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Click here for the 2015 Editorial Calendar
September is Recovery Month!
Submission Deadline: August 1
Please send all materials to
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Multicultural
Mixing It Up: Young Adults, Mental Health, and Cultural Diversity
By Tina Sang
DMH Director of Employment
Young adults, many of whom are peer mentors, and their colleagues and supporters convened in Marlborough in May for the DMH statewide Young Adult Summit. The summit recognized the young adults' dedication to serving those with mental health needs, provided skill-building workshops, and facilitated networking opportunities. Rachely Ramos, Young Adult Peer Specialist at the Northeast Recovery Learning Community, and I co-facilitated an interactive cultural diversity workshop. Participants listened to a list of life lessons adapted from the writings of Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho and then were asked to answer a few questions. The twist of this activity was that the lessons were read aloud by Rachely in Spanish and the questions were written in Chinese. Participants could work together and use other resources, such as their smart phones, to complete the activity. The participants' willingness to try the activity despite the language barrier was impressive. Rachely was surprised by how "everyone spoke and shared a little about themselves. Even though we were in a group, they still let themselves be vulnerable. They stayed even though they didn't understand what I was reading." A follow-up brainstorming session had participants discuss ways to improve communication between people from different cultural backgrounds or people who speak different languages. We also discussed how language barriers can occur even when both parties speak English, such as when medical jargon or legal terminology is used without explaining the terms in everyday language. "We wanted the participants to feel what it is like to be on the outside looking in, and I think that was accomplished," said Rachely. The workshop encouraged participants to share their perspectives and Rachely did this by sharing her lived experience as a young person who received mental health services. "Sharing your story is one of the most important things a peer mentor can do. By sharing, you connect with people on a different level. It is like street cred; like mental health cred. People trust you because you've been through it," said Rachely. The workshop ended with participants creating a large web from yarn. The web symbolized unity, illustrated interdependence and emphasized that shared knowledge is necessary as we all strive towards cultural and linguistic competence in the provision of mental health services. When asked what she wanted the participants to remember from the workshop, Rachely responded, "I want the participants to take home the knowledge that there are people like us; they are not alone." |
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Focus on
Employment 
Employment is Worth Celebrating!
By Michael Stepansky
DMH Director of Employment
DMH programs are honoring those who have made employment a key part of their recovery in celebrations across the state. While events such as the Metro Boston Area's annual Schiff Awards and the Northeast-Suburban Area's South Site's annual Storytellers event (now in its 17th year) have been held for many years, others such as Baycove's Mental Health Services Employment Celebration, Community Counseling of Bristol County's (CCBC) Employment Luncheon, and twice-a-year events at the Bridge of Central MA are more recent. Awardees receive recognition and certificates and in the case of the Schiff award, small stipends courtesy of the Schiff Family in honor of their son Jonathan, for whom the award is named. At events such as CCBC's Employment Luncheon and Storytellers, employer-partners speak to the importance of a diverse workforce, answering questions from the audience, providing encouragement and in some cases receiving awards or citations themselves. Recently, regional and national employers such as Lowes, Verc Enterprises, and the South Shore YMCA have attended employment celebrations hosted by DMH and DMH providers. Celebrations such as these highlight the importance employment plays in persons' recovery and send a strong message to staff, family members and those receiving services that DMH and its providers value employment and support people finding and going to work. While this message is literally personified by agency-leadership who often are in the audience, make the awards and emcee the events, it is perhaps no better embodied than by the success of the awardees themselves: those who speak openly of their struggles, courage and triumphs of returning to the world of work. |
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ReachHire offers young adults and anyone seeking a wealth of tools, advice, and resources designed to help you reach your dreams - for building a career, getting an education, and supporting yourself financially.
With a positive attitude and the right support, you can make it a fun and fulfilling experience.
Get Started Today at:
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Connections Correction
We apologize that In the December 2011-January 2012 issue, in the "Recovery, Peers are Key to DMH Inpatient Mission" article we noted
"Kevin Huckshorn, who now serves as director of the National Technical Assistance Center for the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors" Kevin is the Commissioner of
of the DE mental health and substance abuse service system. | |
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Conferences and Events
SAVE THE DATE
October 23, 2015
Riverside Trauma Center's 5th Annual Conference
Understanding the Role of Trauma in the Roots of Violent Behavior
8:30 a.m. to 4:15 a.m. The Verve, Crowne Plaza, Natick, MA Co-sponsored by the DPH's Suicide Prevention Program Pre-registration is required. Click here for Online registration will be at. You can also register or request accommodations such as ASL interpreters or visual aids by contacting [email protected] and/or call (781) 433-0672, ext. 5738 by 10/2. Click here for a printable flyer __________________
Upcoming Events at The Bridge Training Institute
Continuing Education for Mental Health Professionals - See our training calendar at www.thebridgetraininginstitute.org
Our day-long trainings are held at the Courtyard Marriott in Marlborough, MA. If accommodations are needed, please contact Stephen Murphy at [email protected] or 508-755-0333
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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Suicide Prevention Training Calendar Please click on the link below to register. Suicide Prevention Events Calendar When registering for a workshop, please note that each event has tabs titled with information regarding the workshop, available CEs and cost. Space is very limited for each workshop and fills up quickly, please register early. __________________ Upcoming Workshops at the Center for Professional Innovation (formerly Community Program Innovations) CPI offers continuing education for mental health and healthcare professionals and educators, holding day-long workshops throughout Massachusetts on clinical and management topics. Trainings are held in Billerica, Foxborough and Springfield. To view the complete schedule and to register visit http://bridgewellcpi.org All facilities are wheelchair accessible. If accommodations such as ASL interpreters or visual aids are needed, email: [email protected] or call 339-883-2118. _________________ Click here for the Transformation Center website and all the latest information and events happening throughout the mental health community. Please send your event information to Michelle Cormier Tallman by the 15th of each month for publication in DMH Connections |
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 Serving Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations and
Achieving Healthcare Equity for All
 In May 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives declared July Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to honor Bebe Moore Campbell, an accomplished author, advocate, co-founder of NAMI Urban Los Angeles and national spokesperson, who passed away Nov. 2006. She wrote the award-winning book, "Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry," written especially for children, about a young girl who learns how to cope with her mother's bipolar illness and her novel, "72-Hour Hold," focused on an adult daughter and a family's experience with the onset of mental illness. Her writings helped educate us all that the struggle often is not just with the illness and raise awareness for the needs of diverse populations in our the healthcare system. She advocated the critical need for healthcare systems and services to be culturally and linguistically competent to achieve healthcare equity for all.
Mental health problems affect everyone: Learn how they impact these communities:
Information provided by NAMI.org
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The Americans With Disabilities
Act: 25 Years of Advocacy
 The Department of Mental Health is proud to support the 25th anniversary celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) this month. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Specifically, the ADA prohibits disability discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations and telecommunications. The ADA was signed in 1990 by President George W. Bush, Sr. The celebration of the 25th anniversary of the ADA will take place on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 on the Boston Common from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"While most people are aware of the ADA in terms of physical disabilities, it's important to remember that the ADA also applies to psychiatric disabilities," said Joy Connell, DMH Diversity Officer, and member of the ADA 25 Boston Common Planning Committee. "People with mental health conditions should be aware that they too may be protected by the ADA."
The event includes a formal program, activities and a parade along the Boston Common. Details, including opportunities to sponsor or exhibit, can be found at www.ADA25Boston.org. For a glimpse of the day, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlLWwVJylxo.
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Channel 4 tackles mental health issues in week-long series "Matters of the Mind"
WBZ-TV 4 reporter Bree Sison has a personal passion for reducing the stigma around mental illness. Sison and her family have seen the debilitating effects that PTSD had on her mother, a retired firefighter. In her week long report that aired mornings the week of June 8-12, Channel 4 explored five mental health topics in her Matters of the Mind series.
Posted online in WCVB's Reporters Notebook, Sison writes,"What I recognize very clearly is that my story is far from uncommon. In the process of filing this week of reports, the courage and empathy displayed by sources, patients and viewers who sent emails, Facebook messages and Tweets was nothing short of overwhelming. Despite the prevalence of mental health concerns, there is so much that is still misunderstood and undiscussed. It's time for mental health to be examined more closely from many different angles. We could devote whole shows to the topic. Thank you to the people who opened their hearts and bared their souls in the stories we'll share this week. Each did so with the goal of encouraging others to look out for themselves and their loved ones."
If you missed the series, you can click on the topic links below to view the segments.
Matters Of The Mind: Trauma Takes A Toll On First Responders
Matters Of The Mind: Identifying Kids' Mental Health Issues
Matters Of The Mind: Mental Health And Crime
Matters Of The Mind: Innovations In Mental Illness Treatment
Matters Of The Mind: The Politics of Mental Health
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Older Adult Peer Support Offers Wisdom, Support and a First in Massachusetts
By Rob Walker, CPS
DMH External Consumer Engagement Liaison
Behavioral health systems across the country have experienced positive outcomes using peer support specialists. Peer support specialists are people with lived experience of a behavioral health challenge who use their personal experience to provide hope and mutual understanding to others receiving services. Their message is "I've been where you are." In Massachusetts, many courses have been held to train young adult peer mentors to work with transition age youth, Certified Peer Specialist trainings to work with adults of all ages, and a first on the East coast Deaf Certified Peer Specialist training for Deaf individuals.
This past April, DMH invited Dr. Cynthia Zubritsky from the University of Pennsylvania to teach Pennsylvania's Certified Older Adult Peer Specialist training program and work with state leaders around this topic. The class and subsequent consulting was sponsored by several partners including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); BayPath Elder Services; Community Counseling of Bristol County; Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging; and the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health. Eighteen Certified Peer Specialists or Recovery Coaches age 55-plus attended the three-day workshop which covered subject matter such as: demographics, normal aging, culture, depression, anxiety, substance use, trauma, and suicide as they relate to older adults. The final afternoon of the class was spent on local resources funded by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and Councils on Aging in local cities and towns.
Participants enjoyed the learning and skill building that took place throughout the classes. Comments included:
"I acquired an immense amount of wisdom and knowledge, which will be invaluable moving forward."
"The Older Adult Peer Specialist training was uplifting, providing hope and inspiration for those of us working with elders as peers -- a wonderful networking resource as well."
"We all know someone who is aging, who also has a host of medical issues. They are not alone anymore, they are not the forgotten ones any longer. We are them and they are us."
"Now more than ever, it's time to give voices, choices and strength to mature adults."
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MBHP Annual Forum Highlights Emerging Roles for Young Adults
 This year's Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP) Forum focused on the importance of improving the lives of young adults with a theme "Voice, Recovery and Leadership: Emerging Roles for Young Adults." The Forum's keynote speaker and young adult peer mentor panel shared their personal experiences to emphasize strategies that better engage young adults and improve services for them.
Keynote speaker, Letty Elenes, is a nationally recognized young adult leader in wellness promotion for transition age youth in Oakland, California. She used her personal experience to highlight the importance of connecting with young adults in authentic ways to improve their outcomes. The methods for connecting with young adults were illustrated in a presentation and panel with young adult peer mentors and staff on the STAY (Success for Transition Age Youth) Project in Massachusetts.
The goal of the STAY Project is to engage young adults in treatment and ensure young adult-friendly support for mental health services at Community Service Agencies (CSAs) in Massachusetts. STAY is supported by a U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant and is implemented in collaboration between DMH and the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative. Heidi Holland, Project Director for STAY, talked about the role young adult peer mentors have in helping other young adults. Peer mentors with lived experience work at CSAs to provide friendly and culturally appropriate one-to-one support with other young adults. The peer mentors also help to facilitate Youth Advisory Groups in outreach and input on developing more young adult-friendly services.
Five peer mentors discussed their creative and effective work in helping other young adults in a panel moderated by Alison Hunt, Peer Mentor Liaison for the STAY Project. Marshall Simpson, peer mentor at The Home for Little Wanderers, eloquently stated how he connects and helps young adults with one guiding question, "How can I help you help yourself?" Aliana Wilkey, a peer mentor from JRI, noted how she connects with the young adults she mentors. "I completely understand where they are coming from. I let them know their teams are invested. We do crafts, I ask them their opinions. I remind them of their strengths. I thank them for meeting with me. I genuinely take their words to heart."
Some of the peer mentor panelists talked about the importance of relatability. Alicia Anzaldi, who also is a peer mentor at The Home, talked about the importance of relatability. Alicia uses her personal experience to help the young adults she works with to feel more comfortable. Della Newell, a peer mentor at Wayside in Framingham, gives meaning to the struggles of other young adults by sharing her prior struggles. Winnie Lopez, peer mentor at Gandara, shared one of her techniques of working to meet youth where they are and giving them respect. Gaining that trust has allowed her to help young adult look for better jobs, housing and learning opportunities.
Many examples were shared at the 2015 MBHP Recovery Forum on how young adults are becoming leaders in empowering their peers.
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Kick off your Summer with Recipes to EAT for the HEALTH of it!
By Michelle Cormier Tallman
Communications Coordinator and CO WellMASS Champion
This spring I had the opportunity to join WellMASS Champions from various Executive Branch agencies to sample and vote on three wonderful recipes submitted by various staff for the WellMASS Eat for the Health of it Cookbook.
The rules for submitting a recipe were 1. Recipes must be original or modified from an existing source; and 2. Recipes must include at least one fruit, vegetable or whole grain. Thirty-nine recipes met that criteria and are included in the Eat for the Health of It e-cookbook.
 Judges based their picks on nutritional value, originality, skill level and taste. The three finalists included: Cauliflower Crust Pizza (p.42), Pomegranate Pear Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips (p.11) and our winning selection Baked Nectarines with Pistachios (p.47). I was willing to give them all a try and to my surprise I went back for seconds for all of the dishes. I was in the majority that the Baked Nectarines with Pistachios was the favorite as it truly tasted decadent for a "healthy" recipe. Download your e-copy of the cookbook by clicking the link above and judge for yourself. Try all these tasty recipes for the health of it!
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Summer Art Sale
Join Vinfen at the annual Gateway Arts Summer Sale
Now through July 25th!
Come to the Gateway Arts Craft Store for savings between 25-75% off on beautiful, one-of-a-kind handmade goods including colorful note cards, t-shirts and other wearable art, puzzles, pillows, woven rugs, and silk scarves.
The Gateway Craft Store
60 Harvard Street | Brookline, MA 02445 Monday - Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays Noon to 5 p.m. Gateway Gallery Hours
62 Harvard Street | Brookline, MA 02445 Monday - Friday 9 a.m. 4:30pm Saturdays: Noon- 5pm  NOW SHOWING: Up the Ladder to the Open Door Gallery Gateway Arts' Up the Ladder exhibition is now on view at The Open Door Gallery in Boston www.opendoorgallery.org Click here for more details
Gateway Arts is a nationally and internationally known arts-based vocational rehabilitation service with professional studios, a gallery and a retail store.
Gateway Arts provides professional development for more than 100 adults with disabilities who have talent in fine hand crafts and fine art. Artists are encouraged to follow their dreams, and create a unique individualized career, while learning new processes and developing skills with the encouragement and support of a professional staff of artists.
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Photo of the Month
Motivational Rocks Project at Corrigan
 
Smoothed and rounded rocks were collected from the beach and clients from the Outpatient Medication Clinic at Corrigan Mental Health Center in Fall River were asked to share a positive message with someone else. It gives them a chance to influence people by the little things we say and do. For example the rocks displayed inspirational messages like "life is a special occasion," "celebrate," "hope," "forgive" and "strength." These stones are placed on the landscaped area along the walkway to the gazebo.
Initiated by Kendra Mello, LICSW,the goal is to pass along encouraging messages to each other. They also left blank rocks for others that pass by to share their positive messages with others. The hope is that the project will a positive impact for the mental well being of clients and contribute to their emotional growth and happiness.
If you have photos of a DMH event that you would like featured here or on DMH's Flickr site, please send them to
Michelle Cormier Tallman.
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DMH Connections
Thank you for your readership as DMH Connections proudly celebrates 6 years of continuous publication!
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We will be posting DMH Connections on DMH's archives page of the DMH Internet.
View issues from 2008 to the Present.
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