Homelessness is a national challenge and evident in the streets of our cities. The number of homeless across the country is staggering, however, in California, it is a crisis. The state auditor stated in April 2018 that California is doing a poor job of sheltering the nation’s largest homeless population and needs to provide statewide leadership to address it. California has approximately 134,000 homeless people, roughly 24 percent of the nation’s total homeless population. Of this homeless population, 34 percent lived in a place not meant for human habitation, such as the street, under freeways, grassy fields, parks and abandoned buildings. Our Crestwood San Diego campus had an opportunity to interface and participate in relieving homelessness for some individuals in the community. In 2017, Crestwood San Diego took its first steps toward a major expansion project to increase their bed capacity by an additional 80 beds throughout the campus. As we assumed responsibility for the entire property, we had opportunities, as well as challenges. We found a sizable homeless encampment on our property, in a large canyon adjacent to the parking lot. There were 15 to 20 individuals living in the canyon, with an enormous amount of belongings and trash. The status of the canyon posed safety risks, leaving Crestwood with no choice but to address the homeless camps that had taken over the canyon. Our approach was to address these campsites and its inhabitants with dignity and compassion. We assembled a team of caring community partners that included San Diego County Behavioral Health Services, local law enforcement, the city’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), the San Diego Public Health Department, Alpha Project, Episcopal Community Services, and local city government. Preparation for the upcoming move-out day was very thoughtful and deliberate. We worked together to provide as much notice as we could, to prepare the homeless individuals for their need to relocate. Our goal was to provide support to them every step of the way, to connect them to needed services while considering the major impact this would have on their current living situation and sense of safety. The homeless safety risk in San Diego was also increased by an outbreak of Hepatitis A, that had already killed 17 people. The canyon encampments were visited by Terry Hoskins, San Diego Police Department’s Communi- ty Outreach Officer, and Crestwood staff, who provided them with information and resources, as well as notification of their need to relocate. Months of preparation went into this project and by the time the day of the move arrived, many of the inhabitants had already found alternative housing. The few that remained were assisted by our team of compassionate workers who provided counseling and supportive services to those who were dealing with issues of substance abuse, family displacement, unemployment, financial issues and health concerns. Once the inhabitants had vacated, another large project lay ahead. There was an abundant amount of trash and belongings left in the encampment, as well as the overgrowth of trees and bushes. We contracted with an amazing local organization, Alpha Project, to spearhead this phase of the project. Alpha Project is a not-for-profit human services organization that serves more than 4,000 people each day with affordable housing and residential substance abuse treatment. They have a program called Take Back the Streets (TBS) that is a catalyst for homeless people who are able to work, providing them with immediate transitional employment and training while providing the community with vital cost-saving services. TBS arrived within an hour with a crew of 10 able-bodied adults, many of them with their own life experiences with substance abuse and homelessness. They worked tirelessly for two weeks to clean out the canyon and restore it to its natural beauty. Addressing this homeless challenge aligned beautifully with Crestwood’s mission and values. Crestwood’s values of compassion, character and family were prominently displayed throughout this project, teaching us all that such challenges are best handled with sensitivity, respectful care and teamwork. Contributed by: Patricia Blum, PhD Crestwood Executive Vice President

From the Santa Barbara Independant: Santa Barbara County Opens 34 New Beds for Severely Mentally Ill People By  Nick Welsh Mon Dec 07, 2020 | 1:58pm Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to print (Opens in new window) Finally. After many rumors, much back-room whispering by elected officials,  and even more anticipation — Lompoc’s Champion Center opened its doors for a new mental health treatment center offering 80 new beds for those suffering serious mental health issues. Of those 80 beds, 34 will be filled by clients of the County’s Department of Behavioral Wellness at a cost of $362 a night per bed. On the first day, two of those slots were filled. By the end of the week, 10 had been. On the convoluted chess board of mental-health services available in Santa Barbara County, this ranks as a major addition. Click here to read the full article

At our Crestwood San Jose Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) we are constantly striving to meet the needs of our clients and recognize the importance of an active recovery. As an acute PHF, we are a short-term, stabilization crisis center that helps our clients move forward with their recovery goals, and often that means they may be with us two or three months if they are waiting for long-term care. Our staff works on providing holistic recovery services that addresses the mind, body and spirit for every client who comes into our program, so that we can meet as many of their needs as possible. In taking this holistic approach, we have added many new features and programs such as, each client is met with a welcome basket which provides a variety of toiletries, a journal, and a water bottle to meet their basic needs, while promoting self-care. Every morning we also introduce a new DBT skill of the day, which is incorporated into each group we provide. We have added a gym to our unit to help our clients practice the skills we are teaching related to distress tolerance and physical wellbeing. We have also added a prevocational track called Achieving Success, which allows our clients to be productive and engaged in their recovery throughout the day. Feeling safe, individualized and progressive allows our clients to meet their ongoing mental health recovery needs. Every day, our team looks for ways on how we can best ensure the dignity, recovery and care of the people we serve. Contributed by: Angele Suarez, Clinical Director, Crestwood San Jose PHF and Michael Bargagliotti, Campus Administrator, Crestwood San JoseMichael Bargagliotti

At 50 years, being thankful seems natural. You have lived enough life to appreciate and comprehend the value of the gifts and friends that have supported you and you also have the experience and knowledge to know what it’s like to go without and to go it alone. Gratitude is the practice Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc. is choosing to celebrate for our 50th Anniversary. According to Yale University Center for Emotional Intelligence, “Gratitude isn’t just an emotion that occurs, but a virtue we can cultivate. Gratitude is something you practice as you might a sport, piano or meditation. Gratitude practice begins by paying attention, being mindful. Notice all the good things and relationships that you normally take for granted.” Gratitude means saying thank you, demonstrating appreciation, and sharing your gifts with others. Gratitude implies a relationship. You can be grateful to your higher power and that is relational. You can be grateful to someone who has given you a gift and that is relational. Relationships are central to gratitude. And so, for the past 50 years, relationships and partnerships have been at Crestwood’s core as a company. Our Mission Statement begins with two statements related to relationships: Our mission at Crestwood Behavioral Health is to create a partnership with clients, employees, families, business associates and the community in caring for individuals of all ages affected by mental health issues. Together, we invest our energies to enhance the quality of life, social integration, community support and empowerment of mental health clients. The relationships we have built during the past 50 years are what have enabled us to grow and support so many people in their recovery journey. These relationships are significant commitments; some are memorialized in contracts and others with a handshake and a smile. Our relationships are our investment in communities and they start with our county partners; local NAMI organizations; universities and colleges; Rotary Clubs; our employees and their families; peer-led recovery centers; statewide and national advocacy organizations; faith communities; and local businesses that all come together to support the people we serve. We are grateful for and have become a better organization because of these wonderful relationships. We want to especially thank all of our amazing and supportive county stakeholders who we have been honored to partner with during the past 50 years. These partnerships have helped us to grow, so we now serve more than 5,000 people annually, in 22 communities, with 32 programs that are all dedicated to support recovery and resilience. We are grateful to be part of a team that is truly making a difference in peoples’ lives every day. Contributed by: Patty Blum, PhD, Crestwood Executive Vice President

Peer Provider Research StudyLouise Byrne, PhD , recently visited Crestwood Behavioral Health as part of a peer provider research study she is working on in the United States. Louise who has lived experience, is from Australia and based at Yale University. She is conducting research as part of a Fulbright Scholarship, which emphasizes exchange of knowledge and learning about local culture, that includes traveling to many different states and learning about the types of services provided by different organizations. The purpose of her research study is to gain information about how to support the peer workforce more effectively within organizations, particularly those organizations with a multi-disciplinary workforce. The organizations for the study were selected by first bringing together an advisory group of experts from across the United States. This group was asked to nominate five organizations with a multi-disciplinary workforce, including peers, that “demonstrated commitment to the effective employment of peer workers.” Crestwood, as one of the leaders in peer provider services, was one of the organizations that was chosen to be part of the study. At each organization’s site visits, Louise spoke with people in management roles, traditional mental health roles/clinicians and peers. The range of organizational types was deliberately broad, including County Behavioral Health Departments, managed care, private and not-for-profit. The sites were located throughout the United States and served different types of communities from metropolitan to rural. During her visit to Crestwood, Louise visited the Crestwood Sacramento Home Office and was invited to tour our Crestwood Recovery and Rehabilitation Center in Vallejo. She said, “I was provided with a warm and colorful welcome from the Administrator, Minda Bunggay, whose enthusiasm was absolutely infectious! I found that Minda’s sincere commitment to the wellbeing of people staying at Vallejo was evident and reflected in the passion of staff. I was fortunate enough to be guided in my tour by a resident and member of the Dreamcatchers Empowerment Network program, who shared his excitement for what he saw as a wonderful service and, with Dreamcatchers, a wonderful opportunity to gain skills and confidence. Throughout the campus the principles and components of recovery are featured on the walls of the hallways, as are the rights of people accessing mental health services. Beautiful gardens provide a sanctuary that truly felt healing, and the relaxation rooms were fantastic. I could have spent much longer there. While I was there I was told about the impressive schedule of events and got to participate in a drum workshop. As a person with lived experience, Crestwood Vallejo felt like a genuinely warm and nurturing environment.” Louise’s observations about the research study so far are that fairly similar conditions exist in the United States and Australia, where peer work is still struggling to be seen as a necessary part of the wider mental health workforce. She observed, “We still have a long way to go to gain mainstream acceptance, but there were some encouraging pockets where organizations have made a very strong philosophical and financial commitment to the development of peer work and the outcomes for organizations, service users and colleagues in traditional roles were outstanding and very exciting.” Employment of peers has a long history at Crestwood, but expansion from one or two roles to a more robust workforce has become very prominent in the company. This is really encouraging as the data also shows that a few peers in isolation are much less likely to be successful in their roles, whereas a more significant investment provides opportunity for networking/mutual support between peers, for the roles not to be too stretched and for the value of the role to become more apparent within both the workplace and wider community,” observed Louise. For more information on Louise Byrne’s research study, please visit Research Gate at  www.researchgate.net/profile/Louise_Byrne2 . Contributed by: Louise Byrne, PhD, RMIT University, Fulbright fellow/Vice-Chancellors Research Fellow

Collectively we can start to feel the shift. A few days before our August WRAP Seminar II in Eureka, I was working on finalizing some last-minute arrangements with the Jefferson Center, who hosted us. I experienced some nervous-stream-of-consciousness-type thoughts about the upcoming week such as, “It’s my first time mentoring as an Advanced Level WRAP Facilitator (ALWF) and BJ North and Jane Winterling from the Copeland Center will be watching me.” Of course, everything worked out well and the Jefferson Center was wonderful and the staff gracious and accommodating. Day One of the Seminar, Jane Winterling said something amazing in response to a question posed to each participant about their hope for the training, she said, “You know when a WRAP Seminar is successful because the participants come together and make the magic of WRAP happen.” What I’ve found with WRAP seminars is that it’s very difficult to hide from the demand that wellness makes. Being immersed in a setting where we’re all talking about how we will support ourselves each day really doesn’t allow us to ignore internal questions and long held beliefs about wellness. For me, these questions are, “How do I not judge myself for prioritizing my wellness? What do I do to keep myself well? Where in my life am I denying my wellness?” Answers to these questions involve holding up my “WRAP mirror” and realizing that wellness isn’t something I’ll kick back and do when I get the time, but something that I must continually take personal responsibility for. During that seminar, I watched some of my peers experiencing similar reflections about the foundations of their wellness, and I really saw some magic happen. Individuals opened up to their own vulnerabilities. Participants who had personal-life challenges arise, took hold of those challenges and prioritized their wellness in the midst of the difficulty, affording themselves a view of the problem from the perspective of their unique action plans. It was amazing and humbling to observe. Our Crestwood Eureka staff returned with an enthusiasm and commitment to working toward a campus culture of wellness. I hear the language of hope and recovery becoming more common on the campus every day. Wellness connections are becoming part of shift change. We had our first Organizational Wellness Landscape (OWL) gathering for wellness support for staff this past September. We also have two facilitators in the community coming to be a part of our WRAP meetings and groups. At Crestwood, our personal practice of wellness directly serves as the model of wellness and recovery to those we serve. We have been presented with the OWL Project as a challenge for us to take responsibility for wellness at the campus level, with a built-in platform of support. Part of this support is the ALWF training offered to each campus. As an ALWF, both the commitment to personal and campus wellness and the OWL Project grows. And as a result, change for the better does happen, with ourselves, our staff, those we serve, and our communities. It’s inspiring to watch, and it is an honor to be a part of the Crestwood family, as we hold hope and model recovery to those we serve every day. Contributed by: Theresa Sorensen, Director of Staff Development, ALWF Eureka Campus

“I am home” are rarely the words spoken by a client entering a behavioral health program, however, at Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc., we hear this often. The environments we create are as important as the therapeutic tools we employ throughout the course of treatment, whether it’s several hours in our Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) or days in one of our Psychiatric Health Facilities (PHFs) or years in one of our Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). Our mission at Crestwood is to provide the highest quality of recovery-based care and delivery of services to the people we serve, stakeholders, and the community. The strategy includes using the environment as a therapeutic tool and it is designed to maximize options and choices, as well as clients’ freedom of movement. The environment is intentionally designed to reduce the amount of client rooms and clinical space to allow for space design to be based on evidence-based practices, promising practices, best practices and Crestwood’s client-centered model. SAMHSA and CARF have recognized our utilization of space and environmental features at our campuses as a trauma-informed treatment approach. Space utilization, as well as Crestwood philosophies and trainings, encourages reduction of barriers for interaction between the clients and staff. Crestwood’s intention in creating our homelike environments is to allow for the greatest choice and ease of living, while providing a secured, safe and sustainable environment, which is not an easy task. Janet Vlavianos, our Director of Development and Corporate Initiatives, has been the creator of most of our Crestwood environments. Her sense of design and color is outstanding, but her greatest asset is looking at a space from the perspective of the person who will be receiving treatment. The space is allocated not just on the number of beds or clients served, but rather on how much movement will be needed in the interior and exterior space, particularly if it is secured. We believe people need to be able move around and to have windows that look out onto gardens, trees and ponds. We also believe there needs to be a quiet space and a social space for activities such as gaming, so our serenity rooms, which are quiet and contemplative in design, are not next to living rooms or gaming rooms, which are designed for louder, group activities. Our gaming rooms, which are a new addition to our Crestwood environments, are equipped with bean bag chairs, gaming screens and a variety of games. These environments allow clients a choice on what space that would like to be in that fits their needs and contributes to their wellness and recovery. We have also replaced nursing stations in many of our Crestwood’s programs with a casual gathering space that features overstuffed loveseats and a fish tank relaxation media screen. You often find people gathering there regularly to talk or to simply watch the fish or nature scene on the screen. Nursing stations historically have been the site of power struggles and arguments, but now this location has been transformed into an empowering, social, and welcoming place for our clients. Wellness is another focus of our Crestwood programs and today many of our campuses are now equipped with gyms and workout areas that provide an outlet for exercise, which is much needed when you are working on your wellness in a secured setting. The gyms are shared by staff and clients alike, which serves to minimize stigma and maximize empowerment. And if working out is not in our clients’ recovery toolbox, then we have created small, cozy libraries in each setting, which allows access to a variety of reading material, wellness tools and a quiet space to read and contemplate. One environment feature in our campuses, the use of tiles, has had some recent acclaim and was even referenced in a San Francisco Chronicle article (March 4, 2018) on the opening of our San Francisco Healing Center. Janet has placed tiles, in a variety of shapes, colors and textures, strategically on walls in common areas and some bedrooms. Her work in trauma-informed approaches has allowed Crestwood to be on the leading edge in using tiles as a trauma-informed tool, which provides clients support with grounding and release of energy. Crestwood is beginning to build a body of evidence supporting the use of tiles. The tiles support grounding when a client places their hand and touches a tile, which allows them to focus on the tile’s texture, temperature, size and smell. This focus brings attention inward and allows for mindful practices and settling their thoughts. The tiles are also used to release energy for clients when they place their hands on the tiles and push with as much pressure as possible, then gradually release the pressure and repeating until the ability to be at ease is achieved, this then allows the brain to reset the body and bring it into homeostasis. The exteriors of our campuses are also designed for choice and respect, as well as fun. Our grounds have organic gardens, fruit trees, volleyball courts, chicken coops, swings, basketball courts, gazebos, waterfalls, bird feeders, ponds and water features. It’s not uncommon to see staff, clients and their families sitting in the sun and picnicking on our grounds. Healing and recovery requires a great deal of work and love. There is science behind each tool that Crestwood applies, whether it’s Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) or our Trauma-Informed environments.  From originally using research from trauma experts including Raul Almazar, Elaine Miller-Karas and Peter A. Levine, Crestwood is now building our own body of research to support the growth of our homelike environments as healing tools. Home is where the heart heals and for many at Crestwood, it is healing their hearts through our homes. Contributed by: Patty Blum, PhD, Crestwood Executive Vice President

On a sunny day last March, staff members at Idylwood Care Center discovered that the resident feral cat had given birth to three tiny, adorable kittens. Two of those kittens were black and white, and one was grey and white with piercing blue eyes. The grey and white kitten was quickly named Henry and he soon became the campus’ very own resident kitten. The staff soon discovered that, while this chosen kitten was small in stature, he was big in heart and personality. Immediately after taking Henry in, their Business Office Manager, Deana Guzman, aka Idylwood Care Center’s Cat Mom, took him to a nearby veterinarian. The Cameron Veterinarian office went above and beyond their call of duty and provided Henry with a free examination, free formula, a free can of food, a flea comb, and a wealth of advice on how to best care for Henry. After Henry was bathed and the fleas were removed from his plump belly that was now full of food and treats, he looked like a new kitten. Staff members volunteered to take him home for the night, and lines to visit with Henry during breaks formed in the Business Office. Staff members rallied together to provide Henry with the necessities that included blankets, a comfortable carrier, kitty condo, litter box, and toys. To say that Henry is well-loved is an understatement. Our gracious and compassionate Administrator, Rashmi Rajadhyax, allowed us to bring Henry to visit our residents after he was vaccinated and acclimated to human interaction. Our residents love dogs and cats. They receive a monthly visit from a volunteer group, Furry Friends, and look forward to visiting with the dogs and benefit from the calming, loving interaction that these animals provide. Since we strive to give our residents the best quality of life possible, we truly believe having Henry is also emotionally and mentally beneficial to our residents. Staff members have benefited from Henry’s presence, too! Henry is truly part of our campus family. As for the other two kittens, they were adopted by staff members. We were also able to bring the other feral cats to a veterinarian office to have them spayed or neutered and released. Our Idylwood Care Center staff’s amazing compassion can be seen and felt every day for humans and animals alike. Keri Arnold, Social Worker Idylwood Care Center

In Pleasant Hill, we have the great fortune of having a campus, Crestwood Healing Center, with two residential programs for our residents.   Crestwood Healing Center serves adults of all ages, needs and interests; employs staff in different departments who work various days and shifts; and has the normal difficulties of getting everyone on the same page.  In late 2017, in an attempt to bring our campus closer together, we set out on a process to create a community agreement that would set guidelines for how everyone on our campus is expected to treat one another. Like with most activities on our campus, this process was inclusive and open to any interested residents and employees.  As we began gathering ideas around our community, it became clear that the focus of our agreement would be centered on respect and inclusiveness.  As the process continued, it added elements of holding patience and an understanding for one another, as all of us are going through our own experiences.  The developing community agreement included input from individuals, groups and members from our monthly Community Meeting.  The team leading this process sought out as many voices as possible, and a few months later, the campus agreed on a final version. Our Community Agreement hangs on our walls throughout the campus and is read before the start of each monthly Community Meeting.  It is introduced to new residents and new employees and is the basis for how we all, staff and residents alike, conduct ourselves.  It informs decisions throughout the campus and works together with our campus’ mission statement.  It is not always a perfect solution to ensure respect is given because as human beings we all have tough moments and make mistakes, but it is a reminder for all of us of what it means to live and work together.   Our Community Agreement is about building more community on our campus and has hopefully made us a little more connected and brought us strength in our togetherness.  Our campus culture is increasingly one of respect and embracing differences and by making the agreement a living part of the campus ensures that we will keep moving forward in that direction.  While it took time to get to our final version of our Community Agreement, the process itself was meaningful, and certainly replicable across the rest of our Crestwood campuses.  We're happy to help anyone who is interested in getting started! Contributed by: Travis Curran, Campus Administrator, Crestwood Healing Center, Pleasant Hill

Over the years, Crestwood has developed a set of practices, protocols, and tools that we employ across our organization and they have become part of our service model, programs, and reputation. This service model is what you see when you come into any of our Crestwood programs and it includes Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP), Trauma-Informed Approaches; homelike environments; employee and person-served wellness; peers in the workforce; Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT); employing people at all levels of care with disabilities through Dreamcatchers Empowerment Network; and mind, body, spirit wellness. This service model has become our Crestwood Praxis, which is a process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, practiced, embodied, or realized. Crestwood has seen the results of this Praxis in successful discharges, shorter lengths of stay, working with individuals who challenge the system at all levels, and building relationships with communities. So, for our next step, we wanted to start looking at how to measure and study the impact of the Praxis and the individuals we serve in a more scientific and quantifiable manner. After searching for the right University-sponsored research, we found Rutgers University, who had two researchers that could evaluate our Praxis as a whole, as well as individual elements across the levels of care we provide that includes our skilled nursing facility programs, acute crisis programs, long-term residential programs and community-based, peer-operated programs.  This past January, after several months of working with our team to determine how we might best collaborate in the researching and publishing of the efficacy of our initiatives, two leading researchers from Rutgers University, Nora Barrett, MSW, LCSW, CPRP and Associate Professor and Vice Chairperson of the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation & Counseling and Aaron Levitt, PhD, Director of the Integrated Employment Institute, visited eight Crestwood campuses and the Sacramento Home Office on a 5-day visit.  During the visit, the researchers analyzed each of our Crestwood initiatives such as WRAP; Dreamcatchers’ Peer Employment Program; Compassionate Care; Trauma-Informed Approaches; Wellness with our heart-healthy diets and Zumba; Peer Providers; and our therapeutic, homelike environments. Nora and Aaron also met with Elaine Miller-Karas from the Trauma Resource Institute; Raul Almazar on Trauma-Informed Approaches; Matthew Federici from the Copeland Center on WRAP and Organizational Wellness Landscape; and Lori Ashcraft from Resilience Inc. on peers, so that they could talk to the source of each training that we use for our programs and staff, as well as to gain a better understanding of each of the elements of that practice.   The visit was a great success, with the Rutgers researchers initiating a formal review to create a scientific platform for the analysis of our Crestwood initiatives and practices, which ultimately will then lead to publication of our Praxis.  We look forward to working with Nora, Aaron and Rutgers University during the next several years to study the specific elements of our service model Praxis and its impact in general on the people we serve, our employees, and communities. Contributed by Patty Blum PhD, CPRP, Crestwood Executive Vice President

What do you think when you hear “music therapy?” Many times, the first idea that comes to mind is using music to help people relax, but what if I told you that it is that and so much more? Music therapy is a profession that formally began after World War I and World War II with community musicians (both amateur and professional) going to veterans’ hospitals around the country to play for veterans suffering both physical and emotional trauma from the wars. Since then, the profession has grown into a clinical and evidence-based service that uses music, music therapy techniques, and the therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. Music Therapists work in different settings and with different populations, such as hospice care, general hospitals, correctional facilities, mental health services, and special education. On July 31, 2019 Governor Gavin Newson approved AB1540.  This bill provides a statutory definition of music therapy and prevents individuals from using the title “Board- Certified Music Therapist” if the individual has not completed specified education and clinical training requirements. This bill also enables consumers and state and local agencies to more easily identify qualified Board-Certified Music Therapists.   The music therapy program at Crestwood Manor in Stockton was started in July 2018. Since then, some of the great work being done at Crestwood Manor through music therapy includes music therapy groups for residents, one to one music therapy services, and music therapy for staff to reduce burnout and increase staff camaraderie as part of our Organizational Wellness Landscape (O.W.L.) project. A few examples of music therapy interventions include singing, music improvisation, music performance, receptive music listening, songwriting, lyric/song discussion, music-assisted relaxation, music and imagery, and movement to music. What can one expect from a Music Therapist that works in a behavioral health setting? A few examples include exploration of personal feelings and therapeutic issues such as self-esteem or personal insight; positive changes in mood and emotional states; a sense of control over life through successful experiences; enhanced awareness of self and environment; opportunities to express oneself both verbally and non-verbally; and development of coping and relaxation skills.  Music therapy is a powerful recovery tool that we can use in all of our Crestwood programs to help provide soothing healing and wellness to our clients and staff.  - Contributed by: Jesus Garcia, MT-BC (Board-Certified Music Therapist), Crestwood Manor, Stockton.

When I was a child, I got to know the local utility company very well in our little hometown.  Because my stepfather spent more time in the local tavern than managing the family budget, getting our electricity turned off was a common occurrence. Whenever this happened, my mom would somehow scrape and borrow enough money to pay the past due bill. She and I would then make the two-mile trek to the utility office to get our power restored. Inside the small lobby of the utility office were two glass windows-one had a sign saying “Payments” and the other one was labeled “Delinquent Payments.”  Our window never had a line in front of it, so I figured it was mostly reserved for us. The woman who sat behind this window looked like she hated her job or perhaps she just didn’t like interruptions. Whenever we came to her window, she never had to ask for our last name or address; instead, she would just pull out her clipboard, glance at it, and tell us what we owed.  After my mom paid her, the woman would usually lecture us on how future late charges and turn-on fees could be avoided if payments were made on time. Mom would then apologetically thank the woman who often responded with a sigh and replied with something like, “Let’s hope this gets you back on track this time.” I never remember her saying “You’re welcome” or “Thank you for bringing this up to date; we appreciate your business, etc.” This experience reminds me of how our recovery campuses are like power stations, and we are the utility workers. The people we serve are our customers who are doing the hard work of recovery. Their work requires lots of energy because they often reside at the intersection of shame, guilt, grief, and sadness. They come to us to get their power restored. And our primary business purpose is to empower them. Unlike the “delinquent payment” lady who sat behind the glass window clutching her clipboard and authorizing who got power, we do our best empowering work when we operate from a utility of humility. When we can step back from needing to be the expert or person in charge and when we can be a little vulnerable (human) ourselves, then we can empower the people we serve to remember who they are; discover their answers; and contribute their gifts. So, in order to gauge the recovery level in our empowering grid, here are a few questions to consider.  Are we finding ways to mitigate the power imbalances between us and the people we serve? Are we doing more mentoring than monitoring? Are we inspiring people to recover and honoring them as the experts in their lives? Are we validating their strengths and asking them open-ended questions? Are we offering them choices and engaging with them in relationship and community? Are we seeing a power surge of recovery and resilience outcomes from a utility of humility? If we can answer a resounding “YES” to all of these questions, then we’re doing what we get paid for… giving the power switch to our guests - the people we serve.  Contributed by: Chris W. Martin, Crestwood Director of Learning and Performance