T. W. Ponessa & Associates Counseling Services, Inc

TW POST Volume 9 - Issue 7 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR EMPLOYEES OF T.W. PONESSA & ASSOCIATES

We are excited to announce that on July 21, 2016, T.W. Ponessa & Associates Counseling Services, Inc. will be hosting our first Career Event! The Career Event will take place in our Lancaster location, and will run from 10 am - 2 pm. We encourage you to share this event with our friends, family, and networking partners. Remember ... any TWP employee that refers someone to our company, who then gets hired and remains with the company for more than 3

July 2016

months, will be eligible for a referral bonus!"

Page 1 – Career Event Page 2 - Staff Recognition Page 3 – Staff Recognition Page 4 – Staff Recognition Page 4 – Program Updates Page 5 – Program Updates Page 5 – Med Dept Update Page 6 – Intern Program Page 7 – Intern Program Page 7 – D & A Update Page 8 – HR Update Page 9 – Wellness Column Page 10, 11, 12 – Wellness Column Page 13 – New Hires Page 14 – Graffiti Wall Page 15 – Employee Birthdays Page 16 - Employee Anniversaries TW Post Editor: Holly Fleming

Holly can be reached at: (717) 560-7917 or [email protected]

1

STAFF RECOGNITION York BHRS The following were awarded gift cards: Melisa Larson-Eyler (TSS) – for excellent initiative with using the new progress note very promptly and putting forth diligent efforts to make your documentation medically sound. Lead Clinicians, Keisha Queen & Amanda Dorsey - Thank you, Keisha, for your promptness with packets and for assisting with having clients’ evals scheduled timely. Thank you, Amanda, for providing another excellent Document Refresher Training to TSS’ on June 24th. Ashlynn McConnel & Ashley Poff (TSS) – Thank you, ladies, for both going above and beyond the call of duty by taking on a summer case that requires extensive travel time. Your willingness to help out is much appreciated. Paul Wagner, Tabbetha Schott & Philemonia Orr (TSS’) – Thank you immensely for stepping up to the plate and helping out whenever needed, for being a shining example and role model, for your flexibility and well-roundedness, and for showing integrity and enthusiasm in all your tasks!

Cumberland/Perry BHRS Kuddos to TSS Olga Baron who was recently recognized by her BSC on effectively communicating with the parents of their shared client after her first two meetings with the family and client. TSS Matt Book was complimented by the teacher of his client for being “an elite” TSS! Matt introduced various new interventions with his client with input from the school staff shortly after taking the case. Excellent work!

Support Staff A big shot out to Jim Carroll for all he does. Jim has been a big help with the archive room in Lebanon.

Chester BHRS TWP team player spotlight: Chester County has a new and improved staff recognition board. Each month 8 employees (4 BSC/MT & 4 TSS) will be recognized for their dedication, hard work, and ways they were a team player. These lucky 8 will be rewarded with a gas gift card to show our appreciation. This board will recognize all TWP staff throughout the year. This month, our winners are: Sarah Strazzullo, Stephanie Carter, Nick Kendus, Rachel Thorpe, Chelsea Haithcox, Brittany Ortega, Anthony DeLorenzo, & Lisa Lundell! Thank you to Emily Stone, Rushaan Barimani, Jessica Miller & Martha Napolitana! These wonderful clinicians passed along either online resources and/or suggestions for hard copies of resources for all the staff to utilize in Chester County. Your teamwork in supporting your peers, on top of your clients, is greatly appreciated!

2

STAFF RECOGNITION Billing Department I would like to say a great big thank you to the whole Billing Department – Joel, Lindsey, Stacie, Paola, Janice, Jackie, Pauline, Kristie, Shelby, and Liz. Thank you for all your hard work, making sure the billing gets done in a timely manner, paying attention to detail, and accuracy. I appreciate you all and your dedication.

Outpatient Department Marissa Morris, York City Outpatient Clinician - Marissa just started in the outpatient program in May, 2016 and is completing intake assessments and therapy in the York City Office. Marissa's schedule filled up very quickly and is doing an excellent job managing her paperwork and documentation with the many intakes and therapy sessions she is seeing on a weekly basis. Marissa is developing and maintaining great working relationships with her clients as well in the short time that she has been here, helping clients feel comfortable at the first session and encouraging them to come back for future sessions. She always presents herself professionally and is cooperative, friendly and easy to approach. Marissa always has a smile in the office and gets along well with the staff and clinicians. Marissa is a pleasure to work with and we are glad that she is part of the Outpatient team. Keep up the great work Marissa!

Dauphin BHRS Jake Robinson (TSS) Jake is a seasoned TSS making a big impact on a challenging case. His experience as a teacher has aided in his success working with out clients across settings. Jake has done a phenomenal job of holding families and clients responsible, ensuring they are aware of his role and maintaining appropriate boundaries and expectations during sessions. Jake is focusing on transfer of skills to parents and ensuring their participation in sessions. Additionally, Jake has amazing communication with office staff and other treatment team members. Other agencies involved with treatment have also expressed how impressed they were with Jake's skills and impact with his current family. Keep up the phenomenal work Jake!

Lebanon BHRS Special thanks to Laura Mueller (TSS) who has been doing a fantastic job with helping us file for the summer. We appreciate her willingness to pick up extra hours and assist us in the office. Thank you, Laura! I want to recognize Brooke Brenner for all her hard work in helping to keep the program flowing smoothly with her excellent organization and communication. She takes initiative to complete many tasks, even when they are above and beyond her role. I really appreciate her outstanding dedication to the program and the company!

3

STAFF RECOGNITION Lancaster BHRS We want to recognize the TSS’s who have been willing to work in Lebanon county this summer. Alyssa Kravitz, Colleen Okoniewski, Julie Whitney, and Joseph Shilalo have provided services out of county for clients who needed staffed and we really appreciate their flexibility! Joe Suchanic (MT/BSC): Joe has gotten a tremendous start to the program by displaying initiative, enthusiasm, and clinical insight. We have been impressed with his teamwork, communication, and work ethic. Glad to have you on our team, Joe!

PROGRAM UPDATES York BHRS New progress note has been in full effect since June as it took a little while to go through the stack of the older version. If you need any extra assistance to make your notes top notch, see Jennifer or Ryan! Thank you for making the transition to the new note go fairly smooth! THANK YOU TO ALL TSS’: Summer schedule transitions are often difficult to situate as clients’ hours and schedules are adjusted to accommodate the abrupt changes in hours once school is out. Administration sincerely appreciates how everyone has been pulling together to figure out the best schedules. Everyone has been very patient and considerate as caseloads are worked out to suit each of your needs. Again, THANK YOU for working with Administration on this and providing constructive feedback.

Cumberland/Perry BHRS Donald Robinski will be joining the Cumberland/Perry office as a licensed MT/BSC. Donald is a licensed psychologist entering the BHRS field with his Masters in Psychology from Millersville University.

Outpatient Department Matthew Berliant, LSW has now filled the position of Outpatient Coordinator in the Dauphin County office effective 7/5/16. His hours are posted by his door and in the support staff area. Matthew is looking forward to working with the Outpatient Clinicians in this office. Please feel free to stop by his office and see him for any questions or concerns that you have! Don't forget to use your Encounter Forms for all clients with all insurances/funding sources. Please make sure that you are having your clients sign this form for every appointment that they attend.

4

PROGRAM UPDATES Dauphin BHRS In the past 4 months, the Dauphin County BHRS Program has welcomed 74 new clients who are actively receiving services. Clinicians and case managers have done an amazing job working as a team to schedule and complete the intakes, initial ISPT meetings and treatment plans as quickly as possible! In an effort to keep up with all of the transfers and initial referrals, we are actively looking to hire MT/BSC and TSS so please do not forget about employee referrals!

MEDICAL DEPARTMENT As many of you are aware, we are in great demand for more mental health providers in all of the areas we serve. We are actively looking to hire additional psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and/or physician assistants to join our medical department. If you know any of the above mental health providers that are looking for full/part-time employment opportunities, please encourage them to contact our Medical Director, Dr. Felicia DeJesus via email, phone or fax.

We would like to send a special SHOUT OUT to our nurse supervisor, Carol Pennington, RN!! Carol has been an integral member of our medical team for many years. She always goes above and beyond for both our clients and staff. Carol has a wealth of experience and knowledge that has been a tremendous asset to our department & entire TWP organization. She is a dedicated and passionate nurse who works tirelessly to make sure everyone that she works with feels supported. Carol deserves special recognition for all of her outstanding work and for her to know how much we all appreciate her!! THANK YOU, CAROL!!!

5

Internship Program July is another transition month for interns. There has been a significant turnover in the internship program with 13 of 18 interns transitioning in the past two months. We celebrate with Nancy Moyer, Nicole Lam, and Kristen Adams, who complete their internships in July and early August. We also celebrate with Victoria VanBuren, who completed her school-based experience in June. There will be a celebration on July 22 to acknowledge these milestones. Dave Snyder, from Capella University, will begin his internship in the Lancaster Drug and Alcohol program on July 11. He will complete in early 2017. This is also the day that five interns report for second interviews, documentation training, and other preparations for the internship program. These interns represent the University of Pennsylvania, Lancaster Bible College, LaSalle University, and Alvernia University. I am expecting approximately five more interns prior to September to complete the Fall 2016 cohort. I recently reviewed Paul Watzlawick’s work on human communication in group supervision. Paul did much of his work in the 1960’s and 1970’s. He was a brilliant man who focused on five axioms to guide human relationships. His first and primary axiom was this, “We cannot not communicate.” He contended that each of us communicate constantly either through verbal or nonverbal means. The only exception is when we are unconscious or dead. If clinicians learn to focus on each type of communication that is both sent and received, there will be more understanding, and likely more resolution with clients. Clinical Comment: Advanced Clinical Practice: Recovering From Bad Lies Bad stuff happens on the golf course. Phil Mickelson hit the flag stick with a wedge shot and the ball bounced off the pin into the water, changing a birdie into a bogey. Balls come to rest in divots, against tree roots, rocks, and other obstructions. One of the worst possible experiences happens when a ball “plugs” into the bunker face, making it almost impossible to advance. Sometimes, the golfer inadvertently hits a spectator, causing a ricochet into the deep rough. Often, the professional golfer gives a signed glove to the wounded fan. There have been other instances where the golf club shaft breaks and the ball goes on an unintended flight, leading to scoring challenges. I remember playing in cold weather and the ball broke into pieces when I hit it. Professional golfers know that bad lies and accidents are part of the game. The question for them, as they attempt to win a million-dollar payday, is how to work with bad lies. When a ball is behind a tree, do they go for the heroic shot, or do they hit the safe shot back into the fairway? The golfer-caddy team analyzes the situation and make choices about what to do next. They know that heroic shots are low-percentage efforts that could lead to bigger problems. I witnessed on golfer choose the wrong club for a heroic shot and he turned a five into an 8. Golf watchers can recall Jordan Spieth’s work in the masters, that lead to a nine. Once a golfer makes the decision to play the safe or heroic shot, he or she has to commit to the shot and then execute. I have seen golfers use the club backwards or hit it from behind the back in order to minimize the penalty for an errant shot. Bad stuff happens in therapy, too. Clients have temper tantrums, come to the office high or drunk, reveal terrible tragedies, or are physically ill. Sometimes, they bring in young children who are disruptive, or spouse/partners with whom they argue. In other instances, ChildLine calls have to be made or the therapist has the duty to warn. In addition, therapists can be ill, or may be working in spite of an injury or loss. The therapist may not be at his or her best but continues to work. These are bad lies, and they are just as important as the million-dollar golf stroke.

6

Advanced practice professionals draw on their education, training, and experience to minimize the effect of a bad lie. They have quick analytical skills and assess the situation for the safest way out. There are no heroic choices for advanced practice professionals. It is not the million-dollar shot but the million-dollar lawsuit that can come with using unsafe and high risk techniques to promote quick client change. The reader may have heard the horror stories associated with attachment therapy where a young woman is stretched across the laps of two or three adults (men and women), and tickled until she has a tantrum and then is soothed by her loving mother (one of the ticklers). Many of those practitioners are rightly in jail, some for murder in a rebirth re-enactment. Advanced practice clinicians know how to manage difficult clients and not lose the relationship when ChildLine calls or duty to warn calls are made. They are well-grounded in evidence-based theories to guide treatment. They know their limits when it comes to working with drunk, high, or disruptive clients, and make safe decisions about continuing a session or sending the client home. Advanced practice clinicians also know how to reduce personal and client arousal in transference or countertransference situations. They can suspend judgment and stay out of their own way in therapy, focusing on client concerns and getting their own therapy as needed. Golf professionals and therapy professionals utilize many of the same success strategies when dealing with bad lies. Golfers seeks to overcome these negative events in the search for fame and fortune, along with the recognition that he/she is one of the best in the world. Advanced practice clinicians are more altruistic, seeking the very best for the clients they serve, in spite of therapeutic bad lies. This elite group of practitioners gain satisfaction in a job well-done, knowing that clients were provided opportunities for growth, no matter what the outcome. Gene Nelson, Psy.D. Psychologist/Internship Director

Drug and Alcohol Program Welcome two new therapists: Christina Langseth, LPC, is our new D&A/Co-Occurring clinician for the Lancaster office. Chris brings 18 years of experience in treating substance use disorders/co-occurring disorders in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Chris has heard good things about TW Ponessa and is looking forward to working with the D&A and Mental Health teams in Lancaster. Welcome Chris! Candy Madrigal returned to PA 3 years ago after working in the Los Angeles area for 27 years. Candy started her career recently at TW Ponessa in the school based program. She originally applied to the D&A program, but did not yet have her PA license. A chance meeting on the 4th floor resulted in her making the switch. (Thank you, Jim Doughty!) Candy is a bilingual LCSW and will be working in the York City office. Welcome Candy! The first part of the 2016 Licensing visit took place in Lancaster on 6-30-16. There were no citations for the client charts for Lancaster, which are chosen at random by the reviewer. Kudos and many thanks to the Lancaster clinicians for a job well done! A special note of thanks to Erica Hoover, support staff in York City. Erica effectively addressed and calmed a chronically angry client in the D&A program on several occasions, while the client was waiting to see her therapist. Thank you for your patience and professionalism, Erica!

7

POST IT UP PAYROLL INFORMATION To view your payroll information, such as your pay stubs, PTO accruals, contact information etc. requires that you register and created a User ID and Password for ADP Workforce Now Self-Service Portal. Below are registration instructions. 1. Go to the https://workforcenow.adp.com/ to register. 2. Click on First Time user registration tab 3. The self-service registration pass-code is TWPonessa-ADP 4. Click YES to set up an account. 5. Please enter your information as it appears on payroll - do not use nicknames to register (if your name on your check is Robert – do not register as Bob). 6. Click on Last 4 digit of SSN for verification 7. Enter your date of birth 8. Contact information o

Please enter your TWP email address

o

Please enter your Personal phone number (not TWP phone number)

9. Create your user ID and Password 10. Once the registration process is completed please log in to the ADP Portal at https://workforcenow.adp.com/ with your User ID and Password.

Get Ready! Open Enrollment Is Almost Here! Open Enrollment for Health Care and Voluntary Benefits is coming up during the month of August 2016 with effective benefits start date of September 1st 2016 Open enrollment allows you to take charge of your benefits by selecting the options most important to you and your family. The open enrollment period is an opportunity for eligible employees to: • Choose to enroll in the Medical, Dental or Vision Plans if you are not already enrolled. • Change coverage plans and add or delete coverage. • Enroll eligible dependents under the age of 26* • Enroll in or make changes to your voluntary plans such as Short Term Disability or Life Insurance.

8

Look for further information regarding Open Enrollment in the weeks to come.

TWP WELLNESS COLUMN

ALL IN ONE MINUTE Rejoice! Just a single minute of intense movement results in health benefits on par with much, much longer periods of continuous exercise. That was the conclusion of a new report that is fantastic news for the millions of Americans who claim they "do not have enough time to exercise." For this evaluation scientists assigned 27 sedentary men to one of three protocols: 50 minutes of continuous cycling at a moderate pace three times a week; 10 minutes of sprint cycling three times a week to include a 2 minute warm up followed by three 20second all-out sprints with 2 minutes of easy cycling between each sprint and then a 3-minute cool down; and no exercise. Before and after the study the scientists measured a host of key health markers, including cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic function, in all study subjects. The results were eye-popping. Despite the fact that they exercised for only a fraction (1/5th!) of the time relative to the continuous cycling group, those in the sprint cycling group improved their health markers to the same degree. The lead researcher commented, "Brief bursts of intense movement are remarkably effective." For those of you like me that suffer from time famine, note that these results can be translated into any form of exercise or day to day movement. The key is to go really hard for very small bits here and there. Running or bounding up steps that you encounter vs. walking up them would be a super-efficient way to build this great news into your day to day living.

BEANS SHINE FOR WEIGHT CONTROL Want an easy and delicious way to improve your weight control? Add a single serving of beans to your diet each day. In a highly encouraging new report, scientists noted that simply incorporating a daily serving of legumes (to include beans, peas or lentils), with no additional dietary changes resulted in almost a pound of weight loss over a 6-week period. These findings were based on the careful review of 21 previously published studies and are perfectly consistent with others that have shown that beans are especially valuable foods for helping us feel fuller longer. This is likely due to their unique makeup of a hunger-fighting trio: fiber (lots of it), protein, and low-glycemic carbohydrate. And for the healthy icing on the cake, we already know that beans are off-the-charts for all-over health protection, and for just pennies per serving! A ridiculously cheap food that tastes great and is proven to improve health and weight control without deprivation? It simply does not get better. And did I mention beans also benefit the environment by adding nitrogen back to the soil? Yet another reason to just eat more beans!

9

SUPERSTAR FOOD LENTILS

Like their bean cousins, lentils are an amazing food that is versatile, filling, dirt-cheap and power-packed full of fiber, B-vitamins, protein, minerals, and antioxidants. But lentils can claim even more, including more folate than any other food and a much quicker prep time. Unlike beans, lentils require no pre-soaking and cook up in about fifteen minutes. Here is a great way to enjoy lentils.

Barley and Lentil Salad With Goat Cheese

Ingredients 1. ¾ cup quick-cooking barley 2. 3 tablespoons olive oil 3. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 4. kosher salt and black pepper 5. 1 medium head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups) 6. 1 15-ounce can lentils, rinsed 7. 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks 8. 1/4 small red onion, chopped 9. ¼ cup chopped pitted kalamata olives 10. 1/4 English cucumber, chopped 11. 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)

Directions 1. Cook the barley according to the package directions. Drain and run under cold water to cool. 2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. 3. In a medium bowl, toss the lettuce with half the lemon dressing. In a second medium bowl, toss the barley, lentils, carrot, onion, olives, and cucumber with the remaining lemon dressing. Serve the barley mixture over the lettuce and sprinkle with the goat cheese.

10

FRUCTOSE ALTERS GENES IN THE BRAIN Consuming sugary foods and beverages may disrupt hundreds of genes in the brain, setting the stage for a litany of diseases. That was the upshot of a new laboratory study that was the first to carefully examine how fructose, a simple sugar present in high amounts in all sweeteners affects key areas of the brain involved in regulating metabolism and learning. For this study scientists divided a group of rats into three groups: one group was provided plain water, a second group fructose water, and a third group fructose water along with DHA (the omega 3 fat critical for brain health). After six weeks the researchers performed a variety of tests on the rats and noted some dramatic changes in the rats given the fructose water. They included: impaired memory, elevated blood fats, and deleterious changes to over 700 genes in the brain's metabolic center (the hypothalamus) and 200 genes in the brain's learning and memory center (the hippocampus). The researchers noted that the vast majority of the genes disrupted in the rats consuming the fructose water are comparable to those in humans and that alterations to these genes are linked to a broad range of diseases including metabolic conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as Parkinson's, depression, bipolar disease, ADHD, and other brain-based conditions. There was some good news however. In the rats that consumed the DHA with their fructose water, the adverse changes were largely eliminated, and the altered genes were pushed back to their normal state. This suggests that DHA may protect the brain against the ravages of fructose, which is great to know. As far as applying this science to real life - Be diligent in limiting the sugary foods and beverages you consume, and be sure to eat oily fish (the best source of DHA) as a safety net for the sugary things that you may otherwise put into your mouth.

Yogurt and kefir (fermented dairy products) are excellent sources of calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, which are three of the four nutritional deficiencies of greatest concern in the average American diet. Make a point to eat them daily.

11

Marketing Minutes

We’d love it if you would take a moment to review our company on Glassdoor! Glassdoor is a leading destination for job seekers to research companies and decide if they want to work there. We also use employee feedback on Glassdoor to listen to you so that we can become a better company. It’s important that our employees provide continuous feedback on what it’s like to work here, so we can continue attracting great talent like you! Spend no more than 15 minutes on this, and remember, all the feedback is anonymous. Thank you!

12

NEW HIRES — We want to Welcome All of You and Wish You Great Career Success here at T.W. Ponessa & Associates !

Support Staff Joseph Poole-PRN York Outpatient Department Denise Bain, MSW (York City Outpatient Therapist) Dauphin BHRS Patrick Pogue - MT/BSC Lisa Kosick - MT/BSC Yasamin Abdulmajid – TSS

Lebanon BHRS Ashley Frankfort – MT/BSC Lancaster BHRS Courtney Sauder – MT/BSC Alexa Mattise – MT/BSC

13

GRAFFITI WALL York BHRS Congratulations to Katie Nguyen (MT/BSC/Intake Specialist) as she and her husband welcomed a healthy, 8 lb. 15 oz. baby boy, Preston Francis, on June 17th. Wishing you many merry moments with Preston as you make new precious memories! Way to support local kids in the community, John Feldmann (BHRS Case Manager), by participating, along with 72 other helping individuals, in Lutheran Camping Corporation’s annual golf tournament on June 10th at the Honey Run Golf & Country Club in York Township. All proceeds went towards paying for summer camp programs for children who otherwise could not attend without this financial support. Awesome work, John, as your helping and generous spirit and passionate concern for others is commendable!

Chester BRHS Congratulations to the following MT/BSC on their wedding nuptials: Rachael Joseph & Katie Connors. Congratulations to our MT/BSC, Laurie Mawhinney on her recent engagement! We wish you many years of love and happiness!!! We’d like to welcome Alex Peslak to his new position as Case Manager! Alex has been a TSS with us for 2 years and we look forward to seeing his professional growth in his new position!

14

JULY Employee Birthdays 1st Maryam Varamini 2

nd

15th Dr. DeJesus Stephen Boyd Matthew Adams

Nicholas Ulmer

3rd Boley Heyeh Chelsea Rebman

16th Carolyn Rineer Jessica Myers

4th Yvette Maldonado Jennie Glover

17th Joshua Gurin

5th Jen Joyce Keila DeJesus Marissa Morris

18th Donald McNear Bradley Lind Melissa Larson-Eyler

6th Donzail Harvey

19th Andrew Johnson

7th Sylvia Mercado Courtney Brenner Melissa Hurlburt

20th Paige Blouse 22nd Jacqueline Markward Jacqueline Sauder Sharon Garcia

8th Shawn Fenimore 9th Tara Dietz Amanda Dorsey Bridget Daniels Alena Khodus

23rd Keri Ann Tracy Amanda Shull 25th Pam Michael Elizabeth Joseph

10th Belinda Braxton Michael Miller

26th Deb Bard

11th Sandi Rynier Catherine McCarroll Gretchen Valudes Krysten Daniels

27th Janette Gomez 28th Gabby Keeney Alexi Holder

12th Jessica Hess Amy Deuter Miranda Yiengst Kelly Johnson

29th Katie Romanoski Austin Lamos Robert Caba Kathryn Griffin

14th Sheilie Marquez Cara Lamberson

30th Esther Guzzarlamudi Abbey Fry

15

July July Employee Anniversaries One Year Ashley Fisher Janel Marshall Jessica Vanhorn Brittni Krajnak Jennie Glover Patrick Hicks Miranda Yiengst

Nine Years Gene Nelson Ten Years Georgina Garnett

Two Years

Eleven Years

Felicia DeJesus Tamra Miller

Jim Doughty Mary Blake Ilka Akers Cathy Beckavac

Four Years Courtney Sapp

Thirteen Years

Seven Years

Brooke Brenner Kristina Winklespecht

Kimberly Walheim Eight Years Joel Ponessa Rachel Joseph Nicole Robb

16