Purpose and Community on Recovery Road - Clubhouse Int’l - Episode 30

11/18/21 • 54 min

Schizophrenia: Three Moms in the Trenches

Send a Text to the Moms - please include your contact info if you want a response. thanks!

Guest Joel Corcoran, Executive Director of Clubhouse International
WE are registered on Podchaser: 1JYHu8EZSiGN2dxr1Oz7

Clubhouse International:

A Clubhouse is an evidence-based-practice founded on the belief that even the most disabled can sufficiently recover and improve their lives with the help of a supportive community. The Clubhouse model provides pathways to meaningful social inclusion, work and wellbeing. First developed in New York in 1948 by a small group of former psychiatric hospital patients, the model has gained international recognition, scaling to more than 350 Clubhouses operating in 32 countries and growing.

“We help start and grow Clubhouses globally where people with mental illness can go to get their lives back.

There simply are not enough resources today for everyone with a mental illness who needs help. It’s a crisis situation and the numbers are growing.

Clubhouses powerfully demonstrate that people with mental illness can and do lead productive, happy lives. Each Clubhouse we open reaches +/- 500

How does the Clubhouse program fit into the larger mental health system?
Sometimes the Clubhouse program is referred to as a peer led program. Is that accurate?
What kind of things does a Clubhouse do for someone living with mental illness?
What can a person joining a Clubhouse for the first time expect?
Who is eligible for Clubhouse membership and what is expected of those who belong?
What is the long term vision of Clubhouse International?
How do Clubhouses get started?

Links:

https://clubhouse-intl.org/Mindy talks about efforts to create a clubhouse in her state:
https://my.nicheacademy.com/rcladult/course/59353/lesson/169660

Who Are the 3 Moms?

Randye Kaye -Broadcaster, Actress, Voice Talent, Speaker, and Author (“Ben Behind his Voices”)

Miriam Feldman – Artist, Mom, Author “He Came in With It”

Mindy Greiling – member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for twenty years. Activist, Legislator, Author (“Fix What You Can“)

Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

Send a Text to the Moms - please include your contact info if you want a response. thanks!

Guest Joel Corcoran, Executive Director of Clubhouse International
WE are registered on Podchaser: 1JYHu8EZSiGN2dxr1Oz7

Clubhouse International:

“We help start and grow Clubhouses globally where people with mental illness can go to get their lives back.

There simply are not enough resources today for everyone with a mental illness who needs help. It’s a crisis situation and the numbers are growing.

Clubhouses powerfully demonstrate that people with mental illness can and do lead productive, happy lives. Each Clubhouse we open reaches +/- 500

How does the Clubhouse program fit into the larger mental health system?
Sometimes the Clubhouse program is referred to as a peer led program. Is that accurate?
What kind of things does a Clubhouse do for someone living with mental illness?
What can a person joining a Clubhouse for the first time expect?
Who is eligible for Clubhouse membership and what is expected of those who belong?
What is the long term vision of Clubhouse International?
How do Clubhouses get started?

Links:

https://clubhouse-intl.org/Mindy talks about efforts to create a clubhouse in her state:
https://my.nicheacademy.com/rcladult/course/59353/lesson/169660

Who Are the 3 Moms?

Randye Kaye -Broadcaster, Actress, Voice Talent, Speaker, and Author (“Ben Behind his Voices”)

Miriam Feldman – Artist, Mom, Author “He Came in With It”

Mindy Greiling – member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for twenty years. Activist, Legislator, Author (“Fix What You Can“)

Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

Previous Episode

Dual Diagnosis: Double the Challenge - Episode 29

Send a Text to the Moms - please include your contact info if you want a response. thanks!

Getting personal on this episode about the effects of addiction (drugs or alcohol) on the family - and the double challenge when it co-occurs with SMI (Serios Mental Illness) - in our sons’ cases: schizophrenia.

Are we ever really out of the woods? Are our loved ones?

What can we do? What must we let go of?

The 3 moms get personal here. Solutions? We wish we had some - but we do share ideas of actions and attitude.

Maybe you’ll hear your story inside of ours. You are not alone.

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What is dual diagnosis? (Co-occuring disorder)

What works? What doesn’t? -

“Harm reduction” treatment?
12-step programs?

Why is it so hard?

Similar symptoms - delayed SMI diagnosisGrief
Grief, Lost Trust, lost time
Relapse disappointment
Stronger drugs now

What can the family do?

“Trust, but verify” - blood tests, Urine tests
Set your boundaries/rewards/consequences
Do what works - even if your break the rules you thought you knew
Balance of letting go/stepping in
Support a healthier community and purposeful activity for our loved ones
Get support or help for yourself (the family) - AlAnon? Therapy?
“Know that you’re dealing with something unknowable, and do the best you can” (Mimi)
Look for Integrated Care for your loved one - treats both diagnoses together
Keep watching carefully
Be aware (and providers be aware) that what looks like “just substance abuse” may indeed be early symptoms of SMI - alert the family

Links:

Dr. Laitman - listen to our episode 18, June 2021

Samhsa has resources: 1-800-662-HELP

https://www.samhsa.gov/families

NAMI:

www.nami.org

https://nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Common-with-Mental-Illness/Substance-Use-Disorders

Cedar Ridge: https://www.meridianprograms.com/program/cedar-ridge-mens-residential-stillwater-mn/

NAMI Family-to-Family

https://nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education/NAMI-Family-to-Family

Book: Beautiful Boy

https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Boy-Fathers-Journey-Addiction/dp/0547203888

Who Are the 3 Moms?

Randye Kaye -Broadcaster, Actress, Voice Talent, Speaker, and Author (“Ben Behind his Voices”)

Miriam

Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

Next Episode

Eliminating Barriers to Mental Illness Treatment - Treatment Advocacy Center

Send a Text to the Moms - please include your contact info if you want a response. thanks!

Lack of involuntary treatment, hospital bed shortages, anosognosia, criminalization of mental illness, public service costs...

Where do we turn when we need to change the system of mental illness treatment? How to break open the barriers? How do we advocate for change?

The Treatment Advocacy Center is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating legal and other barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illness.

The organization promotes laws, policies and practices for the delivery of psychiatric care and supports the development of innovative treatments for and research into the causes of severe and persistent psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The Stanley Medical Research Institute is a fully integrated supporting organization to the Treatment Advocacy Center.

Ex. Dir. Lisa Dailey , Treatment Advocacy Center -

Lisa Dailey is the executive director of the Treatment Advocacy Center, leading an energetic team to improve state and federal civil commitment laws and promote evidence-based policies to positively affect those with severe mental illness. Lisa joined the Treatment Advocacy Center in 2015, bringing many years of nonprofit policy and advocacy experience. Her prior work includes the representation of refugees seeking asylum in the United States and many years of experience as a litigator in the areas of human rights and civil liberties.

Lisa’s personal story about why she advocates for people with serious mental illness
What are the main issues facing those with serious mental illness and their families? -
Why was the Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC) started? How has it evolved?
An inside glimpse of Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, TAC’s founder, author ofSurviving Schizophrenia
What has TAC had the most success with? (Thank you for your advocacy to ensure people like our sons could get COVID vaccines.) What has been hardest?
Tell us about TAC’s Grading the States. We’re from Connecticut, Minnesota and Washington.
What is TAC’s relationship with NAMI?
Recently hired a parent advocate, Kathy Day. What will she be doing that is new to TAC?

Links:

Twitter: @lisadaileyTAC

Sign up for Research Weekly, new legislative Advocacy newsletter, more

https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/

Who Are the 3 Moms?

Want us to cover a topic? Ask us a question? Facebook page @Schizophrenia3Moms

Randye Kaye -Broadcaster, Actress, Voice Talent, Speaker, and Author (“Ben Behind his Voices”)

Miriam Feldman – Artist, Mom, Author “He Came in With It”

Mindy Greiling – member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for twenty years. Activist, Legislator, Author (“Fix What

Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman