For Immediate Release

“Seacoast Mental Health Center and New Hampshire Art Association to host Art of Recovery Celebration Kick Off Event”

Portsmouth, NH, June 2, 2011—Seacoast Mental Health Center (SMHC) and the New Hampshire Art Association (NHAA) will host a Kick-Off Event for the First Annual Art of Recovery Celebration on Thursday, June 23rd at the Portsmouth Gas Light Co. in Portsmouth.

Celebrating art and the positive role creativity plays in the recovery process, the Art of Recovery Celebration will feature “teams” of NHAA members and individuals from the SMHC community. Together, these teams will collaborate through 2011 and into 2012 to create artwork that will be displayed and sold at the May 2012 Art of Recovery Event and Auction.

At this Kick Off Event, the participants will be introduced and samples of their original artwork will be shown.

According to SMHC Executive Director Jay Couture, the use of the recovery concept acknowledges “everyone has had challenges to overcome in their lives.”

“Whether it’s a mental illness, the loss of a loved one, or a change in life circumstances, the point is people can and do recover,” she said. “The Art of Recovery Celebration highlights the fact that creativity and an open mind are critical to this recovery process.”

Katherine Muth, NHAA’s new executive director, expressed excitement regarding the collaboration.

“This is very exciting on a number of different levels,” said Muth. “First, this collaboration will help produce amazing art and highlight the talents of many creative people. I’m also very pleased to be working with SMHC. I believe we are forming a true partnership that will benefit both organizations.”

Proceeds from the Art of Recovery Celebration will benefit both SMHC and NHAA.

In addition to the Kick-Off Event, mini-showings of selected works in progress will take place at the NHAA gallery.

At the Kick Off Event, hors d’ouevres will be served and a cash bar will be available. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased online at www.smhc-nh.org.

For more information, or to become a corporate sponsor, call (603) 957-5743, or email artofrecovery@smhc-nh.org.

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For Immediate Release

“NH Governor John Lynch visits Seacoast Mental Health Center (SMHC)”

Portsmouth, NH, 4/26/11—On Wednesday, April 20th, NH Governor John Lynch met with clinical and administrative staff at Seacoast Mental Health Center (SMHC) to discuss the agency’s community mental health services and how they would be affected by proposed budget cuts.

According to Nike Speltz, SMHC board president, the meeting provided staff with the unique opportunity to discuss the complex nature of community mental health services and the critical need for continued funding.

“While SMHC addresses immediate needs, a significant portion of those we work with require ongoing support and medication and their care could involve therapists, psychiatrists, supported employment specialists, and case managers,” said Speltz. “The term, community mental health services, means we’re in schools, health care centers, and in the home.

Noting Governor Lynch requested to meet with staff to learn more about their work and concerns, Speltz expressed gratitude for his time.

“The staff and board very much appreciate Governor Lynch’s support for the Community Mental Health system statewide and his demonstration of interest in the community mental health services we offer through SMHC to nearly 5,000 individuals and families each year,” she said.

If proposed cuts to the current budget were passed, SMHC Executive Director Jay Couture said services would be reduced or eliminated for nearly 1,700 current SMHC clients, 1200 adults and 500 children.

“This is very serious, because there are no other organizations like SMHC serving the 24 towns of eastern Rockingham County,” Couture said. “Our goal it to help individuals live independently as contributing members of our community. The proposed budget cuts jeopardize the well-being of everyone in the state.”

Jodie Lubarsky, director of SMHC’s Children, Adolescent and Family Services department, estimates that without access to SMHC services, many current SMHC clients would eventually require hospitalization at some point.

“Many of the people we see require ongoing support, but with effective treatment they can lead rich, fulfilling lives,” she said. “If we were to deny them service, their condition would only worsen and the likelihood for recovery would be severely diminished.”

Founded in 1963, SMHC provides comprehensive psychiatry, counseling, case management and psychological services to residents in the eastern half of Rockingham County, New Hampshire.

To learn more, visit www.smhc-nh.org.

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For Immediate Release

“Seacoast Mental Health Center asking for support for Rally for New Hampshire”

Portsmouth, NH, March 23, 2011—Seacoast Mental Health Center (SMHC) is asking for people to join them in next week’s “Rally for New Hampshire” at the State House in Concord on Thursday, March 31st at 12p.m.

According to SMHC Executive Director, the purpose behind the rally is to make state legislators aware the proposed budget cuts “do not reflect the best interests of New Hampshire’s citizens.”

“If the proposed cuts are implemented, nearly 8,000 children and adults who currently receive necessary care for their severe mental illness or serious emotional disorder will no longer be able to access the care they need,” said Couture.

Dozens of agencies from across the state have agreed to take part in next week’s rally and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of individuals are also expected to attend.

For more information, or to send a letter to your town’s State Representative, email statehouserally@smhc-nh.org.

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For Immediate Release

“Alzheimer’s effects are felt by many on the Seacoast”

Despite the fact Alzheimer’s affects more than 5 millions Americans and is the nation’s 7th leading cause of death, experts note several misconceptions about the disease still exist.

According to Susan Antkowiak, manager of the NH Office of the Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter, the biggest myth about the disease is that it is a normal part of the aging process.

“Brains do age and we will become more forgetful, but Alzheimer’s disease is not just a memory problem,” she said. “It is the complete cognitive deterioration of the brain—memory loss, language problems, problems organizing and planning, and mood changes.”

Lucille Karatzas, director of Seacoast Mental Health (SMHC) Center’s Elder Services Department, agrees and said effects from the disease have physiological causes.

“With Alzheimer’s, brain cells are being choked and parts of the brain are no longer able to do what they’ve been doing,” said Karatzas, who also serves as director of the statewide Referral Education Assistance & Prevention Program (REAP), which provides elders and their caregivers with free preventative home and community-based counseling and education services.

“In some cases, actual parts of the brain either shrink or disappear entirely,” she added. “It’s not a matter of trying to jog someone’s memory about something. In all likelihood, that information is no longer there.”

In order to determine if your loved one does have Alzheimer’s, Karatzas stressed the importance of obtaining a proper diagnosis, as there exists several other types of related dementia.

Antkowiak agrees and said your loved one should not only connect with his/her Primary Care Physician, but also undergo neurological and psychiatric assessments.

“It gives us the most information we can possibly gain so we can know the best way to treat the disease,” said Antkowiak.

Upon ruling out other dementias and conditions whose symptoms mimic those of Alzheimer’s, such as vascular dementia, Depression, or Thyroid disorders, Antkowiak said early interventions can play a key role in managing its symptoms.

“The earlier the intervention the more successful we can be in enabling the person to have more independent control over their life,” she said. “You don’t want to miss that opportunity.”

Karatzas cited the importance of structured activities to help keep brain cells functioning.

“At some point, for the sake of the elder and the caregivers, Adult Day Programs can be most helpful in helping those with Alzheimer’s live the best quality of life possible,” she said. “They can help people maintain the skills they have and use parts of the brain they can still access—it’s weight training for the brain.”

According to Lisa Ganem, president of Home Instead Senior Care in Portsmouth, effective one-on-one care can also help persons diagnosed with the disease remain in their home through the end of their lives.

“Our longest client to date was with us 8 years until they passed and they had all the service needed for their care—palliative, hospice,” said Ganem. “Most of our clients pass away in their own home with our care in place.”

For 88 year-old Exeter resident Theodore Bailey, such one-on-one care has enabled his wife Gunda, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 1998, to remain at Langdon Place of Exeter, a senior retirement community, to this day.

“Home Instead Senior Care visits with Gunda for about two hours each day, five days a week,” said Bailey. “They come in and help Gunda get going in the morning.”

Bailey noted it is not just the care and treatment they receive that makes such a difference.

“One of the things we like best to do with Home Instead is just shoot the breeze,” he said. “The companionship aspect is something we both enjoy very much.”

According to Antkowiak, many caregivers in Bailey’s position resist such assistance and “tend to go it alone,” which creates an often unmanageable burden of emotional stress.

Citing statistics that show more than 10.9 million family and other unpaid caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias provided an estimated 12.5 billion hours of care in the past year, Antkowiak said numerous community supports exist for caregivers.

“We have wonderful educational resources through the Alzheimer’s Association and a helpline,” said Antkowiak, who noted the importance of allowing friends and family to help. “ServiceLink Resource Centers are another great resource and can help caregivers understand what supports exist in the community.”

At SMHC, Karatzas said they are able to help caregivers deal with their emotions through the REAP program.

“It’s a huge loss when your loved one is changing before your eyes,” she said. “Caregivers need a safe place to discuss what’s happening to them and their family.”

According to Ganem, helping families and caregivers better understand the progress of the disease is one of her company’s most important directives.

“Our company will take the time to help the family understand the challenges and how to best approach care to give the best quality of life to their loved one,” she said. “We will also educate the family on how to handle their own direct interactions with their loved one, teaching those techniques that can turn a negative into a positive.”

To learn more about Alzheimer’s, visit www.alz.org/manh. To learn about REAP, call (603) 431-6703. To learn about Home Instead Senior Care, visit www.homeinstead.com/scnh or call (603) 433-5959.

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For Immediate Release

“Bethany Church helps SMHC”

With temperatures hovering near zero outside, residents of Fairweather Lodge (FWL), a residential group home operated by Seacoast Mental Health Center (SMHC), recently awoke to discover things were not much warmer inside.

“It turned out our boiler was cracked,” said Dan Young, SMHC facilities manager. “There was nothing we could do but replace it.” 

Noting the timeframe on locating and installing a new unit was nearly one week, FWL staff member Sue Neal said she and residents were both concerned about where they would stay—a dire situation that was quickly addressed by Bethany Church in Greenland.

“We have a mission house with two apartments and it was empty at the time, so we were thrilled to be able to help them in their need,” said Julie Huwe, event coordinator and part of the facilities team at Bethany Church.

According to Neal, what made Bethany Church’s assistance so “exceptional” was the fact it was dealing with a crisis of its own.

“They had broken pipes in their church and still managed to make room for us and fulfill our needs,” said Neal, who is also a congregate of the church. “I think it was really outstanding how a church that is in the neighborhood could step up and really help their own neighbors.”

Acknowledging the unique circumstances both the church and FWL faced at the time, Huwe said she is happy everything went as well as it did.

“We were thrilled to help them in their need—and for us, it was nice to have someone in the mission house,” she said. “It worked out for both of us.”

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For Immediate Release

 “Osram Sylvania Employees start fund to benefit Seacoast Mental Health Center.”

 Portsmouth, NH–February 23, 2011—Employees at Osram Sylvania’s Beverly, MA facility recently started the Osram Sylvania Employee Client Fund to assist Seacoast Mental Health Center (SMHC) in its efforts provide mental health care service to clients with the greatest financial need.

According to Osram Sylvania’s Peter Somssich, who started the fund, his motivation to help in part resulted from hearing how successful Osram Sylvania’s Exeter Facility had been in obtaining winter coats for deserving SMHC clients this past December.

“In particular, I realized how much such help means to SMHC clients when I saw one of the letters of thanks a coat recipient sent them,” he said. “Many of us living on the NH Seacoast know how tough economic times are for many and how state funding cut-backs have made it
even more difficult for non-profits to provide help.”

 Acknowledging these are still very difficult times for non-profits statewide, SMHC Executive Director Jay Couture said support such as that offered by the employees at Osram Sylvania is critical.

 “I can’t stress how important this support is for our Agency,” said Couture. “Not only does it enable us to address critical mental health needs of very deserving SMHC clients, but it also shows what can be accomplished with support from the community. We are all very grateful for their support.”

 Founded in 1963, SMHC provides comprehensive psychiatry, counseling, case management and psychological services to residents of all ages in the eastern half of Rockingham County, New Hampshire.   

To make a donation or learn more about SMHC, visit www.smhc-nh.org.

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Portsmouth–February 23, 2011

(Article excerpted from Portsmouth Herald)

Relationship problems are one of the leading causes of stress today, which has led Seacoast Mental Health Center (SMHC) to develop a Psychotherapy Group Program titled Discovering the Self in Relation to Others.

According to Dr. Sherie Friedrich, Psy.D, Psychology Post-Doctoral Fellow at SMHC, the intended target population for the program, which will be offered in two groups at SMHC’s Portsmouth and Exeter Offices, is quite broad.

“It’s for people who want to improve relationships and intimacy, those who value self-reflection and want to learn more about themselves in relation to others, and people who want to enhance interpersonal effectiveness—at work or in personal relationships,” she said.

Friedrich noted the program’s group treatment approach is unique from individual treatment in that individual members will serve as participants, observers and collaborators.

“The group experience affords people the opportunity to see themselves firsthand through the eyes of others, which is something individual treatment does not offer,” said Friedrich. “In a safe environment, members learn together and offer one another information that would not be received in the same way were it offered by a close friend or family member.”

She said that criterion for selection includes “the capacity for insight and self reflection, openness to utilize process to develop self-understanding, and adequate ego strength to uphold and benefit from interpersonal feedback and confrontation.”

Citing Friedrich’s extensive training and experience in facilitating group psychotherapy sessions, Dr. Karen Pearson, director of SMHC’s Adult Outpatient Program (AOP), said this new program addresses a critical, but often unmet, need within the community.

“Many of us may excel in our professional lives, but our personal lives could be another matter entirely,” said Pearson. “This program will help us reach people who are ready to take the next step in improving their relations with others, but maybe weren’t sure where to go for help.”

Discovering the Self in Relation to Others will take place through 15 group sessions at SMHC’s Portsmouth office on Tuesdays from 6:15 pm to 7:45 and Exeter Office on Wednesdays from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

The cost of the program may be covered by many insurance plans and sliding-fee scales are available for qualifying individuals.

For more information about the program, please call Dr. Friedrich directly at (603) 957-5806.

To learn more about SMHC’s other programs and service, please call (603) 431-6703, or visit www.smhc-nh.org.

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“SMHC receives donation of winter coats from Osram Sylvania”

 Portsmouth, NH, December 20, 2010—Seacoast Mental Health Center (SMHC) recently received 47 winter coats to distribute to clients in need.

According to SMHC’s Dave Smith, who helped coordinate the effort to place coats with SMHC clients, the donation helped fill a critical need for the Agency.

 “At this time of year, so many of our clients just need to stay warm,” said Smith. “I want to express our deepest thanks to the employees of Osram Sylvania for helping us address this huge need during the winter months.”

Founded in 1963, SMHC provides comprehensive psychiatry, counseling, case management and psychological services to all residents located within the eastern half of Rockingham County.

To help or to learn more about SMHC, visit www.smhc-nh.org.

“Seacoast Mental Health Center’s Adult Outpatient Program (AOP) receives grant from The Rite Aid Foundation.”

Portsmouth, NH, November 8, 2010—Seacoast Mental Health Center (SMHC) recently received $5,000 from The Rite Aid Foundation in support of its Adult Outpatient Program (AOP).

Serving more than 700 persons in the past year, AOP provides a wide range of psychotherapy services to adults between the ages of 18 and 60 who do not meet the clinical criteria for state supported services.

These services include individual, couples and family psychotherapy; group psychotherapy; psychological testing; and substance abuse screening and referral. In addition, SMHC offers 24/7 emergency services for those in crisis.

According to AOP Director Dr. Karen Pearson, the support is critical to the program’s survival.

“We serve a population with real needs, but they are often under-insured or without any insurance at all,” said Dr. Pearson. “This grant ensures we can continue to help these people improve their quality of everyday life.”

To learn more about SMHC, call (603) 431-6703, or visit www.smhc-nh.org.

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