Great Strides - September

Artwork by an IC Artist

Michael has been a long time program participant of the IC who enjoys helping out whenever and wherever he can. As an avid participant in the mending art program, he has created a sketchbook full of drawings and a notebook full of writings which he feels express his spirituality.

Michael says, “God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us”. He also states “I write from my soul. It releases me from the burdens of life and makes me feel stronger, hopeful and more intuitive.”

Mending Art will be on exhibit at Plainville Public Library for the month of September. Stop by, take a look, read a book!

Monday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM Wednesday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM Friday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM (Food Bank is not available during parties and meetings.

The Mending Art “Awesome-ArtSome Exhibit”, spotlighted the artwork of the children at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterbury during the Summer Brain Gain. IC Artists from the Mending Art program, formed an art committee which met weekly to discuss workshop ideas and prepare materials for the studio. The children and IC Artists joined together to work on art projects for the exhibit and collaborated to create the invitations for their guests.

The first workshop was the theme “Celebrate”. We had balloons, music and dancing. The children shared stories about their accomplishments and received a certificate from Mending Art. Following the presentation, they created drawings about what they were looking forward to doing this summer.

Motion was the theme of the second week. We began with a stretch, added music, and dance was led. Following this exercise, the children were given ribbons to draw invisible shapes in the air and on paper. They then participated in a discussion about abstract art and worked on a collaborative motion piece.

Mark your calendars and join us for the annual IC WALK, on October 11th (rain date the 12th). We will featuring a variety of activities and a free lunch.

Please join us.

For week three our focus was on getting to know each other better. The IC Artists shared images they had created about their favorite things at the IC and asked the children about their favorite things at Boys and Girls Club. The children’s drawings were then arranged to resemble a collaborative quilt.

For their final project they worked on assembling colorful circles which sparked creative circle games.

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It was a privilege to share the art created by the children of the Boys and Girls Club along with the support of Mental Health Connecticut’s, IC Artists. Keep celebrating art!

Every so often you might find a piece of paper with a drawing of a portrait with sunglasses, a large hat, and the word ELO written across the page in bubble letters.

The mysterious artist behind the image is none other than our Facilities Specialist, Jose M. Jose grew up in New York, and at an early age saw a lot of graffiti art. “Graffiti was real popular back then; it still is, but we don’t see it as much. People are better now about not vandalizing property. The style still draws me in.”, says Jose. He started creating his tag when he was ten years old inspired by the city around him. Jose continues to recreate ELO on paper and canvas for others to find throughout the IC. He loves to work with spray paint and has helped teach IC Artists how to work with it on canvas. Keep your eyes open for the next ELO tag at the IC!

For people who hear voices: www.facebook.com/cthearin gvoicesnetwork or http://www.hearingvoicesus a.org/ Alternatives to Suicide Support Group 399 Franklin Avenue Hartford Wednesdays 4-5pm http://toivocenter.org/ OCD support group http://psychiatry.yale.edu/o cd/patients/support.aspx Alcoholics Anonymous http://www.aa.org/ Narcotics Anonymous http://www.na.org/ Overeaters Anonymous https://oa.org/ Gamblers Anonymous http://www.gamblersanony mous.org/ga/

Mental Health Connecticut’s Independence Center (IC) presents: “Mending Art” An Exhibit with IC Artists and Guests Opening Reception: Thurs., October 18th 2-6PM Exhibit open October 5th – 26th, 2018

For additional information on Support Groups in Connecticut, visit http://www.mhconn.org/ed ucation/information%20and %20referral/ or call: 1-800-842-1510, ext. 10

Participation is free. We welcome artists to join us in sharing their art!

For a full prospectus, if you would like to share your art or have questions about the exhibit, please contact MHC’s Art Director, Amy Smith, at (203) 756-5772 ext.

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Infoline CT 211 VEYO 1-855-478-7350 Guiding Path Warmline: 1-860-482-1783 or 1-800-314-2680 5pm-10pm 7 days per week National Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-8255

“I Can See Clearly Now” is the title of Annette’s Art Exhibit. “My dad draws and he’s good at it so I get that from him. When you feel like you have no voice you have got to put your voice into your art! Art is therapeutic and helps you express yourself in a whole new way.

When I was in the hospital I worked on collages and a nice nurse allowed me to borrow the glue stick to work. Art got me out of the hospital.

I took crayons and just went crazy on the paper with them to calm down. It felt good to have my pop up art show, ‘I Can See Clearly Now’, because it was good to express myself in front of my peers. Seeing all of my art together, from all the years, shows that I am growing and coming out of my comfort zone. It felt good to show my art, it shows how I got clearer and clearer. –Annette B.

Sexual Assault Crisis Hotline 1-888-999-5545 En Español 1-888-999-8332 Crisis 1-866-794-0021

Dentists in Waterbury Who take Husky Health Staywell Health Center 203-597-9044 South Main Street 203-756-8021 Phoenix Avenue Community Health Center 203-574-4000

Last month in Men’s Group we talked about how fear can limit, and sometimes stop us from getting what we need or want. It can keep us from being the best that we can be. The fear of what might happen will turn into us doing nothing at all. We discussed how fear is fed by our imagination. Fears are negative images that we create ourselves. We talked about changing these negative imagines into positive outcomes. Think about all the things you would like to do if fear was not holding you back. Conquering fear has a role in recovery. It can make you more social and can help fight anxiety. Conquering fear can make you more independent and give you the courage to stand up for yourself or step out your comfort zone. It will help you see your creative side and can bring you to a place of peace. So, remember everything you want is on the other side of fear. Men’s Group meets with Derrick, on Wednesdays, at 1:30. Come join in the discussion.

Columbia Dental 1-866-645-0111 Statewide # for Opioid (Opiate) Dependence 1-800-563-4086 You will be linked with walk-in assessment centers

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Maintaining a regular yoga practice can provide physical and mental health benefits. Yoga focuses on your body’s natural tendency toward health and self-healing. The purpose of yoga is to create strength, awareness and harmony in both mind and body. Aside from the physical benefits, some of the best benefits of yoga are how it helps a person manage stress, develop coping skills and reach a more positive outlook on life.

The IC hopes to continue Yoga with Dave in the future. Look for dates on upcoming IC Calendars. Thank you, Dave, for your wonderful classes.

Every year, United States citizens cast their ballot on Election Day, fulfilling the most basic action in a democratic society. Voting is a fundamental process that keeps our system of government working. Through elections, citizens have the ability to decide on who represents them in government, be it a local official, a state or national representative, or the president.

On Election Day, voters will not only be able to select their representatives in government for the next term, but they also often have the ability to decide on measures like bond issues that grant the government permission to borrow money for construction projects and other developments. And sometimes voters cast their ballots on social issues such as allowing same-sex marriage or banning smoking in restaurants and bars.

Reading up on the issues, the candidates, and researching the ballot is also the responsibility of the citizen voter and a responsibility that should not be taken lightly, because it is your voice, with the many others, in unison, that can change the direction of a community, state, nation, and even the world.

Given the importance of elections in the United States, why would so many people choose not to vote? Why do some refuse to participate in elections when the officials and issues voted on have such strong influence on nearly every aspect of their lives?

Many argue that their vote really doesn’t count. Some say that they don’t know enough about the issues and think they shouldn’t vote. Others still say that they do not know where or how to vote or how to register. News stories about voter ID laws may deter some people from voting.

What do you think of these reasons and how would you respond to family or friends that used them? With a government elected by its citizens that effects every aspect of our lives from schools to health care to homeland security, voting is an important right in our society. By voting, you are making your voice heard and registering your opinion on how you think the government should operate.

Enough voices in unison can elect someone to office, reaffirm or even change the course of our government.

Most candidates also have websites that detail their ideas and goals for the office.

To find out where to vote, you can contact your local board of elections and they will tell you where to go to vote.

What do you think?

Why is it important to vote? What would you say to your peers or family members to convince them to vote? Do you think you would be interested in volunteering at your local precinct? Have you already voted in an election? If so, what was your experience like? Start a discussion and let people know what you think!

In order to register to vote in CT you must:  Be a United States Citizen.  Be a resident of Connecticut.  Be 18 years old by voting day.  If you have been convicted of a felony, you must have completed confinement and parole.  Update your voter registration to reflect your new address.

There are three ways to register: Online at: https://voterregistration.ct.gov By mail: Complete the State of CT Mail-In Voter Registration for (available at the IC) and mail to your local town hall.

In person: By going directly to your local town hall registrar’s office and completing in person.

Voter registration forms must be postmarked or received by the 7th day before an election.

For a list of candidates, voting places and general voting information online, go to: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS

*The Annenberg Institute for Civics *Learn more about voting at the IC’s Voter Registration Drive on Sept. 25th

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About Maria: Favorite colors: Blue and Purple What song makes you feel amazing?

Amazed by Lonestar What do you like most about your job? “The management supports me and they are nice and awesome.”

What’s your dream job? “To help people and help others like me and be an advocate.”

Have you been trying to find employment or start school? Need assistance with a resume, interview prep, applications, financial aid and more?

Maria embodies the mantra, “adapt and overcome”. Through many trials and tribulations in her career, she has become an independent and confident woman. Maria is Participant of the month Maria D. organized and makes sure that her Employment Specialist is on top of her game. Not a single detail gets past her. Maria, we want to thank you for your hard work and dedication to overcoming your personal and professional challenges throughout the years. We are so proud of your progress and look forward to seeing you grow more and more.

Choices and Lifelong Learning Supported Education can help!

Contact an Independence Center staff member, your clinician, or Choices at 203757-5431.

Choices is happy to announce that in the month of July, we had 12 referrals to the program, 3 participants had an interview, 3 participants started a new job and 4 participants started their journey towards employment! LLSE is celebrating 1 new referral and 1 participant started their journey towards education!

Congratulations!

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Choices Tip #2 Dress for the position you want, not for the position you have.

Just like we discussed last issue, first impressions are lasting impressions. Dress professional! It’s better to be over dressed than under dressed. Stay conservative, neutral colors- gray, black, and white. No funky patterns. Blouses do not reveal too much of chest. Skirts are below the knee and not tight. Closed toed shoes. Do not wear a lot of jewelry. Avoid rips or tears in clothing. Dress pants can include khaki. Take a shower, have fresh cut hair and trimmed facial hair. Try to avoid bright or non-conventional hair colors. Wear deodorant, but not too much cologne or perfume.

Sign up now for the Annual Keep the Promise Coalition's Legislative Advocacy trainings, facilitated by Jan Van Tassel, with support from Domenique Thornton of Mental Health Connecticut.

The Essentials of Legislative Advocacy Training is scheduled for Thursday, November 8 and 15, 2018.

The Legislative Leadership Training is scheduled for Thursday, December 6 and 13, 2018.

Please see Debbie at the IC for more information and a registration form.

Attention Program Participants! Are you looking to set a Health and Wellness goal and achieve it? The WHAM (Whole Health Action Management) looks into ten areas of health and wellness, breaks down your goal so it can be achieved through peer to peer support. Alisa will be starting a new WHAM group on September 18th, from 1:00 to 3:00, in the Hope Room at the IC. It takes 13-weeks to graduate. Prior WHAMMERS are welcome to join as well.

If you are interested in participating, see Alisa at the IC or contact her at 203-7565772 ext. 26.

September is National Recovery Month. Recovery month is dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of mental health and substance use disorders, and to celebrate the people who recover. SAMHSA sponsors National Recovery Month. This year’s annual theme is, Join the Voices for Recovery: Invest in Health, Home, Purpose, and Community. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is very important in overall health, and that recovery is possible. This September the IC will be holding two “Successful Recovery” workshops in celebration of Recovery Month. The workshops will be held Friday, September 14th, at 10 am, and Monday, September 24th, at 10 am. Anyone may join!

Please see Jessica for more information.

Peter

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Terrex Darrin Ming Rene Frank Lawrence Anthony Michael Victor Veronica Ana David Jayvone Jeremiah Marian Keren Gustavo Bryan Brian Aaron Alberto Adriano Vanessa Cynthia Susan Ljuljeta Thomas

C. A. R. H. R. R. D. C. F. H. M. W. G. P. C. B. U. S. L. H. T. T. M. A. M. E. E.

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Join us for a birthday bash on the 26th at 3:00 p.m.!

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Disclaimer: Articles which show “submitted by” are not written by an IC member.

They are articles that our members came across, were inspired by, and brought in to the Center to inspire and encourage other members.

Often the authors of these articles are unknown. The opinions expressed in the newsletter are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Independence Center’s members, the staff, or the Editor.

This is your world.

Shape it or someone else will.

IC Program Participant, Larry J., presents his voter registration form to the City of Waterbury Registrar of Voters. Join us at the IC for a voter registration drive on Sept. 25th, from 10AM-2PM.