December 9, 2011 – 5:35 am
Many of you will remember the Recovery Band that played at our Recovery Celebration this past September in Traverse City, and last year in Houghton Lake. On December 9, they will be on a local Internet TV channel in Detroit called the Ralphe Armstrong Show! Mr. Armstrong is an internationally known jazz musician who decided to return to Detroit and help develop talent.
Anyone wishing to view the show can go to YouTube.com and search “Ralphe Armstrong Show.”
Gerald Butler, band leader, flautist extraordinaire, and Peer Specialist/Advocate (pictured above), said this in a recent email explaining about his group:
CHARGE is a group of peers in recovery using the arts as tools in the recovery process. … More often than not, when we first come off the street and into treatment we do have issues with and need attention paid to our behavior: we need to be in controlled settings. But there comes a time where we have pretty much done what is necessary to reign in any behavior problems we may have. It it time for us to stop thinking of our illness and take action for change: much like the child going off to college. It is also time for the system to move from a position of direction to one of support. We must begin to take charge of our lives and recovery, not only through self-exploration, but also by getting out into the community and trying to find where we fit in.
November 30, 2011 – 6:06 am
This quarter’s newsletter Expect Recovery Vol. 3, Issue 3 December 2011 is now available. In it you’ll find the mini-conference and action group schedules for the year 2012, an introduction of the NLCMH peer support specialists, and more!
November 22, 2011 – 10:16 am
Many people take care of their physical health before they feel sick. They eat well, exercise and try to get enough sleep to help maintain wellness. You can take the same approach to mental health and work to keep your mind healthy.
Good mental health includes:
- How you feel about yourself, the world and your life
- Your ability to solve problems and overcome challenges
- Your ability to build relationships with others and contribute to your communities
- Your ability to achieve your goals
Quick Tips
The “Live Your Life Well” program from Mental Health America suggests 10 science-based ways to boost mental health:
- Connect with others – Fight stress with friendship. Learn how to strengthen old bonds and build new ones.
- Stay positive – Changing your thinking can change your life. Take steps to increase your optimism.
- Get physically active – Exercise can make you happier. It’s not clear exactly how exercise boosts mood, but experts say it relieves pent up muscle tension, stimulates feel-good hormones, burns off stress hormones and increases blood flow to the brain!
- Help others – Those who consistently help other people experience less depression, greater calm, fewer pains and better health. They may even live longer!
- Get enough rest – Being tired can hurt your health and your relationships. Some things you can try include setting a regular bed time, resisting caffeine 6-8 hours before bed, finishing any next-day preparations an hour before bed, and making your bed a sleep haven.
- Create joy and satisfaction – Feeling good is good for you, so have a laugh, find a hobby, or just kick back.
- Eat well – The right foods can fuel your mind, boost your mood and fight disease.
- Take care of your spirit – Praying, meditating, or just connecting with your deepest self can enrich your life.
- Deal better with hard times – Coping tools can help you through a rough patch. Check out the Live Your Life Well website for some beginning tools. You can collect more tools throughout your life!
- Get professional help if you need it – Don’t hesitate to seek professional help. If you or someone you know is feeling especially bad or suicidal, you can call 1-800-273-TALK to reach a 24-hour crisis center.
November 9, 2011 – 12:23 pm
A lot of people attended the NLCMH Recovery Action Group yesterday and we had a great discussion! We brainstormed about the purpose of our group in the coming year and all the things that people can DO to become involved. The group identified three regular agenda items:
- Sharing – The Action Group is a great place to share what the local network groups are working on so we can share resources, expertise, ideas. We want to make sure we always allow time for us to share what is going on in each of the offices.
- Requests and Input – The Action Group is also a great place to present ideas about what people want to see developed at Northern Lakes CMH, such as support groups, information for the lobby flat screen monitors, topics for future mini-conferences, etc. It’s also a great place for Northern Lakes CMH to get input on recovery transformation projects to make sure we are on track with what consumers want to see happen.
- Volunteer opportunities – The Action Group is also a great place to communicate about the help that is needed for upcoming projects and events, so people can get involved in areas of interest. The Action Group can be a “clearinghouse” for ways to get involved!
As Certified Peer Support Specialist Ernie Reynolds always says, consumers can do a lot if just asked! Here’s a list of items we brainstormed about things consumers can help with – and the Action Group can be the place to get connected:
Participation on standing/official NLCMH committees • Speaker Bureau (at community presentations, movie nights, etc.) • Photobiography coaches • Photobiography point people (to rotate displays in each office) • Conference/Celebration pre-planning • Day of Event assistance (meet/greet/registration check in, etc.) • Lobby Flat Screen Monitors (advisors and new content ideas) • Movie reviewers • Consumer Navigators • Communicators • Mystery Shoppers • Building volunteers database • Advocacy (calls, letters and emails sharing consumer perspective with policymakers) • Stigma Busters (to keep an eye out nationally and locally on behalf of the group) • Writers • Poets • Artists • Knitters • Help making a volunteer training manual • Participation on community committees • Fundraising • Grant writing
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, December 13, 2011 from 10:00 to noon by videoconference in Traverse City, Houghton Lake, and Cadillac. Consumers and staff welcome!
November 4, 2011 – 11:05 am
About 200 people turned out for the open house reception for Northern Lakes’ 5th annual Art of Recovery show earlier this week. It was great fun mingling, talking about and looking at art, and meeting the artists. The 85+ piece show will continue all this month. We hope you have a chance to go to the Inside Out Gallery to see it! Hours are Tuesday through Thursday 11-5:00, Friday 11-6:00, Saturday 10-4:00, closed Sunday and Monday. Here is a peek at some of the great artwork.
Barb Wilson provided free prints of her piece "Compassion Eases the Soul" at the reception. She also helped hang the show!
The flower print in the foreground is by Bob Pollard who also helped hang the show. Thanks for your hard work, Bob!
These "Cast Aways" were donated to Northern Lakes as a fundraiser. They are made from broken liquor bottles as symbols of recovery from addiction.
Many of you will remember the Recovery Band that played at our Recovery Celebration this past September in Traverse City, and last year in Houghton Lake. On December 9, they will be on a local Internet TV channel in Detroit called the Ralphe Armstrong Show! Mr. Armstrong is an internationally known jazz musician who decided to return to Detroit and help develop talent.
