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A New Year
I'd like to wish each of you a happy new year and a productive one. We have much to accomplish, but I'm excited by what we've already done together. The past six months have been like a new ship's "shakedown" cruise. We've learned to work together in new ways and gotten ourselves in good order. And most importantly, we've found a reliable compass to guide us: the mission, vision, and values we've put in place.
Now the real work begins. Expectations for us are high. You will be hearing in the coming days that DBHDD is one of only two agencies to receive an increase in funding in the Governor's budget. Those resources are badly needed, but they will also shine a spotlight on us. Let's repay the trust and support that's come to us by making the most of every single penny. And let's use our effort to live out our values and make a difference in the lives of the people we serve every day.
Happy New Year!
-- Dr. Frank Shelp, Commissioner Recovery Day 2010
Addiction Recovery Awareness Day 2010 will be held on Thursday, January 14, at the Georgia State Capitol. Commissioner Shelp will be participating in the rally on the Capitol lawn at 12. Last year 500 people come out to the Capitol to speak with legislators about recovery from substance abuse; this year we'd like to see 1000 or more attend.
The day begins at 8:30 AM with a review of the legislative agenda and an advocacy briefing by the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, which sponsors the day's activities. At 9:45 a resolution will be read in the House and Senate Chambers. Starting at 10:30 participants will be able to take their message to legislators. For more info on the event, check out http://www.gasubstanceabuse.org
"I'm Here For You"
 Together, we're working to put exceptional customer service at the heart of our organization. We have the opportunity with every interaction to give customers a level of service that differentiates us from others. On January 7, DBHDD started the new year off with 300 employees at 2 Peachtree participating in a customer service kick-off by wearing “I'm Here for You" stickers.
A sticker may be a small thing, but it does remind us to take pride in helping customers. And by having 100% participation, we showed that DBHDD feels good about what we are doing for the customers and communities we serve.
2010 Legislative Session
The 2010 Georgia General Assembly convened on Monday, January 11, 2010 for what promises to be a lively second session of the 2009-2010 biennium. This year, the legislature seeks to address several big issue items including: transportation funding, water, ethics reform, and the state's budget.
DBHDD is also monitoring several bills that have the potential to impact the departments and individuals we serve. Some of those bills include:
- HB 571 - Sexual offenders; classification; change and enact provisions
- HB 615 - Firearms; carrying of concealed weapons; revise laws; provisions
- SB 292 - Courts; juvenile proceedings; revisions
- SB 244 - Psychiatric Advance Directive Act; provide standards/limitations with respect to psychiatric advance directives
DBHDD has one agency bill that will be introduced this year for passage. This bill addresses how we serve our child and adolescent forensic services population. When youth are found to be incompetent to stand trial on criminal charges, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) needs the authority to place these youth in a designated secure community youth facility for evaluation and treatment to provide security and treatment appropriate for this population. Currently, the law requires that these youth be committed to a hospital bed for evaluation or treatment. We are proposing legislation that will allow DBHDD to place these youth in a secure community youth facility designated by the Department. Senator Renee Unterman has agreed to author and sponsor the bill.
For more information about the Georgia General Assembly and its activity, visit http://www.legis.state.ga.us/.
If you have questions or would like more information about the legislative process or the bills we're tracking, please contact Consuelo Campbell at clcampbell@dhr.state.ga.us or Kay Hall at kahall@dhr.state.ga.us.
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Our Values: Dedication
"My creed is that public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation with full recognition that every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration, that constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought, that smears are not only to be expected but fought, that honor is to be earned, not bought." ~ Margaret Chase Smith
"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen" ~ Frank Lloyd Wright
"I have one life and one chance to make it count for something . My faith demands -- this is not optional -- my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference."
~Jimmy Carter
"Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better."
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Neither Snow Nor Rain...
We'd like to thank those who braved bad weather to make into work on Friday, January 8. No one should risk their safety unnecessarily, but those who were able to make it in deserve a bit of recognition for their dedication. Thanks! 2010 Furlough Dates
Furloughs are no one's favorite topic, but with enough forewarning we can all at least plan around them. In addition to the three days taken last Fall, DBHDD's 2 Peachtree offices in Atlanta and Regional offices will be furloughed on the following Fridays:
February 5, March 5,
March 19, April 2,
April 23, May 7,
May 21, June 4,
and June 18.
All non-clinical hospital employees will take 12 days between February 5 and June 30, to be arranged with hospital leadership. "In the News" Site
The Office of Communications has launched a new website that tracks news stories touching on DBHDD and our mission. The site and has some handy features. You can sort each page of articles by their date of publication, title, author, or source. A list of "tags" lets you retrieve articles on a specific topic. Search features let you find articles that contain a keyword in the title, source, or author fields, or to find articles between a set of dates. Bookmark the site and visit as often as you like; news articles are added throughout the day.
DBHDD In the News
Perdue to boost transportation, mental-health funding
January 12, 2010 Legislature facing revenue meltdown
January 11, 2010 Support groups hold smokers to the fire
January 9, 2010 At Georgia Capitol, 2010 looks bleak
January 8, 2010 If you're driving, don't drink
January 3, 2010
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