Regional News

 

Eastern Region

Sandco Industries Program Benefits
LSS Fremont Office

The LSS Fremont office has been getting some extra help this summer from a worker from Sandco Industries. Sandco is the sheltered workshop run by the Sandusky County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Sandco has a summer program that gives some of its workers an opportunity to go out and experience working in the community rather than just at the workshop site. Once a week, a Sandco worker and a job coach come to remove litter and weeds from the outside property at the LSS Fremont office. There is no cost to LSS for the work.

The program is designed to help participants learn occupational skills and good work habits to prepare them for future jobs in the workforce.

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Western Region

Western Region Shares Success Stories

Nancy Berkheiser, Director Western Region shares the following success stories:

A gentleman, age 55, has moderate mental retardation and a diagnosis of schizophrenia. He came to us because his emotions were on the surface, he cried easily, and he quickly became angry and would overreact to situations. He lives in a group home and his behaviors were becoming very disruptive for the other residents. The gentleman’s mother had passed away unexpectedly. He did not know how to deal with the sadness and many other emotions that he was feeling. After meeting several times with the therapist here in our Western Region Office, not only did he learn healthy ways to work through his grief, but his caregivers also learned effective ways to work with him during this difficult and sensitive time in his life.

A young teenage female came to us because her boyfriend “broke-up” with her for another girl and she was having difficulty handling the situation. She became very withdrawn and depressed to the point of having suicidal thoughts. She excluded herself from all of her friends. Her grades began dropping. She did not want to go to school and began complaining of stomach problems and headaches. Her mother called us and arrangements were made for her to be seen that very day. She admitted that her boyfriend was her “first love”, and she believed that he was the person whom she would one day marry. Cognitive therapy was used to help her learn how to stop her negative thinking and then to challenge and/or reframe the thoughts that fueled her depression and despair. As she worked through her counseling assignments and intentionally began reconnecting with her friends, her self-esteem increased, her grades improved and her joy returned. She is now involved in sports and is able to be around her “ex-boyfriend” without feeling uncomfortable or sad. She sees this as a real strength on her part.

 

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Southern Region

A big Thank You to “Deals Nothing Over A Dollar”

A big thank you to “Deals Nothing Over A Dollar” for giving several donations to Lutheran Social Services’ Crisis Stabilization Unit in Lima. They have donated personal care and hygiene products to our unit to be given to the clients that are admitted to the Crisis Stabilization Unit. The clients are very appreciative to have their own personal care products. We are very fortunate to have businesses such as “Deals” in our community that wish to support the mission of our agency.

Intensive Outpatient Program Restoring Hope

The Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Allen County has been delivering outstanding services for individuals struggling with life crippling addictions. This is a higher level of care for those clients who struggle with recovery from addictions. The program includes 8 hours of treatment per week for six weeks. After six weeks they start “stepping down” services to fewer hours per week until they finish treatment with the Relapse Prevention Group. The entire program from beginning to end lasts six to nine months depending on how well the client progresses. Since September, over 24 clients have been served in IOP and over 200 clients in our various groups at the Lima site alone.

The curricula used by highly qualified caring clinical specialists are evidenced-based including the Prevention Research Institute intervention information for the basic educational component, Stages of Change One and Two, Thinking for a Change, Moral Recognition Therapy (MRT) for Men, MRT for Women, Dual Stages, and MRT Relapse Prevention. These services are also available to the residents from Hardin and Auglaize Counties at the Lima service site.

Although not all groups are available in Hardin and Auglaize, we do provide Stages One and Two. We served 41 in Hardin groups since September and 71 in Auglaize County. Those who completed Stages II during the third quarter showed 86% abstinence of over 30 days and 63% for over 90 days. Hope is restored for those who receive these services and the LSS staff are confident that it makes a difference in the lives of those who seek this essential service.

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