Extending Our REACH in 2010: A Look Back

Recovery, Empowerment, Advocacy, Community, Hope

The past year has once again demonstrated CVAB's tremendous ability to Extend Our REACH to meet the needs of our community.

The Self-Help Recovery Center was able to serve yet another record number of people seeking to be proactive in their wellness and recovery. We saw 2200 people with nearly 19,000 visits into the Center. The SHRC added a number of successful classes and groups under the leadership of our capable staff and volunteers.

In April, CVAB added a second program and center. CVAB began operating the Val Ogden Center after a successful response to a Clark County request for proposals. The VOC has a dedicated staff working side by side with approximately 40 members participating.

August brought CVAB good news: we were selected to receive a SAMHSA Statewide Consumer Network Grant. The grant began in September funding CVAB's Extending Our REACH to begin three SHRC's in WA and link these along with existing peer-run organizations together.

October provided another opportunity. CVAB hosted a 40 hour Washington State Peer Counselor Training for 24 of our peers. The week was a success and our hope is to further our abilities in delivering solid trainings.

2010 was a year for Extending Our REACH and Achieving Our Goals.

HAPPY DECEMBER

Well, we have made it to the twelfth month of twenty-ten. I hope you take a look at the calendar and choose to participate in one of our activities. Now is the time to start thinking about what you want to accomplish in 2011...

Happy Thanksgiving

We at CVAB thank you for all you are to us!

What A Friday At Alternatives

The morning began with the invited-uninvited-reinvited journalist and author Robert Whitaker. He passionately presented the materials of his most recent book, Epidemic in America. His message was punctuated by a thunderstorm and power outage. At noon, Mark Ragins (psychiatrist and founder of The Village in Long Beach), presented himself and his message about recovery as the counterpoint to Robert Whitaker. His presentation was punctuated by protest and confrontation.

I think both have important things to say and it is important our movement dialogue about the issues but I was frustrated that organizers felt the need to counter Whitaker and with the way Ragins did it.

I spent a good portion of the evening and into the night talking with friends including a new one, Scott Cooper. Scott is an artist that has embarked upon an incredible project called It's Our Story. He is going around the country collecting the oral history of our movement and those from other "disability" communities by interviewing the leaders of the movements so we capture our history. He has interviewed over 1000 people using a camera and then working with youth to post the interviews on youtube, Scott is an incredible artist with a passion to tell the story of our movements through the people that made it possible. You can read more by searching for It's Our Story or www.itsourstory.org

Just another day at Alternatives.

1200 Strong at Alternatives 2010

It is an incredible site. 1200 individuals from across the world gathered together to celebrate and communicate the reality of who we are as a part of the consumer movement. It is good to connect with old friends and make new ones. I've met people from most of the states and Madrid Spain and each one a living testament to the pursuit of living his or her life in the way he or she wants to live it.

Each person really facinates me incluuding one woman who comes from Massachusetts that has her own business as a driver of a car for hire and comes to be around friends and celebrate the consumer movement. She has faced the worst type of "psychiatric treatment" and has worked through it to be a beautiful person living a pretty cool life.

We are part of a movement, a human rights movement, it is important to realize this and listen to those who have come before us, those we agree and disagree with and to support the youth that will inherit the movement and make it their own.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It

I tend to fear what may happen when good intentions meet published reports.

You can find a nice article about CVAB in the Clark County section of today's edition of The Columbian or you can find it online: http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/sep/13/self-help-agency-wins-federal-grant/

Enjoy the read and stay tuned for developments. Who knows, I may get over my fears....I doubt it.....

It's in the Air

Today feels different. Perhaps it is the rain. Maybe it is being post Labor Day. Or, it might be the beginning of the NFL season is this week.

For whatever reason, September has always seemed like the beginning of a new year for me.

Happy New Year everyone!

Why? Oh, Why?

I'm not a big fan of doing the same thing over and over with the expectation of different results but I just don't seem to be willing to try something different or just stop doing it all together. Some things are difficult to learn or I just don't want to change and somehow enjoy being stuck, or I think it will actually be different.....

CVAB Awarded Three Year Grant for Statewide Expansion

CVAB has been awarded a three year Statewide Consumer Network Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The award is $70,000 per year for a total of $210,000 and the grant period begins September 1, 2010.

CVAB was awarded the grant for the project Extending Our REACH that will develop Regionally Empowered and Accessible Communities of Hope (REACH). By Extending Our REACH, CVAB will expand across Washington to serve adults with mental illness to create accessible communities of hope. CVAB’s establishment of a minimum of three Consumer Operated Self Help Centers over three years will empower individuals with mental illness in Washington State to play an active part in continually shaping the mental health system. These regionally based consumer-operated centers will be organized by individuals in mental health recovery.

Additionally, CVAB will be forming the REACH Network that links the developing centers and other consumer organizations together to provide technical assistance to emerging and established consumer operated services. The REACH Network will be committed to the continuous transformation of mental health services and shaping public policy.

CVAB is a 15 years old consumer-run organization in Vancouver, WA providing support and advocacy for mental health recovery. CVAB operates a peer-run mental health Self-Help Recovery Center and Warm Line at the Center for Community Health, and the Val Ogden Center clubhouse program. Through a variety of peer-led activities, CVAB serves over 2200 people per year in its centers and had over 18,500 visits last year. CVAB has developed a strong reputation for being a center of health, wellness and recovery.

Washington State received two SAMHSA Statewide Consumer Network Grants and CVAB will be collaborating with the other recipient, Mental Health Action based in Burien, WA to effectively create and sustain strong services for supporting mental health, wellness and recovery.

Big Doings with CVAB

There have been some big happenings at CVAB and we will make them all public very soon.

Incredible Vision

Every once in a while you stumble across something that so impresses you because of its brilliance, intelligence and vision. Simply put, the partnership between The Avett Brothers and Jason Ryan Mitcham inspires me.

But why take my word for it, take a look for yourself. http://www.theavettbrothers.com/us/video/making-head-full-doubtroad-full-promise-video

Again with the Disappearance Act

I know. I know. you've heard this before but "I'm Baaack."

Times are changing...any spare change?

The financial realities are catching up to mental health services and I'm uncertain of what our future looks like. I know our agency leaders will need to be creative and persistant in pursuit of resources...

more to follow....

WALK

As the weather finally starts to get warmer I have a big recommendation. WALK. Just take a walk to get outside and outside of your head...you can learn the best things from nature.

Can't get you off my mind

I am trying to take a couple of days off because I needed them. Even though I am away from the office I can't get the business and people of CVAB off my mind. I know I need to give it a rest but I think it says something about how strongly I am invested in the organization and all it stands for as a recovery and wellness community.

When it rains it pours

CVAB had to close early Tuesday. Why? Because CVAB is such a happening place there was water coming up through the drain to get in on the action. Well, I'm not sure why the water was coming in but when it did, we had to shut down for the operation for safety and to allow the cleanup to begin.

What's incredible is we closed at 1:45 PM and there had already been 75 people through the doors and we didn't even have a group yet....the only way in might have been through a floor drain.

A big THANKS to the Encore and Clark County staff who jumped in and cleaned it up.

A big THANKS to all of you for understanding and making CVAB the great place it is!

May Days

May offers us National Mental Health Month. It provides an opportunity to shine the public light of interest on mental health, wellness and recovery. There are many public activities happening this month and I hope you take the opportunity to participate in some of them.

Mental Health Month at the Center for Community Health
May 14, 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Mental Health Month Celebration
The event will include mental health resources, a community art project, the announcement of the Visions of Recovery poster contest, and a very special presentation about the Suitcase Project from 3:00 to 5:00 pm

May 19, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Walking in Recovery
A new video produced by the Washington Mental Health Transformation Project will be shown followed by an interactive discussion about mental health.
RSVP's are required for this event.

May 28, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Mental Health Quiz Show
This event is always a ton of fun. No matter how much or how little you know about mental health facts, come play and have a good time!

CVAB Adds New Peer Staff!

CVAB has added three peers to our crew. Please stop by and welcome Sandi, Alan and Christopher. Each one brings a unique something to our diverse mix. We are glad that they chose to work with us and we know they will contribute a great deal to our community.

We did say goodbye to Lori who has decided to explore self-employment but we'll still see her around as a volunteer. We greatly appreciated what she contributed as a staff member and look forward to her business success and seeing her around as a volunteer.

This place continues to amaze me.....

A Leader Leaves Us....

It is important that we acknowledge our leaders, our heroes and those who have diligently worked to lay the groundwork for human rights. We lost one of our heroes on January 16, 2010 when Judi Chamberlin died at home in Massachusetts. Her book, On Our Own, is foundational in the mental health rights movement. It is important that we know what we have received from our leaders and pioneers so please take time to follow some of the links below to understand more of her valiant life and the legacy that she leaves us.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122706192

http://www.judi-chamberlin.virtualmemorials.com/

http://www.power2u.org/judi-chamberlin.html

http://www.madnessradio.net/judi-chamberlin-always-us

http://judi-lifeasahospicepatient.blogspot.com/

Where's that New Year Smell?

Is it just me or does it seem that 2010 has already lost its new year smell? I haven't even got used to writing the date correctly and the newness seems to be fading. I'm sure that something will break any minute to remind me that the year has just begun, but for the moment I'm dealing with New Year's remorse....

Happy 2010

No matter how you say it-Two Thousand Ten; Twenty Ten; Two Oh, One Oh-I hope you enjoy a year of wellness.