Archive for January 2010
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 of NOT providing HIV prevention education in the 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 treatment opportunities 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
What a wonderful March 4,5 2010 Coalition of Advocates Joint Conference "Achieving Wellness through Community" we were part of in Norman. On Friday the 5th our workshop on Wellness Challenges in the GLBT Community with Pastor Neill Spurgin, Judy Hay,RN and myself was held to discuss issues relating to mental health, substance abuse and HIV-STD testing needs in the GLBT community. We had a good attendance - about 35 in the workshop representing many agencies in Oklahoma, including Allyn Friedman, the Chief Executive Officer of Red Rock Behavioral Services and Brian Hiel, Access Specialist with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services among others. It was a groundbreaking dialogue which hopefully will continue informally.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 of NOT providing HIV prevention education in the 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 treatment opportunities 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
10 Jan, 2010 | drgrupe | Leave comment - 3 -