Dear colleagues and friends,
We launched our therapeutic consulting practice three months ago and I am taking a moment to reflect and to look ahead.
Since July, we have been invited into many complex situations. Our clients have been individuals in their 60’s with depression and/or substance use issues as well as adolescents with persistent psychosis. Several clients have been in their 20’s and 30’s facing dual diagnoses; in one case a whole family has been the client. Physical and medical complexities have also accompanied mental illness in some of the clients we have served. We have been busy and challenged these first three months, and honored to work with these families as we grow.
As we look forward, our focus remains on adults of all ages facing a range of mental health and substance abuse issues. We are here to help individuals with acute or emerging mental illness as well as those with chronic and long-term challenges. We have the capacity to support individuals in crisis as well as those looking ahead at long term quality of life.
I feel deep appreciation for all of the collaborators who have become continuous or occasional teammates of Virgil Stucker and Associates.
First, my daughter Stephanie McMahon, who joined me as my chief operating officer; she brought her communications and marketing expertise along with wisdom honed by years of work with and living with individuals with mental illness. Stephanie developed our website, social media outreach, and selected and worked with our branding/design expert David Edge – who provided inspiration to us as we designed our look.
I am also inspired daily by the truly indefatigable mental health interventionist and care coordinator Brad Richards. He never gives up and often sees hope where others do not.
Dana Dean Doering, a therapeutic consultant colleague from Seattle, has similar tenacity and magnificent wisdom and heart; we all already collaborating on several clients.
Dr. Raymond Rupert, MD, who heads a care management group in Toronto, has also been an essential collaborator, especially helpful when the complexities involve physical health issues.
Our capacity has also been expanded by adding Rick Karges, a former executive director colleague, to our network. We connected him to a philanthropist who approached us regarding their efforts to improve care for individuals with mental illness and addictions.
Amidst all our activity with clients, attorney Carolyn Reinach Wolf and psychiatrist Hindi Mermelstein, MD have also been key advisors.
Some of the organizations that have been especially helpful and responsive to our clients these past three months include the Mayo Clinic in MN, Silver Hill Hospital in CT, CooperRiis in NC, Pasadena Villa in FL, Life Skills in FL, Carolinas Healthcare in Charlotte, the new Waypointe in NJ, and the Eating Recovery Center in Chicago – to name just a few! We are grateful to their caring clinicians and staff and quick responses to our clients’ needs.
In the coming months, we look forward to building upon our existing teamwork, while adding more collaborators who are like-minded, spirited, and passionate about our mission of helping individuals and families to achieve and sustain their highest levels of functioning and fulfillment.
We will continue building our culture of capacity for complexity, of caring from the heart, and of always going the extra mile if we can see a glimmer of hope.
Our foundational support for families in crises has been laid. We will now expand our long-term planning work with families as well as our work with philanthropists and program leaders. We are glad to serve at all levels and welcome your calls if we may be of service.
In hope for continued recovery and resilience,
Virgil
#notefromvirgil #quarterlynewsletter #September2017