An interview with Laura Rhodes about Respite Care in Photo credit: An interview with Laura Rhodes, the Program Development Manager at Granite House. April 4, 2008 Photomontage by
Monday, April 21, 2008 by
What follows here are some outtakes from the column – along with some necessary context in order for the outtakes to make some sense.
Please find some additional information on the Respite Care initiative that I pulled off the web in the appendix.
Recently I had an opportunity to catch-up with one of
And no, in spite of the fact that she is has worked for many years in various capacities as a mental health counselor, I was not there to see her for professional counseling.
It was a social call. Ms. Rhodes and I have worked together on many initiatives over the years - too numerous to mention.
As an aside, please add Ms. Rhodes to your list of
We first compared notes on the “Rock Ball,” an upcoming fundraiser for Granite House, one of the largest nonprofit mental healthcare organizations in
However, for much of our visit we talked about a relatively new initiative, “Respite Connection of Carroll County.” More on that in a minute…
When I arrived at her closet-sized office, she was doing what she does best – multi-tasking in a number of different directions – all at break-neck speed. To make up for the lack of floor space, Ms. Rhodes uses the stack-it-high method of organization.
If you are not familiar with Granite House; it was established in 1979 as critical resource in
Granite House’s network of psychiatrists, clinical social workers, nurses, and licensed counselors assist members of the community to receive the necessary guidance and support to make a fresh start.
In an era in
In a published interview from a number of year’s ago, it was noted that her “efforts and determination to know the issues earned her a reputation for being well-prepared to make decisions.”
To which Ms. Rhodes remarked, “I always felt that you have no right to criticize unless you're willing to be part of the solution. I wanted to be part of the solution.”
Speaking of doing her homework and identifying current needs in the community and then, Ms. Rhodes was excited to tell me all about a new collaboration to help provide respite care families with children with disabilities and mental health challenges.
In layperson’s terms, this is about giving families, who have a family member who needs constant care, a break - by identifying a network of caregivers and providing them with appropriate training.
The idea is to team-up with other community leaders and mental health advocacy organizations such as Mona Freedman with “Caring Communities of Carroll County,” Sharon Glass - “Families of Children with Autism Support Group,” Heather Powell - CHANGE and Lynne Humphries-Russ - Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health, and Karen Koenigsberg – “
In an era in
According to information provided by Ms. Rhodes: “The goal of Respite Connection is to increase the number of trained individuals to provide respite to families with children (birth-25) with mental health disabilities and/or developmental disabilities in Carroll County and to promote their awareness of and access to the new centralized list/registry of respite providers -- The Caring Network Respite Care Registry offered by Caring Communities.
The measure of any community is how we take care of our friends and neighbors in their time of need.
Hats off to Laura Rhodes and the many other folks who routinely roll up their sleeves to make a difference and help sustain
If you’d like more information about contributing to Granite House’s Charitable Fund – or on “Respite Connection,” or any of the services provided by Granite House, call 410-876-3007, ext. 140, or visit www.granitehouse.org.
*****
Appendix
New Respite Care Training Program In
Getting Connected Family Resource Center
http://www.granitehouse.org/services/
Retrieved April 21, 2008
The
NEW RESPITE CARE TRAINING PROGRAM IN
http://www.caringcommunities.org/respiteconnection.html
Retrieved April 21, 2008
Respite Connection of
Information: respiteconnection@caringcommunities.org or 410-549-5707
The
Several county organizations and agencies developed a collaborative approach -- Respite Connection of
The goal of Respite Connection is to increase the number of trained individuals to provide respite to families with children (birth-25) with mental health disabilities and/or developmental disabilities in Carroll County and to promote their awareness of and access to the new centralized list/registry of respite providers -- The Caring Network Respite Care Registry offered by Caring Communities.
Two eighteen-hour Respite Caregiver, and two Train the Trainer, training sessions will be offered in
individuals listed here.
Granite House, Lead Agency for Respite Connection: Laura Rhodes, Program Development Manager
Caring Communities: Mona Freedman RN, Executive Director
FOCAS (Families of Children with Autism Support Group): Sharon Glass, Founder
Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health: Lynne Humphries-Russ, Administrator
CHANGE, Inc.: Heather Powell, Director of Support Services
Get Connected Family Resource Center: Karen Koenigsberg, Family Navigator
Vicki Duerr, a family member of a young adult with a disability
FAQ'S COMING SOON! PLEASE CHECK BACK: http://www.caringcommunities.org/respiteconnection.html
Provided by The
Funding provided by the
*****
Medicine and Health Mental Illness
Carroll County Non-profit organizations
Carroll County Non-profit organizations - Granite House
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20080421 An interview with Laura Rhodes about Respite Care in Carroll County
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