the Community Connector and train the Project Coordinator. Finalize the BCR and BHR workflow utilizing the hotline procedures and protocols. Continue to integrate our data into Efforts to Outcomes to track outcomes which will assist us in evaluating the program and gauge impact. Continue the monthly meetings and ongoing training support. Finalize and analyze the Pre and Post Self-Assessments for Cluster 3. Page 4

5 CLUSTER 1 CHURCHES St. Luke's Memorial Baptist St. Alphonsus Liguori Rock Catholic Scruggs Memorial C.M.E. St. Matthew Lutheran Lane Tabernacle C.M.E. Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ Galilee Missionary Baptist New Horizon Christian Mount Beulah Missionary Baptist CLUSTER 2 CHURCHES Bethesda Temple Church West Side MB Church Holy Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Kossuth Church of God in Christ Murchison Tabernacle Metropolitan Baptist Church Mount Airy Missionary Baptist New Beginning Missionary Baptist New Northside Missionary Baptist Northside 7th Day Adventist St. Paul A.M.E. Church CLUSTER 3 CHURCHES Faith Miracle Temple Greater Pentecostal Church of God Greater Rising Star MB Church North Galilee World Overcomers Christian Center Mt. Zion MB Church Lily of the Valley MB Church Centennial Christian Church North Galilee Baptist Pine Lawn Glen Echo Pavilion of Praise Christian Church The Equation Church Temple Church of Christ Oak Grove (See next page for map noting location of churches) Page 5

6 Bridges to Care and Recovery: Behavioral Health-friendly Church Locations Page 6

7 Churches train as wellness champs By Sandra Jordan Sep 15, 2016 Research reports nine out of 10 African Americans view their church as having a positive impact on their lives and that African- Americans prefer to rely on their church for support with mental health problems as opposed to seeking professional help. We know that some of these things are a carryover from childhood and are deep-rooted issues, said Rev. Carl Smith, pastor at New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church in Woodson Terrace, Mo. And spiritually, you can make a person feel good by saying some words and they will be only maybe for a minute but once they leave the church, they are still dealing with that same issue. Sometimes the professional support needed is beyond what the pastor or church can offer. That is where the Bridges to Care and Recovery training of the Behavioral Health Network of St. Louis (BHN) makes that connection providing mental health education and resources to the community through faith-based organizations. BHN is providing tools to church leaders who previously were not aware of the referral process or mental health resources in the community. Page 7

8 New Beginning has three church members trained as volunteer Wellness Champions. It has helped us tremendously, because we have members in the church that some, you can kind of tell what s going on with them others, we have not, he said, but since we have shared with them about the program and what it s about, they have talked with some of the champions and have benefitted by the program. Members have been referred to outside resources. If I don t have the answers, there are resources out there that we can refer them to, Rev. Smith explained, and especially with counseling, if it is past what I can do spiritually, and they would need maybe a psychologist or a psychiatrist BHN would actually pay for them to go and be counseled by a professional. Persons referred to BHN for counseling receive it at no cost through its partners, Provident Counseling and Catholic Family Services. We have funding to offer up to five free sessions of counseling for people in need who attend churches or live in the communities of churches participating in our clusters, Wendy Orson, CEO of Behavioral Health Network of Greater St. Louis, said. The program is funded through generous contributions from SSM Health and Missouri Department of Mental Health. These services will be offered until the funds are depleted. All other payment sources are utilized first. Orson said by utilizing Mental Health First Aid, an evidence-based, community-focused approach Bridges trains Wellness Champions to identify consumers in need of mental health services and to provide information regarding treatment options in a supportive, non-threatening, culturally competent manner. The champions receive 19 hours of training. They are the ones who will provide resource information to their members who are in need, and of referrals for behavioral health counseling, Orson added. At Scruggs Memorial Christian Methodist Church in St. Louis, the training was an eye-opener for its pastor, Rev. John Henry Smith, Jr. who participated in BHN s first cluster. It just appeared that we were not reaching our congregation, Rev. Smith Jr. said. Scruggs CME created a space within the church where people would know it is a mental health friendly congregation. People can go there even if they are acting out. Rather than call the police, the pastor said champions talk to and reason with them in a respectful manner. I began to look at very seriously at, how we, even as pastors, preach about depression, preach about demons and situations that people are dealing with, and sometimes we just believe we can lay hands on them or pray for them and that s going to go away, Rev. John Rev. Smith Jr. said. And, having an understanding that God has not allowed us to develop these disciplines for naught and we need to use them to bless people. Churches that are interested in participating in Behavioral Health Networks Bridges to Care and Recovery program should contact Rose Jackson-Beavers at Page 8