Last week I visited long-time VOCAL supporter and WRAP facilitator Clyde Hoy at Western State Hospital. I’ve never been to the new building and, truth be told, I make it my business to stay away from hospitals when possible. But Clyde, Rachel Isak-P...
Continue ReadingOvercoming the Past, Dreaming of Tomorrow by Meredith Bond Vivian Greene once said, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass… It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” When I was a sophomore in college, I fell down some stairs and acquir...
Continue ReadingGift to the World by Beth Gager When was it that you stopped being a gift to the world? Do you remember a moment, a life event, a certain shameful instant when you went from being the miracle you were born as and turned into one of the lost and broken one...
Continue ReadingEditor’s note: I met Elie at her studio in Richmond where the walls were painted in vivid colors. If you’ve seen her walking her dogs you would know that she has a love for color 🙂 She is also a passionate voice for human rights. VOCAL as...
Continue ReadingThe Subcommittee met on August 22nd to discuss community readiness to adopt to the CCBHC (Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic) model. Virginia was the recipient of a planning grant from SAMHSA. Of the states who received planning grants only half...
Continue ReadingI’ve had a great life so far, and my mental health has been part of the picture. I spent the first half of my 54 years as a student and eventually a researcher, earning a doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology in 1992. I had planned...
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By Tammy Ozolins To give you a basic back ground of myself, I was born in Buffalo, NY and then I moved to Richmond, VA. I have been living in Richmond for the past 12 years now. I have two parents, and four brothers (one is my twin). This is a summary of ...
Continue ReadingEditor’s Note – Chris Cavaliere, long-time VOCAL member, has studied Peer Support and Trauma Informed Care extensively. (Her certifications include Peer Specialist Trainer, WRAP Facilitator, WHAM Facilitator, DBT Facilitator, UVA Whole Health ...
Continue ReadingDo you need help decoding the many acronyms and abbreviations used in meetings and communication about mental health? Your cheat sheet has arrived. This list was created for those of us who would like to participate in meetings where so much lingo is used...
Continue ReadingBy VOCAL member Tammy Ozolins I had a vision of my first tattoo and I knew exactly what I wanted it to say. I was going to leave it up to the tattoo artist to do the design. I was so nervous, though, this was going to be my first one. Thank goodness for o...
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