SPRING 2009
Welcome to the Connections Newsletter
Nicole Lavy, V.P. of KYUMH
Community Based Services
Welcome to our first edition
newsletter for the Connections
program.
Since it’s inception in 2001, the
Community Services Department
of the Kentucky United Methodist
Home has grown significantly.
We are proud to offer a vast
range of programming. In May
SIGNALS Makes “Connections” at Bellevue School
Bellevue Staff: Terry Wilson, Paddy Johnson, Misty Kirby,
Ed Brown and Signals Author/ Connections Educator
Lane Stonecypher. JSOCC (far right)
2006, we introduced the Connec-
tions program.
Funded by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Office of
Rural Health, the Connections team
will address education and counsel-
ing needs on risk conditions com- Pictured left to right: Karen, Lane and Natalie
mon to the Commonwealth. This includes
Mental Health issues, Diabetes, Heart Dis-
ease, Smoking and Substance Abuse as well the families in a comprehensive, inte-
as Obesity.
grated and effective way. Services are
Connections provides health education and delivered by three full-time staff. Natalie
human services to children, youth and fami- Holt, Karen Alexander and Lane Stonecy-
lies in central Kentucky where the need for pher. The staff are diverse in their talents
these services exceeds the resources and offer over 30 years of experience.
available to meet them.
Karen and Natalie are program service
We have established partnerships that will coordinators and Lane is the community
enable us to serve the health care needs of group educator.
Inside this issue
The Connections Rural Healthcare
Initiative recently provided • Client Stories
Bellevue Learning Center in Rich-
mond, Kentucky with a teen sub- • Web Resources
stance abuse prevention, interven-
tion and therapeutic education • Healthy Tips
program called SIGNALS (Setting
Important Goals Now Against Life- designed to inform the students
threatening Substances). about risk levels for developing a
problem.
The students learned about the
dangers of alcohol, tobacco and The Bellevue students attended
other drug use. The interactive the prevention class every Friday
materials included screening tools throughout February.
 Providing a Helping Hand…
Connections clients Rhonda and home visits with the family, devel-
Tim began services soon after oped a case plan and helped the
moving to Anderson County. With family meet their needs.
many medical problems, no
Among these services, Connections
means of transportation and a
provided transportation to several
very low income, both Rhonda
medical appointments, established a
and Tim needed a connection to
primary care physician for the fam-
resources in the community.
ily, provided in-home mental health
During the initial meeting with the counseling and assisted Rhonda in
family, Rhonda explained that she receiving SSDI benefits and a medi-
and her husband were in great cal card. Connections also provided
need of medical services. Rhonda nutritional counseling.
had been having pains in her
“Connections helped us so much.”
lower abdomen for several
Rhonda states “I had been trying off
months and was unable to afford
and on for about 18 years and I
the cost of a medical examina-
wouldn’t have gotten my disability or
tion. Tim had a history of severe
medical card if it weren’t for Con-
thyroid problems and needed
Natalie Holt, MA, LCPA nections.
Connections Service Coordinator help finding a specialist.
Connections program coordina- “My medical needs are met now.”
tor, Natalie Holt made weekly

Healthy Tips For Spring

Copied from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter4.htm

For most people, greater health benefits can be obtained by engaging in physical activity of more vigorous intensity or longer duration.
Specific Populations:
• Children and adolescents: Engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.
• Pregnant women: In the absence of medical or obstetric complications, incorporate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity
physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. Avoid activities with a high risk of falling or abdominal trauma.
• Breastfeeding women: Be aware that neither acute nor regular exercise adversely affects the mother's ability to successfully
breastfeed.
• Older adults: Participate in regular physical activity to reduce functional declines associated with aging and to achieve the other
benefits of physical activity identified for all adults.
Online Resource Center
Every Issue we will Connect you to new and exciting web sites to explore. If you
would like to include sites that you like, send us a note and we will pass them along to
our readers:
Kentucky substance abuse rehab services:
http://www.hopelinks.net/drug-rehab/kentucky.html Please share the sites with family, friends
and colleagues…
Partnership for a fit Kentucky:
http://www.fitky.org/
“If you have knowledge,
Kentucky Diabetic Network:
http://www.kentuckydiabetes.net/ let others light their
Kentucky Cancer Consortium:
http://www.kycancerc.org/ candles in it”
Kentucky Department for Mental Health and Mental Retardation:
Thomas Fuller
http://mhmr.ky.gov/cmhc/default.asp?sub23

“One Step at a Time, Pat’s Story”

“Why does life have to be so hard?”, was the question Pat, a Connections client often
asked. Feeling overwhelmed with multiple health problems she faced daily, Pat gladly
accepted the support she received from the Connections program. Initially, Pat was referred to the
program for assistance in getting dentures. As a result of poor oral health, she was forced to have all of
her teeth pulled. Soon after, her self-esteem began to decline and she stated that she didn’t even want to
go out in public at times because she didn’t have teeth. During the Connections program intake, Pat
shared with the case manager Karen Alexander, other health problems she had been dealing with
for the past several years. In addition to oral health issues, she was dealing with back problems, a
recent diagnosis of pre-diabetes, complaints of chronic stomach aches, and managing a mental illness Karen Alexander, MA
Connections Service Coordinator
diagnoses. Pat’s support system was limited.

This is where the Connections program was able to assist her, by linking her with medical specialist to
address her direct needs and offering transportation to and from her appointments. Regarding her oral health care, the Connections
Program was able to connect Pat to a local community program that assists qualified residents of Madison County in getting a full set
of dentures for free. She soon received her full set of dentures through the program. Pat and Karen Alexander often reflected on how
life can bring multiple challenging situations all at once, but to face them, we must take “one step at
a time”.
Today, Pat is now connected with the medical/mental health services she needs and manages to attend her regular appointments.
Because it is imperative for Pat to receive continuous health care, the Connections program was able to refer her to a long term pro-
gram that will offer support services for her specific needs.
 http://kyumhcbs.blogspot.com/
Nicole Lavy, MSW, CSW Karen Alexander, MA
Vice President Connections Service Coordinator
Community Based Services Community Based Services
P.O. Box 749 P.O. Box 749
Versailles, KY 40383 Versailles, KY. 40383
nicole@kyumh.org karen.alexander@kyumh.org
859-509-4309 859-509-4315

Natalie Holt, MA, LPCA David Lane Stonecypher, JSOCC

Connections Service Coordinator Connections Educator
Community Based Services Community Based Services
P.O. Box 749 P.O. Box 749
Versailles, KY. 40383 Versailles, KY 40383
natalie.holt@kyumh.org lane@kyumh.org
859-509-4308 859-509-4313

SPRING 2009

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