National Nursing Week

National Nurses Week is celebrated annually during May and ends on the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.  Nursing is a profession that embraces dedicated people with varied interests, strengths and passions because of the many opportunities the profession offers.   

At BCCS, our nurses work with our clients to ensure that their medical needs are met and that they provide excellent quality of care for individuals with co-occurring disorders and those in crisis.  BCCS’s nurses are trained in addictions with a focus on treating the entire person using a holistic method of care.  We salute our nursing staff during this time and recognize them for all of their hard work and dedication to BCCS clients. 

BCCS Spring Jam

Come out and join BCCS on May 13th for our Spring Jam for Prevention Health Fair!

BCCS Is Smoke Free!

As you are well aware by now, Brandywine Counseling & Community Services became a smoke free campus on April 1, 2013. This is a big initiative for BCCS that may be difficult for some people to adjust to, but we believe that it will ultimately lead us to becoming a healthier organization.

Quitting smoking in theory seems like an easy decision. Making a choice to increase your health, lifespan, and finances seems like an obvious choice, but breaking a nicotine addiction is a very difficult task.  Know that it is possible, but may not be easy.

To help make quitting a little easier, the state of Delaware has a “Quitline” to help adults in the state who want to quit smoking. DE Residents age 18 and older can call toll-free 1-866-409-1858 to take advantage of this powerful tool that provides assistance and support for smokers who are ready to kick the habit.  Trained tobacco specialists staffing the Quitline will assess your needs and explore your best options.

Services include:

• Motivational support by phone from a Quitline specialist; or face-to-face counseling by a 
• trained local counselor.
• Follow-up support.
• Quit-smoking guidebook, “You Can Quit Smoking. We’ll Teach You How.”
• Information about quitting, even if you’re not yet ready to try.
• For eligible low-income callers, vouchers to purchase stop-smoking aids such as nicotine patches or gum.

This is a great resource for BCCS staff and clients to start a healthier new life, free from dependence on tobacco! I hope that you reach out and take advantage of this valuable service to kick-start becoming a healthier you.

Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month

April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. In honor of this month and in an effort to keep kids safe, BCCS is planning to host a variety of events throughout the month, which will help to raise awareness about child abuse and prevention. This is an opportunity for BCCS to educate our staff and clients about the dangers of child abuse and the benefits of prevention and education, as well as providing an opportunity for us to come together to raise awareness in our state.

There is a significant need to raise awareness and educate our staff and clients about the seriousness of child abuse.  According to 2011 research by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, every year 3.3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving nearly 6 million children.  Child abuse statistics in the United States are frightening – with reports stating that we lose five children every day due to abuse-related deaths.  Additionally, children whose parents abuse alcohol and other drugs are three times more likely to be abused and more than four times more likely to be neglected than children from non-abusing families.

Child Abuse Awareness Schedule

  

April 9th – Kickoff

Staff will be in the dispensing area and the lobby to hand out resources including bookmarks, ribbons, and tattoos and inform clients about activities that will take place throughout the month.

April 16th - Recovery for Resiliency

Clients will have access to items to pamper themselves and have a day of relaxation.  This will include meditation and yoga led by our staff that specialize in those areas.  These activities will take place in the IOP room and are open to all staff and clients.  

  9:00- 9:20  Meditation with Mike

  9:30- 9:50  Yoga with Donna

10:00- 10:20 Meditation with Mike

10:30-10:50  Yoga with Donna

11:00-11:20  Meditation with Mike

11:30-11:50  Yoga with Donna

April 23rd- WORKSHOP

Community Educators and Advocates and a number of agencies will come to present information to staff and clients on child abuse.  They will also educate us on the service available to youth and their families. All workshops will take place in the IOP room. 

9:00- 9:40   Child Inc                              Positive coping skills, dealing w/ difficult children

10:00-10:40  Crossroads                       Preventing learned behavior and substance abuse

11:00- 11:40 Prevent Child Abuse         Prevention and Education

12:00- 12:40  Child Mental Health          Connection to services

April 30th - WRAP UP

Luncheon and arts and crafts activities will be held. Several of our generous staff members have offered their time to do art projects with our clients and their children.

BCCS Participates in Common Ground to Benefit Clients

At BCCS, we work hard to provide our clients with the highest level of care and offer them top- notch services that benefit their treatment.  We want to empower them to be able to make positive changes in their lives on their road to recovery.

These beliefs led us to our involvement with the DSAMH sponsored project, Common Ground.  Last week, BCCS held an open house to kick-off the launch of Common Ground, a web-based software program that helps people prepare to meet with psychiatrists and arrive at the best decisions for treatment and recovery.  The system will help co-occurring clients communicate better with their prescribing doctor and come to a shared decision with them about their treatment plans.

BCCS’s Lancaster site, located at 2713 Lancaster Avenue in Wilmington, is the first co-occurring site to use this software.  It is BCCS’s goal to successfully implement Common Ground at the Lancaster site and then begin using it at its other locations throughout the state of Delaware. 

March is Social Work Month

March is Social Work month, so it’s a good time to say thank you to all of our dedicated staff at BCCS who work hard every day to help our clients make positive changes in their lives.  Below is a message written by BCCS’s Elizabeth Lombino, a Social Worker and the Director of Community Based Services & Staff Training and Development. 

Being a Social Worker means so many different things to me. It means having the opportunity to connect with diverse, vibrant people. It means a strong level of professional integrity. It means having a deeper understanding of the human race.

Being a Social Worker means being misunderstood. I kind of like this aspect of our profession. I am willing and able to inform others as to why the work of Social Workers is so important. Attempt to expand our collective world view.

Being a Social Worker means knowing how to work a soap box. Educate and advocate on behalf of those who do not always have the power or voice to advocate for themselves. Getting into a good debate with someone is part of the deal. These are the moments I feel most like a Social Worker. Advocating and attempting to raise awareness. Plus, I like to learn about people and see how their mind works. It’s a challenge and I kind of like that.

Being a Social Worker is a big part of who I am. Being a Social Worker means that I am part of a vibrant and wonderful profession. I could not imagine myself being anything other than a Social Worker.