Category: Hamilton Center, Inc. News

Sadness is a normal human reaction to traumatic life events that can occur in the regular course of life. When sadness hangs around longer than just a few weeks and begins to cause problems in our social or work life, it can likely be considered depression. Depression is recognized as a disorder that can present itself after the experience of a traumatic event. It is caused by a chemical imbalance in our brain that prevents us from feeling happiness and joy, which is what makes it a clinical disorder and typically one that needs clinical attention. With prevalence rates of mental illness and substance use disorders increasing, researchers have data that strongly connect it to a loss of productivity in the work force. According to a 2017 Willis Towers Watson Survey, on average 57% of employers plan to increase their focus on supporting mental and behavioral health through 2020.

On average 30% to 50% of all adults will experience a mental illness at some time in their life. Anxiety and depression are among the most common forms of mental illness in the United States. Studies show that when an employee struggles with mental illness, they are more likely to struggle with physical health problems, absenteeism, staff cohesion, and underperformance. It is estimated that on average, $1 trillion are lost each year in productivity due to mental health related problems which can be attributed to sick days, issues with concentration, and hostile work environments.

Many of us have experienced a few symptoms of depression throughout our lives due to situational circumstances. For example when a loved one passes away, it is normal to feel sad, struggle with sleep and appetite, and have problems focusing at work. This example would not necessarily meet criteria for clinical depression. The Diagnostic Statistical Manual 5 (DSM 5) identifies clinical depression as at least 5 symptoms of depression that cause problems in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. Symptoms of depression are identified as depressed mood, lack of interest in activities or hobbies, significant weight loss or weight gain, problems with sleep, restlessness or being slowed down, having little energy, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, inability to concentrate, and/or thoughts of death or suicide. If you can identify with some of these symptoms, but they do not cause issues in social or work life you may not meet criteria for clinical depression. Getting treatment is most important when depressive symptoms start to interfere with an individual’s ability to complete household chores, complete tasks at work, or if symptoms are causing problems in relationships, such as frequent arguments with a significant other or peers.

The important thing to remember is that depression is a treatable disease. Seeking out a psychologist, therapist or school counselor is one way of reaching out for assistance, while connecting with organizations that support those with mental health problems is another. Some employers offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) which most commonly provide time limited therapeutic services to employees. This can be an excellent place to start when looking for services, but if your organization does not offer an EAP, you should look elsewhere for private or public health organizations that accept your insurance plan. If you live in rural Indiana, you likely struggle with limited resources. Telemed and telepsych services are becoming more popular in rural communities to help expand mental health resources. This technology is still up and coming but does allow health professionals to assess consumers from a video monitor, almost entirely removing the obstacle of geographical access in these rural communities. The bottom line is that resources are increasing and early identification of clinical depression is making recovery possible for many more people. As with any disorder increasing quality of life is the number one goal. In the case of depression, treatments will not only dramatically improve one’s experiences of happiness and joy but also increase productivity and job satisfaction even further enhancing quality of life.

 

We live in a stressful world. Advancements in technology and communications allow us to work from home, multitask, and ultimately burnout faster. With all these pressures on productivity, how do we know the difference between healthy stress, the kind that keeps us accountable, and the toxic stress, that burns us out, leaving us feeling fatigued? Research shows childhood experiences play a major role in how we develop our abilities to manage stress. A child that has experienced at least four toxically stressful events is 15 times more likely to attempt suicide, 3 times more likely to suffer from depression, and 4 times more likely to become an alcoholic or intravenous drug user.

Stress comes to us in three levels: positive stress, tolerable stress, and toxic stress. Positive stress is healthy. It is the internal alarm clock that gets us to get up and get tasks done. Tolerable stress is activated during significant life events, such as the loss of a loved one, a catastrophic event, or a frightening injury. If a person has supports in place to help them recover from these events, the physical and emotional effects are temporary. Toxic Stress occurs when there is a strong, frequent, or prolonged exposure to extreme stressors like emotional abuse, neglect, financial hardship, or a lack of support. This kind of stress can disrupt the development of the brain and other organ systems, increasing the risk of stress related diseases like heart disease, diabetes, substance use, and depression.

Well, what do we do about it? Identifying toxic stress at a young age is the best way to prevent stress related diseases, (don’t get the rest of this sentence and don’t end sentence in “to”) as good and bad habits grow in relation to what we are exposed to. Since behaviors are reinforced as we develop, the cells in our brain either survive or fail to thrive based on life experiences and our genetics. A brain that has learned to manage stressors is typically more capable of identifying a situation, interpreting and processing it, evaluating options, and ultimately acting. Someone that does not have healthy conflict resolution skills will likely react to a situation in one of three ways: fight, flight, or freeze, meaning they either react aggressively, withdrawal from the threat, or stall in fear or panic. These reactions occur as the brain’s alarm system is triggered. While these are natural physiological responses, they can be overcome by learning effective coping skills. Imagine it as a stoplight, where red is stop, yellow is think of options, and green is acting on the best option. Someone who has not learned how to manage stressors will only have their stoplight work on red and green, and we’ve all been in those situations where a moment of thought or reflection like would have changed the outcome of an event.

Fortunately, we can all learn to manage toxic stress. By building resiliency and learning effective coping skills children, and adults, that display toxic stress symptoms can lead productive healthy lives. We, though especially children, can learn new ways of thinking, relating, and responding, which helps to have our internal “stoplights” develop and strengthen. Building positive relationships with other healthy mindful people can show us new and productive ways to view the world, and ourselves. By engaging with young minds, we can help them build trust with others, develop connections that are necessary for a child’s healthy self-esteem, and help decrease isolation and feelings of rejection. Most importantly we can learn, and teach others, to have a positive outlook on life, be advocates for others and mental wellness, and utilize healthy coping skills and problem solving techniques in our daily lives.

Hamilton Center, Inc., a founding partner for West Central Indiana Healthy Start (WCIHS), will provide vital behavioral health and referral networks for the new initiative. Healthy Start is a federal initiative representing 100 organizations serving communities with infant mortality rates at least 1.5 times the U.S. national average, and with high rates of other negative maternal and infant outcomes. The WCIHS consortium will receive up to $1 million each year over five years and target Fountain, Parke, and Vigo counties.

“Healthy Start programs provide information, resources, and support to pregnant and parenting women and their families to ensure a healthy pregnancy and to help nurture their newborns,” said HRSA Administrator George Sigounas, MS, Ph.D.

This project will strive to address factors, such as high rates of poverty, limited access to care, and other socioeconomic factors, to ensure women have healthy pregnancies and raise healthy children.  The project is funded by a HRSA grant to Union Hospital’s Richard G. Lugar Center for Rural Health.

Hamilton Center will provide crucial behavioral health resources for WCIHS families. In addition to treatment, the organization will be a referral partner through their Healthy Families program.  WCIHS and Healthy Families will ensure area families have comprehensive wraparound resources.

“As a community, it is critical that we provide strong and ongoing support to pregnant woman, infants and new families,” said Melvin L. Burks, CEO of Hamilton Center, Inc.  A healthy start in life is vital to the physical and emotional health of children as they grow and development into adolescents and adults,” he said.

WCIHS is a consortium facilitated by the Richard G. Lugar Center for Rural Health and composed of Hamilton Center, Family Health and Help Center, St. Vincent South Clinic, Valley Professionals Community Health Center (VPCHC), Union Hospital, Union Medical Group, Chances and Services for Youth (CASY), and Wabash Valley Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC).

The Hamilton Center, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, IN. It provides services and treatment to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people with drug and alcohol problems. Funding will strengthen the health workforce to provide such services, build a more effective and efficient service-delivery system, and promote and improve health equity across participating organizations.

Learn more about WCIHS at LugarCenter.org/wcihs.

Matrix Scholarships, Materials, and Equipment

Hamilton Center, Inc. has been awarded a grant from the Owen County Local Coordinating Council (LCC) and the Owen County Drug Free You & Me initiative that will fund addictions treatment scholarships for four individuals, as well as new training materials and equipment. Through certification of The Matrix Model, Hamilton Center provides an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) which runs three times a week. The programming uses technology to deliver and enhance treatment through presentations, programming videos, and Motivational Interviewing. In 2018, Hamilton Center was designated as the first certified site for The Matrix Model in the state of Indiana, achieving a three year Certification with Excellence.

 

The Matrix scholarships will remove the financial barrier to addictions treatments. Hamilton Center has state-certified navigators who can help those who are in need of services complete a health insurance application to obtain insurance that would potentially cover all their health care needs. “This process can take weeks, if not months, to complete and often presents an overwhelming financial barrier in seeking treatment,” said Cindy Rotman, Program Manager, Hamilton Center, Inc., Owen County. “Support from the Owen County LCC Drug Free Community Fund will help offset costs of Matrix programming, allowing consumers to receive the treatment they need in a timely manner, which can be crucial in the process of recovery from addiction,” added Mrs. Rotman.

 

Hamilton Center, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, IN. Services are provided to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people who may be struggling with stress, life changes, or relationship issues as well as more serious problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and serious mental illnesses.

For information on Hamilton Center Services call (800) 742-0787.

On June 15, Terre Haute and surrounding communities will come together to celebrate diversity and inclusion during the fifth annual Diversity Walk.

 

The Diversity Walk, sponsored by Hamilton Center, Inc., is a free event in downtown Terre Haute that welcomes all people of varying ages, races, creeds, colors, orientations, and physical limitations. Join us as we “Walk the Walk” to unify our community and spread messages of respect and acceptance.

 

The 1.5-mile walk will begin and end at the corner of 7^th Street and Wabash Avenue in downtown Terre Haute. Registration will open at 8 a.m., and the walk will begin at 9:30 a.m. The committee is currently working on transportation options for those individuals with mobility restrictions who wish to participate in the walk.

 

Following the walk, participants are invited to stay for food, music, and an opportunity to come together in unity to celebrate the differences that make our community stronger. More than 3,000 people attended the walk in 2018, and we hope to make the 2019 event even bigger and better.

 

WHAT:          5^th Annual Diversity Walk

WHEN:          Saturday, June 15, 2019

• 8 a.m. – On-site registration & T-shirt pickup
• 9:15 a.m. – Opening Remarks
• 9:30 a.m. – Walk Begins

WHERE:       Downtown Terre Haute, 7^th Street and Wabash Avenue

REGISTER:  Registration is FREE and includes a T-shirt, food, drinks and music.

Register online at www.diversitywalk.org.

 

The Diversity Walk brings together a diverse group of people to break down barriers, build relationships and show what’s possible with the right access, opportunities and support. Together, we “Walk the Walk” and celebrate the strides we’re taking to educate the community about the value of diversity and inclusion and the positive impact that it could have on our region’s socio-economic strength and quality of life for all.

 

About the Diversity Walk

The Diversity Walk was originally conceived in 2014 as part of a community-wide Terre Haute Tomorrow initiative. Melvin L. Burks, CEO of Hamilton Center, Inc., served as the chair of the Terre Haute Tomorrow Diversity/Socio-economic Committee, and the theme for the Committee was “building relationships and enhancing trust.” The Committee focused its efforts on finding ways to educate the community about diversity and inclusion and the positive impact that it could have on our region’s socio-economic strength and quality of life for all. The Diversity Walk was created as a result of these efforts, and it has grown to include more than 3,000 participants. Hamilton Center Inc., with a group of many dedicated community leaders meet throughout the year to plan the event, raise awareness, and help make diversity and inclusion a strategic priority for Terre Haute’s tomorrow. For more information about the Diversity Walk, visit www.diversitywalk.org.

“We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.”

Anne Frank

Partnering with Hendricks County Substance Abuse Task Force

Hamilton Center, Inc., has been awarded a grant from the Hendricks County Local Coordinating Council (LCC) to purchase updated evidence based substance abuse workbooks and videos for consumer education. The project is aimed at reducing substance abuse among Hendricks County community members by addressing community factors that increase the risk and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse. Hamilton Center, a member of the Hendricks County Substance Abuse Task Force, expects to serve 50 consumers with the new materials and is committed to providing the highest quality care to those seeking assistance with behavioral health and substance abuse needs. These new materials ensure consumers have the most up-to-date information to help them navigate their recovery journey.

“Hamilton Center will continue to raise awareness of treatment and recovery services, as well as prevention efforts, in the community, targeting those who are impacted by substance use disorders,” added Sara Chambers, Program Manager, Hamilton Center, Inc., Hendricks County. “Educational materials like these funded by the grant act to empower and support those struggling with substance abuse disorder.”

Hamilton Center, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, IN.  Services are provided to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people who may be struggling with stress, life changes, or relationship issues as well as more serious problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and serious mental illnesses.

For information on Hamilton Center Services call (800) 742-0787.

Hamilton Center, Inc. has been awarded a grant from the Local Coordinating Council (LCC) of Greene County and the Greene County Substance Abuse Taskforce. The grant will fund addictions services for individuals without a third-party payer. This project is aimed at providing consumers in Greene County access to outpatient behavioral health and substance abuse services by removing the financial barrier some people experience in seeking services.

Through certification of The Matrix Model, Hamilton Center provides an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) which runs three times a week. Often, consumers may not qualify for Medicaid or are unable to obtain private insurance. Recovery Works, which is an Indiana forensic treatment program, provides funds to cover some addictions services, however recent funding changes have reduced the availability of these funds for some people. The Local Coordinating Council’s grant funds will be the payment of last resort so that a consumer may join and/or continue services in the event they that they cannot afford and/or lose their insurance coverage.

Hamilton Center, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, IN.  Services are provided to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people who may be struggling with stress, life changes, or relationship issues as well as more serious problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and serious mental illnesses.

 

For information on Hamilton Center Services call (800) 742-0787.

Hamilton Center welcomes therapist Melissa Burns, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT, at the Child & Adolescent Services building located at 500 8^th Ave. in Terre Haute, IN.

Ms. Burns graduated from Indiana State University with a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Science in Agency Counseling. She has worked in the Terre Haute area as a therapist and social worker for 30 years serving families, children, and adults. As a program coordinator she oversaw programs that served victims of domestic violence, implemented safety and treatment plans, and managed federal grants. Her clinical interests are in working with chronic mental illnesses, children and adolescents, and victims of domestic violence.

Hamilton Center, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, IN.  Services are provided to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people who may be struggling with stress, life changes, or relationship issues as well as more serious problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and serious mental illnesses.

For information on Hamilton Center Services call (800) 742-0787.

Hamilton Center welcomes therapist Bri Thompson, MA, LMHCA at the Hendricks satellite office located at 900 Southfield Dr., Plainfield, IN 46168.

Ms. Thompson graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2011 and later went on to University of Indianapolis to complete a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology in 2017. As a social worker Ms. Thompson worked one-on-one with families involved with the Department of Child Services, performed needs assessments, and provided skills training. Once she completed her graduate degree, she facilitated group counseling inside Indiana prisons to people who have committed sexual offenses with the intent to prevent and decrease recidivism. Her clinical interests are mood disorders, personality disorders, and eating disorders. She is currently seeking licensure to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LHMC).

Hamilton Center, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, IN.  Services are provided to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people who may be struggling with stress, life changes, or relationship issues as well as more serious problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and serious mental illnesses.

For information on Hamilton Center Services call (800) 742-0787.