Bell log: Mental Health Residential Programs
It’s a challenge that may be familiar to a lot of you who are cooped up in the house these days: Boredom. When you’re used to getting out and connecting with people at work, school, and other activities, it can be challenging to wrap your head around other ways to be productive and/or occupied. Isolation is especially problematic for people living with mental illness, as the weight of all that is happening can become overwhelming.
Bell’s mental health residential program staff are checking in regularly with service users in the Community Residential Apartment Services (CRAS), Community Hospital Integration Project Program (CHIPP), and Supported Housing programs to make sure they’re staying connected and have someone to talk to about how things are going for them. People who can are encouraged to get outside and take a walk in the neighborhoods where they live, maintaining safe distances, of course, to help ease feelings of loneliness. Staff are stepping up in other ways, too, to make sure basic needs are met.
June 25: Uptown York Rotary Club Donates 100 Masks
Thank you so much to Uptown York Rotary Club for donating 100 masks for staff and service users!
Janelle Hake, pictured here with Lori Leister, coordinated the service project for the Uptown York Rotary Club.
At the end of April, Uptown York Rotary Club launched “Keeping Communities Covered,” a service project to make and deliver FREE face masks to under-served populations in the York community.
These masks will come in handy as Bell mental health day programs begin to open at limited capacity and shorter hours in the coming days.
June 1: Service User is Thankful for Food Delivery
Bernie, our wonderful Bell service user, received a meal from the Mental Health department while he is doing his part during the pandemic.
This is what he had to say; “HUGE thanks to my awesome Bell staff for this delicious spaghetti and
meatball dinner I got from Jamie today!! Yum! ❤️“
Hope it was tasty!
May 21: The Kling Family Donates Homemade Masks
200 more masks were donated recently thanks to the Kling family of Mt. Wolf.
The Kling’s are friends of Lori Leister, assistant director of mental health services, and their children handmade the masks and are hoping to donate even more.
We’d like to say thank you to the Kling’s! They own an HVAC filter company, which allowed them to make the masks with HVAC filter materials.
The masks can be used in areas that are high risk as they are made of heavy duty filtering material.
May 12: CRAS Caseworker Provides for MH Clients
Kris Stroup reports: Ashley Grube who went with her mother to purchase two LARGE laundry baskets of food and household supplies for our MH clients. She also donated a bunch of diapers which I took to Next Door [for homeless families].
Ashley is truly a good example of an employee who gives more than her time to work at Bell…she gives her heart!
May 4: Another Happy Sendero Service User during Quarantine!
Lourdes Gonzalez reports: another Soc Rehab Sendero program consumer received a meal, care package and a box of food (provided by the Food Bank) because we care during this uncertain time we’re in.
April 6: Sendero Consumers Receiving Meals from the MH Department
The Sendero staff along with the Supported Housing staff are making meals for the Sendero consumers and delivering them throughout the week. You know what they say, team work makes the dream work!
April 3: White Rose Outreach Toilet Paper Donation
Remember mental health caseworker, Kenton, the “TP Santa?” He’s been using his own money and buying toilet paper to give out to the clients who are in need.
Well our friends at the White Rose Outreach saw his good deed and got in touch with Bell’s Supported Housing Program and arranged a donation of extra toilet paper for the residents!
Thank you for your help!
April 3: Daybreak Easter Activity
Even with the current situation, individuals from our Daybreak program believe Easter is a fun holiday.
So they had some fun! They made Easter cards to send out to their friends and family. 
March 31: Kenton to the Rescue!
Mental health caseworker, Kenton, has been dubbed the “TP Santa” as he is using his own money and buying toilet paper to give out to the clients who are in need. Thanks, Kenton, for your selfless act of kindness!
March 30 report
The CRAS team is encouraging residents in the three program houses to stay home as much as they can. Since
Bell’s day programs, which many CRAS participants use, are temporarily closed, staff is going to the houses on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for a couple of hours in the afternoons. They are sticking to the small groups of 6 to 8 people and practice how we can avoid people getting bored and keep active as well as connected.
CHIPP supported living and CHIPP assisted living staff are continuing to keep connected and tell our residents to walk around the block, as many are struggling with isolation but encouraging to be safe.
CHIPP Supported Living program coordinator, Yolanda McCanic, made food and delivered it to the clients in their apartments. She felt that it would do them some good to have a hot meal.