We are happy to announce that the IC was given a perfect score from our recent inspection with the Public Health Department! A big thanks to all of the staff who have been working hard to ensure that our program has not only run smoothly but has also maintained the high standards set by MHC and the Public Health Department—way to go!
We are happy to announce that the IC has gone back to our hybrid model of inperson and remote workshops beginning in May 2022! Meal deliveries ended on April 28th and our first in-person offering was May 3rd. Please see details below: • In-person activities will be held 3 days a week, 3 time slots each day. These
activities will be indoors. Sign up is required to attend. • In-person offerings will be on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with the
following time slots available: 10-11:30 or 12-1:30 or 2-3:30. Members must call in advance and make a reservation for one of these time slots. Virtual activities will be offered 2 days a week on Mondays and Thursdays at 10:00am • Free to-go meals will be offered to any member that participates in the in-
person activities. Sign up is required since meals will be prepared that day for the amount of individuals that sign up. • Food bank will be offered weekly on the days that the IC is open (Tuesdays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays). Members can obtain one food bank bag a week. • Safety protocols are in place and include social distancing, screenings upon
each visit, wearing a mask and frequent hand sanitizing. IC staff will also sanitize used spaces in between each time slot. • Please note that there is NO SMOKING allowed on premises at the
Independence Center or in front of the building. Members are asked to smoke either before coming to the IC or after they leave. In order to ensure safety and the maintenance of safety protocols, if individuals leave for any reason during their scheduled time slot they are asked to return on their next scheduled day. • Any individual who is feeling unwell or experiencing symptoms of COVID are
asked to stay home and reschedule their visit. • The IC is currently accepting referrals. Please contact Deborah Holcomb
(dholcomb@mhconn.org or call 203-814-1840) for any questions. • Staff will also be available to meet with members individually to assist with
case management needs. Appointments are required.
The IC will be holding a weekly coffee house on Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. starting in June. We will be serving free coffee and we will discuss a variety of topics, listen to music and share artistic experiences and ideas. We may even have some live music thrown into the mix. Be sure to call us and reserve your seat!
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We would like to acknowledge IC staff, Jose Vendrell, for his participation and contribution to SAMHSA’s 988 campaign. Jose was chosen (along with several other individuals throughout the nation) to be interviewed and to share his story and journey with mental health. This powerful compilation of individual stories recalling struggles faced when first experiencing a mental health crisis and then the challenges of navigating the mental health system demonstrated how important and vital the 988 initiative is and how it can truly save lives.
Jose Vendrell conducting the virtual interview which aired on March 24, 2022
SAMHSA’s website explains “988 was established to improve access to crisis services in a way that meets our country’s growing suicide and mental healthrelated crisis care needs. 988 will provide easier access to the Lifeline network and related crisis resources, which are distinct from the public safety purposes of 911 (where the focus is on dispatching Emergency Medical Services, fire and police as needed). The 988 and 911 systems will need to be closely coordinated to seamlessly allow referral of callers for appropriate care or response that addresses the unique circumstances present with each crisis encounter. SAMHSA is actively engaged with 911 counterparts at the federal, state, and local levels to plan for smooth coordination between the two services.
The IC has been working hard to maintain a healthy and safe environment for members and staff. We have had the HVAC systems replaced on both the first floor and the third floor. This means much more comfortable temperatures in the winter and summer. Additionally, the IC has received funding to have all of the windows replaced. This project is taking longer than expected due to items being back ordered, but it will be worth the wait!
Beginning July 16, 2022, 988 will be the new three-digit dialing code connecting people to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, where compassionate, accessible care and support is available for anyone experiencing mental healthrelated distress—whether that is thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.”
For more information, please visit SAMHSA’s 988 website at https:// www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988/faqs
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In February we decided that the cold and gloomy weather was getting people down so we decided to send our members a little bit of cheer. Staff put together wellness kits filled with items to bring joy and self-care. The kits included hand warmers, lip balm, lotion, motivational bracelets and stickers, hand written notes as well as natural stone keychains with words of inspiration - along with a few Hersey kisses for good measure. 75 members received these wellness kits with their meal deliveries. Many members commented on how much they appreciated this act of kindness and how the kits brightened their day! We were even able to distribute kits to some members who were not on the delivery but we knew could use a little smile.
“Many members commented on how much they appreciated this act of kindness and how the kits brightened their day!” 4
In February, we had to say farewell to our long-time staff member, Derrick White. We wish Derrick all the best! In April the IC was happy to welcome a new staff member to our team - Abigail! Abigail comes to us with a degree in wellness and a background in holistic healing modalities. Abigail developed and held a 6 week program focused on meditation and mindful practice which she is sharing with members every Wednesday at 10. We are so happy to have Abigail on board!
Welcome Abigail!
From January through April , when the IC had to go back to virtual services, we picked up right where we left of and ramped up our meal delivery program. While we were still meeting with members on an individual basis, we felt it was important to have the regular contact with our folks and ensure there was healthy meals available.
By the end of April, IC staff had shopped for, prepared, packaged and delivered 2,927 meals, 2,038 snacks and 229 food bank bags! Now that we have gone back to our hybrid model, we still wanted our members to have access to healthy and nutritious meals, so we are continuing to provide free meals each day. We have in-person offerings as well as weekly food bank bags. If you can’t make it to a workshop, you can still come down for a meal, just give us a call in advance and we will add you to our list!
“Abigail developed and held a 6 week program focused on meditation and mindful practice which she is sharing with members every Wednesday at 10.”
Best of luck Derrick!
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Although things are starting to improve, we still face challenges associated with COVID-19. We want you to remember that there are resources that are available. Below is a list of programs that can help.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) 1-888-628-9454 (Español) www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org Alcohol and Drug Recovery/ Substance Abuse Treatment Access Line for Referrals & Detoxification 860-714-3700 and 800-563-4086 Sexual Assault Crisis Services English 888-999-5545 Spanish 888-568-8332 CT 211 call 2-1-1, www.211ct.org
CT Quitline (Tobacco) 1-800-QUIT-NOW www.quitnow.net/connecticut CT Council on Problem Gambling 1-888-789-7777 (Helpline) www.ccpg.org Mobile Crisis 1-866-794-0021 Regional
Hotline: 1-888-447-3339 NAMI CT 860-882-0236 Helpline: 1-800-950-6264 www.namict.org Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) CT 1-866-783-7712 Anywhere USA 1-800-344-2666 www.ct-aa.org Narcotics Anonymous (NA) CT 1-800-627-3543 National Information 1-800-447-6291 www.ctna.org
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In conjunction with all of the MHC programs, the IC is happy to share that we have recently implemented a “Cultural Corner Board.” The intention of these boards is to have a safe and inclusive place in each MHC location for staff and program participants to learn, share, and grow together. It is a creative and educational tool for staff and members to continue our practice of cultural humility. Each month the board will be updated to include information and activities related to a specific theme. The IC will hold a monthly workshops to explore the theme in more detail so that we can share and learn from each other. May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month. Staff and members spoke about AAPI culture and created pieces of art to add to our board. We look forward to exploring new cultures and having open and safe conversations to expand our awareness and knowledge to make the IC an inclusive and welcoming place for all.
The past few years have taken a toll on us in so many ways—mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally. We can all relate to loss, whether that be the physical loss of a loved one, the loss of how things “used to be” or just the collective weight of years of COVID affecting us as a community at large. We would like to acknowledge our collective grief and to recognize all those that we have lost, whether it be from COVID or completely unrelated reasons. While there are so many that the IC has lost throughout the past couple of years and who we miss dearly, we would like to dedicate this issue of Great Strides to two individuals who spent much of their lives being a part of the Independence Center and who we have lost within the past few months.
The first person we dedicate this issue of Great Strides to is Claire Nicholson. Claire worked at the IC first as a Social Counselor and then moved up to become the Director of the program. Claire spent nearly 30 years working at the IC and was instrumental in the growth and development of the program—she saw it as one of her children. Claire retired in 2014. Claire loved to travel and also enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren whom she cherished. While Claire has not worked at the IC for several years, she will always be remembered by those that knew her. We send loving thoughts to her friends and family, may she rest in peace.
Claire Nicholson 8/29/48 - 1/20/22
The second individual that left us too soon was Michael Wood. Michael was a member of the IC for over 35 years. Prior to the pandemic Michael could be seen at the IC daily, sharing his stories and his “fist bumps”, enjoying his coffee and having friendly conversations with those around him. Fellow IC member David G. wrote this beautiful poem as a tribute to Michael.
A Fellow Traveler We are all going on a journey of life We meet and relate One of the people we know, Michael Wood, has met his sunset He was a friend to all and a very real person We remember him at the IC He was a part of our lives He knew about social anxiety Mike was a good friend Knocking on Heaven’s door, he will be a friend to all
Michael Wood 7/28/57 - 1/31/22 If you are struggling with loss or just in need of support, please know that the IC is here to help. You can give us a call to talk, set up a time to meet in person or join us for one of our workshops - 203-756-5772. You can also refer to the side bar for a list of resources that are available for assistance as needed.
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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.
In celebration of mental health awareness month, the IC is providing members with several opportunities to attend workshops and activities that focus on mental health and wellness. Every Tuesday at 12:00pm, the IC’s in-house WRAP expert, Jayne, will offer WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plans). Tuesdays at 2:00pm we are providing a Mental Health Series with informative and fun activities to promote mental health and wellbeing. On Wednesdays at 10:00 AM, our new staff, Abigail, is running a series of mindful based meditations, movements and practices. And we can’t leave out the fun! Every Friday we have offerings planned to end our week with a smile - from movies to games, we know that part of good health is taking some time to enjoying yourself!
If you are interested in attending and of our workshops, please give us a call at 203-756-5772 to sign up today!