Vol. 10 • Issue 2 • July 2013

SUMMER

Oakland Integrated Healthcare Network (OIHN) is a community health center whose mission is to meet the medical, behavioral and dental needs of Oakland County residents by providing affordable, coordinated health care. OIHN offers primary medical, dental and behavioral health care at five locations across Oakland County, including the Plum Hollow Center at Easter Seals’ Adult Services center in Southfield, which is staffed by Dr. Leticia Dantes.

Dr. Dantes, a Board Certified Family Medicine physician, has been providing primary medical care at Easter Seals in Southfield since joining Oakland Integrated Healthcare Network in March. She brings with her a strong background in providing care in a variety

of situations, practicing in both the Philippines and the United States, most

recently in Saginaw, Michigan for 30 years followed by 15 years with the

Visiting Physicians Association in Macomb County.

Dr. Dantes likes the small office atmosphere at Plum Hollow, saying that with the help of her excellent staff she finds

her practice there very gratifying, and the patients very appreciative. Dr. Dantes also enjoys working with the Easter Seals staff, who she says are very welcoming

and supportive. “I really like the Coordination of Care model that reinforces the team relationship in caring for patients with Easter Seals staff.”

OIHN accepts all Medicaid plans and most commercial insurance, and offers discounted care to the uninsured.

OIHN’s Plum Hollow center is currently open Monday and Tuesdays 1pm – 5pm and 9am- 5pm on Thursdays. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dantes, or to inquire about our other services, including dentistry and podiatry, please call our call center at 248-724-7600. We look forward to providing quality, affordable and integrated healthcare to you and your family!

Hello from Oakland IntegratedHealthcare Network!

The number of services provided by Easter Seals Mich-igan’s Peer Support Specialists has more than doubled over the past six months compared to the same period of time in our last fiscal year. Clearly, more and more consumers are realizing the benefits of working with a peer to achieve their goals and enhance their recovery.

From October 2011 through March 2012, there were 280 consumers who received about 840 hours of peer services. From October 2012 through March 2013, those numbers jumped to 365 consumers who received more than 1,700 hours of peer services.

Adults Services currently employs nine Peer Support Specialists, including three at Collaborative Solutions in Waterford and six at Adult Services in Southfield. Peers are recruited from consumers who have progressed intheir own recovery and are willing to share their exper-iences to assist others in achieving their recovery goals.

Drawing upon their personal experiences, peers inspire our clients to make healthier choices, participate more fully in their communities and achieve their full potential. Since they are or have been recipients of behavioral health services, peers have first-hand experience with the recovery process and can offer their unique personal perspective to assist others in their journey to wellness. In addition to that life experience, Peer Support Specialists must complete specialized training that is provided by the state of Michigan.

Within Adult Services, peers play a vital and varied role. As integral members of multi-disciplinary treatment teams – including intake, case management, Assertive Community Treatment, Supported Employment and evidence-based therapies – peers provide the following types of services:

• Peer counseling: Instilling hope by sharing their stories and providing real-life feedback on symptom management

Continued in page 4

More Consumers Are Choosing Peer Services

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Oct – March2012

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280

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Oct – March2012

# of consumers served

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280

Oct – March2013

Peer Support Services

From right to left: Cheryl Miller, Bernadette Thomasand McArthur Brassfield

From right to left: Teresa Nelson, Jacqueline Bogg, Eunice Munetsi,Aviraj Banerjee, Greg Streicher, John Lynn and Ingrid Frisk

Clearly, more and more consumersare realizing the benefits of working

with a peer to achieve their goals and enhance their recovery.

By Bernadette Thomas, CPSS

Easter Seals has joined the legion of human-service agencies across the country in implementing a relatively new group called Whole Health Action Management – or WHAM.

It is no secret, especially among people with a mental illness diagnosis and those familiar with mental illness

in a professional capacity – that people with mental illness diagnoses die, on average, 25 years sooner than the general population that does not have a mental illness diagnosis. The causes for this alarming – and factually documented – increase in mortality are often reversible. Unchecked physical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke, tobacco use, cancer, breathing issues, poor diet and obesity, and stress-induced cellular damage to the body are to blame.

WHAM was developed by SAMHSA, the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in conjunction with leading hospitals and health agencies from across the nation. Easter Seals launched its WHAM support groups in mid-February.

The support groups are led by WHAM-trained Certified Peer Support Specialists who work for Easter Seals.

Case-management consumers of Easter Seals are invited to participate in the groups, which meet for 90 minutes weekly for eight consecutive weeks at the Easter Seals Southfield campus. All a consumer needs is one health-related goal and the desire to work on achieving it. WHAM groups consist of 8-10 members each. The tone is supportive, not punitive. The focus is on using a person’s strengths to achieve their goal for that eight-week WHAM course. If a consumer has more than one health-related goal, they may sign up for another eight-week series of WHAM sessions.

Keys to participating are found in a WHAM workbook and a WHAM goal-setting booklet that are supplied to WHAM participants, courtesy of Easter Seals. Regardless of their individual health goal, in WHAM, all class members learn the importance of gauging blood pressure and blood sugar levels. They learn

about healthy body weights and healthy eating. They learn about stress reduction through a Relaxation Response that relies on meditation techniques to

achieve a calm, centered mindset. They learn about the crucial contribution made by positive thinking. They also learn about important supports in one’s life, such as personal relationships, spirituality, and service to others.

WHAM members find strength in sharing of themselves about their mental illness diagnosis and their physical conditions. The results are an empowerment that cannot be achieved individually.

Any Easter Seals consumer who is interested in joining a WHAM support group should discuss the matter with his or her case manager.

WHAM comes to Easter Seals

WHAM members find strength in sharing of themselves about their mental illness diagnosis and their physical conditions.

Dr. Dantes is a highly-qualified practitioner specializing in Family Medicine. She graduated from the University of the East, Quezon City, Philippines, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Pre-Medicine. Dr. Dantes went on to receive her Doctor of Medicine from the University of the East

Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Quezon City, Philippines.

She started her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center. When she moved to the United States, she completed a rotating internship at Deaconess Hospital in Detroit. She was Board Certified in Family

Practice in 1978 and was recertified three additional times.

She has been with Oakland Integrated Healthcare Network since March 4, 2013. Dr. Dantes has more than 30 years of medical experience, including her own private practice in Saginaw, MI. Prior to her arrival at OIHN, she practiced with Visiting Physicians Association for 5 years.

“Spending time with my patients is a priority in order to provide them with proper care,” said Dr. Dantes. She enjoys working for Oakland Integrated Healthcare Network and is gratified by the experience of helping others that would otherwise be without caring doctors and medical treatment.

Leticia Dantes, M.D.

• Skill building: Facilitating Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) workshops and/or other support and skills groups

• Treatment planning: Helping consumers identify their personal goals and develop a person-centered plan as either the PCP facilitator or as an invited support

• Engagement in services: Orientation to services for new consumers at intake, visiting new consumers who are hospitalized or reaching out to consumers who have not been active in their treatment process

• Case management: Assisting with case management needs, such as applying for entitlements or free medications

• Employment: Assisting with finding and/or maintaining employment

• Recovery resources: Coordinating the Recovery Resource Center and/or linking to recreational activities, support groups and other needed resources within the community.

For more information about peer services, talk to your assigned case manager or clinician at Adult Services.

More Consumers Are Choosing Peer Services continued

From right to left: Mike Murphy, Barbara Hoffman and Ken Searcy

Peers are recruited from consumers who have progressed in their own recovery and are willing to share their exper-iences to assist othersin achieving their recovery goals.

Dr. Dantes has more than 30 years of medical experience, including

her own private practice in Saginaw.