Jo Plumley Subject:
FW: News from Touchstone Mental Health
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Inspires Hope, Healing and Well‐Being Dear Jessica,
Mission Touchstone Mental Health inspires Hope, Healing and Well‐Being.
Vision Touchstone Mental Health is an organization of excellence creating innovative, person‐ centered care with individuals whose lives are affected by mental illness. We transform how services for mental, physical and social health intersect to achieve optimal wellness.
Thank You to Our Generous Supporters As the beginning of 2015 unfolds we are excited for new opportunities, but don't want to overlook the wonderful closing of 2014. Thanks to year end contributions from our generous supporters we raised $5,000 to provide services such as Health Coaching and Nutrition education to help more individuals whose lives are impacted by mental illness. This wouldn't be possible without generous supporters like you. Donations ensure individuals living with a mental illness receive the 1
necessary care and services they deserve to improve their mental and physical health. On behalf of everyone at Touchstone Mental Health and the people we serve, thank you. We look forward to continuing our partnership with you in 2015 to inspire hope, healing and well‐ being.
Donate now! Click here to help inspire hope, healing and well‐being to individuals living with mental health concerns in your local community.
Touchstone Winter Wear Drive As the winter holiday season approached Touchstone sought to find a way to give the gift of warmth and comfort to our clients. Our light bulb idea came in the form of a Winter Wear Drive; we collected new or gently‐used items such as coats, gloves, scarves and socks. A multitude of items came from our neighborhood Lake Street Target, Costco in St. Louis Park, and individual Touchstone supporters. As a result, on a cold Monday morning in January with the temperature well below zero degrees, the Touchstone reception area was filled with more than one dozen clients waiting to peruse the racks of our first ever Winter Wear Drive.
Visit the Touchstone Mental Health Website www.touchstonemh.org "I've never had a pair of winter boots", said one young client pointing to her worn out sneakers. In her arms she held a brand new pair of fleece‐lined boots. Clients came and went all day, each and every one gratefully acknowledging the gifts with a word of thanks or a big smile ‐ the comforter, heavy jacket, down mittens and other treasures they had selected for themselves. Touchstone staff brought the remaining goods to clients who were unable to attend due to frigid weather, illness, or lack of transportation. Altogether more than 50 clients were touched by the generosity of others. As for Touchstone, we had the good fortune to witness the power of kindness and community.
Wellness Spotlight Thyroid Awareness Touchstone wants to start your year off right by calling attention to a very important but often overlooked organ: the thyroid! It's estimated that 25 million Americans may have a thyroid problem, and 50% have no idea they do. The thyroid is the master gland of your body's metabolism, and is inter‐related with every system in your body. So if your thyroid isn't functioning optimally, then neither are you. 10 Signs You May Have an Under‐Active Thyroid 1. Fatigue after sleeping 8 to 10 hours a night or needing a daily nap. 2. Weight gain or the inability to lose weight. 2
3. Cold hands and feet, feeling cold when others are not, or having a body temperature consistently below 98.5 degrees. 4. Dry or cracking skin, brittle nails and excessive hair loss. 5. Issues such as brain fog, poor concentration or poor memory. Click here to read the other 5 symptoms of an under‐active thyroid, as well as 7 things you can do to improve your thyroid function today!
Touchstone's Featured Program Intensive Community Rehabilitation Services Touchstone's Intensive Community Rehabilitation Services (ICRS) program began in 2008 and serves up to 100 people annually. We are the only ICRS program in the Twin Cities metro area and one of just five ICRS programs throughout Minnesota. We are a multidisciplinary team of Targeted Case Managers, Mental Health Practitioners, Registered Nurses and a Consulting Psychiatrist. Our Mental Health Practitioners work closely with program participants to support their highest level of independence, and to promote growth and development towards participant goals. Some of these areas include community resource utilization and integration, relapse prevention, mental illness symptom management, and employment‐related skills.
An individual who came to our program in 2011 struggled with substance abuse, frequent hospitalizations, significant social anxiety, and poorly controlled symptoms of Bipolar illness. After more than 4 years of working with Touchstone's ICRS program this individual has been sober for 4 years, has a safe and secure home, has been connecting with a Community Support Program and other community resources, and is expressing interest in returning to school. Click here for more information and updates about Touchstone's ICRS program.
Touchstone Awards in 2014 Touchstone was fortunate and grateful to be nominated and receive several awards in 2014. Thank you for supporting and helping us do the work we do each and every day to inspire hope, healing and well‐being. Click here to view the awards Touchstone received in 2014.
Touchstone Mental Health 2312 Snelling Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55404 www.touchstonemh.org Tel: 612-874-6409 3