Just heard of a cool program that the Everett Silvertips have developed with The Everett Clinic…
The Everett Silvertips are proud to announce an initiative with our partners at The Everett Clinic to provide complimentary Silvertips tickets to patients being treated through The Everett Clinic’s Center for Behavioral Health. The program, which is being carried out in honor of longtime Silvertips season ticket holder John Dickey, gives patients who are dealing with difficult circumstances in their lives an opportunity to enjoy a fun evening of Silvertips hockey free of charge.
The Everett Clinic Center for Behavioral Health provides confidential individual, group and family counseling for children, adolescents and adults. These counseling services address a wide range of behavioral concerns including depression, anxiety, marriage/family problems, grief and loss, low self-esteem, anger management and many more. Clinic staff strives to provide patients rapid relief from troubling symptoms through individually-crafted treatment plans.
“Taking part in fun activities is something that therapists will tell patients to do as part of their treatment,” said Behavioral Health Program Manager Nanette Reinecke. “We hope that this program encourages patients to get out and do something fun that they might not otherwise do on their own. Sometimes the little things can mean a lot.”
The idea for the project was brought forth by Silvertips Assistant Coach Mitch Love, who lost a dear friend last summer. John Dickey was a longtime season ticket holder and member of the Silvertips family, as well as a son, brother and husband. Although never clinically diagnosed with depression, he struggled for years with despair and sadness before his passing at the age of 55 on May 31, 2012. As a way of remembering and honoring his friend John, Love wanted to help others coping with similar issues to find joy in the game that first brought them together.
“Because of John’s passion for Silvertips hockey, I just thought this was a great opportunity for myself and the organization to try and help people of all ages who may be dealing with these kinds of concerns regarding their mental health,” Love explained. “Even if it’s just for a couple of hours during a hockey game, hopefully we can help put a smile on their faces and take their minds off whatever may be troubling them at that particular time.”
“I think it’s important to show people that there is help out there. Whether it’s a professional at The Everett Clinic or a friend down the block, there are people who want to help when you’re going through a rough patch in your life.”
Everett Clinic patients began receiving free Silvertips tickets midway through the current season and have already enjoyed a handful of games to date. On selected nights, participants could also have the opportunity to meet Silvertips players or even visit them outside the team’s locker room after the game as part of the program. The Silvertips work directly through care providers at The Everett Clinic to fulfill ticket requests, protecting the anonymity of patients who would prefer not to be identified.
“If you fill your life with good, clean fun, there’s not much room for the negative stuff,” said Reinecke. “The more light you see at the end of the tunnel, the better the chance of climbing out of the dark hole of depression.”
May 8, 2013
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