CVAB Opening Skagit Valley REACH Center

CVAB will be opening the Skagit Valley REACH Center February 6, 2012.

A REACH WA Year One Update

We wanted to update you on what we accomplished (or didn’t) over the past year and what we hope to achieve over the next year (and beyond). It may seem like a whole lot of reading or say little to you, but is it what we have to offer to update you on where we are (trying to be transparent).

Go to http://www.cvabonline.com/html/reach_project.html and look for the August 2011 REACH Update.

Dog Days of Summer

I often use this phrase to refer to the hot peak of the summer when things really don't seem to go the way you want or need and take way too long...a drawn out blah. It must be obvious by now that the lack of productivity here or in other areas (or appearance of a lack of action) places me in the dog days...

What typically happens during these dog days is someone blows through filled with hot air-dog breath-that adds to that dog day feeling...my immediate response isn't always the best but at some point I think...Really? And you have it all figured out...right? But I digress.

I'm going searching for a cool breeze that will inspire me.

First OutREACH WA Tour a Success!

Brad Berry, Executive Director and REACH Project Director, took a quick tour of Washington that covered over 900 miles and multiple cups of coffee. The REACH Advisory Council members in each community were extremely hospitable and helped to make the trip a success on many levels. A huge thanks goes out to Debbie (Richland), John (Spokane), Randi (Spokane), Kelly (Ellensburg), Sue (Olympia), and Laurel (Lakewood). The request was to be available and invite who you want...they were and they did. Brad will be organizing a regular call with this group and making a trip to Seattle and points north soon. There will be more details available through this blog, the CVAB Online Community website, CVAB’s Facebook Account and NW Seeds of Change REACH Project Group. In the meantime, consider getting involved through a REACH Workgroup. You can find applications and other materials under the REACH Project tab at our main website.

CVAB is forming the REACH WA Advisory Council

CVAB is inviting interested individuals to become a part of our REACH WA Advisory Council.

You may remember that CVAB is developing Regionally Empowered and Accessible Communities of Hope (REACH), these will be consumer organized, operated and run centers. CVAB will simultaneously be forming the REACH Network that links the developing centers and other consumer organizations and businesses providing technical assistance to consumer operated services. The REACH Network will be committed to the continuous transformation of health services and shaping public policy.

As a part of our REACH WA project, we think it is important to have statewide representation on an advisory council. The council will help us with planning and implementing our strategies to establish REACH centers. The commitment will begin as simply as a monthly phone call but you can expect it to increase to quarterly meetings in regions of the state.

If you are interested, please go to the CVAB Online Community, find the REACH Project page and download an application. We would like to wrap up this round of applications by April 22, 2011.

REACH WA is funded by a Consumer Statewide Network Grant from SAMHSA.

Impressed with the Work of Our Peers

I attended the final formal gathering under WA Transformation Grant of Regional Organizing Initiatives (ROI). I was there to provide information about CVAB's SAMHSA Grant that is known as our REACH project and recruited to provide an overview of healthcare reform and how to be involved.

The part of the day that was most imressive was when it came time for the groups to report out what they have accomplished. The four groups that were present were able to stretch the monies they received to connect with, train, and support so many of our peers across the state...it was inspiring.

I hope the stories can be collected, shared and preserved so we can see how the efforts of the few led to positive changes for the many. We owe a great thanks to those who pioneered the efforts as a part of the T-grant.

I began the day telling the story of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz gang...the point being we all have strengths and need to recognize the strengths in others...the brain, heart, courage and ability to build a caring community was clearly evidenced through the ROI particpants.

Lets continue to find ways to support and encourage one another's good work...we must succeed.

Numbers?

We're not always sure what numbers mean when we see them. The reason we raise this is because we've had a number of days with over a hundred visits in the last week or so--yesterday we had 126 people come into the Self-Help Recovery Center. I want to say a special thanks to the three staff and few volunteers who helped keep it all flowing smoothly.

We don't do everything right, but we do a whole lot of things really well. CVAB truly is a resource for health, wellness and recovery.