Tag Archives: Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services

Scam ads prey on patients seeking mental health treatment through local Pine Rest organization

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Those seeking mental health and/or substance abuse treatment are being targeted with fraudulent scam ads, delaying needed care (Courtesy, U.S. Army)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Pine Rest issues warning about fraudulent online ads (Courtesy photo)

People searching online for Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services on their mobile devices are encountering fraudulent third-party organizations instead of the Pine Rest organization.

“Third-party organizations, using carefully crafted language to present themselves as affiliates of Pine Rest, appear near the top of search results and fraudulently claim they can assist individuals with placement in our services,” states a recent Pine Rest press release.

Attorney General Dana Nessel also issued a warning statement that the phone number found online may not actually connect them to Pine Rest.

“This appears to be a cruel scheme targeting those suffering from substance abuse disorder, striking treatment-seeking victims in a moment of courage, when they’ve finally sought professional help,” said Nessel.

Preying on the vulnerable

It is crucial to ensure those seeking help receive the correct care (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Pine Rest is a mental health care service provider for West Michigan. Located on the south side of Grand Rapids, Pine Rest is known for their variety of mental health services.

Susan Langeland, Vice President of Continuum Development and Chief Information Officer for Pine Rest, said the fraudulent ads are taking advantage of very vulnerable people in a moment of crisis.

“When people think about seeking care, they mull it over, it takes them many times to actually pick up that phone to call for treatment,” said Langeland. “So when they do, we want to make sure that we get them connected to the right treatment, not being sent out of state and potentially delaying care this person desperately needs.”

Legitimacy of ads

The fraudulent ads use carefully crafted words to appear like a legitimate health care organization. When someone searching for care calls the number provided, scammers identify themselves as a Pine Rest clinician or hospital admissions for an affiliate organization.

“None of that is true,” said Langeland. “We have our own admissions department right there at Pine Rest campus on the south side of Grand Rapids. They are all employed by Pine Rest. We don’t use brokerage or placement firms.”

Pine Rest does not use brokerage or placement firms (Courtesy photo)

Many patients have been diverted out of state for potential treatment. While the locations given are actual treatment facilities, that does not mean patients are receiving the care they need.

“What we hear back from some of these patients is that they are actual locations,” said Langeland. “But as to what their treatment is, and what that looks like, and how that quality of care is, I can’t speak to any of that. We don’t know anybody at any of the locations that our patients have brought back to us.”

Fraudulent scam impact

Langeland went on to say that Pine Rest has no way of knowing how many people have been impacted by these scams.

“We’re reliant on people to let us know,” Langeland said. “Some people reach out right away and say, ‘That was really weird interaction with you,’ and file a formal complaint. Others just go about their day-to-day, and we don’t know.”

Fear of judgment can stop people from coming forward with their scam experiences (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

The authorities and Attorney General are working with Pine Rest to gather information regarding the scam ads. However, some patients who issued complaints do not want to be part of the investigation due to fear of judgment.

“Unfortunately, we still have stigma,” said Langeland, adding that it is hard for some people to trust that the system is going to take care of the issue, and that there is no stigma attached.

The patients who have agreed to participate in the investigation do so because they don’t want anyone else to fall victim to the scams.

“Their experience was not one that they enjoyed, and they don’t want this to happen to anyone else in a moment when they are trying to seek help,” said Langeland.

How to avoid scam ads

Go directly to a company’s website instead of clicking on a sponsored ad (Courtesy photo)

When people seek substance use care in a moment of crisis, Langeland said, they are using their phones quickly, getting online and searching Pine Rest. “And these sponsored ads would come up that look like Pine Rest.”

In a moment of crisis, that person does not look for details on a sponsored ad to ensure it is legitimate. They simply click on the link that looks like it will lead them to the resources they need.

Pine Rest stresses the importance of going to an organization’s website, making sure you talk to someone from the organization, and being conscious of what information you are giving out over the phone so you are not taken advantage of.

Pine Rest is working with their legal team and law enforcement to figure out options regarding the scams.

Though Pine Rest has no control over sponsored ads, Langeland hopes authorities will find a way to restrict the scammers from claiming to be Pine Rest or affiliated with Pine Rest.

Pine Rest availability

Pine Rest does have openings for people seeking substance use and mental health services.

“When people say we don’t have any availability, that is not actually the case,” said Langeland.


Pine Rest does have availability and is ready to help those seeking care (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Pine Rest resources/contact information

All contact information for Pine Rest services can be found on their website.

Individuals seeking mental health and/or addiction services may also reach Pine Rest by phone:

 

FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE 24/7: 616-455-5000 or toll-free at 800-678-5500

FOR OUTPATIENT ASSISTANCE (Standard Business Hours): 866-852-4001

Paulette Carr exhibit opening at Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery April 9

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By Colleen Cullison
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services

A new exhibit titled, “Springtime,” by local artist Paulette Carr, opens at the Leep Art Gallery on April 9, 2020 at the Postma Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services campus in Grand Rapids.

Paulette Carr is self-trained artist who has attended many art workshops and conferences around the United States, Europe and Caribbean.

Springtime is a time of renewal and rebirth. A time to grow after a dark, cold and bitter time. This show represents that time of growth after that period of darkness. The colors seem brighter, the emotions fresher and the peace and serenity more cherished.

This show has a strong influence of the impressionists, Monet, Pissaro, Manet and many more who went through a dark time for the arts and yet came out with such beautiful colors and light. “I hope the viewer will find themselves in a peaceful, serene place emotionally when viewing this exhibit,” says Carr.

Her work can be seen all around Michigan in such places as West Michigan Chamber of Commerce; Great Legs Winery, Brewery, Distillery; Start Up to Success Agency; Community Choice Credit Union; and Red Cedar Spirits. She has exhibited at First United Methodist Church, Holland Area Arts Council, Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts, Red Lotus Gallery in Muskegon and many others.

Carr is a member of Holland Friends of Art, Holland Area Arts Council, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Chicago Institute of Art, Philadelphia Art Museums, and Minneapolis Museum of Art. In addition to creating art, Carr has been active in promoting arts in the community through presentations for artists on “The Art of Selling Art Shamelessly” and promoting the arts through “Artists Sharing Sunshine.” She is also an instructor of unique classes offered for the beginning and non-artists to help them face the blank canvas. 

The Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery exhibit will be on display at the Postma Center located at 300 68th St., SE, Grand Rapids, Mich., from April 9 to July 7. The Leep Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 616-222-4530 or go to www.pinerest.org/leep-art-gallery.

Pine Rest is chosen as one of five organizations to participate in National Institute on Aging Study

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Pine Rest is one of five ordinations to participate in at the National Institute on Aging Study

Colleen Cullison
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services

It is a 5-year study to investigate the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to treat severe agitation and aggression in people with Alzheimer’s disease. The study was made possible by a 5-year award which is expected to total $11.8 million from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) under award number R01AG06110001.

Researchers at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate, will lead the study. Pine Rest will receive a $1.3 million sub-award for the study from McLean. The NIA, part of the National Institutes of Health, leads scientific efforts to study aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

The principal investigator is Brent P. Forester, M.D., M.Sc, and heads McLean’s Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry Research Program. McLean Hospital researchers will collaborate with investigators at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Emory University, Mayo Clinic, and Northwell Health. The Medical University of South Carolina will serve as the study’s data coordinating site.

The study will be the first randomized, double-blind, controlled study of ECT for agitation and aggression in Alzheimer’s dementia. It will compare how ECT treatment plus standard treatments, such as antipsychotic medications and behavioral therapies, compares with standard therapies alone for individuals with Alzheimer’s dementia with severe aggression and anxiety.

“It is wonderful to have this grant from the National Institute on Aging. We have been interested in the use of ECT for the treatment of advanced dementia for many years and have been offering this treatment to patients and families for a long time,” says Eric Achtyes, M.D., M.S., D.F.A.P.A., staff psychiatrist, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, and Michigan State University – College of Human Medicine, associate professor and chair, department of psychiatry west. “Several years ago, we conducted a pilot study of ECT in this patient population which showed promising results for reducing agitation associated with dementia. Now, thanks to this grant, we will be able to conduct a definitive study to assess the benefits and risks of using ECT for these individuals and the families who care for them.”

For the study, 200 patients will be enrolled across the five sites. The study will be open to older adults or individuals who have been admitted to the inpatient geriatric psychiatry units of any of the five participating sites and who have moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease, are experiencing agitation and aggression, and who have not been responsive to other forms of treatment. Enrollment is expected to begin in spring 2019.

Louis Nykamp, M.D., Pine Rest’s geriatric fellowship director and electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation clinic director will be serving as the Pine Rest principal investigator for this study. Dr. Nykamp is a geriatric trained psychiatrist with expertise in the assessment and treatment of dementias, as well as the use of ECT and other neuromodulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation. He was involved in drafting the grant and will lead the team here at Pine Rest in the safe conduct of this critically important and impactful study.

“Agitation and even aggression are unfortunately common in the context of the brain changes which occur in the late stages of Alzheimer’s dementia,” says Dr. Nykamp. “Many people can think of a family member or friend to whom this has occurred. There are currently no approved treatments and the medications typically used for these complications of the illness can come with troublesome side effects and often they don’t work as well as we’d hope.

“Pilot studies of ECT for these symptoms have been promising, and it has been a part of our clinical practice at Pine Rest to offer this when symptoms have been severe and refractory. We are very fortunate to have this grant opportunity to collaborate with excellent partners to study the effectiveness of ECT for severe agitation in dementia.”

Preliminary work to prepare Pine Rest’s ECT Clinic to participate in the NIA grant was funded by a $20,000 grant from the Pine Rest Foundation. With this funding the capacity to accurately and consistently track data and measure outcomes using standardized assessment tools was improved. This process gave staff experience with administering the standardized diagnostic, efficacy and side effect scales that are used in research and incorporated these measures into the clinic work flow preparing our team to participate in transformational research projects such as this.

When the study begins this spring, the teams from the five hospitals will interact regularly with a data safety monitoring board composed of experts in geriatric psychiatry, biostatistics, and ECT who will review every piece of data as well as the overall conduct of the study to provide an independent objective review of safety. The researchers will also provide a yearly progress report to the NIA.

Snapshots: Wyoming, Kentwood news you need to know

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Quote of the Day

"Art is not a cleverness contest. It is an honesty contest to hone the capacity to truly be that which you are."

        ~ Ran Ortner, ArtPrize's first public vote winner

 

Take a ‘leep’ into art

 

“Pink House” by Kendra Postma

The Leep Art Gallery, in the Postma Center at the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, will be featuring the work of Kendra Postma in the exhibit titled “These Are A Few of My Favorite Things.”

 

“My paintings often take on a dreamlike or spiritual aura to me. Inspiration often comes from walks on the beach with the water lapping at my feet and fills me with a sense of peace, or sometimes it’s my chickens which influence what I create. I always have an intense desire or need to create something that nourishes my soul,” Postma said.

 

The exhibit runs Oct. 3 – Jan. 2. Find out more here.

 

 

Better Homes

 

The Frey Foundation is currently seeking innovative ideas to accelerate access to sustainable, quality housing opportunities in Kent County. The foundation is specifically focused on addressing housing access for people who are employed yet may be struggling to make ends meet.

 

The foundation will award a grant of up to $150,000 to an agency or partnership that submits an innovative, actionable plan, concept or collaboration that effectively reduces the number of ALICE families paying more than 30 percent of monthly income for housing. Submissions will be evaluated, and an idea selected, by an external, multi-sector advisory committee coordinated by the Grand Valley Metro Council.

 

Ideas are currently being accepted online. The deadline for submission is Oct. 29. More information is available at freyfdn.org/housinginnovation. Go here to learn more.

 

But Some Swing In It

 

Glenn Bulthuis with the Hark Up horns

The Van Singel Fine Arts Center has announced its upcoming season which kicks off with Swing Night at the Van Singel featuring Glenn Bulthuis and the Hark Up Big Band. The event is Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. with tickets $18 for adults and $12 for students (high school and younger. Click here, for more information.

 

 

Fun Fact:

Nov. 22, 1963

It was not only the day that American President John F. Kennedy died but also the day that "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" author C.S. Lewis died. On Oct. 6, Chicago-based Ballet 5:8 will perform a re-imagining of C.S. Lewis's "The Great Divorce." The performance is set for 7 p.m. at the DeVos Center for Performing Arts, 2300 Plymouth Ave. SE.

Kendra Postma exhibit opening at Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery Oct. 3

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“Pink House” by Kendra Postma

By Colleen Cullison

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services

 

A new exhibit titled, “These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things,” by local artist Kendra Postma, opens at the Leep Art Gallery on October 3 at the Postma Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services campus in Grand Rapids.

 

Postma is a multimedia, collage, and ceramic artist. She was a long-time student of Loretta Sailors and has studied with numerous other artists over the years. She belongs to the International Society of Experimental Artists and is president for a co-op gallery called Flat River Gallery & Framing in Lowell, Michigan.

 

“My paintings often take on a dreamlike or spiritual aura to me. Inspiration often comes from walks on the beach with the water lapping at my feet and fills me with a sense of peace, or sometimes it’s my chickens which influence what I create. I always have an intense desire or need to create something that nourishes my soul,” says Kendra Postma.

 

“For me, the whole process of creating art is fulfilling in a way I don’t completely understand. From pulling out my materials and starting on a blank canvas to signing my name and choosing a frame, I feel rewarded from every part of the journey. Every time I complete a project and finally hang it on the wall or send it away, I’m filled with melancholy that the process is over; at least until I start my next project.”

 

Postma has exhibited in several galleries and competed in numerous juried art shows. She has also won several awards. Postma is married and has two children.

 

The Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery exhibit will be on display at the Postma Center located at 300 68th Street, SE, Grand Rapids, Mich., from Oct. 3 until Jan. 2, 2019. The Leep Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 616.222.4530 or go to www.pinerest.org/leep-art-gallery .

Richard Muller exhibit opening at Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery

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“Ancient Powers” by Richard Muller

By Colleen Cullison

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services

 

A new exhibit titled, “Perceptions of Landscape — Reality and Remembrance,” by local artist Richard Muller, opens at the Leep Art Gallery on July 5 at the Postma Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services campus in Grand Rapids.

 

Richard Muller has been an artist for much of his life, specializing in landscapes. He studied oil painting for nine years at the Vincent Trotta School of Art in Flushing, New York. His academic degrees are from Queens College, City University of New York, bachelor of arts; Union Theological Seminary, N. Y., master of divinity; and Duke University, postgraduate doctoral degree. Since moving to Lowell in 2006, he has been a member of the Lowell Area Arts Council, serving on the Gallery Committee.

 

“My artistic efforts have been directed, particularly in the last several decades, toward the development of a classical style with a view to the insights of the landscape traditions of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. I learn from the past by painting my own versions of classic works’” says Muller.

 

“My original paintings are typically done on the basis of sketches or impressions of places where I have traveled and been moved either by the natural force of the scene or by a striking feature of the landscape, whether a result of nature or of human activity. My intention is to more evoke a mood or a feeling than simply to represent — to call forth a sense of life and force in the natural order and our human connection with it. I prefer traditional pigments, especially the natural earths. I aim at a feeling of life and depth, a sense of the unity of the whole.”

 

Muller has exhibited works in the West Michigan Regional Competition, Celebration of the Arts, the Mid-Michigan Art Guild Annual Exhibition, ArtPrize, the Grand Rapids Art Peers Festival, the Fallasburg Festival, and in four solo exhibits since 2010. He is a member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painter’s Society.

 

The Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery exhibit will be on display at the Postma Center located at 300 68th Street, SE, Grand Rapids, Mich., from July 5 until October 2, 2018. The Leep Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 616.222.4530 or go to www.pinerest.org/leep-art-gallery .

Ushering in spring is an exhibit featuring Larry Blovits at the Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery

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“Twelve Apostles” by Larry Blovits

A new exhibit titled, “A view of my artistic journey from the past to the present,” by local artist Larry Blovits, opens at the Leep Art Gallery on April 4 at the Postma Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services campus in Grand Rapids.

 

Blovits’s artistic career has centered around his love for painting in oil and pastel portraits, landscapes, and teaching. Receiving numerous awards and honors in national shows ever since 1962, Blovits has achieved signature status in many prestigious national art organizations around the country.

 

“The primary goal of my artwork has always been to go beyond the important technical and fundamental aspects of painting in my quest to capture the essence of the scene, or the person;” says Blovits. “With homage to the Great Masters, I continue to emulate and carry on the tradition of ‘academic’ painting because that’s what drives me, and what I love to do. “

 

Blovits received his bachelor and master of fine arts degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit in 1961 and 1966 respectively. His artwork is represented in the collections of several local art galleries, museums and many private collections.

 

The Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery exhibit will be on display at the Postma Center located at 300 68th Street, SE, from April 4 until June 29. The Leep Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 616.222.4530 or go to www.pinerest.org/leep-art-gallery .

Patti Sevensma exhibit opening at Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery

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By Colleen Cullison

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services

 

A new exhibit titled, “Innovative Artistry,” by local artist Patti Sevensma, ISEA-NF, NCS, opens at the Leep Art Gallery on March27. The mixed media exhibit is at the Postma Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services campus in Grand Rapids.

 

Having grown up on the shores of Lake Michigan, Sevensma compares her love of creating art to her life-long fascination with the serene, but often turbulent lake. “It’s beautiful, awesome, and terrifying all at the same time. Making art is the same way. Every project is an adventure in and of itself.” As the lake is ever changing, Sevensma, too, continues to change as a multimedia artist. She is learning not only to enhance her creative process but also to make her life more exciting and fulfilling.

 

Early on, Sevensma developed a love of drawing, designing, and even sewing her own clothes. As her sons entered high school, Sevensma focused on becoming a professional photographer and also began taking art classes at Grand Rapids Community College along with local instructor Loretta Sailors, who has been a significant influence on her work. Sevensma also took workshops led by nationally known artists in drawing, watercolor, collage, and mixed media. Her goal has always been to try as many mediums as possible before she dies.

 

Sevensma shares her passion for learning by teaching classes and workshops to inspire others to discover the joy of making art. She teaches photography, with an emphasis on how to capture and design a great photo; critique class for artists seeking to improve their design and composition skills; and watercolor for beginning artists.

 

Sevensma’s artwork is on display at The Flat River Gallery and Framing in Lowell; Mullaly’s 128 Studio and Gallery in Elk Rapids; Museum Contempo in Shelton, Washington; Frames Unlimited Galleries in Grand Rapids, and other locations in the Midwest. She is a member of the National Collage Society and President of the International Society of Experimental Artists.

 

The exhibit will be on display at Pine Rest Postma Center located at 300 68th Street, SE, Grand Rapids, Mich., from March 27 until June 30, 2017. The Leep Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 616.222.4530 or go to www.pinerest.org/events.