Successes and Accomplishments
Over the past 20 years, Voice and Vision's board and staff have proven they are creative and spirited as they ensure their work produces outcomes. Some of the agency’s successes and accomplishments:
- 1995
- The Consumer Satisfaction Team (CST) started in Bucks County under the auspices of Milestones Community Healthcare, Inc.
- 1996
- One of the founders of the CST statewide coalition: Consumer - Satisfaction Teams of Pennsylvania (C-STAP)
- 1997
- The CST became incorporated as a non-profit 501(C)3 organization named BC-CST, Inc. (Bucks County-Creating Satisfaction Together).;
- 1999
- Started the Independent Monitoring For Quality (IM4Q) Program in Bucks County.
- 2002
- Added a Family Satisfaction Team (FST) to the CST, which created the Consumer Family Satisfaction Team (CFST).
- 2002
- The IM4Q team developed “Break the Sound Barrier”, which is a model to gather important information from and about people who are nonverbal.
- 2004
- First in the state to develop and implement a survey that looked at satisfaction, recovery, and resiliency that could be used with people (any age) from multiple systems.
- 2005
- Included the organizational development principle of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) in the development of the surveys and the survey process.
- 2006 - 2010
- Partnered with Pennsylvania Recovery Organization-Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT) to gather information about recovery from people diagnosed with mental illnesses, addictions or both (co-occurring disorders).
- 2006
- Began offering Peer-support services (people with mental illnesses or co-occurring disorders supporting other people with similar diagnosis)
- 2007
- BC-CST, Inc. changed its name to Voice and Vision, Inc. and changed its mission, vision and organizational identity to include peer support/mentoring services and training in addition to the advocacy/evaluation services.
- 2007
- College Plus was created to help people with mental illness or co-occurring disorders take college courses and obtain college degrees with support from peer mentors.
- 2009
- Started Family Outreach - now called Family Connections: the first family initiative in Bucks County that interfaces with all child-serving systems in Bucks County.
- 2009
- Created signal reports from our data gathered through our CFST. Trained 36 other CFSTs, many of who are now using this format.
- 2009
- The CFST conducted an in-depth evaluation of a program for Bucks County Behavioral Health System, which was used to make critical decisions for planning and continued development/funding of the program.
- 2010
- Developed Youth Connections, which was modeled after the Family Outreach Initiative.
- 2011
- Implemeted Regional InReach at Norristown State Hospital teaching principles of recovery and resiliency to patients and staff through personal stories and interactive dialogue.
- 2012
- Expanded Consumer Family Satisfaction Team Services by forming a team and opening an office to serve Chester County.
- 2013
- Developed and implemented an innovative, one of a kind, person-centered planning model called Hope and New Directions® also known as H.A.N.D.®
- 2013
- Enhanced the Peer Companionship Initiative by beginning to serve veterans: veterans supporting veterans.
- 2014
- Completed an Asset Mapping Project in Chester County looking at their Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC).
- 2014
- Expanded into Delaware County through acquiring the oversight of Compeer of Suburban Philadelphia.
- 2015
- Conducted a survey with 74 youth and young adults in Bucks County to assist families and communities in addressing the challenge of alcohol and drug use, particularly opiate use, and effective treatment for youth and young adults. The results and recommendations were relayed through a Community Report, which can be viewed by clicking here.
- 2016
- Completed production and began public distribution of Help and Hope--a guide written by families for families that educates and supports families through major challenges with their children.