Footprints’ Staci Allan Helps Remove Barriers to Mental Health Treatment
Staci Allan, business development officer at Footprints to Recovery, joined forces with Lake Behavioral Hospital to remove barriers to mental health treatment in Lake County and Southeast Wisconsin. Allan, who has worked in the behavioral health field for over a decade and is a long-time advocate for access to life-saving substance abuse and mental health treatment, was asked to participate in an important legislative hearing on March 23, 2020. The hearing sought to change the section of Wisconsin’s Chapter 51 law, which prevents people experiencing an acute psychiatric episode to be transported to an Illinois psychiatric provider, even if that provider is closer. There is precedent, as this cooperative legislation is already in reciprocal laws with Michigan, Iowa, and Minnesota; all of them able to accept Chapter 51 patients from Wisconsin. Allan was asked to join the hearing to advocate for the legislation change. Others in attendance included Illinois Senator Adrienne Johnson; Lake Behavioral Hospital CEO Cindy DeMarco, LCSW; Lake Behavioral Hospital Director of Business Development Charla Waxman, MBA, EdD; and several Wisconsin and Illinois community constituents such as aldermen and mayors. Dr. Waxman, who spearheaded the hearing said, “When they told me to call three people on the other side of the border, Staci was my first call. She has been a great partner at Lake. [She] would not be the only person I could have called, but we have a longstanding relationship in the community, she knows what she is talking about, and she is fair. I knew we would get what we needed.” Allan is well known for her outreach work in the behavioral health field as well as her role with the Illinois School District 21 Board of Education and her campaign work in local elections. “My role and reputation is to discuss access and barriers to treatment and how to remove them legislatively,” said Allan. “Lake Behavioral Hospital is right on the Wisconsin border. If someone is in a psychosis event, sometimes the hospital over the state line might actually be closer than in Illinois. It’s not unusual for someone in Illinois to get caught up in a system they don’t understand.” The need for legislative change became apparent to Lake Behavioral Hospital when they began hearing from concerned fire chiefs in northern Illinois border towns and emergency room professionals in Kenosha and Pleasant Prairie that because of the Wisconsin Chapter 51 mental health commitment law, they couldn’t send Illinois residents back across the border to their home state for inpatient psychiatric treatment, even though Lake Behavioral Hospital is only a 15-to-20-minute ride. Current Wisconsin laws prevent acute psychiatric transport from crossing state lines. Officers and ER employees are often forced to transport Illinois patients as much as one to three hours north in Wisconsin to secure treatment. Many ER workers in Southeast Wisconsin and mental health professionals were also frustrated with the legal barriers that prevented them from sending Wisconsin residents to specialty treatment centers in Illinois, even when they were closer than Wisconsin facilities. For example, patients from the Kenosha and Racine areas would be cared for much closer to their own community when receiving care in Waukegan, Illinois. Lake Behavioral Hospital decided to take the lead in pursuing legislation that would be a collaborative arrangement between Wisconsin and Illinois, allowing facilities in Illinois to accept and treat patients from Wisconsin who are subject to Chapter 51 of the Wisconsin mental health code. Patients could then receive treatment near their own community. The revision would also correct the treatment accessibility issue, regardless of border or state, for Wisconsin residents who would like to choose treatment closer to home even though it may be in Illinois. This new bill would give them access to many treatment providers in northern Illinois counties, not just Lake Behavioral Hospital. “We’re all doing the same job. We’re all in it for the same reason. If we’re a bunch of islands or the relationships are acrimonious at all, nobody benefits,” said Dr. Waxman. “It’s just a different law in Wisconsin, and we want [people] to be able to make their choice. We can provide multiple layers of treatment, but we couldn’t serve that Kenosha involuntary patient without that change.” The legislation change is expected to be approved after a second hearing in which some wording changes will be implemented. “We know many people come in with complicated issues even if they’re involuntary, many times by a substance abuse event,” said Allan. “These efforts solidify the relations we have with not just Lake, but with their entire system. We want to be a good partner in Lake County. We were there as advocates and that was the part that was very appreciated.”
Employee Spotlight – Business Development Officer
Employee Spotlight Series featuring Footprints to Recovery’s Rockstars! Beyond our degrees and titles, we’re also real humans endlessly passionate about the fight for those struggling with addiction. Our DreamTeam is made up of many hardworking, talented individuals with interesting stories to tell. In our Employee Spotlight series, you’ll meet some of these people and learn what they do (on and, perhaps, off the clock) and how they keep Footprints to Recovery growing and flowing—just the way we like it. This month\’s Employee Spotlight features Footprints to Recovery’s Business Development Officer, Alia Green. As a National Certified Counselor, Alia utilizes her understanding of mental health and addiction to connect individuals and family to providers in their area. Alia brings a tremendous amount of passion, experience, and kindness to our team, and we’re so very lucky to have her! What’s a typical day in your role? There’s not really a typical day, as I am finding out, but there are certain things I do every day. I normally start out by checking my email and looking at my calendar to see what I have planned in advance, and then I look for opportunities to add to it. I typically make some calls right away in the morning and then try to have a couple meetings and/or tours scheduled every day. I enjoy meeting up and building relationships with various providers and other treatment centers. In Colorado, we have a pretty collaborative group, which is refreshing. I know that we are trying our best to find the right treatment for the client. What makes Footprints to Recovery’s Denver Programming stand out? Honestly, the first thing that I think stands out is how new, clean, and modern our facility feels. To me, my surroundings are very important, and when I think about referring folks to our center, I know that I would feel comfortable getting treatment here, and therefore I feel confident that other folks will feel the same way. In addition to the center itself, I appreciate the different treatment modalities that we use to individualize treatment for each person. There is definitely not a one-size-fits-all approach, so it’s important to learn about what will be most effective for each person, and we do that! In your opinion, what’s the most important thing for addiction treatment centers to provide? I think, first and foremost, it is a safe and monitored space where one can focus on their treatment plan. In addition to that, it’s having qualified, credentialed, and compassionate staff who have had the experience working with substance use disorders. If you could give family, friends, and loved ones of those with a substance use disorder a message, what would it be? Things can change for the better, no matter what you’ve done or been through. Taking that first step to talk to someone who is knowledgeable about substance use disorder treatment might be the hardest thing to do initially, but it can also be the most rewarding thing you can do to get on to a healthier and more fulfilling life path. What gets you out of bed in the morning? My almost-12-year-old daughter, Alexa (Lex – pictured above!). She gives me purpose to get up, be a respectable role model for her, and enjoy our time together (mostly…lol)—she is a tween now! If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as a mentor? My Grandma Agnes was my role model and still is, even though she died in 2008. She was smart, loving, and so incredibly funny and sassy. She was a woman of integrity and compassion. What’s your motto or personal mantra? Courage is the ability to act in spite of fear. We will always be fearful of things (and for a good reason sometimes), but I try my best to not let most fear get in the way of living my life the way that I can respect and feel proud of. What’s your favorite Disney movie & why? There’s so many, but I think my favorite more recent Disney movie is Inside Out. I’ve always been fascinated with psychology and the mind, and I think this movie does a great job capturing and normalizing the different emotions that we all experience as humans. More Employee Spotlights
Employee Spotlight – Alumni Coordinator
Employee Spotlight Series featuring Footprints to Recovery’s Rockstars! Beyond our degrees and titles, we’re also real humans endlessly passionate about the fight for those struggling with addiction. Our DreamTeam is made up of many hard working talented individuals with interesting stories to tell. In our Employee Spotlight series, you’ll meet some of these people, learn what they do (on and perhaps off the clock), and how they keep Footprints to Recovery growing and flowing — just the way we like it. This months Employee Spotlight Series features Footprints to Recovery’s Wayne, Pennsylvania and Hamilton, New Jersey Alumni Coordinator, Morgan Werner. Through empathy, listening and hard work Morgan works to ensure that all of those who complete FTR\’s treatment programs continue to have a sense of community, access to resources and endless support. Whether it be planning an event, running a support meeting or catching up with an alumni – she always gives everything 110%. She\’s a fierce woman, with a big heart and we couldn\’t be more thrilled to have her on our team. What’s a typical day in your role? My typical day varies based on the day of the week. Because I split my time between two treatment centers; both Hamilton and Wayne, I never truly know what my day is going to look like before I arrive. Most days I am in the office working on planning groups and events, meeting with discharging patients to get them excited about the opportunity they have to join the alumni program, sitting in on groups, and checking in with our current alumni as they reach some of the milestones in their recovery. What’s something that you’re currently working on? My biggest project right now is beginning to take the structural framework that our Director of Alumni, Lisa Musialowicz worked tirelessly in building, and tailoring it to continue to meet the needs and wants of our current group of Alumni. That’s the great thing about the alumni program here at Footprints to Recovery; we\’re evolving and growing every day. Nothing is set in stone and suggestions are always welcome. In your opinion, what makes an alumni program important? When I was approached about the Alumni Coordinator position what sold me is the sheer fact, that it exists. I immediately jumped on board to join a company that stands by their mission to help. Where some treatment centers say their ‘goodbyes’ upon discharge, Footprints to Recovery’s alumni program says ‘welcome.’ That is continuous care, and it is crucial when we talk about success in recovery. What’s on your wish list for the next three years? One of my goals over the next three years is to help grow this program to reach its’ fullest potential. There are so many ideas that I have rolling around in my brain that I cannot wait to implement. On a personal level, I hope to continue to travel. Travel has become a driving force in my life and I cannot wait to see all of the remarkable places it will take me. If you could give family, friends, loved ones of those with a substance abuse disorder a message, what would it be? The message that I would give is one of hope. To never give up on those that they love. Where there is hope, there is help. It is with that hope that the person you love might surprise you with all that they can achieve. If we give up hope, we may never know. What gets you out of bed in the morning? My seven-year-old daughter gets me out of bed every morning. Granted, most days I find myself begging for five more minutes, and five minutes usually turns into ten. I try to wake up each day with the intention to make my daughter proud and to be the strong female role model that I believe every little girl needs. What’s your motto or personal mantra? My personal mantra is ‘change your attitude, change your life’. Someone very special to me once taught me about how the power of positivity promotes positive action and ever since then, I have implemented positivity and gratitude into my everyday life. By beginning each day grateful for where I am at and how far I have come, I can face the day without fear. What’s your favorite Disney movie & why? My favorite Disney movie is and will always be Mulan. Growing up, I felt very compelled to the character of Mulan because she was a fierce female warrior who took action and followed her instincts despite adversity. I like to believe that I have grown to become a woman that the real Hua Mulan, would have been proud of. Eddie Murphy as Mushu was also a big draw. What’s one thing you couldn’t live without? I absolutely could not live without a pen and paper. From schedules to ideas, everything is written down somewhere. Even with the technology of computers, phones, and tablets, nothing will ever compare to a pen and paper. If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be? If I could meet anyone, I would want to meet my grandfather. Unfortunately, he passed away when I was two years old, so it would be less of a meeting and more of a reacquainting. But all my life I’ve heard about what an incredible man he was and how he made a delicious homemade mac & cheese!
Employee Spotlight – EMDR & Trauma Therapist
Employee Spotlight Series featuring Footprints to Recovery’s Rockstars! Beyond our degrees and titles, we’re also real humans endlessly passionate about the fight for those struggling with addiction. Our DreamTeam is made up of many hard working talented individuals with interesting stories to tell. In our Employee Spotlight series, you’ll meet some of these people, learn what they do (on and perhaps off the clock), and how they keep Footprints to Recovery growing and flowing — just the way we like it. This month’s Employee Spotlight Series features Laura Golden, MSW, LSW. Laura specializes in addiction treatment with an emphasis on trauma and family counseling, where she brings in techniques such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, commonly referred to as EMDR, as well as Reiki. You’ll rarely see Laura without a smile on her face, a patient and staff favorite, she focuses on bringing a variety of therapeutic techniques to her practice to ensure that all individuals get what they need! For those of us who aren’t familiar, what is EMDR? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, commonly referred to as EMDR, is a therapeutic approach that was designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic experiences. Created by Francine Shapiro, PhD, EMDR is comprised of an Adaptive Information Processing Model which facilitates the accessing and processing of traumatic memories to establish an adaptive resolution. EMDR utilizes bi-lateral stimulation to assist in connecting the neuro-networks to allow the processing of memory and is found to be highly beneficial in alleviating emotional distress as well as establishing a positive belief system. EMDR is a highly sought after and effective modality that has been mindfully integrated into the treatment offerings at Footprints to Recovery. What led you to become EMDR trained & to specialize in trauma? My Dad was an inspiration to me. From when I was a child he was on the Board of the Crime Victim Center of Chester County. He introduced me to the organization and I started to intern for them in high school and college. That is when I started to specialize in sexual assault and human trafficking. Working with that population required a specific set of skills and specialized long-term treatment. I had been working with patients on a short-term scale as a victim advocate. I wanted to find an evidence-based practice that research had proven effective long-term results. That’s when I was introduced to EMDR from a professor in my Master’s program. When I learned more about EMDR I discovered it can be used in any population for virtually any problem. I utilize it regularly at Footprints to Recovery with patients at all phases of treatment. You also use a spiritual technique, Reiki, how have you found use of it in your work in Addiction treatment? Reiki is a holistic healing method where the therapist can channel energy through holding hands 2-4 inches above the area being worked on or through gentle touch. It is used to help promote the natural healing process of the patient’s mind and body. I use Reiki practices in many ways in Addiction treatment. I use it to help patient’s learn grounding and relaxation skills. I also use it as a way to help patients connect to their spirituality and learn about other holistic modalities. Now more about you, what gets you out of bed in the morning? I am a dedicated dog mom and wife. I get up to support my family and the patients I serve. What are your biggest professional challenges? My biggest challenge is finding the balance between self-care, work, and continuing education. What is your personal motto or mantra? Its a tie for me… “Don’t go where the path may lead, instead make your own and leave a trail” and “Find the opportunity in every experience.” If you could choose anyone who would you pick as your mentor? If I could choose anyone I would choose my Aunt Jodi. She is an incredibly successful businesswoman and one of the most generous people I know. She found a balance between doing what she loved and helping others. I want to model her determination, generosity, and mindfulness practices. And lastly, what makes Footprints to Recovery standout? What drew me to Footprints to Recovery was their family-like atmosphere. Everyone is dedicated to their patients and the facility provides the most comprehensive care possible. As a holistic practitioner, certified in Reiki, it was huge for me to find an agency that not only allowed me to incorporate that into my practice but encouraged it. More Employee Spotlights
