Contemplation

If you dig around a bit, you will find that the word "contemplation" comes from some old language and meant "to mark out a space for observation." Contemplation is used primarily in the spiritual sense - as I have commonly used it - and I think now is a good time to "mark out a space" for some observations. I think this week on the calendar is prime real estate for all that goes with observing...looking to and fro, back through history and forward into the future (it is the end of one decade and the beginning of a new one).

Personally, I just celebrated 20 years of total sobriety and a month after that date falls my b'day. This week is in between the two and really becomes a time of contemplation for me. I am realizing how I am not achieving what I wanted or being who I am. It is a tough place to be for me. The good thing is I have the power to change it. I don't use this time to beat myself up but to decide on how I will live differently.

I hope you make the space to look at your life and then choose how you will achieve what you want and be who you are. Let me know how that works for you.

Busy?

It seems like the standard answer that I and most others give and get these days is "Busy." Oh yeah, the question is "How are you?" It seems to me that there needs a better answer. I think "busy" is how I avoid the question. Better yet, just look busy and people won't ask and I don't have to be concerned about not telling the truth, being honest about how I am really doing.

The holidays offer even more of an opportunity to be "busy." Maybe this is the time of year we should be less busy and more honest. Come to think of it, maybe we should be less busy and more honest year-round...it may lead to real relationships.

Well, while there still time left in this year and holiday stuff and work stuff and, you know, I got to run.....I'm busy.............

I don't get it

There is soooo much more that I don't get than I do get.....

I don't get why people are so quick to tell you how to run things their way but so unwilling to do something, anything.

I don't get double speak....saying you'll do one thing while doing another.

I don't get the lack of taking responsibility for choices made.

I don't get why I don't get so much.....

Holidays?

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of the "holiday season." I'm not into parties, gift giving, trying to get along with others, or just being....well, you get the picture.

I know there is something to be said for ritual, tradition, and looking forward in hope. I think what I don't like about these holiday gatherings is we spend too much time looking back and not enough in the present or looking forward. The past isn't always a bad thing, it's...just...I don't remember much of the past.....so, I like to look forward with hope for a better tomorrow.

Time to Recommit

I've let this go for too long.....

Regular post give us something to talk about on a regular basis.

CVAB celebrated 14 years of being an organization while having our members meeting at the Hilton. We committed to Extending Our REACH...Recovery, Empowerment, Advocacy, Community and Hope. It was a wonderful evening.

Health Care Reform

There has been a plethora of information and discussion regarding reforming health care in the USA. I may be wrong but there seems to be few who don't agree on the need for giving attention to reforming health insurance and care. The debate seems to be with the "how" question. What amazes me is the misinformation that abounds. What do you think about health care reform?

Adventure Ahead

Last month we placed the compass on a map of mental health and it continued to point in the direction of recovery-oriented services and beyond to previously uncharted territories. As we look into the frontier we view a landscape that requires working partnerships, people before paper, potential for personal growth, and where self-determination can make it all happen. The challenge is to get out of the established and fortified metropolis of “traditional” and “safe” services to the frontier outposts that become inclusive, livable communities of lives based in recovery and wellness.

As stated last month, part of blazing trails to the recovery and wellness frontier includes learning a new vocabulary of mutuality and acting in a way that shares risk and expertise. To successfully achieve this, those who live with challenges to their mental health must feel empowered to fully participate as partners in whatever services they seek. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) describes Empowerment as:

Consumers have the authority to choose from a range of options and to participate in all decisions—including the allocation of resources—that will affect their lives, and are educated and supported in so doing. They have the ability to join with other consumers to collectively and effectively speak for themselves about their needs, wants, desires, and aspirations. Through empowerment, an individual gains control of his or her own destiny and influences the organizational and societal structures in his or her life.

If you are comfortable in the traditionally safe and fortified metropolis of treatment services, you can put away your compass and live in the shelter of what is offered to you. But if you are willing to abandon what mental health services do for you and partner with them to take risks necessary to gain control of your destiny, pick up your compass and let’s join together on the path to wellness.

eVoice

CVAB sent out its first edition of the eVoice last week. The eVoice is an update about CVAB and current events sent out a couple times a month to keep you informed. If you want to subscribe, go to http://www.cvabonline.com/ and put you email address in the subscription box toward the bottom of the page.

We hope to use this blog as the interactive part of our community so we will use the eVoice to give you more to interact to....

Charting a New Direction

There has been a great deal of discussion in Clark County, across Washington State and the nation about recovery-based or recovery-oriented services. There is a strong and growing desire to empower a person moving through clinically based services toward community based activities.

There is general agreement that recovery and the services that support recovery can mean different things to different people. It has been acknowledged that providing recovery-oriented services presents challenges when implemented in time honored, traditional mental health centers with services driven by funding sources; we think these challenges are not insurmountable.

We recognize that we must work together to reshape the concepts, discussion, language and actions surrounding mental illness, health and services; it our belief that this discussion must include recovery as part of holistic wellness.

It has been generally accepted that recovery-oriented services, among other things, value: self-determination; full partnership; people first; and growth potential. So, how can we develop a mental health system that the practice of working together is realized?

We start by learning a new vocabulary of mutuality and act in a way that shares risk and expertise. We set aside our pre-conceived notions about recovery and explore the reality of choice, partnership and collaboration. We develop new roles around who gets to define and decide what has been traditionally referred to as a treatment plan as we map a new path to wellness.

CVAB Evaluation

I know this blog has a limited following but I want encourage all of you who are asked to participate in the CVAB evaluation project. This will help us determine our effectiveness and how we might make improvements.

To all of you who have participated, thanks! To all that will, thanks!

The Diagnosis Game

This is a Kessler Kolumn extra (you won't find this in The Voice where Nick's Kolumns appear monthly).

I really don’t like how even the most benign facets of the mental health system work sometimes. Although I have not been exposed to the problem I am about to explain in quite a while, I can see how any consumer can be lead into the following scenario, and it is very self-destructive. Sometimes the only defense we can honestly come up with for our behavior is our diagnoses themselves. Yet this does not often seem to satisfy the providers much at all. It’s hard for us to articulate these “relapses” because they can often lead to false interpretations when we try. Sometimes we are too afraid to try at all. What can we as consumers do when we reach this point? I can only think of a few things, sadly. One is simply ask the therapist or case manager: “What are ALL of my options”

The second is to use an advance directive. I hope that CVAB and other organizations continue to hold classes on these (I’m in need of one myself). Finally, come to CVAB and try to engage in-depth with others about similar problems they’ve been through. It’s amazing how easy it is to get a nudge in the right direction at this place.

Good luck,
Nick

CVAB Post Employment Opportunity

You can see the most recent notice of CVAB hiring at cvabonline.com under the News tab.

A case of the "ick"

It has been kind of quiet around CVAB this week. I hope people are getting out and enjoying the warm weather and many summertime opportunities.

The aquarium has been undergoing some maintenance; it has a nasty case of the "ick"--a parasite that infects the tank and gets under the skin of the fish making life difficult. We've had to get tough with treating the water and the fish have had to do what they can to take care of themselves. This has led to turmoil in the aquarium and a reduction in our community of fish. That's what happens when something unhealthy gets into a community.

A bit of advice

I hate to call attention to the negative but something has to be said about all the "drama" I am hearing about around CVAB that gets in the way of all the positive: "Stop it."

I know this goes against the norm at CVAB but let me offer some advice:

• Take care of yourself and your business; you don't need to take care of other people's business.
• Quit talking about other people, a gossip is poison to a community; instead. talk with people.
• Look in the mirror, it isn't always the other person's problem, fault....
• Treat others as you want to be treated (the same goes for talking about others).
• To be treated as an adult, you have to act like one.
• Get involved in doing something positive at CVAB or in the greater Clark County community; you won't have time to dwell on the negative.
• Respect, Responsibility and Recovery; any other behaviors, actions or attitudes fall short when part of the CVAB community.

Each of us are responsible for our individual recovery. Let's get back to the positive.

It has been good....

Its been good to see so many of our CVAB community and many more from across the state at the conference. I am looking forward to hearing the great insights and knowledge shared in coming days and weeks.

What a Week....

We're going to have quite the week at CVAB. The Washington Behavioral Healthcare Conference is in town so we have a full agenda of visiting dignitaries, state and RSN employees and some out of town peers. In addition, there will be 30 or so of our CVAB community participating at the conference where we will have an exhibitors table, be involved in one presentation, and involved in some open meetings.

On top of all that, our regularly scheduled calendar of events....

I can't wait until next week.

What do you think?

I sit and watch the fish going about their busy community life and sometimes find myself identifying with different ones, or thinking that the behavior of a couple of them reminds me of a few folks I know, or just wondering how they sleep.

Other times I'm watching them but a million miles away in my head.

I'm just wondering what you think about when you watch them.

Hearing Voices

CVAB is a peaceful place when wondering through it in the morning, after hours or on Sunday. The amazing thing for me is when I pause in each section, I hear the voices, the laughter, the crying, the clicking of computer keys that make this place so alive. It's nice when it is quiet and I know some would prefer it be that way all the time....but CVAB is a community and with community comes the beautiful clutter of conversation, laughter, and the tappity tap of life.

So what do you think?

Below is the article from the cover of this month's edition of The Voice. What are your thoughts?

Choose

One of the key components to recovery is self-direction. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provided 10 Components of Recovery. Someone else was kind enough to give it to us in language that is clear and direct:

You as the consumer have the control to choose which path you would like to follow. You decide what steps you would like to take when you are ready to begin your own independent recovery process. You define the goals that you plan to achieve and the path you will take to get there.

“You decide….” These two words are powerfully dynamic equaling two others, “I am.” The freedom and ability to “be” and to “choose” are fundamental to who we are as humans. There are times when facing challenges to our mental health we lose hold of our ability to be and to choose.

The connection of being and choosing are illustrated by Viktor Frankl, who after experiencing the horrors of Nazi concentration camps writes:

We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

Though it may seem like a leap to suggest a few, if any, of us have had to endure experiences nearing the atrocities of concentration camps, it is less of a leap to suggest some of us have been stripped of all dignity and many, if not all, have faced the indignity of stigma, discrimination, unfair practices, uncertain futures, and even our ability to “be.” In the face of such challenges, you can choose your attitudes, you can choose your own way.

What does this have to do with recovery? Everything. It easy to be dissatisfied with the way things are. It is easy to be unhappy about life’s circumstances. It is easy to complain. It is easy to take the road that leads to little recovery because it is easy. On the other hand, you can choose the path to follow, the actions you will take, the goals you will achieve, the way you will celebrate achieving hard earned and well deserved success. The choice is yours.

Keeping Up!

It is difficult to keep up with all that is going on and neglect is what this blog experiences. How do I make this a bigger priority? Controversy might help...recovery-oriented of course............

Responsibility

This month's Recovery Concept is RESPONSIBILTY. If you are hanging around CVAB you will hear us mention this as one of our 3 R's (the other two being Respect and Recovery). You will also find the following on bright orange flyers:

Each individual has a personal responsibility for his or her own self care and journey through recovery. Making strides toward achieving your goals will require great courage, effort and support. By understanding and giving meaning to your experiences, you can begin to identify coping strategies and healing processes that promote your own wellness.

Now that we've covered that, let me get to another aspect of responsibilty. Whatever happened to people being responsible? Over the past few weeks I have heard of and witnessed people coming to CVAB and playing the game of "What can I get away with?"

Now, we have a bunch of people wanting and needing to make good use of CVAB's services but there are a few, very few, that want to play a game around responsibility. They tend to stretch community norms, try to hide their digital indescretions, or throw verbal stones at someone else as they complain about things. It leads to peers who are working together at CVAB having to continually try to put an end to the games and it takes away from the great things happening in the lives of so many.

Part of recovery is responsibility and it is important for each person to courageously take responsibility for his or her movement toward wellness. It is equally important to consider the way we act toward and with one another as part of that responsibility. I often quote one of our peers who used to work at CVAB and I think it applies here: "Having a mental illness is no excuse for being an ass."

Spring is Here!

It took a while but Spring seems to have arrived. There is a freshness in the air that you don't get at any other time of the year and the sun feels new on your face. After a pleasant weekend and a beautiful beginning to the week, we are beginning to see signs of new life everywhere. The buzz of beginnings is in the air.

As part of our recovery, we often face new beginnings in some aspect of our lives. What are you trying for the first time, or again?

I think I'm going to focus on physical exercise....

What do you want?

I have many ideas for topics and wide ranging possibilities for this blog but I'm curious as to what you might be looking for in this interactive forum. Suggestions?

CVAB Vibe?

We've been busy here at CVAB. We saw over 120 new faces in January with a total of 508 individuals stopping by CVAB. To continue the numbers parade, CVAB had 1595 total visits...we're hosting a bunch of people.

I'm not sure what people expect when they visit CVAB. I know those who have a stereotypical view of people with mental illness might be surprised by what they find.

What do you expect when you head toward CVAB? What do you find?

February Recovery Component--Peer Support

CVAB supports all forms of Recovery. We look to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminstration (SAMHSA) National Consensus Statement on Mental Health Recovery as one of our guidepost for Recovery.

"Mental health recovery is a journey of healing and transformation enabling a person with a mental health problem to live a meaningful life in a community of his or her choice while striving to achieve his or her full potential. " SAMHSA

Each month we discuss one of the 10 supporting components. The February component is Peer Support.

Peers play an invaluable role in your recovery process. Peers can assist and engage you. They can also share experiences and teach new skills. Building supportive relationships provides a sense of belonging and helps to establish your roles in the community.

We would be interested in your thoughts on this topic or how peers are supporting you and your wellness and recovery.

Welcome!

Welcome to the CVAB Online Community Blog. This is the beginning of what we hope becomes an active part of our community. Please join the discussion and tell us what you think!