One Vet`s stOry Of trauma
Transcription
One Vet`s stOry Of trauma
News One Vet’s stOry Of trauma W hen you treat trauma,” Angela Agnew says today, “you treat the whole person.” Angela has been out of the military since 1988. After more than 30 years of seeking help for being diagnosed piecemeal with addiction, depression, bipolar, eating disorders, physical pain and high blood pressure, she has finally come to the crux of her dilemma. In 2013, she was finally diagnosed with PTSD – trauma – and now considers it her “primary issue.” She has also found that many times people have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder when, in fact, they have PTSD because of the similarities of symptoms. A psychiatrist told her that is because of missed questions asked during the evaluation. (continued on page 3) Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 1 Inside this issue: Table of Contents One Vet’s Story on Trauma 1 Building a TraumaBased Nation 19 Patty Smith, Vet Mental Health Month 5 5 Oliver Sacks: RIP 20 First Stop Recovery Our Door in DC Hill Day 2015 Addiction to Medication: Opioid Issues 6 7 8 9 Traveling with Grace In Memoriam: Jonea’ Thomas 21 Climb the Hill to Recovery 10 Home, the movie 22 March for Dignity 23 CAN Mentoring 11 24 25 Wordsearch 14 Crisis Intervention Officers: A Parent Speaks Out Volunteering and Civic Engagement in DC 15 Get Motivated DC CAN’s Training at DC Recovery Academy 18 Community Resources 26-27 CAN seeks to promote and model, both internally and to external stakeholders, core values that will EMPOWER us all to fulfill the mission of promoting recovery and self-advocacy. Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 2 One Vet’s Story of Trauma (cont. from page 1) Over the last nine months, Angela started outpatient trauma treatment and subsequently embarked on a 6-week inpatient trauma treatment program at Bay Pines VA Center for Sexual Trauma Services in Florida, the first trauma-specific care services in the country. She lost 40 pounds, her blood pressure dropped, she has no need for pain or blood pressure medication, she doesn’t depend on food and she no longer experiences extreme bouts of depression that led to many hospitalizations. A former addiction counselor herself and former addict who understands trauma, she gets that it was only a matter of time before she tried drugs again. She says she had been “white knuckling” it until she finally got help for her trauma. These days, Angela continues individual therapy, support groups, is a member of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and involved with prison ministry and sings in her church choir. She says there are increasingly more reports of trauma from military bases now that each VA hospital has a trauma coordinator, including dealing with sexual harassment. She contends that of 16 hospital trauma units, 8 were composed of women, and 8 of men. This shows that men are affected by sexual trauma equally as much as women. It took many years, but in 2014 Angela finally received 100% of her benefits from the Compensation and Review Board. In so many ways, she is at last getting the full acknowledgement, recognition and treatment she so richly deserves. ***** Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 3 PROUDLY, WE HONOR OUR VETERANS, THEIR LEADERSHIP, THEIR SACRIFICE AND ALL OF THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 4 Patty Smith, Vet (excerpted from StreetSense.org) Street Sense vendor, cancer survivor, veteran and writer Patty Smith has seen and done almost everything. Born in Mississippi, Patty Smith moved to Pittsburgh with her mother when she was almost 6 years old. (…) Her aunt encouraged her to get a stable job, so Patty decided to move back to DC and join the army. She recalls going through basis training and alternate individual training. “Every day we got up at 4 in the morning and then exercised and did a bunch of stuff. We got drilled, and got hollered at. We were tired out.” She served with the military police for one year, and then moved back to Pittsburgh to work five years in the 302 Medical Battalion. Office management was becoming Patty’s specialty. (…) Patty is now seeking out writing programs to improve her writing skills. READ MORE ABOUT PATTY SMITH AT STREETSENSE.ORG. Search “Patty Smith.” Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 5 First Stop Recovery Resource and Wellness Center (FSR) Our Grand Opening: January 26 from 12 noon to 8pm All are welcome to come out and get familiar with the services we offer. We welcome volunteers and welcome the support of our community agencies and programs. Our organization offers resources to meet the needs of the consumers. We use a holistic approach to wellness and support for those in pursuit of recovery of all forms. In addition, we now have a Peer Institute which offers a wide range of education and training to enhance Certified Peer Specialists and Peers Supporters. FSR is sponsoring 7 DAY/PEER WELLNESS CRUISE: Nov. 25—Dec. 3, 2017. Call for more information. (202) 642-5061 101 Xenia Street, SW (off of South Capitol Street SW) Entrance at the rear of Covenant Baptist Church) Washington, DC 20032 Phone # (202) 642-5061. For more information: [email protected] Hours of Operation: Monday, Wednesday, Friday (10-6pm) Tuesday, Thursday (12-8pm) Esther Ford, Executive Director Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 6 OUR DOOR IN DC Our Door Community Wellness Center, a program of Green Door Behavioral Health, provides mutual support, self help, advocacy, education, information and referral services to assist people with mental health and/or substance issues to regain control over their lives and start the recovery process. Health professionals know there is a link between mental and physical health, and Our Door promotes that linkage with clients by encouraging them to actively participate in their wellness. Offering resources, referrals and information on community programs and services, Our Door creates for guests a space to relax or participate in regularlyscheduled activities. The Wellness Center was established by a contract between Green Door Behavioral Health and the DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH). Our Door is based on SAMHSA’s Eight Dimensions of Wellness (emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual). Our Door is located at 1201 B1 South Capitol Street SW (next to Grand China Carryout and M St SW, across from 7-Eleven). It is open to the public, ages 18 and over, Tues-Sat, 9 am to 5 pm. No appointment required. More information is available by calling 202.554.2926 or at http://www.greendoor.org/getting-help/services-new/our-door/. Melinda Hasbrouck, Our Door’s Executive Director, lives in Washington, DC and selfidentifies as a current consumer of mental health services, who has recovered from serious mental illnesses. Melinda developed a passion for mental/ behavioral health advocacy from her own experiences recovering from serious mental illness utilizing the DC mental/behavioral health system. Melinda can be reached at 202-494-9200 x419 or emailed at [email protected]. Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 7 Hill Day 2015 Every year, more than 500 consumers, advocates, behavioral health executives, administrators, board members and community stakeholders converge on Capitol Hill and meet their state legislators and let their voices be heard. This way, we can make a direct impact on public policy, especially concerning behavioral health. Each state has a State Captain who is the point of contact and will coordinate the Hill visits for you and your fellow participants. CAN started the two-day event by attending NBC Meet the Press’s Chuck Todd’s presentation about the presidential race called “The Race Ahead: Insights on the Course of American Politics.” Todd gave us useful tidbits about political candidates, joking that members of congress and senators are like dogs: they’re well behaved by themselves but when they get in a pack they can create a ruckus. At the same Grant Hyatt Hotel, CAN met at the DC table the next day and, with other attendees from different states prepared to meet their legislators, we got ready to visit Eleanor Holmes Norton, the sole DC representative. We walked to the Capitol Building and around into the Rayburn office building but unfortunately we weren’t able to see her. Next year, we hope to meet with Congresswomen Norton on Hill Day. Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 8 ADDICTION TO MEDICATION: OPIOID ISSUES What are opioids? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), opioids are medications that relieve pain. They reduce the intensity of pain signals reaching the brain and affect those brain areas controlling emotion, which diminishes the effects of a painful stimulus. They include painkillers such as morphine, methadone, Buprenorphine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone. Heroin is also an opioid. They are sold under brand names like: OxyContin®, Percocet®, Palladone®, Vicodin®, Percodan®, Tylox® and Demerol® among others. During Hill Day on October 6, CAN attended a Congressional Briefing on the Opioid Epidemic co-sponsored by the National Council for Behav- Health and Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery. Featured speakers focused on efforts to address the national opioid crisis through improved education for doctors and other prescribers. Dr. Mehmet Oz of The Oz Show along with the other speakers further familiarized themselves with mental heath. Others included: Mary Bono (former US Representative), Michael Botticelli (Director of White House Office of National Drug Control Policy), MacKenzie Phillips (actress and person in long-term recovery), John Tilley (Kentucky House of Representatives), Jeannie Sperry (Adult Pain Rehabilitation Clinical Director, Mayo Clinic), Marvin Seppala (Chief Medical Officer, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation). The forum addressed the challenges among doctors today of treating pain while at the same time preventing opioid addiction and overdose. Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 9 CLIMB THE HILL TO RECOVERY Breakfast Panel at Ronald Reagan Building On October 9, A breakfast panel was held in support of the 5.7 million Americans with bipolar disorder. The breakfast observes the organization’s partnership in 2015 Mental Health Awareness Week and Hill Day held each year in DC. Congressman Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, author of the bi-partisan HR Bill 2646 entitled Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, was a featured hon- oree. Other speakers included Carlos Zarate, MD, neurobiology and mood dis- orders section at NIMH; Pete Earley, former Washington Post reporter, advocate and author on mental health and justice; and Keith O’Neil, Super Bowl Champion linebacker, shared his personal experience with bipolar. Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 10 CAN Mentoring Mentoring, according to the US Department of Education, is a sustained relationship between a youth and an adult. The word mentoring comes from the Greek word meaning enduring. The goal in a mentoring relationship is, in fact, to last. Through continued involvement, says the Department of Ed, the adult offers support, guidance and assistance as the younger person goes through a difficult period, faces new challenges or works to correct earlier problems. CAN has embarked on a mentor program, both individual and group. The importance of such a program is to schedule regular sessions and activities, such as discussions, games, sports, outings, history, in order for the mentee-mentor relationship to deepen and grow, so that trust can bloom. (continued on page 12) Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 11 CAN Mentoring (continued) For one reason or another, many of these youth have trust issues, especially with adult authority figures in their lives. Mentoring can help open the dialogue in a safe place for these youth. Trust should be a bi-product of the fun, interesting interactions between youth and adult. Some of the activities we shared with the mentees this year include: attending a Nationals game, exploring the H Street Fair on one of the hottest days of the summer, and playing basketball at a nearby park. The spirit of the baseball game got the mentees excited to find out who was up to bat and who had the most runs — and at least temporarily forget about their problems. The H Street Fair offered live rock music, demonstrations and first-rate food from around the District. The half a dozen mentees dove into the fair with vigor and swam around it all like young chameleons. CAN also organized a Jeopardy/It’s Academic (“Jeopardemics”) game for the mentees on topics they were familiar with, like rap music and sports figures, to engender competition. (continued on page 13) Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 12 CAN Mentoring continued In addition, CAN orchestrated an outing to the Kennedy Center for a photo exhibit, “From Civil War to Civil Rights.” Prior to attending the exhibit, CAN presented an overview to the mentees of main points in the Civil War — slavery, President Lincoln being the only pro-abolition candidate — and then more recent civil rights events, such as Brown vs. Board of Education, Birmingham, Alabama riots, Martin Luther King’s rousing “I Have A Dream” speech. CAN arranged role plays on employment where mentees answered and asked typical questions on a job interview. At the end of the exercise, mentees gave the following feedback: “ I learned to be respectful and have a good relationship with people.” “I learned how to be positive.” “I learned how to carry myself in a certain way.” “I learned how to get a job.” . ***** Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 13 WORDSEARCH In this puzzle, the words are placed diagonally, up and down, forward and backwards. You must locate and circle the words from the Word List. Answers will appear on CAN’s website. www.can-dc.org Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 14 Volunteering and Civic Engagement in the District of Columbia - 2014 Please note that DC is listed as both a state and large city. For the state, data were collected within the District's geographic boundaries. For the city, data were collected within the Washington, DC metropolitan area, which includes a larger geographic region. www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/dc Trends and Highlights Overview Overall, in District of Columbia in 2014: 31.3% of residents volunteer, ranking them 14th among the 50 states and Washington, DC. 171,540 volunteers 35.9 volunteer hours per capita 19.6 million hours of service $452.6 million of service contributed 49.5% of residents donate $25 or more to charity Civic Life in America (2013 data): 87.5% frequently eat dinner with other members of the household 85.7% frequently talk with neighbors 48.6% of residents participate in groups and/or organizations 64.3% of residents engage in "informal volunteering" (for example, doing favors for neighbors) Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 15 Welcome! New DBH Director Tanya A. Royster, MD Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 16 Best of luck, Dr. Barbara Bazron and Shannon Hall, embarking on your new professional ventures in Maryland Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 17 CAN’S TRAINING AT DC RECOVERY ACADEMY CAN is enjoying a collaboration with DC Recovery Academy. In her peer training, Dana Ebiasah, Support Specialist at the Academy, did a site visit and training at CAN’s office. Finished with her own training and embarking on her next step at the Academy, she was instrumental in introducing the directors to what CAN does. Subsequently, CAN was invited to give outreach trainings there. Located on South Capitol Street in SW, The Academy was launched in April 2013 as a “normalizing environment” where each client can focus on recovery goals. Clients range from 18 to 35 years old and are living with serious and persistent mental illness, aometimes co-occurring with substance use disorders. The structure of the Academy resembles a community college, providing a psycho-educational curriculum in 12-week cycles. CAN offers outreach presentations at the Academy the third Wednesday of each month. CAN has presented trainings of self-advocacy and self-care, consumer rights, role modeling and outlook from individuals who have mental diagnoses. CAN also did a session on Setting Goals and how to use SMART goals. Consumers quickly grasped its purpose; at the onset, they said, “Setting goals means getting more focus, clarity and knowing what you’re doing.” Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 18 I n Building a Trauma-Informed Nation: Moving the Conversation into Action, the event held September 29-30, 2015 at the US Department of Labor, participants sought to catalyze a trauma-informed national strategy. The event was sponsored by the Federal Partners Committee on Women & Trauma, an active interagency collaboration including 13 Federal Departments, with more than 100 members, representing more than 40 agencies and offices. The Committee is dedicated to advancing genderresponsive, trauma-informed approached to improve the health and well-being of individuals across the country and around the world. The meeting highlighted effective implementation of trauma-informed approaches in four major areas: education, health care, the justice system and communities and congregations. To widen the reach of this conversation, the keynote, panels, plenary presentations and dialogue time with presenters was webcast to “amplifier sites” across the country with interactivity between the amplifier sites and the main event in Washington, DC. At each amplifier site, major stakeholders convened in the interactive webcast and catalyzed local dialogue and action. After each topical area plenary, panel presentations and discussion session, the DC site and virtual participants at amplifier sites engaged in strategic action planning. Presentations brought to light effective collaborations, workplace issues, promising practices and programs at state and local levels. There were interactive working sessions to engage in strategic action planning in local areas and agencies. Speakers included Gary Slutkin, MD, Director, Cure Violence; Nancy Hardt, MD, UF College of Medicine, Co-Founder, Peace4Gainesville; Father Jeff Putthoff, Founder, Hopeworks ‘N Camden; Tina Maria Hahn, MD, Pediatrician from Michigan; Naina Khanna, Executive Director of the Positive Women’s Network; Barb Trader, Executive Director of TASH and Robin Delany-Shabazz, Associate Administrator, State and Community Development in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at the Department of Justice. Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 19 Oliver Sacks, British neurologist (July 9, 1933August 30, 2015), fought his entire career to reduce the stigma of mental and neurological illness. “The brain is the most incredible thing in the universe.” “There will be no one like us when we are gone, but then there is no one like anyone else, ever. When people die, they cannot be replaced. They leave holes that cannot be filled, for it is the fate - the genetic and neural fate - of every human being to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death.” ——— One example of his work, Awakenings, thrusts into the light the therapeutic efforts of Sacks to bring sleeping-sickness patients out of their slumber with a new drug and human kindness. Critics say: “Few doctors can compare with Oliver Sacks for expressing the relation of medicine to the human spirit.” Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 20 TRAVELING WITH GRACE IN MEMORIAM: Jonea’ Thomas Jonea’ worked at Consumer Action Network during summer school breaks for three consecutive summers before graduating high school. She was one of the note takers responsible for documenting the direct voices of consumers as they were interviewed by the Consumer Satisfaction Team and helped to facilitate groups at Consumer Residential Facilities. She also assisted advocates in their daily advocacy reports. Jonea’ passed away on August 28 and we take this opportunity to share a glimpse of her work at CAN. We are thankful for all of her labor over the years. Consumer Action Network salutes and celebrates this beautiful young soldier. Rest in peace! Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 21 “Recovery entails having a home,” is how Jean Harris, Vice President of NAMI DC, opened the film program dedicated to Home, the 2013 movie directed by Jono Oliver, starring Gbenga Akinnagbe. The film was shown at All Souls Church by NAMI on October 28 to approximately 50 friends of NAMI DC from the Washington, DC area. Home illustrates the struggles of Jack, a young man who is in recovery after many years with schizophrenia. He lives in a group home and works as a messenger in New York City. Throughout the movie, his aim is to move out of the group home and live independently in his own apartment. By way of explaining his condition, he says “I used to be pretty messed up but I’m not now.” There are flashbacks in the film showing his full-blown mental illness and the disruption and crimes it caused. His son, who lives with his mother, inquires about his father’s “bad days.” The son wants to know why he took a match to a stack of newspapers and burned the house down. The movie frames Jack’s meticulous exit strategy to leave his group home. It paints a clear picture of life in a group home, including a group field trip to a pharmacy and a restaurant where the group becomes rambunctious and starts a fight with the staff. In the end, Jack is allowed to leave the group home on good terms and make a new life, including frequent visits from his son, in a fairly spacious New York apartment. “There are some things,” Jack advises, “that you are responsible for.” After the movie, NAMI DC arranged a panel of two consumers in recovery to talk for several minutes about their experience with housing. One said that after 12 hospitalizations in one year, he found an apartment on Craig’s List, much to his disbelief. The other couldn’t emphasize enough the importance of dialoguing with your doctor and taking your meds. He, too, found a house after years in the hospital, and lives there today with his wife. Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 22 The March for Dignity and Change in Mental Health Hyatt Regency Washington — August 24, 2015 It was 91 degrees out. The sun beat hard on the gravel path from the Smithsonian buildings to the hotel. We, as CAN, marched in a sea of green t-shirts, in the first annual March for Dignity and Change in Mental Health. We marched to the tent and platform where passionate, speakers — and shade!— awaited. From the tent, speakers made fervent remarks about consumers’ rights, personal accounts of struggles with mental illness and substance abuse, voting for positive mental health policy as well as stories of stigma of mental illness that must be wiped out. was a staunch supporter of the cause that marked the first March for Dignity in existence. Like causes from other disabilities to agedness, this March aims to get the word out as to the rights and recovery of the mentally ill population. “WHAT DO WE WANT? DIGNITY! WHEN DO WE WANT IT? NOW!” echoed down the Mall. The March was the entryway to the WRAP International Conference, spotlighting founder Mary Ellen Copeland, who described to a full house her current work with intentional peer support, and an array of workshops and speakers on wellness and recovery. Believing that recovery is possible for every person who has experienced some form of mental illness, CAN Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 23 DC CRISIS INTERVENTION OFFICERS— A PARENT SPEAKS OUT Very popular with the kids, this one special CIT officer was back in the day. He would be at the meetings in Ward 8, and you would often see him performing security in the Ward 8 community. CIT officers make a difference on a public and personal level. They play an intricate role in our communities in helping to recognize and offering support for unrecognizable mental health issues. Instead of taking people to jail, the CIT officers can get an emergency detention warrant. This warrant allows the officer to take people who may need mental help to get evaluated. As with any mental health issue, it is most helpful to have someone look beyond the issue and see the person. Some consumers are fortunate to have family, friends, and other concerned people in their lives to help during difficult times, but others have one who can identify that help is needed. Sometimes the youth in our communities do things that would call for attention, like being depressed and no one recognizing his symptoms in one case. No one talked openly about neither depression nor mental health issues in this one community back in 1991, but now everyone talks about mental health and stigma openly throughout that community, recognizing that youth too have issues mental health including depression. Thanks to all the CIT officers for standing-up and joining the movement because it’s not enough to only say that you care. We, as a community of advocates, are saying that we have to show those who are affected by mental health issues that we care. This article is dedicated to Office J.D. Smith (no relation) who for many years has made a difference on both an individual and community level in Ward 8. — Written by the Frankie Smith Foundation, LLC. Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 24 GET MOTIVATED WASHINGTON, DC www.getmotivated.com A lot of people are talking about getting motivated in the New Year. When you are motivated you respond differently. Les Brown shares that from the beginning of time motivation has been the fuel that propelled the hearts of men and women to take action. Motivation is the primary component for success so every one needs to have extra motivation. Are you motivated to tackle any challenge? Are you or someone you know worried in fear doubt or unbelief? Is anyone around you under-performing? In September at the Warner Theatre, the following motivating speakers spent a day in a powerful leadership workshop. Here are some of America’s best motivational speakers: Les Brown #1 Motivational speaker, “How to Stay Movtivated!” Dr. Clarice Fluitt World’s Top Leadership Expert, “How to Lead so Others Will Follow” Dr. Keith Johnson – America’s #1 Confidence Coach, “Living Life with Confidence” Dr. Willie Jolley – America’s #1 Inspirational Speaker, “Setbacks are Setups for Comebacks” Bob Kittell – America’s Top Communications Skills Expert, “How to Communicate Far More Effectively” Omar Periu – America’s #1 Sales Trainer, “How to Outperform and Outsell the Competition” Bob Harrison – America’s Authority on Financial Increase, “The Financial Secrets of Success” Brian J Forte – World’s #1 Business Trainer, “You Can Have it All” Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 25 COMMUNITY RESOURCES DC GOVERNMENT SHELTERS Department of Behavioral Health Access Help Line 1-888-7WE-HELP DC Housing Authority 202-535-1000 Income Maintenance Admin Food Stamps, TANF, Medicaid, IDA 202-698-3900 Board of Elections and Ethics 202-727-2525 Division of Tax and Revenue 202-727-4TAX Mayor’s Office 311 Community for Creative Non-Violence 202-393-1909 DC General Family Shelter 202-675-5000 Central Union Mission 202-745-7118 Hypothermia Shelter Hotline 1-800-535-7252 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Social Security Administration 1-800-772-1213 Housing and Urban Development 202-708-1112 Immigration and Naturalization National Customer Service Center 1-800-375-5283 Internal Revenue Service 1-800-829-1040 LEGAL AGENCIES University Legal Services 202-547-4747 Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless (WLCH) 202-328-5505 DC Bar Pro Bono Program 202-737-4700 WOMEN & FAMILIES House of Ruth 202-667-7001 Ramona’s Way 202-257-6790 My Sister’s Place 202-529-5991 Nat’l Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline 202-671-7233 Champs Hotline 202-481-1450 Crisis and Family Stress Hotline 202-223-2255 Adult Protective Services Hotline 202-541-3951 Mary’s Center 202-483-8196 DUAL DIAGNOSIS SERVICES APRA 202-442-5955 N St Village NW 202-939-2076 Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 26 COMMUNITY RESOURCES GENERAL SERVICES Green Door, Inc. 202-464-9200 Community Connections 202-546-1512 Washington Hospital Center at Trinity Square 202-877-6333 McClendon Center 202-745-0073 or 202-737-6191 Energy Hotline 202-673-6750 DC Rape Crisis Center 202-333-7273 Mental Health Emergencies 202-673-9319 Safe Link phones 1 800 977-3768 http://www.dcfoodfinder.org INTERNET/SOCIAL RESOURCE http://www.prlog.org/10437673bipolar-entrepreneur-launchesfree-mental-health-socialnetwork.html HOUSING PROGRAMS Community Council for the Homeless (CCHFP) 202-364-1419 Manna Housing 202-832-1845 Woodley House, Inc. 202-328-4069 Landlord Tenant Resource Center M-F 9:15am to 12 pm 510 4th St., NW HOME HEALTH CARE Human Touch 202-483-9111 EMPLOYMENT-EDUCATION Ida Mae Campbell Center 1231-B Good Hope Rd. SE Washington, DC 20020 202-241-6317 Rehabilitation Services Administration 202-442-8400 VA RESOURCES VA CRRC (Community Resource and Referral Center) Medical Center 1500 Franklin St. NE 202-636-7660 Department of Behavioral Health 64 New York Avenue, NE, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 673-7440 Fax: (202) 673-3433 TTY: (202) 673-7500 Access Help Line 1-888-7WE-HELP 35 K St NE Washington DC 20002 (202) 442-4100 Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 27 Consumer Action Network (CAN) 1300 L St., N.W. Suite 1000 Washington, D.C. 20005 Phone: (202) 842-0001 Toll Free: 1-866-314-9226 Fax: 202-842-2685 e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.can-dc.org ________________________________ CAN Mission Statement Consumer Action Network (CAN) empowers mental health consumers by promoting recovery and self-advocacy. CAN is a 501(c) (3) Organization ________________________________________________________ C e l e b ra t i ng 1 2 y e a r s o f Se rv i c e i n DC Newsletter Contributors E. Effie Smith , Executive Director Brenda Smith Claudia Brown Patricia Wade Joyce Kinard Consumer Action Network Vol. 6 no. 5, December 2015 Page 28