For more information: Contact Pam Kelley, SAMHSA’s

Division of Management Systems, 240.276.1192.

To submit the form, contact Keeya Flournoy, Human Resource Specialist, 301-827-2304.

To obtain the form, go to: http://www.ltcfeds.com/

To read the President’s June 2, 2010, Memorandum, go to http://www.whitehouse.gov.

R ecently, a few SAMHSA em‐

ployees, colleagues and family 

members gathered in a second floor 

conference room for a celebration—of 

a piece of paper, the Declaration of 

Domestic Partnership. The one‐page 

form represents an important first 

step toward extending benefits to 

same‐sex domestic partners of Federal 

employees. 

Details are still being worked out, and 

it’s not yet clear the form is even     

required. But for SAMHSA’s Sylvia 

Fisher, Ph.D., Nancy Kennedy, 

Dr.P.H., David Thompson and David 

Wilson, submitting the form matters.  

Says David Thompson, “It’s symbolic. 

The right to apply for long‐term 

health care insurance, for hospital 

visitation rights, the Family Leave 

Act, are codified now—We no longer 

have to go to a Supervisor under 

‘special circumstances.’” 

Based on current law, not all benefits,  

for instance, health and life insurance, 

are available yet.  Passage of the 

SAMHSA Staff Say “I Do” to LGBT Benefits

A SAMHSA family celebrates the recognition of their status. Sitting is David Thompson. Standing, from left to right, are Elise D. E. Fisher and Susan Easterly, daughter and spouse of Sylvia Fisher (in the center), David Wilson, and Nancy Kennedy.

Coming Soon: “A Place for Us” — New SAMHSA Musical Production

InsiderInsiderInsider EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2010 VOL. 4 NO. 2

alienation, and finally learn to over‐

come their own attitudes before they 

recognize the need to seek help.   

The message of “A Place for Us”    

mirrors SAMHSA’s message:         

Prevention works, treatment is       

effective, and  people recover.  

This year, three performances will be 

held during World AIDS Day week,       

December 1‐3, 2010.  

Watch for audition notices—soon! 

This yearʹs project represents an     

exciting collaboration among        

SAMHSAʹs PeopleFirst One Commu‐

nity Workgroup and SAMHSAʹs HIV/

AIDS and Hepatitis Workgroups.  

“A Place for Us” begins in a Wood‐

stock‐like setting evoking the youth 

culture of the ‘60s. As the story        

develops, the characters experience 

consequences of their behavior,            

including addiction and HIV/AIDS. 

They face community attitudes and 

L ast yearʹs first‐ever SAMHSA 

theatrical produc‐

tion, ʺPathways to 

Recovery: A Musical 

Journey,ʺ was an 

overwhelming success—and the 

SAMHSA PeopleFirst Theatre      

Players are already hard at work on a 

new production for 2010.  Scripted by 

SAMHSA employees, the new       

musical is called ʺA Place For Us.ʺ          

Surrounded by her friends, daughter 

and spouse, she says, “For me person‐

ally, this is acknowledgment from the 

government of my 27‐year relation‐

ship—that I’m in the service of my 

country, a tax payer and a Federal 

employee.  It’s important, to have this 

finally recognized by my employer.” Others in the room, who include Dave 

Wilson, marking a 20‐year relation‐

ship; David Thompson, 17 years; and 

Nancy Kennedy, looking forward to 

her 28th anniversary in October—

quietly nod in agreement. 

Domestic Partnership Benefits and 

Obligations Act would extend the full 

range of benefits to staff with same‐

sex partners. And The President’s 

Memorandum of June 2, 2010,         

imposes an on‐going obligation for 

agencies to extend any new benefits.   

Sylvia and her life partner were      

legally married in Massachusetts, al‐

though their marriage is not recog‐

nized by the Federal government.  

COMING TO YOU SOON! September 18, 2010: SAMHSA reveals its new ‘look and feel’ with a brand-new homepage. One new feature? An easy-to-use, comprehen-sive online ordering system for all SAMHSA publications. Get what you need, when you need it!

WATCH FOR DETAILS! The next issue of the SAMHSA Insider will come to you online!

PeopleFirst members include       

SAMHSA staff ranging from GS‐7 

to SES members, who participate 

on a rotating basis. 

PeopleFirst was planned in 2006 

and launched in 2007. 

PeopleFirst has seen completion of 

over 22 employee‐driven projects.  

Between 2006 and 2008,               

employees’ overall satisfaction 

with SAMHSA increased 54%. 

Ask your PeopleFirst Rep how 

you can participate!— 

Find their names at                                

http://intranet.samhsa.gov/

PeopleFirst/team.aspx 

Got news? SAMHSA Insider is produced by employees, for employees (now with a little help from OC).  Do you have news, suggestions, or ideas for future articles?  Burning questions?  Let us know!   Just e‐mail us at:                                        employeenews@samhsa.hhs.gov.   Arlene Stanton, Editor. 

Sponsored by PeopleFirst & SAMHSA’s Office of Communications  

R elaxing in the half-light of the plane, CDR Josefine Haynes Battle, R.N.,

B.S.N., M.S., had spent some time think-ing back on her trip with Julian, 22, her son, and Brianna, 5, to Morocco, where daugh-ter Marissa, 26, serves in the Peace Corps. She’d mentally assessed the logistics that faced her once back home, when family members would fly in from around the world for her son Julian’s upcoming graduation (with honors) from Howard. Now a bit bored, she was ponder-ing a nap. But “A voice came over the P.A., an urgent voice.” An experienced nurse and Commissioned Corps Officer (always on call!), Josefine made her way up to first class, where a young, non-English-speaking African woman lay on the floor, far into labor. And Josefine’s ad hoc partners? A Mo-roccan midwife, with whom she commu-nicated in French with the help of two older Moroccan doctors. A back surgeon and an oncologist, they were only too happy to drop back and serve as transla-tors and well, “gophers,” she grins. Breathless—and fearless—Josefine barked out orders to the crew and startled passengers for towels, blankets, “baby stuff.” At one point, she looked up at the small group who’d volunteered to hold up

blankets as a make-shift privacy wall, only to discover they were all facing in. “I was yelling, ‘Turn around, around!’” she remembers, meanwhile wedged in

between seats as she tended to the birth. Much sooner than ex-pected, the baby arrived. “She wasn’t breathing. I held her in my arms, praying and stimulating her chest and feet—and then she screamed bloody murder! Everybody cheered!” Cold herself, Josefine quickly located the

warmest spot in the plane, next to the flight atten-dant’s seat, and squeezed

in, holding the baby. (“Thank God I’d lost all that weight!”) Soon after touch-down in New York City, Josefine walked the baby, who was doing fine, over to paramedics waiting by an ambulance. After a long walk through the airport and a trip to the Ladies’ to change clothing, she found herself greeted like a rock star when she and the kids made it to the baggage area—though she’s quick to credit the help of the Midwife. Now, sitting with her hands wrapped around a cup of tea, Josefine’s just glad to be back at her office, where on more nor-mal days she manages the contract for SAMHSA’s Native American Center for Excellence. 

Josefine Battle-Haynes, stands in the doorway of her office in CSAP, decorated by co-workers in honor of her recent adventure.

In our continuing salute to the many who helped make SAMHSA’s first employee newsletter a reality, here are (most of ) the people we missed in our first photo session: From left to right: Curtis Austin, Dr. Eric Broderick, Juli Harkins and Joanne Atay. Unable to make it at the last minute was Ruby Neville.

Prevention

Employee Spotlight: Josefine Haynes-Battle, CSAP

PeopleFirst

Honor Roll (Cont’d)