New rehab director at Harrison Hospital

CADIZ—Jason Florence, P.T., has joined WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital and Harrison Community Hospital as the new rehabilitation director. He has more than 22 years of experience as a physical therapist, including 18 years in management roles in outpatient, skilled, and acute care settings. Florence received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Physiology/Biology from Ohio University and his Master’s in Physical Therapy from Wheeling Jesuit University.

Florence currently resides in Harrisville, Ohio, with his wife and three kids on their horse farm. When he’s not working, he enjoys watching his kids perform in shows and athletic events. His hobbies consist of fishing, outdoor activities, watching college football and Major League Baseball, and spending time with his kids playing a game of catch.

To learn more about rehabilitation services at Barnesville Hospital, visit WVUMedicine. org/Barnesville/ Rehabilitation. To learn more about rehabilitation services at Harrison Community Hospital, visit WVUMedicine.org/ Harrison-Community Hospital/Rehabilitation.

Buckeye Career Center offers on-site driver’s education

NEW PHILADELPHIA—In an attempt to break an employment barrier for students, Buckeye Career Center now offers on-site driver’s education to interested BCC students. The course is taught in partnership with the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center, which provides the driver’s education instructor.

The first class was offered in the evenings, in the fall, at the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center, with nine students completing the course. The inaugural in-person course began in January at BCC and includes 20 students. The class meets three afternoons each week until the classroom portion is complete. Students will begin the live driving portion in the spring. According to BCC Principal Mr. Matt Fockler, the course addition is with Judge Puskarich and his juvenile court. It’s called the family dependency treatment program. So we support that in collaboration with Harrison County,” Ward continued.

“We have providers doing prevention, early intervention, domestic violence prevention, substance abuse, mental health,” through all three covered counties.

Mental health services do not come without struggle; transporting out of the county is a major issue, “A lot of our Harrison County residents go to Tuscarawas or Carroll counties, as far as Akron, or they’ll travel to Steubenville.” Many people have to travel as far as Columbus on a semi-regular basis to get the help they need.

Ward is always looking for more options for in-county care. All three counties lack access to in-patient care, and the board is hoping that, within the next few years, to open a crisis stabilization unit. There needs to be more funding and more partnerships to make that happen.

“We need to work with community leaders,” Ward said. “Then look for resources so we can bring that full continuum of care to Harrison County.”

Although great strides have been made in combatting the stigma around mental health problems, there is always more to be done. “Those of us who understand mental health need to do a good job of starting a conversation with our family, friends, and coworkers,” Ward said. “The more we can talk about this and understand it, the less stigma will be around asking for help. It truly can save lives.” the result of several months of research and student surveys, which indicated that 38 percent of BCC students are not licensed to drive.

“We felt that not having a driver’s license could be a barrier to employment for our students. We thought that if we could offer driver’s education on campus, we could remove a barrier that students sometimes face if they are busy in the evenings,” he said. “I feel like getting a driver’s license is a badge of honor for a teen, and we want to be able to help them do that.”

The course was first offered to seniors before being opened up to BCC juniors. Fockler hopes to have several driver’s education sessions next year. The course is paid for by Buckeye Career Center at no cost to the student or their family.

Even non-professionals can help immensely by simply listening. Being there for a friend or acquaintance can go a long way. It’s not always about offering solutions; it’s often enough to listen to someone’s problems.

Despite the struggles, Ward finds working with the board to be an uplifting opportunity, “Our perspective here is the bigger vision of really creating a system of care where the gaps are filled, and people in our communities have access to services,” she said. “Seeing that happen through partnerships and shared funding is so rewarding. And to hear the feedback from the community and families we serve, that programs are working. They’re seeing their family members be successful and get better. That’s really, really rewarding. That’s exciting. Makes it well worth the work.”

She concluded with a grateful word for Harrison County, “As the board, we really thank Harrison County Commissioners and county provider organizations that have been so helpful to us in bringing more services and awareness to the county. We have a lot of work to do, but we keep on going!”