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The "Network News"
The "Network News" is a publication by the VOCAL Network, 1904 Byrd Avenue, Suite 111, Richmond, Virginia 23230. Call us toll free at 1-877-VOCLNET (862-5638) Email: yolande@vocalvirginia.org.
"Our Mission is to bring Virginia mental
health
consumers together in a statewide network, to
celebrate our strengths and courage,and to
support each other in recovery through
hope,learning,
and empowerment."
From the Desk of Will Gallik
VOCAL Interim Executive Director
VOCAL is pleased to announce that the program director positions have been filled!
The new Network Program Director is Bonnie Neighbour. Prior to her role as VOCAL's Network Program Manager, Bonnie Neighbour worked as the Advocacy Coordinator for five years. She holds a Degree in Music Education from Iowa State University and has had significant graduate education in theology and Christian education from Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond. Bonnie holds a certificate as a Peer Specialist, and is an Advanced Level WRAP facilitator. She taught music in Nebraska in the early 80's and has over fifteen years experience as a youth minister in Georgia and Virginia. Bonnie is a charter member of River City Rotary in Richmond where she co-chairs the Service Projects Committee. Bonnie has been involved in many Richmond area homeless outreach projects, reaching out to our peers who find themselves without stable housing. She has been involved in the leadership of several peer-run groups with connections to DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance); WRAP; The Icarus Project; McGuire Veterans Hospital; Friends 4 Recovery; as well as a regional peer connection/action group in Central Virginia. Bonnie enjoys her work on the Board of Virginia's Department of Behavioral Health and VAULT (Virginia Advocates United Leading Together), Virginia's cross-disability self-advocacy organization.
Bonnie was diagnosed with a severe mental illness after a fifteen year period where she worked over thirty jobs - sometimes no job at all, as she couldn't leave her
house, and sometimes working three jobs simultaneously. With her diagnosis
she became eligible for and began receiving disability benefits. The benefits were instrumental in allowing her
to begin the recovery journey. Through acceptance from her peers and the modeling of her peers who were working, and through their support, after nine years
on disability Bonnie was able to go back to work and has been off disability since 2007. Her passion is to model for other peers and help empower them along their individual recovery journeys.
Bonnie will continue to work out of the Richmond office and can be reached at 804.343.1777 or toll-free at
877. 862.5638 and bonnie@vocalvirginia.org
The new Co-Op Director is Cynthia Evans. Cynthia lives in Dale City, in northern Virginia, or what she refers to as "The other D.C." She is the former director of NAMI's "In Our Own Voice". a public speaking program where people with mental illnesses share their stories with the community at-large. Previously she was employed for 12 years with The Laurie Mitchell Employment Center (LMEC), a peer-run drop-in center in Fairfax County providing free computer training, peer support, and employment assistance.
Raised in Detroit in a home where mental illness, abuse, and addictions ran rampant, Cynthia is truly a survivor. Between the ages of 13 and 24, she lived in 25 different residences including foster homes, mental hospitals, and homeless shelters. She has been diagnosed with depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Attention Deficit Disorder. She had Borderline Personality Disorder for 15 years, but no longer has it. "I really believe that whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger. My path has certainly made me more sensitive to others that I ever would have been otherwise." Cynthia credits spirituality, peer support, and recovery principles as the tools that have brought her this far. She enjoys bringing a message of hope to others.
Cynthia works out of her home office in northern Virginia and can be reached at 434.243.7878 and cynthia@vocalvirginia.org
The new REACH Program Director is Debbie Smith. Debbie has been involved with the consumer movement for over ten years. She began as a support and referral resource at On Our Own of Charlottesville and worked her way to Assistant Director and later as Director of Recovery and Support. She is an Advance Level Facilitator in WRAP, Advanced Trainer in Intentional Peer Support (IPS), a curriculum designed for trauma-informed peer support, and is a Certified Peer Specialist. She has experience in facilitating Pathways to Recovery, as well as other wellness and recovery tools and techniques, and supports people as they write their advance directive.
Debbie has served on several committees and boards including Mental Health America, Charlottesville; VOCAL; and Charlottesville Health Access, a program of the Haven in Charlottesville.
Debbie works out of the Charlottesville office and can be reached at 434.243.7878 and debbie@vocalvirginia.org
Thanks to Mickie Chapman
With the hiring of the program directors, VOCAL wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to Mickie Chapman. Mickie came on board with VOCAL as a contractor during a challenging time last July, and very ably performed her duties as Technical Assistance Program Specialist until the end of the year. In this role, Mickie worked diligently in helping to complete VOCAL's deliverables to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) for its CO-OP program. To this end, Mickie hit the ground running and quickly established herself with the Department and many of the peer-run programs throughout the state. During this time, Mickie was a catalyst in assisting with data collection and board development, among other things, and worked hard to coordinate and facilitate a retreat for peer program leaders at Shalom House in Montpelier, Virginia, called the Executive Director Forum. Mickie was a strong, positive presence within VOCAL. We are glad that you were able to share your skills and talents with us and look forward to doing more of the same in the future.
VOCAL BOARD Meets Wednesday, March 20th in Charlottesville
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
1600 5th Street, Room A, Charlottesville
This is an open meeting.
Please RSVP to Deidre at deidre@vocalvirginia.org if you would like to attend.
Please note: VOCAL does not reimburse for mileage/travel expenses nor provides lunch for guests.
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From Ann Conner
President of the VOCAL Board of Directors
Hello VOCAL Members!
I hope that you are all staying warm and that 2013 has started out well for you, as it has for VOCAL. The Board and staff are hard at work both reinforcing the structure (policies and procedures) and spreading the impact of peers on the mental health system in Virginia. VOCAL does this by building and strengthening a coalition of consumer-run programs throughout the Commonwealth; by providing technical assistance, training and support to forming, new and existing consumer-run organizations and by offering opportunities to individual consumers for education, training, and empowerment. We also develop collaborative partnerships with other mental health organizations. The VOCAL Computer Club is a new way we have found to offer opportunities for empowerment to our members (see article on VOCAL Computer Club in this newsletter).
All Board members now have email addresses next to their names on the VOCAL website, http://www.vocalvirginia.org/. (You can find the Board member names under the About Us tab.) We have added these emails because we do want to be accessible to you and one member brought up this excellent idea. I hope you will use them to contact me, the Board member from your region or others as you wish. I would love to hear from you! Also, if you sent me an email before about interest in committee involvement, I didn't get it, as I know happened in at least one case. I apologize and ask that you resend it to the new
email: ann.conner@vocalvirginia.org. (I think the junk mail must have eaten it!)
Now here is where VOCAL and I need your help.
Elections will be held on May 21st, 2013, from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. at the Annual Membership Meeting for eight Board positions: two officers (Vice-President and Secretary; two at-large members; and four regional members (Regions 2, 4, 5 and 6). The secretary Board member and the Board members from Regions 2 and 4 all have incumbents that are eligible to run again. The other five positions are vacant or do not have an eligible incumbent. Please consider whether you, or someone you know, might make an excellent VOCAL Board member, Secretary or Vice-President. There is a little more information in the Bylaws about the powers, qualifications and election of directors on page 4, Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3, and about the positions of Secretary and Vice-President, page 7, Sections 4.6 and 4.7 (see VOCAL website for Bylaws). The main qualification is that you are a member of VOCAL (it's free, it's easy, call/write/email us for an application, fill it out, send it back and you are a member of VOCAL - if you live VA, etc.). In order to run for a Regional position, you must live in that region. If you don't know for sure which of the seven Virginia Health Planning Regions (HPR I-VII) you live in, you can follow this link that lists the counties in each of the seven regions, though not in the easiest format: http://www.dbhds.virginia.gov/documents/OCC-CSBAddressList.pdf.
Please help VOCAL find eight more good people willing to volunteer their time and energy to our Vision and Mission of achieving a consumer-driven mental health system in the Commonwealth of Virginia. To do so by developing a diverse statewide coalition of consumer-run programs and organizations united to provide a voice for individual empowerment. Contact me and let me know if you are interested in becoming a Board member, let's talk about it a bit and see if it might be a good fit.
I do hope that you will be able to personally attend the annual meeting on May 21st, cast your own votes for Vice-President, Secretary and at-large Board members, #and regional, if applicable) as well as regarding proposed Bylaws changes. Of course I hope you will be there anyway, attending the annual conference from May 20th through May 22nd! You may contact me at ann.conner@vocalvirginia.org or call: 804.462.5040 or write to me via postal mail: c/o VOCAL, P.O. Box 1248 , Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
Thank you!
From Where I Sit...
Creative Offerings from Members and Friends
VOCAL Member Beth Gager Creates Her Own Wellness Blog,
"A Rooted Mind"
Solitary Girl
It was New Year's Eve
And since no one else was there
At the stroke of midnight
She kissed her teddy bear.
Only My Muse
I lied to myself, said I loved you like a brother
But like Cyrano, I'm just another unrequited lover
Once every fortnight, you visit my dreams
Ice dancing over frozen streams
My heart of clay holds a poet's passion
Blessed to love others in a suitable fashion
It was the gift from you that I can use
A bittersweet memory, you're only my muse.
Written by Ann Catherine Braxton, Hampton
Firewalkers News
by Malaina Poore
Hello, friends. This will be my last newsletter installment as Firewalkers Program Director. We have successfully published two books: "Firewalkers: Madness, Mystery and Beauty" and "FireStories: Further Thoughts on Radically Rethinking Mental Illness" (plus a mini book called "The Little Art Book"). We have reached over 10,000 people through our books, website and events. Speaking of our website, it has recently been updated with exercises, discussion points and workshop ideas for your use.
So, what comes next for Firewalkers? The books are still on sale and our speakers are still
available to visit your school or speak at your meetings. Firewalkers is not closing shop, it is just taking a breather while it determines what it wants to bloom into next.
The message that I hope shines clear and will always remain with Firewalkers, is this:
"What is labeled "mental illness" can be a profound, turbulent, spiritual experience that has the power to enrich us, reveal unknown strengths, and transform our lives."
That is the spirit in which we chose to present ourselves and our work. Firewalkers asks many questions. The answers are often complicated and personal, but they are our own to consider.
I have had an interesting and overwhelmingly wonderful five years at VOCAL. I am grateful to my teachers and colleagues who've worked with such passion for the betterment of us all. I have really learned a lot!
The sweetest moments for me were in conversation with people who allowed themselves to be vulnerable and tell their real stories. This happened again and again: in Firewalkers workshops, in staff meetings, while making art at the VOCAL conference and in friendships made. The peer world is rich, indeed, when it comes to heart.
I'm going to work on homeschooling my son and begin my graduate studies. I guess you could say that I am changing gears. I'm grateful for a life that allows such forks in the road. It is the only kind of recovery that makes sense to me.
***Editor's Note: If you have Firewalkers questions/seek a speaker, please contact Yolande Long at 804.343.1777
From Patrick Bruckart
VOCAL Board Member
As a new VOCAL Board member, I also would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and explain why I am committed to VOCAL.
I have been involved with the mental health consumer movement for the past fifteen years. I served as non-compensated policy assistant for the Department for Rights of Virginian's with Disabilities before it became VOPA, and I participated in Virginia's first Leadership academy and went on to co-facilitate a Leadership Academy.
I was involved with organizing VOCAL in 2000, at the beginning, and was one of the original signers of the articles of incorporation. I am very pleased to have reconnected with this organization in 2011.
I believe in VOCAL, its members, member organizations, Board of Directors and staff, and I am optimistic about our future and future of the peer movement in Virginia. Despite recent challenges and growing pains, I could not be more impressed with VOCAL's growth from an
idea to Virginia's preeminent statewide
consumer network that both asserts and models leadership.
Please join VOCAL at the 6th Annual Community Health Fair if you can. It will be held at Armstrong High School, 2300 Cool Lane, Richmond (23233) on Saturday,
February 23rd, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. There will be free health screenings, wellness education, and follow-up resources to the Richmond Community. We look forward to meeting you.
FYI, My reference on the study about mortality and people with severe mental illness
*[T]he National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) published a study two years ago called Morbidity and Mortality in People with Serious Mental Illness. The report analyzed data from 16 states and found that, on average, people with severe mental illness die 25 years earlier than the general population. "
Torgovnick, Kate (2008, December). Why Do the Mentally Ill Die Younger? Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1863220,00.html (Retrieved February 6, 2013)
VOCAL Statewide Mental Health Consumer Conference, "Carrying the Torch"
Monday - Wednesday, May 20th-22nd at James Madison University in Harrisonburg. The VOCAL Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 21st from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. We have several important issues - electing new board members and voting on by-law changes.
Registration form is available on our web site: http://www.vocalvirginia.org/
Our Thanks to Malaina Poore
As of the end of January, Malaina Poore ended her time as a paid employee with VOCAL. Malaina came to VOCAL in 2008 as the administrative assistant to the Executive Office. As such, she was tasked with helping the Executive Office with its day to day administrative tasks, including assisting the Board of Directors. An incredibly talented person, Malaina used her creativity and passion to take on tasks only a mother could love! During her time at VOCAL, she was the "glue" that held all those miscellaneous "things" that keep an organization together. This was most valuable during VOCAL's transition in the past eighteen months. In addition to her administrative duties, Malaina eventually "morphed" into the role of Firewalkers Program Director. In this position, Malaina courageously took on a project that had little direction and created direction that led to a follow-up compendium to the original book. She will remain a part of Firewalkers through its Speaker's Bureau and Advisory Team.
At this point, Malaina is taking her illumination and experience on the road so that others can experience how lucky we have been to have had her. She, and her laugh, will always be with us. VOCAL is grateful to have had such a wonderful person as part of the organization.
We wish her only the best!
Call for Workshop Proposals for "Carrying the Torch"
VOCAL seeks workshop proposals from members and friends! Workshops are 1.5 hours in length. Proposals are due no later than April 15th - please provide a title, description, names of presenters, and any other information that may be useful for our understanding of your proposed presentation. You will be notified after the due date whether or not the proposal is accepted.
Please send via email to yolande@vocalvirginia.org or by postal mail to the Network office address.
News from the Regions
Are you looking for education on how to maintain wellness and to stay in recovery? Do you desire to meet with others, of like mind, for discussion and group learning?
A community WRAP group is meeting in Henrico County on Saturday mornings from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. This group is facilitated by three Copeland Center-trained individuals, who have a vision of providing WRAP in the larger Richmond community. This group will be 'revolving'; meaning that it will continue through the WRAP curriculum for approximately eight weeks, then start over again. You are welcome to join at any point.
Although not sponsored by Henrico Mental Health, the meetings will take place at the Lakeside Center, 5623 Lakeside Avenue, Henrico (23228).
For more information, contact the facilitators at wrapnrecovery@gmail.com or call David Rockwell at 804.727.8540, William Hart at 804.727.8555, or Kevin Kelly 804. 727.8597
Mental Health Recovery Retreat at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park
Sponsored by DBSA Mood Disorders Support Group of Falls Church and a Federal MH Block Grant from Virginia's DBHDS
May 17th at noon - May 19th at 3:00 p.m.
Cost is free to participants, with $100 deposit to be refunded at end of retreat. Financial aid is available.
For a registration form and further information contact Roth Molyne at 703.400.6428 or justthebasics@comcast.net Registration deadline is May 11th.
"Recovery In Motion (RIM)" in Fredericksburg
The RIM program has been conducting several WRAP workshop series annually for the last 2.5 years, and during Mental Health month, puts on a candlelight vigil program and a luncheon for officers trained in CIT. RIM provides monthly newsletters to their WRAP graduates (now numbering over 100) to continue to provide information, sense of community, and WRAP reminders.
RIM sponsors a variety of activity groups in surrounding counties including a knitting group at a library, a crafts group at a volunteer's home in Spotsylvania and the offer of a weekend mall walking group.
For further information about "Recovery in Motion", please contact Karen Kallay at kakallay@gmail.com
News from On Our Own of Roanoke Valley (OOORV)
Peer Support Group: Tuesday through Saturday afternoons
Veterans' Peer Support Group: Mondays
Dual Recovery Anonymous: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
Please call for times or calendar of events: 540.362.0061 or www.rvonourown.com
DBSA of Falls Church and NAMI of NOVA Mental Health Support Groups
For individuals with depression and bipolar disorders:
Thursdays, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in Falls Church
Contact: Muna Jazrawi 703.532.8012
Email: munajaz@hotmail.com
For individuals with any mental health diagnosis:
Thursdays, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in Alexandria
Contact: Shavonne G. Carpenter 571. 432.8640 Email: Sister_SGC@yahoo.com
Saturdays, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. in Reston
Contact: Vanessa Priest 703.966.8935
Email: vanessapriest@hotmail.com
Saturdays from 1:00 - 3:00p.m. in Arlington
Please contact Jaimie White at 703.521.8555 or by email at jwhite8@cox.net before attending!
Saturdays from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. in Falls Church
Contact Nicole Briggs at 571.309.7024
Email: a.nicole.briggs@live.com
Mental Health America of Virginia (MHAV) 2012-13 Training Schedule
QUEST
Williamsburg/Middle Peninsula - April 8-10, 2013
Middleburg/NOVA April 22-24, 2013
CELT (Consumer Empowerment Leadership Training)
Roanoke- March 25-29, 2013
Fredericksburg- May 20-24, 2013
Advanced training
June 17-18, 2013
For more information and to apply, call Tiffany Perry at 804-257-5591
"Recovery Among Friends" Support Group Meets in Central Virginia (Ashland)
Every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., at the Thomas
Hale Center, 203 S. Taylor Street in Ashland
For questions: Patrick at 804.317.1255 or pebruckart@inbox.com or Betsy Brown at 804-798-4587
What Do, Or Could, Computers Mean in Your Life?
by Marc Cowgill, Board Member
With the leadership of At-Large Board Member Marc Cowgill, we have started a VOCAL Computer Club for all members. We plan to offer assistance in acquiring, repairing and learning to use computers as Marc's non-profit organization has done successfully in Southwestern Virginia. For this plan to succeed, the most important people will be the members with computer knowledge that are willing and able to share that knowledge with other members who live nearby. If that fits you, please contact Marc. Also contact Marc to let him know if you need assistance regarding computers and as soon as we have a volunteer in your area, we will match you up.
Marc says: I love computers, and for the last ten years I've been involved in helping people like myself, people who face mental health challenges, acquire and use computer technology through a nonprofit organization based in Southwestern Virginia. I've found that mental health consumers have special needs as computer users, and so many times I've watched computer technology revolutionize a person's life, connecting them to critical resources and opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment. I've found that computers can help make our dreams come true.
I'm writing to see if there are VOCAL members who don't currently possess a working computer, and would like assistance in acquiring and using computer technology, and I'd like to make connections with VOCAL members who, like me, enjoy sharing their computer skills with others. I also hope to reach out to any VOCAL members who may enjoy participating in a VOCAL Computer Club for fun and inspiration.
I believe such a club could take many directions, including sharing information about computing that's helpful to VOCAL members, discussing ways we can use our computer skills to empower others, and engaging in special projects and activities that add to our enjoyment of the computer world. One activity, for example, might be the creation of a newsletter that highlights fun and exciting developments in computing and ways VOCAL members are using their computer creatively. Tell me your ideas about what might be fun club activities. I would love to connect with others with an interest in this area and who feel that such a club might be an enriching and rewarding direction. Please contact me at marc.cowgill@vocalvirginia.org so that we can begin to talk about the club's future course and direction.
Thank you!
**Editor's Note: If you would like to contact Marc via postal mail, please send your letter to: VOCAL, Inc., PO Box 1248, Charlottesville 22902 To reach him by telephone, call 434.243.7878 ext, 22 and leave a message with Deidre. Marc will call you back.
Our New Column: "Ask Will"
by Will Gallik, Interim Executive Director
Our New Column: "Ask Will" (Gallik, Interim Executive Director)
Do you have questions about VOCAL? Is there something you want to know but just don't know how or who to ask? Now there is an easy way to make it happen: it's called the "Ask Will" column. In this column, members can ask questions of VOCAL's Executive Office. The intent of this column is to disseminate information to you - our membership - in a timely fashion. Inquiries can be sent to askwill@vocalvirginia.org. Please include your name and contact information for verification: anonymous submissions will not be accepted. Responses will be published in the VOCAL Network News newsletter which is currently published six times per year. An archive of responses will be made available through VOCAL's website at www.vocalvirginia.org
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In November, Stephen asked: "I would like more detailed information about VOCAL's financial situation. Is VOCAL in debt, are there budget shortfalls, what new accounting controls are being put in place? What is the status of state and federal funding? What is the status of VOCAL's contracts with other agencies? Look forward to hearing more."
Thank you for sending in your question, Stephen. You are the first official questioner! VOCAL is in a good place financially: we are not in debt and grants remain at level funding. At this time, VOCAL's Board of Directors and Executive Office are working diligently on updating VOCAL's personnel and fiscal policies. The new Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual has been approved by the Board and is going through the usual rounds to tweak it to make it the best it can be. We are working diligently to have an updated fiscal policies and procedures manual completed by the end of February with many new fiscal procedures already in place. VOCAL's main contract through the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) was renewed for fiscal year 2013 with mutually agreed upon modifications. This contract is for the Network, REACH, and CO-OP programs and also funds the Executive Office. The conference contract with DBHDS is in the process of going through renewal now. The Network's federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) contract is in the last year of a three year cycle. VOCAL will be looking to reapply for this grant this year.
I look forward to answering more questions in the future. A heartfelt thank you to the VOCAL membership for its continued support!
From Marc Cowgill
Chair, VOCAL's Governance Committee
The VOCAL Governance Committee works to ensure the efficient and effective work of the VOCAL Board of Directors, including reviewing VOCAL bylaws and other policy documents, evaluating board and committee structure and governing processes, and recommending appropriate changes. The Committee has recently been meeting by teleconference to review the bylaws, the rules governing VOCAL's internal affairs, to ensure this document best meets the needs and goals of VOCAL's membership.
One change proposed facilitates the handling of VOCAL membership applications. The bylaws currently read "Membership applications may be submitted online, by mail or at other venues where VOCAL representative is present." The proposed change reads "Membership applications may be submitted electronically, by phone, by mail, or in person." A number of other changes to the bylaws are being proposed.
The revisions to the bylaws, once accepted by the Board of Directors, will be sent for approval to the VOCAL membership at the annual meeting. The full text of the changes will be sent to the membership at least 30 days before the annual meeting to take place on May 21st of this year. It has been a joy for me to serve on the Governance Committee, and I hope that you will find the revised bylaws worthy of your consideration and attention.
R.E.A.C.H. News
by Debbie Smith, Program Director
REACH is currently updating the WRAP Facilitator database and we need your help! In order to have the most recent, accurate information that we can, we are asking that you complete the WRAP Facilitator Questionnaire. Please indicate on the form if you are interested in having your information made available to those who have questions and are looking for WRAP classes in your area. Go to: http://www.vocalvirginia.org/#/reach-program/4533123877
If you have any questions please contact me
at debbie@vocalvirginia.org, or call 434.243.7878, extension 10. If you leave a message I
will contact you at my earliest convenience.
REACH is also in the early planning stages for WRAP facilitator trainings, one of which will take place in August or early September this year. Location/specific dates will be announced soon.
If you are interested in becoming a WRAP Facilitator, please take a look the VOCAL
website where you will find information and an application for WRAP Facilitator training.
From the Newsletter Editor
Yolande Long
Thank you to those that sent in creative submissions
and news from the regions! The deadline for the
April - May 2013 newsletter is March 18th, 2013.
Please contact me at the VOCAL Network office if you
have any questions. Submissions may be sent in via
email at yolande@vocalvirginia.org or postal mail.
Our mailing address is 1904 Byrd Avenue, Suite 111, Richmond, Virginia 23230
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