Rose Hill Receives $50,000 Grant For Trauma-Informed Model of Care

HOLLY, Mich. – Rose Hill Center (RHC) today announced it has received a $50,000 Ethel and James Flinn Foundation grant to support its ongoing work to implement a Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) environment within its comprehensive psychiatric treatment and residential rehabilitation programs. The announcement was made today by RHC President and CEO Rochelle Rothwell.

TIC assumes that an individual is more likely than not to have a history of trauma. It recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role trauma may play in an individual's life, including those of patients and staff. Further, the model of care places a value on acknowledging the impact trauma may have had not only in the lives of patients, but also those who treat and work with them. TIC strives to establish an environment that considers ways to mitigate the effects of trauma to allow patients and staff to thrive.

“Having a trauma informed approach will allow Rose Hill to better engage the individuals they serve, build trust and ultimately improve treatment outcomes,” said Flinn Foundation CEO Andrea Cole. The Ethel and James Flinn Foundation is a Detroit based private foundation established in 1976 by Ethel “Peggy” Flinn and her brother James H. Flinn Jr.

In 2019, with the support of the Flinn Foundation, RHC began the process of establishing a TIC environment on its campus. Through 2019 and early 2020, RHC began to formally train its staff and incorporate the principles of TIC into its general operations. Although RHC had clinicians specifically trained in the treatment of trauma for many years, the TIC model was designed to create a true culture change throughout the campus.

“Our next step in this process will be to conduct trainings geared toward building a Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented Leadership Cohort comprised of staff leaders from the administrative, clinical, and support staff teams,” said Rothwell. “This training will provide a holistic approach to leadership and incorporate day-to-day tasks of management, further establishing our organization as a leader in mental health care. We are very grateful for the ongoing support from the Ethel and James Flinn Foundation to help us in this endeavor.”

The initial objectives of TIC training included: building a foundation of support for the environment at RHC; educating a core group of employees in TIC behavior and principles; and training RHC staff members how to implement a TIC environment. The newly-awarded grant allows RHC to continue the implementation of the TIC on campus followed by a virtual discussion and coaching sessions supported by the National Council for Behavioral health.

Since its opening in 1992, RHC has provided residential mental health care treatment to more than 1,800 individuals. Serving adults with serious mental illness, RHC is the only facility of its type in Michigan and one of only a few such programs in the United States.

The Flinn Foundation is a private foundation that uses its resources to improve the quality, scope and delivery of mental health services in Michigan, and to advance well-researched best practice mental health treatment and programs that meet the needs of people in Michigan. For more information, visit www.flinnfoundation.org.

About Rose Hill Center

Rose Hill Center, located on more than 400 acres in northern Oakland County, is a Joint Commission accredited residential psychiatric rehabilitation facility for adults with a primary diagnosis of serious mental illness. Its comprehensive and effective program is based on the belief that recovery can take place when people receive professional psychiatric care and participate in meaningful activity in a consistent, compassionate and dignified environment. Rose Hill provides individuals with the insights, life skills, attitudes and medications needed to manage their illness in the same manner as other medical problems. By combining medication management with an intense rehabilitation program, Rose Hill helps individuals from all over the country achieve and maintain psychiatric stability and their highest level of independence. For more information, call (248) 634-5530 or visit www.rosehillcenter.org.