Volume IX, Issue 1, JANUARY 2015 Message from the Associate Execu ve Director—South INSIDE THIS ISSUE “Every day, a new opportunity to
Message from the Associate decide where your next step will go is
Execu ve Director‐South 1 DDD Staff of the Month 3 given to you. Your future will be
determined by the accumulation of
these daily decisions. You control
your steps and therefore your destiny,
so choose wisely.
Great Works Cer ficates 4 ~ Kevin Ngo ~
Department News 5 Welcome New Hires 2 Celebra ng Anniversaries 2 Promo ons 2 NJ Training Recert Calendar 6 SJ Training Recert Calendar 7 South Jersey News 7 In the News Around WGA... ATS #2 Now Open! 8 Afficere Is Coming! 8 Special Announcements 8 About Your Health 9 Jean M. Manfra School— Staff of the Month 10 Sparta Happenings 10 DCF Program News 11 DDD/DCF Clinical Corner 12 DDD Ac vi es News 12 Dear Team:
Happy New Year! I’m
excited about the successes this
year will bring. As we reflect
over the last 12 months of
changes, challenges and opportunities, I’m sure there are lots
of things for which we can be
thankful. In addition, and
most importantly, we survived
the obstacles and are here to tell
about it. Each day you wake
up, challenge yourself to encourage, inspire and/or empower someone. It is your attitude
that determines your altitude.
According to Ralph Waldo
Emerson “Our chief want is should be approaching this lisomeone who will inspire us censing inspection with a
to be what we know we could “business as usual” mindset
be.” We all have the ability to since the expectations is to be
be leaders, nurturers, protectors licensing ready 27/7. Many of
and providers. In this indus- our DD programs are performtry our consumers, families ing to these standards and as a
and referents are depending on team we will collectively reach
us to ensure our consumers, that milestone.
their loved ones, achieve their
Wishing you all a Safe,
highest potential. Let’s continHappy, Healthy and Prosperue to show them we are the proous New Year!
vider of choice!
Sincerely,
Shortly, the DDD program
will be undergoing an inspec- Dione Keith, MHS
tion from the Office of Licens- Associate Executive Director
ing. Don’t stress, don’t be alarmed, but do what you do
best; provide our consumers
with an all around exceptional
therapeutic environment topped
with therapeutic activities and
remember to document your
progress; if it’s not documented, it didn’t happen.
We
Page 2 EMPLOYEE HIGHLIGHTS WELCOME TO OUR NEW EMPLOYEES CELEBRATING ANNIVERSARIES OCTOBER Chris Goy l—27 yrs. Mary Goy l—26 yrs. Marilyn Murray—25 yrs. Tracey Swea —20 yrs. Marsha Malecz—18 yrs. Pa Dooli le—16 yrs. William Sheehan—14 yrs. Jeannine Ruggieri—13 yrs. Sharon Hoffmann—12 yrs. Hilda Williams—9 yrs. Deborah Fleischer—9 yrs. Melvic Gallego—9 yrs. Maureen Nafis—9 yrs. Anu Singh—8 yrs. Maximus Lucard—8 yrs. Sameerah Mu aqi—8 yrs. Jose San ago—7 yrs. Amanda Eibon—7 yrs. Kelsey Ghysels—4 yrs. Eileen Froehlich—3 yrs. Nicole Florio—3 yrs. Shane e Smith—3 yrs. Caliegh Anderson—2 yrs. Ryan Betrix—2 yrs. Christopher Collins—2 yrs. Niklas Lasso—2 yrs. Patrick Richards—2 yrs. James Tolson—2 yrs. Emily Gleason—1 yr. Leanna Padalino—1 yr. Danielle Raser—1 yr. NOVEMBER DECEMBER James Dunderman—27 yrs. Michael Grifone—24 yrs. Denise Stapert—21 yrs. James Catalino—18 yrs. Michael McLean—13 yrs. Elizabeth Harrison—12 yrs. Judith MacDonald—11 yrs. Pullandaye Brown—10 yrs. LuAnn Festa—10 yrs. Nancy Ryno—9 yrs. Patricia Rosien—7 yrs. Veronica Barge—7 yrs. Jenelle Daza—7 yrs. Mary Diemer—7 yrs, Chris ne Thoenig—5 yrs. Brianna Collinson—5 yrs. Christopher Harris—5 yrs. Stacy Cas llo—4 yrs. George Ragira—4 yrs. Edward Bem—3 yrs. Casey Gutman—3 yrs. Megan Mulligan—3 yrs. Sean Vivino—3 yrs. Tyler Ferrero—2 yrs. Michelle Flood—2 yrs. Daniel Fisher—1 yr. Rebecca Kymer—1 yr. Naquisha Perry—1 yr. Jennifer Pierson— 1 yr. Letrice Pollard—1 yr. Jaclyn Rescigna—1 yr. Brandi Smith—1 yr. Lee Van Orden—1 yr. Dean Williams—1 yr. Ashley Williams—1 yr. Howard Blakeslee—26 yrs. Bonnie Solano—23 yrs. Ronald Thrailkill—18 yrs. Thomas Bell— 15 yrs. Dawn Spencer—15 yrs. David Thompson—10 yrs. Alfonso Lopez—10 yrs. Nicole Bolognini—7 yrs. Mary Fadairo—7 yrs. Olga Figula—7 yrs. Shimura Hughley—7 yrs. Stephen Ngugi—7 yrs. Giselle Sosa—6 yrs. Angelina Rich—6 yrs. Heather Smith—4 yrs. Phillip Joseph—4 yrs. Jacquelyn Brule—4 yrs. Daishaun Blakely—3 yrs. Rian Hassan—3 yrs. Danielle Coquet—2 yrs. Randy Bensley—1 yr. Teair Ginlack—1 yr. John Kelly—1 yr. Hope Malone—1 yr. Kevin Nyandieka—1 yr. Heather Perez—1 yr. Alicia Simon—1 yr. OCTOBER Gabrielle Rannazzisi—Mulberry Terrance Catoe—Laurel Lane Tara Nes nger— Sparta DOE Starr Gardner—Tallowood Alexis Delgado—Newton DOE Bacina Bowman—Clinton William Simons—Clove Road Monique Bailey—Clinton Michael Omonywa—S.B.Brook Danny DaSilva—Green Samuel Obasa—S.B.Brook Kinsey Knakkergaard—DCF Joseph Allen—Blairstown Charlo e Ragira—Somerset Susan Cullinane—Morganfield Jus n Rojas—JMM School Godfrey Uba—Hopatcong Julian Cuello—Ballan ne Kelly Deegan—SJ Clinical Hope Idore—Sparta Gardens Angel Jackmon—Tallowood Alexandra Bieniasz—Roslyn Marie Cooper—DCF NOVEMBER Nicholas Liggieri—ECS Marissa Brown—Brooklyn Mtn. Bri any Strick—Frankford Apt. Evan Loveland—Ballan ne Brianna Walz‐‐Graham—Fredon “Congratulations for your years of service to our
consumers and to Willowglen Academy!
WELCOME BACK Jessica Coursen—Newton DOE Joseph Pless—Demarest Angela Maoya—Somerset Davon Hardwick—Delwood Sonny Gaye—New Lisbon 3 Renee Reeves—New Lisbon 3 Aaron Sims—ATS‐SJ Jeremy Vigilance—New Lisbon 3 Stacy Williams—New Lisbon 2 Debra Wright—New Lisbon 2 Elise McGaughran—DCF Talya Gunasekara—Newton Clinical Elijah Douglas—Green Christopher O’Donoghue—DCF Raymona Nemours—Newton La‐Quasha Dipasalegne—N.L. 2 DECEMBER PROMOTION FOR OCTOBER, NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2014
Promotion n— 1. the act or
fact of being raised in position
or rank 2. the act of furthering
the growth or development of
something.
Craig Rohloff—Supervisor/Carlton 1
Christopher Harris—Clinician/DDD
Susanna Gleason—Frontline Day & Vocational Specialist/ATS 1
Krystal Moir—Clinical Supervisor/South Jersey
Ryan Betrix—Senior DPI/ATS #1
Congratulations and good luck in your new position at Willowglen Academy! Page 3 WILLOWGLEN ACADEMY DDD STAFF OF THE MONTH
OCTOBER 2014 — TERRIE COURSEN
Terrie has been a great asset to
Willowglen Academy since she first
became an employee in September
2013. In the past year Terrie was
promoted from RPI to Senior RPI
at ECS, and then was Acting Supervisor, almost immediately during
her supervisor’s absence. When
asked if she would be Acting Super-
visor at Frankford, she willingly
stepped up to that role. Again, she
has been asked to work as an Acting
Supervisor at Holiday Lane and she
has, once again, done an extraordinary amount of work in a short
time.
cares about the work she is doing
and she takes great pride in her relationship with her consumers.
We are so fortunate to have Terrie on our team. Thank you Terrie!!!
Terrie is reliable, accountable,
efficient and hard working. She
OCTOBER 2014 — BARCELONA OTONDI
Barcelona has been working at
Plainfield Group Home since the
day it opened. He maintains a positive working relationship with coworkers and the consumers. He has
always been flexible with his sched-
Thank you Barcelona for all that
ule for the benefit of the program.
Barcelona is always available for you do; you are greatly appreciated!
consumers’ doctor appointments and
participates in IHP meetings at a
moment’s notice. Plainfield Group
Home is happy to have him.
NOVEMBER 2014 — MAUREEN METZGAR
Maureen has worked at the Green
Group Home for over sixteen years.
She is always helpful to the supervisor with all tasks especially the time
consuming cross-referencing!!!
Maureen goes into the group home
on her days off to help new staff who
might need assistance with difficult her hard work and dedication
behavioral incident or to pass medi- throughout the years. We are fortucation. Maureen is always on time nate to have you at Green!
for her shifts and has a positive attitude even in difficult situations. We want to thank Maureen for
NOVEMBER 2014 — JOHNNY BLAKELY
Johnny began working for Willowglen Academy in July 2008 as a
janitor. He transferred to Mulberry
in November of that same year and
has come a long way since then as he
has become a more confident staff
member. Johnny is very versatile
and he works in all four sites that
are under the same supervisor. He
is also often the one who is sent to
other sites when coverage is needed.
This a greatly appreciated not only
by those other sites but also by Johnny’s co-workers. Johnny is an excellent team player who never complains and does what is asked of
him. It is easy to tell that Johnny is
appreciative of his job and he is a
very reliable staff member. He can
be counted on to come in during bad
weather or to be the one to stay if
there is a call out or a staff member
is running late. He has been a
pleasure and to watch him grow as a
staff member and become a more
confident and outgoing person. I
am confident that this trend will
continue.
Johnny, on behalf of your coworkers and all of the individuals
entrust in your care, we say thank
you for a job well done.
Page 4 GREAT WORKS CERTIFICATES FOR OCTOBER, NOVEMBER & DECEMBER, 2014
OMITTED FROM LAST
QUARTER—
JULY, AUGUST &
SEPTEMBER, 2014
(Names didn’t make it in
for the drawing—will be
entered in next quarter
drawing) SPARTA DOE
Aaron Thompson
John Burke
Raquel Eleftheriou
Kathleen McCall
Amanda Maliszeweski
Ron Gill
Pullandaye Brown
Jeannine Ruggieri
Stephanie Cook
OCTOBER
DCF
Guempes Charles
Ryan Killeen
Richard Nordland
Michael Bassani
Ensle Guy
Nathan Welch
Brandon Grant
NEWTON DOE
Meghan Campbell
Elizabeth Harrison
Caryn Backle
Eileen Froehlich
Mel Gromek
Anthony Galante
Peter Lachenauer
Nik Lasso
Kim Joki
Bill Sheehan
Kevin Dyches
Nicole Napoli
SPARTA DOE
David Thompson
DDD-NJ
Cortney Varela
Devyn Louis
Brianna Collinson
Phil Joseph
Tami Stiles
Adam Stabinski
Terrie Coursen
Patty Merchak
Larry Vealey
Sharon Richardt
Joseph Gachigo
Russ Malcolm
Lorant Mena
John Belowsky
Christine Thoenig
Christian Hollis
Liz Anderson
Linda Larick
Bryanna Dickinson
Mike Worgul
Sara Chrimes
Tabatha Sickels
Lydia Aleman
Ken Hammerton
Kenneth Current
Dan Fisher
Sheena Terpenning
Michelle Bork
Suzanne Goldsmith
Maureen Metzgar
Cliffson Onchomba
Sarata Tarawally
Jacinta Simon
DDD-SJ
Mary Fadairo
Marquita Howell
Geneva Bell
Saundra Walden
CORPORATE
Debbie Fleischer
NOVEMBER
DCF
Nicole Florio
Sarah Florio
Janet Monroe
Vanessa Butkus
Philip Nunziato
Guempes Charles
Evan Bischoff
Anthony Galante
Peter Lachenauer
Eillen Froehlich
Nicole Napoli
Mary Wegman
Sean Vivino
Anna Wydner
Bonnie Solano
Maggie Rusticus
Mary Goytil
Christ Goytil
Jessica Venegas
Lauren Cimasko
Rob Dunaway
Kelly Renaldo
Missy Martin
Talya Gunasekara
Lindsey Ziegler
Nancy Ryno
Amanda Rickard
Jessica Bond
Terry Hernandez
Jenell Casciano
Darlene Herrera
Alex Powers
Andrew Renaldo
Michael Bassani
Ryan Killeen
Kerry Coghlan
Erica Pena
Kristen Heath
Teddy Sibblies
Scott Landy
Mike Gately
Omar Pollard
Lynette Byrnes
Miligros Torres
Casey Gutman
Beatrice Charles
Allison Colville
Nate Welch
Anthony George
Max Lucard
NEWTON DOE
Laura Keller
Sue Eck-Jones
Scott Meyers
Alexis Delgado
Amanda Considine
Nicole Napoli
Bill Sheehan
Kim Joki
Kevin Dyches
Lourdes Sibblies
Paul Coco
Alex Ghidella
James Dunderman
Janelle Daza
Sue Hackett
Mary Diemer
Meghan Campbell
Danielle Campbell
Darren Wagner
Mel Gromek
Elizabeth Harrison
Anthony Galante
Ed Bem
Caryn Backle
Michelle Hermann
Carole Nordhausen
SPARTA DOE
Lynette Denton
Pullandaye Brown
Kathleen Tarlowe
Allison Andersen
Judith MacDonald
Elizabeth Fabel
Brenda Velez
Sondra Bell
DDD-NJ
Mary Murphy
Jenn Moss
Karen Bogda
Elton Clotter
Rose Jadotte
Kathy Davis
Sharon Hoffmann
Marsha Malecz
Jen Mendenhall
Heather Dunn
Shannon Anderson
Chris Gaita
Victoria Knauer
Heather Perez
Kathy Menzies
Brianna Kleiner
Lauren Wiltse
Jenn Pierson
Chelsea Gummerson
Norm Harnois
Donna Jean
Angie Rich
Louise Root
Heather Burke
Nicole Coppola
Luis Hanson
Melvic Gallego
Kathy Dickson
Tabatha Bach
Aidah Singleton
Irene Joubert
Nelson Ongaki
Brandon Polhamus
Josphat Kamau
Yajummai Lugard
DDD-SJ
Saundra Walden
CORPORATE
Debbie Fleischer
DECEMBER
NEWTON DOE
Bill Sheehan
Amanda Considine
Alexis Delgado
Sue Eck Jones
Scott Meyers
Lourdes Sibblies
Linda DePasquale
Elizabeth Harrison
DDD-NJ
Jen Nodzak
Ken Hammerton
Henry Weiss
Alex Herrick
Michelle Quinn
Heather Dunn
Victoria Knauer
Brandi Smith
Megan Space
Jessy Price
Steve Figueroa
Shannon Junio
SPARTA DOE
Sondra Bell
DDD-SJ
Andrew Hampton
Imani Hairston
CORPORATE
WINNERS FOR
JULY, AUGUST &
SEPTEMBER, 2014
DDD-NJ
Melissa Crawn
David Thompson
DDD-SJ
Rosalie Gonzalez
Shimura Hughley
SPARTA DOE
Pullandaye Brown
Aaron Thompson
DCF
Kelly Renaldo
Shawn Smith
NEWTON DOE
Mel Gromek
Bill Sheehan
CORPORATE
Debbie Fleischer
Page 5 Page 5 WILLOWGLEN ACADEMY-NJ DEPARTMENT
FROM THE DIRECTORS OF
RESIDENTIAL SERVICES
As the year draws to a close, it is an appropriate time to evaluate ourselves. I ask
all of you to spend a few minutes considering your professional performance. Identify what you do really well at your workplace; identify what you love about your job.
In the same light, what skills would you
like to improve, and what aspects of your
job would you like to change? It is only by
identifying specific pros and cons that a
person can actually take action steps to realize change. As you make your lists, we
challenge you to share your findings with
your peers, or supervisor. Possibly the item
that you have identified to change is something we can change together in order to
enrich the services we provide.
The opening of the ATS 2 building is
one such change. We have increased activities for our consumers, and are incorporating job skill training into the day program.
We look forward to hiring a day program
director to join the ATS team in the near
future.
Many staff took part in the Staff Appreciation Days that included chair massages,
ice cream sundaes and candy bouquets delivered to your worksite. We thank you
again for your continued efforts in the important job you have.
We are beginning an attendance incentive program beginning January lst. This
will be a lottery in which those staff who do
not call out for 3 months will have the opportunity to win a cash reward. Details
will be provided from your supervisor.
FROM THE ACCOUNTING
DEPARTMENT
Just a reminder that all W-2’s will be
postmarked and mailed to your home address by January 31st.
FROM THE TRAINING DEPARTMENT
The CE Block 200 training will be running January, February & March 2015.
Make sure you attend one of these scheduled
trainings to stay in compliance.
The Accounting Department wishes you NOTE: Please see Pages 6 & 7 for recertification training classes for both North &
a happy and healthy New Year!
South Jersey.
Richard Kochman, Director of Fiscal Activities,
Patty Bates, Controller, Patti Doolittle,
LuAnn Festa, Katherine Barrand & Karyl Doll
FROM THE QUALITY ASSURANCE
DEPARTMENT
Mike McLean, Training Supervisor,
Debbie Fleischer, Angie Rich
& Shannon Williams
FROM THE DDD NURSING
DEPARTMENT
Happy New Year!
Greetings! We hope everyone is enjoying
a wonderful winter! The Quality Assurance Department will be up and running in
2015 conducting Field Consultations in
each group home. We look forward to
spending time with you and helping you
however we can. The first audit due for the
new year is the therapeutic, due
01/01/2015.
Oh what a year it has been at Willowglen Academy-NJ and at the Nursing Department! The second and third quarters of
the year were especially challenging at the
department, but working very closely with
all direct care staff, Residential Supervisors
and Clinicians, we have been able to maintain the state of the art level of clinical consumer care that the nursing department is
From all of us in the QAD to all of you, known to provide.
thank you for all of your hard work and
We are still looking for full cooperation
dedication to the consumers and your group from everyone in what concerns the implehomes. Have a safe and healthy New mentation of BM chart protocols and mainYear!
taining a healthy and balanced diet for all
Anu Singh, Director of QA,
Stacy Jones, Elizabeth De Palma
& Denise Stapert
of our consumers. Please continue to work
closely with your group home nurse on these
issues.
The Nursing Department has been thoroughly revitalized. We now have a group
HR WITH A HEART!
home committed, energetic and competent
nurses in the department, and with them,
Please remember the Employee Referral we are looking forward to a great year.
Program. Refer a Full-time staff who comCongratulations to our new supervisors pletes three months of service $250 (PartActing Nursing Supervisor, Karl Venescar,
and seniors, and we welcome all our new time—$100). All are eligible (except
Pam Barbagallo, Kimberly Drennan,
group home staff.
HR). For complete policy, refer to HR.
Joseph Gachigo, Kathleen Dickson,
We look forward to a new year filled
Sara Chrimes & Terrie Maness
Tracey Sweatt, Director of HR,
with health and happiness
Dawn Lloyd, Patricia Sutton,
Dayna Owens & Donna Tompkins
HOPE. SAFETY. TRUST.
OPPORTUNITY
Kimberly Wannemacher & Karl Venescar
Page 6 Page 6 WILLOWGLEN ACADEMY‐NJ DEPARTMENT NEWS (Con nued) JANUARY, FEBRUARY & MARCH, 2015 ‐ NORTH JERSEY RECERTIFICATION TRAININGS CE BLOCK 100/900 (6 Hour Class) CE BLOCK 200 (3 Hour Class) Recer fica on in: Client Rights; Understanding, Iden fy‐
Recer fica on in: Universal Precau ons, American Red Cross ing, Inves ga on and Report Abuse; Neglect and Exploita‐
Adult/CPR with Standard First Aid, Fire Safety, Van Driving, on; HIPPA; Confiden ality; Division Circular #14 Danielle’s Law ALL CLASSES START PROMPTLY AT 9:00AM‐12:00PM & ALL CLASSES START PROMPTLY AT 8:15AM‐4:30PM AT THE 1PM‐4PM AT THE CORPORATE OFFICE CORPORATE OFFICE Friday, January 2, 2015 Monday, January 5, 2015 Wednesday, January 7, 2015 Friday, January 9, 2015 Thursday, January 15, 2015 Tuesday, January 13, 2015 Tuesday, January 20, 2015 Wednesday, January 14, 2015 (Only 9AM‐12PM) Thursday, February 5, 2015 Tuesday, February 10, 2015 Monday, January 19, 2015— ONLY N:DOE—8:15AM‐
4:15PM Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Friday, January 23, 2015 Friday, February 27, 2015 Saturday, January 24, 2015—9AM‐12PM Thursday, March 5, 2015 Tuesday, February 3, 2015 Friday, March 13, 2015 Monday, February 9, 2015 Wednesday, March 18, 2015 Wednesday, February 11, 2015 Saturday, March 21, 2015—9:00AM‐5:15PM Thursday, February 12, 2015—Central Jersey ONLY—
10AM—1PM Tuesday, March 24, 2015 Thursday, February 19, 2015 CE BLOCK 500 (4 Hour Class) Monday, February 23, 2015 Recer fica on In: All Verbal and Physical De‐Escala on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 Techniques as Trained in Safe Crisis Management, Friday, March 6, 2015 Incident Reports and Documenta on (Also at ATS 1—8:15AM‐11:15AM/Jen) ALL CLASSES PROMPTLY START AT 8:00AM‐12:00PM & 1:00PM
‐4:30PM AT THE CORPORATE OFFICE Monday, March 9, 2015 Tuesday, January 6, 2015 Thursday, March 12, 2015 Friday, January 16, 2015 Friday, March 20, 2015 (Also at S:DOE—CE 200/CE 700 —
8:15AM‐4:00PM; N:DOE—CE 700‐ 9AM‐12PM) Monday, January 19, 2015 (Only S:DOE 8:15AM‐1PM & Only N:DOE CE 500 & CE 200—8:15AM‐4:15PM) Thursday, March 26, 2015 Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Monday, March 30, 2015 Thursday, January 22, 2015 Tuesday, March 31, 2015 Wednesday, February 4, 2015 (Only class—12:30PM—4:30PM) Friday, February 13, 2015 (Only class—8:00AM—12:00PM) Monday, February 16, 2015 (Only class—12:30PM—4:30PM) Tuesday, February 17, 2015 (Only class—5PM—9PM) Friday, February 20, 2015 (Only class—8:00AM—12:00PM) Tuesday, February 24, 2015 (Only class—8:00AM—12:00PM) Wednesday, March 4, 2015 (Only class—8:00AM—12:00PM) Wednesday, March 11, 2015 Tuesday, March 17, 2015—CENTRAL JERSEY ONLY—10AM– 2PM Thursday, March 19, 2015 Friday, March 27, 2015 (Only class—8:00AM—12:00PM) CE 708—Feb. 24, 25, 26, 2015— Train‐the‐Trainer—8:15AM‐4:15PM CE 719—March 23, 24, 25, 26, 2015— Supervisor Training—9AM‐4:30PM Page 7 Page 7 JANUARY, FEBRUARY & MARCH, 2015— SOUTH JERSEY RECERTIFICATION TRAININGS CE BLOCK 200 (3 Hour Class) CE BLOCK 100/900 (6 Hour Class) Recer fica on in: Client Rights; Understanding, Iden fying, Inves‐
Recer fica on in: Universal Precau ons, American Red Cross ga on and Report Abuse; Neglect and Exploita on; HIPPA; Confi‐
Adult/CPR with Standard First Aid, Fire Safety, Van Driving, den ality; Division Circular #14 Danielle’s Law ALL CLASSES START PROMPTLY AT 9:00AM‐12:00PM & 1PM‐4PM ALL CLASSES START PROMPTLY AT 8:15AM‐4:30PM AT THE AT THE CHERRY HILL OFFICE CHERRY HILL OFFICE Thursday, January 22, 2015 Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Friday, January 23, 2015 Tuesday, March 24, 2015 Thursday, January 29, 2015 Thursday, February 19, 2015 CE BLOCK 500 (4 Hour Class) Monday, February 23, 2015 Recer fica on in: All Verbal and Physical De‐Escala on Techniques as Trained in Safe Crisis Management, Incident Wednesday, February 25, 2015 Reports, and Documenta on Monday, March 23, 2015 ALL CLASSES PROMTLY START AT 9:00 AM—1:00PM AT THE CHERRY HILL OFFICE Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Monday, January 26, 2015 CE 400 Recert. Make‐Up—MEDICATION/DIETARY NEEDS Tuesday, January 20, 2015—9AM‐1PM Tuesday, February 17, 2015 CE 219—I AM ONLY HUMAN Thursday, March 26, 2015 CE 719 SUPERVISORS TRAINING SERIES March 16, 17, 18, 19 & 20, 2015—9:00AM—4:30PM Tuesday, January 27, 2015—9:00AM; Friday, February 20, 2015; Tuesday, February 24, 2015; Thursday, February 26, 2015 (ONLY ATS TRAINING DAY—CE 200/CE219) & Friday, March 27, 2015 South Jersey News...
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH— DENISE DIX SPECIAL BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT… Congratula ons to Ashley Riggs on the birth of her baby boy, October 7, 2014, James Patrick, 7 pounds, 13 Ounces, 20 1/2 inches long. Shahera Washington would like to nominate Denise Dix for Employee of the Month for September. Denise came to Willowglen on January 10, 2005. She goes above and beyond with client care. She gets to ATS early every morning to work on her case load, so she will have me during the day to interact with the clients. She is very team oriented with her nurse peers as well as staff. She overall works with and promotes unity in the work place. EVENT HAPPENINGS IN SOUTH JERSEY October 31, 2014 was the annual Halloween Party for the cli‐
ents. December 12, 2014 is the annual Employee Apprecia on Day for SJ employees. Managers provide food and treats for the employees. December 19, 2014 is the annual Spirit of Philadelphia Christ‐
mas dinner for the clients. They take a ride around the Dela‐
ware River and have dinner, dance and enjoy themselves. Page 8 Page 8 In the News Around Willowglen…
We
are
excited to announce
the
opening of our
eagerly anticipated ATS #2
Building at 19
Wilson Drive.
This expansion of our ATS program has provided the much needed space for our consumers
to continue to learn and grow in. In addition,
we have also been able to utilize ATS #2 for a
social dance, an ice cream social, holiday festiv-
ities as well as staff trainings. It is approximately 16, 000 square feet and contains a multipurpose vocationally-based activity area, a
kitchen-dining area, a gym and woodshop along
with the “Woodworks of Willowglen” store. It
also houses
several office
areas
for
nursing and
clinical staff
as well as a
conference
room.
We anticipate many future opportunities for
success for our consumers. Thank you to everyone who had a part in the planning and preparation in
sites for Afficere use. We plan on doing training the
last week of January so be ready. It is an exciting
time for WGA-NJ as we are finally getting the PCS
created client management system that has been created for us and with our input. The first month all
documents will be in paper and computer form to
ensure we are capturing all that is needed by our programs for licensing and accreditation purposes. DDD
programs will be receiving Afficere in the future. Many of you have heard of Afficere, but it was not
ready for WGA-NJ so it quickly was forgotten. Afficere, the electronic client case management record
system, is finally ready to be rolled out in the DCF/
DOE-N programs of WGA-NJ. In October, several
different departments took part in a three-day Afficere
training. Dr. Jaya Singh, PCS Director o Case
Management and Therapeutic Services, and Ann
Woodruff, Heartland-PCS, System Engineer, came
from Wisconsin to deliver the training. We all had
laptops or notebooks in front of us and we looked at
how all consumer information was entered into the
system. This includes all clinical and medical information. It was a challenge for those in class to see
how this will capture all that we have on paper, but we
know that this is just a new system for us to learn and
embrace. The clinical and nursing teams at DCF
have been working hard to input all consumer data
into the system so that it is ready for a February 1,
2015 roll out for all direct care staff to utilize for
charting. This means Afficere training for the education and unit/group home staff is needed and you will
begin to see computer equipment at all DCF/DOE-N
Mallory Mussolini (RPI/ECS Apts.)
& Luis Hanson (RPI/Clove Road)
would like to announce the birth of their
daughter,
SAVANNAH RAE HANSON
on December 4, 2014
weighing 7 lbs. 15 oz., 22 inches long
CONGRATULATIONS AND MUCH LOVE &
HAPPINESS TO YOUR FAMILY!
providing a premiere therapeutic environment
for all to succeed in!
Submitted by Dareen Everett, Principal
Jean M. Manfra School &
Acting Director of ATS-NJ
Submi ed by Tracey Swea , Director of Human Resources Nicole (Sparta DOE) & Tim
Weingartner would like to announce the
birth of their daughter,
SYNDEY JEAN WEINGARTNER
on August 15, 2014 at 3:10 am weighing 7 lbs. 9 oz., 21 inches long
ALL OF US AT WILLOWGLEN ACADEMY WISH
YOUR FAMILY CONGRATULATIONS AND ALL
THE BEST TO YOUR FAMILY!
Page 9 In the News Around Willowglen… (Continued) Liza (Roslyn Supervisor) & Jason
Kelly along with their children Gabrielle, Madison, Dakota, Casey and Dalton,
proudly announce the birth of their baby
girl,
Heather Smith (RPI/Sand Pond) &
Ryan Betrix (Senior DPI/ATS #1)
would like to announce the birth of their
baby son,
ISAAC DAVID BETRIX
BRAELYN THERESA KELLY
Born on September 26, 2014
Born on June 25, 2014
Weighing 8 lbs. 4 oz., 21 inches long
Weighing 7 lbs. 15 oz. and 20.5 inches long
Congratulations and much love and happiness for the future!
Your friends at Willowglen Academy
wish you much happiness and love!
ABOUT YOUR HEALTH: Fact or Fiction: Can Chicken Soup Cure a Cold?
There’s a chill in the air and frost on the ground, which can only mean one thing: cold and flu season has arrived. Along with cold and flu season comes many sugges ons on how to cure cold and flu symptoms. Many recommend a good dose of chicken soup—but can it really work? The Science Behind Grandma’s Chicken Soup A study published in the medical journal, Chest, found that chicken soup contains an ‐inflammatory proper es that may help prevent a cold’s miserable side effects. Researchers believe that colds are caused by viral infec ons in the upper respiratory tract. The body responds with inflamma on, which triggers white blood cells (neutrophils) to the area. These cells are responsible for migra ng to sites where the body has been invaded by germs. What draws them to sites are chemicals called, “chemotac c factors.” These bacteria‐devouring cells however, have li le ability to kill off a virus, and as a side‐effect s mu‐
lates the produc on of mucus, which may cause symptoms of a stuffy head, coughing and sneezing. During the experiment, scien sts tested the ability of those neutrophils to migrate from one side of a chamber across a filter to the other side as they normally do. A er mixing the soup with neutrophils, scien sts checked to see whether it stopped the cell’s tendency to move toward the chemotac c factors. The overall conclusion: chicken soup inhibits neutrophil movement toward chemotac c factors. In other words, soup is good for a cold. The other theory is that some ingredients in the soup blocks or slows down the amount of cells congrega ng in the lung area, possibly relieving the development of cold symptoms. Researchers could not iden fy the exact ingredients in the soup that made it effec ve against colds, but say it may be a combina on of vegetables and chicken that work together. Cold and Flu Remedies: Fact or Fic on? Remedies and sugges ons for warding off or bea ng a cold and the flu have been passed around for centuries. The ques on is , are these ps and remedies fact or fic on? 

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

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Feed a cold and starve a fever: Fic on. You will not be hearing this advice from your doctor. You should be focused on drinking enough as it is important to stay hydrated. Ea ng can help, but not when it’s forced. Lingering in wet clothes or going outside in cold weather with wet hair can increase your chances of catching a cold: Fic on. While the viruses are most common during those mes of the year, the consensus among physicians seems to be that colds are caused by people staying indoors to avoid the cold, not from the cold itself. Stress increases your chances of ge ng a cold or the flu: Undetermined. While medicine may not be able to tell if stress increases the risk of catching a cold or the flu, stress can make either of those condi ons worse once you have it. Zinc or Echinacea can help prevent or shorten the length of a cold: Undetermined. Both zinc and Echinacea have had a number of studies done on them and neither has been shown conclusively to help ba le colds. Of course, we all know remedies that can certainly help us beat a cold and the flu: 
feel be er. 
An histamines: Provide minor relief of several cold symptoms including, coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, and nasal discharge. Sleep: Studies show that adequate bed rest boosts immune func on and reduces the risk of catching a cold. Extra sleep helps cold sufferers 
Take a shower: A hot shower loosens clogged nasal passages and moistens your mucus membranes. Washing your hands: Colds commonly spread when we touch someone or something that harbors cold causing viruses and then we infect ourselves by touching our noses or eyes. Hand washing is a great at elimina ng viruses before they make us sick (and before we spread them to others). The key is to wash thoroughly and regularly. Water and other fluids: Water, juice, clear broth, or warm water with honey helps lesson conges on and prevents dehydra on. Both a cold and the flu are easily spread so try your best at keeping them at bay! What IAA has to Say Insurance Administrator of America wants you to fight back this cold and flu season. Maybe a cup of chicken soup is the answer! Remember, with IAA one call does it all. Ar cle sent by [email protected] Informa on in ar cle from medical journal, Chest Page 7 JEAN M. MANFRA SCHOOL—STAFF OF THE MONTH
Page 10 Page 9 passion, kindness, concern and strength. Heather also encourages independence with ADL’s and has helped tremendously in maintaining a healthy environment Please join us in recognizing John Burke as Staff of the Month for October, for all students and staff. Heather is always respec ul of our students and staff. 2014. In addi on to his regular responsibili es of assis ng aides, coordina ng Her natural abili es and success with the challenges she faces each day make her transporta on, and many extra du es he performs daily at the Jean M. Manfra an excellent Teacher’s Aide who is especially worthy of recogni on. School. John has been asked to assist in the ‘Data Stewart’ role for our new state Thank you Heather, for all that you do. alternate assessment. He set up the technology aspect in regard to DLM tes ng. This has been no easy task as it has involved reading, reviewing manuals as well CHRISTINA THOENIG—NOVEMBER 2014 as providing technical support to the teachers that are par cipa ng in the assessment. John is always willing to help in any way he is able. This summer he Please join us in recognizing Chris na Thoenig as Staff of the Month for Novemhelped by moving classroom contents to different classroom loca ons. On many ber, 2014. Chris ne consistently demonstrates an exemplary performance as a occasions John has also assisted with ATS consumers during crisis situa ons. dedicated employee of Willowglen Academy . She has devoted herself to our JOHN BURKE—OCTOBER 2014 Mission Statement, always thinking of the best interest of our students. She has gone above and beyond her job responsibili es as a one to one assistant. As well as taking care of her consumer, she has con nuously maintained diligence in HEATHER DRAUGHON—NOVEMBER 2014 securing a healthy environment for all staff and consumers. She is an excellent Please join us in recognizing Heather Draughon as Staff of the Month for No- One to One Aide and everyone enjoys working with her. vember, 2014. This is to acknowledge Heather for her dedica on and her calm pa ence with one of the most challenging students. Heather has a genuine com- We recognize and thank Chris ne for her commitment and hard work. We appreciate all his hard work. Thank you John for all that you do. The 2014-2015 school year got off on a good note,
as students came back from the summer break. For
some there were new classrooms and new teachers
to get used to. But it didn’t take long for everyone
to get back into the swing of school after a nice
summer session.
With fall into full swing, so were the students of
Sparta. There were fall activities planned throughout the month of October, keeping everyone very
busy.
Race’s Farm: For the first time, the entire school
went on a field trip. With two busses leaving the
school, we all headed up to Race’s Farm to go apple
and pumpkin picking. The students had a lot of
fun as they took a tractor ride through the fields to
the pumpkin patch. There they wandered around
looking for the “perfect” pumpkin. Once done,
they hopped back into the trailers and headed off
to the apple orchards. Each student was able to fill
a bag up with any type of apple they wanted. So
the only way to get the best apples was to taste
them as you went along. Once their bags were
filled, they headed back to the trailers and back to
the busses. After a morning of harvesting pumpkins and apples, we headed off to Lodestar Park for
a picnic lunch. We could not have asked for a more
beautiful day as we sat in the park.
Door Decorating Contest:
Thank you to the staff from
corporate who came up to
judge the doors that were
decorated by the classes.
They all had unique ideas,
and it was very difficult to
judge. The classes all did a
great job. This year’s winning door prize went to Ms.
McGlew’s class and their
Gilligan’s Island themed door; complete with boat,
fishing poles, and the cast of Gilligan’s Island (a
few times over).
Apple Festival: Another new activity for the school
was the Apple Festival. What else do you do with
30+ bags of apples, but make apple recipes. Each
day.
But then
Wednesday
came
around and Homecoming went into overdrive. We started the
festivities off with a
Homecoming Parade,
complete with floats.
Each class made their
own float. They were then attached to the back of
the bicycles (Thank you Ronnie), and “driven”
around the parade route. We started at the school,
swung by Northern
Hills Academy, down
the street to Corporate, and then headed back to the JMM
School. The students
did a great job participating in the
parade, and you
could see the pride in their faces as they were
cheered on along the route. Although the weather
didn’t cooperate for our kickball game, we moved
the activities inside and played volleyball instead.
The classes went head to head in volleyball. The
scores were so close we couldn’t keep track. We
ended our week of celebration with a Homecoming
Dance, complete with Homecoming King (John B.)
and Homecoming Queen (Nurse Liz). The gym was
decorated with the floats the classes made and
posters by the Art classes. The students gathered
as DJ Ally played music for all to dance to. EveryWe kept the activione seemed to have a great time.
ties going well into
Upcoming Events: Our next big event is the Annual
November:
Homecoming/Spirit
Thanksgiving Feast. We are expecting 150 stuWeek: What would a
dents, friends, family, and staff. As always the
students will be busy shopping and preparing foods
school be without its
for the feast, and thanks ahead of time to the kitchtraditions? This year
en crew at Newton Campus for the turkeys.
the JMM School
In the month of December, we are planning a “12
brought Homecoming /Spirit week into the curriculum. The classes Days of Christmas” door decoration, a cookie swap,
worked hard to get ready for the week. The week and a gingerbread house decorating contest.
started off easy with Hat Day and Super Hero shirt
class was responsible for
creating a snack based
on apples. They then
shared their creations
with the rest of the
school, where the staff
and students picked
their favorites. With no
duplicate recipes, there were a lot of different
snacks to choose from. This year’s winner was Mr.
G’s class with Carmel Apple Cheesecake Bars, followed closely by Ms. Amanda’s class Apple Crisp
Cupcakes. They all did a great job, and everything
was delicious!!
Anti-Bullying Conference: Every year across the
country, the month of October is dedicated to AntiBullying. And once again, Ms. Brenda and Ms.
Ellen hosted an Anti-bullying conference at the
J
M
M
School.
Students
from many
of the classes
sat together
to
discuss
bullying, and ways to prevent it from happening.
There were videos, skits, and group activities to
make the day go quick. At the end of the day, in
honor of “kindness”, the students made root beer
floats for the rest of the school and some staff in
corporate. They all did a great job.
Page 11 Page 9 Page 9 Page 10 STAFF OF THE MONTH—DECEMBER—AMANDA CONSIDINE Please join in the recogni on of Amanda Considine as staff of the month. Alt‐
hough Amanda recently joined the Wil‐
lowglen Team, she illustrates the ability to meet our popula on’s needs with em‐
pathy, understanding and consistency. Amanda has exhibited me and again her ability to be the solid object under cha‐
o c condi ons. Amanda understands the importance of holding students accounta‐
ble while modeling and teaching replace‐
ment skills. Amanda has been recognized for her verbal interven on skills as well as her willingness to romp in the snow with the girls a er school. Amanda’s work ethic, ac ons and character exemplify the type of employee and team player Wil‐
lowglen strives to have on staff. It is a pleasure to work with Amanda and we are grateful to have her on the Willow‐
glen team and take this opportunity to thank her for all that she does. ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL HEALTH FAIR Newton Nursing hosted another success‐
ful health fair. A big thanks goes out to all the vendors that a ended and for provid‐
ing us with all that helpful informa on. The nurses provided audiometric screen‐
ings, flu shots, blood pressure and blood sugar checks to all the staff. Our die an, Elsie, offered BMI checks and nutri on advice as well as having a raffle for books. We also had Planned Parenthood here to offer up any informa on. We look for‐
ward to hos ng another health fair next year. Winter is flu season, so stop in to receive a flu shot! We have them free in the Newton Nursing office. All of the consumers have been vac‐
cinated to prevent them from ge ng the flu and it is important for staff to be just as protected. If you are inter‐
ested in being protected this flu sea‐
son come to Newton Campus and visit the nursing office to get a flu shot before it’s too late! Page 12 DDD CLINICAL
Over the coming months, we will spotlight members of our clinical team so our
employees can get to know a little about the
clinicians within the company.
Colleen Murmer is our most senior
clinician at Willowglen Academy. She
joined Willowglen twenty years ago, when
there were just six or seven group homes
and has been the attending clinician for
Roslyn (and has been for 20 years),
Plainsview and Lafayette. Colleen is passionate about her consumers and prides
herself on long-standing, strong relationships with families. Prior to her employment at Willowglen Academy, Colleen
worked as a direct care staff and supervisor
at SCARC. She earned her Bachelor’s
Degree in Sociology and Public Administration from Kean University. She was
nearly finished with her Master’s Degree in
Counseling when she was pleasantly surprised to find she was pregnant with her
first child. She is now the proud mother of
two boys, Christian, age 17, and Shane,
age 14.
Nancy Ryno has been working at Willowglen Academy for the past nine years as
a Mental Health Clinician at the Newton
Campus. She has a License as an Associate Counselor and is currently in the pro-
Let me begin by introducing myself. Hi,
I am Irene Joubert, Clinical Administrative Assistant. I am also the Recreation/
Activities Coordinator. I am excited to
announce that we have had some fun activities in the last couple of months and plan to
continue the fun
going forward..
Of course, we have
the bowling league
already in progress, and every-
one is having a great time.
cess of obtaining her license as a Professional Counselor. Nancy graduated from
Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2003
with her Master’s Degree in Counseling.
As an intern, she worked at a partial care
program with adults with mental illness.
Nancy has also had the opportunity to intern at an outreach program helping mentally ill homeless adults get linked to community services.
Submitted by Nicole Bolognini,
DDD Clinical Supervisor
I am very interested in everyone’s input
about activities. Please call me any time to
For January, February and March, we
offer any fun ideas or even if you are interwill continue to go to Laser One, have ice
ested in helping out at an activity. I look
cream socials and crafts and games. We
forward to hearing from you. You can
will also continue to go to
reach me at the Corporate Office at 973-579
the movies or have movie
-3700 X1060.
night at ATS #2 and other exciting activities will
Irene Joubert,
include NJ Devil’s hockClinical Administrative Assistant
ey, Medieval Times and
the Circus.
DCF CLINICAL
Diagnosis Corner: Early Onset Schizophrenia
teens is especially difficult. The symptoms of
schizophrenia can be similar to those in bipolar
disorder, depression, and other illnesses that
must be ruled out to reach a diagnosis of schizophrenia. In children, hallucinations may be
present along with these other disorders when the
child is under stress. This differs from the perThere are two broad categories of symptoms vasive hallucinations of schizophrenia that
of schizophrenia. Positive symptoms include worsen when not treated.
Recommended treatment for early onset schizhallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech
and disorganized behavior. Negative symptoms ophrenia includes medication, social interveninclude limited emotional expression, lack of tions, and educational interventions. It is diffienergy, and loss of enjoyment in activities. cult to determine the prognosis for children with
Symptoms must be present for at least six this diagnosis but increased social and family
supports appear to lead to better outcomes.
months for a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Like most mental health diagnoses, it is often
difficult to diagnose schizophrenia in young
people. Typically, schizophrenia is not diagnosed until the late teens or early twenties when
symptoms become evident. It is believed that 1
in every 100 adults with schizophrenia develops
the disorder in childhood.
Diagnosing schizophrenia in children and
As with any child being treated with anti-
psychotic and neuroleptic medications, it is
important to watch for side effects. Common
side effects include weight gain and drowsiness.
Less common is the development of tardive dyskenesia in those taking neuroleptics. Tardive
dyskenesia is the involuntary movement disorder, especially in the lower face.
If you have any questions about early onset
schizophrenia or your child’s diagnosis, contact
your child’s clinician.
From NAMI Early Onset
Schizophrenia Fact Sheet