Latest News
Download a pdf version of our latest newsletter by clicking here
Marillac to Expand Outpatient Psych Services with New Night and Weekend Clinic
Families struggling with a child's mental illness are already under tremendous stress. The last thing they need is for Mom or Dad to risk losing their job because they have to keep taking time off to take their child to therapy. That's why Marillac is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grant of $96,360 from the REACH Healthcare Foundation to expand its Overland Park Outpatient Clinic.
The funding will allow Marillac to increase community access to individual, group and family therapies, as well as expanded medication management services, at the times most needed by Kansas City-area families: after school, evenings and weekends. Our hearts and our prayers go out to everyone impacted by this senseless tragedy. We mourn for the families who lost innocent children and loved ones far too early.
Read More >
AT&T Supports Marillac's Outpatient Services
Marillac has received a $3,500 contribution from AT&T to support our growing Outpatient Mental Health Clinic for Children and Adolescents. The AT&T funds will be used to expand Marillac's family therapy services, including specialized programs for anger management, drug and alcohol abuse, and parent effectiveness training.
"Marillac's mission is to provide troubled children and families hope for a brighter future, and AT&T is proud to support the great work they are doing to help bring families together," said AT&T Kansas President Steve Hahn. "We are pleased to be able to make this contribution and hope it will help Marillac and the families it serves."
"AT&T's contribution will allow us to expand our treatment options for troubled children and their families," said Marillac President & CEO Joy Wheeler. "This is especially vital for programs like family therapy and parent training, which aren't reimbursable under Medicaid or many managed care plans. It is programs like these that enable families to heal, and children to stay in their homes."
"Strengthening families should be at the center of everything we do, and I want to commend Marillac on the work they do to help children recover their lives and families come back together," said state House Speaker-elect Ray Merrick. "Through this contribution, AT&T is showing again why it is considered such an excellent corporate citizen, and I want to thank them for investing in the future of our community."
We thank AT&T for their enduring support and generosity. Your gifts make it possible for us to continue providing children within our communties the care they need to recover and grow.
Our Collective Grief
All of here at Marillac were shocked and horrified as we learned of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut last month. We share the collective sense of grief and sadness that has gripped our nation and we mourn for all of the victims of this heinous act.
Our hearts and our prayers go out to everyone impacted by this senseless tragedy. We mourn for the families who lost innocent children and loved ones far too early.
Read More >
Annie Erickson, Marillac Therapist featured in KC Star article about what future may hold for ten-year-old Mo. girl found locked in closet
When LP was taken to Children’s Mercy Hospital this month, the 10-year-old girl weighed no more than an average 4-year-old.
Experts say it may take years for her malnourished body and abused psyche to fully heal. But they held hope that she already may have begun to recover.
“She spoke for herself when the police came to the door. She used her voice,” said Annie Erickson, a social worker at Marillac, a children’s psychiatric hospital in Overland Park. “Her own healing has started by her speaking up.”
Read full article here.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/30/3685107/as-she-heals-lp-will-face-obstacles.html?story_link=email_msg#storylink=cpy
Marillac President and CEO, Mark Richards, Turns Over Reins After 20 Years of Service
Joy Wheeler named as interim President and CEO by Marillac Board of Directors
In early May, Marillac's Board of Directors accepted President and CEO, Mark Richard's resignation after 20 years of dedicated service. On Friday, June 1, the Board named Joy Wheeler as the agency's interim President and CEO. Ms. Wheeler will serve in this role for an estimated three to five months while the board conducts an exhaustive search for a new permanent president and CEO.
Richards has been with Marillac since 1992 and served as the organization's Chief Executive since 2006. Under his guidance, Marillac grew from an organization serving a few hundred children a year, to one that served over fifteen hundred children and families in 2011.
"Mark's visionary leadership guided Marillac to its position as the premier provider of psychiatric treatment services for children and adolescents in the greater Kansas City Area," said John McCarthy, Chair of Marillac's Board of Directors. "Mark has been a fierce advocate for the needs of children with mental health issues in our community and has inspired many of Marillac's dedicated employees."
Read more by clicking here.
Growth and Change
A message from Marillac's outgoing President and CEO, Mark Richards
At Marillac, we talk a lot about the idea of growth and change. In our work with the Sanctuary Implementation process, we have been called to examine and embrace these concepts, not only in our work with clients and their families, but also in regards to our own lives and to the organization as a whole.
As victims of trauma, change can be particularly threatening for our clients. For many, the change they have experienced has itself been traumatic and frightening. While they have developed strategies and ways to respond to the adversities in their lives, the fear of change and the threat of greater loss can impede a child’s ability to move beyond their situation. Often this becomes a focus of treatment, as we work to introduce effective coping strategies to replace the maladaptive practices they have developed.
Read more by clicking here.
Marillac hosting two speakers from the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department at KUMC
On May 4th, as part of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, Marillac will be hosting series of informative talks on Children's Mental Health at our facility.
These talks are being presented by the Child Mind Institute as part of their Speak up for Kids campaign. Speak up for Kids is an annual public education campaign during National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Click here to learn more about Speak up for Kids. For more information on the Child Mind Institute, click here.
Dr. Sneha Jadhav will present the Speak Up for Kids talk, "Is It ADHD or Just Inattention?"
This talk will provide background information about ADD/ADHD, common myths, overview of treatment and intervention options, and concrete suggestions for parents dealing with a hyperactive or inattentive child.
Dr. Vinjay Saranga will present the Speak Up for Kids talk, "When To Worry About Your Child’s Worries"
Read more by clicking here. Download a flyer for this event here.
Discovery Girls
It’s hard enough to be a teenage girl today, but try being a teenage girl with Asperger syndrome! It’s estimated that only 1 in 1,800 girls (or approx. 1 per high school) have this high-functioning autism disorder, which is characterized by difficulty with back-and-forth conversation, social skills and obsessive special interests. These differences can make it hard to make friends, to fit in at school, and, as adulthood approaches, to get and keep a job.
While these girls might have challenges, they also have huge potential. They’re smart, articulate and can be very focused. This summer, thanks in part to a generous grant from The Women’s Foundation of Greater Kansas City, Rachel Alexandra Girls Project, Marillac will be helping girls 13-17 with Asperger syndrome learn to exploit their talents and get ready for the “real world.” In Discovery Girls, a special social skills training program, we’ll be working on a wide range of skills, which will include making/keeping friends, self-advocating in class, acing a job interview and much more! And, to make sure our girls can use their new skills outside the classroom, we’ll be “hitting the road” each week. Community outings will range from volunteering at a food bank to touring a college campus.
Learn more here.
Marillac announces creation of new STaRT program
This past winter and fall, the therapeutic and clinical staff at Marillac were busy developing an all-new therapeutic program for clients and their families called the STaRT Program.
Developed under Marillac’s Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility, the STaRT Program is a highly customizable, short-term residential treatment program that is aimed at maximizing the therapeutic services offered at Marillac with the goal of returning the child to his or her family as soon as the child is ready to safely make that transition.
Learn more here.
Marillac is Seeking Qualified Direct Care and Nursing Staff
Marillac is currently seeking caring and compassionate individuals in a variety of nursing and direct care positions at our Overland Park campus. We will be holding a job fair on Saturday, January 14, 2012 from 10 am to 2 pm.
Learn more here.
Facebook Provides First-of-a-Kind Service To Help Prevent Suicides
In partnership with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, Facebook is announcing a new service that harnesses the power of social networking and crisis support to help prevent suicides across the Nation and Canada. The new service enables Facebook users to report a suicidal comment they see posted by a friend to Facebook using either the Report Suicidal Content link or the report links found throughout the site. The person who posted the suicidal comment will then immediately receive an email from Facebook encouraging them to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or to click on a link to begin a confidential chat session with a crisis worker.
Learn more here.
Marillac CEO featured in KC Star Article regarding KS budget cuts to children's mental health services
Mark Richards, Marillac's President and CEO was recently featured in an article about the impact that Kansas State budget cuts are having to children's mental health services and the community. Read the article here.
Listen to an interview of Dr. Brian Barash, Marillac's Medical Director
Marillac's Medical Director, Dr. Brian Barash, was recently featured on several Entercom radio stations including 99.7 The Point and 96.5 The Buzz. Listen to the interview by clicking the player below. |
