UCS Developmental Service Division‘s group-home residents get the support they need in their daily activities and in reaching their life goals, whatever those may be. UCS staff are always looking for community opportunities and events that the residents enjoy doing and want to explore. People living in UCS group homes become a family–they eat together, share happy moments together, comfort each other in sad times, and support each other in achieving their goals. UCS’ Gatling House group home celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. Lisa Rudiakov, a longtime resident who also helped plan the celebration, expressed what her home means to her: “It’s been an honor to live here for these 20 years. I hope that we have 20 more years in this house. I have seen the growth in everyone, something wonderful and beautiful. Thank you, Gatling House staff, for making it such a wonderful place.”

This year, UCS received the Vermont Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Gold Level Award. Since their inception 20 years ago, the Excellence Awards have been presented each year to organizations across the state that make employee wellness a priority. “We are extremely grateful to be recognized as a 2023 Vermont Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Award winner,” said Executive Director Lorna Mattern. “The health and wellbeing of our staff and families is a high priority, and we continue to think of new ways to engage them in opportunities to make time for wellness.”

UCS has an organization-wide commitment to creating a supportive and healthy work

environment. One of our popular initiatives is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, providing staff with weekly deliveries of fresh, locally sourced produce, which encourages healthy eating while. supporting local agriculture, enhancing employee wellbeing, and making community connections. In addition to our CSA, this past year’s notable wellness initiatives included:

• On-site chair massages
• Wellness Fair with biometric screenings
• Soup Off
• Sip & Swirl
• Let’s Move Together Challenge
• Boundaries Challenge
• Streaking Challenge
• Sleep For Your Life Challenge
• Year of Wellness gift cards
• Tai Chi with Ryan Lane
• Staff Picnic Activities
• Employee Assistance Program with Invest EAP
• Meetings on the Move
• Health food options at agency events
• Veggie Van Go
• Flu Shot Clinic
• Smoking Cessation Workshops
• On-site Blood Pressure Checks

The UCS main office in Bennington offers an on-site pharmacy thanks to a partnership with Genoa Healthcare. Genoa specializes in addressing the needs of the behavioral health and substance-use disorder communities; people living with complex, chronic conditions; and lowering the barriers that prevent people from getting— and staying— on their treatment. They work closely with UCS client care teams and caregivers.

UCS’ Genoa pharmacist, Lauren Carter, was recognized this year as Top Site Manager of all Genoa

locations across the country. According to the company, “The Genoa Outstanding Achievement Awards reflect our mission to provide the best quality pharmacy care possible by recognizing and rewarding team members who go above and beyond for the. communities we serve.”

Project Alliance is a consortium of nonprofit organizations, the town of Bennington, public safety departments, community members, schools, state agencies, and groups serving at-risk populations, all working together to address the root causes of problems in our community. Representatives from each group meet monthly for a facilitated conversation led by UCS Executive Director Lorna Mattern.

UCS provides emergency mental health services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year. The goal is to provide immediate assistance to community members during what may be some of the worst moments of their lives. Our Emergency Services team helps ensure a person’s safety during the crisis and provides information and referrals for ongoing services if needed.

As part of a statewide initiative to respond to the increased need for mental health and substance use intervention across Vermont, UCS offers Enhanced Mobile Crisis Services. Like our other emergency services, the Mobile Crisis Program is available around the clock. It involves a 2-person, in-person response anywhere in Bennington County.

Our Emergency Services staff also step in to offer external support when crises arise in the community. After a recent tragedy, one community member said, “UCS has been remarkable, amazing—an ‘A Team’ of outreach and support.”

In 2023, UCS also expanded our Harm Reduction Program, teaming up with the Aids Project of Southern Vermont to provide access to sterile syringes and harm reduction supplies, NARCAN, sharps disposal, HIV and Hepatitis C testing and information, and substance use treatment referrals at no cost to community members. Further extending into the community, we now have two Crisis Specialists embedded with law enforcement, one with the Vermont State Troopers Shaftsbury Station, and one with the Bennington Police Department. The embedded Crisis Specialist responds with troopers and officers to manage and deescalate calls for service, helping create a safer community for all.

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is used alongside other therapeutic tools to help people with substance use disorder reduce or stop substance misuse. This year, UCS expanded its MAT Program to our Manchester location. “We want to meet people where they are in their recovery journey and help them get on the road to where their lived to be,” says Ryan Murphy, Director of Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Use Services. Increasing the availability of MAT services is an important step in treating substance use disorder, its symptoms, and negative effects on communities.”

MAT, in combination with other tools such as counseling, offer individuals a greater likelihood of maintaining recovery from substance use disorder.

To help meet immediate needs of adult clients, UCS’ Substance Use Program launched CHESS Health’s Connections smartphone app, which features a community moderated by certified peer engagement specialists, virtual support meetings, a one-touch button for immediate crisis assistance, daily check-ins, surveys, educational material, and more.

Connections has become a valuable resource for clients and staff alike. Team members can now easily communicate with existing clients through the app, and new clients are onboarded to it right away to remove gaps in support while they await inpatient care. 83% of clients enrolled in UCS’s Substance Use Program are actively using Connections, and they are highly engaged: according to an August 2024 report, UCS clients engaged in community conversations over 4,600 times, which included reading, viewing, and liking posts. Of these engagements, 2,300 were messages or posts initiated by UCS clients themselves.

Our 65th Anniversary culminated in a presentation by Kevin Hines, best-selling author, global speaker and award-winning documentary filmmaker. Kevin presented to a full house at a community-wide event held at Riley Center for the Arts at Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester. The next morning, Kevin joined students at Mount Anthony Union High School to share his story of hope, healing and recovery. Earlier in the month, we presented his documentary film Suicide: The Ripple Effect.

“Kevin’s story and voice are so impactful, especially at a time when our community

faces increasing rates of suicide, mental health crises, and substance use challenges,” said UCS Executive Director Lorna Mattern, “We hope that by bringing Kevin to our community to share his message, we were able to reach individuals who may be struggling with mental health issues.”

We held our annual Suicide Awareness Vigil at Lake Paran in the fall. This is a beautiful evening where families can share and light a candle in memory of a loved one lost to suicide. All of these events were designed to bring the community together, raise awareness, offer support, and foster hope.

UCS’ Children, Youth, and Family Services Division offers an after-school program called Teens4Change (T4C), designed by and for teens to build social connections and develop leadership and social-emotional skills. This peer-led group meets weekly, providing a safe environment for young people to discuss personal issues while receiving support from their peers, under the guidance of trusted adult facilitators.

In addition to weekly meetings, T4C members volunteer at community events like Bennington’s Mayfest and UCS’ Superhero 5K. Last year, the group took trips to New York City, Boston, and the Lake George indoor water park. They also participated in community service projects, including preparing Lake Shaftsbury for the summer season and helping plan and organize the annual Bennington Youth Summit.

UCS is part of the Unified Electronic Medical Records (UEMR) Team, comprised of four Designated Agencies. The group’s vision is to improve operations, integrate data with healthcare partners, use data to enhance care delivery, and build partnerships with key stakeholders. This year the group implemented the Netsmart Identity Access Manager (NIAM), which includes user authentication, access control, and monitoring. The new system will fortify defenses against data breaches and mitigate financial losses resulting from cyber threats.

The opening of HOPE House (Healthy Options for Psychiatric Emergencies) on Monument Avenue in Bennington this spring created a dedicated space for UCS’ intensive services for children and youth up to 18 years old. HOPE House is situated inside a historic building that has been home to various organizations, most recently VNA and Hospice of the Southwestern Region. Now, this location provides a place for Bennington County youth experiencing mental health challenges to find calm and healing.

Two programs are based at HOPE House—Psychiatric Urgent Care for Kids
(PUCK) for youth up to age 18 experiencing a mental health crisis, and a mental-health Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for elementary-aged children. Kids at HOPE House can access the building’s sensory room, which features a rock-climbing wall, light-up ball pit, trapeze swing, and other activities, as a way to learn self-regulation skills. Outside, staff take their young clients on walks on the trails behind HOPE House, as they experience the beauty of nature in Vermont. Staff are also planning a garden plot on the property to give young people opportunities to learn about growing their own produce and the sense of accomplishment that goes with it. One important feature of the house is a dining room where youngsters enjoy family style meals with peers.

HOPE House activities are designed to help youth build trust, encouraging positive communication and providing a safe atmosphere for recovering from trauma. The peaceful environment of HOPE House makes participants feel at home—a promising first step toward healing

This year, our Children, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) Division launched an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) specifically designed for children ages six to 13 experiencing severe mental health concerns. The new program offers an intensive treatment model in a structured group setting that provides a community-based alternative to higher levels of care. This allows kids in the program to attend their school and live at home. An included family component is key to each child’s success.

Our first participant in the program, James (name changed to protect privacy), had difficulties meeting the expectations of the therapeutic summer camp he attended. James’ behaviors—fleeing from staff and hiding in the woods—and not following basic instructions from authority figures, amounted to a plea for help. The young boy had assigned himself the role of “protector” of his younger sister during their time at camp. As a result, camp staff encountered obstacles when conversing with his little sister, since even simple conversations provoked a sense of threat in her brother.

Working with James, a pattern of intense behaviors in the school setting became apparent. He continued to perceive a need to protect his sister, who attended the same school. The school reported that James was running through the halls trying to locate his sister, would become violent towards staff members attempting to help him, and ran off school property several times, which meant the school had to call the police.

UCS’ IOP team assisted James in processing his past trauma and helped him relearn being a child, rather than a parent. His treatment was a combination of several evidence-based therapies, including equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP), and play therapy. Through the Youth IOP, staff worked with James’s team of providers and family members to create a support system to help him get back on track. One intervention that really made a difference for James was equine-assisted therapy. He thrived while processing his trauma at the barn. James would say to his group members on numerous occasions, “Guys, we are here to get help and learn, not play.” This quote stuck with staff and other participants in the IOP group.

After four months of receiving the help he needed, which included his family members, James graduated with the biggest smile on his face. As the first graduate of the program, he was justifiably excited to celebrate his success. James still talks about his graduation from IOP and carries a picture of his special day to help when he experiences emotional challenges at school. UCS was able to help James stay in school and in his own community while addressing parenting and environmental factors that affected his behavior, ensuring his success.

High-risk patients and vulnerable populations often require care and communication with multiple providers. UCS began using the Bamboo Health platform in 2023 to provide up-to-the-minute notifications when our clients access the emergency department or hospital. Using admission, discharge, and transfer data received via electronic pings, care team members now have real-time visibility into patient events. Pings connect previously unconnected members of a patient’s care team, creating a more collaborative, safety-focused approach to care.

“Previously an ER visit or hospital admission may have been unknown to a person’s clinical team,” says Rachel Olmstead, Nurse Manager. “Using this platform has improved the care team’s timeliness in connecting with clients post discharge.” The use of Bamboo Health helps the entire care team not only in follow-up actions, but in helping prevent unnecessary and costly readmissions and improving clients’ access to care.

The Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC), the state’s largest membership organization for early childhood educators, recognized UCS’ Tammy Gosley as the 2023 Vermont Early Childhood Educator of the Year.

Tammy has worked with Bennington County’s youngest charges at Head Start/Early Head Start for over 23 years, and knows that social-emotional learning is the foundation of education. “I’m shaping their ideas of what school is,” says Tammy. “I want them to have in their minds that school is a place where they are cherished, where they are learners, and where they are teachers as well.”

The Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children advances excellence and equity in early childhood education and is the state affiliate of NAEYC, the National Association for the Education of Young Children. A nonprofit organization with over 500 members, VTAEYC offers advocacy, workforce development, professional development, and other resources to its membership and others in the early childhood education field.