Future Focus

Staying Resilient During Times of Change

This January marked a significant change in our national political landscape, where the future of healthcare laws and services are now being debated.

With all the uncertainty, we think it is helpful to stay focused on the things that endure: hope, courage, resiliency, and the power of partnership.

For those of us at Telecare, this means taking inspiration from people like former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, whose personal courage and dedication are a tremendous catalyst for change. From legislation and regulation, to advocacy and organizing, the Kennedy Forum is working to end needless suffering from mental health and addictions, and to "stop the denial."

We are also staying focused in this changing environment by thinking long-term about the areas of need where we know effective treatments exist, despite a lack of access. This has motivated our creation of a bold new mission statement that will dramatically expand our capacity to effectively serve a broader range of people and a greater complexity of behavioral health needs.

We invite you to share your feedback and look forward to our ongoing collaborations.

Until next month, we wish you all the best,
Faith Richie, SVP of Development, Telecare

Patrick Kennedy: New Frontier of Mental Health and Addiction

On January 24, Telecare was thrilled and honored to attend Patrick J. Kennedy’s special presentation, The New Frontier of Mental Health and Addiction.

Telecare’s President and CEO, Anne Bakar, and SVP of Development, Faith Richie, were honored to be invited to this galvanizing event.

Held in Washington, D.C. at The Kennedy Forum, the event focused on creating and unifying a bold Frontier Plan to advance parity enforcement, early intervention and prevention, and an integrated system of care — and give congressional members a guide on what they can do, regardless of their party, to address mental health and addiction issues, which are having a profound impact on our nation and millions of individuals every single day.

“Patrick Kennedy is an inspiration and a visionary on so many levels,” said Anne Bakar. He is personally inspiring because of the powerful way he talks of his own recovery and the challenges he overcame to reclaim his life and his family. However, like the Kennedys before him, he is a powerful political agent of change. He had powerful allies at the Forum from both sides of the aisle, including Senator John McCain and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. He also had a comprehensive guide for the 115th Congress regarding how we, as a nation, can provide the tools, treatment and support to transform the system and transform lives.”

Faith Richie said, "He’s an amazing reminder to all of us that in times of uncertainty, we have to double down and recommit to our purpose. He shows us that it all starts with the individual and their personal story of recovery. From there, everything is possible. Our job is to respect the individual and do whatever we can to support that journey."

New Telecare Mission Statement

The past year, we made the important decision to review and refine our organizational mission, to reflect our future direction — and how we are meeting the changing needs of the clients, customers, and communities we serve.

We are happy to share our new mission statement with you today. And, over the next several months, we will offer more detail about the changes it contains.

Until then, here are some highlights of what's new and improved.

Behavioral Health: We’re broadening our orientation beyond serious mental illness to include co-occurring substance use issues.
Excellent & Effective: We’re focusing on outcomes and measurable results as well as striving for excellence.
Complex Needs: We’re expanding our services to address the multi-faceted, complex needs of our clients including physical health issues, substance use education and treatment, intellectual disabilities, justice involvement, and a myriad of social needs that can impact a person’s stability and recovery.
(Health) Hopes & Dreams: We’re actively moving toward whole person care, and explicitly recognizing that hopes and dreams are what motivate people.

We welcome and encourage your thoughts on our mission. Please feel free to reach out and share your feedback.

Telecare's Year in Review

We are pleased to present our FY15-16 Annual Report and Year in Review Video.

Watch the video to see how we are addressing substance use issues using our 16-week educational curriculum.

New Sub-Acute Program in Ventura

On December 28, Telecare opened a new program in partnership with Ventura County Behavioral Health Department: the Horizon View Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC). This program enables people who have previously had to go out of the county for long-term treatment services the opportunity to recover closer to home.

Sub-Acute Successes

Our inpatient programs provide people with longer-term treatment and supports that prepare them for transitioning back to the community or lower levels of care.

How do we measure success? In many ways, but two very important ways include:

Reductions in adverse events
Member recovery stories

This month, read more about successes at Villa Fairmont MHRC, Gladman MHRC, and the Recovery Center at Sarpy.

Leadership Announcements

We are pleased to recognize our recent leadership promotions in Washington and California. Please meet Pam Eggleston, Tyvonne Berring, and Clearnise Bullard.

We Created a Job Board

Telecare recently launched a new job board. Applicants can now personalize their search to get the most up-to-date job postings at Telecare. Check out some of our current open positions:

Explore the job board here.