Running head: AGENCY REPORT: FELLOWSHIP HEALTH RESOURCES 1

Agency Report: Fellowship Health Resources

Kelly A. Hague

Wilmington University
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Agency Report: Fellowship Health Resources

Fellowship Health Resources, Inc. (FHR) is a nonprofit organization that provides a

variety of clinical and supportive services to individuals recovering from mental illness,

substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders. FHRs person-centered clinical model

promotes independence and skill-building to its clients. This organization is motivated by the

beliefs that everyone can recover and grow and that all people have the same basic needs

(Fellowship Health Resources [FHR], 2017). FHR operates several different programs in all

three counties of Delaware: three group homes, four outpatient programs, and four community

based programs.

Mission

The mission of FHR, according to their website, is to assist people of all ages to improve

their behavioral health, well-being, and quality of life (FHR, 2017). FHRs mission is fulfilled

in part by following the PRISM Model. The PRISMMODEL for the Effective Treatment of

Serious and Persistent Mental Illness is a clinical approach that focuses on client strengths. This

approach encompasses the following elements: motivational focus, steadfast support, actions and

goal oriented, build on successes, and failure as an opportunity (FHR, 2017). Every facet of

FHRs clinical approach is geared toward meeting a person where they are or working with

their current set of skills and strengths.

Demographic Information

The programs that FHR offers represent a broad demographic throughout Delaware. The

current census for all Delaware programs is 2,338 participants. It should be noted that this

number could be affected by pending discharges. The ages of participants range from 6 years to

senior citizens. The residential programs which include the three group homes in Sussex County
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house 23 individuals. The community programs include the Childrens IOP (Intensive Outpatient

Program) and ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) Teams. There are 129 participants in

community based programs. Outpatient programs (called CBHOT) provide psychiatric and

counseling services for children and adults. The census in these programs is 1,897 participants.

Participants can also be divided by county. Sussex County serves the most participants,

1,882. Kent County programs serves 375 participants and New Castle County serves 64

participants. The programs that have been around longer have a higher census. Sussex County

programs were established in 1981, Kent programs in 2014, and New Castle programs are the

newest, established in 2016.

Organizational Structure

The administration of FHRs programs in Delaware operates under a hierarchical

organizational structure. At the top of the hierarchy is Michelle Serrano, the Regional Director.

She oversees all of the Delaware programs. On the next level are the director and supervisors of

all the residential, outpatient, and community based programs. In addition, the Assistant

Directors of the three group homes work under the Director of Residential Services. Aside from

these administrative positions, there are support staff such as nursing staff, clinicians, residential

assistants, peer workers, etc. A visual of this organizational structure is evident in the FHR

Organizational Structure Chart (Appendix A).

Governance

FHR has a board of directors with 13 members from different states and different

educational backgrounds and fields. For example there is a business person, doctor, lawyer, and

peer on the board. The members meet quarterly to approve all financial budgets, the quarterly

balanced scorecard, policies, etc. Policies and procedures are based on different states funding
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regulations and CARF accreditations. Each department head has their own to develop using

committees (nursing, clinical, etc.). All policies and procedures are reviewed by and approved by

the board of directors.

Funding Sources

Several funding sources support FHR programs. The largest funding sources are the state

run Managed Care Organizations or MCOs: Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Options and United

Healthcare. There are also state funds allocated for certain programs from the Department of

Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) and the Department of Prevention in Behavioral

Health (DPBH). Finally, programs also receive payments from third party insurance providers

such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, etc.

Relationships to Other Agencies

It is important for FHR to maintain relationships with other agencies to provide a more

comprehensive continuity of care. The Promise Program through DSAMH works to ensure that

FHR participants are receiving all the services they need. FHR works closely with psychiatric

hospitals (Delaware Psychiatric Center and Dover Behavioral Healthcare, among others) as well

as crisis services such as Recovery Innovations when clients require a higher level of care than

FHR has to offer. Also, referrals for substance use treatment come from the Treatment Access

Center (TASC) and probation and parole. ACT Teams use Horizon House as clients payee.

Finally, group home clients are referred by the EEU, a department of the state.

Strengths, Trends, and Challenges

As with any field, this organization has its strengths, trends, and challenges. I interviewed

Regional Director Michelle Serrano to get her take on this topic. One of the main strengths of the
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agency is that it is very person-centered, toward staff and participants. The staff is very family

oriented and the participants are treated as individuals with individual needs.

One of the trends is the increasing requirements of the state through regulations without

any increase in funding. This makes it difficult to keep quality staff to keep these requirements

adequately fulfilled. A common trend in participants that FHR serves is that clients are becoming

more and more medically compromised. This makes an impact on the programs, requiring an

increase in Certified Nursing Assistants and nursing staff throughout programs, especially group

homes. Also, drug addiction is on the rise. Because of this, administrators are focusing on

increasing the reach and availability of substance use disorder programs.

The FHR agency is also met with a set of challenges concerning participants and staff.

There is limited housing for clients. This makes it difficult to place clients when they are ready.

On the business end, it is difficult to keep enough quality staff to fit the budget, which relies

heavily on state funding. In addition, there is inappropriate agency infrastructure to support

growth. The FHR programs in Delaware, especially in northern Delaware, are growing rapidly

and the current infrastructure is inadequate to support that growth. Finally, in Delaware, there is a

limited number of prescribers to meet demand. The workforce is insufficient to meet

requirements for licensed individuals such as doctors and nurse practitioners.

Interns Role

My role as an intern is, first and foremost, to learn about the administrators role in FHR

programs. This includes observing managerial styles and tactics in the office setting, taking part

in various administrative meetings, and completing various administrative tasks for my site

supervisor and other people in leadership positions. Im also responsible for organizing a

fundraiser to benefit the residential programs.

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References

FHR. (2017). FHR: Fostering hope and recovery. Retrieved from https://www.fhr.net/
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Appendix A: FHR Organizational Structure

REGIONAL OFFICE
GEORGETOWN DELAWARE

Michelle Serrano
Regional Director

RESIDENTIAL OUTPATIENT COMMUNITY BASED

Bill Taylor Rhonda Swatsworth Brenda Owens

Director Supervisor Supervisor
Residential Services CBHOT New Castle ACT Team

Amy Fibelkorn Karen McGoerty Lisa Brooks

Assistant Director Supervisor Supervisor
Hope House Group Home Seaford CBHOT Sussex ACT Team

Paula Cosby Ada Morris Penelope Pitts

Assistant Director Supervisor Supervisor
Taton House Group Home Dover IOP Children's Sussex

Ginny Huerta-Kellam Kefa Obara Carolyn Reeves

Assistant Director Supervisor Supervisor
Georgetown Group Home Bear IOP Children's Bear