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VOCAL
CO-OP
Consumer
Owned
&
Operated
Programs
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VOCAL CO-OP
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A
collective of peer-run
mental health programs in Virginia
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Our Sponsors
Made possible thanks to
support from Virginia DMHMRSAS
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Hi Everyone,
We are pleased to announce that we have
received a Consumer Network Grant from
SAMHSA to continue the VOCAL Network for the
next three years. Through this grant, we
will launch two new projects: training and
organizing mental health advocates; and a
multicultural outreach project, focusing on
veterans and Latino populations. These
projects will include:
Targeted Trainings
Skills for Consumers Serving on Boards
Connection & Collaboration
Development of Regional Peer Advocates
Groups
System Transformation
Mentorship for Advocates on Policymaking
Boards
Consumer Representation
Linking Consumers and Boards
Statewide Consumer Movement
Building the VOCAL Network
Diversity & Inclusion
Multicultural Outreach
If you'd like to get involved with any of
these projects, volunteers and organizers
are always welcome. Contact Ann at network@vocalvirginia.org.
The SAMHSA grant is for $70,000/year for
three years. If you'd like to learn more or
read our full proposal, it is here:
Consumer Network Grant
Now the news. . .
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Entering the World of Work & The ADA
The peer-run program Laurie Mitchell
Employment Center is hosting a free seminar
on the challenges faced by individuals with
disabilities when returning to work.
Specific emphasis will be on mental health
consumers. The seminar will also give
suggestions on issues such as accommodations
and disclosure. Please join us on Saturday,
September 29 at 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at, 6295
Edsall Road, Suite 175, Alexandria, VA
22312, Call (703) 461-3886 to RSVP! Free
Lunch Provided! Thank you, Cynthia Evans
Envisioning the Future
Region Ten Consumer Advisory Council Is
Proud To Present Its Second Annual
Conference - Recovery: Envisioning the
Future. Keynote Speaker: Larry Fricks,
Nationally Known Recovery Educator. October
17, 2007. Charlottesville, VA. For Further
Information Or To Register Please Contact:
Sara Lynn Stutt,
saralyns@regionten.org, (434) 293-9741
or Region Ten CAC,
cac@regionten.org. Consumers, providers,
family, advocates and professionals are
welcome. Please join us! (limited to 200
guests). Registration Deadline: September
25, 2007.
Network News
We are preparing to send out the fall
Network News, and would like to have reports
from around the state, about activities of
consumer groups and organizations. Carol
McLaughlin, a social work intern who has
joined our office for this academic year,
will be gathering the news. She will be
phoning various groups, but welcomes anyone
who has news to email her at
carol@vocalvirginia.org, or leave a
message for her at 1-877-862-5638. It's
exciting and motivating to hear what you all
are doing!! Let us know, too, if you have
events to advertise. Thanks, Ann Benner
Living Successfully with a Mood Disorder
New peer-run class: The Depression and
Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) of Falls
Church, VA is proud to present a 4 week
class to consumers called Living
Successfully with a Mood Disorder. Held in
Alexandria, VA. Living Successfully was
produced by the national organization, DBSA,
to further its' mission to improve the lives
of people living with mood disorders. Anne
Cowley was trained by DBSA to teach the
class in our local area. DBSA of Falls
Church, VA received a grant to cover the
costs of the class, so it is free to
consumers. If you have any questions please
contact Anne at 703-354-5104 or
ANC436@aol.com. Yours, Anne N. Cowley,
M.S.W.
Empowerment in a Time of Worry
On Thursday, September 27, Dr. James
Reinhard, Commissioner of the Virginia
Department of Mental Health, Mental
Retardation and Substance Abuse Services,
will speak on Empowering People with Mental
Illness in a Time of Worry about Public
Safety. The public is both invited and
encouraged to attend. Thursday, September
27, 11 a.m. Board of Supervisors Room,
Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison
Street SE, Leesburg.
The speech will include a
question-and-answer period, and will be
followed by a box lunch for attendees,
compliments of the event sponsor, Friends of
Loudoun Mental Health. For more information,
contact Joudy Hones at (703) 443-0524.
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News
from Peer-run Programs
Job Announcement
Coordinator of Wellness Center
Half-time Coordinator to open and oversee a
mental health consumer-run wellness center
in Arlington, Virginia. The Coordinator is
responsibility for the overall management
and operation of the Center. For a complete
job description contact Lspiro@arlingtonva.us.
Position open till filled.
Job Announcement
Peer Support at a Consumer-Run Drop-In
Center
The Laurie Mitchell Employment Center (LMEC)
is seeking a person who can provide
peer-to-peer support to mental health
consumers leaving the Northern Virginia
Mental Health Institute (NVMHI) by fostering
community integration. For a complete job
description contact cynthialev@yahoo.com or
(703) 531-6380. Deadline: September 21.
Pathways to
Recovery
Peer-run recovery groups are starting in
Northern Virginia. Hosted by the Depression
and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) of Falls
Church.
Free to consumers. Contact Anne at
703-354-5104 or Toni at 703-567-2222 or
dbsafcclasses@yahoo.com
ROSI Online
Share your opinions about recovery mental
health system. The ROSI survey looks at what
helps mental health recovery and what
hinders it. This is the survey tool that
VOCAL has used to conduct recovery surveys.
Now you can take the survey yourself online:
http://www.dmhmrsas.virginia.gov/OMH-Recovery.htm
CELT Leadership Academy
CELT is a free leadership training program
for mental health consumers in Virginia.
Upcoming Trainings: Southwest Virginia:
October. Tidewater: February. Northern
Virginia: May. 804-225-5591 or
programs@mhav.org
WRAP
Training Coming
Learn to lead mental health recovery groups.
Scholarships available. October in Richmond.
Led by VOCAL's REACH Program.
john@vocalvirginia.org
CO-OP Programs
To find out more, visit our Directory of
Peer-Run Programs in Virginia:
http://vocalsupportcenter.org/directory.htm
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Thanks for reading our newsletter. We'd
love your help in getting the word out.
Please share this news with others from
your program, especially those who do
not have access to email. If you know
others who would be interested in this
newsletter, please invite them to join.
Anyone can join anytime on our website
www.vocalsupportcenter.org or by
sending me a brief note at
Cassandra@vocalvirginia.org.
Best Wishes,
Cassandra Nudel
VOCAL CO-OP
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VOCAL
CO-OP
Consumer
Owned
&
Operated
Programs
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VOCAL CO-OP
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A
collective of peer-run
mental health programs in Virginia
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Our Sponsors
Made possible thanks to
support from Virginia DMHMRSAS
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Dear Friends,
This month we bid a sad farewell to our
Outreach & Advocacy Coordinator Byron Stith.
Byron was VOCAL's first Outreach
Coordinator, and did a wonderful job
creating a voice and vision for the VOCAL
Network across our state. We know that the
VOCAL Network will not be the same without
him.
Byron is moving on to serve as a peer
clinician for a new program, A Place to
Start. As far as we know, this program will
be the first program in Virginia to be run
on the Housing First model.
Byron writes:
"I have made many great friends at VOCAL and
wish the organization continued success. For
friends wishing to stay in contact, I can be
reached at byron_stith@yahoo.com." |
VOCAL Member Meeting
VOCAL general membership meeting. On
Thursday, September 20th from 11 a.m. - 3
p.m. at the Chesapeake community services
board, 224 great bridge boulevard,
Chesapeake. All mental health consumers are
invited and encouraged to attend! Lunch will
be provided. For more information contact
the Vocal Network
network@vocalvirginia.org.
Job Announcement
Coordinator of Wellness Center
Half-time Coordinator to open and oversee a
mental health consumer-run wellness center
in Arlington, Virginia. The Coordinator is
responsibility for the overall management
and operation of the Center. These
responsibilities implement both the spirit
and intent of the mission, vision and core
values of the center and within all relevant
federal, state, and local regulations. This
is a contract position and offers no
benefits. The position pays $20 per hour for
20 hours per week. People who have received
mental health services are strongly
encouraged to apply. For a complete job
description contact Lspiro@arlingtonva.us.
Position open till filled.
Job Announcement
Peer Support at a Consumer-Run Drop-In
Center
The Laurie Mitchell Employment Center (LMEC)
is a drop-in center offering free computer
training, employment assistance and peer
support. We seek a person who can provide
peer-to-peer support to mental health
consumers leaving the Northern Virginia
Mental Health Institute (NVMHI) by fostering
community integration. The successful
candidate will be someone who has
experienced mental illness and has a passion
for helping other mental health consumers.
Salary for this 35-hour a week position is
$16/hr. funded through June 30, 2008.
Excellent full-time benefits package
offered. For a complete job description
contact cynthialev@yahoo.com. For more
information, please contact Cynthia at (703)
531-6380
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News
from Peer-run Programs
Central VA Peer Connect
You are invited to an organizational meeting
of a new mental health consumer group
sponsored by the VOCAL Network for folks in
Central Virginia. Wednesday, September 19,
12:30 - 2:30 p.m. First Unitarian
Universalist Church, 1000 Blanton Avenue,
Richmond. RSVP at 343-1777 or yolande@vocalvirginia.org
or byron@vocalvirginia.org.
Pathways to
Recovery
Peer-run recovery groups are starting in
Northern Virginia. Hosted by the Depression
and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) of Falls
Church.
Free to consumers. Contact Anne at
703-354-5104 or Toni at 703-567-2222 or
dbsafcclasses@yahoo.com
ROSI Online
Share your opinions about recovery mental
health system. The ROSI survey looks at what
helps mental health recovery and what
hinders it. This is the survey tool that
VOCAL has used to conduct recovery surveys.
Now you can take the survey yourself online:
http://www.dmhmrsas.virginia.gov/OMH-Recovery.htm
CELT Leadership Academy
CELT is a free leadership training program
for mental health consumers in Virginia.
Upcoming Trainings: Southwest Virginia:
October. Tidewater: February. Northern
Virginia: May. 804-225-5591 or
programs@mhav.org
WRAP
Training Coming
Learn to lead mental health recovery groups.
Scholarships available. October in Richmond.
Led by VOCAL's REACH Program.
john@vocalvirginia.org
CO-OP Programs
To find out more, visit our Directory of
Peer-Run Programs in Virginia:
http://vocalsupportcenter.org/directory.htm
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Thanks for reading our newsletter. We'd
love your help in getting the word out.
Please share this news with others from
your program, especially those who do
not have access to email. If you know
others who would be interested in this
newsletter, please invite them to join.
Anyone can join anytime on our website
www.vocalsupportcenter.org or by
sending me a brief note at
Cassandra@vocalvirginia.org.
Best Wishes,
Cassandra Nudel
VOCAL CO-OP
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VOCAL
CO-OP
Consumer
Owned
&
Operated
Programs
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VOCAL
CO-OP |
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A
collective of peer-run
mental health programs in
Virginia
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Our Sponsors
Made possible thanks to
support from Virginia DMHMRSAS
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Nitty
Gritty Transformation
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The Nitty Gritty of Transformation
Transformation Conference. The Nitty
Gritty of Transformation: How to
Make It Happen. September 10-12,
2007. Richmond, Virginia.
Registration cost at $75 per person.
There are a small amount of
Full scholarships available
for consumers (including lodging,
registration and travel). DMHMRSAS,
COSIG/VASIP, and the Mid-Atlantic
ATTC are sponsoring this event to
convene the substance abuse and
mental health state and local
leadership to facilitate system wide
transformation and implementation of
EBPs. For more information or to
apply for a scholarship, contact
Linda Street at (804)371-7760 or
see:
http://www.midattc.org/transformation
Pathways to Recovery
A series of peer-run recovery groups
are starting in Northern Virginia.
Congratulations to Anne & Toni for
their excellent work in starting
this new program:
The Depression and Bipolar Support
Alliance (DBSA) of Falls Church, VA
is proud to present an 8 week
workshop to consumers called
Pathways to Recovery. The workshop
is based on a workbook published by
the Supported Education Group,
University of Kansas, School of
Social Welfare. Anne Cowley and
Toni Popkin have been trained by the
national organization DBSA to
facilitate the workshop in our local
area. DBSA Falls Church, VA
received a grant to cover the costs
of the workshop, so it is
free to consumers. Held in
Northern Virginia. If you have any
questions please contact Anne at
703-354-5104 or Toni at 703-567-2222
or dbsafcclasses@yahoo.com
ROSI Online
From Pat Shank, Mental Health
Community Support Specialist,
DMHMRSAS
The ROSI is now online at
http://www.dmhmrsas.virginia.gov/OMH-Recovery.htm
We'd appreciate your passing the
word to and encouraging your members
and all consumers to take the
confidential survey. It is a way to
help transform the system to one
with a recovery orientation.
This is the way it is described on
the webpage: The ROSI survey looks
at what helps mental health recovery
and what hinders it. To provide the
best possible mental health
services, we want to know what
things helped or hurt your progress
during the past six (6) months. The
survey is anonymous. We will not ask
for any information that would
identify you. These survey questions
are about your experience with
services from a Community Services
Board (CSB) or other mental health
provider in Virginia. It takes about
15 - 20 minutes to complete
Advocate Job Openings
VOPA has two advocate positions
available. One is in the
institutions unit and one is in our
resource advocacy unit. The closing
date is August 31. Minorities and
persons with disabilities are
strongly encouraged to apply.
http://www.vopa.virginia.gov/News/DRA00020.pdf
http://www.vopa.virginia.gov/News/DRA00010.pdf
Central VA Peer Connect
You are invited to an organizational
meeting of a new mental health
consumer group sponsored by the
VOCAL Network for folks in Central
Virginia. On Wednesday, September
19, 2007, from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. at
the First Unitarian Universalist
Church, 1000 Blanton Avenue,
Richmond. We shall meet together for
networking, connecting, education,
discussion, advocacy,
decision-making.
Please contact Yolande or Byron at
343-1777 or email yolande@vocalvirginia.org
or byron@vocalvirginia.org if you
plan to attend. Light refreshments
will be served. Come with your
ideas, everyone is welcome - we
value your input!
VOCAL Search Committee
From Clyde Hoy, VOCAL Board
President,
clydefhoy@yahoo.com,
540-435-7196
We are in the process of hiring a
full time Executive Director for
VOCAL to over see our 3 Programs.
VOCAL Co-Op, VOCAL Network & REACH.
We have 6 consumers who are already
signed up to work on the Search
Committee that will report back to
the VOCAL Board of Directors their
recommendation for the new Executive
Director. We have folks that are
members of VOCAL currently as well
as Board members.
We would like to have 9-11 people on
the Search Committee. We will do
most of the work by Teleconference
and then we will get as many folks
involved in the interview process as
possible. (Mileage should be
reimbursed). We expect many
applicants from all around the US
because of the salary. We want to
make the best selection and we need
the best folks involved to make the
correct selection.
If you would like to join us, please
contact me at the email address
below or call me at 540-435-7196. We
are currently waiting to hear back
from DMHMRSAS about the Job
Description and Salary that will be
offered. Yet we can start now on the
questions that will be asked in the
interview as well as who will be
interviewed. The entire Procedure
involved.
Speakers Series in Northern Virginia
The Depression and Bipolar Support
Alliance, Northern Virginia and
National Capital Area chapters have
a full schedule of speakers on their
calendar for the fall. Norman
Rosenthal, MD, well known for his
work on Seasonal Affective Disorder
(SAD) will open the season on
September 6. He will speak on "SAD:
Light Therapy and Beyond". Former
Director of the NIMH and co-author
of Manic Depressive Illness: Bipolar
Disorders and Recurrent Depression,
Frederick Goodwin, MD, will speak on
October 18. His presentation is
titled "Everything You Wanted to
Know About Bipolar Disorders and
Recurrent Depression."
Two programs will be held in
Northern Virginia with Andy Behrman,
author of Electroboy: A Memoir of
Mania. The book chronicles Andy's
battle with bipolar disorder, from
the euphoric highs to the desperate
lows. Copies of Electroboy will be
available for sale and signing. The
fall season will be rounded out on
November 29. Pete Earley, author of
CRAZY: A Father's Search Through
America's Mental Health Madness will
address the state of mental health
care. There will be a book sale and
signing for CRAZY.
For event times and places, please
visit:
http://www.dbsanova.org/events.html.
Programs are always
free and open to the public,
however we do appreciate voluntary
contributions. 703-777-9028
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News from Peer-run Programs
CELT Leadership Academy
CELT is a free leadership training
program for mental health consumers
in Virginia. Upcoming Trainings:
Southwest Virginia: October.
Tidewater: February. Northern
Virginia: May.804-225-5591 or
programs@mhav.org
WRAP
Training Coming
Learn to lead mental health recovery
groups. Scholarships available.
October in Richmond. Led by VOCAL's
REACH Program.
john@vocalvirginia.org
Discussion List for Peer Programs
We are starting up a discussion list
for staff, volunteers, and
organizers of peer-run programs in
Virginia. To join this list, visit :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Co-opPrograms/.
If you have questions about the list
or signing up, please contact Alison
Hymes at:
AlisonHymes@spamex.com.
CO-OP Programs
To find out more, visit our
Directory of Peer-Run Programs in
Virginia:
http://vocalsupportcenter.org/directory.htm
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Thanks for reading our
newsletter. We'd love your help
in getting the word out. Please
share this news with others from
your program, especially those
who do not have access to email.
If you know others who would be
interested in this newsletter,
please invite them to join.
Anyone can join anytime on our
website
www.vocalsupportcenter.org
or by sending me a brief note at
Cassandra@vocalvirginia.org.
Best Wishes,
Cassandra Nudel
VOCAL CO-OP
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VOCAL
CO-OP
Consumer
Owned
&
Operated
Programs
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|
VOCAL CO-OP
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A collective of peer-run
mental health programs in Virginia
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Our Sponsors
Made possible thanks to
support from Virginia DMHMRSAS
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CELT Leadership Academy
CELT is a free leadership training
program for mental health consumers in
Virginia. For further information
contact Chris Owens, CELT Program
Director, MHAV, 804-225-5591 or at
programs@mhav.org Upcoming
Trainings:
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Southwest Virginia: October
8-12, 2007, at Smith Mountain Lake
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Tidewater: February 25-29, 2008,
in Virginia Beach
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NOVA: May 12-16, 2008, in
Springfield
WRAP
Training Coming
Learn to lead mental health recovery
groups. Scholarships available. October
21-26, in Richmond. For more
information, contact John Otenasek,
VOCAL's REACH Program Director at
john@vocalvirginia.org
Two Conferences
Here are two upcoming conferences in
Virginia. CO-OP member programs can
apply for scholarships for tuition for
these conferences. For more information
on scholarships, see our website
www.vocalsupportcenter.org
Conference for Nonprofit Executives and
Board Members: If you've ever heard the
phrase "Bored Board Meeting" then you
will want to save the date for this
year's Especially for Nonprofit
Organizations' Annual Conference. The
topic "Governance as Leadership" is
especially pertinent for executives and
board members. William P. Ryan, author
of critically acclaimed Governance as
Leadership: Reframing the Work of the
Nonprofit Board, is the keynote speaker.
More details available soon, or contact
Deborah Cuny, 804-828-8838 or cunyd@VCU.EDU.
September 27, 2007. Richmond, VA.
Your Money or Your Mission? September
26-29, 2007. Arlington, VA. This
national conference presented by the
National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise
will offer keynote speeches, seminars
and master classes on how a nonprofit
can be sustainable and true to its
mission. Topics will include: Planning
to achieve Mission. Securing Resources.
Managing Risk. Nonprofits and Business.
More details available at
www.nationalcne.org
Nonprofit Co-op Housing in Virginia?
This week, we heard from Ben Smoke who
is interested in starting non-profit
co-op housing for people with
disabilities. He is looking for others
who might like to be involved with this
project. Please get in touch with him if
you are interested. Ben writes. . .
"I doubt that this is a new idea; I
haven't achieved that yet, but I'm very
interested in non-profit co-op housing
for people with disabilities. I think
this becomes more powerful if we are
talking about people trapped by the
economics of being disabled not only
mental disabilities. I grew up in
non-profit co-op housing in New York
City. This was started by the ILGWU
(International Lady Garment Workers
Union) probably back in the 1930's.
Much can be found about this if you
Google 'Amalgamated Houses' + non-profit
co-op housing + Bronx. You will find
where I grew up as a kid (with photos)
plus the philosophy of this housing.
Recently I scanned the Web and found
that Canada provides non-profit co-op
housing with federal assistance.
Mention was made of such housing in
Manitoba and Ontario, but I'm sure it is
found through out Canada. I see such
housing as far more normalizing, and
residents earn equity and have some say
in the building/house and neighborhood
affairs. I would appreciate any
feedback from you.
The housing need is tremendous. Perhaps
now is the time for such non-profit
co-op housing in the States...and let's
start with Virginia! Thanks, Ben"
Ben.Smoke@wsh.dmhmrsas.virginia.gov
Job for Mental Health Consumer/Survivor
There is a temporary part-time contract
position available for a mental health
consumer/survivor to conduct interviews
with individuals new to mental health
and/or substance abuse services in
Arlington County. The job entails
setting up and conducting brief
interviews (on the phone or
face-to-face) and providing a written
summary of the interviews. The
interviews will evaluate the perceptions
and experiences of individuals as they
enter Arlington County's Behavioral
Healthcare system. The interviewer will
report to the Recovery Advocate/Educator
at the Arlington Community Services
Board.
Qualified applicants should have
experience interviewing and be able to
independently set up and conduct
approximately 80 interviews within 100
days. Interviews will take place 30-45
days after the individual is admitted to
the county system and again 80-95 days
after admission. The position involves
tracking people to ensure interviews are
conducted during those time periods. The
interviews must be completed by February
2008, preferably sooner. $15/per hour
for approximately 100 hours.
To submit an application please send: -a
cover letter explaining how you are
qualified for the job and the time
period you are able to work (i.e.,
available Sept 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008),
and - a resume or history of work
experience to Lspiro@arlingtonva.us or
Lauren Spiro, 1725 N. George Mason Dr.,
Arlington, Va. 22205
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News from Peer-run Programs
Logo Contest
The National Coalition of Mental Health
Consumer/Survivor Organizations is
having a Logo contest: $100 to the
winner plus credit to the artist. Themes
to consider: Rights, Recovery, Hope,
Voice. Deadline August 15th. Lauren
Spiro,
laurenspiro1@gmail.com
Discussion List for Peer Programs
We are starting up a discussion list for
staff, volunteers, and organizers of
peer-run programs in Virginia. To join
this list, visit :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Co-opPrograms/.
If you have questions about the list or
signing up, please contact Alison Hymes
at:
AlisonHymes@spamex.com.
Job Opening
Peer Trainer for Consumer-Run Programs.
The Regional Recovery Workgroup in
Northern Virginia is conducting a
national search for a uniquely qualified
person to help mental health consumers
in Northern Virginia organize support
groups and peer-run service programs and
equip them with leadership and
management skills.
http://www.pathwayhomes.org/Recovery.html
Peer Employment Training
Recovery Innovations of Virginia will be
hosting a Peer Employment Training class
to prepare people who are on their
journey of recovery from mental health
challenges to become peer support
specialists and work in the mental
health field.
Rescheduled for September,
Virginia Beach/Chesapeake area,
757-361-0255,
marym@recoveryinnovations.org
CO-OP Programs
To find out more, visit our Directory of
Peer-Run Programs in Virginia:
http://vocalsupportcenter.org/directory.htm
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