THE C4C FEDERAL EXCHANGE The Coalition For Change, Inc. (C4C) Vol. 3 / No. 4 (2016 April) ISSN 2375-7086 (Online)
IN THIS ISSUE FACTS ABOUT THE COALITION FOR CHANGE, INC. POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME
The Coalition For Change, Inc. (C4C) is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organization comprised of former & present federal employees who have been injured or ill-treated due to workplace “race” discrimination and / or reprisal. Tanya Ward Jordan, C4C’s President and Founder, incorporated in Washington DC in 2009. Ms. Ward Jordan established the C4C as a way of healing by helping others who had faced racial inequality while working in the U.S. federal government. The dual purpose of the C4C is as follows:
1. To provide a fellowship support network (exchanging ideas, information and encouragement) for those facing the debilitating stress related to workplace racial injustice and subsequent litigation; and
2. To serve as a civil right advocacy group providing a “collective voice” in addressing the lack of accountability/ transparency in the federal government’s handling of personnel and civil rights matters.
Note: The C4C does not provide legal advice, representation or financial support.
The C4C Federal Exchange Newsletter
PTSD and Brain Injury By Arthuretta Holmes-Martin,
M.S. CFCM, DTM March was Brain Injury Awareness month. I had the privilege to attend a Capitol Hill Summit on Brain Injury. My son is a two-time Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) survivor. The Will Smith movie Concussion, the emphasis on brain injury involving the National Football league, and the consequences of war and those in the military made this a very special event with high profile celebrities and politicians attending. I saw this as an opportunity to help my son. What I didn’t expect was how my attendance would directly affect me. Yes, I am a family member and support giver for a TBI survivor. I was aware of the challenges involved with that role; I lived it. However, I didn’t realize that I too was the victim of brain injury. How can that be? I was diagnosed with a concussion when I was five years-old after a class mate slammed a book on my head; but other than that I had no physical trauma to my brain. But yet there it was – a
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picture that painted a thousand words. Based on scientific research from several health organizations including the National Institutes of Health, your brain actually changes after you suffer from trauma.
Source: http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.co m/content/stress/art1964.html Like far too many civil servants challenging workplace injustice, after my ordeal with the Federal Government I was diagnosed with a stress disorder. I was also diagnosed with major depression. I had all the symptoms. I was traumatized. It wasn’t until I saw this picture that I had to admit the US Dept. of Health and Human Services intentionally inflicts physical as well as mental and emotional harm against its employees. Like many of us, I am a Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) survivor. How do you know if you have PTSD? To start, know the symptoms. Is it difficult to sleep? Do you have panic attacks? Do you have unexplained headaches or stomach ailments? Do you have difficulty with relationships? Are you forgetful? Do you have mental flashbacks of incidents around the discrimination you experienced? Are you like me -- do you avoid things that remind you of the abuse? Are you hypervigilant meaning you seem to have endless energy to press and not give up when others might? Once you’ve compared the symptoms with your condition and link the connections seek a therapist that specializes in PTSD. Also, visit your primary care physician to begin the process of documenting the events. PTSD is named as “post” because the symptoms sometimes do not show up for months or years The C4C Federal Exchange Newsletter
after the traumatic event. There is professional treatment and self-treatment. Don’t go it alone. First you must acknowledge that you have a condition. The social stigma, especially in the Black community, of mental illness is killing us. Left untreated this condition can ruin your health, your social life, your family and your life. The beautiful thing about the C4C is that we are a community that supports survivors of workplace abuse. However, your connection to the organization alone will not cure the medical consequences of the battle scars you’ve endured. Get help. We are all soldiers on the battlefield fighting the good fight for justice. Don’t be ashamed to get treatment. Pace yourself. Love yourself. Take care of yourself. If you live in a state that has legalized marijuana, this is one time when going to smoke a little weed may be what the doctor orders. For more information about PTSD visit the links below. Anxiety and Depression Association of America http://www.adaa.org/understandinganxiety/posttraumatic-stress-disorderptsd/symptoms Psychology Guides. http://www.psychguides.com/guides/po st-traumatic-stress-disorder-symptomscauses-and-effects/ This list is not exclusive. Rather, it serves as a guide on how to seek support while you go through the battle of seeking justice from the Federal Government. Next Article: Stress and its effect on your body mind and spirit. Take Charge!
Arthuretta H. Martin, M.S. CFCM, DTM Health and Wellness Chair-C4C
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Hilary Dike (Veterans Affairs) Roz Furch (Agriculture)
Executive Administration Tanya Ward Jordan, President/Founder Paulette Taylor, Civil Rights Chair Michael McCray, Esq. Special Advisor Terri Williams, Greetings Chair Diane Williams, Esq. Legislative Chair Arthuretta Holmes-Martin Health and Wellness Chair Isaac Decatur, Outreach Chair Willie Berry, Treasurer David Grogan, Social Media Advisor Dr. Keesha Karriem, Federal Workforce Analyst
Pastor Michael Kim (Veterans Affairs) SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER https://twitter.com/C4CFED FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/c4cradio/ GOOGLE https://plus.google.com/+TheC4C/posts INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/c4cfed/ YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/user/TheC4C SCOOPIT http://www.scoop.it/t/c4c-press-releases
The C4C Federal Exchange Newsletter
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C4C On-Line Networks Strategic Planning Employment Litigation Agriculture Commerce Veterans Affairs Executive Support Contact Information Phone 202-810-5985 P.O. Box 142 Washington, DC 20044 http://coalition4change.org/ ISSN 2375-7086
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For Your Information C4C website recently added a link to “Rate Your Lawyer” Visit link at http://coalition4change.org/news.htm Senator Grassley Addresses Whistleblower case at Pentagon April 4, 2016 http://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/new s-releases/grassley-case-whistleblowerretaliation-pentagon
ARTICLE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/p owerpost/wp/2016/04/14/feds-urged-tofight-unconscious-bias-in-hiring-andpromotions/ Who’s Carlton Hadden of the EEOC? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLUb B2e5Nwo
Bureau of Prison Class Action http://turnerclass.com/ Also, see Notice of Class Action https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#search /dennis+turner/153d586524b3f2b3?projec tor=1 Amicus Brief- Tony Perry v Merit Systems Protection Board http://documents.tips/documents/amicusbrief-anthony-w-perry-v-merit-systemsprotection-board.html
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The C4C Federal Exchange
newsletter obtained its ISSN from the Library of Congress in October 2014. Editor -Tanya Ward Jordan
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