Vol. 2, No. 8
September 2011
MFS CHRONICLE
MFS Supporters Come Together for Annual Meeting 2011
On September 14, nearly 70 people gathered to support MFS at the 2011 Annual Meeting. Former CEO Ken Jue served as honored speaker. New incorporators and board members were introduced and award recipients were announced. Mary Delisle received the Incorporator of the Year Award, and Dr. Stein received the James Meath Award. The Ruth Ewing Program Award was received by the staff of Babytime and Familytime. Mike Blastos and the catering team for the Pub Restaurant did an excellent job providing food for the event. Pete’s Farm Stand and the Wildflower Farm donated beautiful centerpieces for each of the tables. This event was made possible through the hard work of the MFS Development team, Sandy Jones, Christopher Bowler, Ann Jillson, Linda Price, and Kim Calkins. Many thanks to everyone who collaborated to make the Annual Meeting a success!
If you would like a copy of the 2011 Annual Report, please contact Jennifer Bowler at
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or Emily Marks at
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or extension 664. We would be pleased to provide you with one!
Featured Program of the Month: In SHAPE
An interview with Peter Sebert, Joe Montano, Sarah Durfee, Wayne Balnis, Brenda Buffum, and Laura Hall from the Adult and Children’s In SHAPE teams
In SHAPE programs statewide were recently awarded a $10 million grant to expand enrollment through incentives, develop stronger smoking cessation interventions, and provide transportation for those program participants in need of it. In this effort, In SHAPE has partnered with Weight Watchers, one of the most successful weight management programs in the country. The transportation piece is particularly helpful to In SHAPE at MFS because the Keene YMCA, one of the program’s longtime partners, is moving to a new building that is not within walking distance of downtown Keene. The $10 million grant will be divided between the ten New Hampshire Community Mental Health Centers, the Bureau of Behavioral Health, and the Dartmouth Psychiatric Center based on factors like number of individuals served at each In SHAPE location.
The In SHAPE program first started in November 2003. It was envisaged by Ken Jue, former CEO of MFS, as an intervention to address the disproportionately high rate of early deaths among people suffering from mental illness. Due to environmental factors, including the side effects of many drugs prescribed to treat mental illness, these individuals are more likely to become overweight and suffer from deadly medical conditions like coronary artery disease. To reduce that risk, program participants are matched with personal health mentors who help them to meet individualized physical wellness goals. Exercise becomes a form of treatment for this underserved population.
The benefits of In SHAPE go far beyond weight control and an influx of endorphins. As several mentors explained, the stigma of mental illness often has catastrophic effects on an individual’s self-confidence. Many individuals first entering the program feel so limited and stigmatized that they do not engage in social interaction outside their families and clinicians. As a result, their illness becomes the primary focus of every interaction they have, increasing their tendency towards isolation. Many participants report that their initial meeting with their In SHAPE mentor was the first positive, strength-based, confidence-boosting interaction they had experienced in years. As participants become more independent and self-assured, they are able to join fitness groups, maintain their own wellness, and continue participating in program activities without the support of a personal mentor.
During the last few years In SHAPE has continued to grow in exciting and new ways. The Healthy Lifestyles Group provides an opportunity for individuals to meet other participants and enjoy exercise activities in a community setting. In SHAPE maintains community gardens in Peterborough and Keene. Willing participants commit to working in the gardens two hours every week. As a result, they have the opportunity to practice their gardening skills, connect with other people, and try new foods fresh from the gardens.
One year ago, a Kids’ In SHAPE program was established at MFS. It is the only regional integrated health improvement program designed for children. Roughly sixty percent of all children in the United States are considered overweight. The Kids’ In SHAPE program is similar to the original program for adults, except that it incorporates the entire family into the intervention. Because children have little power to alter their own lifestyles independently of family members, mentors work with parents and siblings as well to establish more active family routines and introduce healthier cooking and eating habits. Kids’ In SHAPE has just begun sending a monthly newsletter to participants via e-mail. The newsletter includes family-friendly activity ideas, healthy recipes, and details about upcoming events.
Kids’ In SHAPE will begin selling bracelets to fund the expansion of their program and activities. You can purchase a ½ inch silicone bracelet for $2.00 each. Adult size bracelets come in red and blue; children’s bracelets come in hot pink and neon green. Please support the program by proudly wearing a Kids’ In SHAPE bracelet! In SHAPE will be sending more details to everyone in the agency very shortly.
In SHAPE’s success is largely based on the commitment of its participants. In SHAPE mentors describe their roles as facilitative for people who have decided that they want to make a change. Successful participants engage with the program because of their own initiative, not because a parent or teacher or friend wants them to. Their confidence grows because they can fully attribute their successes to their own efforts. In SHAPE mentors ask that MFS clinicians and case managers consider referring any consumer who is willing to try something new and is ready to take back control of his or her own life.
Family Programs Find New Home
From Mary Mullen-LaValley
Thanks to everyone for welcoming us as we settled into our new space to house our Family Resource Programming! Now that we have become established in our new location, please feel free to drop by and say hello. We can be found on the second floor of MFS at 64 Main Street.
Walpole Wellness and Art Fair October 8th
From Jennifer Bowler, Development Director
The Walpole Wellness and Art Fair Kicks off on October 8th and will be featuring a Know your Numbers initiative to support Vision 20/20, CPR Training Courses, Healthy Home Safety measures and two cooking courses that are being offered upstairs at the Walpole Firehouse.
The courses will be taught by Jennifer Bowler, MFS Development Director, who is also a trained culinary and pastry chef. The cooking classes are free and there is an advanced sign up. The first class will run from 9:30am to 10:30am and the second class will run from 10:30am until 11:30am. Each student will learn healthy, fun, and nutritionally balanced meals that can be cooked in 30 minutes and cost less than 20 dollars to prepare for a family of 4. Everyone is welcome. We look forward to seeing you there!
What I Do for Workplace Wellness: Info on Seasonal Flu Shots
Once again, MFS is able to offer free seasonal flu shots to every employee who wants one. Flu shots will be administered by HCS nurses at various times and locations during the first two weeks of October. In order to receive your flu shot, you must register with the Human Resource office, Meredith Lynch at extension 574 or Linda Price at extension 570, so that the nurses know how many vaccines to bring to each location. Flu vaccine fact sheets will be distributed by the nurses when administering shots. In the meantime, here are some things to consider about the flu and the vaccine, courtesy of the Center for Disease Control website.
The flu is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by a virus. Flu season generally runs from October to May. Common symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, runny nose, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. Typically, adults who have contracted the flu become contagious the day before any symptoms appear, and remain contagious during the first week they are ill. Most healthy adults fully recover from the flu after two weeks of illness, but complications of the flu – such as pneumonia, dehydration, and aggravation of chronic health conditions – can be deadly. Because so many MFS employees work directly with people in the community, the staff is at greater risk of catching the flu. The best way to prevent the flu is to get the vaccine early in the flu season.
The most common form of flu vaccine is the flu shot, which is injected into the muscle of the upper arm. The shot contains specimens of the virus that have been killed. It protects against the three strains of the virus that scientists determine will be most common in the upcoming flu season. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to take full effect and protect against illness. The benefits of the flu vaccine last about a year.
Regardless of whether or not you choose to get the flu vaccine, there are several ways to prevent becoming ill this flu season. Avoid contact with people who are ill, and if you do become sick, stay home from work and errands so that others do not catch your flu. Remember, people with the flu are contagious for a full week after developing symptoms. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough. Wash your hands frequently, especially before and after touching your face or eating. Finally, keep your immune system strong by practicing good wellness habits. Always get a full night’s rest, eat nutritious foods, drink plenty of water, and include at least 30 minutes of physical exercise in your daily routine.
Be well this flu season!
October Volunteer Opportunity from the Monadnock RSVP
From Geraldine Liebert, Monadnock RSVP Program Coordinator
We need volunteers for the Pumpkin Festival, which will be on October 22, 2011! If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering for the Pumpkin Festival, please check out http://www.pumpkinfestival2011.org for online registration and job opportunities. Here are the positions available:
Host: We need 50 people and “assistants” to welcome event attendees. Hosts will oversee one specific area of downtown Keene to greet, guide, and assist festival guests. Training will be provided.
Clean-Up: We need 30 people, including three team leaders. The clean-up crew will return Keene to its pre-festival beauty. This is a job for a highly energetic, industrious, fit team of people who have the grit of soldiers and the speed of Santa's elves.
Pumpkin Counters
Official Merchandise Booth Staff
The Monadnock RSVP is helping with the coordination of volunteers. If you have any questions please call Ruth Sterling, Event Manager, at 352-4410.
Cheshire Mediation Partners with the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship
From Adriana Elliot, Director of Cheshire Mediation
After 15 years within Monadnock Family Services, Cheshire Mediation will become an independent, privately run entity on October 1, 2011. Adriana Elliot, current Director of Cheshire Mediation, will continue to direct and develop the program in her office at the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship, at 25 Roxbury Street in Keene.
“Cheshire Mediation provides a vital community service with 15 years of history in our region. I am honored to be entrusted with its future,” says Elliot, who started at MFS four years ago as a trainee, intern, and eventually a part-time employee. She trained with former Cheshire Mediation Director Greg Hessel, and local mediators Olivia Ruel and Greg Martin. Elliot is a NH Certified Family Mediator, a member of the board of the New Hamsphire Conflict Resolution Association, and is exploring opportunities for partnership and collaboration with area mediators and related services organizations.
With the evaporation of public funding for mediation services, and a recent restructure of the Court Mediation funding stream, it is no longer feasible for MFS to operate a not-for-profit community mediation program. Robert Rooney, CEO of MFS, is pleased that Cheshire Mediation will continue to serve the Monadnock region.
Mary Ann Kristiansen, Executive Director of Hannah Grimes, welcomes the addition of Cheshire Mediation to the Business Incubator Progam: “The changing economy has strengthened public/private partnerships in New Hampshire. We are beginning to see several examples of non-profits finding ways to meet their mission and continue their programs through creative partnerships with trusted private partners. It is very exciting.”
Mediation is a private process, facilitated by a neutral third party, that allows people in conflict to work through their differences in constructive ways. Rather than handing decision-making over to the courts, participants in mediation construct their own informed, fair and durable agreements. This allows them to reach decisions that are tailored to their individual needs, and avoid the excessive costs and emotional stress of litigation, whenever possible.
In celebration of International Conflict Resolution Day, and to welcome the community to its new location, Cheshire Mediation will host an open house on October 21, 2011. Plans for the day’s events are currently underway.
Cheshire Mediation offers confidential mediation services for family, business and community disputes. For more information about Cheshire Mediation, or to learn about how mediation can help you, contact Adriana Elliot at 358-3322, or visit her website at cheshiremediation.com.
Children’s Services Welcomes New Clinical Supervisor
Sarah Benoit joined MFS on September 1st as the Senior Clinical Supervisor for Children’s Services. Sarah previously worked as Director of the Community Services team at LUK, Inc. in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. There, Sarah coordinated home-based programs through contracts from state agencies, Medicaid, and private insurance. Sarah has a private practice in Milford, New Hampshire. She is part of the New Hampshire Disaster Behavioral Health Response team. As a resident of the Monadnock region, Sarah is excited to serve consumers in her own community through MFS.
Clinically, Sarah specializes in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescents. She has extensive experience working with co-victims of suicide, including family members and friends of the victim, and advanced training in evidence-based therapy. Sarah had a previous career in business development and marketing. By merging her business and clinical expertise, she is better able to focus on the big picture and work to strengthen the agency.
Sarah favors a strengths-based approach to therapy. She believes that good clinical practice must be individualized to meet the specific needs of every consumer. As a supervisor, Sarah emphasizes the importance of self-care and constructive peer support, which allow mental health practitioners to withstand the demands of a highly challenging yet rewarding profession.
ActingOut Program Leadership Transition
The ActingOut program of Monadnock Family Services is pleased to announce that Eric Snare has joined the staff as the new program coordinator. Eric comes to the position having worked with ActingOut for over 11 years in almost every other capacity, including as a student participant. “It has been so wonderful to see the program change and grow, and to have an integral part in creating and supporting this program, which has given me so much,” Eric says. “It’s taught me a great deal, as a student, as a teacher, and as a person.”
Eric holds a B.A. in Improvisational Arts from Keene State College, which was a self-designed major that incorporated his work with the ActingOut program.
He has been involved with ActingOut since 2000, first as a program participant and then as a group leader. Eric has been teaching improvisational theater to students under the guidance of Jodi Clark, ActingOut Program Director, since 2006. He has been the coordinator of the Keene State College-based ActingOut troupe, The Seasoned Players, since 2006, and has been a fulltime staff member, serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer at ActingOut since 2009. Eric has been the primary teacher of the ActingOut middle school improv theatre pilot program since 2009.
Additionally, Eric has taught improv theatre, chainmail jewelry making, and other creative arts classes for children at MoCo Arts for the Creative Arts at Keene Summer Camp program since 2005. Eric has served on the Leadership Team for C.A.K.E. since 2008. As part of his other skills, he has extensive experience as a youth and family mediator both with the C.A.K.E. program as well as with Cheshire Mediation. “I’m very excited to be leading the program,” Eric says. “I’m looking forward to working with the participants, our partners, and the larger community.” ActingOut is funded in part by the Monadnock United Way. To learn more about the upcoming ActingOut programming for the 2011-2012 school year, contact Eric at
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or 355-3040 ext. 106.
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