Connections Q2, 2012 Edition

Adult Chemical Dependency IOP Group Now Available at Aurora East

Aurora East is now offering an Adult Chemical De-pendency Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). The focus of the group is to provide an encouraging envi-ronment, promoting healthy choices and self-awareness that leads to positive behavior and a strong sense of recovery. Aurora operates from the Disease Model of Addiction in a group setting to offer social support, encouragement and to support a new lifestyle free from addiction.

Aurora Launches Patient Services Department System Approach to Admissions Offers Speed of Delivery

and Better Serves Aurora Customers

The program typically runs eight weeks. However, the timeframe can vary depending on the patient’s individualized treatment plan.

Schedule Monday, Tuesday and Thursday

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

For more information, or to refer a patient to the group, please call

Patient Services at 480.345.5420.

Aurora West 6015 W. Peoria Ave. Glendale, AZ 85302

Aurora East 6350 S. Maple Ave. Tempe, AZ 85283

PATIENT SERVICES

480.345.5420

Available 24/7

This month, Aurora launched its Patient Services department enabling pro-viders, referrals sources and consumers to have one number to call for all of their Aurora needs. Patient Services will now handle all inquiries and all admis-sions for both Aurora East and Aurora West. Our goal is to better serve our cus-tomers with a more streamlined approach to increase efficiency and to pro-vide exceptional customer service. This department has been in the works for over a year now and is already making an impact. “We are now able to respond to referral sources and to consumers in a much quicker fashion,” states Jeff Serrano, Director, Patient Services. “As the state’s largest free-standing psychiatric hospital system, we have 165 beds plus a vast array of outpatient services; and, we want to ensure everyone knows our availability of services. So, now, if someone calls inquiring about bed availabil-ity, or about our services in general terms, our Patient Service Coordinators know everything that is going on at both facilities. For example, if we have no adolescent beds available at West, we can send a patient to our East facility.”

Patient Services operates 24/7 and a mas-ter’s leveled behavioral health clinician is always available.

Patient Services’ staff members Alex Sandoval (L), Patient Services Coor-dinator and Katie Masters (R), Intake Counselor

See Page 6 for full details...

Educational Opportunities

Page 2

Speakers Needed for 2013 If you are interested in providing a presentation for one of our Lunch & Learns, please email

Erin Boyd with the presentation’s title, a paragraph overview and your credentials.

Join is for our monthly Lunch & Learn CEU Seminars. Earn 1.5 CEUs at no cost. Lunch provided as well.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2012 / AURORA EAST “Gestalt Theory” Come learn about an effective, impactful theoretical approach of assessing and engaging with clients, yourself and each other! “Gestalt” addresses issues of awareness, contact and interruptions in contact in the client and the therapist alike. It is a supportive, growth produc-ing approach that can be applied in various practice settings and with clients across the diagnostic spectrum. Attendees will be introduced to the basic theory as well as be provided with a demonstration of the approach. Further information regarding its application to specific populations will also be addressed. Presented by: Laura Emileane, Psy/MH NP, Aurora East Provider

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 / AURORA WEST “An Introduction to Psychotropic Drug Induced Weight Gain, Mechanisms and Management” Many of our clients are on a variety of medications to treat their mental illness. As we all know, weight gain is associated with the use of many psychotropic medications, including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotic drugs, and may have serious long-term conse-quences. This seminar will give you answers to many questions your patients have regarding weight gain and nutrient deficiency with psy-chotropic medication as well as provide you with easy-to-implement nutritional guidance and weight management tips for your patients. Presented by: Ryan McKenzie, RN, BS, Aurora West Director of Nursing & Kathy Mason, RD, Aurora West Dietician

Please note – the schedule for every event is as follows:

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Registration, lunch and networking

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Presentation

To register, please visit our Aurora Eventbrite page. For questions, please contact Erin Boyd at 623.256.3469 or erin.boyd@aurorabehavioral.com.

Tom Geare, MT-BC, LMT, Aurora East’s Adjunctive

Therapist leads April Lunch & Learn attendees in interactive

music therapy exercises.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012 / AURORA EAST “The Impact of Domestic Abuse on Children: The Wee Ones Can Be Profoundly Harmed” August is back to school time in Arizona, and you might be counseling children who have been impacted by domestic violence at your school or office. How can you accurately identify them? Is it ADHD or DV? Is it a fugue state or DV? This seminar is designed to provide you with the information you will need to know in order to correctly answer that question. Beyond the classroom, lunchroom and recess, where do you fit into this as a counselor? Have you considered that while rare, a social worker’s personal safety may be jeopardized? You’ll learn about types of perpetrators and tips you can use to ensure your counseling sessions are safe – for both of you. Presented by: Stephanie Angelo, SPHR Human Resource Essential, LLC & Carl W. Mangold, LCSW, LISAC

Page 3 Aurora Updates

Anyone who tours our Aurora West facility and has a history with the Phoenix area behavioral health community always recog-nizes and comments on the giant, framed quilt hanging in the front hallway. We’ve always known it was a special hand-me-down from the Charter days, but no one ever knew the story behind the quilt… until now. Mr. & Mrs. Bill Fickling of Georgia were the founders of over 100 Charter Hospitals across the U.S. With the opening of each new hospital, Mrs. Fickling presented a quilt made specifically for that hospital at the opening dedica-tion ceremony. Each quilt was sewn to represent that hospital’s local culture and geographic area. It was her signature approval on the building and her personal touch. Mrs Fickling wanted it to be more than a hospital, but a place with warmth and a home-like set-ting. She felt quilts were a symbol of a thriving atmosphere. And, today at Aurora, we feel that quilt still symbolizes the warmth and comfort of a safe environment.

A new report from the Institute of Medicine finds as many as one in five American seniors has a men-tal health or substance abuse problem. And, as the population ages over the next two decades, this number will only increase. But, as the report states, the country is focused mostly on pre-paring for the physical health needs of what has been termed the “silver tsunami.” “The burden of mental illness and substance abuse disorders in old-er adults in the United States bor-ders on a crisis,” wrote Dr. Dan Blazer of Duke University, who chaired the Institute of Medicine panel that investigated the issue. “Yet, the crisis is largely hidden from the public and many of those who develop policy and programs to care for older peo-ple.” Depression often goes unno-ticed, undiagnosed and especial-ly untreated in many geriatric care facilities as well. But, there’s no reason one’s later years in life can’t be full of joy and content-ment. If you work with the senior population and would like for Aurora to pro-vide a free, onsite depression screening for your patients or residents, please contact Kat Pol-lard, Aurora’s Community Rela-tions Coordinator for the geriatric community, at 480.253.8982.

Free Depression Screenings Available

for Geriatric Care Facilities

Aurora West Opens Inpatient Military Unit

New Pentagon data show U.S. troops are killing themselves at the rate of nearly one a day so far in 2012, 18% above 2011’s corre-sponding toll. There were 154 U.S. military suicides in the first 155 days of 2012, the Associated Press reports, compared with 130 over the same period last year. That’s 50% more troops than were killed in action in Afghanistan, and the highest suicide toll in the U.S. mili-tary since 9/11. Suicide — and the reasons for it — has been a vexing problem for the U.S. military ever since its rate began eclipsing that of the gen-eral U.S. population. Repeated tours have driven up the rate of posttraumatic stress disorder, which, in turn, generates an in-crease in suicide attempts among those suffering from PTSD that has been left untreated. Aurora’s new inpatient military program is designed to provide PTSD and other combat related disorders’ treatment for active duty military personnel. Our spe-cially trained staff utilizes a variety of treatment modalities depend-ing on each individual patient’s needs. The program is able to provide short-term acute care stabilization or longer-term residential-like treatment for 30, 60, even 90 days. For more information on our mili-tary program, please contact Debra Joseph, Psy.D., Director, Military Programs at 623.344.4470. Dr. Joseph is also able to provide onsite presentations on PTSD as well as how to better manage ac-tive duty service members in a crisis situation.

“I am alive for the first time in my life… I am working on getting well and knowing how to do it, but this could only have been accomplished with the staff’s love and care.” Aurora Patient

News You Can Use

Page 4

But It’s a Dry Heat Meagan Foxx, LPC, LISAC, Aurora East Outpatient Services Director

New Study Finds Severe Headaches Tied to Suicide Attempts

People with severe headaches, whether migraines or not, may be more likely to attempt suicide, according to a U.S. study of more than a thousand people. A number of studies over the years have found that people with migraines tend to have a higher suicide rate than those without, but it has not been clear if this is related specifically to the "biology of migraines," said Naomi Breslau of Michigan State University at East Lansing, who led the study. So why are severe headaches related to suicide risk? Depres-sion plays a role, Breslau said, but doesn't tell the whole story. Read more here.

Did you know…

Common street names for bath salts: Ivory Wave

Red Dove Vanilla Sky

Cloud 9

Common street names for spice: K2

Black Mamba Chronic Spice

Red X Dawn

“He tends to be hot-tempered.” “I think I need a cooling off period.” “Just chill out!” Temperature is often referenced in lan-guage as a way to communicate metaphorically about emotions, specifically anger. Why do we use these words and meta-phors to describe these strong emotions? The answer may lie in something referred to as the Heat Hypothesis. The Heat Hypothesis links excessive heat with aggression and violence. This hypothesis postu-lates that hot temperatures increase aggressive motivation and aggressive behavior. As far back as the 1800’s, scholars in Europe and North America noticed that the rates of violent crimes increased during the hottest times of the year. Their research also showed that violent crime statistics were higher in regions with hotter climates. In current research, studies continue to indicate a strong relationship between increases in tem-perature and increases in violence. Data consistently shows that rates of violent crimes are high-er in the South, known for its sultry summers and mild winters, than in other regions of the Unit-ed States. In addition, studies have shown that rates of aggression are higher during hotter time periods than cooler ones. Also, the hotter the overall recorded temperatures over an entire year, the higher the rates of aggression tend to be. So, why does heat cause aggressive behavior? Experts believe that there are many psychological processes involved in this phenomenon. Research supports the hypothesis that being in a state of discomfort has an effect on the manner in which people perceive experiences. Issues that may seem minor when physically comfortable become increasingly upsetting and disruptive when the person is in a state of physical discomfort, changing perception, and there-by affecting the individual’s decision-making process, and lastly their behavior. There are many factors involved in aggres-sion that may be involved in determining rates of aggressive behavior, temperature being one of them. In terms of studying and understanding social behavior, having information about the importance of physical and psychological comfort sheds light on motivations and precursors to the underlying causes of aggressive behavior.

“I wanted to thank you for everything you have done for me and for giving me the lessons to live a beautiful, successful, sober life. If it wasn’t for your staff, I wouldn’t be 10 months sober.” Aurora Patient

Getting to Know Aurora

Jeff Serrano, MC, MBA, Director, Outpatient Services

Page 6

Ellen Lewis, Director, Clinical Services

Favorite Color: Blue Favorite Sports Team: ASU Football Where did you grow up? Born and Raised in Phoenix, AZ

Coming to work for Aurora was like coming home for Jeff. He had years of experience working a variety of be-havioral health settings, but left for a period of time and completed his MBA. As Director of Patient Services, which oversees Outpatient Services, the newly launched Patient Services and Intake for both hospitals, his business acumen and behavioral health background was a win-win for Aurora and for Jeff.

Jeff’s favorite thing about working for Aurora is two-fold – the people and the innovation. He loves the com-

radery spirit among the staff and how the leadership team is always in synch, striving for new and innovative ways in which to best serve the needs of our patients and the community we serve.

Over the next six months, some of Jeff’s goals are to help make both hospitals more efficient and to look for

additional avenues in which to provide more services for our clients. His clinical approach stems from his belief that an external support system is integral to treatment and he will continue to look at ways to enhance sup-port systems for Aurora patients.

Jeff is one of those rare breeds in the Valley — a Phoenix native. He was born at St. Joe’s and attended Thunderbird High School where he was the 5A Divisional wrestling champion his junior year. He also completed the PF Chang’s Rock and Roll marathon last year. He, his wife and his 10-year-old son love to travel.

Favorite Color: Blue Favorite Sports Team: Any women’s sports team (e.g. WNBA, U.S. soccer) Where did you grow up? Tinley Park, IL (just outside Chicago)

Ellen recently joined Aurora as our Clinical Services Director for the Aurora System. She came to us with a vast array of senior leadership experience from clinical, corporate, managed care and consulting settings. She is a Psy-chiatric RN, received her Master of Science in Nursing from ASU and is li-censed in three states. She served in the Air Force during the Gulf War and has piloted small planes, tow planes and gliders.

Her clinical philosophy is based on the patient centric bio-psychosocial model in which the care continuum in-cludes integrated patient self-care, primary care, hospital and community based services. She believes care should be provided by a cross-functional multidisciplinary team that is collaborative and adaptive.

When choosing to join the Aurora team, Ellen saw an unparalled opportunity to partner with dynamic profes-

sionals with the vision to create a center of excellence in behavioral healthcare, both from a clinical perspective and from a service perspective. She says her favorite thing about working for Aurora is being able to serve pa-tients and their families and make a difference in the community. She said it also helps working with a dedicated team that also has a great sense of humor. She is passionate about providing great training and great tools and then empowering people to flourish in their position. Over the next several months, Ellen will continue to work on building cohesive teams across the system and further strengthening the clinical team’s foundation.

24/7 Patient Services Helpline

480.345.5420

Aurora Chemical Dependency Outpatient Services

What To Expect

Aurora Behavioral Health System’s Outpatient Services offers a Chemical Dependency Intensive Outpatient Program, or IOP, designed to provide a concentrated, time-limited, comprehensive therapeutic environment for the treatment of substance abuse issues. The focus of our Chemical Dependency IOP program is to provide an encouraging environment, promoting healthy choices and self-awareness that leads to positive behavior and a strong sense of recovery. Who Is Appropriate for Treatment The program is designed for individuals seeking tools and principles of recovery. It offers a much-needed intermediate level of care serving as a bridge between inpatient hospitalization and a traditional office outpatient setting. Aurora operates from the Disease Model of Addiction and research supports Group Treatment as one of the most effective treatment modalities to address Chemical Dependency. The group setting offers social support, encouragement, reinforcement of positive behavioral change and support for a new lifestyle free from addiction.

Addiction • Physical aspects – disease concept • Psychological aspects – thoughts, beliefs, perceptions • Social aspects – shame cycle of addiction

Feelings & Emotions • Identifying and expressing feelings • Anger management skill building • Stress management/reduction

Family Dynamics • Functional vs. dysfunctional models • Family roles • Effects of alcoholism/addiction on the family

Relationships • Codependency vs. counter dependency • Boundaries and communication skills • Building healthy relationships

Our IOP treatment team develops a unique treatment plan specifically tailored to each patient affording everyone the opportunity to develop coping skills necessary to maintain recovery. Since we are hospital based, patients have access to a multidisciplinary team of experts that includes psychiatrists, psychologists, registered nurses, master’s-leveled therapists and chemical dependency counselors. Patients and their families are also encouraged to consider

Spirituality • Developing spirituality/higher power • Personalizing prayer and meditation • Values and standards

Grief, Loss & Trauma Resolution • Defining grief – life loss graph • Honoring and expressing grief • Grief resolution

Relapse Prevention • Relapse as a process • Signs and stages of relapse • Post acute withdrawal

Maintaining Recovery • Whole person model of development • Personal recovery planning • Long and short term goal setting and attainment

Treatment Focus

themselves part of the “treatment team.” Each group meets three hours a day, three days a week, usually for an eight week period. However, the length of stay depends on a patient’s unique treatment plan. And, a patient can enter the program at any time.

24/7 Patient Services Helpline

480.345.5420

Chemical Dependency Intensive Outpatient Program Schedule

EAST

• Monday, Tuesday and Thursday

• 9:00a.m. – 12:00 p.m. • Snacks provided.

WEST

Morning Group • Monday, Tuesday and

Thursday • 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. • Transportation available in

certain areas. Evening Group

• Monday, Wednesday and Thursday

• 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Where healing starts and the road to recovery begins…

The program typically runs eight weeks. However, the

time frame can vary depending on the patient’s

unique treatment plan.

Each group is comprised of 15 patients max, ages 18 and up.

Please note that group schedules are subject to change and additional times may be available.

Please call to verify the days and times.

Aurora West 6015 W. Peoria Ave. Glendale, AZ 85302

Aurora East 6350 S. Maple Ave.

Tempe, AZ 85283

24/7 Patient Services Helpline 480.345.5420