Wolverine Human Services (WHS) continues to move forward in our 5-year plan to become the first and only residential juvenile justice agency accredited in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)! On March 9th we will launch into the staff development phase of CBT training, in partnership with the Beck Institute and the University of Indiana. Representatives from these two institutions will begin training our youth care workers and clinical staff on certified CBT practices.
We are so excited about the opportunity to become the first known residential treatment provider in the country that is certified as a CBT competent provider with certified CBT therapists. At Wolverine, we are always striving to provide the highest quality of care for our clients, which requires us to be continually aware of both new and time-tested evidence-based treatment models. CBT is a popular and research-supported treatment method for mental health disorders like:
- depression
- anxiety
- obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- bipolar disorder
- eating disorders
- schizophrenia
- anger management
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- atypical sexual practices (sex offenders)
- relapse prevention
- substance abuse
Research has shown that CBT results in increased brain activity, suggesting that it improves brain functioning as well as relieves symptoms of mental health disorders. We are excited to bring this dynamic treatment to our clients, the majority of whom have a mental health diagnosis appropriate for CBT.
Our staff and partners have put in a lot of hard work and commitment to reach this point of our 5-year plan. During the upcoming training phase, all staff will be introduced to the concepts of CBT, principles of behaviorisms, as well as some general competencies. The team will also focus on assertiveness training and first responder techniques for our program leaders and mid-level managers. This will get us underway with some concrete intervention and supportive treatment tools to enhance our service delivery. Finally, we will develop a data collection strategy to monitor our progress and lessons learned, so that we can remain true to our commitment of providing the highest quality of services to our clients.
We have spent the past two years preparing the agency for this moment, and are excited to update you on our status. We thank you for your support and trust to provide quality services to the children and families in the great state of Michigan. We will keep you abreast of the developments as we move forward.
We invite you to learn more about CBT from our partner, the Beck Institute.
Derrick McCree
, MSW is Senior Vice President of Wolverine Human Services. He oversees operations and quality of WHS residential treatment programs, including services to over 600 youth and support of 400 employees each year. He is a Gulf War veteran and professor at Saginaw Valley State University. He is dedicated to helping those in need through evidence-based rehabilitative treatment services, innovative programs, and legislative advocacy. He is most proud of his children and enjoys coaching youth sports.