A Publication by Bethesda PA Treatment & Healing

www.pathtochange.org

March 2008, Volume 1, Issue 7

Board of Directors

Joseph Pugliese

Chairman  

Timothy Gage

Vice Chairman

Jerilyn Keen

President

Fred Martin

Director

Mary Tiffin

Director  

Chris Bingaman

Director  

Stacey Kifolo

Secretary

Gene McCarty

Treasurer

Advisory Committee

Jerilyn Keen

Scott Constantini

Stephen Gaito

Robert Vanderwall

Jennifer Evans

Don Coleman

William Rossnock

Joseph Talarico

Dr. Elizabth Ciaravino

Thomas Bell

Captain William Weber

Larry Weidman

John Gigunto

Matthew Yonkin

Consultants

Dr. Vikas Passi

D&A Medical Director

Dr. Frederick Maue

Mental Health Director 

Dr. Matthew Emery

Psychological Consultant

Dr. Hugh Smith & Associates

Psychological Consultants

The Extinction Principle

An experiment was conducted a number of years ago that depicts behavior common to that of our clients after having been repeatedly rejected.  The elements of this experiment were a large fish tank containing a Northern Pike fish.  Those conducting the study fed the fish plenty of its favorite food (live minnows) on a regular basis. Day after day, the fish seemed very contented to swim around the tank, eating the minnows just as it would do in its natural environment.

Then one day, a glass partition was placed into the tank dividing the tank in two.  When it was feeding time, instead of putting the live minnows in with the Northern Pike, the minnows were placed on the other side, out of its reach.  The Pike could see the minnows but could not get to them. Unable to detect the divider separating him from the minnows, the Pike was confused as to why it was now impossible to get to what was once so easily obtained.  So it swam around the tank and toward the minnows repeatedly bumping its head into the glass trying to reach its dinner.  The Pike repeated this pattern over and over attempting to get its needs met.  Like many of our clients, the fish wasn’t able to obtain what it desired and needed most. The food was right in front of the fish, tempting it to try and capture what it instinctively needed to survive.  As hard as the fish tried there seemed to be no way to get what it wanted.  It kept bumping into the barrier.  Painful attempt after painful attempt, eventually it stopped trying.

After several days, the glass partition was removed and the minnows were free to roam into the Pike’s area again.  It could now easily reach the minnows.  But the strangest thing happened.  Even though the fish hadn’t eaten in days and the minnows were brushing right up against its gills, it didn’t try to take a bite.  The desire to keep trying, coupled with the pain of repeated rejection exhausted its will to continue. Similar to our clients, it simply got so tired of running into a wall it eventually gave up. 

The Northern Pike ended up dying of starvation in the tank with its favorite food, live bait swimming right along next to it.  This is what we’ve named the Extinction Principle.  We equate this experiment to behaviors we often see demonstrated by our clients.  They want close relationships with the people they love but they have grown weary of trying due to constant rejection.  Even when the possibility is offered to them they often detach, showing no affect or interest in trying again. There are no guarantees we can offer our clients that they will not be rejected again.  The fact is that every person who opens their heart to another is taking the risk of being rejected.  Although it is true that when we allow ourselves to become vulnerable we run the risk of being hurt, the alternative is living in isolation behind a wall with minimal hope. We must encourage our clients to recognize the barriers preventing them from forging ahead, take down the wall and try again.

From My heart to yours,

Jerilyn

Jerilyn A. Keen, M.A.

President

News from our Corporate Office…

Congratulations to Clinical Supervisor, Jodee Strine on accepting the dual position as Program Manager & Clinical Supervisor of the Bloomsburg Center!  Long before accepting the position on April 3^rd, Jodee had been going above and beyond her Clinical Supervisor position by handling many of the P.M. duties. We are so proud of the excellent job she is has been doing! A big WooHoo for Jodee!  

D&A News – The Inpatient Non-Hospital Residential Half-way House received word that CCBH NE has approved this service. We are still working on the approval for the North Central and Carbon/Monroe/Pike regions of CCBH as well as approval from CBHNP. The good news is that the Group Home reached full house status also during the month.

MA Specialist/Drug and Alcohol Supervisor, Michele Barrows lead the 4th D&A Clinical Staffing for the D&A counselors. Counselors are brought together from all 10 of our licensed D&A facilities throughout the state. Michele reports that these meetings are very informative and have proven to be extremely beneficial to all in attendance. The counselors have increased the number of clients being treated and revenue for this program is on the rise. But don’t let them fool you. They aren’t all business....wink, wink,….a whole lot of fellowship with joking, sharing and laughs were heard coming from the meeting room! They really enjoy getting together and supporting each other.

President Keen continues to hold a weekly Eating Disorder Support Group for those working on recovery from disordered eating. The group has been meeting weekly for 1 ½ hours since January 29^th,. Good things are definitely happening at these meetings. The number of participants remains consistent with 7 regular attendees. New members are welcome.  Call the Corporate office for more information.

This is “What’s Happening” at our Centers…

PATH - Bloomsburg: Spring is here and the clients in Bloomsburg have been able to take advantage of it! They recently enjoyed an afternoon at the park where they played basketball as recreational therapy.  The clients were able to learn more about the importance of communication by working as teams.  Some of the clients really stood out by showing their strength as team players. Overall, everyone really enjoyed themselves!  The clients have also been learning to use art therapy as a way of expressing who they are.  This activity has given them the opportunity to use their creative side and has allowed them to realize that there are many ways that they can describe themselves without using words. The clients have also been using their creative side in the kitchen by exploring their skills as chefs! This experience with cooking has allowed the students to discover their ability to cook as well as improve a life skill. Tony has proven to be especially talented in this area and has made some great dinners and desserts for everyone to enjoy! Jessica U. has done a good job working through some painful areas of her life this month.  She has persevered and been successful as she has earned client of the month for March!  

PATH - Middleburg: The Halfway House residents are anxious for warm weather after what felt like a very long winter! As a reward for positive behavior, the students were recently taken on a trip to the skate park which they enjoyed.  We are very proud of the residents as they continue to learn a great deal of new skills and walk diligently toward their recovery! We would especially like to thank Program Manager, Jon Gamble, and D&A Clinical Supervisor, Michele Barrows, for their efforts in shaping the Halfway House program as well as congratulate them on our recent successful visit from CBHNP!  We would also like to welcome Erica Penepacker to the D&A treatment staff at the Halfway House! 

PATH - Milton: Robert Vanderwall, Jonathan Sharpe, and Stephanie Rice have been working hard, traveling to many counties in the state to promote the services that Bethesda PATH has to offer! They have been highlighting the specialized foster care programs, as well as the recently developed IA programs.  Clinical Supervisor, Denise Scott, and the rest of the staff have been putting a tremendous amount of hard work into the Intensive Adolescent Program and it is beginning to show strong results. The number of clients enrolled in the Intensive program has risen significantly.  Heather Heiney, Day Treatment Supervisor, and the rest of the Day Treatment Staff were happy to have President Jerilyn Keen to the center recently for consultation and advice on some of the more difficult cases they have been working on. The Milton Center will also be meeting with Bill Broecker from Northumberland County MH/MR in April.  The staff will be presenting the Intensive Adolescent Program and informing Bill about the many services that his agency may be able to take advantage of.  The Alternative Education Program is excited about plans to take the students on a field trip to Hershey Park at the end of the school year. Students who consistently model program norms and maintain a high level of academic performance will be invited on this trip. Our students have been participating in community service weekly at St. Andrew’s Church in Milton.  The clients have been helping with the church’s community meals on Monday nights which are open to anyone who would like to attend. We would like to thank the Community Service crew from the Williamsport Center for their help in spreading stones in the backyard parking area of the center! We are also very proud of our Day Treatment Supervisor, Heather Heiney, who has recently started working towards her Masters’ degree in Mental Health Counseling.  Good luck Heather!

PATH - Scranton: The Scranton Center continues to be busy and, like many of the other centers, can’t wait for the warm weather! Regional Manager, Scott Constantini, met with Lackawanna County MH/MR Administrators on March 17^th and presented to the Lackawanna County Administration to explain the Bethesda PATH programs. Once the weather does get warmer, our community service will take off as our clients will be working on their Adopt A Highway project in Moosic.  The clients will also be looking to get involved in other ways throughout the community, such as local park spring cleanups.  Recently, the clients have been working on the new Group Room for the afterschool clients.  They have been busy painting and plan to finish the room by decorating it with positive motivational items! We would also like to welcome Anthony Pastore as Program Manager/Clinical Supervisor and Janelle McHale, secretary, to the Scranton Team!

PATH - South Montrose: The AEP staff would like tor recognize our students of the week for this past month, Max and Diedra! We would also like to wish Darren the best of luck as he will be returning to his home district for the 4^th marking period! You have all done a great job! Keep up the good work! Our center was looking very festive during the Easter holiday thanks to the AEP students who spent their Art classes designing and painting Easter decorations that were then displayed throughout the center.  We have also been taking advantage of the recent beautiful weather by enjoying some pick-up basketball and touch-football games for Health and Recreation.  We are proud of our Day Treatment Clients who have been busy taking part in several community service events including a fun evening out at the Kid’s Safe Night as well as an afternoon of “Bowling for Kid’s Sake” which was a local fundraiser for Big Brothers/Big Sisters! 

PATH - State College: Lately, our AEP students have been studying WWII and have come to understand just what an important and influential period in history it was for our country.  The students have really been enjoying learning about it! The Afterschool Evening & Intensive Adolescent Day Treatment clients have been focusing specifically on learning how their negative thoughts lead to their negative actions, emotions, and attitudes. Both our tutoring cooperative with PSU and our reading program are continuing to be effective academic tools for all of our clients. We are currently in the process of contacting PENNDOT in order to apply for a stretch of highway that we can clean up as community service. The clients are also going to be preparing a community garden within the next few weeks. We would also like to point out that the Stage College Center is now “green”; we are fully recycling! We would like to extend a special thanks to all of the State College staff for going above and beyond by covering at the center during our recent time of transition, growth, and development! We truly appreciate your extra effort!  We would also like to welcome our new teacher, Trevor Bryden, to the AEP staff!

PATH - Williamsport: The AEP program is excited as they are planning a field day with the Milton and State College Centers !  We have also recently instituted an incentive program, based on the Center Norms, for students to earn a spot on the Hershey Park trip at the end of the year.  Regional Manager, Robert Vanderwall, and Clinical Supervisor, Cleveland Way , have been very busy promoting the Intensive Adolescent program.  They recently met with representatives of the Lycoming and Clinton County Children & Youth and JPO which led to our first referral from Clinton County for the Be Challenged Program. Keep up the hard work guys!

Each month we feature a member of our Management Team as a way to honor their dedication and commitment to making our Agency the very best it can be!  This month we highlight Steven Rizzo, Program Manager of our Honesdale Center.

Steven has been happily married to his wife, Kimberly, for almost 6 years.  Steven attended Connetguot High School in Long Island, New York before continuing his education at the State University College in New Paltz, New York where he graduated with a degree in Psychology in May 1996.  Steven then applied for several social service positions before being hired by PATH.

Steven has tried to stay active in the community through his involvement in the events of the  Wallenpaupack Area School District where his wife works as a kindergarten teacher.  He has participated in book sales and chorus concerts, as well as many other events.  Steven and his wife have also assisted in fundraisers for relatives and friends who have been financially impacted by medical conditions. He has also coached football and Little League baseball at both Wallenpaupack and Wayne Highlands School District !

In his free time, Steven enjoys golfing and going on day trips with his wife and family as well as attending and watching sporting events.  He follows the Michigan football team, the North Carolina basketball team, and all of the Pro New York teams. Steven also likes to cook and spend time with both his family and his wife’s family, including his nieces and nephews.

Steven shares his thoughts on PATH’s mission, “I truly believe in the purpose and mission of our Agency.  This is the reason why I have remained an employee for 9 years.  I find it extremely rewarding to help troubled adolescents and provide guidance to them since I have experienced many of their hardships as well.  I’m a firm believer that to last in this field, you can’t measure the success of every client, true success to me is simply giving 100% of yourself.”

April 23^rd is Administrative Professional’s Day. President Keen and the Management Team take their hats off to each of our wonderful Secretaries, and Administrative Professionals! Without you – we’d be lost, covered in files or worse! Thanks for the terrific job you do keeping us all organized and for making PATH shine brightly!

The New Relationship-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Model is due to roll off the presses any day now! President Keen, Erica Frey, Jennifer Evans and Heather Heiny have been working diligently to write and refine the manual and the diagrams. President Keen would also like to thank those who have served as proof readers and test group participants for the model.  Some of those individuals are Gary Shipman, Michele Barrows, Stacey Kifolo, Matt Yonkin, and Kelly Keen!  Thanks for your insight.

We would like to recognize the Scranton Center for their participation in the annual Toys for Tots Campaign! The Toys for Tots drive works to collect toys for less fortunate families in the community and we are very proud of your contribution!  Gunnery Sergeant Aaron VanNostrand presented the center with a Certificate of Appreciation and was very thankful for their generosity. We hope that you will continue to work with the Toys for Tots Campaign in the future!

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH….

The following staff were also nominated for Employees of the Month for March:

• Cynquetta Rabb, Head Community Monitor, East Stroudsburg

• Denise Scott, Clinical Supervisor, Milton

• Doreen Armitage, Teacher, South Montrose

• Lee Viola, Community Monitor, Honesdale

• Renee Dunbar, Secretary, Lehighton

• Heather Thorburn, D & A Counselor, Scranton

We thank these staff for their dedication to our Agency!  

Welcome to our family…

Judy Harrison, D&A Counselor, South Montrose   

Michele Dougherty, Teacher’s Aide, Milton 

Michael Burns, Case Manager, Middleburg            

Charles Hill, Community Monitor, South Montrose

Karen Poust, Community Monitor, Williamsport

Gail Weaver, Community Monitor, Lehighton

Bree Boyer, HR/Administrative Assistant, Turbotville

John Kyle Fromille, Support Staff, Middleburg

Jacqueline Matos, Teacher’s Aide, East Stroudsburg

Trevor Bryden, Teacher, State College

Janelle McHale, Secretary, Scranton

Tony Pastore, Program Manager, Scranton

Rose Standiford, Teacher, East Stroudsburg

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. As committed and loyal staff members, advisors, directors and supporters of our organization, thank you for partnering with PATH to help many youth who have suffered abuse. May you never grow weary of trying to make change!