At the Southeast breakfast, returning co-hosts Robert Rousseau and Frances Sokoll pictured with Commissioner Fowler enthusiastically revved up the crowd as they welcomed Commissioner Marcia Fowler and Legislative sponsors Sen. Michael J. Rodrigues and Rep. Patricia A Haddad who both pledged their commitment to mental health and to their constituents. Guest speakers included Janet Ransom, the director of the Recovery Community Center in Brockton; Michael Montagano of New Bedford; and Gail Matern, a parent from Plymouth. 

A stormy wintery day didn't stop staff, consumers and family members from filling the Great Hall of the State House for the Metro Suburban breakfast. New emcee Jackie Edwards joined returning emcee Alan Jensen as they introduced Commissioner Fowler and Legislative Sponsors Sen. Michael Barrett and Rep. Ronald Mariano, pictured at left with Commissioner Fowler. The legislators said they were impressed by turnout which further confirmed to them that mental health is a priority for many citizens. Guest speakers included Deborah Napolitano of Hudson; David Berkeley, a member of Eliot Clubhouse in Needham; and Marisol Marcy of Littleton.

Sharing stories is the most powerful tool we have in the recovery toolkit. At all the DMH Citizens Legislative Breakfasts, we hear the courageous and compelling personal stories of adults, youth and families living with mental illness and thriving in the face of their challenges. This year we have made videos of these stories available on our DMH Connections YouTube Channel for everyone to see, get inspired and continue the conversation. To view, click their names linked above to hear their powerful stories!

The conversation continues, join us!

Tuesday, March 11, Northeast-Suburban Area Citizens Legislative Breakfast

Northeast Communities (Great Hall/State House)

Friday, March 14, Central-West Area Citizens Legislative Breakfast

Central Mass. Communities (Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital, 

Large Conf. Room, K2-A2)

Friday, March 28, Central-West Area Citizens Legislative Breakfast

Western Mass. Communities (Springfield Technical Community College, 

      Scibelli Hall)

The breakfast events begin with registration and refreshments from 9:30 to 10 a.m. and the program starts promptly at 10 a.m. for approximately an hour.

Community Bridgers: Creating Connections Between Hospital Stays and Returning to the Community 

 By Rob Walker

DMH External Consumer Engagement Liaison 

The Department's Community First agenda reflects a commitment to empower and support people with mental illness to live with dignity and independence in the community by expanding, strengthening and integrating systems of community-based long-term supports that are person-centered, high in quality and provide optimal choice. Aligned with this mission, DMH is supporting a new resource--Community Bridgers.

The purpose of the Community Bridger is to help individuals who are in DMH hospitals and other restrictive settings connect to their natural community. The Northeast Recovery Learning Community (RLC) and Tewksbury Hospital piloted a program in 2012, helping people who were hospitalized make connections in the community they were returning to. Examples of connections include providing resources such as the location of the nearest supermarket, how to use the bus system, where to go fishing, how to get a Y membership as well as assistance purchasing gym clothes. Bridgers were all individuals who have lived experience of a mental health diagnosis and were able to share their recovery stories with the people returning to community living.

The pilot was so successful that DMH incorporated Community Bridgers at each of the six RLCs. For individuals who have been hospitalized for any length of time, their community has undergone change, or they are transitioning to a new community, Bridgers have proved a valuable resource. Research shows that when people feel connected to their community, potential for re-hospitalization decreases and they report more overall satisfaction with their lives.

DMH has also supports two Elder Peer Bridgers who work closely with the local Aging Services Access Points to help older citizens connect with their community and the local programs and services. Elder Peer Bridgers are also persons with lived experience who share their experiences with the older adults they work with. It was also noted that young adults of transition age have their own idea of connecting with the community, and also have a number of resources specifically for their age group. DMH also supports a transitional age youth Community Bridger who works with young adults at Tewksbury Hospital and the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital.

Gathering Inspiring Future Talent a GIFT for 

launching young adults to be Peer Mentors! 

 By Sam Sandland, CPS

GIFT Graduate, Middleboro Class at Walpole Way

GIFT graduates celebrate their achievement.

Twenty-one amazing young adults recently graduated from the Gathering Inspiring Future Talent (GIFT) training program at ceremonies in Dorchester.

GIFT is a two-part training for peer mentoring and a course called How to Turn your Core Gifts into Assets taught by Kim Bisset, Ed.D., all designed in partnership with young adult leaders and DMH supporters to help young adults reach their full potential both personally and professionally. 

Ceremonies too place at the Young Adult Resource Network, part of The Home for Little Wanderers in Dorchester. It's one of two current training sites; a second location was in Middleboro at the Parent Information Network. More than 50 friends, family members and supporters came out to celebrate the achievements of these talented young adults in their journey to be peer mentors. Lyn Maynard, mother of GIFT Middleboro graduate Chris Anderson said, "Before, my son wasn't  comfortable being the advocate for others but going through this GIFT training both helping his fellow students and even potential students advocate for themselves and take full advantage of the training built his confidence and competence to succeed in his new job as peer facilitator."  Throughout the 12-week training, seven of the 21 students already received jobs in and out of the mental health field and many more are in the interviewing process and receiving coaching toward achieving the right job match for them so many are well on their way.

As a graduate, this training has allowed me the opportunity as peer specialist to improve who I am and what I do everyday. It also gave me the opportunity to watch those I work with grow and challenge themselves in a safe environment. This training also has enabled me to look at my life through a different lens. My life has had its ups and downs, as we all have. But, taking this class reminded me that everything I went through, all of my imperfections, and all of the future challenges I will face, I have a place in this world. I and my fellow graduates will make a difference. We each have a GIFT!  

Alternatives Community Plaza Welcomes a New Perspective Through Artistic Expression

On a chilly winter morning, several staff at Alternatives put their work gloves on alongside artist Nick Swearer to install five of Swearer's thought-provoking bronze figures on the Community Plaza at the Whitin Mill, Alternatives headquarters in Whitinsville. Called "Perspectives," the grouping of human forms is made up of individual sculptures depicting "Questioning," "See No Evil," "Vanity," "Two-faced," and "Feminist."

 "Alternatives has always used the arts as a means to bring people together," said Executive Director Dennis Rice. "These sculptures make us think about how we perceive others. They may help us remember that our first perceptions, especially of people with disabilities, can be misleading."

Though the "guests" are not permanent fixtures on the plaza, helping them into their temporary home was no easy task for the group who installed them. Each sculpture weighs between 500 and 700 pounds, and the entire process was done with no more machinery than a shovel. To ensure their stability, the plaza's stone tiles needed to be removed and each form needed to be placed in a hole about 18 inches deep before being packed with dirt and rock sand. 

While most of the sculptures have a rough bronze exterior, "Vanity" alone is a polished bronze form, centrally positioned between the other four. "In the narrative of my installations, each character is an icon for an emotional or physical state, or for an action," comments Swearer. "More important than the individual, is their integration into groupings." 

As with every installation, Swearer hopes this arrangement of figures conveys something emotionally unique to visitors. Alternatives will be hosting the sculptures until spring of this year, so there is plenty of time for the public to make their acquaintance. 

Alternatives, a DMH provider with programs and services primarily in central Massachusetts, helps individuals with disabilities build meaningful lives in the community, lives that include real homes, real jobs and real relationships. Last year, Alternatives provided services to more than 2,000 people in 55 residential, employment and day programs throughout the region. 

Art by: Johann LeRoux

You're Invited to Vinfen's 7th Annual Moving Images Film Festival

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

The Joseph B. Martin Conference Center 

at Harvard Medical School

77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115

Registration: 9 a.m..

BEST Crisis Stabilization Center Now Open at 

DMH's Massachusetts Mental Health Center

The Boston Emergency Services Team (BEST) recently opened a new six-bed Community Crisis Stabilization (CCS) unit, at DMH's Massachusetts Mental Health Center (MMHC). This much needed service expands the capacity of CCS beds in the Boston Area to 26. The program opened Feb. 18 to receive clients referred through the BEST team. The hope is that this service will be a resource in the busy Longwood Area, providing an alternative to hospitalization in the area. 

The open house was well attended by all the partners. Bay Cove Human Services, Vinfen, North Suffolk Mental Health Association, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership, Boston Police, and DMH were all represented. CEOs, peer staff, medical directors and staff from many DMH divisions toured the space and shared their thoughts of how comfortable and welcoming the space is. MMHC looks forward to being a valuable resource and partner in this endeavor.