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NEWS

Mission Moment: Marion & Johnson County School Based Teams Celebrate Summer

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While students enjoy their summer breaks, A&C staff are still collaborating and working hard to ensure that those students have access to fun and resources all year long. School based leaders Jaymee Cummings, Team Leader for Perry School Based 2, Aja Bridgewater, Director of School Based Services, Aby Wischmeier, Assistant Director of School Based Services, Liz Stern, Assistant Director of School Based Services, and the staff of Perry Township School Based 2 welcomed staff, clients, and families to A&C’s 8404 Siear Terrace location on June 21 to celebrate summer and enjoy a day of fun, resources, movement, food, and games.

Preparation for this event started with the approval of summer funding through the Indy Summer Youth Programs/Summer Youth Program Fund, which aims to supplement existing programs in order to enrich, enhance, and expand summer offerings for children and youth. A&C received funds specifically through Lilly Endowment, Inc.

School based staff members participating in outdoor activities.

Once the team received funding, they set to work brainstorming ideas that would be both creative and fun for clients, their families, and staff. Their goal this year was to utilize the funds differently from years past, and they landed on a proposal to provide youth and families with experiences and activities they might not otherwise get to experience during the summer weeks, including the inaugural Summer Celebration and multiple park days throughout Marion County.

After 3-4 weeks of planning, the team was able to pull off an exciting and interactive event with not only participation from multiple other A&C teams, but outside vendors including Kona Ice, DJ Duane Curry, caricature artist Bob East, Good Moves yogi Monica Wearren, and Indianapolis Fire Department – Station 35. Taste of Grace food truck provided lunch for the event, donating their time, supplies, tables, canopies, and a team of seven to serve food and drinks. Approximately 150 guests were in attendance throughout the day.

When asked about her favorite aspect of the Summer Celebration, what stood out for Jaymee was all of the family participation.

“Some families attended the event with a provider as well as on their own. We saw many smiling faces as children and families won giveaways throughout the day, they were very excited to win activities that will keep them busy through the summer,” she said. “We also enjoyed all of the participants who engaged in the live motion and movement sessions with Monica Wearren.”

Jaymee wants to extend a special thank you to all of the staff, students, clients and their families who made this day a success.

“It was very awesome to see this all come together,” said Jaymee. “Definitely a mission moment.”

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Agency News

Mental Health America recognizes Adult & Child Health will Gold Bell Seal

Adult & Child Health received the national Gold-level Bell Seal certification from Mental Health America, which recognizes policies, practices and benefits supporting employee mental health and wellbeing.  Every year since 2019, Mental Health America has recognized employers for implementing policies and practices to improve employees’ mental health. Companies across all sectors undergo a 54-point evaluation that includes surveys of employees.  Adult & Child Health employs more than 600 people in southern Indiana, with areas of focus on behavioral health, primary care and treatment for substance use addictions.  “The work our team members perform on a daily basis is challenging, but they continue to live our mission of providing access to quality care for all who need it on a daily basis,” said Dr. Christine Negendank, Adult & Child Health Regional President and Chief Medical Office. “This recognition from Mental Health America is a testament to our team members and the work they do in order to make Adult & Child a great place to work.”  Part of Adult & Child’s recognition comes from a three-pronged strategy to address employee mental health:  1) Adult & Child’s employee assistant program provides mental health services, including short-term counseling and provider referrals. The average time between an employee inquiry and their first session with a provider is five business days. The EAP program provides up to five free in-person or virtual therapy sessions.  2) The HOPE Taskforce is a safe place for non-managerial staff members to convene to discuss work stressors, life stressors, mental health resources and coping strategies in a space that encourages colleagues to support one another.  3) The GROW committee is for leaders to convene and develop support systems for one another.  Mental Health America is the nation’s leading national nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention. Its Bell Seal awards recognize an average of fewer than 300 American companies per year.

Sarah Miller, PMHNP-BC

Sarah Miller works with the addictions team, general psychiatry for adolescents and adults, and the competency restoration team. She is board-certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Her specialties are working in addictions and with people who experience serious mental illness.

Miller graduated from Indiana University with a psychology degree and went back to school for nursing. She received her nursing degree from Indiana Wesleyan University and worked in a nursing home and also spent time working in a group home with adolescents. She received her master’s degree from Vanderbilt University.

She enjoys hanging out with her family and her two dogs, and going to sporting events.

Joanna Chambers, MD

Dr. Joanna Chambers is a psychiatrist who began seeing Adult & Child Health patients in November 2021. She graduated from Medical College of Georgia with her Doctorate of Medicine in 1996 and completed her residency in psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. In addition to bringing a wealth of experience, she currently serves as an associate professor at Indiana University School of Medicine where she teaches Clinical Psychiatry. She is certified in Addiction Medicine and has a special interest in treating pregnant and postpartum women. She is President of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry Organization as well as a sitting member of many medical association boards. Recently, she has won the Residents’ Award for Teaching Excellence in 2020 from Indiana University and has received “Best Doctors Award” in 2010, 2011, and 2014. Dr. Chambers is incredibly active in the medical, academic, and research realms of medicine. She is currently accepting new patients on Wednesdays.