Great Strides, February 2018

Join us at the IC as we celebrate Black History Month! On February 16th, we will have a free, soul food, outreach lunch. We will also have workshops and activities throughout the day!

Learn about famous inventors, authors, poets, and more!

Members of the IC are invited to come down and enjoy the day with us!

“The MOST important thing that helped me and can help you too, is having a plan and a really good support system.”

-Jason W.

Monday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM Wednesday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM

Friday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM (Food Bank is not available during parties and meetings.

Join us on the 14th, Valentine’s Day at the IC for your chance to win a Chocolate Lover’s basket!!

This month’s faces in recovery is Jason W. He came into the IC and announced that as of January he is now 5 months free of smoking! “I quit one week after my birthday in August, I smoked for 20 years.

Changing the habit was the hardest thing I had to do. The challenge was to change the way I thought about smoking and used different things to substitute smoking with. I used candy sometimes and mainly found things to keep my hands busy. The MOST important thing that helped me and can help you too, is having a plan and a really good support system! You can do it too!”

Currently on display at Waterbury City Hall is IC Artist Jose M.’s art piece titled “Waterbury”.

“I’m glad it’s on display and a lot of people are going to see it. It’s going to represent us. This feels exciting, it’s a sense of accomplishment. I’m happy for the opportunity.” shared Jose.

(Photograph of IC Artist, Jose M. and Aide to the Mayor, Monroe Webster)

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“My name is Jessica McDermott and I am the Culinary Specialist for the IC. I am a Certified Recovery Support Specialist and I am also an artist! Painting has helped me with my anxiety and depression. I was diagnosed in my early 20s with depression and anxiety. It’s difficult to find something that helps relieve anxiety. Through the years I have had many hobbies, but I never thought painting would be one of them. Thanks to Amy, our Mending Art Coordinator, and other members at the IC for inspiring me, I am able to put my talent to use. I have only been painting since September of 2017, but I feel like I have learned so much about art in the short period of time. I paint at least twice a week now and my home is my studio. I have been building my collection of art materials and have recently started sketching in my sketch book. I have had my work in a few art shows in the past four months and want to continue to participate in upcoming art shows.”

For people who hear voices: www.facebook.com/cthearin gvoicesnetwork or http://www.hearingvoicesus a.org/ Alternatives to Suicide Support Group 399 Franklin Avenue Hartford Wednesdays 4-5pm http://toivocenter.org/ OCD support group http://psychiatry.yale.edu/o cd/patients/support.aspx Alcoholics Anonymous http://www.aa.org/ Narcotics Anonymous http://www.na.org/ Overeaters Anonymous https://oa.org/

February is the month to reflect on what we love the most! During acts of kindness this month we will be working together on building an “I love …” tree.

Members and staff will get together and share with each other what is they love most.

Reflecting on what we love can instantly put a smile on our faces and fill our hearts with joy.

Something you love can inspire someone to acknowledge and appreciate it too!

Gamblers Anonymous http://www.gamblersanony mous.org/ga/ For additional information on Support Groups in Connecticut, visit http://www.mhconn.org/ed ucation/information%20and %20referral/ or call: 1-800-842-1510, ext. 10

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Infoline CT 211 Logisticare 1-888-248-9895 Guiding Path Warmline: 1-860-482-1783 or 1-800-314-2680 5pm-10pm 7 days per week National Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-8255 Sexual Assault Crisis Hotline 1-888-999-5545 En Español 1-888-999-8332 Crisis 1-866-794-0021

Dentists in Waterbury Who take Husky Health Staywell Health Center 203-597-9044 South Main Street 203-756-8021 Phoenix Avenue

Successful Recovery will be a 6 week workshop educating members about “co-occurring” disorders and that recovery is possible. The workshop will focus on information about mental health and addiction, building health relationships with others while in recovery, focusing on healthy eating habits and exercise, motivation to change your way of life and positive self-affirmations. There will also be questionnaires, educational videos and fun exercises included in the workshop! The workshop is open to all our members not just those with a “co-occurring disorder”. The workshop will start on Friday February 2nd at 1:30pm. The workshop will be facilitated by Jess and Debbie.

2017 was a busy year for legislative issues. There were detrimental cuts to community based services and some strides made to protect and advance basic rights.

This year will most likely prove to be a challenge as well and we are looking for members for legislative advocacy. Come down or call if you have any interest/ questions.

Here are a few highlights from the 2017 Legislative Session- both positive and negative  Cuts were made across the board for community based services in many

areas. Legal and advocacy services as well as local Mental Health Boards and Regional Action Councils were required to merge.  The tax exempt status for non-profits was kept.

Community Health Center 203-574-4000

 The state’s last – and only juvenile detention facility was elected to be closed.

Columbia Dental 1-866-645-0111

 There were cuts to school based health centers and other services within the

Statewide # for Opioid (Opiate) Dependence 1-800-563-4086 You will be linked with walk-in assessment centers

 Housing supports and services to end homelessness were preserved.

school system.  Connecticut Legal Rights Project (CLRP) was cut, but they were able to

continue services.  HB 6695 was passed protecting minors from conversion therapy.  HB 7302 became law, which prohibits or minimizes the use of solitary

confinement except under emergency circumstances.

-Source: NAMI Connecticut

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“Every painting is going to be different, and that’s what makes it great.”- Bob Ross Open Studio is available Monday through Friday! Art Club meets Fridays at 2PM.!

Every month the IC is happy to host a writing workshop with a Guest Artist named Fionna. She is a professor at UCONN and volunteers her time to show members a new, creative and unique way to share stories. Here is a poem member wrote collaboratively.

“Seen and Heard: Sharing Our Stories” Breath to life and motion toward me.

Inhale fresh air and feel how vibrant and beautiful life is.

Emotions are so deep in me.

Bubbling and creating.

Inhale life.

Have faith and hope.

Please join us for our next writing group Monday, February 26th at 10AM.

Join us for a birthday bash on the 28th at 3:00 p.m.!

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Have you set your seasonal goals? Start now!

Join WHAM! Whole Health Action Management (WHAM) is an 8-10 week workshop that can help you reach a new health goal.

Successfully completing one goal leads to many changes in our lives. In a community of encouragement and fun, you will achieve a personal health goal, such as:      

Decreasing stress Finding healthy and delicious eating choices Introducing regular, fun physical activity Improving restful sleep patterns Creating a greater sense of meaning and purpose Developing a strong support network

Classes are facilitated by people who have lived experience in recovery and who have been trained by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Each participant will achieve their personal whole health goal through proven tools, including:  Certified curriculum that has helped thousands of “WHAMMERS” across the

U.S. achieve their whole health goal  Weekly action planning and personal log  Ongoing support from fellow participants and trained facilitator

Who: Any members ready to add a new health goal into their life When: February 20th 2018 Where: Independence Center (IC) 21 Church Street Waterbury, CT 06702 Contact: Alisa Rizzuti, LPN, RSS @ 203-756-5772

Mending Art will be on display at the Thomaston Public Library for the month of February. Stop by, take a look, and read a book!

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Come join us every other Tuesday in February at 11:00, for our jewelry making group! You will learn the skills and techniques to make a beautiful, hand crafted piece of jewelry that you can take home with you!

Some say that the color red is a confidence booster and makes you feel powerful. Maybe that’s why we chose the color red to signify our fight against the No. 1 killer in women. Maybe it’s just a coincidence that it’s also the color of our hearts.

In 2003, the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute took action against a disease that was claiming the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year – a disease that women weren’t paying attention to. A disease they truly believed, and many still believe to this day, affects more men than women.

Stemming from that action, National Wear Red Day was born. It’s held on the first Friday in February every year to raise awareness about heart disease being the No. 1 killer of women.

This coming National Wear Red Day, Feb. 2, 2018, will mark 15 years since the initial National Wear Red Day, which was first observed to bring national attention to the fact that heart disease is the #1 killer of women, and to raise awareness of women’s heart health. And looking back on all we’ve accomplished, we’ve really made tremendous strides. They include: 

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Nearly 90% of women have made at least one healthy behavior change.

More than one-third of women have lost weight.

More than 50% of women have increased their exercise.

6 out of 10 women have changed their diets.

More than 40% of women have checked their cholesterol levels.

One third of women have talked with their doctors about developing heart health plans.

Today, nearly 300 fewer women die from heart disease and stroke each day. Death in women has decreased by more than 30 percent over the past 10 years!

Info was provided by: https://www.goredforwomen.org

Join us at the IC as we bring awareness by wearing RED on Feb 2nd, in honor of GO RED for women. The IC encourages all of our female members and friends to continue your yearly physicals with your physician, if you need help any staff at the IC can help or give you more information.

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Disclaimer: Articles which show “submitted by” are not written by an IC member.

They are articles that our members came across, were inspired by, and brought in to the Center to inspire and encourage other members.

Often the authors of these articles are unknown. The opinions expressed in the newsletter are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Independence Center’s members, the staff, or the Editor.

Did you know that a dog has a much better sense of smell than a human, and that dogs can be trained to sniff out bed bugs? That’s why it makes sense to have a bed bug dog to find bed bugs that may be lurking in your home or business. At the Bed Bug Finder LLC company, they have a New England and New York bed bug dog program, where one of their three IBBMA-certified dogs – Bullet, Pasha or Ruby – can show up at your home or business and find the pests. The bed bug sniffing dogs have had to pass a slew of tough tests to get certified, so you can be assured that you are working with the best bed bug detection company around. The IC is happy to announce that Pasha visited the IC alongside his owner Mike, and the IC continues to be bed bug free! For more info on them visit: www.bedbugfindersllc.com/services/bed-bug-dogs/.