APRIL Community Connections. David Edmonds-Outreach Coord

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1 VOLUME 10, ISSUE 4 HOPE - CHOICE - EMPOWERMENT - RECOVERY CULTURE - SPIRITUALITY Peer Employment Training (PET) in NC New Bern Wellness City: Hosting PET during June. For details, contact Jonette Outreach Building Resilience and Reducing Vulnerability Resilience is the ability to bounce back from challenges and stress. It is an important part of recovery and helps every one of us to be healthier and to respond more effectively to the challenges that come up in our lives. Part of building resilience is to reduce our vulnerability to stressful events and situations. This involves basic self care and daily maintenance, such as eating an appropriate and balanced diet (not too much food and not too little) getting the right amount of sleep (again not too much and not too little); and reducing underlying emotional vulnerabilities such as anger and anxiety. A common acronym for reducing vulnerability is HALT. HALT means Hungry, Angry (or Anxious), Lonely, Tired (and I like to add an S for Sick ) and it reminds us of some of the basics of daily self care. If we are hungry or tired for instance, we will be much more vulnerable to the stresses of life, we will be more likely to have strong emotional reactions, and we may be more likely to give in to hurtful behaviors such as substance use, over or under eating, isolating and avoiding others, binge watching TV, etc. Typically these behaviors will add to our long term vulnerability and stress level, and may result in damaging consequences in our lives and relationships. We can all help ourselves be less vulnerable to stress by creating and following a basic daily maintenance plan such as what we create in WRAP. We often know what we need to do to take care of ourselves, but it can be challenging to keep up with actually doing those things. A daily maintenance plan needs to fit how our lives are right now. The things that might go on it now may not be the things that would be the best fit at another time in our lives. Our Daily Maintenance Plan can be divided into a few things that we can realistically commit to doing every day (daily list) and then we can have another section for things that we might do occasionally (optional extras). A common example is that we might want to practice prayer every day but we wouldn t generally go to church every day, or we might want to wash the dishes every day, but we wouldn t plan to clean the whole bathroom every day. Reducing vulnerability is about taking care of ourselves and our basic needs. Increasing resilience is about learning what is strong and meaningful in our lives, what our goals and aspirations are, and taking steps to grow towards our own most meaningful life. This can include exploring hobbies, planning a career change, spending more time with loved ones, doing work we love, and any number of other things. Only we ourselves can know what our strengths and interests are, and only we ourselves can make sure we are making the most effective choices we can to live according to our values. There are short term ways we can reduce stress and build positive experiences, such as going to a movie we are interested in, cooking a meal we love, laughing and talking with friends, and any other thing that might bring us positive emotional experiences. Going along with this are long term things we can do that might include repairing important relationships, getting important training and schooling, learning to play a musical instrument, meeting new people and creating a stronger personal support network, or any other steps that we know we need to take to move towards our long term goals. David Edmonds-Outreach Coord Community Connections RI International extends heartfelt THANKS and APPRECIATION to the organizations that provide class locations, presentations, services and referrals. Our connections with others, provide opportunities and environments that empower people to recover, to succeed in accomplishing their goals, and to reconnect with themselves, others and meaning and purpose in life.

2 2 Introducing Kelvin! Hello, I m Kelvin Sawyer and I am the newest employee at Wellness City of New Bern. My story is not as deep as other but, hopefully I can make a difference just the same to the people that attend the program. I have been in the healthcare industry for the past fifteen years. Originally, I started at RHA Howells here in New Bern, which was definitely an eye opener. After five years of that experience I transferred to RHA START Center which was a lot of fun. That program focused on supporting individuals with dual diagnosis that were at threat of losing housing or finding themselves in situations where their providers and caretakers needed a respite in caring for them. That program focused on heavy interventions and therapies to support them. Through working at that program I learned a lot about how to treat others and how to better myself. For the last two or so years I have had the chance to work with kids with depression and abuse of all kinds. That in itself was another moment that helped me learn about myself. It opened a passion that I never thought I would have. I love making a difference as much as I do no matter how small it feels. See I grew up in a kind of dysfunctional household raised by my mom, sister and grandmother. My father wasn t relevant until I was twelve years old. But I remember a lot of things that I believe guided me to work in the fields I am in now. Watching my family deal with certain things made me appreciate my life, and make sure that I help other individuals whenever and wherever I can. When I reflect on this, I realize that I m blessed to be where I am today. I have my flaws and imperfections but then again, no one is perfect. Starting at R.I. International with the Wellness City of New Bern has been a breath of fresh air. Working with a family oriented selfless group that really cares for the people that use the services provided is pretty awesome. I really am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the team here at the Wellness City of New Bern. To end my introduction I ll use my favorite quote and personal mantra: It doesn t take strength to win. It takes the true heart of the team to win. I think this teams puts their whole heart into it and I m proud to be a part of it. Thank you for your time. Kelvin E. Sawyer

3 3 Durham Wellness City Durham Wellness City enjoyed another lively visit from the current class of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trainees. CIT is a program designed to improve the way law enforcement and other first responders (EMS, fire, campus security, 911 operators, etc.) respond to people experiencing mental health or substance use challenges. The program is built on strong partnerships between first responders, mental health provider agencies, and individuals and families affected by mental health and substance use challenges. The goal of the CIT training is to learn how to respond in a compassionate and knowledgeable way when someone is having a mental health or substance use crisis, and to help the person to get linked to services and other resources. The CIT Program is a 40 hour class filled with classroom instruction, role plays, panel discussions with individuals affected by mental health and substance use challenges, and site visits to local resources. As a partner in this process, Durham Wellness City is one of the sites visited by the CIT class. During the visit, the CIT participants and the Wellness City Citizens get to know each other and share their stories. The Citizens share about their experiences and their recovery journeys and the CIT participants share their stories of trying to learn new ways to be of service to the individuals in their community. The CIT participants reported that they took the class to better understand what a person [with a mental health or substance use challenge] is going through and to help them to know about more resources. One of the Wellness City Citizens commented that Wellness City is like a family - even if we don t all like each other, we all have each other s back. Another Citizen shared that Wellness City is a safe place to come to be around others like me. Some of the Citizens shared about how far they have come in their recovery since they began coming to Wellness City getting their own apartments, getting cars, finding jobs, etc. Another Citizen said that no matter what is going on, the staff at Wellness City always love us. According to Laylon Williams, CIT Coordinator at Alliance Behavioral Healthcare, Durham Wellness City has helped CIT Trainees by educating them that this resource exists and how they can refer individuals to the program. Durham Wellness City also helps our CIT Trainees because they are able to hear from the individuals who has had good and bad encounters with first responders and about how they felt treated as a result of that interaction, which will help the first responders to better understand how their individual actions affect these individuals. More information about CIT can be found at:

4 4 Greenville Wellness City Woven into the fabric of every Wellness City are principles such as hope, personal choice, spirituality, empowerment, and recovery culture. This month, Vera Anderson and I had the opportunity to facilitate the Hot Topics class in order to encourage development of empowerment. With the input of citizens, we requested local agencies to come and discuss what they did in the community. This gave us opportunities for several things. While the name of the class is Hot Topics, suggesting we would be learning new information, many of the agencies we met had a long tradition of providing quality services and resources. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, finding resources can be a challenge. This class allowed both staff and citizens to become more knowledgeable about the resources around us, which allowed us to become better advocates to and for our friends and loved ones who do not currently attend Wellness City. It also gave more reserved citizens the opportunity to practice advocating for themselves within the safe environment of the four walls of Wellness City. We practiced things such as positive body language and maintaining good eye contact when we are speaking. This practice makes it easier when we are tasked with speaking with individuals from agencies we have never met. Each session left us feeling more knowledgeable about our community and the resources available to them. As you can tell from these pictures, our citizens are unique and their talents are varied. They never ceased to amaze us with the questions, goals, and possibilities they asked the presenters! Tommy Cloyd and Justin Rouse with Disability Advocates started the series off with an inspirational message that was both informative and hopeful. They set the tone that with the right resources, independence can be achieved! Presenters Paula Liggon and Christina Bell with Eastern Carolina Vocational Center (ECVC) shared success stories about how meaningful employment can be obtained. Asia Boyd with Mental Health America of Eastern Carolina (MHA) shared the depth of diverse resources that MHA is able to provide including peer navigators. We are so thankful for the agencies that answered the call and we welcome suggestions for future presenters. The Hot Topics class is offered from 10:45-11:45am every Tuesday. We always welcome new faces! Thanks again to all of the Greenville Wellness City citizens who posed for photos: Jerry Gordon, Augustus Hardy, Melvin King, Ray Parnell, Danny Smith. Dayna Farrington, MSW, LCSW, LCAS

5 5 Wellness City Voice

6 6 Wellness City Voice Wellness City Wilmington WWC welcome's one of our new staff members Hi, my name is Page Herring but my badge says Jacqueline. Jacqueline is my first name but my parents decided to call me my middle name because my mom has the same first name. My interests include; spirituality, reading, researching interesting topics, any outdoor activities in warm, sunny weather, and I LOVE ANIMALS. I have a boyfriend of several years and a very intelligent, rescue pup named Coco who will be 16 this May. We also have a long orange, black and white snake named Rango (Yes! after the movie). My education includes a Bachelor s Degree in Social Work from UNCW which I obtained in Since graduation, I have worked in varying degrees among the populations both adult and children dealing with mental health, substance abuse, developmental disability diagnoses including those with co-occurring disorders. I have personally dealt with major depression, OCD, and GAD not to mention a medical condition called Cervical Dystonia which I have dealt with since the age of twelve. With my exceptionalities, I have a deep calling to assist others on their journey dealing with similar issues. After several years as a case manager, I found that I was not getting to take part in the primary purpose of assisting others which is meeting them where they are it in their journey and have conversations to encourage them. It seems most people dealing with any challenge can benefit from just heart to heart communication which is why I love my new position. I also am learning new ways to facilitate discussion in topics that before have been difficult for me. It is reassuring when I hear comments from participants who also struggle with depression and anxiety. I have a self -actualized acknowledgement that I am not alone in my struggle and that others experience the negative behaviors that have accompanied my diagnosis including; self-defeating, selfharming thoughts and behaviors along with being in toxic relationships. The staff in Wilmington are friendly, informative and respectful while assisting other coworkers and out participants.

7 North Carolina Programs Recovery Response Center Henderson Durham 300 Parkview Dr., Henderson 309 Crutchfield St., Durham Phone: Phone: Janeen Gordon, RSA II Joy Brunson-Nsubuga, RSA II Durham Wellness City 401 E. Lakewood Ave, Ste E1-A, Durham Phone: Kim Chansen, RSA New Bern Wellness City 1311 Health Dr., New Bern Phone: Joe Villarreal, RSA Wellness Cities Greenville Wellness City 2245 Stantonsburg Rd Ste O, Greenville Phone# Ashley Viverette, RSA Wilmington Wellness City 1960 S. 17th St., Wilmington Phone: Kris Ludacer, RSA RI International has earned the Joint Commission s Gold Seal of Approval Our Mission Empowering people to recover, succeed in accomplishing their goals, find meaning and purpose in life, and reconnect with themselves and others. Our Vision Activating the next generation of frame-breaking healthcare innovation to support people beyond their behavioral health needs and succeed in the community where they live, work, and play. RI International Is a nonprofit organization offering recovery-based services in Arizona, California, Delaware, North Carolina, Texas, Washington state and New Zealand. RI Outreach Ashley Viverette, RSA Phone: Greenville Office: Wilmington Office: Callum Wilkinson Phone: Brunswick, New Hanover, Onslow & Pender Susan Hall Phone: Beaufort, Bertie, Gates, Hertford, Northampton & Washington Outreach Coordinators Jeffrey Gardner Ph# Carteret, Craven, Jones, Martin, Pamlico & Pitt Dave Edmonds Phone: Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans & Tyrrell Community Building Team Joe Villarreal, interim Recovery Services Administrator Phone: In Reach Amy Corey, Recovery Services Administrator Phone: Find our Wellness City Voice Newsletters, as well as our monthly class Calendars online at