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A twice-weekly electronic news-digest delivered to your inbox dedicated to keeping you informed of mental health recovery news and opportunities across the Commonwealth and the nation.
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New In the Digest This Week
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"84 Main" (Warsaw) Promotes Fitness Walking on Hutchinson's Trail - Posted 5.9
Thursday, May 9th and Friday, May 10th from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Call 804.333.3581 for more information
NOTICE May 7, 2013: Request For Comment on the Following State Board Policy by May 31, 2013 - Posted 5.9
POLICY 1035 (SYS) 05-02 CSB Single Point of Entry and Case Management
Please find a link below to a draft revised policy sent for a second field review as approved by the Policy Development and Evaluation Committee of the State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services on April 9, 2013.
To assist the Board with these revisions, stakeholders are asked to consider thisdraft revised policy and forward your comments or any suggestions for further revisions about the proposed editsto these policies.
Please provide your comments on all of the above by May 31st to: ruthanne.walker@dbhds.virginia.gov
or by mailing: State Board of BHDS, 1220 Bank Street, Room 1323, Richmond, VA 23219.
Comments received will be considered at the next meeting of the committee on June 16, 2013, at DBHDS Central Office, Jefferson Building 1220 Bank Street, Richmond, VA. This policy and any recommendations for additional edits are expected to be taken up at that meeting. The committee may take a vote at that time on a final draft and recommendation to the full Board for the Board's July 23rd meeting. Please contact me if you have any questions via this email address or the phone number listed below.
All current Board policies can be viewed at: http://www.dbhds.virginia.gov/adm-StateBoardDefault.htm However, this draft is not posted at that link; the unedited current policy is posted there.
Go to:
http://vocal.groupsite.com/uploads/files/x/000/094/7a4/DBHDS%20Revised%20Policy%201035.pdf?1368020279
Provide Comments Regarding Possible HIPAA Impacts on Reporting of Persons With Certain Mental Health Issues to National Background Check Database - Posted 5.9
Deadline for Comments: June 7, 2013
On January 16, 2013, President Obama announced a series of Executive Actions to reduce gun violence in the United States. These actions include efforts to improve the Federal Government's background check system, called the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), for the sale or transfer of firearms by licensed dealers. Among those persons who are disqualified from possessing or receiving firearms under Federal law are those "adjudicated to be mentally defective, or who have been committed to a mental institution" (mental health prohibitor). Concerns have been raised that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule may be a barrier to states' reporting to NICS the identities of individuals subject to the mental health prohibitor.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is seeking public comments on how HIPAA may prevent state reporting to NICS, and how these barriers can be addressed without discouraging individuals from seeking mental health services. Additional comments are encouraged on proposals to establish "express permission" for reporting relevant information and on best methods of disseminating HIPAA-related information to state reporting entities.
Public input is also being sought on unintended consequences that such actions may have on individuals seeking mental health services. An important consideration when responding is the effect of the proposed HIPAA change on "temporary hold" cases.
Comments are due June 7, 2013.
Review the Rule and Submit Your Comments
VA Doesn't Follow Up With Many Veterans After Mental Health Care - Posted 5.9
Read the article here
From the Café TA Center - Posted 5.9
National Prevention Week, which is celebrated each May, provides an occasion to highlight the importance of prevention when it comes to substance abuse and mental health issues. This year, Prevention Week is set for May 12-18. To underscore the importance of prevention and to share some ideas on how mental health consumers and their organizations can get involved, The CAFE TA Center has produced the latest Focus newsletter, Focus 25: National Prevention Week 2013. It describes the importance of prevention, offers steps individuals and organizations can take to promote it, and includes links to a range of resources.
Cost Effectiveness of Using Peers as Providers - Posted 5.9
Peer support is a well-known practice in the mental health community, providing results, saving costs and offering people with mental health needs a pat to employment. But is there evidence supporting its value? According to this article, peer services are both effective AND a cost-saver.
http://www.namigbcan.org/pdf/Cost%20Effectiveness%20of%20Using%20Peers%20as%20Providers.pdf
SAARA Recovery Center Open in Newport News - Posted 5.9
Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
3509 Chestnut Avenue, Newport News (23607)
(behind Triumph Christian Center)
For further information: 804.696.1661; 804.810.5528; 804.354.0531
Consumer Stories about Psychiatric Advance Directives Sought - Posted 5.9
Looking for articles/papers written by consumers about the benefits and/or limits of their Psychiatric Advance Directives. Please contact: Marie Verna at UMDNJ/University Behavioral HealthCare, 151 Centennial Avenue, Room 1151, Piscataway, NJ 732.235.9289, vernamd@umdnj.edu
There Will Be No VOCAL E-Digest on Monday, May 27th, Memorial Day - Posted 5.9
Wellness Coach needed for Friends 4 Recovery Whole Health Center, Inc. (Richmond) - Posted 5.6
From F4R:
We are a 100% peer-run, non-profit organization. We provide an accepting and welcoming environment where individuals who have lived mental health experiences can take charge of their own recovery. We offer one-on-one Wellness Coaching, educational classes, skill-building activities and support groups for the greater Richmond area. Our staff and board of directors are individuals living in mental health recovery. For more information on our facility, visit www.friends4recovery.org. Job requires wellness coaching to individuals as well as facilitation of education and recovery groups. The successful candidate will have lived mental health experience and recovery education (CELT, WRAP, Peer Support Specialist or Wellness Coach Training preferred). Other characteristics include strong computer skills, organization and time management skills. Fluency in Spanish a plus. Up to 16 hours per week, no benefits.
Individuals selected to interview will be notified. No telephone calls, please.
Alternatives 2013: You Can Help Make It Happen! - Posted 5.6
Your efforts can help make it possible for the planning to begin for Alternatives 2013! The annual Alternatives conference is the best place to learn about programs throughout the country that promote mental health recovery, wellness, self-determination, and peer support. Sandra Goodwick, a first-time attendee of Alternatives in 2012, started a petition because she feels the conference changed her life. Click on this link: http://www.change.org/petitions/cut-the-red-tape-holding-alternatives-conference-hostage and add your support to the petition. And spread the word to others who may benefit from the Alternatives conference: forward this email to a friend and/or share it on social networks. If you can spend five minutes, please email, call or write Secretary Sebelius (Kathleen.Sebelius@hhs.gov; 202-205-5445, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, 2000 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, DC 20201). You might say, "Dear Secretary Sebelius, I am writing to request that HHS approve the national Alternatives conference that is funded by SAMHSA." Add something about what the conference means to you, if you wish; then add: "I hope that you will do all within your power to see that funding for Alternatives 2013 is approved. Thank you. Sincerely, (your name and contact information). cc: Pamela Hyde, pam.hyde@samhsa.hhs.gov." Do it today!
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VOCAL News
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Conference Calls to Discuss Proposed VOCAL Bylaws Changes - Posted 4.29
Saturday, May 11th at 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, May 15th at 2:00 p.m.
IF YOU PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER OF THESE CALLS, PLEASE READ THE PROPOSED CHANGES BEFOREHAND, AND PREPARE YOUR QUESTIONS !!
Call in number : 1-866-423-8755 and the participant code to enter is 843599.
View the Proposed VOCAL Bylaws Changes - Posted 4.11
http://www.vocalvirginia.org/Click on the link at the top of the grey column on the left-hand side of the page. These changes will be voted on at the Annual Meeting on May 21st at VOCAL's Annual Conference at James Madison University.
Tentative Conference Schedule - Posted 4.11 Monday, May 20 10 a.m. - Check-in begins in Festival Conference and Student Center 11:30 - 12:45 p.m. - Lunch in Dining Hall 1 - 2:30 p.m. - Workshops in Festival 3 - 4:30 - Workshops in Festival 5 - 6 p.m. - Dinner in Dining Hall 6:30 - 8 p.m. - Workshops/Meetings in Festival 8 p.m. - Qigong in Festival Tuesday, May 21 7:30 - 8 a.m. - Relaxing walk around campus, meet in front of Festival 7:00 - 8:45 a.m. - Breakfast in Dining Hall 9 - 10:30 a.m. - Welcome, Orientation, and Keynote Address in Festival 10:45 - 11:45 a.m. - Regional Round Tables in Festival 11:45 - 12:45 p.m. - Lunch in Dining Hall 1 - 2:45 p.m. - Annual Meeting in Festival 3 - 4:30 p.m. - Workshops in Festival 5 - 6 p.m. - Dinner in Dining Hall 6:30 - 8 p.m. - Workshops in Festival 8 - 11 p.m. - Social and Dance in Festival Wednesday, May 22 7:30 - 8 a.m. - Relaxing walk around campus, meet in front of Festival 7:00 - 8:45 a.m. - Breakfast in Dining Hall 9 - 10:30 a.m. - Workshops in Festival 10:30 - 11:30 p.m. - Pack Up 11:30 - 1 p.m. - Lunch in Dining Hall with Closing Program 1 - 2:30 p.m. - Check out of Residence Halls
R.E.A.C.H. Announces WRAP Facilitator Training for July - Posted 4.1
The next WRAP© Facilitator training will take place in Richmond July 15-19. The location has not been finalized and will be announced as soon as the information becomes available.
To be considered for the training, please complete an application and either mail it in or submit online. The application deadline is May 15, 2013. If you have any questions please call Debbie Smith at 434. 243.7878, ext. 10, or e-mail: debbie@vocalvirginia.org
The application can be found here.
VOCAL Announces Conference Keynote Speaker, Joseph Rogers!
 Joseph Rogers is Chief Advocacy Officer of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania (MHASP), and found
er and Executive Director of the National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, a consumer-run national technical assistance center funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services.
In 1984, Joseph Rogers created Project SHARE (Self-Help and Advocacy Resource Exchange), a peer-support and advocacy organization, under MHASP's auspices. As a result of Rogers' vision and leadership, Project SHARE grew until it was blended with MHASP, which Rogers had built from a small regional mental health advocacy agency into one of the largest mental health associations in the country, including an array of peer-run programs serving local, statewide, and national constituencies. From 1997 to 2007, Rogers served as President and CEO of MHASP.
A national leader of the mental health consumer movement, Joseph Rogers has testified before U.S. Senate committees and has consulted in more than 30 states, as well as nationally and internationally, on behavioral health policy issues. He has chaired and/or served on numerous boards and committees, such as the Executive Committee of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, and the Congressionally appointed Task Force on the Rights and Empowerment of People with Disabilities, which helped pass the Americans with Disabilities Act. He was a key player in the closing of Philadelphia State Hospital and in the successful struggle to get the dollars to follow the patients into the community, to establish what has become a model system of community-based services, including peer-run services.
Rogers has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows to publicize the self-help/advocacy movement and fight prejudice and discrimination.
His many awards include the Heinz Award for the Human Condition (2005), the Outstanding Non-Psychiatrist Award of the American Association of Community Psychiatrists (2002), and the Timothy Coakley Behavioral Health Leadership Award of the American College of Mental Health Administration (2009), for his leadership in transforming mental health care in this country.
VOCAL's Annual Statewide Mental Health Consumer Conference, "Carrying the Torch"
May 20-22 on the campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg. The registration form can be found on our website;
the link to same in the top left hand corner of the home page.
Go to: www.vocalvirginia.org to download the form. Please mail it to the VOCAL Network office at 1904 Byrd Avenue, Suite 111, Richmond, 23230, with your check or money order. Please do not send cash through the mail. We are not able to accept credit card payments.
One registration form per person, please. We can accept full paying registrations until Monday, May 6th.
"Ask Will!"
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 "Ask Will"!
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, under 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.
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News Around the Commonwealth
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Friends 4 Recovery Whole Health Center (Richmond) Moving July 1st - Posted 5.2
Friends 4 Recovery is moving to 7420 Whitepine Road, Suite A, North Chesterfield (23236), on July 1st. This new location will have twice as much room as the current location to serve peers. It has two large meeting rooms that can easily accommodate 25 people comfortably, two dedicated counseling rooms, a modern computer lab, a respite room and a warm, inviting environment.
4th Anniversary and Grand Opening Party July 27th! Details to follow. "Healthy Living Cooking Class" (Roanoke) - Posted 5.2 Wednesday, May 8th and Wednesday, May 29th at On Our Own of Roanoke Valley from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. For further information, 540.362.0061
Goal Setting Workshop at Center for Wellness and Recovery, Lynchburg - Posted 4.25
Tuesday, May 7, from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
This workshop will help foster an understanding of how to develop positive habits that will help you be productive and reach personal targets, how to write goals, and identify specific short term goals.
Please call the Center to register, at 434.947.2662
Friends 4 Recovery Whole Health Center Programming - 4.11 Trauma Recovery Group on Fridays from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Spanish Class on Monday, April 15th from 2:00-3:30 p.m. 9511 Hull Street Road, Suite
Richmond (23236) 804.308.1366
"Art of Recovery" Opens May 3rd, Fredericksburg - Posted 4.8
Ninth Annual "The Art of Recovery" art show opens Friday, May 3rd from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at The PONSHOP Studio and Gallery located at 712 Caroline Street in downtown Fredericksburg. The exhibit features original artwork of adults with mental illness. The show is organized by members of Kenmore Club, a psychosocial rehabilitation program operated by RACSB. The exhibit coincides with National Mental Health Month and will be on display through May 26th. The PONSHOP Studio and Gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m.
"The Art of Recovery" show will feature approximately 50 pieces representing several art mediums. Artwork includes original drawings, paintings, three-dimensional artwork (sculpture), textiles, and mixed media. A number of the pieces will be available for purchase.
The Art of Recovery provides a forum for artists living with mental illness to gain confidence in their abilities, address misconceptions surrounding mental illness, and experience community support.
To learn more, contact Helen Conley at 540-373-7737 or artofrecovery@racsb.state.va.us.
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Conferences and Webinars
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Café TA Center Explores Essential Role of Veterans with Lived Experience in Mental Health Workforce - Posted 5.2
In "Expanding the Role of Veterans in the Mental Health Workforce: Peer Specialists and Beyond," the Café TA Center "examines the essential role that veterans with lived experience can play in serving their fellow vets as part of the mental health system of care. Given the prevalence of stigma surrounding mental health needs in the military, veterans that have experienced trauma and engaged in recovery are uniquely positioned to break through the stigma, reach out to their peers, and find a meaningful role in civilian society as part of the system of care that meets the needs of our returning veterans." The publication is available at the source below.
Source:
http://cafetacenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Vets-Focus.pdf
Free Webinar on Employment Challenges for Peers with a Criminal Justice History - Posted 5.2
The Peerlink National Technical Assistance Center will host a free webinar on "Building Blocks of Peers & Employment: Individuals with History of Criminal Justice System Engagement" on May 23rd from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The webinar will cover barriers and challenges to employment for individuals with a criminal justice history, useful strategies and approaches to effectively address these challenges, and available resources. To register, click on the following link:
https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=3embp7jyclj
Free Webinar: "The Affordable Care Act and Implications for Recovery-Oriented Practice" - Posted 4.25
SAMHSA's webinar, "The Affordable Care Act and Implications for Recovery-Oriented Practice," will address the ways in which implementation of health care reform will reinforce and expand the recovery orientation of behavioral health care.
Thursday, May 9th from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
To register, click here.
Link to Virginia Mental Health Conferences and Trainings Calendar for Opportunities to Attend Conferences and Trainings - Posted 4.11
Go to: http://tinyurl.com/VirginiaCalendar
Do you know of other things that could be posted on this calendar?? Email Yolande Long: yolande@vocalvirginia.org
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Links to MH Peer-Run Programs in Virginia
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Consumer Wellness Center (Annandale)
Recovery In Motion ( Fredericksburg)
kakallay@gmail.com
Blacksburg Computer Empowerment Services
http://computerempowerment.net/about.htm
Friends4Recovery Whole Health Center (Richmond)
http://www.friends4recovery.org/#!calendar
Center for Recovery and Wellness (Lynchburg)
http://centerforrecoveryandwellness.org/calendar/
Trillium Drop-In Center (Woodbridge)
http://pwdropincenter.org/calendar.php
On Our Own of Roanoke Valley
http://rvonourown.com/Events.aspx
WeCare, Inc (Martinsville)
http://wecaremhc.org/?page_id=42
On Our Own of Charlottesville
http://wwhttp://www.saara.org/events-calendar.phpw.onourowncville.org/structure.html
84 Main (Warsaw)
804.333.3581
Recovery Resources and Support
Other Program Information:
Virginia Peer Support Coalition (Virginia)
Mental Health America of Virginia (MHAV)
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Job Opportunities
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Peer Specialist Job Opening in Lynchburg - Posted 4.18
Go to: horizon
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Other News
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People with Psychiatric Disabilities Have No Place in Gun Safety Debate, Bazelon Center Says - Posted 5.2
The Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has released a paper -"Wrong Target: Mental Health in the Gun Safety Debate" - highlighting research indicating that the gun safety debate should have nothing to do with people who have psychiatric disabilities. Decrying the "knee-jerk, myth-based proposals that wrongly target mental health despite the lack of relationship with gun violence," Jennifer Mathis of the Bazelon Center urges lawmakers who are serious about reducing gun violence to "focus on guns, not people with psychiatric disabilities. . . . Though fixing our broken mental health system is an imperative, we should do so separately from the gun debate, as mental health reforms are likely to have little impact on gun violence." The paper is available at the following link:
Free Third Thursdays Gathering, "Your Body Knows: Uncover the Psychological Roots of Physical Symptoms" - Posted 5.2
Thursday, May 16th, 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Invite a friend for an informal evening of discussion and interactive activities.
For registration and information: 434-977-6918 orWorkshop@CareerWithHeart.com
Department of Veterans Affairs Launches Women Veterans' Hotline - Posted 4.29
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched a new hotline to answer questions from women Veterans, their families, and caregivers. By calling 1-855-VA-WOMEN, women Veterans can connect with knowledgeable VA employees and get information about benefits, including healthcare services for women, disability compensation, education, mental health services, and more.
Women make up 11 percent of military deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and nearly 15 percent of all current active duty military. Since 2000, the number of women using VA healthcare has more than doubled, growing from nearly 160,000 in 2000 to more than 354,000 in 2012. The number is expected to double again by 2015.
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I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Yolande Long
Communications and Events Coordinator
804.343.1777
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Dear Reader,
You are receiving the VOCAL Network Digest because you are on our email list. The Network Digest is a twice-weekly update of mental health announcements throughout Virginia and the nation. If you prefer not to receive these updates, please click the "unsubscribe" button at the bottom of this email. Thank you!
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This page is offered strictly for informational and support purposes. We assume no liability whatsoever for any consequences arising out your use of information or connections provided through any of the above organizations. VOCAL does not necessarily agree with information provided by these organizations, their websites, members or other affiliations.
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