Aging and Disability Network Meeting Minutes 10/13/15

Aging and Disability Network Meeting Minutes 10/13/15

Present:  Kim Swire (St Peter’s CHOICES), Amy Hughes (Veterans’ Peer to Peer), JoAnn Zales (National Grid), Reed Lehan (Saratoga County DSS), Stacie Boni-O’Neil (Family Self Sufficiency), Chris Camburn (Family Self Sufficiency), RJ Stutzmann (Saratoga Hospital), Jennifer Baldwin (Saratoga Hospita), Cindy Harrington (Shelters of Saratoga), Kym Hance (Alzheimer’s Association), Elizabeth Coyne, RN/BSN (Independent PRI and Screen Assessor), Maria Geizer (Home Instead).

Introduction: Cindy Harrington welcomed all attendees. The next Aging and Disability Network meeting will be held on 11/10 at St. Edward’s in Clifton Park, from 2-330pm. Lois Celeste, Executive Director of the Adult and Senior Center of Saratoga Springs, and Carole Beauregard of Community Human Services will be presenting their respective volunteer programs to assist local seniors.

Attendees were able to introduce themselves and make announcements.

Today’s presenter and topic: RJ Stutzmann, Mental Health Unit Case Manager of Saratoga Hospital, to discuss mental health options throughout Saratoga County as well as accessibility of services.

Saratoga Hospital and Saratoga County Mental Health are two separate entities, but they work together and often have overlapping psychiatrists. Saratoga Hospital’s mental health inpatient unit has 16 beds and serves adults 18 years and older. The unit has both voluntary and involuntary admissions; average length of stay is 5-7 days.

The County Mental Health Clinic offers outpatient treatment designed to reduce symptoms of mental illness and emotional disturbance, to improve daily functioning, and to provide ongoing support.  Services include emergency and crisis intervention, screening and referral, individual, family, and group counseling, medication education and management, and symptom management.  In addition to the main clinic in Saratoga Springs, the Clinic maintains a satellite in Mechanicville.

Youth Services provides treatment for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children and adolescents up to the age of eighteen, who, together with their parents, often require intensive interventions.  Youth Services provides community-oriented consultative activities in conjunction with community-based interventions.

Adult Services provides treatment for mentally ill adults, particularly those who are seriously and persistently mentally ill.  For the seriously and persistently mentally ill, a long-term disease management approach to medication management and supportive therapy is used.

Saratoga County PROS operating as Reflections PROS (Personalized Recovery Oriented Service) is a comprehensive, individualized, recovery based program that offers rehabilitation, support, and treatment services under one roof. Reflections PROS serves adults (over 18) with a mental illness diagnosis who have a functional disability that interferes with their ability to live a fulfilling life. The purpose of PROS is to help participants take control of their own lives by teaching the skills necessary to overcome the mental, emotional, behavioral, and social barriers resulting from mental illness and addiction and to effectively negotiate life’s challenges. PROS services are person-centered and include group and individual sessions, medication management, health screenings, family education and support, as well as vocational services and supports for participants who are interested in obtaining and maintaining competitive employment in the community.

Alcohol and Drug Program: Saratoga County Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services is a medically supervised outpatient program providing treatment for individuals suffering from an alcohol and/or drug program and for family members trying to cope with the presence of alcohol or drug problems within the family.  Treatment is designed to promote abstinence, to improve community integration, and to improve daily functions.  Services include: Screening, referral, assessment, and individual and group counseling.

Community Services Board: meetings are held at the Mental Health Clinic on the last Wednesday of each month at 4:00 PM.
Contact the Community Services Board via email at CSBSaratoga@gmail.com

RJ reports that the county will be starting a mobile crisis unit to assist first responders in managing emergencies that may involve mental health issues.

Geriatric mental health: We are seeing MH patients aging, and their needs increase.

Samaritan Hospital offers a 20 bed inpatient psychiatric unit for older adults to address their needs, but it is hard to acquire a stay due to the slow discharge rate.

Important Local Programs:

For senior citizens living with mental illnesses there is a day program in Saratoga Springs called Golden Club. For information about this program, please call 587-2851.

NAMI – National Alliance for the Mentally Ill- holds support groups for family members throughout the region. In Saratoga Springs, a support group for family members is held every 1^st and 3^rd Monday at 730pm of the month, at TSA (Transitional Services Association) at 127 Union Street.

If you have any questions about mental health services in Saratoga County, please call or email RJ at rstutzmann@saratogacare.org or 580-2617.