2005 News Stories

February

Hamilton Center Inc. To Hold Informational Meeting on Foster Care Program - February 1, 2005

Hamilton Center Inc. will hold an orientation meeting February 22 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for anyone interested in being a foster parent. The meeting will be held at Hamilton Center’s Clay County office, 1211 E. National Avenue, Brazil.

A general overview of Hamilton Center's foster care program will be presented. This program recruits foster parents from surrounding counties. For additional information about the foster care program, please call 812-231-8454 or 812-231-8453.

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Hamilton Center Inc. Relocating Assertive Community Treatment Program (A.C.T.) - February 7, 2005

Hamilton Center Inc. announces new location for the Assertive Community Treatment Program (A.C.T.). 88 Wabash Court is the new home for the A.C.T. program, which is a researched-based, outreach service delivery model for people with severe and persistent mental illnesses. Using a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week team approach, ACT delivers comprehensive community based treatment, rehabilitation, and other support services to consumers in their homes, at work, and in other community settings.

Hamilton Center’s ACT team consists of four case managers, one nurse, a psychologist, a therapist, an employment specialist, a psychiatrist, a substance abuse specialist, and one support staff person. The team currently serves 50 clients with capacity of no more than 120. The program targets persons with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Most of these consumers have had multiple psychiatric hospitalizations and respond well to more intensive services provided in their homes rather than in traditional office based settings.

ACT, now in its 30th year, has been researched in Madison Wisconsin, where it originated, and at other replicated sites across the country. Hamilton Center, Inc. implemented the program in 2002. It is one of only a few community mental health program models with an extensive research base. Findings from ongoing National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) research, comparing ACT clients with persons whose primary treatment site was the hospital, support the program’s success. ACT’s multidisciplinary, consumer focused approach to treatment provides increased opportunities for recovery and improved quality of life for those who manage the symptoms of severe and persistent mental illnesses.

For additional information call Hamilton Center at (812) 231-8200 or (800) 742-0787.

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March

Hamilton Center Inc. To Hold Informational Meeting on Foster Care Program - March 1, 2005

Hamilton Center Inc. will hold an orientation meeting March 23 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for anyone interested in being a foster parent. The meeting will be held at Hamilton Center’s Sullivan Office, 2134 Mary Sherman Drive.

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Hamilton Center Inc. Builds New Hendricks County Office - March 22, 2005

Hamilton Center Inc. (HCI) has opened a 5,500 square foot building in Plainfield, at 900 Southfield Drive. The office is located between Stafford Road and Stanley Road just west of new 267. The office was formerly located at 1907 Crown Plaza Boulevard.

Construction cost for the building was $875,000. With thirteen therapy offices and three group rooms, the building will allow the program to expand services. The general contractor was Earl Rodgers and Associates.

“We are so excited about the improved professional and therapeutic environment the new building provides our clients,” said Robe Fazekas, Executive Director of Clinical Services for Hamilton Center.

“Hendricks County has been very supportive of Hamilton Center through the years. Our investment in this project will reinforce our commitment to the community by allowing us to continue to expand services,” said Galen Goode, CEO.

The Hendricks County office serves approximately 825 clients a year. Services include children, adolescents and families for a variety of childhood/family issues. The Program Manager is Kathy Brandt, MSW, LCSW. The staff also includes two psychiatrists, two psychologists, one marriage and family therapist, four social workers, one case manager, one student therapist, one office supervisor and two program assistants. To contact Hamilton Center Hendricks County call 317-837-9719.

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April

Hamilton Center, hosts 14th Annual Sheriff’s Shoot-out Charity Golf Tournament - April 15, 2005

Hamilton Center, Inc. announces this year’s 14th Annual Sheriff’s Shoot-out Charity Golf Classic. This year, the premier charity golf classic in the Wabash Valley will be held Friday, May 13, at Rea Park. There will be two shotgun starts again this year, one at 7:30 a.m. and one at 1 p.m. Sponsorship opportunities for the event are still available and are tax deductible! To sponsor or register, please call 812-231-8152 or golfers may register on-line http://www.hamiltoncenter.org/Golf.

All proceeds go to Hamilton Center’s division of Child & Adolescent Services (CAS) and Healthy Beginnings. CAS provides services to children with behavioral problems, depression, anxiety, grief/loss, substance abuse or other emotional problems. Healthy Beginnings are early childhood programs for families with children up to three years of age. Their focus is to provide excellent supportive, educational and therapeutic services to enhance the lives of infants, young children, and their families.

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Hamilton Center, Inc. Opens Bloomfield Office - April 26, 2005

Hamilton Center, Inc. (HCI) will open a 3,400 square foot building in Bloomfield, located at 431 E. Main Street, Bloomfield, IN 47424. The office was formerly located at 132 East Main Street in Bloomfield. HCI proved their dedication to Greene County in December of 2002 when they opened their Bloomfield office. Hamilton Center, Inc. will continue to manage the two offices in Linton and Bloomfield.

Construction cost for the building was $400,000. With eight therapy offices and one group room, the building will allow the program to expand services. The general contractor was Earl Rodgers and Associates.

“Greene County has been very supportive of Hamilton Center through the years. Our investment in this project will reinforce our commitment to the community by allowing us to continue to expand services,” said Galen Goode, CEO.

The Greene County offices serve approximately 1,012 clients a year. Services include children, adolescents and families for a variety of childhood/family issues. The Bloomfield staff includes one Program Manager, two psychiatrists, two psychologists, one marriage and family therapist, four social workers, one case manager, one student therapist, one office supervisor and two program assistants. To contact Hamilton Center Bloomfield office, call 812-384-9452.

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July

Hamilton Center, Inc. Adds Licensed Residential Treatment Facility to Range of Addiction Services - July 23, 2005

Hamilton Center, Inc. (HCI) is pleased to announce the opening of a new residential treatment facility. The facility will provide recovery services for males 18 and older, providing 24 hour immersion for successful addiction recovery in a safe, secure, home-like environment. As a licensed residential treatment facility in Indiana, the facility will provide intensive mental health and addictions treatment under one roof.

Hamilton Center, Inc’s regional system offers hope for those struggling with addiction and substance abuse problems by providing services in a variety of locations in central and west central Indiana. More specifically, Hamilton Center, Inc. provides addiction services for those who are facility, community and home-based as well as for those who are incarcerated. In addition, treatment options include individual and group therapy, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, group living and inpatient detoxification. “We strive to offer a full range of services to an individual or entire family,” said Robe Fazekas, Executive Director of Clinical Services at Hamilton Center, Inc. “Often times it is not only necessary to treat the addicted person, but also those close to him or her. Our mission is to make sure that we have resources and programs available to do that.”

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August

Hamilton Center, Inc. Graduates First Class Completing Residential Addiction Treatment Program - August 8, 2005

Saturday, August 13th, 2005 Hamilton Center, Inc. will graduate its first group of residents to complete the new 28 day residential addictions treatment program. Most of the referrals have come from the county jail with other referrals from community agencies, such as Community Corrections. This will be the first discharge ceremony for the new facility which opened in July and is a landmark victory for residents who were required to participate in daily group therapy, weekly individual therapy, and attend NA/AA meetings. Post completion, most residents will be referred to a less restrictive residential living environment, however the clients will continue to participate in intensive out-patient programs, as well as other support referrals from community agencies

Graduates from the program will receive certificates of completion, with a brief reception to follow. Hamilton Center, Inc. would also like to thank Education World for donating journals for the program, and provide a special thanks to the recovering community for donating materials and funds to purchase items needed to make this a huge success.

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September

Hamilton Center Inc. and Indiana State University hosts Evidence Based Practice Fall Conference - September 7, 2005

Hamilton Center, Inc. in conjunction with Indiana State University’s Department of Social Work is hosting an Evidence Based Practice conference Friday, October 14, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference will be held in the Hulman Memorial Student Union on the campus of Indiana State University.

The plenary session, “Evidence Based Practice in Mental Health Care: Background and Future Directions” will be facilitated by Dr.’s Michael Murphy, Thomas Johnson, Elizabeth O’Laughlin and June Sprock. Concurrent AM/PM session topics will include: Intro to Motivational Interviewing, Assessment and Treatment of ADHD in Children and Adolescents, Treatment of patients with borderline personality, Matrix Model approach to treatment of substance abuse, techniques and strategies of play therapy and mindfulness meditation in treatment of stress, anxiety and mood disorders.

Category I Continuing Education hours of 3.5 for the AM sessions, and 2.5 for the PM sessions have been approved and are available for L.S.W., L.C.S.W., L.M.F.T, L.M.H.C., and Psychologists, with ICAADA Endorsed hours pending. For further conference information contact: Jay King 231-8220 or via e-mail jmking@hamiltoncenter.org.

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October

Hamilton Center Annual Meeting & Hamilton Awards Dinner October 25, 2005

Hamilton Center Inc.'s Board of Directors announces their Annual Meeting and Hamilton Awards dinner Tuesday, Oct. 25, at Indiana State University’s Hulman Center, 200 North Eighth Street, Terre Haute.

The social will begin at 6:15 p.m. with dinner at 7:00 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling Hamilton Center at (812) 231-8317. The dinner is $20 per person.

Dr. Frederick Frese is this year’s keynote speaker. He is a psychologist who served for fifteen years as Director of Psychology at Western Reserve Psychiatric Hospital, one of Ohio's largest psychiatric hospitals. He is presently Coordinator of the Summit County Ohio Recovery Project. Thirty-five years ago, while a young Marine Corps officer, Fred was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and over the next ten years was in and out of mental hospitals, often on secure wards. Despite his disability, he earned a degree in International Business Management from the American Graduate School of International Management in Phoenix, as well as Masters and Doctoral degrees in psychology from Ohio University.

Dr. Frese speaks frequently on mental illness to a wide range of groups across the United States, Canada, and other countries. He has keynoted national and state-wide conferences of health care providers, consumer and family groups and has presented at national conferences for psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, occupational therapists and other groups of health professionals. He describes the process of developing schizophrenia, living with the disorder, and has developed 12 aspects of coping for persons with serious mental illness. His long experience in treating mentally ill persons and his extensive networking with various professional and consumer groups also equip him to discuss present trends and future directions in the treatment of serious mental illness.

Hamilton Awards will be presented to businesses, organizations, and individuals that have significantly contributed to the cause of mental health and/or care of persons with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities or substance abuse problems. An award also will be given to a Hamilton Center staff member who has demonstrated a personal commitment to the cause of behavioral health and advanced the mission of Hamilton Center through service above and beyond the normal duties of his/her position.

For further information, call (812) 231-8152.

Community/Volunteer Award Nominees
Linda Cates, Hendricks County
Covered Bridge Special Education District, Vigo County
FreeBirds Solution Center, Vigo County
Glenburn Nursing Home – Alzheimer’s Unit, Greene County
Craig Hanks, Sullivan County
Mary Rose Hemminghouse, Vigo County
Sebrina Johnson, Vigo County
Jon Marvel, Vigo County
Mecca Wesleyan Church, Parke County
Andrea Myers, Vigo County
Parke County Local Coordinating Council – Anti-Meth Subcommittee
George Ralston, Vigo County
Rural Healthcare, Marion County
William Schad, Clay County
Patty Spier, Vigo County
Claire Thorsen, Vigo County
Vigo County Drug Court
Frank Volkers, Vigo County
Mary Yelton, Clay County

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Hamilton Awards Presented Five Awards Presented at Annual Dinner of the Board of Directors

Hamilton Center, Inc. is pleased to announce the recipients of this year's Hamilton Awards. The awards were presented on October 25, 2005 at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors at Hulman Center, Terre Haute, IN. Officers of the Board presented the awards. Dr. Frederick Frese, a trained psychiatrist and a diagnosed schizophrenic, gave the keynote address to an audience of close to 500 people.

Hamilton Awards, which are selected by the Executive Committee of Hamilton Center’s Board of Directors, are presented annually. Winners have significantly contributed to the cause of mental health and/or the care of people with mental illnesses, addiction problems, or developmental disabilities. Hamilton Awards have been presented annually since 1981 and are named in honor of Katherine Hamilton, a woman who was devoted to the cause of mental health and improving the care of those in need.

Community Award winners:

This year there were two Hamilton “Community” Award winners. The first winner was Freebird’s Solution Center, which opened their doors to people of the Wabash Valley in December of 2004 for people who might not have anywhere else to go if this organization did not exist. They provide a safe place for people to transition to drug-free and alcohol-free living. The center treats residents with dignity and respect, and was established with an all volunteer staff. They were represented at the ceremony by Teri Evans.

The second Hamilton “Community” Award was presented to the New Life Wesleyan Church of Mecca, Indiana. This organization proves their dedication to their community through such things as a food pantry and clothes closet for people who are in immediate need. They are also working on having a church bus outfitted to provide a portable clothes closet that will go where the need is. These are just a few of the many community efforts displayed by this recipient. They were represented by Pastor Chet Todd.

Volunteer Award winner:

Frank Volkers was the winner of this year’s Hamilton “Volunteer” Award. Mr. Vokers has been involved in Maryland Community Church, The Samaritan Project (which he founded in 1982), Lifeline (which he co-founded in 1970), as well as president of Wabash Valley Urban Connection, Inc. Since 1982, he has given financial counseling to over 2500 indigent or financially struggling families.

Staff Award winner:

This year there were also two Hamilton “Staff” Award winners. The first winner was Virgil Macke, MSW, LCSW, who works in the Client Support Services Division of Hamilton Center. Mr. Macke works as a gatekeeper to the state hospitals. In addition, one of his most notable accomplishments is his leadership of the P.A.I. R. Program. In March of 1999, Hamilton Center was the second county in Indiana to establish a psychiatric assertive identification and referral program (also known as P.A.I.R.). P.A.I.R. is a mental health diversion program designed to address the needs of persons with mental illness charged with minor criminal offenses. The nominator of this recipient put it best by saying, “His work with the P.A.I.R. program makes Hamilton Center and Vigo County enviable models for the humane treatment of the mentally ill in the judicial system.”

The second recipient of the Hamilton “Staff” Award was Dr. Randall L. Stevens, Physician with Hamilton Center’s Medical Services Division. Dr. Stevens’ career with Hamilton Center began in 1972 as a Psychiatric Technician. He is now providing services on the Inpatient unit and Addiction Services. His dedication to Hamilton Center does not stop there. He works as Medical Director at St. Ann’s Medical Clinic, donating services to indigent and low-income residents of Vigo County. He is currently the Medical Director of Vigo County Juvenile Center, Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at IU School of Medicine, as well as Medical Director for the Vigo County Jail. His dedication to fighting addictions in The Wabash Valley could be considered one of his most notable achievements. His involvement with the methamphetamine task force is invaluable.

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November

Hamilton Center, Inc. awarded three-year CARF accreditation - November 15, 2005

CARF announced that Hamilton Center, Inc. has been accredited for a period of three years for its Employment Services and Community Services programs which is part of the Rehabilitation division (Spectrum Industries) of Hamilton Center, Inc. The latest accreditation is the fourth consecutive three-year Accreditation outcome that the international accrediting commission has awarded to Hamilton Center, Inc.

This accreditation outcome represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the standards established by CARF. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation outcome has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable, and accountable.

CARF is an independent, not-for-profit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.

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Hamilton Center Staff exhibits Hoosier Hospitality in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - November 21, 2005

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Governor Daniels’ sent out a call to action to assist the ravaged Gulfport area. Clinical staff members from Hamilton Center, Inc. answered that call to provide crisis counseling and critical incident debriefing to first responders and to affected citizens. With blue t-shirts identifying their team they became known to the locals as “the Blue Shirts!”

Dr. Jody Horstman, Outpatient Director of Child & Adolescent Services walked neighborhoods with clinical staff offering mental health services in the form of debriefings and interventions. She also helped man the “Outreach Bus” dispensing medication and aid to victims of the devastated areas. Horstman reflected, “It’s was an incredible experience I’ll never forget. It’s remarkable, that in the midst of all that devastation and loss that people still allow you into their lives. When asked about the rewards of participating, Dr. Horstman stated, “The experience is all the thanks I need. The reward is in the ability to be there and to help where I was needed.”

Vickie Trout, Director of Indianapolis Client Support Services, acted as Clinical Director providing logistics, communication and organizing relief efforts in response to FEMA’s request to serve the 3000+ evacuees. Trout stated, “Planning for this huge endeavor was currently in process. Available resources - statewide - were being inventoried. The frustration was that many very well meaning groups were out ‘doing things’ without coordinating with the Red Cross or Salvation Army. Therefore, many resources were deployed to the wrong places. Additionally, we had to be very cautious of the public health dangers of moving large groups of people north who had not been decontaminated. We needed to be sure that psychiatric beds and medications were available for people who were relocated and that we were tracking people in order to reunify families.”

“In our daily lives, we tend to separate ourselves, during this time of crisis, we integrated everyone’s skills into an invincible team while making a lasting impact upon the lives of those struck by this misfortune,” remarked Vickie Trout. Of their 5000 clients, they could only locate about 1500. Trout remarked, “Pictures on television don't begin to illustrate the sights. One group of mental health professionals saw 1207 people in one day!”

Jody Morrison, Access Supervisor assisted First Responder teams and worked with community mental health centers assisting therapists and case managers. Morrison stated, “We’ll never return to Biloxi without having a bond with the residents. People were so appreciative. As Hoosiers, we should all be proud and take comfort in knowing the Gulfport residents were truly impressed with the compassion the State of Indiana offered during a time of incredible need.”

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