Mental Health First Aid training arrives in Region 5!

Good news - for the first time, Mental Health First Aid training will be offered in the Region 5 area. There has been considerable demand, and we are happy to be one of the sponsors.
The two-day training will be held on Friday, May 31st, and Monday June 3rd in the Community Room of the Danbury Police Department.

What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid is a 12-hour certification course given over 2 days that helps individuals and communities better understand mental health issues and respond accordingly to others who may be experiencing distress.   

Who should take Mental Health First Aid training?

• Primary care professionals;
• School personnel, nurses and educators;
• First-responders, fire, police and corrections officers;
• Nursing home staff;
• Employers, human resources professionals and business leaders;
• State policymakers, volunteers, and the general public.

Click here for the flyer, and information on how to register.

News and events:

Shortly after the tragic events in Sandy Hook, our Board was contacted by Jim Adams of Chardon, Ohio, who shared their Lessons Learned after their own school shooting, in an effort to help Connecticut.

We were able  to share that information with appropriate individuals and organizations and they were, indeed, a help.

In the aftermath of the tragedy in Sandy Hook, the Regional Board undertook a study to determine our own Lessons Learned, utilizing the feedback of the members of the local councils, consumers, family members, citizens from Newtown and the surrounding communities.

It was the goal to address issues that were not already the focus of the many other Task Forces formed. The report is now complete.

Following the horrible explosions in Boston on 4/15, we decided to "pay it forward" and - in addition to sending our  deepest sympathies -  have been able to share our own Lessons Learned with them. We hope it is a help to those who must deal with unspeakable tragedy.

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May is here, with many May is Mental Health Month activities.  We will try to post events as they are are reported.
 

All month: Our board implements a major public education project in May of each year, with information about many types of mental illness and mental health disorders, lists of resources that are available by local area and more.
These will be found in most public libraries in the region as well as many other community locations. Call to find out where to find these in your own community!

On Wednesday, May 1st there were wonderful Celebrations of Hope held in Waterbury, Danbury and Torrington. We hope you were able to participate in one of these inspirational eventsas follows:

- Waterbury: beginning at 5:00 PM at St. John's Church on the Green, with a reception to follow at the Independence Center, 21 Church Street

- Torrington: beginning at 5 PM, on the Torrington City Hall steps

- Danbury: beginning at 6 PM at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Spring Street, Danbury

Other events:

May 3rd: Project Homeless Connect- Torrington, Coe Park and Torrington Armory, 9:30 - 3:00 PM. A collaboration of the CHH, Litchfield County Continuum of Care and the City of Torrington. Providing services, resources and referrals to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the area.

May 17th: Recovery Conference:  Waterbury. This is for individuals receiving mental health services in this region, their families and advocates.

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Update on the W.O.W. - Working On Wellness Project:

This DPH-funded project is moving along well! So far there has been:

• Two trainings, one on July 2012 and the second in March 2013.

• Peer-support by phone is going very well. If you live in the Region 5 area and are interested in this support in living smoke-free, please give us a call!

• Toolkits were distributed, their contents and use reviewed, and now most of the providers have the resources to begin to offer the necessary support to help their program participants move to and stay in a tobacco-free life.

• The three participating hospitals (Waterbury Hospital,  Charlotte Hungerford Hospital and Danbury Hospital) are all now running smoking cessation groups!
  You can find smoking cessation programs at the following locations.
  Danbury: at CCBH. Contact Debbie Smith at (203) 791-5165.
  Danbury, at New Heights:  (contact  dearle@ccfc-ct.org )
  Torrington: at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH). Contact Joy Pendola at JPendola@hungerford.org or (860) 496-6380
  Torrington: at Prime Time House. Groups for people connected to the Clubhouse and thinking about quitting. Contact Lisa Lynch at (860) 618-2479 X 105.
  Torrington: for individuals connected to the Western CT Mental Health Network. Contact Michael Lonergan at (860) 496-3763
  Waterbury: At the Independence Center. If interested, please call Jewell at (203) 573-7695 or Claire at (203) 756-5772
  Winsted: by CHH. Contact Joy Pendola at JPendola@hungerford.org or (860) 496-6380
   

Through these activities and collaboration with our partner agencies we hope that each day more and more people with mental illness or substance use disorders will choose to - and be helped to - live a life that is tobacco free and healthier - Working On Wellness!
With a more robust infrastructure for these supports, those resources will also be available to other members of our communities as well.

Telephone Outreach Recovery Support: This support is available without charge for people who have stopped or are trying to stop smoking, and who sign up to get individualized,  phone-based or email support in their efforts. Our first Recovery Support Specialist helped develop this resource, and it will be continued with our newest staff member. This is for residents of the 43 town Region V area.  Please call our office if you are interested in getting this extra layer of support! Quitting smoking can be hard - and this can really help.
 

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In June we hold our Annual Meeting, and this year it will have an exciting addition: we will be holding a drawing for four wonderful prizes that have been donated to help us raise funds to support our work:

- A beautiful, hand-made-in-CT quilt, king size, in jewel colors with an estimated value of over $600.00

- Two tickets to a show at the Palace Theater in Waterbury

- Two tickets to the Yankees-Red Sox game on September 7, 2013

- Tickets to a Mets game (Date TBD)

Call us for more information!

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MEMBER NEWS AND UPDATES:

There are still vacancies in several towns; please check out these opportunities under the "Local Council" link, above.
Remember that all of our meetings are open to the public. If you are interested in attending to "see what it's all about," give us a call and we can arrange for you to be greeted, and have a seat saved for you.
One of our town representatives expressed some of what her involvement has meant to her:

"I enjoy so much being part of the NWRMHB volunteer council. The town appointees and the providers truly care about others. It has been a very positive experience. Best for me is seeing and learning how to address otherwise uncomfortable situations with non-confrontational grace. I am learning so much more every meeting about our mental health mission as well."

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 Transportation Primer for Providers

This helpful resource of information about public transportation in the Northwest Region (the 43 towns of Region V) was developed by the Consumer Action Group. This means wit was conceived by and developed by people that use public transportation as their primary means of getting around. Helpful and straightforward, it can be used by individuals or as a training tool for providers of services many of whom have rarely if ever had to rely on public transportation themselves.
We recognize that schedules, rates and more can change at any time. If you see something that needs updating - please let us know! As always, we appreciate your feedback.
You can access it by following the link below:
Transportation Primer for Providers.

• You can contact us easily at jsw@nwrmhb-ct.org
  by phone at (203) 757-9603
  mail to 969 West Main St., Suite 1B, Waterbury CT 06708

To really keep up with what's going on in your own area, you are invited and encouraged to come to your own local Catchment Area Council meeting. The dates of those meetings can be found on this website, as can directions.

ALL of our meetings are open to the public and guests are always welcome.

If there is specific information you are seeking, call, write or send us an email.

Thanks for visiting our site!

updated May 10, 2013