Archive for January 2009
March 4, 5 2010 the Coalition of Advocates Joint Conference " Achieving Wellness through Community" will be held in Norman,Oklahoma. Among the workshops will be"Wellness Challenges in the GLBT Community." Pastor Neill spurgin, myself and Carol Pittman will be on the panel Friday March 5th starting at 2:45PM to discuss issues relating to mental health, substance abuse and HIV/STD testing needs in the GLBT community.We will be discussing the use of successful criteria put into place in other sections of the country.For more information on this conference and workshop contact NAMI Oklahoma at 405-230-1900 or at namiok@coxinet.net.
Recently I became authorized through extensive Red Cross training as an HIV prevention and education trainer and an HIV Counselor. This is part of an ongoing journey in which I began to realize that additional walls to mental health and substance abuse recovery were being encountered by members of the GLBT community in Oklahoma City.
I know personally that it is difficult enough to reach out for help with mental health or substance abuse challenges under the best of non-judgmental conditions. Having sought help for those issues, I know the mental angst which can impede such reaching out.
When, in addition to any internal stigma concerns, there is the issue of encountering a judgmental attitude relating to one's sexual orientation - this compounds the difficultly of such an individual reaching out for treatment.
I am currently the volunteer Outreach Director with the Outreach arm of Expressions Community Fellowship in Oklahoma City.
Expressions is a GLBT affirming Fellowship in the process of serving the health care needs of that community with HIV testing, support groups, and eventually mental health and substance abuse treatment and referral. The long term costs to the state for NOT providing HIV prevention education in the GLBT community will be enormous. The time to invest in education and prevention is NOW.
Mental health challenges in the gay community are many times created or compounded by a social stress which can lead to isolation, depression and low self esteem. We are in the process of creating support groups to bring together a safe environment for
providing and discussing tools for moving into a healing process relating to mental health issues. The mental health challenges just mentioned can easily lead to self medication (substance abuse). Among individuals in the general community, the incidence of co-occurring(mental health issues leading to self medication and addiction) has been surveyed as extensive as 80 percent or higher.
Let's consider the enormously EXPENSIVE cost of mental health illness and substance abuse left untreated in Oklahoma and around the nation. You will hear me in workshops speaking time and time again about the TRUE VALUE of each dollar INVESTED in treatment. You will learn how each of those precious treatment dollars multiplies in value through the vast future dollars NOT having to be spent in expensive state subsidized health care.
The dollars saved through providing treatment opportnities for those challenged with mental illness and substance abuse is just the BEGINNING of the monumental value of offering recovery opportunities to those ready to receive it. The QUALITY OF LIFE that is achieved through the reuniting of loved ones, the reintegration of persons back into the workforce to become tax paying citizens and the strengthening of communities - This is the REAL STORY and the REAL MESSAGE of this journey to serve what is a vastly under served community.
For more information concerning the Outreach provided by Expression Community Fellowship you can go to
www.ExpressionsOKC.com
Reaching the GLBT community with health Services
March 4, 5 2010 the Coalition of Advocates Joint Conference " Achieving Wellness through Community" will be held in Norman,Oklahoma. Among the workshops will be"Wellness Challenges in the GLBT Community." Pastor Neill spurgin, myself and Carol Pittman will be on the panel Friday March 5th starting at 2:45PM to discuss issues relating to mental health, substance abuse and HIV/STD testing needs in the GLBT community.We will be discussing the use of successful criteria put into place in other sections of the country.For more information on this conference and workshop contact NAMI Oklahoma at 405-230-1900 or at namiok@coxinet.net.
Recently I became authorized through extensive Red Cross training as an HIV prevention and education trainer and an HIV Counselor. This is part of an ongoing journey in which I began to realize that additional walls to mental health and substance abuse recovery were being encountered by members of the GLBT community in Oklahoma City.
I know personally that it is difficult enough to reach out for help with mental health or substance abuse challenges under the best of non-judgmental conditions. Having sought help for those issues, I know the mental angst which can impede such reaching out.
When, in addition to any internal stigma concerns, there is the issue of encountering a judgmental attitude relating to one's sexual orientation - this compounds the difficultly of such an individual reaching out for treatment.
I am currently the volunteer Outreach Director with the Outreach arm of Expressions Community Fellowship in Oklahoma City.
Expressions is a GLBT affirming Fellowship in the process of serving the health care needs of that community with HIV testing, support groups, and eventually mental health and substance abuse treatment and referral. The long term costs to the state for NOT providing HIV prevention education in the GLBT community will be enormous. The time to invest in education and prevention is NOW.
Mental health challenges in the gay community are many times created or compounded by a social stress which can lead to isolation, depression and low self esteem. We are in the process of creating support groups to bring together a safe environment for
providing and discussing tools for moving into a healing process relating to mental health issues. The mental health challenges just mentioned can easily lead to self medication (substance abuse). Among individuals in the general community, the incidence of co-occurring(mental health issues leading to self medication and addiction) has been surveyed as extensive as 80 percent or higher.
Let's consider the enormously EXPENSIVE cost of mental health illness and substance abuse left untreated in Oklahoma and around the nation. You will hear me in workshops speaking time and time again about the TRUE VALUE of each dollar INVESTED in treatment. You will learn how each of those precious treatment dollars multiplies in value through the vast future dollars NOT having to be spent in expensive state subsidized health care.
The dollars saved through providing treatment opportnities for those challenged with mental illness and substance abuse is just the BEGINNING of the monumental value of offering recovery opportunities to those ready to receive it. The QUALITY OF LIFE that is achieved through the reuniting of loved ones, the reintegration of persons back into the workforce to become tax paying citizens and the strengthening of communities - This is the REAL STORY and the REAL MESSAGE of this journey to serve what is a vastly under served community.
For more information concerning the Outreach provided by Expression Community Fellowship you can go to
www.ExpressionsOKC.com
20 Jan, 2009 | drgrupe | Leave comment - 30 -