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.