Volley for SERV  - June 16, 2008

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SERV Recognized For Leading Role in Mental Health Treatment

For the second straight year, SERV Behavioral Health System has been honored for its commitment to providing innovative, effective treatment to those under our care. The New Jersey Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association presented SERV with a 2007 Wellness and Recovery Transformation Award for the agency’s “willingness to challenge the status quo and embrace profound change.” 

 “This is a very high honor for us, and we are all very excited about it,” said Gary Van Nostrand, SERV’s CEO and President. “What makes it so rewarding is that it is recognition for achieving a goal. We knew when we set out to do this that it would be a monumental task.” 

The Wellness and Recovery philosophy empowers mental health consumers by giving them strong input into planning and carrying out their treatment. SERV began discussing the transformation approximately three years ago. UMDNJ’s Integrated Employment Institute was enlisted to help, and the effort was underway for SERV to become partners with its residents. 

 “We continue to refine our approach,” Van Nostrand said. “We have been very encouraged by the response of our residents. We are seeing that they are very willing to take ownership of their treatment plans and insist on changes they view as beneficial to their improvement.” 

May 17, 2008 - SERV’s 6th Annual Recovery NJ Conference

This daylong event at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick pays tribute to the progress of our consumers and reaffirms our mission of providing the highest, most effective standard of care. Wambui Bahati, a former Broadway performer, will return again this year to deliver the keynote address. Her story of finding help and learning to cope with bipolar disorder is an inspiration to our consumers. Anyone who wishes to attend must register in advance. For more information on the conference call Diane Di Pietro, SERV Centers Passaic County, at 973-594-0125, ext. 11.

Education and employment remain vital component of residents’ recovery 

Diane, with a Masters degree in special education, had been successfully employed in her field for more than two decades before her mental illness led to several hospitalizations and eventually the loss of her job. 

She came to SERV seven years ago, and in the time since has made exceptional progress. Diane is now employed at a North Jersey library and teaches English as a Second Language through the Head Start program. She volunteers in the community, has a leadership position in her church and gives public talks on behalf of mental illness advocacy groups. “I want to thank SERV for providing the support they have given me throughout my comeback,” she said. She sustains this success by embracing the concepts of Wellness and Recovery, a philosophy that empowers mental health consumers by giving them a vital role in the development and implementation of their treatment plan. The foundations of this approach – hope, support, education, personal responsibility and self advocacy – have been incorporated into every aspect of SERV’s mission. It began in full force nearly two years ago when SERV partnered with UMDNJ’s Integrated Employment Institute to best decide how to help our consumers reach their goals of returning to work and school, volunteer their time and regain their roles in their communities. The result was a comprehensive undertaking that trained more than 300 staff members and consumers on how to effectively embrace the approach. The massive undertaking has already shown widespread results. Many SERV residents are employed, and several have enrolled in higher education courses. Those under our care have also noticed the difference. Just ask D, a resident of a North Jersey SERV program. As he proudly held the certificate he received during a Wellness and Recovery awards dinner last summer, he thanked his peers and counselors for offering hope at a time when he thought his life was near its end. “This is truly recovery at work,” said Della Patton, a SERV residential program manager. “At a glance, we can see in our residents persistence, determination, sobriety, hope, dreams, aspiration, opportunity and self control.”