From the: Quarterly news from Alliance Community Relations,  July 2016 After serving 400 people in the past year, the Alliance School Based Care Coordination team model has been expanded to ensure a continuum of care for children who are being discharged from a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF). The initiative was developed in collaboration...

By Dr. Susanne Gaddis Until recently, most of us assumed that we needed great willpower to reach our goals.  Now, according to the latest research conducted by Harvard graduate Angela Duckworth, reaching your goals may also be a function of how much “won’t power” you have. Willpower keeps you focused on what you intend...

By Dr. Susanne Gaddis What do you say when you talk about yourself? Do you draw attention to your positive attributes and build yourself up?   Or, do you share negative characteristics and tear yourself down? Consider these sorts of statements: “I’m just not good at this.” “I’m so disorganized.” “I guess I’m just not...

By Dr. Susanna Gaddis Having to listen to a torrent of negative remarks is like getting caught in a heavy rainstorm.  It’s not particularly pleasant, but it’s something we all have to endure occasionally. What do you do when listening to a steady stream of negative comments? How do you respond when people wax...

By Dr. Susanne Gaddis You’ve been invited to participate in a communication activity called “Weigh Your Words.” The rules are simple: First, imagine that you were secretly followed by someone who recorded your every word for the past week—at home, work, everywhere. For your convenience and to creatively educate you on the power of...

By Dr. Susanna Gaddis “If you want to be a master, study what the masters have done before you, have the courage to do what they do and you will be a master too.” –Jos. J. Charbonneau Great communicators are made, not born. And a lot of that comes from observing others in action....

By Lori Palen, Youth Thrive Evaluator RTI International Program evaluation is kind of like going on a road trip. “Are we there yet?” a stakeholder calls from the backseat. Hopefully, the evaluator (who’s riding shotgun, because she sometimes gets carsick if she sits in the back) will be able to say, “Almost! Five more...

By Dr. Susanne Gaddis It was a hot summer day at the park and a perfect day to be outside. As I sat on the bench soaking in the sun’s warm rays, my eyes and ears were drawn to a conversation between two young sisters. The oldest, who looked to be about six years...

By Lorraine C. Taylor, Ph.D., Director, Youth Opportunity Initiative, Alliance Behavioral Healthcare I had the privilege of serving on two action teams, Opportunity Youth as well as the Academic Success teams. Why on earth would someone commit to serving on two teams? For me, the chance to work with community members and leaders focused...

By Chrystal Coble We all know what it is like to put energy and effort into something at work and being excited about the potential impact it could have for young people.  Imagine if we all put that energy and effort into one common goal. How many lives would we have the opportunity to...