Stories From The Road

Recovery Pathways: 15 Practical Steps To Taking Responsibility

 

"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month."- Theodore Roosevelt

 

 

One of the pathways for recovery is taking responsibility. Taking resonsibility is one of the tougher things to deal with but very necessary if we are going to make real progress in our life. Recovery takes effort and work.

These are some practical realizations and steps that I have written down as I think about ways of taking greater responsibility for my own life that I thought I would share:

1. Stop trying to rationalize and escape the tough things of your life
2. Realize that the person you give responsibility to, you also give power
3. Start slaying the dragons in your own life and not the dragons in another's life
4. Take a deep breath, focus on your life & the task of becoming responsible
5. Realize if we don't know where we're going-we'll end up where we don't want to be
6. Write out the life that you want...then name and claim it.
7. Get clear and daily say to yourself-"I am responsible."
8. Pause and allow yourself to feel yourself becoming and being responsible.
9. Give yourself permission to live the life that you want to live.
10. Behave your way to success and the results you want to see happen.
11. Realize that you may need to learn new skills in order to take action.
12. Set up mini-goals toward greater goals that you want to achieve.
13. Set up reasonable time-limits-"I will work on this for 15 to 20 minutes"
14. Remember there is always something at stake in whether we are responsible or not.
15. Learn the system of emotional self-help that works for you and daily use it.

"Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make a difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you."- David Nichols

 

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NAMI Homefront is the newest educational course for family, caregivers and friends of military Service Members and Veterans living with mental illness. It is currently being piloted in six states with an expected expansion to other NAMI State Organizations in late 2014.

What You Should Expect from NAMI Homefront

• Meets for 6 sessions, 2.5 hours each, free of cost.
• Designed for loved ones (over age 18) of Service Members/Veterans living with mental illness.
• Taught by trained family members of Service Members/Veterans living with mental illness.
• Provides critical information and strategies related to caregiving.
• Incorporates presentations, discussion and exercises.

I wanted to end with an inspiring video that illustrates the effects of PTSD and the important role peer supports play in the lives of veterans who have served our country.

Veteran Peer Support Program in TX from I SUPPORT VETS on Vimeo.

 

 

 

 

Matthew Cohen: change artist and social entrepreneur who founded Flock Forward who is a proponent of empowering, context-sensitive, body-based practices for personal change, social justice, emotional wellness,  and cooperative community development. He provides provide education and training in these areas.

Matthew Cohen, Social Entrepreneur

 

Find Matt : Contemplative Computing, Flock Forward, Fbook, Twitter & Linked-In

 

---[This article was published at  Flock Forward also at  Mad In America.]---

 

I am being asked by a number of grassroots communities to facilitate a dialogue about how they can better welcome and support individuals who experience emotional distress. This is a challenge for many aspiring peers and allies in a culture where responsibility for our individual well-being has been increasingly transferred to psychiatrists, doctors, and other health professionals.

Even among our movements for alternatives, we often find ourselves replicating disempowering patterns of relying on experts, institutions, and formalized programs to help us through our trying times. Certainly there are roles for these approaches, especially as we slowly transition away from centuries of mistreatment in western culture. And, there is a great deal we can do to alleviate suffering as neighbors, faith communities, activist groups, and other existing circles of mutual aid.

In many places and historical moments, communities have rallied strongly around people who have experienced trauma or exhibit atypical behaviors and abilities. Readers may be interested in Monica Cassani’s recent post featuring an excellent summary of resources on the concept of spiritual emergency, and the way many indigenous cultures respond to extreme states, which leads me into the first step…

1) Take heart that you and your community are not alone. There is a rich and vibrant tradition of those who wish to include, learn from, and gently support individuals experiencing emotional distress. Our current paradigm of institutionalized violence, coercion, and disempowerment is just one version of how we can think about the difficult problems of living. When we begin to make the choice to find another way, we are joining a vast lineage of kindness and skillful practices.

2) Build a culture of radical honesty. Often the majority of the suffering people experience around emotional difficulties  and distressing thoughts comes simply from not being able to talk about them and be truly heard. We live in a culture infected by a kind of sanity-chauvinism, where there are very few “right” ways to experience and express feelings and distressing thoughts. Someone sharing an experience from outside the box is usually ignored, reacted against, or even attacked.

We see this most starkly in the extremely limited number of acceptable narratives about mental illness in popular culture. Anyone who goes “off meds” or defies a psychiatrist’s diagnosis is considered even more sick, “lacking insight” into the severity of their condition. We are denied the opportunity to make meaning out of our own lives.

This pattern can arise in alternative circles as well as in the mainstream. It occurs every time we say or hear, as one of the first responses to a problem, “You should go see [insert favorite psychiatrist/doctor/therapist/acupuncturist/nutritionist/shaman] I think will help you,” instead of some version of “I would like to hear more about that.”

The remedy is for each community member, at their own comfort level, to make the first move and share about their emotional life. If your group meets regularly, especially with the same constellation of people, I encourage scheduling a specific chunk of time for everyone to have the opportunity to express something about their inner world.

Be willing to share the full spectrum of ups and downs like “When I stepped outside and felt the wind on my face this morning, I felt completely in love with life,” and “A part of me that thinks I am a terrible person and that others would be better off without me has been very active today.”

When I am blessed to witness the victories, defeats, inner demons, and saint-like qualities of others in my community, I feel much more connected, less alone, and safer sharing where I am at myself.

3) Listen and appreciate from the heart. A common objection to the previous step might be, “If I share honestly, people will think less of me or use what I say against me.” We need to overcome these damaging myths, which damn us and our communities to a degenerate level of kindness, and fashion new ways of being at the same time. Hearing others with appreciation is equally as important as sharing ourselves.

One method that I find to be helpful when relating with someone who is behaving in a way I do not particularly understand, or I have a reaction to, is to tune into the emotion of what they are saying rather than the content. Then, I can respond honestly and empathically with a statement like, “I hear that you are feeling very scared,” even if  my rational mind might not be able to connect with what they are scared of.

When we listen openly, without criticism and judgment, then we create a circle of connection with the person who is sharing. The person speaking can begin to feel themselves being heard, and the person listening can hear their own hurt parts speak up and rejoice as they are doing the listening. This is a reason why grassroots mutual support groups like the Hearing Voices Network and the Icarus Project are so helpful to their members.

Finally, when you are able to listen, consider kindly and gently asking “what happened to you?” This question is so often eschewed by mental health professionals, who are only interested in what the problem is now, and how to efficiently fix it. For some people, talking about the past may be helpful and validating. For others, less so. Either way, offering a safe and non-judgmental invitation is a harmless, and sometimes extraordinary, gift of support.

4) Take a stand against coercion, violence, oppression and abuse. Research data and most peoples’ lived experience tells us that these are the primary causes of major distress, especially when experienced during childhood. Emotionally damaging circumstances come in many forms. Being an ally against racism, sexism, homophobia, rape-culture, emotional abuse, ableism, and economic injustice is a direct act of support for individuals affected by these forces.

So is standing up to police and psychiatric violence.

Once you’ve taken the first three steps, consider openly discussing how your community might respond non-coercively to a person experiencing an extreme state. The prospect of violence from authorities and being caged in a psychiatric hospital is a major (and very reasonable!) source of anxiety for individuals experiencing or approaching these states.  Every time we choose to not take away the agency of our brothers and sisters, we affirm their humanness, and create a greater space for healing.

Every situation is different, and coercion is not always avoidable, but every action of solidarity is important. Sometimes I have been in a situation where there was nothing I could do to prevent an involuntary trip to a hospital for someone else, but I was told after the fact that simply trying, and in some cases delaying the process for several days, made a meaningful difference for them.

5) Be a resource for basic wellness practices and social interaction. Arts, potlucks, sports, music, hiking, storytelling, dancing, singing, yoga, healthy food, games… these simple, everyday activities are nourishment for everybody’s emotional life. Hold events and invite others to join. Extend your community’s circle of influence so that those who might be less social or prone to isolation can benefit from your group’s natural surplus of social warmth. Extend special invitation to those you have not seen as much of, or might have a concern about.

6) Attend trainings and educational events. There is much for all of us to learn about dismantling psychiatric oppression, supporting people in distress and resolving conflict  You might invite a trainer into your community, or attend events at an alternative institution in your area, if you are lucky enough to live in one of the few places where they exist, such as Western Massachusetts.

Low-cost possibilities include showing films, holding community dialogues, facilitating a mad maps jam, and running a reading group.

Trainings like Intentional Peer Support, Emotional CPR, Wellness Recovery Action Plans, Non-Violent Communication, and anyone offering trauma-awareness can help improve your community’s practical skills for empathy and support.

These are steps that any community can begin to take with little assistance. And the growing movements advocating for alternatives to psychiatry includes many skilled consultants, educators, and troubleshooters who are available to suggest paths out of the darkness of pathologizing and medicalization, into the warm glow of mutual aid, human dignity, and transformational healing.

 

 

William (Bill) White is Emeritus Senior Research Consultant, Chestnut Health Systems. He has served as a volunteer consultant to Faces & Voices of Recovery since its founding. He has a Master's degree in Addiction Studies and has worked in the addictions field since 1969. He has authored or coauthored more than 350 articles and monographs and fifteen books including Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America and Let’s Go Make Some History: Chronicles of the New Addiction Recovery Advocacy Movement. Check out an online library of his writings at williamwhitepapers.com

 

 

 

 

In its 25th year, Recovery Month promotes the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance use disorders. This year’s theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery:  Speak Up, Reach Out,” encourages people to openly speak up about mental and substance use disorders and the reality of recovery, and promotes ways individuals can use to recognize behavioral health issues and reach out for help. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can and do recover.

Helpful Links:

• Recovery Month Proclamations
• Press Materials for the Recovery Month Event
• Types of Events to Host
• Public Service Announcements To Be Given
• Op Eds and Online Articles
• How To Work With The Media

 “This effort is about finding practical solutions that will allow us to move away from a crisis-based system to one that is truly focused on recovery outcomes.”-Dave Richards, Director of the DHHS Division of MH/DD/SA Services for NC

Dave Richard, director of the DHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disability and Substance Abuse Services, leads the coalition. “By bringing all stakeholders together, we can begin to focus our resources and energy on solutions that already are working in some of our local communities,” he said. “This effort is about finding practical solutions that will allow us to move away from a crisis-based system to one that is truly focused on recovery outcomes.”

The Crisis Coalition of North Carolina

 

You can find their Webpage--->here and their Important Documents--->here

Client advocates, along with leaders from healthcare, government, and law enforcement and magistrates, schools, healthcare providers, paramedics, emergency departments, community health centers, advocacy groups, and others will help develop solutions leading to better care. They will focus on:

• Recommending and establishing community partnerships to strengthen the continuum of care for mental health and substance abuse services.
• Promoting education and awareness of alternative community resources to the use of emergency departments.
• Making recommendations related to data sharing to help identify who, when and where people in crisis are served, and what the results of those services are.
• Creating a repository of evidence-based practices and providing technical assistance to Local Management Entities-Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs), law enforcement and providers on how to respond to crisis scenarios.
• Recommending legislative, policy and funding changes to help break down barriers associated with accessing care.

Helpful links:

• Mayors’ Resource Guide on Behavioral Health
• Community Conversations about Mental Health
• Core Elements for Responding to Mental Health Crises
• The NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services has a number of reports available about crisis services in North Carolina

 

Steven Morgan discusses his transformative journey from chronic “patient” to leading mental health advocate. Steven has been working in peer support and helping to create alternatives to traditional mental health services for the past decade.

Steven Morgan, Operations Manager, IPS

Read his full story in "The Wind Never Lies"

In 2013, he became Operations Manager for Intentional Peer Support, where he brings a passion for creating instruments of social change, a love of organizational development, and a belief in the transformative power of community. On full moons he enjoys writing, playing music, woodworking, and taking long long walks. This is latest in a series of testimonials featured on MadInAmerica.com produced by the Open Paradigm Project - @Open_Paradigm on Twitter.

 

Steven Morgan has worked in peer support services for the past decade.  He was originally trained as a Georgia Certified Peer Specialist and worked in traditional service agencies, where he became intimately familiar with the difficulties of practicing peer support within a medical model.  This led to an interest in developing alternative supports, so in Vermont he helped create a peer-run respite, was Executive Director for four years of a peer-run agency called Another Way, and finally became project developer for Soteria-Vermont.  Steven has provided many trainings in systems change at both a local and national level, and has served on several Boards of Directors for peer support organizations.

The Soteria Model is remembered for its tolerance and flexibility to each individual’s experience and its foundational belief that psychosis can be a temporary experience that one works through as opposed to a chronic mental illness that needed to be managed. The Soteria project and its outcomes demonstrate the power of interpersonal and psychosocial approaches in facilitating recovery for many persons on course to being diagnosed with schizophrenia. Soteria Vermont will be an alternative to hospitalization for individuals experiencing an initial episode of psychosis.

If you have further interest:

• Steven Morgan Reflects on Working With Psychosis (Video)
• Steven Morgan 2012 presentation on Soteria Vermont (Video)
• “Reviving the Myth of Mental Illness” by Steven Morgan

1. There is a state CFAC Conference Call on Wednesday, August 20th 2014  from 7 to 8 pm at 1-888-273-3658 with the Access Code: 2490768 . 
2. The next Crisis Solutions Coalition is Monday July 28th, 2014 at the Royal Conference Center, Hillsborough St. Raleigh, NC from 1-4 pm // RSVP with Patti Escala: [email protected]
3. September is Reocvery Month, it is its 25th Year. Find out more at: http://recoverymonth.gov
4. The 6th Annual NC One Community in Recovery Conference will be held Nov. 12-14 in Clemmons NC. Find out more by visiting Northwest AHEC.

Check out the informative websites for items relevant to recovery and advocacy:

• Advocacy and Customer Service at NC DHHS
• The Consumer Empowerment Team
• Customer Service and Community Rights Team
• State Consumer and and Family Advisory Committee
• DMH/DD/SAS Website
• Recovery Supports in NC
• DMA Medicaid Bulletin
• 1915 b/c Waiver Website
• Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities & Substance Abuse Services
• NC General Assembly General Statutes
• NC Peer Support Specialist Certification Program
• NAMI of NC
• The ARC of NC
• DHHS Press Releases
• NC-ROC's (North Carolinians for Recovery-Oriented Care)

Also, Check out the following Consumer Fact Sheets on the NC DMH DD SAS Website to give you quick, concise and reliable information about a range of topics such as:

Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation

Guardianship

Involuntary Commitment

Medicare Prescription Drug-Plan Part D

Handling Stress After a Disaster

Peer Support Services

Personal Care Services

Prevention of Substance Abuse

Psychiatric Advance Directives

Substance Abuse

 

Come Fire, Descend

 

i remember the night
the stars fell
the sound, the sight
what shall i tell?

when sun sets
not lifting its head
when moon regrets
we all...in dread

oceans receding
winds at bay
hearts bleeding
no more...to say

tears come to eye
when we no longer love
we all shall die
lest we turn...above

come tides, roll in
come winds, now blow
come fire, descend
upon all....that we know.....(-bcreech)

 

1. A simple, sincere word of thanks
2. Post a note on their door
3. Create a simple "ABCD" card that given when a peer goes  "Above the Call of Duty"
4. Write about them in a company-wide email
5. Have the team sign a "Certificate of Appreciation" and frame it
6. Elect and post them to the "Wall of Fame"
7. Establish a "Rock Solid Award" to recognize peers who consistently do their job well
8. Start a company scrapbook highlighting different peers you're appreciating
9. Make a YouTube thank you video
10. Send a post card
11. Have team give a standing ovation
12. Bring them a cup of coffee or their favorite beverage

 

Peer Support to Veterans

 

NAMI Homefront is the newest educational course for family, caregivers and friends of military Service Members and Veterans living with mental illness. It is currently being piloted in six states with an expected expansion to other NAMI State Organizations in late 2014.

What You Should Expect from NAMI Homefront

• Meets for 6 sessions, 2.5 hours each, free of cost.
• Designed for loved ones (over age 18) of Service Members/Veterans living with mental illness.
• Taught by trained family members of Service Members/Veterans living with mental illness.
• Provides critical information and strategies related to caregiving.
• Incorporates presentations, discussion and exercises.

I wanted to end with an inspiring video that illustrates the effects of PTSD and the important role peer supports play in the lives of veterans who have served our country.

Veteran Peer Support Program in TX from I SUPPORT VETS on Vimeo.

 

 

 

Matthew Cohen: " Six First Steps for Building Communities of Emotional Wellness"

 

Matthew Cohen: change artist and social entrepreneur who founded Flock Forward who is a proponent of empowering, context-sensitive, body-based practices for personal change, social justice, emotional wellness,  and cooperative community development. He provides provide education and training in these areas.

Matthew Cohen, Social Entrepreneur

 

Find Matt : Contemplative Computing, Flock Forward, Fbook, Twitter & Linked-In

 

---[This article was published at  Flock Forward also at  Mad In America.]---

 

I am being asked by a number of grassroots communities to facilitate a dialogue about how they can better welcome and support individuals who experience emotional distress. This is a challenge for many aspiring peers and allies in a culture where responsibility for our individual well-being has been increasingly transferred to psychiatrists, doctors, and other health professionals.

Even among our movements for alternatives, we often find ourselves replicating disempowering patterns of relying on experts, institutions, and formalized programs to help us through our trying times. Certainly there are roles for these approaches, especially as we slowly transition away from centuries of mistreatment in western culture. And, there is a great deal we can do to alleviate suffering as neighbors, faith communities, activist groups, and other existing circles of mutual aid.

In many places and historical moments, communities have rallied strongly around people who have experienced trauma or exhibit atypical behaviors and abilities. Readers may be interested in Monica Cassani’s recent post featuring an excellent summary of resources on the concept of spiritual emergency, and the way many indigenous cultures respond to extreme states, which leads me into the first step…

1) Take heart that you and your community are not alone. There is a rich and vibrant tradition of those who wish to include, learn from, and gently support individuals experiencing emotional distress. Our current paradigm of institutionalized violence, coercion, and disempowerment is just one version of how we can think about the difficult problems of living. When we begin to make the choice to find another way, we are joining a vast lineage of kindness and skillful practices.

2) Build a culture of radical honesty. Often the majority of the suffering people experience around emotional difficulties  and distressing thoughts comes simply from not being able to talk about them and be truly heard. We live in a culture infected by a kind of sanity-chauvinism, where there are very few “right” ways to experience and express feelings and distressing thoughts. Someone sharing an experience from outside the box is usually ignored, reacted against, or even attacked.

We see this most starkly in the extremely limited number of acceptable narratives about mental illness in popular culture. Anyone who goes “off meds” or defies a psychiatrist’s diagnosis is considered even more sick, “lacking insight” into the severity of their condition. We are denied the opportunity to make meaning out of our own lives.

This pattern can arise in alternative circles as well as in the mainstream. It occurs every time we say or hear, as one of the first responses to a problem, “You should go see [insert favorite psychiatrist/doctor/therapist/acupuncturist/nutritionist/shaman] I think will help you,” instead of some version of “I would like to hear more about that.”

The remedy is for each community member, at their own comfort level, to make the first move and share about their emotional life. If your group meets regularly, especially with the same constellation of people, I encourage scheduling a specific chunk of time for everyone to have the opportunity to express something about their inner world.

Be willing to share the full spectrum of ups and downs like “When I stepped outside and felt the wind on my face this morning, I felt completely in love with life,” and “A part of me that thinks I am a terrible person and that others would be better off without me has been very active today.”

When I am blessed to witness the victories, defeats, inner demons, and saint-like qualities of others in my community, I feel much more connected, less alone, and safer sharing where I am at myself.

3) Listen and appreciate from the heart. A common objection to the previous step might be, “If I share honestly, people will think less of me or use what I say against me.” We need to overcome these damaging myths, which damn us and our communities to a degenerate level of kindness, and fashion new ways of being at the same time. Hearing others with appreciation is equally as important as sharing ourselves.

One method that I find to be helpful when relating with someone who is behaving in a way I do not particularly understand, or I have a reaction to, is to tune into the emotion of what they are saying rather than the content. Then, I can respond honestly and empathically with a statement like, “I hear that you are feeling very scared,” even if  my rational mind might not be able to connect with what they are scared of.

When we listen openly, without criticism and judgment, then we create a circle of connection with the person who is sharing. The person speaking can begin to feel themselves being heard, and the person listening can hear their own hurt parts speak up and rejoice as they are doing the listening. This is a reason why grassroots mutual support groups like the Hearing Voices Network and the Icarus Project are so helpful to their members.

Finally, when you are able to listen, consider kindly and gently asking “what happened to you?” This question is so often eschewed by mental health professionals, who are only interested in what the problem is now, and how to efficiently fix it. For some people, talking about the past may be helpful and validating. For others, less so. Either way, offering a safe and non-judgmental invitation is a harmless, and sometimes extraordinary, gift of support.

4) Take a stand against coercion, violence, oppression and abuse. Research data and most peoples’ lived experience tells us that these are the primary causes of major distress, especially when experienced during childhood. Emotionally damaging circumstances come in many forms. Being an ally against racism, sexism, homophobia, rape-culture, emotional abuse, ableism, and economic injustice is a direct act of support for individuals affected by these forces.

So is standing up to police and psychiatric violence.

Once you’ve taken the first three steps, consider openly discussing how your community might respond non-coercively to a person experiencing an extreme state. The prospect of violence from authorities and being caged in a psychiatric hospital is a major (and very reasonable!) source of anxiety for individuals experiencing or approaching these states.  Every time we choose to not take away the agency of our brothers and sisters, we affirm their humanness, and create a greater space for healing.

Every situation is different, and coercion is not always avoidable, but every action of solidarity is important. Sometimes I have been in a situation where there was nothing I could do to prevent an involuntary trip to a hospital for someone else, but I was told after the fact that simply trying, and in some cases delaying the process for several days, made a meaningful difference for them.

5) Be a resource for basic wellness practices and social interaction. Arts, potlucks, sports, music, hiking, storytelling, dancing, singing, yoga, healthy food, games… these simple, everyday activities are nourishment for everybody’s emotional life. Hold events and invite others to join. Extend your community’s circle of influence so that those who might be less social or prone to isolation can benefit from your group’s natural surplus of social warmth. Extend special invitation to those you have not seen as much of, or might have a concern about.

6) Attend trainings and educational events. There is much for all of us to learn about dismantling psychiatric oppression, supporting people in distress and resolving conflict  You might invite a trainer into your community, or attend events at an alternative institution in your area, if you are lucky enough to live in one of the few places where they exist, such as Western Massachusetts.

Low-cost possibilities include showing films, holding community dialogues, facilitating a mad maps jam, and running a reading group.

Trainings like Intentional Peer Support, Emotional CPR, Wellness Recovery Action Plans, Non-Violent Communication, and anyone offering trauma-awareness can help improve your community’s practical skills for empathy and support.

These are steps that any community can begin to take with little assistance. And the growing movements advocating for alternatives to psychiatry includes many skilled consultants, educators, and troubleshooters who are available to suggest paths out of the darkness of pathologizing and medicalization, into the warm glow of mutual aid, human dignity, and transformational healing.

 

Bill White on the Early History of the Recovery Movement

 

William (Bill) White is Emeritus Senior Research Consultant, Chestnut Health Systems. He has served as a volunteer consultant to Faces & Voices of Recovery since its founding. He has a Master's degree in Addiction Studies and has worked in the addictions field since 1969. He has authored or coauthored more than 350 articles and monographs and fifteen books including Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America and Let’s Go Make Some History: Chronicles of the New Addiction Recovery Advocacy Movement. Check out an online library of his writings at williamwhitepapers.com

 

 

Reminder: September is National Recovery Month

 

 

In its 25th year, Recovery Month promotes the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance use disorders. This year’s theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery:  Speak Up, Reach Out,” encourages people to openly speak up about mental and substance use disorders and the reality of recovery, and promotes ways individuals can use to recognize behavioral health issues and reach out for help. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can and do recover.

Helpful Links:

• Recovery Month Proclamations
• Press Materials for the Recovery Month Event
• Types of Events to Host
• Public Service Announcements To Be Given
• Op Eds and Online Articles
• How To Work With The Media

The Crisis Solutions Coalition of North Carolina

 “This effort is about finding practical solutions that will allow us to move away from a crisis-based system to one that is truly focused on recovery outcomes.”-Dave Richards, Director of the DHHS Division of MH/DD/SA Services for NC

Dave Richard, director of the DHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disability and Substance Abuse Services, leads the coalition. “By bringing all stakeholders together, we can begin to focus our resources and energy on solutions that already are working in some of our local communities,” he said. “This effort is about finding practical solutions that will allow us to move away from a crisis-based system to one that is truly focused on recovery outcomes.”

The Crisis Coalition of North Carolina

 

You can find their Webpage--->here and their Important Documents--->here

Client advocates, along with leaders from healthcare, government, and law enforcement and magistrates, schools, healthcare providers, paramedics, emergency departments, community health centers, advocacy groups, and others will help develop solutions leading to better care. They will focus on:

• Recommending and establishing community partnerships to strengthen the continuum of care for mental health and substance abuse services.
• Promoting education and awareness of alternative community resources to the use of emergency departments.
• Making recommendations related to data sharing to help identify who, when and where people in crisis are served, and what the results of those services are.
• Creating a repository of evidence-based practices and providing technical assistance to Local Management Entities-Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs), law enforcement and providers on how to respond to crisis scenarios.
• Recommending legislative, policy and funding changes to help break down barriers associated with accessing care.

Helpful links:

• Mayors’ Resource Guide on Behavioral Health
• Community Conversations about Mental Health
• Core Elements for Responding to Mental Health Crises
• The NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services has a number of reports available about crisis services in North Carolina

Navigating the Mental Health Wilderness: Steven Morgan’s Journey

 

Steven Morgan discusses his transformative journey from chronic “patient” to leading mental health advocate. Steven has been working in peer support and helping to create alternatives to traditional mental health services for the past decade.

Steven Morgan, Operations Manager, IPS

Read his full story in "The Wind Never Lies"

In 2013, he became Operations Manager for Intentional Peer Support, where he brings a passion for creating instruments of social change, a love of organizational development, and a belief in the transformative power of community. On full moons he enjoys writing, playing music, woodworking, and taking long long walks. This is latest in a series of testimonials featured on MadInAmerica.com produced by the Open Paradigm Project - @Open_Paradigm on Twitter.

 

Steven Morgan has worked in peer support services for the past decade.  He was originally trained as a Georgia Certified Peer Specialist and worked in traditional service agencies, where he became intimately familiar with the difficulties of practicing peer support within a medical model.  This led to an interest in developing alternative supports, so in Vermont he helped create a peer-run respite, was Executive Director for four years of a peer-run agency called Another Way, and finally became project developer for Soteria-Vermont.  Steven has provided many trainings in systems change at both a local and national level, and has served on several Boards of Directors for peer support organizations.

The Soteria Model is remembered for its tolerance and flexibility to each individual’s experience and its foundational belief that psychosis can be a temporary experience that one works through as opposed to a chronic mental illness that needed to be managed. The Soteria project and its outcomes demonstrate the power of interpersonal and psychosocial approaches in facilitating recovery for many persons on course to being diagnosed with schizophrenia. Soteria Vermont will be an alternative to hospitalization for individuals experiencing an initial episode of psychosis.

If you have further interest:

• Steven Morgan Reflects on Working With Psychosis (Video)
• Steven Morgan 2012 presentation on Soteria Vermont (Video)
• “Reviving the Myth of Mental Illness” by Steven Morgan

NC Empowerment Updates for July

1. There is a state CFAC Conference Call on Wednesday, August 20th 2014  from 7 to 8 pm at 1-888-273-3658 with the Access Code: 2490768 . 
2. The next Crisis Solutions Coalition is Monday July 28th, 2014 at the Royal Conference Center, Hillsborough St. Raleigh, NC from 1-4 pm // RSVP with Patti Escala: [email protected]
3. September is Reocvery Month, it is its 25th Year. Find out more at: http://recoverymonth.gov
4. The 6th Annual NC One Community in Recovery Conference will be held Nov. 12-14 in Clemmons NC. Find out more by visiting Northwest AHEC.

Check out the informative websites for items relevant to recovery and advocacy:

• Advocacy and Customer Service at NC DHHS
• The Consumer Empowerment Team
• Customer Service and Community Rights Team
• State Consumer and and Family Advisory Committee
• DMH/DD/SAS Website
• Recovery Supports in NC
• DMA Medicaid Bulletin
• 1915 b/c Waiver Website
• Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities & Substance Abuse Services
• NC General Assembly General Statutes
• NC Peer Support Specialist Certification Program
• NAMI of NC
• The ARC of NC
• DHHS Press Releases
• NC-ROC's (North Carolinians for Recovery-Oriented Care)

Also, Check out the following Consumer Fact Sheets on the NC DMH DD SAS Website to give you quick, concise and reliable information about a range of topics such as:

Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation

Guardianship

Involuntary Commitment

Medicare Prescription Drug-Plan Part D

Handling Stress After a Disaster

Peer Support Services

Personal Care Services

Prevention of Substance Abuse

Psychiatric Advance Directives

Substance Abuse

Peer Inspiration: Project 46 & Linkin Park

 

Come Fire, Descend

 

i remember the night
the stars fell
the sound, the sight
what shall i tell?

when sun sets
not lifting its head
when moon regrets
we all...in dread

oceans receding
winds at bay
hearts bleeding
no more...to say

tears come to eye
when we no longer love
we all shall die
lest we turn...above

come tides, roll in
come winds, now blow
come fire, descend
upon all....that we know.....(-bcreech)

12 Simple Ways To Show Appreciation To Peers On Your Team

 

1. A simple, sincere word of thanks
2. Post a note on their door
3. Create a simple "ABCD" card that given when a peer goes  "Above the Call of Duty"
4. Write about them in a company-wide email
5. Have the team sign a "Certificate of Appreciation" and frame it
6. Elect and post them to the "Wall of Fame"
7. Establish a "Rock Solid Award" to recognize peers who consistently do their job well
8. Start a company scrapbook highlighting different peers you're appreciating
9. Make a YouTube thank you video
10. Send a post card
11. Have team give a standing ovation
12. Bring them a cup of coffee or their favorite beverage