Mental Illness

Recovery Center

2014 Annual

Meeting

MIRCI is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that assists individuals with mental illness to

recover in the areas of their lives impacted by their illness through housing, behavioral

healthcare, and assistance with obtaining and managing their disability income.

Approximately 94 cents on every dollar coming into

MIRCI goes toward program services.

MIRCI PROGRAMS

MIRCI provides services through several program offerings including:

REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE PROGRAM (Financial management for individuals in need of

assistance in managing social security disability benefits.) 285 individuals served in 2014.

SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAM (Permanent housing program for individuals with

mental illness, with on-site supportive and clinical services.) 91 served in 2014.

BENEFITS ASSISTANCE (Provides assistance to individuals in applying for and

maintaining disability benefits.) 368 served in 2014.

SHELTER PLUS CARE PROGRAM (Housing program for homeless individuals and families

who need intensive therapeutic services.) 186 adults and 31 children served in 2014.

HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAM (Provides access to behavioral healthcare and entry

into Shelter Plus Care and SHP Homeless Housing Programs) engaged 254 individuals in

2014.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, PSYCHIATRISTS and ACT TEAM SERVICES served 272 adults

in 2014.

MIRCI

Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc.

MIRCI has been accredited by CARF International for a

period of three years (through May 2018) for its Community

Housing, Community Integration, and Supported Living

programs.

In 2015 our 52 Windows—An Evening of Art to benefit MIRCI

raised over $91,000 to support our housing and homeless

programs. This year’s event showcased a variety of media

featured by Rob Shaw, Michael Gray,

John Stuart, Janet Kozachek, Lee Malerich,

Glenn Saborosch, Steven Whetstone, Page Morris,

Mary Gilkerson, Rob Shaw, and Chappy Manning. Plus many

more friends of MIRCI Artist.

Once again MIRCI staff co-led the 2015 Point-in Time

Homeless Count for Richland County.

Oh the behalf of Central Carolina Community Foundation,

MIRCI was chosen by guests attending the Legacy Luncheon

to receive a mini grant from the 30th Anniversary Acts of

Giving Campaign.

MIRCI was recognized in the Palmetto Health, Foster G.

McGaw Prize Winner video.

Beginning July 2014, MIRCI is the recipient of an annual

$250,000 grant from United Way of the Midlands to support

our Homeless Outreach, Supportive Housing, Behavioral

Healthcare, and Benefits Assistance.

With the addition of Dr. Kristen Clary in February 2015,

MIRCI is now able to have behavioral health clinic services

Monday through Friday.

MIRCI Continues to conduct quarterly agency tours. Anyone

is welcome to attend one of the tours for a first hand

experience of what recovery looks like.

2014—2015 MIRCI HIGHLIGHTS

Brittany’s Recovery Journey

Think of today’s twenty-somethings, and what might be

happening in their lives during this important decade. Such an

exciting time of life, as they convert childhood experiences into

adult independence! Now imagine the childhood experiences

being traumatic ones. Brittany was a young beautiful girl living

in fear of abuse and other trauma. She lost her mother at the

pivotal age of twelve, which placed her in the throes of even

more trouble throughout her adolescent years.

Brittany dropped out of high school in the tenth grade, had her

first psychiatric hospitalization at age 17, and gave birth to her

first son at age 18. Family members assisted with childcare so

she could work, but jobs never seemed to last and Brittany

continued to have difficulty managing her mental health

symptoms. She had several additional hospitalizations, and

then became pregnant for the second time. After giving birth

to a daughter, Brittany struggled to care for two children and

herself, and once again became hospitalized. While she was

receiving inpatient treatment, her daughter suddenly died of

unknown causes. Following her daughter’s passing, she began getting regular mental health treatment, but

still experienced periods of decline.

In June, 2014, Brittany, pregnant with her second son, moved to Transitions shelter in Columbia to seek

stability in an area with more available services than the rural area where she was raised. Her son had been

taken into DSS custody and lived with a relative. During her stay in the shelter, Brittany met MIRCI’s Outreach

Coordinator and started engagement for entry into MIRCI services. In late August, 2014, Brittany moved into

MIRCI’s permanent supportive housing. In addition to housing, Brittany received psychiatric services and

intensive case management, including individual therapy and psychosocial rehabilitative services. Her son was

returned to her care and started school on time in the fall.

On December 30, Brittany gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and her life began to stabilize. However, when

the baby was two months old, she experienced severe symptoms once again, and was hospitalized. The

children were placed in emergency protective custody during her hospital stay and returned to her after she

was discharged from the hospital.

Brittany had once started a disability case with an attorney, but chose instead to seek assistance from MIRCI’s

Benefits Specialist, who used the SOAR method to expedite the decision, which was favorable. The Benefits

Specialist was able to negotiate an On-The-Record review, preventing Brittany from having to attend a

hearing, which may have produced anxiety and resulted in another decompensation.

Brittany, the once unaccompanied homeless youth in transition, is now a twenty-something enjoying the sum-

mer with her two children. By engaging with MIRCI services, she has given herself and her children opportuni-

ties for growth they all may not have had otherwise. The combination of services, income, and attached

healthcare has made a marked difference in all their lives!

Through a grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of SC Foundation in 2008, MIRCI contracted with the Office of Research

and Statistics of the SC Budget and Control Board to create a data collection system and analysis process to confirm the

reduction in emergency department visits and hospital admissions as a result of MIRCI’s interventions. The findings

through 2014 represent the seventh year of this analysis, and continue to demonstrate the reduction of emergency

department visits and hospital admissions after enrolling in the housing and homeless programs of MIRCI. This on-going

relationship with the Office of Research and Statistics allows MIRCI to continually evaluate the impact of its programs.

Summary of Findings

Utilization of Hospital Services:

For the 212 clients linked to the RFA general hospital data system:

The Total number of inpatient hospitalizations for the cohort of 212 clients for the year subsequent to

beginning MIRCI services dropped by almost 50% from the year preceding entry into MIRCI (from 115 to 58).

Decreases in mental Illness and substance abuse hospitalizations (from 89 discharges pre-enrollment to 26

discharges post-enrollment) were the entire reason for the overall decline.

Considering Mental Illness/SA as the reason for the hospitalization, the number of hospitalizations

dropped by 71%, pre- to post-entry into MIRCI.

As in past analyses, hospitalizations for physical illness and accidents actually increased, from 26

(pre-) to 32 (post-). This type of change is not unexpected because of variability introduced by

small numbers; in this case, one client with five hospitalizations post-MIRCI explains almost the

entire increase.

A second finding for inpatient hospitalizations is that the intensity of services required when

hospitalization was needed (measured by number of days in the hospital) dropped by 44% from an

average of 13.1 days pre-MIRCI to 7.4 days post-MIRCI.

The combination of decreases in numbers of hospitalizations and length of stay resulted in a

significant drop in inpatient charges of $2,233,390, a 58% drop.

The number of emergency department visits dropped by 39% once the clients enrolled in MIRCI

Emergency department visits where mental illness was the reason for the visit dropped even more,

by 61%. Unlike inpatient hospitalizations, ED visits for physical illness dropped by 33%.

Schizophrenic disorder was the most common mental illness reason for visiting the ED for a

mental illness; these visits dropped by 62%.

For the 207 clients linked to the RFA psychiatric specialty hospital database:

The number of inpatient hospitalizations dropped by 86% in the year following enrollment, from 29 to 4,

virtually containing the use of inpatient services by good outpatient management

Monetary Savings: Considering all hospital services combined (inpatient general, inpatient specialty and emergency

department visits), total charges for services in the year following MIRCI enrollment were $3,171,107 less than charges

for services in the year prior to MIRCI enrollment. Note: Because this analysis is longitudinal and spans clients enrolling

in MIRCI over a 17-year period, health care charges have been adjusted to 2013 dollars using the GDP index for the

latest year available. Inpatient general hospitalization decreases accounted for 56% of these savings, with ED visits and

specialty hospital discharges accounting for 29% and 15% respectively.

Discussion

The results of pre and post hospital and emergency department use analysis show substantial observed decreases once

clients are assisted by MIRCI programs. Decreases are most dramatic for diagnoses of mental illness and substance

abuse but are also reflected in the declining use of hospital emergency departments even for physical illness. MIRCI case

management offers emphasis on appropriate outpatient psychiatric services, stability in medication adherence, life

skills, and housing. The significance of their success is borne out in the substantial drop in expensive service utilization

expressed in avoided hospital charges of over 3.1 million dollars.

Department of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs (RFA) Findings

United Way of the Midlands—$225,000

Palmetto Health—$135,249

BlueCross BlueShield of SC Foundation—$50,000

Nord Foundation—$30,000

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.—$10,000

2014 Private Grants

2014 Organizational Spending

Category percentages of total organizational ex-penses are as follows: Program Services – 94.5% General & Administrative – 5.5%

2014 Revenue by Funding Source State Grants and Contracts

Federal Grants and Contracts

Medicare/Medicaid Billings

Client Services and Property Management Fees

Private Grants

Fundraising

General Contributions

Other

$1,213,172

$962,649

$937,507

$755,167

$450,249

$99,221

$46,948

$3,064

Program Services

General & Administrative

State Grants and Contracts

Federal Grants and Contracts

Medicare/Medicaid Billings

Client Services and PropertyManagement Fees

Private Grants

Fundraising

General Contributions

Others

2014 Individual Donors Jessica Agee

Susan Amick

Gail Anastasion

James & Eleanor Attwood

Stephen Von Hollen & Julie Ann Avin

Charles & Mildred Avin

Moe Baddoura

John & Nela Balling

Linda Bambacus

Morris Blachman

Eileen Blyth

William & Florist Bowman

Jack Brantley

John Buch

Ronald & Mary Burkett

Bryan & Mary Caskey

George Cauthen

Sally Caver

Stephen Christian

Lucile Cohen

Nici Comer

Elizabeth Corley

Marcia Coster-Schulz

Tina Cundri

William Dailey

Robert & Brenda Davis

Sara Davis

Ottavio DeBeni

Debbie Durban

John Durst

Mary Anne Ehasz

Susan English

Michael & Susan Enright

John Evans

Michael & Carol Evans

Mel & Frances Everingham

Michael Ferlauto

Jay Fields

Anita Floyd

Rachel Flynn

Sarah Redd Foundation

Dr. Lorraine Fowler

Herbert & Barbara Frank

Ann Frazier-Melton

John Garrison

Carlos Gibbons

Rebecca Gillespie

Jennifer Gilmore

Jean Ginsberg

Samuel Glenn

CheChe Goldman

Mary Govier

Debra Grant

Liz Green

Dona Guffey

Louise Haggerty

Steve & Debbie Hamm

Bob & Marion Hargreaves

Elizabeth Harmon

Katharine Hartley

Catherine Hendrix

Dr. Numa Hero III

Jo Anne Wessinger Hill

Barbara Hollis

Chad & Kristen Horne

Chip Huggins

Parkin Hunter

Pattie Hutto

John Hutto III

Donald & Nancy Hyatt

Hugh Jacobs

Zealy Jenkins

Jeanette Jerrell

David Johnson

Shannon Johnson

Stephanie Jones

Dr. Eugene Kaplan

Brooke Kelly

Robert & Jane Key

Shirley Knight

Maria Madeo & Jeff Koob

Thanks for your generous support!

2014 Corporate Donors

2014 Individual Donors Continued...

Aberdeen Catery, LLC

Ashland United Methodist Church

Auto Safety Glass

Baker & Baker Foundation

BB&T / Boyle Vaughan Insurance

BlueCross BlueShield

Boyd Management

Burkett Burkett & Burkett

CBRE|Cloumbia

CCM Advisers, LLC

Classic Business Solutions, LLC

Colliers International

Colonial Life

Elliott Davis

First Citizens

First Citizens Café

Good Unlimited Trust

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA

Imagine Nation Books, LTD

Janssen Pharmaceuticals

JT's KIA

Keenan Suggs

Kerr & Company, Inc.

Legal Staff Professionals of South Carolina

Lexington Medical Center

Longs Drugs

McNeel Properties

Modern Exterminating

NBSC

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP

Palmetto Health

Red Curb Investments, LLC

South Carolina Hospital Association

TD Bank

Terminix

Wells Fargo

Carmen Thomas

Robert Thompson

Bill Tindall

William Torness

Ronda Tranter

Laurie Walden

Pam Waldron

Margaret Wallace

Will Warren

Donald & Beverly Waters

Jean Whyte

Richard & Laurie Widdifield

Joel Wier III

Jonathan Williams

John & Stephanie Williams

Alana Odom Williams

Geoffrey Williams

Janey Yarborough

Margaret & Chris Yeakel

Charles Zug

Bill Post

Kenneth Price

Scott Moise Redd

Noni Richards

Dr. James Riddle

Barbara Riley

Annette Rollins

Patricia Russell

Ruthie Saunders

CJ & Ann Savoca

Jenny Scott

Carolyn Seabrook

Sarah Shell

Anne Sinclair

Emory Smith

John Stock

Howard Stravitz

Marla Strickland

Kerry Stubbs

Erin Stuckey

Dr. Delores Taylor

Wilma Taylor

Michael Latham

Pamela Lawrence

John Lee Jr.

Donald and Alma Lundgren

Shannon Lyon

Donna Macaleer

Dolores Macey PhD

Nancy Madden

Cory Manning

Harry Mashburn

Lawrence and Vanessa McClintock

John McIntosh

Patrick & Beth McNamee

Howard Miller

Dianne Miller-Williams

Tom & Patricia Minor

Michael Moriarity

Bess Morris

Edward Mullins

John & Natalie O’bradovich

Dolly Patton

Gregory Pearce

Meigs Porter

2015

MIRCI’s Management Team Julie Ann Avin – Executive Director

Stephanie Denning – Director of Finance and Administration

Dr. John Steele—Medical Director

Frances Everingham – Clinical Director

Rhonda Clark – Operations Director

Dianne Williams—ACT Team Leader

Erin Tolbert—Friendship Center Coordinator

Diane Zygmont – HR and Accounting Manager

Richard Widener – MIRCI Group Home Administrator

Kimya Clark—MIRCI Group Home Clinical Coordinator

Leslie Alderman—Nurse Manager

MIRCI’s Board of Directors

Officers of the Board Julie Ann Avin—President

Stephanie Denning—Treasurer

Frances Everingham—Secretary

Board Members

Kristen Horne—Board Chair

Ronda Tranter—Board Vice-Chair

Arthur Anderson

Ronny Burkett

Elizabeth Harmon

Shannon Johnson

Bill Tindall

Laurie Walden

Will Warren

Geoffrey Williams

Advisory Board

Joyce Britt (Emeritus)

John Durst

Lorraine Fowler, Ph.D. (Emeritus)

Andy Giugliano (Emeritus)

MIRCI’s Human Rights

Committee Jeremy Martin

Jane W. Key

Deborah C. Boone

Laura Jeffcoat

Sharon Kelly

May Kirby is the homeless outreach coordinator for MIRCI. Many days,

her job takes her to places such as the library, bus stops or the soup

kitchen where she builds relationships with chronically homeless,

mentally ill people who she and her team help connect with needed

services. –by Sarah Ellis, the State Paper

Beth Argent (Left) and May Kirby, homeless outreach workers for

MIRCI, talk with Charlie outside of Washington Street United

Methodist Church. Argent is helping him apply for benefits.

–by Sarah Ellis, the State Paper

Fore more information

visit us online at

www.mirci.org

Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. (MIRCI)

3809 Rosewood Drive

Columbia, SC 29205

Phone: (803) 786-1844

Fax: (803) 754-7783

@MIRCISC

facebook.com/MIRCISC