NEWS RELEASE

Story Source: Larry Thompson (813) 974-9003

Media contact : Te Leone (813) 974-8592, The de la Parte Institute

" Institute to Assist Community Agencies in Preparing for Closure of G. Pierce Wood Hospital"

[549 words]

(Tampa, October 1, 2001)

The University of South Florida’s Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute is offering a series of workshops designed to assist the state with the mandated closure of the G. Pierce Wood Memorial Hospital in Arcadia. The workshops are geared toward community mental health providers and other behavioral health professionals who will likely be serving individuals discharged from the hospital. The series of events, jointly sponsored by the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Institute’s Department of Mental Health Law & Policy, is focused on social rehabilitation programming for persons with severe mental illnesses.

The programs include:

Supported Living/Housing – National experts present in this 2-day conference a continuum of supported living arrangements. These programs have demonstrated their effectiveness in assisting individuals toward independent living and self-sufficiency.

Tuesday, Wednesday, October 9 & 10, 2001, 8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Westside Conference Center – Rooms ABC

Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, USF

13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL

Principles and Practices of a Rehabilitation Model – This workshop will assist providers to better understand the principles of the Rehabilitation Model and to apply them to the establishment of new community programming.

Thursday, October 11, 2001, 8:45 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

Dr. Alfano Conference Center

11606 Malcolm McKinley Drive, Tampa, FL

Supported Employment – The principles of supported employment will be presented in this workshop with attention given to exemplary programs that have successfully demonstrated the program’s effectiveness.

Thursday, October 25, 2001, 8:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Healthcare America

3501 Cortez Road

Bradenton, FL

The Club House Model (8:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) – A presentation on the well-known Club House Model that combines in one program opportunities to work on role recovery in many life domains.

Supported Employment (1:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.) – Supported Employment as a process and outcome of recovery can assist individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses to achieve the goals of independence and community integration.

Thursday, November 1, 2001

DCF Service Center, Room # 165

2295 Victoria Avenue

Ft. Myers, FL

Behavioral Management (8:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) – Behavioral principles will be discussed as they can be used in the treatment setting to assist in motivation, support and increased progress toward individual goals. Self-Directed Care (1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.) – Every individual has the right to seek a way of life that best serves, supports, and challenges their potential and dreams. This workshop will assist providers to utilize this philosophy in behavioral health services.

Friday, December 7, 2001

Sudakoff Conference Center

New College

Sarasota, FL

Co-occurring Disorders – Recognizing many persons may experience multiple issues including substance abuse and mental illnesses, this workshop will help staff to recognize, assess, and treat persons with such disorders using an integrated approach.

Friday, February 1, 2002, 8:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

DCF District 14 Headquarters

4720 Old Highway 37

Lakeland, FL

Advance registration for these workshops is recommended. For more information, see the website at www.fmhi.usf.edu/cmh/statement.html or call (813) 974-4672 or SunCom 574-4672.

The 382-bed G. Pierce Wood Memorial Hospital is scheduled for final closure on April 1, 2002. It serves 18 counties in southwest Florida. They include Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, De Soto, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Hardee, Highlands, Charlotte, Lee, Hendry, Collier, Glades, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Okeechobee.

Back to Institute News