Countryside co-op option spurs interest

 

JEFFERSON - After two hours of presentations and questions Monday evening, the standing-room-only crowd at Countryside Home raised every visible hand in favor of looking further into making the county home into a worker-owned cooperative.
Were that eventually to happen, the skilled care nursing home would become the first in the United States to transform into a co-op, although there are models of related businesses - such as home-care organizations - making the transition….

Technorati Tags: LTC,worker owned

Countryside co-op option spurs interest

fightingBack.doc

Technorati Tags: Recovery,talent

10/25/2009

‘We hold these truths to be self evident, all men are created equal’

Utilizing talent to fight stigma 

       People trying to recover from disabilities face stigma on a daily basis and it does not matter how significant our accomplishments may be. Days when we are not being reminded how sick we are and that we must be compliant, are good days. Needless to say, this environment provides no encouragement to folks trying to heal. As our individual capabilities and talents are limited, our aspirations and hopes are also limited.  Being able to express ones self artistically increases self-esteem, a necessary component of recovery.

      Considering the development of natural competencies provides much needed self-esteem, there is far too much under utilized talent among folks with disabilities. Art is an expression of ones inner self, and it can be therapeutic in the right environment. I started the Recovery Band to show that folks with disabilities are capable of attaining the same levels of achievement as any one else. As a result band members have grown stronger in our recovery.  Now we encourage others to find people in the system that will help them realize their full potential. 

       Unless and until consumers are given the opportunity to take charge of our own destiny no one will ever know what we are capable of. Recovery involves our active participation. Thus we must find and work closely with those willing to support our efforts to become independent through the utilization of our natural talents and abilities. Talented people with disabilities are by no means limited to the arts. There are computer experts, mechanics, teachers, lab technicians, office managers, etc. with disabilities who can also excel when given the proper support and encouragement. 

        When I was first diagnosed with an illness I looked to the system to lead me back to health. Today I see that I am in charge of my life and I must seek out leaders in the systems that have the realization of my hopes and dreams at heart. Recovery is a personal choice and by choosing recovery I also must take responsibility for my life. I urge every person seeking recovery to take a close look at what ever it is you do best, and then find someone willing to walk hand in hand with you on your journey in recovery.

Gerald Butler

Certified Peer Specialist

fightingBack.doc

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog: Nursing Home, Long-Term Care Trends: Robotic Technology of the Future (Video 2:04 mins.)

 

Technorati Tags: LTC,trends

Many people, particularly the graying pre-baby boomers, probably assume they won’t be around in the next 50 years.

But with the speed of technological inventions nowadays, who really knows? Longevity continues to increase while fertility rates decrease. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid struggle with ongoing adjustments as demographics evolve into a future we can only predict. Fortunately, research from the University of Louisville School of Nursing in Kentucky gives us a glimpse into the future with results reported in "Nursing Clinics of North America.” These are the predicted trends for long-term care:…….

Several interesting ideas. The one about robots? I don’t know. If I had memory problems and woke up each morning to a robot trying to “help” me?…..

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog: Nursing Home, Long-Term Care Trends: Robotic Technology of the Future (Video 2:04 mins.)

Recovery 2000: Fw: Next Peer Networking Call: November 12 at 3 p.m. EST

 

Persons, place and Things of interest to individuals recovering from mental illnesses, such as Depression, Bipolar illness, Attention Deficit Disorder,Anxiety,Schizoprenia and the effects of treatment with in the mental health system along with wellness tools. To become contributing member email therecoverygroup36@yahoo.com This is a open community with no screeining of post.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Fw: Next Peer Networking Call: November 12 at 3 p.m. EST

Please mark your calendars for Thursday, November 12, at 3:00 PM EST for the next Peer Networking call.
Our speaker will be Ruta Mazelis on the subject of " Working with Self-Injurers: The Helpful Response"
Ruta is nationally and internationally recognized for her work on this issue. The editor of "The Cutting Edge", a newsletter she put out for many years, she will be both informative, enlightening and an exciting speaker.  Do not miss this call and please let others know.
Call in:  888-537-7715
Pass code:   78462993# 
This call will be recorded and accessible on the peer networking website;  Please note that the last two calls on older adults and problem solving, are available and can be listened to at this time.

Technorati Tags: Recovery process,self-injury

Recovery 2000: Fw: Next Peer Networking Call: November 12 at 3 p.m. EST

MindFreedom International Toolbar Download

Technorati Tags: MFI,toolbar

Have quick access to MindFreedom resources, search the site, list affiliates and sponsors, access social networking and other services……

Versions for IE, Firefox, and Safari

MindFreedom International Toolbar Download

Welcome to NASGA!

Over the years, a growing uncaring and unjust judicial system has helped convert guardianship/conservatorship from an appropriate law to one which,  if misused, is damaging to the general public.  At present, it operates to ensnare the most vulnerable people in a larger and larger trawling net, now including those merely physically "incapacitated"!   It has  become a feeding trough for unethical lawyers and other "fiduciaries" appointed by the courts to protect, but many of whom become nothing more than predators.
Wards, instead of being protected by the system, are victimized by it. Strangers are given total and absolute control of life, liberty, and property of their wards. Wards of the state lose all rights involving self-determination, including:…….

Technorati Tags: guardianship,LTC

Welcome to NASGA!

Ray Gateway: Campaign to End Forced Outpatient Electroshock of Ray Sandford — MFI Portal

 

22 October 2009: It is official. After more than 40 involuntary, outpatient electroshocks (also known as electroconvulsive therapy or ECT), Ray has won. The court has agreed to his change of guardianship……

Technorati Tags: Recovery,ECT,Ray Sandford

Ray Gateway: Campaign to End Forced Outpatient Electroshock of Ray Sandford — MFI Portal

Bring Change 2 Mind

 

1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Yet, for many, the stigma associated with the illness, can be as great a challenge as the disease itself. This is where the misconceptions stop. This is where bias comes to an end. This is where we change lives. Because this is where we Bring Change 2 Mind.

Technorati Tags: stigma,recovery

Bring Change 2 Mind

David Oaks, Director: MindFreedom International

BuzzNet Tags: Recovery process,MFI,Utne,David Oaks

ABC News had just done a feature on mental health and had prominently featured MindFreedom International, a group that advocates for “psychiatric survivors” who have battled mental and emotional problems. But the second half of the show hinged on the lurid tale of a guy who had gone off his meds and committed an ax murder. Typical media sensationalism, says MindFreedom director David Oaks.

“How do you debate an ax murderer?” he vents. “There are no issues there. We’re pro-choice on taking psych drugs. So that was very frustrating.”……

David Oaks, Director: MindFreedom International

Fw: Mary Ellen Copeland's Free Webinar 10/21 and Events

Wednesday,  October 21, 2009
2-3pm EDT
Online and conference call

Author,
educator and mental health advocate, Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD, will be
speaking on how to frame a personal Wellness Recovery Action Plan for
those healing the effects of trauma.

Based on her book, co-authored with Maxine Harris, Healing the Trauma of Abuse: A Women's Workbook, this webinar will go through the key points of activities and exercises that encourage healing and wellness.