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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 Today |
VOCAL Announces Staff Changes - Posted 11.4
VOCAL recently had open positions for the Network Program Director and the Operations Manager. VOCAL is pleased to announce that Jane Ellis, former Advocacy Coordinator, has accepted the Network Program Director position and Deidre Johnson, former contracted Executive Assistant, has accepted the Operations Manager position. Please feel free to visit VOCAL's website at www.vocalvirginia.org to read their bios.
In other staffing news, we are saddened to announce the resignation of Debbie Smith, REACH Program Director, in September and the resignation of CO-OP Program Director, Cynthia Evans, in October.
Join us in wishing Debbie and Cynthia all the best in their future endeavors!
On Our Own of Roanoke Valley Celebrates 20 Years! - Posted 11.4
And You're Invited! Friday, November 15th from 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
429 Elm Street, SW
Lunch served
Magellan of Virginia Will Hold Member Orientation Sessions - Posted 11.4
Effective December 1st Magellan Behavioral Health of Virginia will work with the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to manage many of Virginia's mental health services (ie. Medicaid, FAMIS).
Magellan of Virginia will be holding member orientation sessions throughout the Commonwealth to introduce Magellan and to inform members (service recipients) of upcoming changes. These orientation sessions are geared towards members, but anyone may attend.
For further information, go to: http://www.magellanofvirginia.com/media/585758/bhsa_-vamemberorientationflyer.pdf
Call for Works: Special U.S. Edition of Asylum Magazine - Posted 11.4
From U.S. Asylum Editors:
Publish your sketches, comics, first-person accounts, collages, drawings, photographs, essays, poems, stories, paintings, interviews, excerpts from your memoirs and graphic novels, and other works in this special U.S.-based edition of the U.K.'s famous Asylum Magazine.
We REALLY want art from people who feel that their voices are silenced and/or that they lack public venues for self-expression (for example, prisoners, non-English speakers, people in mental health facilities, etc.). Are you someone like this? Please send us your work! We also plan to display some of the work on a website and/or publish it in a book (with your permission) if we get enough submissions. That said, we also love to see work from family members, mental health workers, and anyone else who is interested in mental health.
Guidelines:
For publication in the magazine, short written works should have a word limit of 800 words. Long written works should have a word limit of 1600 words. Images should have a resolution of 300 dpi. Longer works can be submitted anyway for consideration in the future publication.
Submitting Creative Works::
We are particularly interested in black and white images and other creative works (for example, comics, drawings, poems, stories). To help foster this, we will be introducing an interactive element to the issue. When you submit a creative work, please note (1) if you would like another anonymous contributor to "rework" it, and (2) if you would like to "rework" another's piece.
Anonymity:
If you choose to remain anonymous, please consider including a short bio (2-3 sentences about your life) and note whether or not you permit your work to be published in a book or website.
About the magazine:
"Asylum magazine is a forum for free debate, open to anyone with an interest in psychiatry or mental health. We especially welcome contributions from service users or ex-users (or survivors), carers, and frontline psychiatric or mental health workers (anonymously, if you wish). The magazine is not-for-profit and run by a collective of unpaid volunteers. Asylum Collective is open to anyone who wants to help produce and develop the magazine, working in a spirit of equality" (from www.asylumonline.net).
This special U.S. Edition of Asylum has been made possible through the Lived Experience Research Network (lernetwork.org) and will be edited by Summer Schrader, Nev Jones, Laysha Ostrow, Faith Rhyne, Timothy Kelly, and other artists, activists, academic-survivors, and writers. Please address inquiries to the addresses below.
Want to Help?: We could use some help reaching out to groups who seldom get opportunities for public expression, so please e-mail the editors if you have ideas on how to help us achieve this goal. We also have a flyer that can be printed out and distributed at institutions and facilities where people might not have regular Internet access.
Please send all works by March 4, 2014 to AsylumEditor@gmail.com and/or
U.S. Asylum Editors
P.O. Box #8603
Delray Beach, FL 33484
Free Third Thursdays Gathering, "Invoking Your Allies: Building Support for Creating the Life You Want" - Posted 11.4
Thursday, November 21st from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Orange Hill Wellness Center
401 Orange Street, Charlottesville
For further information, 434.977.6918
Interested in Volunteering at Friends 4 Recovery Whole Health Center? - Posted 11.4
November 6th and 13th at 2:00 p.m.
Call 804.308.1366 for details. |
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VOCAL News
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VOCAL Announces the Ask VOCAL Column - Posted 8.8 Do you have a question that you wish to direct to the Executive Director about VOCAL? Now is your chance to do so; please direct your questions to askVOCAL@vocalvirginia.org. Your submissions will be answered and published in the Network News following your submission. |
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News Around the Commonwealth
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New Exercise and Meditation Hour Every Wednesday - Posted 10.31
4:00 p.m.
Friends 4 Recovery Whole Health Center
7420 Whitepine Road, N.Chesterfield (23237)
Phone: 804.308.1366
On Our Own of Charlottesville Offers Free 2- day Medical/Mental Health Advance Directive Fair and Open House - Posted 10.24
November 7th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and November 14th from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
123 4th Street, NW
Tucker Griffin Barnes Law firm and The UVA Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy has teamed
up with On Our Own of Charlottesville to offer free Medical/MH Advance Directives. Mary Ann Barnes from TGB will be giving a legal presentation and answering questions. We will have staff on hand to do AMD's on the spot.
We will also be opening On Our Own up for an open house. Please come check out all of the services that we provide. We offer free Anger Management groups, Wellness Recovery Action Plan groups (WRAP),
daily Peer Support groups, and many other activities. Feel free to drop in one or both days.
You may park at the Jefferson School City Center at 233 4th Street NW, Charlottesville (22903), and walking over.
Mental Health of America Seeking Women Living with Schizophrenia or Schizo-Affective Disorder to Participate in A Free Social Exploration Project - Posted 10.24
Are you interested in:
Meeting and making new friends?
Receiving money to fund social events or activities of your choice?
Feeling comfortable in cultivating relationships in your community?
This opportunity provides a free personal coach to assist in reaching your social goals. The personal coaches are certified peer support specialists, trained in professional life coaching.
For further information about "It's My Life - Social Explorations", please call : Kirsten or Shavonne at 703.838.7515
Veterans Weekly Peer Support Group at On Our Own of Roanoke Valley - Posted 10.17
Mondays at 1:00 p.m.
For more information, call 540.362.0061
Center for Recovery and Wellness's Annual Meeting of Members - Posted 10.14
Monday, November 18th from 1:00-2:00 p.m. (Center will open at 12:45 p.m. and meeting will start promptly at 1:00 p.m.)
618 Court Street, Lynchburg (24504)
Please RSVP by October 26th to Diana at 434.947.2662 or email her: centerforrecovery1@gmail.com.
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Conferences, Trainings, and Webinars
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Café TA Center Offers Online Training on Conflict Resolution - Posted 10.31
The Café TA Center is offering an online training on "Conflict Resolution: Challenging Organizational Change and Growth." How can organizations manage conflicts and find a way to turn disagreement into productive action? The training "offers some advice on how to understand conflict, and turn it into a net positive for your organization. This training is presented as a pre-recorded slide show with accompanying audio." To download the training (including the audio portion), click here. You can download or view the training in PDF format with a written transcription of the audio and thumbnail images by clicking here.
Webinar: Veterans and Service Animals - Posted 10.31
Presented by the Cornell University Industrial Labor Relations School (ILR) Employment and Disability Institute. This webinar will look, in part, at the use of service animals by veterans who have non-apparent disabilities such as PTSD.
November 12th from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Register here: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/register/index.cfm?event=4543
For questions or more information, contact the Institute at 607-255-7727 or 607-255-2891 (TTY).
"Peer Practice and Context: Developing Quality Standards" Webinar - Posted 10.24
Thursday, November 7th from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
To register, go to:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/368506673
"Emotional CPR (eCPR)" Certification Training Registration Now Open to the Public - Posted 10.14
The two-day training will be on
Through a combination of presentations, interactive discussions, and dynamic role-plays, trainees will learn about and practice the key concepts involved in effectively supporting a person through an emotional crisis and into healing. eCPR training is appropriate for the general public, peer and other service providers, family members, administrators, and others. No previous training is necessary.
"Early bird" registration discounts apply. Tel: 877.246.9058
Click here for more information and to register
Embracing Life-Reducing Stress Workshop-Retreat - Posted 10.3
UVA Mindfulness Center instructor Susan Carol Stone, PhD, will be presenting a workshop-retreat entitled "Embracing Life, Reducing Stress-The Spiritual Journey of Mindfulness" at Yogaville in Buckingham County, November 15th to 17th. Tuition is $210. Additional cost for lodging.
Take a break from stress and join the Mindfulness Center for this experiential workshop-retreat, where you will learn basic mindfulness practices, explore how to implement them in your life, and experience the health, psychological and spiritual gifts of compassion and loving kindness practices. There will be opportunity, if you wish, for individual conferences with the teacher. This program is designed for people new to the practices as well as seasoned practitioners.
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
Other Program Information:
Virginia Peer Support Coalition (Virginia)
Mental Health America of Virginia (MHAV)
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Job Opportunities
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Position at "Voices for Virginia's Children": Policy Analyst - Children's Mental Health and Health - Posted 10.24
Full-time position leads Voices' policy and advocacy work in the mental health domain (80% of time) and overall child health (20% of time) domains. Serves as coordinator of the Campaign for Children's Mental Health, working with campaign steering committee and partner organizations to conduct policy research and develop policy proposals to improve VA's child mental health system. Produces policy briefs and other documents summarizing policy research findings and recommendations. Fosters effective working relationships with officials in key departments of state government, with legislators and legislative staff, and with other state government policy makers. Conducts trainings and presentations on mental health advocacy. Serves as the "face" of the campaign at select events and trainings around the state. Also serves as Voices' lead staff on other child health-related issues. Participates in coalitions related to child health and makes recommendations for Voices' involvement in other health issues. Advocates on these issues as needed.
Qualifications/Requirements: Advanced degree in a human services field preferred, or equivalent amount of education and knowledge; knowledge and experience in the child mental health/health policy domain required; excellent writing and speaking skills and demonstrated ability to clearly communicate complex policy information to a variety of audiences; experience in understanding and addressing racial/ethnic disparities. Experience with media/communications and grant writing preferred. Requires ability to work independently with minimal supervision, but also to collaborate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders. Work in Richmond with some statewide travel required.
Salary and benefits: $45k-$50k, health and retirement benefits, flexible schedule, generous paid leave, paid parking
Electronic applications only. Email resume, contact info for 3 references and cover letter to margaret@vakids.org. Please put "policy analyst" in subject line.
This position closes Wednesday, November 6th at 5:00 p.m.
The Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness Seeking Program Manager - Posted 10.10
The Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness is hiring to fill the position of Program Manger.
The Program Manager will be responsible for providing targeted educational opportunities regarding best practices to more effectively serve families and individuals experiencing homelessness, engaging and mobilizing stakeholders, and conducting policy analysis.
Go to:
http://www.vceh.org/vceh-info/job-opportunities for the full position description and for information on how to apply
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Other News
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Enter "Contest Design for a Greater Good: Don't Overlook Mental Health" - Posted 10.3
https://www.goodjoe.com/contests/263-design-for-a-greater-good-don-t-overlook-mental-health
Organization Offers Award Honoring Exemplary Peer Advocates - Posted 10.31
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award Program, which "recognizes outstanding emerging leaders with disabilities who exemplify leadership, advocacy, and dedication to and for the broader disability community," click here. The deadline for the AAPD awards is Dec. 6th at 5:00 p.m.
SAMHSA's GAINS Center Seeks Volunteers for Video Interviews at Alternatives 2013 - Posted 10.31
SAMHSA's GAINS Center is seeking trauma survivors who are attending Alternatives 2013 - December 4th - 7th, at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, Texas - to videotape interviews for its trauma training curriculum. The interviews will focus on the effects of, and recovery from, trauma. "Participation would mean sharing your story to help us teach others about trauma," a GAINS Center spokesman writes. "Participants will be given a stipend for their time."
If you are interested, please contact Arin Starzyk at astarzyk@prainc.com.
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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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