Gabby’s powerful poem illustrates her journey from pain and guilt to recovery. While Gabby’s poem describes her own unique journey, it also illustrates what so many other women who come to POWER have experienced.

Success StoryGabby

A N N U A L R E P O R T

2 0 1 4 Gabby wrote her poem in the workshop led by a POWER volunteer, a writer and mother

who lost a child of her own to addiction. In April, at our Volunteer Appreciation Tea, these

budding poets – some of whom had never written poetry before – read their works to

a tearful and appreciative audience.

She says I’m a failure. You’re nothing, a junkie, just like your mother.

Why can’t you believe in me? You don’t understand my pain won’t go away. My past is haunting me.

Get over it. Go away. You’re worthless.

But you’re like a mother to me. I love you. Why have you disowned me?

They tell me I’m strong, beautiful, kind. I say I’m weak, ugly, a liar.

I am dying inside. I have destroyed everything.

They say you’re only human. They say I can do it.

I can do it, I am strong, I won’t give up. My guilt and shame have slipped away. Nobody can get me down.

I am happy, honest, and free. I forgive you for me.

Who would have thought other women like me would be the key.

Women Like Me by Gabby

For the past year, POWER’s leadership has sought the answer to that question, participating in multiple meetings about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its potential impact on the way POWER delivers care to women and families. While many questions remain unanswered, it’s become clear that a central focus of the ACA is the holistic integration of physical and behavioral healthcare. Over the next year, we’ll continue to look for ways to enhance our care within this new context, as always, with the greatest emphasis on quality.

Thanks to Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, Inc. – our region’s behavioral health managed care organization for Medical Assistance recipients – POWER is involved in Behavioral Health Home Plus Expansion. This innovative initiative was designed to help agencies create a “health home” and develop a wellness culture through coaching and training: an excellent effort that supports what we know about improving integration between primary healthcare and drug and alcohol treatment services. POWER hired a nurse with 25 years of extensive community outreach experience to serve as the lead health navigator and wellness consultant to Mentors, staff who function as wellness coaches and who help their clients achieve health-related goals. We’re so excited about this and look forward to what we believe will be significant results!

Healthcare reform is a major focus of our current strategic planning process, as is continuing to reinforce the organization’s infrastructure, thereby ensuring staff has the resources necessary to concentrate their efforts on delivering quality care. Our plan, a roadmap for the next three years, will provide the guidance we need to develop and implement bold strategic objectives, which we look forward to sharing with you as they continue to unfold.

Also of significance, in Fiscal Year 2014, POWER was offered an opportunity to purchase the former St. Anselm Convent – home to POWER House since 1991. We will finalize the purchase early in Fiscal Year 2015. As proud owners of this property, we look forward to continuing to be a good neighbor in Swissvale and a valuable resource to the nearly 100 women who will come through our residential treatment program each year.

You see, it’s been a busy year! Thanks for all you’ve done and continue to do to help make sure that women in our region who struggle with substance use have a choice to pursue treatment in an environment that understands and reflects their needs.

Sincerely,

Jan Bamford Rosa Davis, MSW, ACSW Board President Executive Director

Dear Friends...What does healthcare reform mean to POWER?

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4

POWER Line: 412.243.8755

United Way Contributor Choice #3511

3 Rivers Combined Federal Campaign #85191

Fundraising & CommunicationsFiscal year 2014 was an active and successful fundraising year for POWER. A dedicated Development &

Communications Committee oversaw a variety of activities.

For the second year, $10,000 was allotted to marketing,

primarily radio and TV ads that appeared over several

months. The feedback has been positive and we are

committed to continuing to enhance POWER’s visibility

in the community.

We surpassed our goal and received $202,525 in operating

funds from a wide range of foundations. We are grateful for

support from the foundation community, and take special

care to earn and keep their trust.

Levin Furniture’s Robert Levin and wife Dr. Kerry Bron served

as Honorary Chairs for POWER Promises – one of our most

successful ever – which brought in over $153,000! Our

Seeds of Hope awardee was Sherree Goldstein, POWER’s

Development Chair and owner of Square Café. With 24

years of sobriety herself, Sherree is a vocal advocate for

women in recovery. She often hires former POWER clients

and she is exceptionally generous, constantly bringing

potential donors to visit and learn about POWER.

Sunflower POWER, a celebration of National Recovery

Month, was held in September at PerLora on the South

Side and raised nearly $13,000. Over 200 people attended

the event, with many bidding on one-of-a-kind works by local

artists and purchasing items from the POWER Collection.

The POWER Collection is now sold through Local Goodness

Marketplace (localgoodness.com). We’ve made contact

with several new artists – including painter Keith Schmeidlin

and textile artist Amber Coppings – and are working toward

signing them on as POWER Collection collaborators. We

held two receptions for artists, one at Square Café and

another at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PCA), hosted

by Pittsburgh Filmmakers/PCA Executive Director Charlie

Humphrey. Through these and other outreach efforts, we

have recruited several artists who will contribute items

to next year’s Sunflower POWER event and who may

eventually become POWER Collection collaborators.

POWER began a coordinated planned giving initiative

thanks to the urging of our Advisory Council Chair, Arthur

M. Scully, III. With assistance from MetLife professionals,

our efforts are beginning to bear fruit, with several Board,

Advisory Council, and staff members participating. We

are in the process of planning small group dinners and

we will contact individuals who we feel will be responsive

to our invitation.

Expenses:

$3,128,439Revenues:

$3,141,204

Contributions:$532,499

Fundraising:$182,290

Interest/Misc.:$183,031 Outpatient Services:

$459,547

Recovery SupportServices:$981,519

Program Related$2,425,674 Residential

Treatment:$889,813

OtherProgramInitiatives:$87,195

Management/General:$528,075

FinancialsUnaudited

• 150 hours of education sessions were provided to POWER House and POWER New Day clients, including poetry, health education, legal information, team building, journaling, literary discussion, gardening, holiday observances, crafts, yoga, and aerobics.

• 25 hours of exercise and companionship were provided by volunteers who walk with POWER House residents on weekday mornings.

• 70 clients learned about resume writing, interviewing for a job, and managing personal finances at all-day business education and financial literacy seminars. At the business education seminar, a fashion show of professional clothing featured nine models who were POWER clients.

• 10 clients took the stage to read their poetry at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Tea.

• Over 100 clients received free clothing from two resale shops and one church.

• 60 clients shared meals, received make-up tips, and played games with members of three churches.

• Over 300 hours of clerical work were donated to help POWER operations continue to run smoothly and efficiently.

• 50 volunteers helped plan and staff fundraising events.

• Every POWER client received gifts for themselves and their children at the holidays from eight churches, two organizations, and the efforts of one volunteer who has been organizing holiday gift-giving for 22 years.

VolunteersThanks to our amazing volunteers:

A copy of the official registration and financial information

of Pennsylvania Organization for Women in Early Recovery

may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of

State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 800-732-0999.

Registration does not imply endorsement.

7501 Penn Avenue - Suite 8 • Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Phone 412.243.7535 • Fax 412.243.8711

www.power-recovery.com

Members of BNY Mellon’s Women’s Initiative Network held a financial

literacy seminar for clients

National Council of Jewish Women staff Allison Milko and Andrea Glickman helped

organize the fashion show at the GSK buiseness education seminar.

Members of GlaxoSmithKline’s Women’s Leadership Initiative hold business educations seminars twice a year

Valerie Bacharach teaches poetry, prints books of clients’ work, and organizes readings of their poetry.

Shana Wilson and Lucy Scales were two volunteers at POWER Promises

Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church members visited with House

clients and shared a meal.

Program HighlightsBoard of Directors Jan Bamford President

Eileen Simmons Vice President

Susan S. Everingham Secretary

Erin M. Felix Treasurer

Tina Flowers Sherree R. Goldstein Judith Griggs, PhD Christine Hoover Dorothy P. Ingersoll Nancy Kurdyla Judith R. Owen Stephen P. Paschall Mary Prezioso Yumna Rathore Margaret Sitko John Wilds, PhD Roger Yost

Advisory Council Arthur M. Scully, III Chair

Jan Bleier Paul Block Darieth Chisolm Christopher Dunn Dr. Andrea Fox Judge Livingstone M. Johnson Gayle Manning Grant McLaughlin Terry Miller Tom Murphy Boyd Murray Raj Narendran Jan Pagliari Norma Raiff Kristi Rogers Mindy Shreve Lora Sigesmund Joy Starzl Jim Turner Dr. Abraham Twerski Virginia Volponi Mike Walsh, PhD Sheila Washington Brenda Joyce Waters Karen Farmer White Lois R. O’Connor, Emeritus

Administration Rosa Davis, MSW, ACSW Executive Director

Diane Johnson, RN, BSN Associate & Clinical Director

Madelon Edelstone, MEd Associate & Development Director

Debra Raubenstrauch, MPM Director of Finance & Operations

Olivia Zitelli, SPHR Director of Human Resources, HR-C

(across all programs for Fiscal Year 2014)

• Alpha Phi, Epsilon Iota Chapter

• Ben Avon Community Presbyterian Church

• BNY Mellon Women’s Initiatives Network (WIN)

• BYS Yoga

• Delta Kappa Gamma

• Discovery Christian Church

• GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI)

• Ladies of Charity

• Lambda Kappa Sigma

• Message Carriers

• National Council of Jewish Women, Pitts-burgh Section (NCJW)

• Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR)

• Pittsburgh Mennonite Church

• Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church

• Shadyside Presbyterian Church

• Shaolin Studios

• Swissvale Rotary Club

• Treasure House Fashions

• Union Baptist Church

• United Jewish Federation

• Unity Baptist Church

• University of Pittsburgh Campus Women’s Organization

• Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pitts-burgh

• Zonta Three Rivers Pittsburgh North

Community Connections

• African American Chamber of Commerce

• Allegheny County Overdose Prevention Coali-tion (ACOPC)

• The Coalition for Leadership, Education and Advocacy for Recovery (CLEAR)

• Pennsylvania Halfway House Association

• Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council

• Standing Firm

Community Memberships

• Total number (unduplicated) of clients served: 1,250

• Total number of individuals served across all programs: 601

• Total number of screenings: 1,007

• Total number of assessments: 660

• Total number of clients who received Mentoring: 369

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

POWER embarked on a plan to accept women into its residential facility, POWER House, who receive medication assisted treatment (MAT) such as methadone. Methadone treatment has long been the standard of care for women who are pregnant and opioid-dependent. POWER House accepted its first MAT client in January 2014.

The evidence shows that MAT is effective, particularly for those who are opioid-dependent, and opiates are the number one drug of choice for women seeking treatment at POWER.

POWER New Day Outpatient has been treating women who are on MAT for a long time, so it was a natural transition to also accept women receiving MAT into POWER House.

Electronic Medical Records & Outcomes With grant funding, we brought an AmeriCorps member on staff to conduct client surveys and develop a process we can use when she leaves in July 2014.

Electronic medical records (EMR) are being used for registration, screening, and assessment; progress notes; treatment and aftercare plans; and discharge summaries; and are beginning to provide data for outcomes reports.

An assessment conducted by Dr. Hide Yamatani, Associate Dean at Pitt’s School of Social Work and president and founder of Excellence Research, Inc. (ERI), has helped to identify outcomes and develop a client profile.

The surveys assessed three sample groups at intake, discharge, and 30 days post-discharge. Differences between clients at intake and clients at 30 days after discharge include:

• A majority report no drug or alcohol use during the 30 days post-discharge.

• The number of children involved with CYF or living with someone else due to a court order was reduced.

• Employment increased among clients.

• More clients report being in “very good” or “excellent” health and fewer clients report serious depression.

Dr. Yamatani concluded, “Increased investment in POWER and support of their programs would significantly reduce an opportunity cost to the Greater Pittsburgh region, while helping a vast number of clients with serious needs.”

Health & Wellness Initiative POWER has always approached care holistically and in fiscal year 2014 focused its efforts on integrating physical and behavioral healthcare. POWER partners with the Squirrel Hill Health Center to ensure that the primary health and

medical specialty needs of our clients are met. We are also a participant in Community Care Behavioral Health Organization’s Behavioral Health Home Plus Expansion initiative. This project is intended to enhance the integration of behavioral health with primary physical health via a team approach that includes a registered nurse as the Lead Health Navigator and peer recovery support specialists like POWER’s Mentors. The addition of a nurse on POWER’s staff in May 2014 has already enriched our approach to comprehensive care.

As a member of the Allegheny County Overdose Prevention Coalition (ACOPC), POWER was involved in a pilot project in the Emergency Department at Allegheny Health Network’s Allegheny General Hospital. A POWER Addictions Counselor was on a rotation with other drug and alcohol treatment providers to offer on-site screening, assessment, and linkage to treatment as patients with potential substance use issues were identified.

Peer Recovery Support

POWER hires individuals with lived experience. About half of our nearly 60-member workforce is in recovery collectively, representing more than 300 years of recovery! Mentors – paid employees in recovery for a minimum of five years— model healthy recovery for our clients, help them navigate complex systems, and motivate them to remain engaged in treatment. Mentors are trained as Wellness Coaches and nearly all are credentialed as Certified Recovery Specialists.

Continuing our longstanding relationship with Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, we are working with them to explore the role of Mentors in supporting women who are involved with its Pregnancy Recovery Center, which will launch soon.

We have expanded our recovery support services to engage women who are in treatment or undergoing detox as they transition from one level of care to another. This expansion has strengthened our relationship with The Addiction Medicine Program at UPMC Mercy, an 18-bed, medically supervised detoxification program.

POWER House

As the 2014 fiscal year concludes, we are close to completing the purchase of our residential treatment site, POWER House. POWER’s first program opened its doors in 1991, renting the former convent from the Word of God parish. The purchasing process was initiated by Fr. John Lynam, Word of God’s pastor, and will save POWER $26,000 each year. We expect to conclude the process in July 2014.

In fiscal year 2014, POWER continued to implement and improve its major program initiatives.

Program Updates