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Youth-Inspired Film Sparks New Conversations About Mental Illness

Angst MovieIndieFlix documentary and panel discussion to spur dialogue about the state of youth mental health in Houston.

On Thursday, April 12th, the Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston in collaboration with Advocates of Healthy Minds, The Council on Recovery, Fusion Academy and the Peace of Mind Foundation, will hold a special screening of the new IndieFlix Original documentary, “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety,” at The Council on Recovery (303 Jackson Hill Street, 77007) as an opportunity to create a dialogue between local families, community leaders and experts about the state of youth mental health in our area.

The event, scheduled from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, will feature a viewing of the 56-minute film that tells the stories of kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, and how they have found solutions and hope. The film also provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with the help, resources and tools available to address the condition.

Following the film, a panel discussion with behavioral health experts, Elizabeth McIngvale, Ph.D, founder of the Peace of Mind Foundation and Sam Scharff, LPC, LCDC with The Council on Recovery and Fusion Academy student, Parker Lewish will highlight the evening.

“Anxiety disorders are real and treatable,” said Janet Pozmantier, M.S., LPC, LMFT, RPT, director of the Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston. “Getting young people preventative care, treatment and tools to cope is crucial to helping them to not only feel better, but to have a greater chance of having success in life. It’s time to start the conversation in our homes, our schools and our communities.”

One in every five youth meet the criteria for having a lifetime mental disorder that can cause severe impairment or distress. Studies also show that substance use or dependence is the most commonly diagnosed health concerns for young people, followed by anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health challenge in the U.S., impacting 54 percent of females and 46 percent of males, with age seven being the median age of onset, according to the World Health Organization. While anxiety disorders are highly treatable, only one-third of those suffering receive treatment. Everyone involved in the development of “Angst” has a personal experience with anxiety – from the producers to the interviewees.

Free and low-cost tickets are available here.  The screening is appropriate for students, families, advocates and community members interested in learning about preventing and addressing mental health concerns including anxiety, depression and suicide. “Angst” screens in schools and communities across the world and is expected to reach more than three million people around the world, through 25,000 community and school screenings.

The Lifelong Quest For Sobriety…The Ultimate Hero’s Journey—Part 26

Guest Blogger and long-time Council friend, Bob W. presents Part 26 of a series dealing with Alcoholism and Addiction from a Mystical, Mythological Perspective, reflecting Bob’s scholarly work as a Ph.D. in mythological studies.

In 1773, a curate of the Church of England based in Buckinghamshire, named John Newton, wrote Amazing Grace, a spiritual hymn that is widely recognized as one of the most powerful in the World. Newton wrote this in his 48th year, but his earlier life was anything but spiritual.  He spent much of this 20’s and 30’s in virtually all aspects of the slave trade, from capture and acquisition in the interior of Africa through distribution and sales in colonial America and elsewhere.  He was also known as a uniquely rough and profane man to those who met him.

A series of events in his 30’s resulted in a profound conversion and he became a well regarded minister of the Church.  The primary words of the song are magical:

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found.
T’was blind but now I see.

T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Grace can be defined, as per Webster, as “the favor of God,” or a “divine assistance for regeneration.”  Every time I hear this song it strikes my heart as what the process of recovery has meant to me.  For once I accepted that there was a higher power to whom I could turn over my life and be guided in my everyday activities, the fears that had ruled my life from first consciousness became manageable.

Many of us have had alcohol and addiction bottoms of horrendous magnitude, truly evil actions and intentions stretched over decades.  But think about the activities in which Newton must have trafficked…capturing whole families from ancient communities, transporting them in chains and deplorable conditions halfway around the world, and then selling them to slave masters to be used as chattel for the rest of their lives. How hard must that heart have been to make such decisions…and how beautiful that he could have been so thoroughly relieved of such a dark mantle of human depravity through the gift of grace.

…and how wonderful is it that all of us could have been blessed with the same gift of grace….

Recovery Coaches Help Guide the Way to Lasting Sobriety

Recovery Coach 1Even after thirty days in residential rehab or a couple months in intensive outpatient treatment, most newly sober alcoholics and addicts still find it difficult to sustain their sobriety without help. A recovery coach can play a vital role in providing that help, creating a close relationship with the newly sober peer to guide them onto the path of long-term sobriety.

Empathy, experience and empowerment are essential qualities for a recovery coach to possess, and are necessary qualifications for doing the job successfully. The recovery coach supports and guides an individual who has the desire to start or has already begun their journey to recovery.

Recovery coaches receive 46-hours of intensive training at The Council on Recovery and are certified providers, but the role of a recovery coach can often be difficult to define or differentiate from other recovery specialists. Coaches can be role models, resource brokers, support systems, spiritual guides, financial coaches and much more. It is important to note, however, that, while recovery coaches can be many things, they are not licensed clinicians or doctors.

Recovery coaches are ideally in recovery themselves, so they have the shared experience necessary to help individuals battling addiction. They freely share the “recovery capital” they have personally accumulated which includes the same internal and external assets or resources necessary for an individual to obtain and sustain recovery.

By closely assisting individuals in discovering their own personal recovery capital, recovery coaches instill a sense of hope, relationship with a higher power, skills, goals, and self-efficacy. Recovery coaches work as “peers” in recovery helping the newly sober create connections with the recovery community or support groups, social and family networks, jobs, education and housing. Obtaining and improving recovery is a vital component when working with peers in recovery.

Because of the close nature of the relationship between recovery coaches and the people with whom they work, they can empower, encourage, and praise their peers, while helping them set goals and stay motivated to achieve them. This close relationship, however, has some clearly defined personal and ethical boundaries that must be maintained by the recovery coaches in the interests of all parties.

Recovery Coaches are not therapists, counselors, clinicians, or doctors and they do not engage in the diagnosis or treatment of addiction. While they can encourage their peers to attend Twelve Step meetings and read recovery-oriented literature, recovery coaches do not dictate peer behaviors or assign tasks outside the purview of accepted recovery activities. Under no circumstances are recovery coaches supposed to give or lend money to their peers, nor provide food, housing or other resources. They can, however, guide their peers to community resources and social welfare organizations that may be able to help.

In the following interview, Cynthia Branch, Recovery Support Services Coordinator and Recovery Coach Trainer at The Council on Recovery, shed light upon what it means to be a recovery coach.

Q: In your own words, what is a recovery coach?
A: A recovery coach is a person with lived experience of an addiction to substances, alcohol or anything that alters the mind. We help, encourage and empower individuals who want to change their lives and stop using. Coaches are relatable to them, so what we say holds more depth and weight because we have been there, done that. We also help them navigate systems. Recovery coaches are resource brokers meaning we provide individuals with resource referrals.

Q: What are the key differences between a recovery coach and clinicians or sponsors?
A: To my knowledge, clinicians focus on the past and what happened, while acutely getting them to stop using. Sponsors focus on the twelve steps and total abstinence. Recovery coaches meet individuals where they are and are able to assist them on their chosen path to recovery.

Q: Do you have to be in recovery to become a recovery coach?
A: Ideally, yes.

Q: When do you think it is important for a peer to begin working with a recovery coach?
A: Whenever the peers are ready.

Q: How long do peers work with their recovery coaches?
A: It can last up to five years, but with different programs and entities it may be 2-3 years.

Q: What are some challenges that a coach may encounter with their peer?
A: Housing, transportation and beds for treatment.

Q: What advice would you give someone who is interested in becoming a coach?
A: Remain open-minded. Everyone’s path is different. Who am I to negate what works and doesn’t work for someone?

Q: Are recovery coaches possible for individuals with financial concerns?
A: Yes. We are also resource brokers, so we are always able to point them in the right different. Some of us have been trained as financial coaches as well.

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a recovery coach, The Council on Recovery offers a 46-hour training program, which provides a comprehensive overview of the purpose and roles of Recovery Coaching while giving participants the tools and resources necessary to provide recovery support services to their peers. Addiction is a dark place, but there are ways out. As a recovery coach, you will know how to support and guide your peers on their path to recovery. Join us and help save lives.

The next upcoming training program is July 11-13, 16, & 17. Visit our website for information and how to apply.

This guest blog post was written by Tyler Odom, Marketing & Communications Intern at The Council. She is currently a senior at the University of Houston.

The Council on Recovery Receives Grant from Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund

 

GRB Shelter 2

The Council on Recovery is pleased to announce that it has received a $375,000 grant from the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund to provide additional services to hurricane victims. The Fund was established by Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, and is administered by the Greater Houston Community Foundation. The Council was one of only 27 non-profit organizations to share in the fourth round of grants totaling $42.3 million. The Council will use the funds to provide support for individuals and families by affected substance abuse and mental health disorders who are still struggling to recover more than six months after the hurricane hit the coast of Texas.

In the aftermath of the storm, The Council was among the mental health “First Responders”, deploying dozens of its counselors to the mass shelters at the George R. Brown Convention Center and the NRG Center. It was also instrumental in arranging Twelve Step meetings for residents in those facilities.

“Since the hurricane, we’ve continuously provided help to both flood victims and those whose lives were disrupted by the storm,” says Mel Taylor, President & CEO of The Council. “The trauma people experienced precipitated or compounded many addiction and mental health issues that we still deal with every day,” Taylor says, “This funding will allow us to remain the starting point for people who need help.”

The Council on Recovery will provide direct services across its broad spectrum of behavioral health and substance abuse programs to individuals affected by Hurricane Harvey. Services such as assessment, evaluation, intensive education, clinical treatment, case management, and recovery support will be expanded beyond current capacity.

“Our slogan is ‘You Know Someone Who Needs Us’,” Taylor says, “and Hurricane Harvey amplified that message across the Houston area. Thanks to the generous grant from the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, we’ll continue to meet the vital needs of our community with commitment and compassion.”

The Lifelong Quest For Sobriety…The Ultimate Hero’s Journey—Part 25

Guest Blogger and long-time Council friend, Bob W. presents Part 25 of a series dealing with Alcoholism and Addiction from a Mystical, Mythological Perspective, reflecting Bob’s scholarly work as a Ph.D. in mythological studies.

There is an Old English tale called Beowulf, set in the Early Middle Ages in Scandanavia.  It is a mythic story about a warrior of that name, called to help the Danish king Hrothgar whose palace is under attack by the monster Grendel.  Beowulf image for Bob Wagner post 25Beowulf defeats Grendel in an epic battle using only his bare hands. There is much rejoicing and celebration, but soon Grendel’s Mother hears of the death of her son and attacks the castle. This monster is much more powerful than Grendel, but, in an even more difficult battle, Beowulf finally defeats her and saves Hrothgar’s kingdom.

In this story, I am reminded that, for many of us alcoholics and addicts, our lifelong journey to Sobriety really does have two parts.  The first is getting sober, just stopping the consumption of alcohol or drugs or the high risk behavior patterns that have the same effect.  We have to stop it all completely and work with those in the Fellowships to help us achieve some semblance of a sober life that can last for more than a few days or weeks.  This first step is usually achieved with some success in a matter of months or a few years.

But like Beowulf’s second battle against Grendel’s Mother, the second part of our journey can be much, much harder.  For, after achieving that first level of sobriety, we have to deal with all those elements of ourselves that influenced and facilitated the descent into alcoholism in the first place. We must explore the deep core of who we are and what might have happened to us in our early lives to create the trauma that craved the medicating toxic substances or behaviors. These explorations might be especially difficult and not without much personal suffering.

In Beowulf, the hero must venture down into Grendel’s Mother’s lair, in a deep and dark cavern under a lake. The battle with her is particularly difficult, with much back and forth of Beowulf gaining the upper hand and then losing it. Beowulf finally wins using the monster’s own sword, but in dismembering her body and that of Grendel, this sword is dissolved by the toxic blood of the monsters.  Beowulf returns to the surface with only the hilt of the sword and the dismembered monster heads to reveal to Hrothgar and his subjects his true victory over the monsters.

For many of us, these images conjure up our own journeys down into some latent darkness and our own titanic battles with demons, core remembrances that seem like evil forces within us.  The disparate nature of these things and their ability to derail our quest for sanity and serenity can be real and present…maybe on an ongoing basis in our journeys to sobriety. Our initial victories may not seem to have the finality that is present in this epic story.

But, with the help of the Fellowships to which we attach ourselves, we learn how to deal with them day by day by day by day…and eventually we begin to take their power away.  The ultimate effect becomes much more lasting and the victories of Beowulf over Grendel and his Mother do begin to represent that of our own successes. We can eventually present the dismembered heads of our own demons to our peers in recovery with a sense of satisfaction and serenity.

 

 

Council’s 2017 Quality Outcomes Report Shows High Program Effectiveness & Client Satisfaction

The Council on Recovery’s 2017 Outcomes Management Report summarizes the continuously high effectiveness of our programs and services for those adversely affected by alcohol, drugs and related issues. It also reports impressive client satisfaction among the more than 60,000 people we served.

Infographic Outcomes 2017
© 2018, The Council on Recovery

For more information or to receive a copy of the complete report, please contact the report’s author, Jessica Davison, at jdavison@councilonrecovery.org or use the Contact Us form.