Wasatch Review Letter from the Executive Team

Wasatch Review
Wasatch Mental Health
October 2014
Letter from the Executive Team
I heard a family that used the
phrase “We do hard things” as a
motto to help encourage their children to give their best effort even
when it was difficult. As I approach my tenth anniversary with
WMH, I can say I have seen our
team face some difficult challenges. While we have faced some
difficult challenges, I’m more than
impressed with the accomplishments I have observed our organization make. We could also say
that at WMH “We do hard things”.
Let me mention a few of these
things.
Remember the robust economy
back in 2007? The stock market
was rising, home prices were soaring, unemployment was very uncommon, you could freely board an
airplane without a strip search, and
consumer confidence in the economy was high. What happened at
MWH that year? We had a financial loss of more than a million
dollars. We had to make significant cuts in personnel, we adopted
productivity standards, we focused
on client service. It was challenging and difficult, but that process
caused us to improve and those
changes continue to benefit us today. ( By the way, we also will
show a substantial operating loss in
FY2014, the year just ended on
Volume 8, Issue 10
Inside this issue:
Executive Report
1
Blood Drive
2
Employees Birth- 3
day , Transfers,
new hire, departures
Todd Phillips
Briefing Report
4
CFO
Success Stories
5
WMH Announcements
7
June 30. The difference is that we
had planned that outcome in
FY2014 and will move forward
into FY2015 with expanded programs and numbers of employees. )
When I came to WMH in 2005, the
center recently had changed to a
new electronic records system.
The conversion had been difficult
and using it continued to be a challenge. After working for a couple
of years, some improvements were
made but it just wasn’t meeting our
needs. We teamed up with a sister
agency and brought in Junction as
our electronic records system.
While Junction continues to evolve
and improve, we are actively involved in the direction of that process. We now have reliable realtime data to use in making deci-
October Obser- 8
vances
The Plate
Method
9
Tips for Fall
Fitness
10
Cultural Compe- 12
tency
Key Indicators
13
Contributions for the
newsletter are welcome!
Send to
dhall@wasatch.org
sions. This system has been a great benefit to us.
not always easy, but we make this a high priority
and are committed to continuing this pattern.
A couple of years ago, the landscape of mental
health delivery in Utah changed. As an agency, we
believed we could do a better job of helping our clients. We changed to an acuity based care model for
the delivery of services. There was angst and concern over this change, we ran into problems, and we
continue to talk about this on a regular basis. That
doesn’t meant we don’t continue to have challenges,
but we are moving ahead and improving each day.
Each year we have a site review from representatives
from the State Division of Substance Abuse and
Mental Health (DSAMH). They review our entire
agency from finance matters to client care and clinical records. They were very complimentary of our
accomplishment in adopting the acuity based care
model. We have had clean audits for the last three
years in a row.
As we continue to move forward, there will be
more challenges down the road. As a team, I think
we have all that is needed for us to be successful.
As we provide value to our community, we will be
rewarded with their support. Our authority board
consists of the three county commissioners. They
are very supportive of our mission. We have felt
great support in recent years from those who have
noticed the contribution we make to the community
and the good we do in the lives of our clients. The
county commission selected WMH as the financial
beneficiary of an annual golf tournament they organize. The popular band Neon Trees performed a
benefit concert in our behalf. It not only raised
money but increased awareness regarding autism.
Orem City held a special event in memory of Robin
Williams a few weeks ago and invited WMH to
participate. These opportunities and others came to
In the past several years WMH has pursued an active us as a result of the good work done in recent years.
plan to be a preferred employer. We want to be an
organization that can attract and retain good employees. Our compensation and benefit plans are very
A major concern and focus right now is in the area
competitive in the market. Our physical facilities
of integrated health care. There are opportunities
have also seen improvements. Many buildings have and potential challenges for us. After several years
been remodeled and updated. Does anyone else
of efforts and discussion, we are excited to have
miss the old Lake New Vista that used to exist in the Mountainlands Community Health open a clinic in
parking lot on the Parkview campus? How about the our Westpark building. This is a crucial opportucold brick feeling that greeted visitors as they ennity to improve the physical healthcare options
tered Westpark? There was a time when these situa- available to our clients. We are extremely fortunate
tions seemed to be a permanent part of our culture.
to have this opportunity for affordable, high quality
Thank goodness for these changes.
and convenient care available to our clients and
WMH is unusual among our peers with respect to
staff. Please make sure you are familiar with this
the good relationships we have with our other comnew clinic on the second floor.
munity partners. We value these opportunities to
work with others in serving those in need. This is
Red Cross Blood Drive
The next blood drive will be held on
October 15 from 11:00-3:00 p.m. at
Parkview Campus. Please plan ahead
to sign up!
Volume 8, Issue 10
Page 2
Employees
Birthdays in September
Kaitlin Bartholomew
Julie Westwood
10/3
Jessica Helms
Jared Casey
10/4
Alan Hunt
Darren Gillespie
10/4
Kurtis Pugh
Terry Brady
10/5
Kelsey LeBaron
Alyssa Ashton
10/5
Brittany Clay
Vicky Hernandez
10/6
McKell Bond
Rebecca Kidd
10/6
Caleb McClellan
10/7
Darsi Powell
10/7
Roger Peay
10/8
Natasha Johnson
10/10
Mary Lambson
10/12
Ryan Perkins
10/14
Holli Howland
10/14
Brigham Breton
10/15
Monte Memmott
10/15
Doran Williams
10/17
Hilary Wilson
10/17
Casey Greer
10/20
Katrina Cook
10/21
Carmen Creal
10/21
Katy Gibson
10/21
Colleen Oshier
10/22
Tricia Brown
10/25
Elaine Losee
10/27
Bryant Jenks
10/29
Hannah Bellnap
10/31
Barrett Johnson
10/31
Jill Klemetson
New Hires
Kathy Younkin—GS
Brooke Hatfield—GS
Brent Lybbert—GS
Ryan Busch—GS
Kelly Brose NV
Jonathan Hammond—Xcel
Michelle Weaver—VP
Stephanie Gardner—VP
Tanner Hickman—VP
Kaitlyn Dixon—VP
Ralf Barnes Adm
Jordan Dye—VP
Dennis Rasmussen—Maint
Eric Bylund—VP
Reagan Mulleneaux Youth Serv
Taylor Nielsen—Aspire
Dixy Escalante—Youth Serv
Tyree Thurgood—Aspire
Chanel Nagaishi—PFC
Mark Skiles—Aspire
Megan Jackson—PFC
Jennifer Burchacki Psych
Lynette Beard—SFFC
Tessa Salisbury—Psych
Myriam Bardsley—SFFC
Kimberlee Hughes—Clerical
Jessica Berry—AFFC
Holly “Tileah” Patterson—AOP
Chelsey Hicken—AFFC
Scott Innes—CSS
Carron Zullo—AFFC
Dawn Leavitt—CSS
Paul Dymock—AFFC
Brelynn Downs—SDS
Annie Peterson—Stride
Kylie Marsala—SDS
Audrey South—Stride
Fania Amburn—SDS
Kurtis Pugh—Stride
Melinda Chamberlain—SDS
Jacky McAlister—WCFC
Samantha Pehrson SDS,/CSS
Jeff Carlson
Hannah Cox—IRT
Helen Latu—GS
Grace Lisch—IRT
Jenissa Nichols—GS
Alesa Van Dyke—IRT
Shyanne Diaz—GS
AnnaLisa Tyler—IRT
Melissa Hathaway—GS
Elaine Losee—IRT
Ryan Card from Stride to Autism
Charity Mitchell—GS
Kanani Carmack—IRT
David Latu from FT to PT NV
Kaylor Ficklin—GS
Danielle Okelberry MPC
Kelly Fullmer from pt to FT AFFC
Kaitlin Nichols—GS
Sarah Higbee—VP
Transfers
Jessica Read from Stride to WRC
Leaving us
Charlotte Hill—GS
Briana Boudreaux—GS
JonPaul Boyle
Heidi Josephson—GS
Shyanne Diaz
Nick Top—GS
Kevin Adams
Page 3
Wasatch Review
Briefing Report Highlights
Adm—According to the recent
2014 Scorecard developed by
the DSAMH, WMH continues
to be the leader in collecting the
Y/OQ within the state.
J. Korbanka, Ph.D. had invited
the DSAMH leadership and the
Department Director, Ann Williamson, as well as several allied
agencies to a meeting about the
Systems of Care (SOC) initiative (for which Utah County
serves as one of the pilot sites).
The meeting was well attended
and outlined how Catherine
Johnson, LCSW, and her team
have successfully implemented
the SOC protocol for several
cases. The meeting was very
well received and Ann Williamson, the Director of the Department of Social Services commented very positively on the
dedication of the Utah County
Local Mental Health Authority
and the allied agencies.
GIANT Steps—GIANT Steps
was able to add an additional
treatment room in Provo School
District. PSD is providing a
classroom for GIANT Steps at
Franklin Elementary School on
600 West and 300 South in
Provo.
AFFC—Greenwood Elementary has agreed again to host the
Strengthening Families Program
in American Fork.
A community interagency partnership between Orem schools,
Volume 8, Issue 10
DCFS, law enforcement, and
Wasatch Mental Health had
their first meeting and DCFS
presented on their services.
Sam Ashton was able to attend
in behalf of Wasatch Mental
Health. He was able to share
with the group about the services we can offer in the
schools. Wasatch Mental
Health has been invited to present in October’s meeting. Bryant Jenks will be presenting.
WCFC—This past month we
participated with the Wasatch
County Health Department, Caring Community Coalition and
other community partners in
sponsoring the first Dinner in
the Park event. This event was
to strengthen families and to
encourage families to have dinner together. A dinner was provided at the park for families
and then several booths were set
up with each booth having an
ingredient that was given to
have a family dinner at home.
As participants came to each
booth information about
strengthening families was provided in addition to the food
item. After visiting all booths
the family would then have the
necessary ingredients to have a
family dinner on their own at
home. This event was very successful with over 400 individuals participating.
port Conference. She
demonstrated courageous and
graceful assertiveness when she
respectfully offered a counter
point to the key note speaker’s
premise that recovery without
medication is liberating. Leslie
also did a good job of having
WMH well represented at this
conference.
Psych—The following comment was received recently from
one of the prescribers: "You
guys are cranking out such great
reports. I just had two new clients that had psych testing done
and it made it so much easier to
evaluate what is happening".
Med—Leslie Klein did an outstanding job co-hosting (along
side Robert Snarr) the Peer Sup-
Page 4
Success Stories
ASPIRE—We have two residents
that will be stepping down into
proctor/foster care within the next 2
to 3 weeks. They have made very
good progress and we are excited
for them. One of these girls just
completed all of her school credits,
so she is helping Stu in the kitchen.
We are so proud of her!
SFFC School Based—I have been
working with [a client], who has
not been able to attend public
school for 2 years. She became
really depressed after her parents
divorced, and then started having
health problems. She had also
struggled with social anxiety since
she was in elementary school.
Health where
they both had
an evaluation
and were given
different therapists to work with them.
Allyson Guilbert works with
Mark [name changed] and
Kayelyn Robinson with Lisa
[name changed]. Sometimes
progress seems so slow and I
appreciated both the therapists
who would collaborate with me
on treatment.
at recess. She refused to do any
school work at school, because
it was "too boring," and was
constantly being sent to the office.
Today she said she won super
star student of the week, because she has been following
all the rules. She has 4 friends
that she plays with everyday at
recess. And the school thinks
she is a totally different
kiddo....
Best part I asked her how she
shows her mom respect "by beAs I was filling out the OQ
forms today, I realized just how ing nice to be around and make
far these precious children have sure to listen to her when she is
giving directions."
come. They are doing so much
better, even with the knowledge You guys did good work :)
that they won't be going back to
Saw her yesterday, at Salem High
School. She was the happiest I had their parents for a long time...if
GIANT Steps—A parent reever seen her. She stated "School is ever. They are still being traumarked that Giant Steps really
amazing!!" She had not missed one matized with the news of their
day, and has not been late once. We parents going in and out of jail, “spoiled” their family in terms
having their parents lie to them, of the quantity and quality of
worked with her school counselor
to get a good fitting 504 Jeans. She and making a new life. And yet, services we provided them.
This parent had her child with
they are REALLY ok!
started the summer deficient 10
us last year and now the child
credits. Now she only has to make
I am so Thankful to Allyson and is in another program in the
up 3 (thanks to her awesome school Kayelyn for helping our family
county and she has had trouble
counselor). Her mom stated "This
in this hard thing. I couldn't
adjusting because “they don’t
is the Morgan I lost 2 years ago."
have done this without them.
provide the same quality of
And these children couldn't
care.” She said she was very
grateful for the time she was
SFFC OP—“I am the grandmother have either.”
able to have her child in Giant
to Mark and Lisa [names changed]
and they have been in my home
Steps.
SFFC—So, I thought I would
since June 2013 when their parents just share this little success.
were arrested. The children had
Since you guys don’t always get AOP—a woman with a long
been living a pretty dysfunctional
to see the results of all your
history of suicidal ideation and
lifestyle up until that point. To put it hard work...
attempts. She has Major Depresmildly, they were traumatized and
I
met
with
our
friend
C.
and
her
sion and PTSD. Her therapist
had many negative habits. The
mom;
she
is
doing
awesome
at
indicates that “the client has
hardest thing was their inability to
school!
Complete
180.
At
the
maintained stability and proidentify and "get out" the feelings
end
of
the
school
year
she
had
gressed enough in therapy”.
they were feeling. Our caseworker
zero
friends,
and
was
the
bully
had us come to Wasatch Mental
She has decided that she only
Page 5
Wasatch Review
Success Stories Cont...
needs to come to therapy about once a month. A
second woman with a diagnosis of Major Depression, panic disorder, and has an abuse history has
also maintained good stability. She has now reduced therapy to two times per month. She has
increased effective boundary setting and reduced
thinking errors.
Supportive Housing—We have had a significant
success story with a client who had been residing
with his mother and step father in the Springville
area, who was very suicidal and not managing his
moods very well and was hospitalized for his suicidal intent. As he was an adult in his mid 20’s,
he had become very dependent on his mother and
she was very protective of him and his perceived
needs. After some intensive therapy with Laura
Oaks and intensive case management by Tom
Robertshaw with both the client and his family,
we were able to assist in stabilizing this client. He
was referred to the clubhouse, however, he was so
troubled with anxiety he ran away and refused to
come back. Several staff including the manager
of the department encouraged him and convinced
him to stay and give it a try. He had not spent
time away from his home in over a year. After a
couple of successful days at clubhouse, he moved
into Alpine House for more independent living
and was doing fairly well. His mother needed lots
of encouragement and coaching on letting go and
having the treatment team take on some of his
anxiety and concerns. He and his mother have a
more healthy relationship and his mood has increased significantly and he is managing his anxiety much better. He has recently moved towards
more independence at the SRT apartments and is
doing very well.
been working very hard once clients are finally
able to find an apartment, to provide wrap around
services so that the client remains stable and able
to stay in the apartment for long periods of time.
These efforts were noticed by a local owner of
several properties and is offering the BRIDGE
team first preference of vacant apartments as they
become open. This partnership is new, but a result of close monitoring of clients that would otherwise be homeless or living out of a motel room
week to week. We are working with local housing authorities to extend shared housing contracts
to a new complex that could potentially open 24
new rooms for rent. We have placed several clients with this owner’s properties and have been
able to navigate problems as they arise since the
owner is an invested partner in our clients recovery.
Bridge—Our BRIDGE Team has struggled since
the beginning to find adequate housing resources
for our clients. Most of the BRIDGE clients have
criminal, credit and rental histories that make
them an undesirable risk for housing assistance
and rental contracts. Our case managers have
Page 6
Newsletter Title
Wasatch Mental Health Announcements and Updates
Didactic Training for October
October 1st: Mike Lambert, Ph.D. speaking on
OQ45
October 15th: Gary Burlingame, Ph.D speaking
on Group Psychotherapy
October 22nd: Jared Warren, Ph.D presenting on
YOQ: Research update on Clinical Support Tool.
In consultation with Weber Human Services (they
have an integrated Physical and Mental Care System), we have learned that one of the ways to help
introduce clients to an integrated system is to let
them see the actual clinic and make the connection with their potential physical health care provider. Consequently, we would like to invite any
and all clients to the following:
October the 29th: Marilyn Call, LCSW
Division Director for Div. of Services to the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing (Sanderson Center)
And Joene Nicolaisen, LPC, LVRC, Case Manager will be presenting on the challenges for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Mountainlands Community Health Center and Wasatch Mental Health Open
House
October 8, 2014
1:30 – 3:30 PM
750 N Freedom Blvd Suite 201
If any Wasatch Mental Health employees would
like to attend any of these didactic sessions that
are in the West Park Boardroom from 1-3pm on
these dates, please email Randy Pennington, or
Judy Love so that we can have adequate seating
available.
Mountain Lands Department of Aging will be
hosting a Health Fair on October 16th at the Provo
Recreation Center
Provo Utah
Please invite any clients that you work with to
come and see their new potential Medical Home.
The Medical Team will be available that day to
introduce themselves to our clients. Any help that
you can provide in extending a personal invitation
to this event would be appreciated.
In addition, Mountainlands Community Health
Center has extended to WMH employees and clients a $5 off coupon for your prescription through
the pharmacy. We have also clarified that the coupon can be given to client, a family member,
friend, or neighbor. These coupons can be obtained through your respective Program Manger.
Volume 8, Issue 10
Page 7
Observances for October
Monthly Observances
6-12 Drive Safely Work Week
10. World Mental Health Day
Adopt a Dog Month
Financial Planning Week
11. Universal Music Day
Antidepressant Death Awareness
Month
10-16 Take Your Medicine
Americans Week
12. Spanish Language Day
Bullying Prevention Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
12-20 Bone and Joint Health
Awareness Week
14. National Face Your Fears
Day
Eat Better, Eat Together Month
Earth Science Week
15. National Grouch Day
Emotional Wellness Month
National Food Bank Week
16. Boss’s Day
German-American Heritage
Month
Teen Read Week
17. Mammography Day
World Rainforest Week
18. Bridge Day
Halloween Safety Month
National Crime Prevention Month
19-25 Free From Bullies Week 19. Evaluate Your Life Day
National Character Counts
20. Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day
Friends of Libraries Week
National Dental Hygiene Month
Save for Retirement Week
National Domestic Violence
Month
Red Ribbon Week
National Book Month
National Physical Therapy Month
National Popcorn Poppin’ Month
National Pork Month
20-26 Freedom of Speech Week
Health Education Week
24-31 Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week
National Seafood Month
World Origami Days
Organize Your Medical Information Month
Polish American Heritage Month
Positive Attitude Month
Weekly Observances
1-7 Universal Children’s Week
4-11 Fall Astronomy Week
World Space Week
Great Books Week
Carry A Tune Week
Volume 8, Issue 10
21. Pro-Life Day of Silent
Solidarity Day
22. National Nut Day
23. IPod Day
National School Bus Safety
National Protect Your Hearing
National Substance Abuse Prevention Month
13. English Language Day
October Daily Observances
1. International Day of Older
Persons
2. Guardian Angels Day
24. World Punkin Chunkin
Championships
3. National Diversity Day
25. National Forgiveness Day
4. Improve Your Office Day
26. Howl at the Moon Night
5. World Teachers Day
27. Cranky Co-workers Day
6. Techie’s Day
28. National Chocolates Day
7. You Matter to Me Day
29. Internet Day
8. National Bring Your Teddy 30. Haunted Refrigerator Night
Bear to Work & School Day 31. National Knock-Knock
Jokes Day
9. Depression Screening Day
Page 8
Wasatch Mental Health Wellness Programs
Page 9
Wasatch Review
Tips For Fall Fitness by Web M.D. Archive
How many New Year's Eves have
you spent sipping champagne and
vowing to get more fit in the coming year? And how many times
have you failed to follow through?
Durkin, MS, fitness coach and
owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San
Diego, Calif.
Discover park trails and take in
some new scenery, whether you're
walking, biking, or in-line skating,
he suggests.
"December 31 over a drink is too
late to set goals and make promises," says Justin Price, owner of
The Biomechanics, a personal train- In places where snow falls early, try
cross country skiing or snowshoeing and wellness coaching facility
ing. Or, if you live near the beach,
in San Diego, Calif.
get out and play volleyball, throw
the Frisbee around, or play a vigorFall, on the other hand, is a great
ous game of fetch with your dog.
time to start a fitness program because "'you're going to create good
"It's a great time to do beach activihabits for the holiday season and
the upcoming winter months," says ties because it's so much less
crowded," says Price.
Price.
Chris Freytag, a fitness instructor
and fitness expert withPrevention
magazine, agrees.
"With the change of seasons comes
a renewed time to rethink and restart," she says. "'What's so special
about January?"
Continue reading below...
Besides, says Freytag, a mother of
three, moms with school-aged kids
"think of September as the new
year."
Here are 10 ways to start making
the most of the season. And who
knows? This year, you might be in
great shape before that New Year's
Eve party rolls around.
3. Be an active TV watcher. Many people get geared up for fall premieres of
their favorite television shows, says
Freytag. "If you're going to sit down and
watch hours of TV, get moving," she
suggests. "Make a date with exercise and
TV."
While you watch, you can walk or run in
place, do standing lunges, do tricep dips
off the couch, or lift weights. During
commercials, do push-ups or sit-ups. In a
one-hour show, you probably have close
to 20 minutes worth of commercial interruption.
If you're near a lake, try kayaking
or canoeing, for an excellent wholebody workout and a great change of 4. Integrate exercise into your life. You
pace.
already know the obvious suggestions:
park farther away from your destination;
And remember, it doesn't have to
take stairs instead of elevators; take a
seem like exercise to be a great
walk during your lunch break. Here are a
workout.
few that are less obvious:
"Raking leaves or doing some fall
outdoor yard work is a great way to
get the heart pumping, and it's great
calorie-burning," says Freytag.
2. Think outside the box. Always
wanted to learn to tap dance? Attempt to box? Master the jump
rope? Ask any schoolchild: Fall is a
great time to learn something new.
Many classes at gyms and else1. Take advantage of the weather. where get started in the fall, so look
around and see if something inFall can be a treat for the senses:
trigues you.
the crisp air, apple picking, pumpkin carving, a gorgeous canopy of
And with the kids in school, parents
fall foliage, and the crunch of
have more time to check out those
leaves underfoot. These months are classes, Freytag says.
a great time to exercise outdoors
and enjoy cooler temperatures.
Fall is the perfect time to gain new
physical skills, Price says, because
"Walking, hiking and cycling are
you burn fewer calories when you
all awesome in the fall," says Todd begin a new activity (thanks to the
Volume 8, Issue 10
learning curve). If you learn something
new now, by next summer, you'll have
mastered the skill -- and you'll burn more
calories doing it, just in time for swimsuit season.
If you're spending the afternoon taking
kids to soccer practice, instead of
reading a book or visiting with another parent, "why not walk around
the outside of the field while they
practice?", suggests Price. "Or (if
you feel comfortable) warm up and
cool down with the kids."
Or try "walking meetings," like those
Price and his colleagues at Biomechanics often hold. '"We go for a
walk, we brainstorm, and we figure
out who's going to take what responsibilities," says Price. "'Things
get achieved much more quickly,"
he says, and everyone feels better
for doing it.
You can even get moving while you get
motivated -- for fitness or other life
goals. '"Get some inspirational music or find a motivational talk and
download it to your iPod," suggests
Durkin. Walk while you listen for
Page 10
30 minutes.
5. Rejuvenate yourself. Fall is the time to rejuvenate
body, mind and spirit, says Durkin. Get a massage after your run. Learn to meditate. Take an art class. Treat
yourself not just with exercise but other activities that
promote wellness, he says, so you can feel good physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Continue reading below...
6. Remember the 30-day rule. "'It takes about four
weeks for the body to adapt to lifestyle changes," says
Price. That's why people who give up on their fitness
programs tend to do so within the first 30 days.
So, when the alarm goes off in the morning and it's
darker and colder, don't roll over and hit the snooze
button.
"Try to stick with a program for a month," Price says.
"After a month, behavior patterns will have adapted
and it will be much easier to stick with it after that."
Continue reading below...
When cycling, affix a light to your helmet or bike.
If possible, use trails or a local school track to avoid vehicle traffic. Try to work out at the same time every day, so
drivers get used to seeing you.
9. Dress in layers. When exercising outside, layer your
clothing. Before your body warms up, you may feel
chilled, but once the blood gets pumping, you'll feel overdressed.
These days, there's no lack of great weather gear. Freytag
and Price recommend clothing with wicking, often called
"DriFit."' This fabric wicks moisture away from your skin
so you're not exercising with wet fabric hanging on you.
Freytag suggests three layers: "The inner layer should be a
moisture-wicking fabric, so it wicks away sweat and
you're not chilled. The second layer should be a warmth
layer, and the third layer should be a protective layer (like
a windbreaker or rain slicker, depending on the weather)."
7. Strive for the 3 Cs. Freytag calls commitment, con"And don't forget the sunglasses," she warns. UV protecvenience, and consistency "the three Cs", and says
tion is important year round. Fall sun can be blinding at
having all three will lead to a successful fitness procertain times of the day.
gram.
First, exercise takes commitment. When a client complains to Freytag about a lack of time, she responds:
"Tell me something I haven't heard before. We're all
busy; that's just part of our lives.
10. Find your motivation. "People are motivated by different things," says Durkin. It's important to first discover
what your individual goals are, whether it's losing weight,
strengthening and toning, or preparing for a race or event,
says Durkin.
"You have to start planning exercise, just like you do
everything else," like meetings, dinners, and getting
kids to lessons and practice, she says. "Put in on the
calendar, because later always turns into never."
But goals aren't enough to get you there; you have to be
motivated by the day-to-day workouts, he says. So choose
something you'll enjoy doing and will be likely to keep up,
whether it's walking or hiking with a friend, working with
Convenience means choosing a gym that's close by, or a trainer, or taking part in a "boot camp" class.
an activity you can do at home, or a time when you're
Creating a challenge for yourself will motivate you, as will
not likely to be interrupted.
encouragement and accountability, he adds. "You want to
Finally, there's consistency. "I'd rather see a brand-new know when you're doing a good job, and when you're not,"
says Durkin.
client work out for 10 minutes a day rather than one
hour every month," Freytag says
Remember too, that anything worth having takes work.
8. Deal with darkness. The best way to enjoy fall is to
exercise outdoors. But it is getting darker earlier, and "Tell me something you can do three times a week for 10
staying dark later in the morning, so be smart and safe. minutes and be great at? It doesn't exist," he says. "If it
was easy to be great, everybody would be great."
"Just because it's 6 p.m. (or a.m.) and dark doesn't
mean you can't work out," says Durkin. If walking or
running outdoors, he says, "wear a reflective vest and
carry a flashlight."
Volume 8, Issue 10
Page 11
Cultural Competency
WHY RISK TAKING MAY
INCREASE TEENS HAPPINESS
By Marilyn Price-Mitchell,
Ph.D.
Quite the opposite. These students were describing the positive experience of pushing their
psychological boundaries as
they participated in a variety of
community service activities.
Some had come face-to-face
with people living in situations
It seems like one of the first
very different from their own,
things we associate with the
like poverty or homelessness.
teen years is risk-taking behavior. And most of the time, those Others were doing physical laassociations are negative. Right? bor that stretched them to new
levels of endurance. Several
That’s because we are deluged
feared failure as they set their
with stories of troubled youth
sights on unimaginable goals to
whose risk-taking actions got
benefit others.
out of hand —sometimes with
tragic results.
These students came from
But what if there was a flip-side highly diverse backgrounds. But
what they shared in common
to youth risk-taking — a side
that would encourage us to gen- was a sense of accomplishment
and self-esteem that came from
tly push teens out of their comlearning to solve problems,
fort zones?
working with others, and pushIn 2010, I conducted a research
ing their comfort zones.
study with college students
The bottom line? The students
showing that teens, like adults,
in this study discovered their
find happiness when they experience risk-taking. At the peak identities through the process of
risk-taking. Simultaneously,
of their discomfort, students
they found a path to happiness.
made comments, including:
“I crossed barriers in my mind.” Changes to the limbic system of
the brain cause teens to seek
“I felt scared.”
risk, challenge, and emotional
“I felt liberated.”
stimulation. While some parents
“What a powerful experience.”
fear this phase of a child’s life,
it’s really quite natural. And it’s
a time to be embraced as a positive transition to adulthood.
Of course, we mostly associate
teen risk-taking with drinking,
drugs, smoking, and sexual experimentation. But risk-taking is
equally associated with positive
activities, like mountain climbing, community service, politics,
faith groups, and other experiences that can push young people out of their comfort zones
and reward them handsomely.........risk-taking can
seed happiness, life purpose,
and well-being. When young
people learn to overcome challenges and meet risk head on,
they learn to be resilient. They
learn that exploration beyond
their comfort zones often leads
to unexpected rewards and psychological peaks. They develop
courage, curiosity, selfconfidence, and persistence.
Can we reshape the idea that
teen risk-taking is always negative? What positive experiences
have you or your teen enjoyed
that pushed psychological comfort zones and increased happiness?
“I was way out of my comfort zone.”
What risk-taking experiences caused them to make
these comments? Were they
high on drugs or alcohol?
Page 12
Wasatch Review
What is a vampire's favorite holiday?
Fangsgiving...
Wasatch Mental Health
, UT
What would a monster's psychiatrist be called?
Shrinkenstein...
What do you call someone who puts poison in a person's corn
flakes?
A cereal killer...
Phone: 801-373-4760
Fax: 801-373-0639
Wasatch Mental Health “Vitals”
Avg # of Outcome Questionaires Collected by Day
250.00
205.29
200.00
182.35
193.65 189.79
191.50 188.86
180.63 185.62 178.89
180.48
189.14
180.67
166.55
150.00
100.00
50.00
0.00
Aug-13
Sep-13
Oct-13
Nov-13
Dec-13
Jan-14
Feb-14
Mar-14
Apr-14
May-14
Jun-14
Jul-14
Aug-14
Percent of Staff Meeting Productivity Standard
100% or more
127
95%-99%
23
94% or less
86
0
Volume 8, Issue 10
20
40
60
80
Number of Employees
100
120
140
Page 13