Mrs. Marie Williamson with the Georgia Chapter Quilts for Kids recently donated beautifully handmade patchwork quilts for Unison Behavioral Health children in need. The handmade quilts were given to Unison Behavioral Health’s Garden Gate Residential Program, which is a long-term Women’s Substance Abuse Program where moms can bring their children into care with them. Pregnant moms can use these handmade quilts for their little ones once they arrive as well as moms with smaller children who can benefit from a quilt to sleep with or take a nap on.

The Georgia Chapter Quilts for Kids (QFK) comes from the National Organization of Quilts for Kids, Inc. It was founded by Linda Arye in 2000 when she saw that large amounts of design fabric samples were being thrown into landfills and she felt sure that they could be put to good use for quilts for children in need. The local chapter meets monthly in Waycross at the First Methodist Church to make quilts for kids.

The quilts go to hospitals, hospice, shelters, treatment centers and anywhere there is a need. The local chapter donates over 500 quilts a year to needy children. Their goal is simple: to provide comfort to children in need through the gift of a handmade patchwork quilt.

A big thank you to the women of the Georgia Chapter Quilts for Kids for donating such a thoughtful gift which is very much needed and appreciated.

Peachtree Place Group Home relocated from Pearson to a brand new home in Douglas.  Open house was held on July 12th.  Debra Denson has been the manager of the group home for many years and she and the staff did a wonderful job preparing for open house.  The residents and staff are so excited for the new home.  One of the residents was able to become a pet owner to a dog named Max (pictured).

Staff pictured from Left to Right:  Fanita Douglas, Chesley Griffis, Maria Paulk, Tameeka Ellerton, Beth Myers and Amber Munoz.

Gail Seifert, Ware Family Connections Partnership and Stephanie Bell, Pierce Family Connections Partnership were recognized as Unison’s Regional Community Collaborative Champions for being leaders in bringing safe and secure housing as a behavioral health need to the attention of the Regional Community Collaborative at Unison Behavioral Health.

Where: Parnell Roberts Park (formally Mary Street Park)
When: September 14, 2018
Time: 5:00 to 8:00pm

Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) provided a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for law enforcement June 18th-22nd. There were 10 trainees in attendance from the Waycross Police Department, St. Mary's Police Department, and Ware County Sheriff's Department.

Debbie Carter, who is a retired Lieutenant from the Waycross Police Department, now works with GPSTC as the CIT Coordinator for our area. She does an exceptional job teaching and advocating for first responders and individuals with mental illness and/or developmental disabilities. Lesley White assisted Debbie before and during the training. Unison is proud most of the guest speakers are employed in our agency. They included: Shonda Miller, Jonathon Pryor, April Roberson, Amber Williams, Deborah Bonaparte (and consumers), Joel Williams, Viva Steed, and Tiffany Henderson. Site visits with consumer recovery stories were from Ware Day Services, St. Illa, and Garden Gate.  

The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training is a dynamic collaboration of professionals committed to people with mental illness and other brain disorders. The CIT program is presented by the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, and the Georgia Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Law enforcement officers who are trained in CIT can effectively assist individuals with mental illness and other brain disorders who are in crisis, therefore advancing public safety and reducing the stigma commonly associated with mental illness. The training will also ensure that people with mental illnesses and other brain disorders always receive treatment, in lieu of incarceration in most cases. (GPSTC-www.gpstc.org)