Author: Aditya Kumar

Lutheran Services in America produced a powerful new video this month about the dedicated “Front Line Heroes” within our network. The collective actions of these Front Line Heroes are a powerful statement of our members’ unwavering commitment to addressing the needs of the people in their communities. This video, which was edited by Lutheran Services in America intern Joey Hess of Valparaiso University, is one way we’re amplifying the work of our members, bringing our network together to strengthen the workforce and lifting up the collective impact of life-saving work across the country.

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Advocate Aurora Health for creating a positive work environment for its employees, even amid the challenges of COVID-19.

Advocate Aurora Health is one of the 10 largest non-profit health systems, and a leading employer in the Midwest. It includes more than 500 sites and serves more than 3 million patients annually. With an aim to help people live well, Advocate Aurora is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience, and value-based care.

Modern Healthcare named Advocate Aurora Health on its 2020 Best Places to Work in Healthcare list. This award program “identifies and recognizes outstanding employers in the health care industry nationwide,” and selects award recipients based on their work empowering teams to provide patients and consumers with the best possible care.

Also considered in the selection process is transparency in communication from leadership, generosity of benefits for employees, and navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Best Companies Group assists Modern Healthcare in the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey. Modern Healthcare’s editor, Aurora Aguilar said that 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone, but especially for those working in healthcare as COVID-19 continues to ravage communities. The organizations recognized this year were a source of strength for their teammates and have built trust during a critical period.

“Our 75,000 team members, physicians and nurses are the heart and soul of Advocate Aurora Health and their commitment to providing safe, high quality care to our patients enables us to fulfill our purpose of helping people live well,” said Jim Skogsbergh, president and chief executive officer of Advocate Aurora Health. “We are honored to be recognized as a top workplace and remain committed to building our culture and ensuring an engaging environment for our team members to have a rewarding experience and pursue their passion.”

Thank you to Advocate Aurora Health for fostering a positive work environment for employees throughout the pandemic, and for your commitment to holistic wellbeing for employees, and the larger community!

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Liberty Lutheran’s retirement community, The Village at Penn State, which continues to offer fun activities for residents to stay active throughout the pandemic.

Located in State College, Pennsylvania, The Village is proud of its close relationship with Penn State University. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, residents were often found at the university, attending University sporting events, arts programs, and taking classes.

As a continuing care retirement community, The Village offers an array of options and services at all stages of retirement, including independent living, personal care and skilled nursing. Over the past several months, the staff have taken extra precautions to prevent the virus from entering the community, and to-date there have been no cases among residents or staff.

During the height of the pandemic in Pennsylvania, residents were offered activities that they could do within the comfort of their own apartments or cottages, while meals were delivered right to their door. Now that the surrounding area is opening up according to the criteria created by Pennsylvania’s Governor and Department of Health, staff and residents are able to take part in outdoor activities.

“Once we explained everything to our residents, they understood and worked with our staff to do everything they could to stay safe,” says Ellen Corbin, The Village’s executive director. “We have a wonderful team here, and even though we’ve had no cases we continue to work had as we ease into a new normal.”

Thank you to everyone at The Village at Penn State for your hard work and commitment to keeping your residents safe. Lutheran Services in America is proud to highlight your work as a source for home and peace of mind for older adults and their families.

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, which is promoting diversity and inclusion through servant leadership.

LSS of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan CEO Héctor Colón wrote a recent op-ed in the Milwaukee Business Journal. In his op-ed, Colón calls on business leaders to adopt characteristics of a servant leader to create a work environment that welcomes open conversation about race and effectively promotes equity.

Colón says that after events like the death of George Floyd and discussions about racial equity that follow, well-intended leaders are compelled to “change policies, develop affinity groups, and require training” within the organizations they lead. Unfortunately, these programs and typical ways of addressing racial inequity have shown to be ineffective. With an organizational commitment to race equity, LSS of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan has chosen to look at diversity and inclusion differently. Colón is looking to “Ten Characteristics of Effective, Caring Leaders” by Larry Spears. This article suggests enhancing diversity and inclusion programs with five characteristics: awareness, listening, healing, empathy, and commitment to the growth of people.

Héctor Colón believes that self-awareness is critical, and “foundational to authentic relationships” which are at the center of in-depth conversations and openness to growing and changing. He is working to create an environment that encourages self-reflection, and listening rather than top down approaches to addressing racial inequity; he believes this collaborative approach can help foster healing. Colón suggests to readers of his op-ed that they find safe places with people with whom they can share their hurts, and find ways to connect with others who have different past experiences, so they can learn to empathize with people who are different from themselves.

Thank you to LSS of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan for your ongoing commitment to racial equity, and to CEO Héctor Colón for leading the organization thoughtfully through this critical time of self-reflection.

Today’s Front Line Hero is Community Family Life Services, which is committed to safely offering needed programming in Washington, DC throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community Family Life Services (CFLS) is a trusted partner in Washington, DC, having served the community for more than 50 years. CFLS provides children, families, and adults with resources needed to move beyond poverty and homelessness, and supports women in their reentry after incarceration, assisting them as they move into permanent self-sufficiency. These supports include housing, mentorship, employment programs, as well as health supports such as a HIV testing. A unique program CFLS offers is its Speakers Bureau, which equips women with public speaking and communications skills, and provides them a platform to speak publicly and educate their communities and lawmakers about issues closest to them, including homelessness and incarceration.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges for social service programs, but CFLS found creative solutions to continue offering their programming. CFLS provides regular programing such as training for interviewing skills and goal setting by Zoom. The I BECAME series is a fishbowl discussion series that shares stories about women’s reentry experiences in a virtual forum. The in-depth interviews with CFLS Speakers Bureau participants, facilitated by CEO Ashley McSwain, provide a space for those in reentry work to hear real stories, and for clients to hear stories that parallel their own experiences, helping build a sense of community virtually. The next I BECAME event is July 23 from 6 to 7 pm EDT.

In addition to its virtual events, CFLS is offering in-person programming safely. For example, on July 30th, CFLS is hosting a sex education and testing event, but doing so safely by limiting entry to allow for social distancing and requiring masks.

Thank you to Community Family Life Services for your ongoing commitment to the community, and for continuing to offer critical programming safely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Social Services of Southern California for its efforts to dismantle systemic racism and promotion of productive conversations about race.

For Lutheran Social Services of Southern California President and CEO Dr. LaSharnda Beckwith, the current focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion that are filling our consciousness offer an opportunity for candid conversation about race. Dr. Beckwith recognized that many people in the United States do not talk openly about race because those conversations are often considered uncouth, and she asked if that culture norm is still acceptable in the face of such stark racial disparity. She saw a need for genuine, cross-cultural dialogue, and took action.

Dr. Beckwith hosted a virtual roundtable comprised of voices of dynamic women from across the country. The participants included women from diverse backgrounds, including higher education, social services, religious organizations, technology, and government who have influence over the culture, policies, and performance of their organizations, making them the ideal conduits to have this conversation. Dr. Beckwith facilitated a candid yet respectful roundtable discussion that focused on the intersection of systemic racism and growing disparities revealed in recent months, and how our society can dismantle that systemic racism.

The roundtable proved to be a valuable discussion, leading Dr. Beckwith to continue to lead these difficult and critical conversations about systemic racism and how we can work collectively to address the problem. Recognizing that there have been some successes in this work, such as progress made by corporations in the US in creating a fair workplace for people of color, upcoming conversations will focus on that progress, while recognizing there is still work to do. Join the discussion at www.lasharndabeckwith.com.

Thank you to Lutheran Social Services of Southern California for your work to dismantle systems of oppression, and to Dr. LaSharnda Beckwith for your courage, leadership, and activism.

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Compass Health for its innovation and expansion of behavioral health services to address increased needs during the pandemic.

Compass Health serves nearly 17,000 clients each year in Northwest Washington with services including mental health treatment, crisis prevention and intervention, supportive housing, children’s services across five counties. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Compass Health has been on the front lines, serving individuals at high risk of complications from the virus.

The COVID-19 pandemic created increased need for behavioral health resources, and Compass Health rose to meet that need. The non-profit secured $1.24 million in philanthropic donations from community partners and grants to expand its reach. The funding will support vital mental health and substance abuse treatment, the implementation of Compass Health’s telehealth systems, as well as other community supports and resources like PPE. Compass Health is looking forward, and preparing for the long-term impact the virus poses to mental and physical health.

The expansion of Compass Health’s telehealth services greatly increased community’s access care. Throughout March of 2020, Compass Health saw a decrease in clients seeking treatment because they were staying home. In response, Compass Health dramatically expanded its mobile telehealth system and trained more than 500 behavioral health professionals to deliver care remotely. By May, about 40% of all billable services were delivered via telehealth.

Thank you to Compass Health for your rapid innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to the community partners who believe in Compass Health’s work and supported them financially.

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, which is providing fun activities for seniors, such as its Superfood Teaching Kitchen.

Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries has served its community since 1868, and provides resources for older adults, as well as children, youth, and families. Diakon’s senior services include community services, as well as a vast array of options in senior living. Luther Crest is a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Allentown, PA with a range of options for care, as well as many opportunities for activity and connection.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Luther Crest has found safe and fun ways to engage the seniors living there. One of those ways was a recent Superfood Teaching Kitchen, which taught residents how to make fun, healthy fresh recipes. One of the recipes was a perfect-for-summer Cantaloupe Aqua Fresca and watermelon-kiwi spinach salad with a balsamic glaze. Executive Chef Tony Morrison led the event, and staff ensure the seniors wore masks and social distanced to keep everyone safe, while still fostering connection through sharing a meal.

Thank you to Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries for your ongoing support of seniors and commitment to their holistic health and well-being!

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Ecumen, which is finding innovative ways to connect seniors and families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ecumen provides senior housing and other services for thousands of residents at 40-plus communities across eight states. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Ecumen implemented necessary protocols to protect residents from the virus, including visitor restrictions, but wanted to ensure that the seniors’ social and emotional needs were met, as well, recognizing that isolation and loneliness can have a major impact on health and well-being.

Shelley Kendrick, President and CEO of Ecumen, spoke about the organization’s commitment to social connection and innovation on WCCO | CBS Minnesota’s “Mid-Morning” show. She mentioned that the Minnesota Department of Health recently announced that congregate care facilities could begin to allow essential caregiver visits. Ecumen quickly and enthusiastically began preparing for those visits to ensure safety for staff, residents, and visitors. Additionally, Ecumen continues to encourage families to visit their loved ones virtually and through windows, and created Connection Stations, which are Plexiglas rooms through which residents can visit their families without using masks, allowing them to see the smiling faces of their families. Ecumen is also piloting robots in many communities. These robots sit on the desktop and are interactive, providing scheduling, connecting families, and even communicating with residents and sensing their emotions.

Thank you to Ecumen for your commitment to seniors’ holistic well-being, and your innovation to achieve social connection!

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Services Florida, which is providing services to people facing mental health challenges and addiction to prevent them from entering the criminal justice system.

Located in Jacksonville, FL, Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) Health Systems provides behavioral health care for people who face poverty and are without insurance. To ensure that the community’s mental health needs are adequately met, LSF is partnering with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on a co-responder program. The program pairs a full-time police officer with a mental health clinician from LSF to patrol neighborhoods and partner in crisis intervention calls that involve mental illness, substance use, and other emotionally-charged situations. The innovative program is one of only three of its kind in Florida, but has been so successful that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Director has applied for a grant from the Department of Justice to expand the program to two or three more patrol teams.

Christine Cauffield, CEO of LSF Health Systems, noted that the program saves the tax payer money with fewer people going to jail or to the emergency department for their mental health needs. “It’s smart justice and people have been able to avoid arrest or being Baker Acted,” she explained. “In fact, our stats are showing that 92% of the individuals that interact with this co-responder program are diverted from jails, from emergency rooms, from crisis stabilization units.”

Thank you to Lutheran Services Florida for shifting the paradigm and meeting mental health needs in your community!