Welcome!

This newsletter is sent on the first and third Wednesday of each month. If you would like to include a news item or announcement, please contact Andrew Drewnowski.

Managers, please print and place in a common area.

March is Nutrition Month

The theme this year is, “Put Your Best Fork Forward”, and that is exactly what staff and participants at the Henry Street Program are doing!

The people at Henry Street are changing the way they grocery shop and cook! They are buying less processed foods and cooking fresh healthy meals. Snacks were a challenge especially right before dinner when folks are coming back from their programs, hungry!

Fresh fruit to the rescue! When participants arrive back to the program, the counter is full of bananas, berries, grapes, apples and oranges, and they can help themselves. Dinners are cooked from fresh ingredients, and there is always plenty of salad. In the morning, breakfast follows the same rules as dinner, fresh cooked and healthy options.

Of course, residents are out and about during the day and make their own choices. Like many of us, they are not always the healthiest ones. But when they make these decisions, the staff don’t criticize. Instead, they remind participants of their goal of eating better as a way of feeling better. With these positive supports, participants often choose healthier options.

Along with putting their best forks forward, staff and participants are putting their best feet forward and walking when the weather permits. The results have been amazing! Folks are losing weight, have better energy, and according to their doctors, may avoid the need for added medication.

Next steps? Everyone is excited and looking forward to farm fresh food. Henry Street has signed up for a farm share from our own Prospect Meadow Farm. Congratulations everyone at Henry Street, and thanks for the inspiration!

Women's History Month

"I am above eighty years old; it is about time for me to be going. I have been forty years a slave and forty years free and would be here forty years more to have equal rights for all."

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)

Sojourner Truth was a former slave who lived in Florence, Massachusetts (a village of Northampton) from 1843-1857. She came to Florence to join the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, a utopian community dedicated to equality and justice. In the mid-nineteenth century, Sojourner Truth became a nationally known advocate for justice and equality between races and between men and women.

SOURCE
SOURCE

Social Work Month

Staff Spotlight-Seth Dunn, Director of Quality

I decided to become a social worker as a new college graduate in the mid-1970’s. As a child, I was inspired by President Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural speech about serviceto others (“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”). Growing up, I knew that I wanted to do “something” to make a difference in the lives of others, and I was curious about people. I was fascinated about human behavior and relationships, wondering why people think and behave in particular ways. To find answers, I studied history, sociology, and philosophy in college; but interestingly not one psychology course. I wanted to know more experientially, so I applied for a job at the Institute of Living (psychiatric hospital) in Hartford. Working with people on the units, I learned a lot about human emotions, thinking, and behavior. I also talked to social workers about what they did and why they chose social work. Speaking with my friend’s grandmother who earned her MSW at age 56, and who continued to work well into her 80’s, was pivotal in my decision to become a social worker. I realized that social work is more than a job, but that human “something” inspired by President Kennedy to care for others and contribute to a more just and compassionate society.

Many of the services and programs that we provide at ServiceNet became realized during the 1960’s and 70’s under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson when mental health and developmental disability services were developed and funded nationally. I’ve had the privilege to supervise and teach many people in the field of social work and am continually impressed with my colleagues’ and students’ idealism, dedication to the health and welfare of others, and openness to learn about others and ways to help. Idealism and the desire to help others continues to inspire people to become social workers. The question about what we can do for our country and people in our community remains as fresh today as when President Kennedy challenged and activated the nation in 1961.

REACH Early Intervention Achievements

Congratulations to the REACH Early Intervention staff on their recent evaluation. On the annual outcomes measures from the State Systemic Improvement Plan for Early Intervention Programs, REACH exceeded the state baseline in 5 of 6 measures, and exceeded the FY 2016 measures in all categories!

Transitions at ServiceNet

Here's a few new/promoted staff members throughout the agency:

Katarina (Trina) Phillips- Developmental Specialist, REACH
Alyssa Marchese- Developmental Specialist, REACH

IDEA System - Featured Idea

What was the problem?
Staff was producing too much office waste

What's the solution?
Counselor, Manager, and Contract Director met and developed a "Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse" initiative.

Kudos to the Mental Health Recovery Services
Franklin County Team 2 staff!

2017 Trivia Program

Congratulations to
Barbara Craig for winning the $5.00 gift card!

Answer this week's question NOW!

We will be featuring a trivia question contest in every ServiceNotes issue. Every staff member who answers the question correctly will be placed in a bi-monthly drawing for a $5.00 gift card.

The trivia question will be available for 10 days. The winner of the gift card will be announced in the next ServiceNotes issue.
At the end of the year, staff members who participated in EVERY trivia question, whether or not their answers were correct, will be placed in a drawing for a $50.00 gift card.

Happy Wednesday!