Taking a walk together
Epworth Village Therapy Department meets youth and families where they are
By Marcia Schlegelmilch
Courtesy Photo
The Epworth Village Therapy Department meets with Dr. Susan Howard, MD for discussion prior to weekly Inter-Disciplinary Team (IDT) meetings. Pictured clockwise from left are: therapists Evelyn May, Department Director Eunice Williams, Leslie Deal, Sarah Wald, Dawn Gregory, Holly Fuhr, Lorrie Pearson, Marie Wheeler, therapy intern Theresa Nickolaus and Dr. Susan Howard. Not pictured are therapists Veronica Chulata and Jamie Eberly.
YORK – “We believe that children exist in families … so we have to help families if we are going to help children,” says Epworth Village Therapy Director Eunice Williams. “For a long time the focus in this field was on the individual. But the child is part of a family which has a large impact on the child – good, bad or neutral.”
That is where the unique approach of Epworth Village comes into play; not only through family, youth and peer therapy; but with medical, educational and spiritual life working as a team on behalf of clients.
The Therapy Department is one component of this “wholistic” program; inter-connected and working alongside all other departments to facilitate positive change for Epworth Village youth and families.
Williams, a Master’s level therapist whose educational focus was family, is a member of the National Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and is an approved Marriage and Family Therapy supervisor.
As Williams tells it, “I had graduated with a Master’s degree when I got a call (from Epworth Village) saying, ‘I understand you just graduated in family therapy …” The caller wondered if she was interested in coming on board … interested in helping set up a therapy program. Needless to say, the answer was, “yes.”
In the 25 years since Williams answered “the” call, she has learned a lot; not the least of which is the importance of a support system to therapists themselves. That’s because at the time of her hiring; she was the one and only therapist.
“The support of other therapists is important,” Williams states. “Day to day it is all about the client, as it should be. It is important to have colleagues. With hard to manage cases you must choose words carefully, meet clients where they are and not let your frustrations show.” She quickly realized the positives in having a colleague to talk it out with; the positives in being able to draw on the experience of fellow therapists with both clients and in life.
Courtesy Photo
It’s not unusual for Epworth Village Therapist Leslie Deal to walk and talk with clients like Skylar. Therapists at Epworth work daily to meet youth and families where they are.
Over the course of two and a half decades, Williams has seen expectations of treatment climb and length of stay decrease. She says the rise in expectations has not been necessarily a bad thing. Williams views the charge to remain abreast of system trends a challenge to do a better job.
The current team of caring therapists on staff at Epworth Village includes 10 Master’s level therapists; along with Psychiatrist Dr. Susan T. Howard, MD.
Also working out of the Therapy Department offices in Spurlock Hall on Central Campus are treatment plan coordinator Myra Hillman and therapy secretary Barb Kennel.
It is Kennel who greets young men and their families with a cheerful hello, and serves as traffic director for the busy office. Kennel also generates After Care and Family Treatment Planning Conference (FTPC) letters and assists Hillman as needed.
Hillman, who pulls it all together, works to ensure all program components (therapy, education, health care and residential units) are carrying out treatment plans.
Together, Kennel and Hillman provide support for the busy Therapy Department.
According to Williams, each therapist has been assigned 10 clients. Therapy sessions are usually between 50 minutes to one hour long. While receiving services from Epworth Village, clients take part in individual, family and group (peer) therapy. Individual sessions are held a minimum of once weekly. Day Treatment clients attend once weekly family therapy; while residential clients attend family therapy sessions every other week.
Group therapy for Residential Treatment Center (RTC) and Day Treatment clients is held five days a week; while clients residing in Therapeutic Group Homes attend group therapy three times weekly. In addition to therapy sessions and noting progress; therapist responsibilities include facilitating FTPC and Aftercare meetings, attending Inter-Disciplinary Team (IDT) meetings and taking turns being on call each week.
“We try to involve non-custodial parents also in order to work on issues,” says Williams who added that, “at the end of a session it is not unusual to see therapist and client walking out together.”
The Therapy Department Director notes that not all sessions are held indoors. She says walking or shooting baskets at a conveniently located court adjacent to offices encourages sharing in a relaxed atmosphere. Williams explains; a client may feel that if taking a walk is as important to a therapist as it is to him; his problems must be important too.
Therapist Lorrie Pearson says interactive sessions with the boys often include playing a board game, doing an art activity, writing or music … whatever it takes to help them deal with treatment issues, express themselves and begin to process.
According to Pearson the biggest challenge to therapists is time, “We don’t just do therapy.” Planning for group therapy sessions takes time. Therapists also take turns being “on call” weekly; participate in IDT meetings, FTPC meetings and do lots of reporting.
Pearson is about to complete her fourth year on staff at Epworth Village. She loves what she does; she loves the fact that no two days are ever alike, she loves the diversity her career offers and she loves working with the boys.
As a therapist, Pearson says developing trust is very important, especially when working with Epworth Village clients and families. Pearson points out, the Therapy Department serves families from many different communities across the state of Nebraska … families from different backgrounds; always taking into account differences in both culture and environment.
“Children are placed here out of their homes. Many come not trusting anyone … even their own families,” Pearson explains. She says demonstrating that you do what you say you are going to do is a first step, “then you go at their pace. We walk with them,” meeting them where they are. This statement includes families too; as therapists schedule sessions evenings and weekends to accommodate family members.
Many times family and client success comes in the form of realization. Pearson says, a family committed to traveling a great distance may come to understand their child requires services after leaving Epworth Village. Families may also come to realize they need too educate themselves in addition to what Epworth offers. They may realize the importance of encouraging their child in a semi-independent living setting; encouraging them to take a college course, succeed and perhaps someday earn a degree.
Daily, Epworth Village Therapy Department staff members walk with families; meeting them where they are … listening, formulating a plan and providing a caring atmosphere in which change can take place … a change for the better.