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Vol. 1, No. 3
August 2010
MFS CHRONICLE
WE HAVE A WINNER
As you’ve probably already noticed, your staff newsletter now has a formal title, MFS Chronicle. The votes are in and Lorna Pillsbury’s MFS Chronicle was the clear winner. This is the first issue of the staff newsletter to bear the new title and Lorna, an administrative assistant in medical services, wins dinner for two at her favorite restaurant -- Nicola’s Trattoria in Keene.
When told she’d won, Lorna exclaimed, “That is so great.” And the title MFS Chronicle? Because it represented the ability of the staff newsletter to report a variety of topics – programs, people and events, she said.
KUDOS TO MFS
Gail Coburn, chief operating officer, passed along a report from United Behavioral Health, which conducted an on-site review at MFS July 8 and 9. MFS passed their audit and in a letter to Gail, United Behavioral Health wrote:
“You received Facility Site Audit Review scores of 88% for the 64 Main Street site, 88% for the 17 93rd Street site, 85% for the Winchester site, 88% for the Jaffrey site, 86% for the Peterborough site and 86% for the Walpole site. The Treatment Record Review scores were 96% for the 64 Main Street site, 94% for the 17 93rd Street site, 90% for the Winchester site, 86% for the Jaffrey site, 87% for the Peterborough site and 90% for the Walpole site.”
The letter continued: “Because your scores were all 85% or higher, it is not necessary for you to respond in writing regarding corrective action for any areas found deficient. Congratulations and thank you for your continued efforts to provide quality care and assure a safe environment for UBH members and their families.”
A Tip of the Hat to the MFS staff for a great review.
BARBARA HUNT: A WELCOMING FACE AT 93RD STREET
 Whether they’re consumers, staff or visitors, nearly everyone arriving at our 93rd Street offices is greeted by Barbara Hunt.
Her reassuring voice, warm smile and very welcoming greeting have made her a special part of 93rd Street in the 10 years she’s served as receptionist.
She is the first person seen or heard by people coming to or calling 93rd Street for help with their mental health issues. And to be effective, she needs to know the daily schedules of case managers, who are the first line of defense in treating people with mental illness.
Many of MFS’s case managers are young and she feels like a mother to some of them. “They’re a great bunch of kids,” says Barbara, who spent 27 years with Kingsbury Tool in Keene, doing data entry and working a mainframe computer, before joining MFS. When she came to MFS, it was for a new career as a receptionist. She remembered Kingsbury when it had 1,200 employees and operated out of three buildings in Keene. They’re now down to one building and less than 100 employees, she said.
Barbara and her husband, Gary, a master electrician with Amer Electric, live in Keene, have been married 35 years and have a son, Nicholas, who spent four years in the Navy, graduated from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville and currently works as an engineer in Chicago for Navistar, a diesel truck and bus manufacturer.
For relaxation Barbara and her husband enjoy day trips and visits to their favorite spot in Ogunquit, Maine. She likes to read and admits she’s a “reality show junkie.”
Her biggest challenge has been watching as many people left their jobs with MFS but her biggest pleasure has been meeting and watching consumers who come through her door every day. And her sister, who has mental challenges, has helped her understand how to deal with the people coming for appointments.
Although she’s never kept track of how many phone calls she juggles every day, it’s a lot, she says. And she has a couple of firm rules in dealing with people -- she’ll tolerate no swearing or unruly behavior. She often fields several calls a day from a single consumer, seeking confirmation of an appointment. In the 10 years she’s handled the job, she’s only had to use a special code that lets everyone in the building know that she needs help with an unruly client.
She expects the case managers to provide her with their weekly schedule so she can keep consumers informed when they call for help. And she’s at her desk every day, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a break in the morning and then lunch. After lunch, she works straight through the afternoon.
Barbara was born in Winchendon, Mass. Her father worked at Kingsbury and commuted to Keene from Winchendon, where the family lived next door to her father’s parents. After his parents died, the family moved to Keene when Barbara was 16. She’s lived here since.
One of her joys has been watching some MFS consumers get better. She said Carla Kirsh has helped many people through the years and Barbara says, “Some people I used to see come here for help, I don’t see any more because they got better.” And others, like one man who comes for treatment and brings candy or cookies for the staff, will continue to come and Barbara sees him frequently.
And in all the years on the job, even when the one time she had to summon extra help, she’s never really felt threatened. And she watches out for her case managers. When they may be making a visit to a location where there could be difficulty, the case manager calls Barbara on the way in and then again as they leave the premises.
Barbara watches out for her case managers -- and everyone else who comes through her door.
A NOTE FROM JAYME
 The month of September offers some interesting challenges and opportunities for Monadnock Family Services.
First, for the challenge. We’ll launch our annual in-house campaign for the Monadnock United Way. As many of you know, MFS is the single largest benefactor of the Monadnock United Way campaign -- receiving more than $250,000 annually, which allows us to serve people who need us but can’t afford the fee for service.
Geraldine Liebert, director of our Volunteer Center, has agreed again to serve as the MFS chair for this year’s campaign. She is working closely with a team of volunteers from within MFS and coordinating with the Monadnock United Way office to assure that we have a successful campaign.
We’d like to be able to say at the end of this campaign that MFS did its part and had 100 percent participation by its staff. I hope you’ll do your part. Every gift counts.
And if we get great results with this campaign, I promise you we’ll celebrate as an agency when the campaign ends.
Second, the opportunity comes in the form of our Annual Meeting Wednesday, September 15. You’ve been reading about the record number of suicides among active and retired military people. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, there’s grave concern for the men and women deployed to these combat zones and the impact on them and their families when they return.
Our Veterans Outreach Base at 93rd Street already is working with veterans from Vietnam and Iraq and Afghanistan. And with New Hampshire about to begin the biggest deployment of National Guardsmen since the end of World War II, we need to be prepared to help these troops and their families during deployment and following their return.
One of the major issues confronting the military is the alarming increase in the number of suicides by veterans and active-duty soldiers. The Army is taking the issue of military suicides very seriously with the appointment of Colonel Chris Philbrick to head a suicide prevention task force at the Pentagon. We have invited Colonel Philbrick to speak at our annual meeting Wednesday, September 15, in Keene. He’s agreed to do that, advising us that we’re the first non-military organization in the nation to invite him to speak.
We plan to share with him what MFS is doing to serve the needs of military veterans in the Monadnock region and ask him what we might be doing here that would help him with his task.
So, September will be a busy month but I know we’re up to the challenges and opportunities it offers.
JAYME COLLINS
MFS GALA
The Monadnock Summer Gala, held at the home of Mary Ellen Moore in Dublin, on Saturday, July 24, honored Ken Jue, who retired as Monadnock Family Services CEO at the end of 2009. Guests dined under an elegant tent on the spacious lawn of Mary Ellen’s home, heard from people who had worked with Ken, were treated to an action-packed auction and later danced to the music of the Tom Foolery Band. The weather was perfect and everyone enjoyed the evening. Below are some photos from the event.
Former CEO Ken Jue, Nancy “Pooky” Hayden of Marlborough and Ken’s successor, Jayme Collins, enjoy a moment at the gala.
MFS CEO Jayme Collins at the Gala with Dorothy Peterson, Randy Gillispie, director of Acute Care at MFS, and former New Hampshire Governor Walter Peterson of Peterborough.
Steve Ryder, a longtime friend of Ken Jue who spoke at the Gala, with Kathy Harrington, center, the new president of the Monadnock United Way, and Mary Delisle, a member of the Gala Committee and campaign coordinator for the United Way.
Jill Batty, left, a member of the Board of Directors of Monadnock Family Services, and MFS CEO Jayme Collins in front of the Gala tent with the evening’s master of ceremonies, Frank Dobisky.
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