INSIDER
JEWISH
FAMILY
SERVICE
OF
METRO-DETROIT
EXPANDING OUR SCOPE OF SERVICES
A New Program at Jewish Family Service
Jewish Family Service has establish-
ed a new program called Senior
Outreach Services (S.O.S.), which is
designed to care for the elderly or
disabled who are experiencing serious
problems. The program also caters to
the needs of relatives who cannot pro-
vide the necessary care their relative
needs. S.O.S. takes the burden off
relatives by providing quality profes-
sional services.
Almost all initial S.O.S. requests for
service come from a concerned
relative, who may live in Metropolitan
Detroit or out of town. Within 48
hours of a request for service from a
relative or the client, a certified social
worker completes a thorough assess-
ment of the individual in need of ser-
vice. A treatment plan is then
developed and shared with the relative
and the client. S.O.S. responds to all
problems in a sensitive and caring
manner to help maintain in-
dependence, dignity and quality of life.
There are times, when for example,
the decision is made that living at
home is no longer the best option, and
S.O.S. helps the family explore all the
alternatives and ease the transition.
This is an example of a typical case
that came to the attention of S.O.S.
staff a few months ago. Mrs. Cohen',
residing in Boston, called very con-
cerned about her 78 year-old father,
Mr. H. Brill*. Mr. Brill has been living
alone in his apartment in Southfield
since his wife passed away two years
ago. Mrs. Cohen had noticed that in
the past couple of weeks, her father
has seemed more forgetful. A neighbor
called to say that he was concerned by
Mr. Brill's having become disoriented
and lost on several occasions. A
geriatric social worker went to visit Mr.
Brill and conducted a thorough
psycho-social evaluation, including
telephone contacts with his physician.
It became clear that Mr. Brill was suf-
fering from depression and as a result,
had become isolated, was not taking
his medication properly and was not
eating a balanced diet.
In consultation with Mrs. Cohen,
the geriatric social worker established
a comprehensive treatment plan for
Mr. Brill. An agreement was signed
between S.O.S. and Mrs. Cohen pro-
viding details of the treatment plan
and outlining the service costs for
which Mrs. Cohen agreed to be
responsible. Mr. Brill would be assign-
ed a geriatric social worker who would
act as the "case manager", visit with
him on a regular basis and be respon-
sible for ensuring that all the elements
I)
of his treatment plan are carefully
monitored. The plan included a
homemaker from Jewish Family Ser-
vice, to assist with housekeeping and
grooming, a medication reminder box
to make it easier for Mr. Brill to take
his medications appropriately, kosher
Meals-On-Wheels to ensure proper
nutrition and counseling to treat
depression. The worker would keep in
ongoing contact with Mrs. Cohen.
Most S.O.S. services are provided to
people living in their own homes, but
monitoring and advocacy services are
also provided to relatives who live in
nursing homes or institutions.
Counseling is available at all times for
both the client and family members.
The initial consultation is free of
President's Message
President's Message
by John E. Jacobs
Jewish Family Service President
by Marcy Feldman
Resettlement Service President
During my term as President of
Jewish Family Service, I have strong-
ly encouraged the agency to be in-
volved in joint ventures with other
organizations. It is through such part-
nerships that the agency is able to
make the most significant impact on a
wide variety of needs in our community.
Plans for a shelter for battered
women are being developed for the
Family Abuse-Prevention Program, in
conjunction with the National Council
of Jewish Women - Detroit Section.
Members of our Clinical Services
Committee, volunteers and staff
visited a similar program in Toronto
upon which, our program will be based.
Despite all the changes in the
former Soviet Union many Jews are
still choosing to leave. We expect to
have resettled over 800 people in the
Detroit area this year. In the last two
and a half years Resettlement Service
has resettled more than 1,800 new
Americans in our community. With
only seven caseworkers on our staff,
each carrying a caseload of fifty or
more, this has not been an easy task.
Our Resettlement Service
caseworkers are hard-working,
dedicated, caring people who were
themselves resettled in the last big
wave of immigration. They meet
newcomers at the airport, rent and fur-
nish an apartment with basic furniture
and household items, buy the food for
the refrigerator and begin the ac-
culturation process, orienting them to
the Jewish community and to the
necessities of life in modern western
society. They learn about health,
hygiene, money management and
language acquisition. The caseworkers
After the agency received an endow-
_ ment from Jerry and Eileen Bielfield, a
Jewish Hospice Task Force was
established, chaired by board member
David Techner. We are working with
the Hospice of Southeastern Michigan
to develop a Jewish component to the
hospice program, to enable patients
and their families to more fully use the
excellent range of services offered.
continued on back page
The Officers and the Board of Directors of Resettlement Service
cordially invite Resettlement Volunteers to
THE VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION EVENING
Monday, March 30, 1992 • 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
CONGREGATION BETH ABRAHAM HILLEL MOSES
5075 WEST MAPLE ROAD • WEST BLOOMFIELD
Al/ volunteers• will be recognized and be presented with a cenVicate 01'am-eclat/on.
Featuring a mucked peijinmance by New American.s. and Des..sert Reception
Please R.S.V.P. by .March 2.5, 1992 at 5,59-4,566
charge, but a fee is charged for on-
going service.
Call our S.O.S. staff about any issues
or concerns related to the elderly and
the aging process or a family member
with a disability or mental illness. We
will be happy to help you develop a
treatment plan for your relative or to
speak to your organization about our
services.
For additional information about
this new Jewish Family Service Pro-
gram, or to discuss concerns about a
relative or friend, please call Senior
Outreach Services (S.O.S.) Supervisor,
Judy Kotzen, M.S.W. at 559-1500. ■
*Names have been changed to protect
the confidentiality of clients.
arrange for a medical screening at
Sinai hospital, refer them to Jewish
Vocational Service for job placement
and help them to deal with the
government bureaucracy. It is not easy
to help people learn everything there
is to know about living in America or
about life in the Jewish community.
Who can make this task easier OUR
VOLUNTEERS! We are blessed in
this community with many people who
give their time and support in so many
ways. We needed a warehouse to store
furniture and a truck. Three people
answered our call. We needed money
to quickly buy plane tickets to bring
from Minsk the parents and sister of a
young woman dying of cancer. Other
—
continued on back page