PA Treatment and Healing
Project Directors Annual Report
2024
On May 22, 2023, I, Kristi Harris (Conrad)MS obtained the position of Project Director for the Drug and Alcohol programming with PA Treatment and Healing. Over this past year, numerous staffing changes have occurred in the Drug and Alcohol programming team, including the resignations of both Mary Kay Powell and Steve Gaito. While Sherie Stiner has remained the Facility Director of the Milton location, Kristi has taken on the task of overseeing the locations of Altoona, East Stroudsburg, and Honesdale. To assist, during this time of transition and restructuring, Angela Kinney was promoted to Utilization Review Manager in Honesdale and oversees all administrative duties in that location, as well as WITS training and troubleshooting, and insurance authorizations and quality improvement for Honesdale, East Stroudsburg, and Altoona. In addition to this, Christie McElwee, has recently begun to make the transition into the role of Clinical Supervisor for the East Stroudsburg and Honesdale programs.
Assessment of staff training needs:
It remains the policy of PATH, in accordance with DDAP and the governing bodies of the respective SCA’s with whom PATH is aligned that all first year staff obtain the following trainings, if not already obtained: ASAM, Addictions 101, Confidentiality, Ethics, Case Management Overview, Screening and Assessment, Motivational Interviewing, HIV/AIDS, and TB/STD. In addition to this, all employees must complete the following yearly, Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, and Fire Safety. Upon hire, all staff are enrolled in Safe Crisis Management, Mandated Reporter (renews every 5 years) and CPR/First Aid (renews biannually). PATH is also diligently working to assist all staff to obtain their PCB certification within the first year of employment, if not already certified.
Overall training plan for the agency:
Due to a recent decrease in in-house training, PATH is currently providing the following for all staff, as needed: Safe Crisis Management, Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, Fire Safety, and CPR/First Aid. The Relias training platform has also been purchased during the last fiscal year, and has been a key resource in training new staff and refreshing veteran staff in the areas of CBT, treatment planning, and mental health issues that are often concurrent with addiction. These trainings, along with those offered by Train for Change and TMS through DDAP are in compliance with the Addictions Treatment Manual and PATH’s personnel manual.
Annual evaluation of overall training plan:
While PATH has experienced much change over the past year, we are still determined to deliver the best service, in the best possible manner, by the best trained staff. It is the goal of this Project Director to assist all team members in the opportunity to grow through training within and outside of the program.
Project Director’s agenda for the current fiscal year:
The focus of this Project Director for the last fiscal year was to ensure that all four programs were utilizing the same policies and procedures to work in tandem to provide quality of care. Training and study materials were provided to staff in an effort to assist them in obtaining their certifications. They were also encouraged to take specialized training in CBT, ACT, RLT, TIC, and EMDR. The focus for this fiscal year will be to grow and expand our programming. Specifically, PATH has begun the process to add IOP to the Milton and East Stroudsburg locations, as well as MAT to the Honesdale location. PATH will also continue to work diligently to obtain the needed certifications and other items to add injectable MAT to the Altoona and Milton locations.
Kristi Harris, MS Project Director 5/22/24
