|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Tag Archives: Mental Health
Inclusive Arts – Accessible Events For November-December 2015
|
|||
|
|||
|
for many more accessible events!
|
|||
Inclusive Arts – Calendar of Accessible Events for September (Lehigh Valley)
You can read an article titled “Disabilities Don’t Define Who People Are” https://lvartscouncil.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/disabilities-dont-define-who-people-are/
DANCE FOR PD WORKSHOP
September 15, 2015
Williams Center for the Arts
6:30pm – 7:45pm
Presented by Lafayette College
This community class led by Mark Morris dancers is designed for people with PD, caregivers, dance teachers, and other community members. Expect demo and movement class, with a Q&A at the end. Participants are empowered to explore movement and music in ways that are refreshing, enjoyable, stimulating, and creative. Free, reservations required 610-330-5203 or prentick@lafayette.edu.
Handicap Access • Cognitive Health
WOVEN WELCOME: MAKING COMMUNITY
Now through October 11, 2015
Allentown Art Museum
Open museum hours
A community-based art project that utilizes weaving as a way to connect community members through the creative process. Entrance and participation are free.
Handicap Access • Cognitive Health
ACCESSIBLE ART: PHASE II TACTILE DESCRIPTION
Now through June 1, 2017
Zollener Arts Center
Open gallery hours
Presented by Lehigh University Art Galleries & Museum
Teaching Collection of multiple artists’ work in Audio Description and Tactile Description (3-D image to touch) for the visually impaired. Gallery hours: Wed-Sat 11am-5pm; Sun 1-5pm; Closed Mon-Tues.
Handicap Access • Blind & Low-Vision • Audio Description
ARTIST IN RECOVERY – MONTHLY ART EXHIBITIONS
September 15, 2015
Recovery Partnership
1:00pm – 3:30pm
Featuring artists who express their journey with mental health. Held every third Thursay. Free.
Handicap Access • Mental Health
SPECIAL NEEDS ART CLASSES
Every Saturday in September
The Art Establishment Studios
1:30pm – 3:30pm
Open to school-aged people, these classes will be taught by Carol Parker, artist and Liberty High School Special Ed teacher. Classes are $20, which inludes all materials. Book early, they fill fast! 610-807-9201.
Handicap Access • Cognitive Health • Sensory Friendly
LECTURE & PRESENTATION – BEN YORGEY FOUNDATION
September 12, 2015
America On Wheels
11:30am
Presenter from the Ben Yorgey Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for graduating high school students with intellectual disabilities across Lehigh Valley and beyond.
Handicap Access • Cognitive Health • Sensory Friendly
RAKER LECTURE SERIES – CPL. DANIEL LASKO, AMPUTEE & ATHLETE
September 29, 2015
Muhlenberg College
7:30pm
Presented by Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network
Presentation by Daniel Lasko, retired Marine corporal, accomplished athlete, and member of Wounded Warrior Amputee Football Team.
Handicap Access • American Sign Language Interpreted
“PATIENT VOICES” FILM SHOWING & TRAINING
September 27, 2015
Civic Theatre of Allentown
10:00am – 11:30am
The sccreening of “Patient Voices,” an informational video teaching disability etiquette, will help professionals, staff, and volunteers better serve people with disabilities.
Handicap Access • Cognitive Health • Sensory Friendly
Norristown Police Collaborate With Social Services For ‘Whole Government’ Initiative
Editor’s note: Alas, Pottstown leadership doesn’t seem to get this concept. Two thumbs up to Norristown leadership for being proactive and thinking outside of the box. We like what we are seeing.
NORRISTOWN, PA – Police are called with increasing frequency for complaints about a homeless man with mental health issues. A boy who lives in a household familiar to authorities for domestic issues has started skipping school and breaking curfew. An unemployed mother of three with no previous criminal record is arrested for drug possession.
These are examples of bad situations that many law enforcement officials agree often get worse.
But what if that was not necessarily the case? What if police and other public health and safety professionals collaborated on these cases using a comprehensive strategy that enabled them to mitigate risk factors and intervene to address small infractions before they snowball into larger ones, effectively reducing and preventing crime?
That is the goal of the Whole of Government concept, presented at the 2015 International Conference on Proven Collaborative Strategies for Improved Community Wellness and Safety recently held at the King of Prussia Radisson and conducted by the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute (PSJSI). The concept, which has a proven track record of success in Canada, is being implemented by a small number of forward-thinking law enforcement agencies in the U.S., including Norristown.
Read more:
Individuals In Recovery Find Success In ‘POWERful’ Program
POWER and POWER Plus Program participants and staff at April 2014 graduation ceremony. Photo by Sandi Yanisko
Blue Bell, Pa.— Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) celebrated the journey of 19 individuals who successfully completed the spring session of its innovative Partnership on Work Enrichment and Readiness (POWER) Program on April 22 during a ceremony at the Central Campus in Blue Bell.
The POWER Program helps individuals in mental health recovery to successfully develop and reach their education and career goals through a two-credit college course that focuses on time management, basic computer skills, study skills, public speaking, college success skills, career assessment, resume writing and professionalism.
For the graduates, the POWER Program gives them the confidence and skills they need to take the next steps in their lives. Several participants reflected on their journeys during the ceremony.
“The POWER Program has given me the tools to succeed and has improved my confidence by 110 percent,” said Qiani Bennett, who described her decade-long “tug-of-war” with depression. “I will never forget the role this class has played in my journey.”
A mother of three sons, Bennett is enrolled in MCCC’s Human Services program for the fall semester.
POWER participant Leya Ross, who spoke about her struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, will be joining Bennett in the Human Services program this fall.
“I will be a confident, productive and successful critical thinker. I will carry everything I have learned for the rest of my life,” she vowed.
Devon Heise was the final student to speak, sharing her emotional journey through years of drug abuse, incarceration, rehab and attempts at college.
“All of these failures piled up,” she said. “I somehow survived a grim reality that was so bleak.”
Going forward, Heise hopes to work with teenagers as a way to give back to those professionals who helped her.
“Instead of letting my past mistakes define me, they now influence who I am today,” she shared.
As part of the ceremony, 14 students were recognized for their achievements through the POWER Plus Program. These are former POWER participants who are now attending college classes or are currently employed as a result of completing the program.
“I felt my mind expanding and myself improving already during [new student] orientation,” said POWER Plus participant Bob Maddox, who is enjoying his Spanish classes at MCCC and hopes to one day become a translator.
Associate Professor of Psychology and POWER Program Director Diane Haar presented a POWER Advocate Award to Nancy Wieman, who is retiring from her post as Deputy Administrator for Montgomery County’s Mental Health Services after 28 years.
“Nancy has been at the forefront of the mental health recovery movement, and as a result of her work, the County’s program is not only a model for the state, but also for the country.”
In addition to Haar, MCCC’s POWER team consists of Program Coordinator/Advisor Lisa Barbiero, Community Liaison/Advisor Lori Schreiber, Peer Mentor George Rohde, Administrative Coordinator Dianne Johnson, Faculty Rose Regan, and Dean of Social Sciences Dr. Aaron Shatzman.
Montgomery County Community College and the Office of Montgomery County Behavioral Health/Development Disabilities provide funding for POWER and POWER Plus Programs, which also receive support from the Huston Foundation, Patricia Kind Foundation, the OddFellows of Philadelphia and other private foundations. However, the programs are in need of funding to continue next year.
Individuals interested in the POWER program may obtain a referral from their mental health or school provider or may self-refer. For more information, contact Community Liaison Lori Schreiber at 215-461-1151 or lschreib@mc3.edu or Program Advisor Lisa Barbiero at 215-641-6425 or lbarbier@mc3.edu
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Region’s Health Checkup Results Less Than Stellar
Locator map of the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Statistical Area in the northeastern part of the of . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
WILKES-BARRE, PA — Northeastern Pennsylvania should be concerned about its health.
Luzerne and Lackawanna counties possess a “hard-living” population that is predominantly overweight, smokes and drinks too much, has easy access to illegal drugs, has a rising increase in mental-health issues and is living in poverty, according to data released Tuesday at the Community Health Needs Assessment forum sponsored by Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center.
Teri Ooms, executive director at the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development in Wilkes-Barre, gave a presentation to about 6o people representing various agencies and health care facilities that showed the area’s needs and offered recommendations to improve health care, increase services and retain patients who seek care outside the area.
Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/1358272/Regions-health-checkup-results-less-than-stellar
Aiello’s Criminal Past An Issue?
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
WILKES-BARRE, PA — Vito J. Aiello had a criminal past. He also, allegedly, had access to a gun.
The city man stands accused of shooting his wife to death Sept. 26, before turning the gun on himself.
And that raises questions about whether Aiello’s history of harassment, terroristic threats, stalking, at least one previous protection-from-abuse order and a request for an involuntary mental-health commitment would — or should — have prevented him from purchasing or possessing firearms.
In Pennsylvania, there are three main types of cases in which gun ownership may be affected, said Susan Sorenson, a professor with the Penn School of Social Policy and Practice with the University of Pennsylvania: certain protection-from-abuse (restraining order) cases, misdemeanor domestic violence convictions or domestic violence crime scenes in which a weapon may be implicated.
Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news//882873/Aiellos-criminal-past-an-issue
United Way Of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey
2-1-1 is a free, easy-to-remember phone number that connects people with important health and human services in their communities.
Help is available by phone seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. by dialing 2-1-1 or 866-964-7922 and 24 hours a day by visiting www.211sepa.org.
Callers can connect to:
Basic Human Needs Resources: food banks, shelters, rent assistance, utility assistance
Physical and Mental Health Resources: crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling
Employment Supports: financial assistance, job training and education programs
Support for Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities: Meals on Wheels, home health care, transportation, homemaker services
Support for Children, Youth and Families: childcare, after school programs, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective services
Regional disaster preparation and response organizations
Berks Slips In Annual Statewide Health Ranking
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
For the first time in three years, Berks County slipped three spots in the annual health ranking of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.
But while Berks dropped to 17th best for health outcomes, the overall health outlook for residents remained much the same.
The statistics used to determine the rankings – low birth weights, premature deaths and residents’ reports of being in fair or poor physical or mental health – were nearly identical to last year’s.
“I think overall we have a lot of work to do,” said Mary Hahn, St. Joseph Regional Health Network’s vice president of strategy and business development. “A lot of it does start beyond the walls of hospitals and doctors offices.”
Killer Greist Wants Case Shifted To Federal Court
Image via Wikipedia
Killer Richard Greist has for many years wanted a change of scenery — a release from his involuntary commitment to Norristown State Hospital for mental health treatment. Now, he wants a change of venue.
In December, Greist filed a petition to remove his civil commitment case from the Common Pleas Court in Chester County to U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. He said, acting as his own attorney, that his confinement at Norristown violated his constitutional rights, as well as the American with Disabilities Act.
He contends that his case should be moved to federal court because authorities have altered his commitment status from civil to criminal; have refused to order his annual commitment hearings closed to the public; have not considered a “trial release plan” for him into the community; and have failed to consider what the “least restrictive setting” for him would be.
In response, the county District Attorney’s Office, acting as an intervener in the commitment proceedings, asked the court to dismiss Greist’s petition, calling his assertions “patently false,” “nonsensical,” and delusional.
Read more: http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2012/01/23/news/srv0000016988163.txt?viewmode=fullstory
Phoenixville Mans Admits Blowing Up Toilet At Molly Maguires
Image via Wikipedia
WEST CHESTER – The man who blew up a men’s room toilet in a Phoenixville pub during a crowded pre-St. Patrick’s Day party there pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from the event Tuesday.
Douglas Ferrin, 51, an artist and painter who had in the past been featured at a Society Hill gallery but who has also reportedly suffered from mental health problems and been in and out of treatment for years, was sentenced to 162 days to 23 months in prison…
To read the rest of the story, and you should really read what this dude did prior to this incident, click here:
http://dailylocal.com/articles/2011/08/30/news/doc4e5d2fdfacba2619057806.txt?viewmode=fullstory
Roy's Rants - For Your Information 