Visit from National START Advisor
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Throughout the development of the START program, START National Team members have regularly visited to provide guidance on the START model and recommendations based on their experience. Recently, visits from START National Team members have been helping to prepare the Region I START team for Programmatic Certification. The Region I START team is approaching its 5
th year of operation and is expected to pursue this milestone in 2019.
Jill Hinton, National START Advisory team and New York State Project Manager, visited with the Region I START Team on July 24-25
th. During her visit, Jill focused on What, Where, Why and How of START:
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These key principles help to guide the START team in supporting teams in crisis. For more information and a comprehensive overview of START, call Gary McIntee, Regional Director, (585) 905-0808 ext. 332.
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Last month, by partnering with the University of Buffalo, Region 1 START is excited to have interns joining the team! Social Work students pursuing their Master’s degree now have the opportunity to shadow the START program, with an emphasis on the role of the START Coordinator. START offers a unique approach to tools that are gained through a traditional social work program, for example, integrating trauma informed care with traditional behavior support approaches. Students will be exploring evidence informed practices, such as systemic engagement, and learning about how these practices are applied to a tertiary care model of support. Welcome to the next student generation of START!
Know a student who may be interested in an internship opportunity with START? Have them contact Volunteer Coordinator, Molly Ostrum at (607) 734-6151 ext. 128 or email OstrumMM@arcofchemung.org.
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Save the Date for Free Community Trainings
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START offers regular continued learning opportunities that are free and open to the public.
Our next training sessions will be:
- Friday, October 26, 2018 from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM and is offered at a variety of locations. Mary Lou Bourne, Director of National Core Indicators, NASDDS, will be presenting “Person Centered Thinking to a Person Centered System: Thinking Differently for the Future”. Training is followed by discussion on how to apply strategies within the teams you work with.
- Friday, November 30, 2018 from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM and is offered at a variety of locations. Lauren Charlot, PhD, will be presenting “Borderline Personality Disorder in Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities”. Training is followed by discussion on how to apply strategies within the teams you work with.
Please join us!
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START Team Spotlight - Meet Rebecca!
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"I came to START because I needed to do something different to help the system”.
Rebecca Szymanski is a START Coordinator who began working with START over 3 years ago. Rebecca’s role as a START Coordinator is to work with the network of people who provide support to individuals with a developmental disability, but instead of focusing on how to support the individual alone, Rebecca emphasizes support for the team. By facilitating conversation and assessments around the development of a Crisis Plan, START Coordinators drive a larger sense of direction and apply this throughout the individual’s system.
Working at NY START for 3 years, Rebecca has seen a lot of change; the Region I START team is a little over 4 years old. “We started off with a lot less knowledge and we were still figuring things out. Our understanding has developed and changed over time and the clinical conceptualization of what we are supposed to do has become a lot more streamlined, a lot more efficient. The roles and boundaries are a lot clearer. That is the flip side of being in a pilot program: there is a lot of change and change is hard, it can drive you a little crazy, but it is a part of the package and it is really exciting in the end to see what you have built”.
Today, Rebecca has gone back to school to complete a Master’s Degree in Social Work. “I came into this program very unsure of myself and I have been encouraged by the people around me. This is what inspired me to go back to school, because of the encouragement and the knowledge that I have gained here.”
With the changes that come with a developing program, Rebecca would like to continue to see more outreach to the community. “I want to reach all the parts of the system because we haven’t yet; we haven’t gotten in every nook and cranny”. By sharing what we do, START can make a difference and help to support teams in crisis. In another three years, who knows how far START and Rebecca will have gone together!
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Although September flew right by, we want to highlight that it was National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Anyone could be struggling with suicide and you could change a life. Risk factors for suicide include mental health disorders such as depression, a history of trauma, a lack of social support and/or a lack of healthcare such as access to mental health treatment.
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For individuals who are referred to NY START, many of these risk factors may be a part of their experience and it can be challenging to determine if assistance is needed due to communication and social skills barriers. If you see warning signs such as extreme mood swings, withdrawal/isolation or talking about wanting to die, here are some ways you can help:
- Keep the person safe – remove any items that could be used to harm, stay with the person.
- Be there – actively listen to concerns without judgement, offer hope.
- Help them to get connected – tell a professional such as a doctor or counselor.
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Making a Referral is Easy!
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Anyone can make a referral to the Region I NY START program
by calling (844) 567-8278.
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For more information on NY START, contact
Gary McIntee
, Regional Director.
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