Board NewsBoard of DirectorsRekha Shukla, PresidentRobert M. Lucas, 1st Vice PresidentDurwood Hill, 2nd Vice PresidentMyles Lilley, TreasurerAmy Billerbeck, SecretaryNancy DapperTim FlynnDurwood HillJohn B. JonesAaron Lauth*Mark MazzeiSteve McLean*David B. PaolicelliStephanie RossKathleen RulloJean Silvernail*ex-offi cio members

Outreach is proud to welcome our new Junior Board Members from Mt. Lebanon High School: junior, Mia Friedel and sophomore, Abigail Duclos. We are excited to have the opportunity to be informed by the voice of our community’s teens in planning events and hearing their unique insight into our programs!

Did You Know?Outreach’s Twitter handle is @OutreachTFS

Our Facebook page contains great articles and advice provided by Clinical Director, Christina Hostutler, LCSW. Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/outreachteen

Our articles in Mt. Lebanon Magazine are made possible by a generous grant of the Mt. Lebanon Police Association.

Counseling. Care. Connection.

Teen & Family Services, Inc.

DEC2016

Counselor Spotlight: Elizabeth Rychcik

Elizabeth Rychcik fi rst came to Outreach in February of 2013. A graduate of the University of Akron,

she has a master’s degree in counseling psychology. Elizabeth jumped right in to counseling teens

and their families with her trademark enthusiasm and then quickly expanded her role. Now the

Outreach “jack of all trades,” her responsibilities include: development of and presenting the 6-part

Parent Discussion Series; TeenScreen® facilitator; community educator; co-leading “Choices” drug

and alcohol prevention classes; facilitating elementary psycho-education groups; and training staff in

career counseling. Obviously, we were excited when Elizabeth added to her list and is now one of our

school-based counselors at Pittsburgh Technical College!

Elizabeth chose counseling as a profession when she was a senior in high school. She was always the

person friends came to with a problem, so counseling seemed like a logical choice. Elizabeth feels the

most rewarded in her job when clients recognize their authentic selves. She explains:

Fun facts about Elizabeth: favorite book, “Memoirs of a Geisha”; spirit animal, dog (lie around and get

love and attention? Yes please!); and favorite dessert, chocolate chip cookies. She is still on a quest to

fi nd the best recipe in the ‘burgh, so you might want to get baking!

New Faces/New Names:Welcome to our newest counselors:

Alison Grabell and Matthew Reinhart.

www.outreachteen.org • 666 Washington Road • Pittsburgh, PA 15228 • 412-561-5405

“It is such an honor to be part of that very personal process where someone learns to accept the parts of themselves that truly make them who they are.”

From a Counselor: One Client’s StoryI first met Ann* when she was 12 years old. At that time, I was working with her mother who was struggling to parent Ann’s older sisters. Just seeing Ann

only once, she immediately struck me as a smart girl who often tried to play peacemaker in her family.

Three years later, I received a call again from her mother. This time she wanted Ann to come in for counseling and worried that she was depressed; she

made sure to mention that the older girls were doing great. Ann was now 15 and seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She found

it difficult to get out of bed, she often had crying spells that would turn into panic attacks, she felt like a failure and burden to her friends, and she battled

frequent thoughts of suicide.

Initially, Ann felt that her problems were beyond treatment. She lived with depression for so long that she began to

believe in the lies that her brain told her like she is not lovable, does not belong, that she is broken, and that there is

no hope. I remember having to go slowly with Ann at first. We needed to establish a strong enough relationship for

her to understand that I cared, would be honest with her, and for her to trust me enough to challenge her perception

of reality. Ann began to open up more about being a child of divorce who had to hold everyone together as they were

falling apart and negotiate the relationship between her estranged parents. She also dearly missed her southern

childhood home and left a big piece of her identity there when she moved. Ann joined with me in processing how

the past shapes her current relationships and vision of herself, and then had enough hope to go on the journey of

deciding how she wanted her future to look.

Ann courageously confronted her depression and the temptation to slip into old habits and dark places. She utilized the cognitive and coping skills she learned

in session to pursue her goals. She enjoyed coming to session, reporting that she met her goal of getting to school on time all week. Subsequent weeks, she

confidently described success in extra-curricular activities, new friends, and quality time spent with her father. As treatment ended, we were both sad to part

ways, but also very excited for all that lay ahead; this time, the future looks bright.

*name changed to protect client confidentiality

Our Mission

To promote and provide empathetic, personal, accessible and affordable

mental health counseling and wellness programs for children and families.

www.outreachteen.org • 666 Washington Road • Pittsburgh, PA 15228 • 412-561-5405www.outreachteen.org • 666 Washington Road • Pittsburgh, PA 15228 • 412-561-5405

Programs/Presentations

Parenting Discussion Series

Our Fall Discussion Series included the following presentations:

“Helping Your Child Make This School Year Successful”

“Keeping Your Yelling in Check: Anger Management for Parents”

“Stress Management for Adolescents and Parents”

These presentations are developed and facilitated by Elizabeth Rychcik,

but the subject matter is enhanced by suggestions from parents in our

community and those in attendance at the presentations. We look forward

to new presentations being developed for winter/spring of 2017!

ChoicesOur drug and alcohol education program is designed as an opportunity

to help families fi nd answers. We aim to reduce substance abuse among

adolescents by supporting families and educating teens. The Choices

program does not assume that every teen attending the program has fi rmly

set upon the road to addiction. The goals of this educational program

are to help prevent reoccurrence of the previous behavior and to help

teens make better decisions in the future. Please call 412-561-5405 for

registration information, or check out our website for more information,

www.outreachteen.org.

TeenScreen® The goal of TeenScreen® is to ensure that all parents are offered the

opportunity for their teens to receive a voluntary mental health check-up. Just

like vision and hearing screenings, TeenScreen® does not make a diagnosis

but informs parents of their teen needing further evaluation. TeenScreen®

focuses on screening for depression, anxiety, and alcohol and substance abuse

because they are: common, treatable, often undiagnosed & untreated. In the

2015-16 school year, our counselors screened over 450 students from 2 high

schools and 2 middle schools; nearly 70 screened positive. Please call Emily

Heim, 412-561-5405, for further information.

170teens screened in 2015. 18% were positive.

The Ralph Compagnone Athletic Series initiative is in

memory of honorary Board Member Jane Compagnone’s husband. Mr. Camp passed away

in October 2015. Memorial donations made to Outreach enable the agency to develop

and implement presentations for high school student-athletes, coaches and parents that

exemplify the qualities Ralph exhibited as a caring coach and mentor. Whether he was

teaching them about the hard work necessary to invest in the sport to become a better

athlete, or mentoring them to work hard to get good grades and become better people, he

spoke an essential truth; that if you love what demands effort and dedication, the “work” is

not work at all, but a joy. Mr. Camp knew about the unique and lasting bonds that a quality

coach can establish with his athletes. If you’d like to contribute to in Coach Camp’s memory,

please designate this on the donation envelope, or in your online contribution.

www.outreachteen.org • 666 Washington Road • Pittsburgh, PA 15228 • 412-561-5405

Fundraising FocusLast year’s Annual Appeal was a huge

success, thanks to donors like Y-O-U!

Your contributions enabled the agency to

provide 2,313 partially or fully subsidized

counseling sessions for 305 clients and

families last year.

Please use the enclosed envelope to continue that support! Or simply go to: https://asp1130.towercare.com:16000/webDonation/ to make your donation online. Thank you!

Ambassador Program: 2015 Ambassadors: Jason Baer, Mary Birks, John Jones (5-year pledges)2016 Ambassador: Barbara Logan

Association/Foundation

Partners: Thank you to our Association/Foundation Partners for 2015 and 2016! Your support empowers clients each and every day and supports a healthy community that embraces mental wellness! Alcoa FoundationAnonymousDollar Bank Foundation FISA FoundationGoetz Family FoundationGrable FoundationThe Earl Knudsen Charitable FoundationHoward & Nell E. Miller Foundation Mt. Lebanon Community EndowmentMt. Lebanon Police AssociationPeirce Family FoundationOvid D. Robinson Charitable Trust Town Hall South

Offi ce Staff: Mary D. Birks, Executive DirectorChristina Hostutler, LCSW, Clinical DirectorLindsay Gorman, Finance ManagerEmily Heim, MA, Community Outreach & Program ManagerLisa Harris, Offi ce Manager

Printed through the generosity of Sir Speedy Printing

Events

Night at the Speakeasy April 26, 2016 • Sienna Mercato

The performance of a slam poetry piece by an

Outreach client was one of the event highlights.

KDKA-TV’s Ken Rice did a wonderful job as event

emcee, and Pirates’ legend Steve Blass lent his

unique humor, posing for pictures with attendees

throughout the evening.

Sponsors:

Gold: Highmark, Mt. Lebanon Offi ce Suites,

St. Clair Hospital, UPMC, Wayno® Illustration

Silver: Burns White, Dollar Bank, Expedient,

Fort Pitt Capital Group

Bronze: Babst Calland, CFG, IKM, Luchini &

Company, Ian & Chantelle Moore, Schneider Downs,

Sitko Bruno, Toscana Brick Oven, Wesbanco

Golf Outing September 29, 2016 • Lindenwood GC

Sponsors:

Palmer: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, System One

Watson: Expedient

Tee: AEC Group, CFG, Fort Pitt Capital Group,

Luchini & Company

Longest Drive: Dollar Bank

Thank you to our event sponsors! We could not do these amazing events without

your fi nancial commitment!

SAVE THE DATE FOR NIGHT AT THE SPEAKEASY 2017 – MAY 2ND!Sponsorship information can be found at www.outreachteen.org/events/speakeasy-2017/speakeasy-2017-sponsorship-forms/

www.outreachteen.org • 666 Washington Road • Pittsburgh, PA 15228 • 412-561-5405