DENVER, CO. – A worker’s compensation surveillance operative who was shot four times by someone he was watching last week likely survived only because he was wearing a backpack, according to a police affidavit.
The shooter told police he thought he was firing at a bear. The surveillance operative said he’d been "yelled at" by the shooter minutes before the shooting. The shooter is facing a charge of attempted first degree murder.
In the affidavit, a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy wrote that he’d been dispatched at 6 pm on August 4 to a road in the foothills southwest of Denver on a report of someone claiming he’d been shot by someone firing a shotgun.
The operative – whose name is withheld here for his safety - told officers he was conducting an investigation regarding possible insurance fraud. Court records indicate he was working for Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s largest worker’s compensation insurance provider. It regularly retains private investigators to watch employees who have submitted worker’s compensation claims, to try to obtain video documenting that the employee is not injured, not injured as severely as they claim, or not hampered by the injury in the way they claim.
The operative told sheriff’s deputies he’d been watching Marshall Lawson’s residence from about 100 yards away. Somehow Lawson became aware of the operative’s presence about three hours after the operative initiated surveillance. The operative says Lawson “yelled at” him, telling him he was going to get a gun.
The surveillance operative said that soon thereafter he saw Lawson return with a gun and aim it at him. He says he heard two shots. He says he then started running up a hill away from Lawson, and heard two more shots.
The operative told sheriff’s deputies he couldn’t get a signal on his cell phone, so he walked to his car, drove toward town, and called 911 as soon as his cell phone was in a coverage area. When he placed the call, he didn’t think he’d been hit by any bullets. But while he was waiting for police to respond, he found two bullet holes in the backpack he’d been wearing, according to the affidavit.
Sheriff’s deputies went to Marshall’s residence and found three spent .22 caliber casings in the driveway, about 10 feet from the road. A fourth was found in a .22 caliber rifle recovered at the residence of one of Marshall’s grandfathers, who lives next door.
According to the affidavit, Marshall acknowledged firing a rifle, but he denied knowing there was a man on the hill when he fired. He told a sheriff’s deputy he thought he was shooting a “black object that he presumed to be a bear.”
The twenty-seven-year-old Marshall is facing charges of attempted first degree murder and attempted first degree assault. He’s being held on $150,000 bond. A judge ordered that in the event he posts bond, he’s not to have any contact with Pinnacol Assurance.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Nonprofits - Pay Attention!!!!
No one owes you a gift, as this "inside a donor's mind" report makes clear.------
Dianna Huff wrote a note about her experiences with two local charities.
Dianna is a gifted, results-driven sales copywriter; a "getting you noticed on the web" specialist; a terrific mom (judging by James, her wise and intriguing young son); a budding marathoner. Today, though, meet her as (1) delighted donor and (2) disgusted donor. Her note (reproduced below and only slightly tweaked to disguise the guilty) is a tale of two charities: one thriving, one dying.The thriving charity thinks carefully about warming its donors' hearts. The dying charity takes donations utterly for granted.
Seven Reasons Why I Love Giving Money to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA)
1. They send out a well-written, full color newsletter giving me real stories about animals that have been rescued/saved by them.
2. I can go to the Nevins Farm facility a few towns over from where I live and see their rescue efforts in action. I also can see where the money is going because Nevins is a new state-of-the-art facility. I was also the benefactor of the MSPCA's "Pet Care Fund" when Simon [Dianna's dog] needed his operation.
3. They send me thank you notes each time I give money. They sent James a personalized note when he cleaned out his piggy bank and gave them $10 in rolled quarters.
4. They send me well written letters that tell me why they need my money.
5. In their letters they include little notes that read, "Your generosity already in 2009 is greatly appreciated. Thank you for continuing to help animals in need." This shows me that 1) I'm not an anonymous donor; 2) that they know I've given before; and 3) that they appreciate my previous gifts.
6. In one of their letters I received a "Certificate of Kindness" and was told to "post it with pride." Cheesy? Yes. Effective? Yes. Made me give more? Yes.
7. I feel valued for my contributions. And it shows, every time I receive a piece of information from them.
Seven Reasons Why I Refuse to Give Money to My Son's Day School
1. They send out Friday notices to the parents (donors and potential donors) that say things like: "We are very disappointed in the parents who did not participate in the Yankee Candle Fundraiser. The parent handbook states, 'All parents must fundraise.'" This ticked me off. As a donor, it is my prerogative to give when and how I want. The $300 I had earmarked for them is now going elsewhere.
2. They don't tell me where the money is going.
3. I can't see where the money is going. The facility is run down and families are leaving the school in droves.
4. As a business person, I can't in good conscience give money to a non-profit that appears to be ill managed.
5. They don't use real stories about the children at the school in any of their materials.
6. They don't address the real reason why people aren't coming to the school. They cast blame on "parents who make the wrong choice" but the problem is really the school and the people who run it.
7. I don't feel valued for my contributions. Takeaway: Donors owe us nothing, not even a hearing. We owe them something, though: as many moments of joy as we can cram into a year. Making a contribution, being a benefactor, feels good, neuroscience tells us.
There's a pleasure center in your brain that fires up when you make a gift. When a charity enhances that joy by celebrating the contribution, one-time donors tend to become many-time donors.When a charity ignores the joy, donors find someone else to play with. Charities that think they "deserve" support (as Dianna's day school did) are deeply ignorant of the basic emotional underpinnings behind lasting philanthropy.
Dianna Huff wrote a note about her experiences with two local charities.
Dianna is a gifted, results-driven sales copywriter; a "getting you noticed on the web" specialist; a terrific mom (judging by James, her wise and intriguing young son); a budding marathoner. Today, though, meet her as (1) delighted donor and (2) disgusted donor. Her note (reproduced below and only slightly tweaked to disguise the guilty) is a tale of two charities: one thriving, one dying.The thriving charity thinks carefully about warming its donors' hearts. The dying charity takes donations utterly for granted.
Seven Reasons Why I Love Giving Money to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA)
1. They send out a well-written, full color newsletter giving me real stories about animals that have been rescued/saved by them.
2. I can go to the Nevins Farm facility a few towns over from where I live and see their rescue efforts in action. I also can see where the money is going because Nevins is a new state-of-the-art facility. I was also the benefactor of the MSPCA's "Pet Care Fund" when Simon [Dianna's dog] needed his operation.
3. They send me thank you notes each time I give money. They sent James a personalized note when he cleaned out his piggy bank and gave them $10 in rolled quarters.
4. They send me well written letters that tell me why they need my money.
5. In their letters they include little notes that read, "Your generosity already in 2009 is greatly appreciated. Thank you for continuing to help animals in need." This shows me that 1) I'm not an anonymous donor; 2) that they know I've given before; and 3) that they appreciate my previous gifts.
6. In one of their letters I received a "Certificate of Kindness" and was told to "post it with pride." Cheesy? Yes. Effective? Yes. Made me give more? Yes.
7. I feel valued for my contributions. And it shows, every time I receive a piece of information from them.
Seven Reasons Why I Refuse to Give Money to My Son's Day School
1. They send out Friday notices to the parents (donors and potential donors) that say things like: "We are very disappointed in the parents who did not participate in the Yankee Candle Fundraiser. The parent handbook states, 'All parents must fundraise.'" This ticked me off. As a donor, it is my prerogative to give when and how I want. The $300 I had earmarked for them is now going elsewhere.
2. They don't tell me where the money is going.
3. I can't see where the money is going. The facility is run down and families are leaving the school in droves.
4. As a business person, I can't in good conscience give money to a non-profit that appears to be ill managed.
5. They don't use real stories about the children at the school in any of their materials.
6. They don't address the real reason why people aren't coming to the school. They cast blame on "parents who make the wrong choice" but the problem is really the school and the people who run it.
7. I don't feel valued for my contributions. Takeaway: Donors owe us nothing, not even a hearing. We owe them something, though: as many moments of joy as we can cram into a year. Making a contribution, being a benefactor, feels good, neuroscience tells us.
There's a pleasure center in your brain that fires up when you make a gift. When a charity enhances that joy by celebrating the contribution, one-time donors tend to become many-time donors.When a charity ignores the joy, donors find someone else to play with. Charities that think they "deserve" support (as Dianna's day school did) are deeply ignorant of the basic emotional underpinnings behind lasting philanthropy.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Your thoughts? Psychologists Reject Gay ‘Therapy’
I had thought this was old news - any comments or commentary?
Psychologists Reject Gay ‘Therapy’
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 5, 200
The American Psychological Association declared Wednesday that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments.
In a resolution adopted by the association’s governing council, and in an accompanying report, the association issued its most comprehensive repudiation of so-called reparative therapy, a concept espoused by a small but persistent group of therapists, often allied with religious conservatives, who maintain that gay men and lesbians can change.
No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the resolution, adopted by a 125-to-4 vote. The association said some research suggested that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies.
Instead of seeking such change, the association urged therapists to consider multiple options, which could include celibacy and switching churches, for helping clients live spiritually rewarding lives in instances where their sexual orientation and religious faith conflict.
The association has criticized reparative therapy in the past, but a six-member panel added weight to that position by examining 83 studies on sexual orientation change conducted since 1960. Its report was endorsed by the association’s governing council in Toronto, where the association’s annual meeting is being held this weekend.
The report breaks ground in its detailed and nuanced assessment of how therapists should deal with gay clients struggling to remain loyal to a religious faith that disapproves of homosexuality.
Judith Glassgold, a psychologist in Highland Park, N.J., who led the panel, said she hoped the document could help calm the polarized debate between religious conservatives who believe in the possibility of changing sexual orientation and the many mental health professionals who reject that option.
“Both sides have to educate themselves better," Ms. Glassgold said. “The religious psychotherapists have to open up their eyes to the potential positive aspects of being gay or lesbian. Secular therapists have to recognize that some people will choose their faith over their sexuality.”
One of the largest organizations promoting the possibility of changing sexual orientation is Exodus International, a network of ministries whose core message is “freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ.”
Its president, Alan Chambers, describes himself as someone who “overcame unwanted same-sex attraction.” Mr. Chambers and other evangelicals met with association representatives after the panel was formed in 2007, and he expressed satisfaction with parts of the report that emerged.
In a resolution adopted by the association’s governing council, and in an accompanying report, the association issued its most comprehensive repudiation of so-called reparative therapy, a concept espoused by a small but persistent group of therapists, often allied with religious conservatives, who maintain that gay men and lesbians can change.
No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the resolution, adopted by a 125-to-4 vote. The association said some research suggested that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies.
Instead of seeking such change, the association urged therapists to consider multiple options, which could include celibacy and switching churches, for helping clients live spiritually rewarding lives in instances where their sexual orientation and religious faith conflict.
The association has criticized reparative therapy in the past, but a six-member panel added weight to that position by examining 83 studies on sexual orientation change conducted since 1960. Its report was endorsed by the association’s governing council in Toronto, where the association’s annual meeting is being held this weekend.
The report breaks ground in its detailed and nuanced assessment of how therapists should deal with gay clients struggling to remain loyal to a religious faith that disapproves of homosexuality.
Judith Glassgold, a psychologist in Highland Park, N.J., who led the panel, said she hoped the document could help calm the polarized debate between religious conservatives who believe in the possibility of changing sexual orientation and the many mental health professionals who reject that option.
“Both sides have to educate themselves better," Ms. Glassgold said. “The religious psychotherapists have to open up their eyes to the potential positive aspects of being gay or lesbian. Secular therapists have to recognize that some people will choose their faith over their sexuality.”
One of the largest organizations promoting the possibility of changing sexual orientation is Exodus International, a network of ministries whose core message is “freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ.”
Its president, Alan Chambers, describes himself as someone who “overcame unwanted same-sex attraction.” Mr. Chambers and other evangelicals met with association representatives after the panel was formed in 2007, and he expressed satisfaction with parts of the report that emerged.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
More books are available on amazon.com
Books Authored by Deborah Rose
Josh Wears a Red Cape
www.amazon.com/Josh-Wears-Red-Cape-Bipolar/dp/1435700066/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248651853&sr=1-1
A story of love, courage and recovery for a boy named Josh, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a child.
A Family Garden - Thorns and Roses
www.amazon.com/Family-Garden-Thorns-Roses-Poetry/dp/1438238819/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652539&sr=1-1
A story of love, courage and recovery for a boy named Josh, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a child. Two of the writers have had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. One of those two writers has been taken off all medication and declared by the doctors to be in remission. Why do we tell you this? So you can ponder the differences and the similarities we all may share, and that angst and growing and life's perspectives may not be so different between us all, regardless of what else we are dealing with. My family hopes you enjoy our little experiment. At the very least, we hope you find your thoughts provoked and your mind stimulated. Thank you for being a part of our experiment. My best to you all, Deborah Rose
Books Edited and Published by Deborah Rose
Partnerships: Family Education About Mental Illness
www.amazon.com/Partnerships-Family-Education-Mental-Illness/dp/144140242X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-2
A family guide to mental illness - "Partnerships" is designed to provide general information in regard to major mental illnesses, with the understanding that the authors are not engaged in rendering psychological, legal, or other professional services. What "Partnerships" is designed to provide is basic knowledge that gives the readers hope and practical influences on where and how to seek help.
Diagnosis - Reactive Attachment Disorder: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Reactive-Attachment-Disorder-Tomorrow/dp/1448638372/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-7
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Weekly Workplace Thinkables - Book I
https://www.createspace.com/3392846
THINKABLES are intended to help you extend your thinking and experience to related areas you might not otherwise have considered. My expectation is that most of the readers will find some of the topics and thoughts of interest, and that some of the readers will find most all of the conclusions of interest. My desire is that some of the THINKABLES will encourage and challenge you to Think, See and then Act more keenly and deeply than before you turned these pages! Thanks for reading, thinking, and sharing.
Diagnosis - ADHD: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-ADHD-Visions-Tomorrow-Basics/dp/1442177543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-1
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Diagnosis - Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Schizophrenia-Schizoaffective-Disorder-Tomorrow/dp/1448635241/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-3
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Diagnosis - Anxiety Disorders: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Anxiety-Disorders-Visions-Tomorrow/dp/1448627958/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-5
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Diagnosis - Bipolar Disorder and Depression: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Bipolar-Disorder-Depression-Tomorrow/dp/1448635195/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-6
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Diagnosis - Borderline Personality Disorder: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Borderline-Personality-Disorder-Tomorrow/dp/1448635284/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-8
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Diagnosis - Eating Disorders: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Eating-Disorders-Visions-Tomorrow/dp/1448638410/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-4
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Recovery for the Whole Person
https://www.createspace.com/3392715
A Book About Mental Health and Spiritual Growth This book, Recovery for the Whole Person, is intended to promote discussion, consideration, and application of spiritual resources available primarily through a personal relationship by faith with Jesus Christ. People who have a different object of their faith should be able to easily adapt much of this course to their own faith. To neglect consideration of our body, soul, or spirit as we plan for recovery is to be short sighted and deliberately choose not to play with a full deck. Since many books on recovery neglect detailed spiritual resources, this book emphasizes increased awareness and use of spiritual tools in your own recovery, including exchanging God's ways for man's ways.
Featured Writer
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Children with Special Needs: Stories of Love and Understanding for Those Who Care for Children with Disabilities
www.amazon.com/Chicken-Soup-Soul-Understanding-Disabilities/dp/0757306209/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652987&sr=1-6
'These powerful heart-rending stories are filled with honesty, humor, hope and offer inspiration to parents, teachers, and anyone else who cares for children with special needs. By embracing the magnificence, inner peace, and beauty each child possess, our own attitudes are shifted from despair to promise
Josh Wears a Red Cape
www.amazon.com/Josh-Wears-Red-Cape-Bipolar/dp/1435700066/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248651853&sr=1-1
A story of love, courage and recovery for a boy named Josh, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a child.
A Family Garden - Thorns and Roses
www.amazon.com/Family-Garden-Thorns-Roses-Poetry/dp/1438238819/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652539&sr=1-1
A story of love, courage and recovery for a boy named Josh, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a child. Two of the writers have had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. One of those two writers has been taken off all medication and declared by the doctors to be in remission. Why do we tell you this? So you can ponder the differences and the similarities we all may share, and that angst and growing and life's perspectives may not be so different between us all, regardless of what else we are dealing with. My family hopes you enjoy our little experiment. At the very least, we hope you find your thoughts provoked and your mind stimulated. Thank you for being a part of our experiment. My best to you all, Deborah Rose
Books Edited and Published by Deborah Rose
Partnerships: Family Education About Mental Illness
www.amazon.com/Partnerships-Family-Education-Mental-Illness/dp/144140242X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-2
A family guide to mental illness - "Partnerships" is designed to provide general information in regard to major mental illnesses, with the understanding that the authors are not engaged in rendering psychological, legal, or other professional services. What "Partnerships" is designed to provide is basic knowledge that gives the readers hope and practical influences on where and how to seek help.
Diagnosis - Reactive Attachment Disorder: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Reactive-Attachment-Disorder-Tomorrow/dp/1448638372/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-7
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Weekly Workplace Thinkables - Book I
https://www.createspace.com/3392846
THINKABLES are intended to help you extend your thinking and experience to related areas you might not otherwise have considered. My expectation is that most of the readers will find some of the topics and thoughts of interest, and that some of the readers will find most all of the conclusions of interest. My desire is that some of the THINKABLES will encourage and challenge you to Think, See and then Act more keenly and deeply than before you turned these pages! Thanks for reading, thinking, and sharing.
Diagnosis - ADHD: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-ADHD-Visions-Tomorrow-Basics/dp/1442177543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-1
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Diagnosis - Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Schizophrenia-Schizoaffective-Disorder-Tomorrow/dp/1448635241/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-3
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Diagnosis - Anxiety Disorders: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Anxiety-Disorders-Visions-Tomorrow/dp/1448627958/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-5
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Diagnosis - Bipolar Disorder and Depression: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Bipolar-Disorder-Depression-Tomorrow/dp/1448635195/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-6
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Diagnosis - Borderline Personality Disorder: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Borderline-Personality-Disorder-Tomorrow/dp/1448635284/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-8
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Diagnosis - Eating Disorders: Visions for Tomorrow - The Basics
www.amazon.com/Diagnosis-Eating-Disorders-Visions-Tomorrow/dp/1448638410/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652580&sr=1-4
This book is a "Digest" from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum to provide basic information to the general public. There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs.
Recovery for the Whole Person
https://www.createspace.com/3392715
A Book About Mental Health and Spiritual Growth This book, Recovery for the Whole Person, is intended to promote discussion, consideration, and application of spiritual resources available primarily through a personal relationship by faith with Jesus Christ. People who have a different object of their faith should be able to easily adapt much of this course to their own faith. To neglect consideration of our body, soul, or spirit as we plan for recovery is to be short sighted and deliberately choose not to play with a full deck. Since many books on recovery neglect detailed spiritual resources, this book emphasizes increased awareness and use of spiritual tools in your own recovery, including exchanging God's ways for man's ways.
Featured Writer
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Children with Special Needs: Stories of Love and Understanding for Those Who Care for Children with Disabilities
www.amazon.com/Chicken-Soup-Soul-Understanding-Disabilities/dp/0757306209/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248652987&sr=1-6
'These powerful heart-rending stories are filled with honesty, humor, hope and offer inspiration to parents, teachers, and anyone else who cares for children with special needs. By embracing the magnificence, inner peace, and beauty each child possess, our own attitudes are shifted from despair to promise
Monday, July 20, 2009
New books about mental illness on Amazon.com
NAMI Texas has done it again!(With a little help from me as the editor.)
We have a group of books for sale on Amazon.com. Visions for Tomorrow, The Basics.There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs. These books from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum are to provide basic information to the general public.
Utilizing key information and strategies, there is a book for most of the major diagnosis.Each book will deal with the symptoms of the diagnosis, information on the brain, tips, empathy, record keeping, communication strategies, coping and basics on the justice system and advocacy. While this is not the full VFT curriculum, it is a good starter book of information on just what is says – the basics. Included as well is information about NAMI and how to join.
The list soon to be available is:
Diagnosis - Bipolar Disorder and Depression
Diagnosis - Borderline Personality
Disorder Diagnosis - Eating
Disorders Diagnosis - Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder
Diagnosis - Anxiety Disorders
Diagnosis - Reactive Attachment Disorder
Diagnosis - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Diagnosis - ADHD
You can find each of these books on Amazon by going to Amazon.com and typing in NAMI Texas in the search box. The list of books will appear and let you know if they are ready for ordering as they come available.
So support NAMI Texas, and also support your local communities - buy this book and give it to families in need, your community centers, MHA and anyone else that support children with a mental illness diagnosis.
We have a group of books for sale on Amazon.com. Visions for Tomorrow, The Basics.There is a series of these "digests", each covering a mental illness in the VFT curriculum, providing basic and valuable information for families who are dealing with a first time crisis or still trying to get information to better provide for their child's needs. These books from the original Visions for Tomorrow curriculum are to provide basic information to the general public.
Utilizing key information and strategies, there is a book for most of the major diagnosis.Each book will deal with the symptoms of the diagnosis, information on the brain, tips, empathy, record keeping, communication strategies, coping and basics on the justice system and advocacy. While this is not the full VFT curriculum, it is a good starter book of information on just what is says – the basics. Included as well is information about NAMI and how to join.
The list soon to be available is:
Diagnosis - Bipolar Disorder and Depression
Diagnosis - Borderline Personality
Disorder Diagnosis - Eating
Disorders Diagnosis - Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder
Diagnosis - Anxiety Disorders
Diagnosis - Reactive Attachment Disorder
Diagnosis - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Diagnosis - ADHD
You can find each of these books on Amazon by going to Amazon.com and typing in NAMI Texas in the search box. The list of books will appear and let you know if they are ready for ordering as they come available.
So support NAMI Texas, and also support your local communities - buy this book and give it to families in need, your community centers, MHA and anyone else that support children with a mental illness diagnosis.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
What do you think about this article - I want to know.
AUSTIN – Jose Fernandez Sanchez was delusional when he broke a window to enter his neighbor's apartment. The schizophrenic and epileptic 45-year-old, who had gone to an Austin hospital the day before, complaining of hearing voices, told police he was trying to light a candle for his dead mother. But instead of taking Sanchez to get medical attention, authorities started deportation proceedings against him, leaving the legal permanent resident in a detention-center cell for eight months. By the time a judge saw Sanchez, he was so catatonic that he couldn't answer a simple question.
Sanchez was one of the lucky few: His siblings pooled their money to hire an attorney, who made a compelling case to an immigration judge. Sanchez went from the detention center to a San Antonio psychiatric hospital, where he should have been all along.
But most mentally ill immigrants aren't so fortunate. They get limited mental-health care while in detention, advocates say – and that's only if they're diagnosed. They aren't entitled to competency hearings before standing trial. And the majority of them face judges without legal counsel, and with little recourse to defend themselves from deportation.
"I felt like I didn't have the power to get help. They didn't care how they were taking care of me," said Sanchez, who emigrated from Mexico in 1988 and received amnesty in the United States. "I was very scared, because I knew if I was sent back to my country, they wouldn't be able to help me like the U.S."
National guidelines
Immigration detention officials say they have strict guidelines for mental-health care in detention centers. All inmates receive a mental-health screening as part of their intake exam, they say. Those with suspected mental illness are referred for more tests and treatment. In fiscal 2008, detention-center personnel performed nearly 30,000 mental-health interventions – including providing emergency care to detainees seen as suicide risks.
"We are continuing to work ... to improve the services and the availability of health care to those in our custody," said Tim Counts, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
But immigration court officials acknowledge there's little guidance for how to handle mental health once these detainees come before a judge. Although judges can't accept an admission of guilt from an "unrepresented incompetent," there are no immigration-court proceedings to determine a person's competency. Judges have to go with their gut – which can be tough to gauge with language barriers and the frequent use of long-distance video conferencing.
"There are no rules or any guidelines or any laws related to determining mental competency," said Elaine Komis, spokeswoman for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees deportation hearings for the U.S. Department of Justice. "When judges encounter someone who seems to be mentally incompetent, they do try as much as possible to arrange for some kind of pro bono counsel."
Social-justice advocates say that's not good enough. Researchers from the nonprofit advocacy group Texas Appleseed have teamed up with pro bono attorneys from the Akin Gump law firm to study mental-health procedures in detention and deportation proceedings. Their focus is on Texas, which houses a third of the country's immigrant detainees and is home to eight of the nation's 55 immigration courts.
These advocates say detention facilities don't consistently follow mental-health standards, and often don't have enough mental-health workers to handle the estimated 15 percent of detainees suffering from mental illness.
Until early this year, they say, two Texas detention centers housing a combined 2,700 people shared a single psychiatrist. As a result, they say, detainees who receive mental-health treatment in the community rarely get it once they're incarcerated. They miss medicine doses, get misdiagnosed or are prescribed drugs with which they aren't familiar.
"There are no real standards for diagnosing or dealing with mental-health issues while in the system," said Steve Schulman, a partner with Akin Gump who heads the firm's pro bono practice.
Lack of hearings
Advocates say that even if someone is diagnosed with mental illness in the detention setting, it's rare for that to get passed along to a judge.
Unlike in the criminal- justice system, there are no mental-competency hearings. Fewer than half of detainees have legal representation. Immigrants represented by attorneys are 50 percent more likely to avoid deportation, but the government has no obligation to appoint counsel for those who can't afford it.
"The end result is that people are being deported without regard for their mental health," said Ann Baddour, senior policy analyst at Texas Appleseed.
In one case, advocates say, a severely mentally ill woman was nearly deported to Russia because she told authorities she was a Russian immigrant. She was actually a U.S. citizen from Indiana. In another, a Haitian immigrant whom a criminal court had declared incompetent to stand trial was taken into custody by immigration officials at a psychiatric hospital.
Sanchez's siblings are sure their brother would have wound up back in Mexico – or worse, dead – if they hadn't been able to hire an attorney.
"He was never evaluated properly, never given proper treatment," said Sanchez's brother, who asked not to be identified because of his immigration status. "He was all alone in there. We feared the worst, that he would be deported or even take his own life."
Sanchez was one of the lucky few: His siblings pooled their money to hire an attorney, who made a compelling case to an immigration judge. Sanchez went from the detention center to a San Antonio psychiatric hospital, where he should have been all along.
But most mentally ill immigrants aren't so fortunate. They get limited mental-health care while in detention, advocates say – and that's only if they're diagnosed. They aren't entitled to competency hearings before standing trial. And the majority of them face judges without legal counsel, and with little recourse to defend themselves from deportation.
"I felt like I didn't have the power to get help. They didn't care how they were taking care of me," said Sanchez, who emigrated from Mexico in 1988 and received amnesty in the United States. "I was very scared, because I knew if I was sent back to my country, they wouldn't be able to help me like the U.S."
National guidelines
Immigration detention officials say they have strict guidelines for mental-health care in detention centers. All inmates receive a mental-health screening as part of their intake exam, they say. Those with suspected mental illness are referred for more tests and treatment. In fiscal 2008, detention-center personnel performed nearly 30,000 mental-health interventions – including providing emergency care to detainees seen as suicide risks.
"We are continuing to work ... to improve the services and the availability of health care to those in our custody," said Tim Counts, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
But immigration court officials acknowledge there's little guidance for how to handle mental health once these detainees come before a judge. Although judges can't accept an admission of guilt from an "unrepresented incompetent," there are no immigration-court proceedings to determine a person's competency. Judges have to go with their gut – which can be tough to gauge with language barriers and the frequent use of long-distance video conferencing.
"There are no rules or any guidelines or any laws related to determining mental competency," said Elaine Komis, spokeswoman for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees deportation hearings for the U.S. Department of Justice. "When judges encounter someone who seems to be mentally incompetent, they do try as much as possible to arrange for some kind of pro bono counsel."
Social-justice advocates say that's not good enough. Researchers from the nonprofit advocacy group Texas Appleseed have teamed up with pro bono attorneys from the Akin Gump law firm to study mental-health procedures in detention and deportation proceedings. Their focus is on Texas, which houses a third of the country's immigrant detainees and is home to eight of the nation's 55 immigration courts.
These advocates say detention facilities don't consistently follow mental-health standards, and often don't have enough mental-health workers to handle the estimated 15 percent of detainees suffering from mental illness.
Until early this year, they say, two Texas detention centers housing a combined 2,700 people shared a single psychiatrist. As a result, they say, detainees who receive mental-health treatment in the community rarely get it once they're incarcerated. They miss medicine doses, get misdiagnosed or are prescribed drugs with which they aren't familiar.
"There are no real standards for diagnosing or dealing with mental-health issues while in the system," said Steve Schulman, a partner with Akin Gump who heads the firm's pro bono practice.
Lack of hearings
Advocates say that even if someone is diagnosed with mental illness in the detention setting, it's rare for that to get passed along to a judge.
Unlike in the criminal- justice system, there are no mental-competency hearings. Fewer than half of detainees have legal representation. Immigrants represented by attorneys are 50 percent more likely to avoid deportation, but the government has no obligation to appoint counsel for those who can't afford it.
"The end result is that people are being deported without regard for their mental health," said Ann Baddour, senior policy analyst at Texas Appleseed.
In one case, advocates say, a severely mentally ill woman was nearly deported to Russia because she told authorities she was a Russian immigrant. She was actually a U.S. citizen from Indiana. In another, a Haitian immigrant whom a criminal court had declared incompetent to stand trial was taken into custody by immigration officials at a psychiatric hospital.
Sanchez's siblings are sure their brother would have wound up back in Mexico – or worse, dead – if they hadn't been able to hire an attorney.
"He was never evaluated properly, never given proper treatment," said Sanchez's brother, who asked not to be identified because of his immigration status. "He was all alone in there. We feared the worst, that he would be deported or even take his own life."
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Healthcare Reform Bias
Obama Administration Continues Institutional Bias in Healthcare Reform
Washington, D.C.--- The nation’s largest grassroots disability rights organization, ADAPT, expressed outrage today at the Obama administration’s selective endorsement of one piece of proposed long term care legislation while refusing to support a companion measure aimed at=0 Aeliminating the institutional bias in Medicaid for aging or disabled lower income people that Obama, with strong support from over 80 national disability and aging organizations, co-sponsored as a Senator.
July 6, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, sent a letter to Sen. Edward Kennedy, Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, expressing President Obama’s support for Kennedy’s “CLASS Act,” which would allow middle class Americans to set aside money from their paychecks in anticipation of the expenses they will likely face for long-term services and supports as they age, or acquire a disability. After paying into the fund for at least 5 years, workers or their non-working spouses could draw on the fund for long-term services and assistance, either in a nursing home or in the community. Workers who wish could opt out of the program, an outcome more likely in tough economic times or in cases where low worker-wages barely cover individual or family survival expenses.
“Those of us with disabilities, who are aging, and who aren’t able to work are outraged that the President has issued public support for this primarily middle class legislation, and has completely ignored the companion legislation that would include lower income disabled and older people in reform of long term services and supports, and health care reform,” said Bob Kafka, Texas ADAPT Organizer. “It’s like we don’t exist!”
ADAPT and a multitude of other national disability and aging organizations in Washington have gone on record in support of Sen. Kennedy’s CLASS Act only if it is paired with a “fix” for Medicaid addressing lower income and non-working people, similar to provisions contained in the Community Choice Act (CCA). CCA inserts the concept of “personal choice” into the law, adding language that mandates states to pay for help in a person’s own home the same way the law mandates them to pay for nursing homes. Current law can force people with disabilities and who are aging into nursing homes in order to receive services that can just as easily be delivered in the community. Research has demonstrated that community-based assistance is almost always less expensive.
“When President Obama was a senator, he co-sponsored CCA,” said Dawn Russell, ADAPT Organizer from Denver Colorado, “and when he campaigned for the Presidency, he pledged to support CCA. But since he was elected, and we met with his people at the White House,=2 0they told us that he will not include long term services and supports in health care reform. When we heard that, we expressed our disappointment and anger in a peaceful protest outside the White House. The President responded by having us arrested, and there were very heavy fines levied against us. It feels like the President is trying to intimidate and silence us so we won’t speak up for people with disabilities, people with low incomes, and those who are aging who are at risk of being forced into nursing homes under the current law.”
Because the CLASS Act does not address the Medicaid “institutional bias,” people who use up the benefits they save under the act will still face having to move to nursing homes to keep getting assistance, unless they can afford to stay in their own homes because of other resources they have.
“When I voted last November, I was sure I was voting for a great man who would bring freedom to people with disabilities,” said Bruce Darling, ADAPT Organizer from New York. “Just as President Lincoln freed the slaves, I felt that President Obama would free those of us with disabilities from the continued threat of incarceration in a nursing homes and institutions. Now, I feel like a foo l, because this administration apparently cares nothing for us and has no respect for our freedom and our civil rights.”
###
Washington, D.C.--- The nation’s largest grassroots disability rights organization, ADAPT, expressed outrage today at the Obama administration’s selective endorsement of one piece of proposed long term care legislation while refusing to support a companion measure aimed at=0 Aeliminating the institutional bias in Medicaid for aging or disabled lower income people that Obama, with strong support from over 80 national disability and aging organizations, co-sponsored as a Senator.
July 6, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, sent a letter to Sen. Edward Kennedy, Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, expressing President Obama’s support for Kennedy’s “CLASS Act,” which would allow middle class Americans to set aside money from their paychecks in anticipation of the expenses they will likely face for long-term services and supports as they age, or acquire a disability. After paying into the fund for at least 5 years, workers or their non-working spouses could draw on the fund for long-term services and assistance, either in a nursing home or in the community. Workers who wish could opt out of the program, an outcome more likely in tough economic times or in cases where low worker-wages barely cover individual or family survival expenses.
“Those of us with disabilities, who are aging, and who aren’t able to work are outraged that the President has issued public support for this primarily middle class legislation, and has completely ignored the companion legislation that would include lower income disabled and older people in reform of long term services and supports, and health care reform,” said Bob Kafka, Texas ADAPT Organizer. “It’s like we don’t exist!”
ADAPT and a multitude of other national disability and aging organizations in Washington have gone on record in support of Sen. Kennedy’s CLASS Act only if it is paired with a “fix” for Medicaid addressing lower income and non-working people, similar to provisions contained in the Community Choice Act (CCA). CCA inserts the concept of “personal choice” into the law, adding language that mandates states to pay for help in a person’s own home the same way the law mandates them to pay for nursing homes. Current law can force people with disabilities and who are aging into nursing homes in order to receive services that can just as easily be delivered in the community. Research has demonstrated that community-based assistance is almost always less expensive.
“When President Obama was a senator, he co-sponsored CCA,” said Dawn Russell, ADAPT Organizer from Denver Colorado, “and when he campaigned for the Presidency, he pledged to support CCA. But since he was elected, and we met with his people at the White House,=2 0they told us that he will not include long term services and supports in health care reform. When we heard that, we expressed our disappointment and anger in a peaceful protest outside the White House. The President responded by having us arrested, and there were very heavy fines levied against us. It feels like the President is trying to intimidate and silence us so we won’t speak up for people with disabilities, people with low incomes, and those who are aging who are at risk of being forced into nursing homes under the current law.”
Because the CLASS Act does not address the Medicaid “institutional bias,” people who use up the benefits they save under the act will still face having to move to nursing homes to keep getting assistance, unless they can afford to stay in their own homes because of other resources they have.
“When I voted last November, I was sure I was voting for a great man who would bring freedom to people with disabilities,” said Bruce Darling, ADAPT Organizer from New York. “Just as President Lincoln freed the slaves, I felt that President Obama would free those of us with disabilities from the continued threat of incarceration in a nursing homes and institutions. Now, I feel like a foo l, because this administration apparently cares nothing for us and has no respect for our freedom and our civil rights.”
###
Monday, June 22, 2009
Thriving and Surviving: How to effectively reach and expand your target for donations, expanding membership and sustaining a nonprofit
I recently attended a seminar in regards to social networking and how non-profits can benefit from websites such as Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Since then, I have put some of the ids to work to test them and have found most of these suggestions to work exactly as described in the classs.
Here are my notes from that seminar.
Notes: Agencies do not understand and utilize the internet affectively due to ignorance and fear. All companies live in glass houses and should be aware of what is being said about their company and executives at all times. This can create huge losses in donations, stocks, buy outs, mergers, etc.
Google is the first place to begin with reputation management as it is the first place to look for consumer, client AND employee complaints. This is also the place that confidential leaks such as budgets and interoffice memos occur.
Emails are often passed around on the internet through myspace.com, personal blogs and complaint sites.
Eli Lilly experienced such a problem on a billion dollar suit which required them to settle quickly and quietly due to a loose email that was circulated on the internet.
All agencies should have a staff member that regularly monitors Google and Wikipedia for what is being said or that is NOT being said about an organization.
As for knowing what posts and comments need action and which ones can be ignored, a good measure of this is utilized by the Air Force of the United States. (You can google to find this diagram.)
This diagram gives an excellent road map on how to handle all types of information that may be encountered on the internet.
Twitter was a huge item discussed in all the sessions. While largely misunderstood by the public, Twitter is not being utilized to its full capacity by most people and agencies. The same is true of Facebook, MySpace, blogs and other social networks online.
The first advantage of these resources is having an immediate voice that is accessible to everyone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This naturally allows you the ability to deal with negative feedback and rumors immediately.
The second advantage is the ability to establish, one on one conversation with thousands of people. This includes your staff, members, volunteers and others that share you same goals and visions. It is accomplished in much the same way that mom and pop stores and grassroots organizations started and then as they grow, they would lose that ability. What I am addressing is having a dialogue that is reciprocal.
For example, if you post on Facebook about a project you are working on and someone responds to you, this is seen on your facebook page and also theirs. Everyone logged into the responder sees this dialogue and they may decide to join in. The next step would be for them to visit your Facebook, then your agency website and then possibility you have a donor or a new member.
As part of this experiment, I used my own Facebook and set up an agency page for ISGU. Within 6 hours, I had 8 members without SAYING OR POSTING A WORD. The people that joined follow me on Facebook, clicked on the new page and then joined without even being asked. So interest and interaction have been confirmed.
Using a blog is an art and can be learned. A blog is not about just posting news stories or even editorial comments. It is about expressing ideas and even personal points of view from the spokesperson of an agency. However, the blog will not be successful by just posting regularly. The trick to an effective blog is to research blogs and news stories that are in the same arena of interest and using your blog to comment on those stories and link back to the sites. Again, you are generating the ability for one on one dialogue.
Many agencies also control internal strife with employees and memberships by having internal web pages for the people to post complaints and suggestions. Once they have a valid and anonymous place they can post, they are able to air their ideas and complaints and do not have the need or drive to send such information to million others on the web.
The best way to handle any damage control also is to have a policy and procedure in place BEFORE an issue is well on its way to circling the globe. Hours vs days are key to damage control and more nonprofits will see this need as the economy puts a focus on how nonprofits manage or mismanage money.
Secondary control is to have ownership of all possible web domains so that others cannot purchase them and use these sites to blast a company or agency. This is not a primary problem for most nonprofits but should rumor control be on the rise for an agency, this is something they would want to consider doing.
Also, a website is NOT just an e-brochure. It should be updated weekly with information, live video feeds utilizing YouTube, PSA announcements and with links to Facebook and other sites being utilized. YouTube offers a nonprofit account that allows you to post these videos for free and they are promoted by YouTube. The beauty of this business strategy is to use your staff, volunteers and memberships to make “home movie” style recordings. These are attractive and well liked by the public. Also, when each person is featured, they drive their own network of friends and business associates to the site, bringing a new dynamic of exposures.
To drive traffic to your site and also to raise funds, a nonprofit should utilize sites such as cafepress. For no money, you can have materials with your logo that you make a commission off of. You also have a link directly to your site and others will see your merchandise as they surf the stores.
The easiest way to manage your presence, update your sites, have a blog and update your social network is to hire an intern who is needed college credit. Not only are college students savvy about the internet, they enjoy the interaction and are usually up to date on trends.
With this networking of social dialogue, widgets for the sites, and promoting two way dialogues, you are now promoting a healthy, well rounded persona that people can relate to. While mental illness might not be of interest to me initially, a catchy phrase or witty article can pull me in as much as a personal conversation at dinner. Once a person has been to your site and stayed for more than three minutes, the likely hood of them coming back goes up ten times.
Finally, make sure that you and your agency are very clear on what you stand for and that policy is repeated in everything you say and do.
Since then, I have put some of the ids to work to test them and have found most of these suggestions to work exactly as described in the classs.
Here are my notes from that seminar.
Notes: Agencies do not understand and utilize the internet affectively due to ignorance and fear. All companies live in glass houses and should be aware of what is being said about their company and executives at all times. This can create huge losses in donations, stocks, buy outs, mergers, etc.
Google is the first place to begin with reputation management as it is the first place to look for consumer, client AND employee complaints. This is also the place that confidential leaks such as budgets and interoffice memos occur.
Emails are often passed around on the internet through myspace.com, personal blogs and complaint sites.
Eli Lilly experienced such a problem on a billion dollar suit which required them to settle quickly and quietly due to a loose email that was circulated on the internet.
All agencies should have a staff member that regularly monitors Google and Wikipedia for what is being said or that is NOT being said about an organization.
As for knowing what posts and comments need action and which ones can be ignored, a good measure of this is utilized by the Air Force of the United States. (You can google to find this diagram.)
This diagram gives an excellent road map on how to handle all types of information that may be encountered on the internet.
Twitter was a huge item discussed in all the sessions. While largely misunderstood by the public, Twitter is not being utilized to its full capacity by most people and agencies. The same is true of Facebook, MySpace, blogs and other social networks online.
The first advantage of these resources is having an immediate voice that is accessible to everyone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This naturally allows you the ability to deal with negative feedback and rumors immediately.
The second advantage is the ability to establish, one on one conversation with thousands of people. This includes your staff, members, volunteers and others that share you same goals and visions. It is accomplished in much the same way that mom and pop stores and grassroots organizations started and then as they grow, they would lose that ability. What I am addressing is having a dialogue that is reciprocal.
For example, if you post on Facebook about a project you are working on and someone responds to you, this is seen on your facebook page and also theirs. Everyone logged into the responder sees this dialogue and they may decide to join in. The next step would be for them to visit your Facebook, then your agency website and then possibility you have a donor or a new member.
As part of this experiment, I used my own Facebook and set up an agency page for ISGU. Within 6 hours, I had 8 members without SAYING OR POSTING A WORD. The people that joined follow me on Facebook, clicked on the new page and then joined without even being asked. So interest and interaction have been confirmed.
Using a blog is an art and can be learned. A blog is not about just posting news stories or even editorial comments. It is about expressing ideas and even personal points of view from the spokesperson of an agency. However, the blog will not be successful by just posting regularly. The trick to an effective blog is to research blogs and news stories that are in the same arena of interest and using your blog to comment on those stories and link back to the sites. Again, you are generating the ability for one on one dialogue.
Many agencies also control internal strife with employees and memberships by having internal web pages for the people to post complaints and suggestions. Once they have a valid and anonymous place they can post, they are able to air their ideas and complaints and do not have the need or drive to send such information to million others on the web.
The best way to handle any damage control also is to have a policy and procedure in place BEFORE an issue is well on its way to circling the globe. Hours vs days are key to damage control and more nonprofits will see this need as the economy puts a focus on how nonprofits manage or mismanage money.
Secondary control is to have ownership of all possible web domains so that others cannot purchase them and use these sites to blast a company or agency. This is not a primary problem for most nonprofits but should rumor control be on the rise for an agency, this is something they would want to consider doing.
Also, a website is NOT just an e-brochure. It should be updated weekly with information, live video feeds utilizing YouTube, PSA announcements and with links to Facebook and other sites being utilized. YouTube offers a nonprofit account that allows you to post these videos for free and they are promoted by YouTube. The beauty of this business strategy is to use your staff, volunteers and memberships to make “home movie” style recordings. These are attractive and well liked by the public. Also, when each person is featured, they drive their own network of friends and business associates to the site, bringing a new dynamic of exposures.
To drive traffic to your site and also to raise funds, a nonprofit should utilize sites such as cafepress. For no money, you can have materials with your logo that you make a commission off of. You also have a link directly to your site and others will see your merchandise as they surf the stores.
The easiest way to manage your presence, update your sites, have a blog and update your social network is to hire an intern who is needed college credit. Not only are college students savvy about the internet, they enjoy the interaction and are usually up to date on trends.
With this networking of social dialogue, widgets for the sites, and promoting two way dialogues, you are now promoting a healthy, well rounded persona that people can relate to. While mental illness might not be of interest to me initially, a catchy phrase or witty article can pull me in as much as a personal conversation at dinner. Once a person has been to your site and stayed for more than three minutes, the likely hood of them coming back goes up ten times.
Finally, make sure that you and your agency are very clear on what you stand for and that policy is repeated in everything you say and do.
Monday, May 11, 2009
'Mad Pride' movement champions Minnesota man who wants right to refuse electroshock treatments
Mad pride group advocates for the right to say "no" to forced medciations for peope with mental illness. Click the link above and then log your comments here. I'd like to know what you think about forced medications.
http://www.newser.com/article/d983gkr01/mad-pride-movement-champions-minnesota-man-who-wants-right-to-refuse-electroshock-treatments.html
http://www.newser.com/article/d983gkr01/mad-pride-movement-champions-minnesota-man-who-wants-right-to-refuse-electroshock-treatments.html
Sunday, May 10, 2009
A Guy, a Car: Beyond Schizophrenia
RONALD PIES, M.D. NEW YORK TIMES
Harry was one of the lucky ones. After a lifetime of schizophrenia — hallucinations, hospitalizations and all the attendant miseries — he was a genuinely new man.
This was about 20 years ago, and clozapine — then viewed as a miracle antipsychotic drug — seemed to have wrought some deep, transforming magic. True, he had put on 20 pounds and complained of mild drowsiness. But the crippling fears and fearsome voices had been quieted. We were able to discharge him from the hospital and arrange for placement in a neighborhood residence.
At his first outpatient appointment, Harry looked cheerful. He seemed to be adjusting to a life of relative normalcy. This was more than I had hoped for, given his disease and its devastation.
When the German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin described what we now recognize as schizophrenia, he called it “dementia praecox” — premature dementia. For decades, the condition was thought to have an inevitable downhill course, much as we still see with Alzheimer’s disease. Even during my residency in the early 1980s, most of us were gloomy about schizophrenia.
We now believe that schizophrenia comprises several different disease processes and often has a more benign course. We have begun to speak not only of remission, but even of recovery — and hope.
Hope is what Harry presented to me at his most recent appointment — along with a request that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. He wanted me to sign off on his application for a driver’s license.
Suddenly, I was caught between two conflicting visions: one of my patient obeying some malign voice behind the wheel, with who knows what consequences; and another of a young man yearning to get his life back.
Driving is what guys do, Harry reminded me — guys with a real life! And a guy who drives has a fighting chance — he put this in cruder terms — to make a good impression on the ladies.
I understood completely. Long before I was of age to drive, I had experienced the exhilaration, the sense of unbridled possibility, when I sat in my father’s lap and steered our 1962 Bonneville while he worked the gas and brake. And I remembered what my widowed mother had told me, while in her late 80s, living alone in Florida: “The first thing the women ask about a man down here is, does he drive?”
A patchwork of state regulations governs the driving privileges of patients who may have neurological or behavioral problems. Some states, like California and Utah, require physicians to report a patient’s “cognitive impairment” for driving purposes.
While schizophrenia may increase the likelihood of an accident, research in the 1980s by Dr. Russell Noyes suggested that, among patients with psychiatric disorders, those with alcoholism and antisocial personality traits accounted for most of the risk. The Utah Department of Public Safety asserts that most people under active treatment for schizophrenia are “relatively safe” drivers, and clearly says that one’s accident and violation record is a better predictor of driving risk than is a psychiatric diagnosis.
Still, drugs like clozapine can impair driving skills. And the doctor’s-office-based assessment of a patient’s driving skills is only moderately correlated with scores on standardized road tests.
The part of me steeped in Kraepelin’s pessimistic paradigm did not want to sign off on Harry’s certification. The part of me that had sat in my father’s lap, feeling the first flush of manhood as we drove together, wanted to help my patient move forward with his life.
I asked Harry how he would respond if one of his “voices” commanded him to do something dangerous while driving. “I wouldn’t listen, Doc,” he replied, looking me straight in the eye.
We decided on a plan: if Harry could pass a certified driver education course, I would sign off on his license application. “Deal!” Harry exclaimed, pumping my hand.
As he walked away, I mumbled a prayer, hoping that I had made the right call. Roughly a month later, Harry strode into my office looking about four inches taller and handed me an embossed certificate from a driving school. He had passed the course “with distinction,” and I had my part of our bargain to keep.
After all, driving is what guys do — guys with a real life.
Ronald Pies, a psychiatrist, is the author of “Everything Has Two Handles: The Stoic’s Guide to the Art of Living.”
Harry was one of the lucky ones. After a lifetime of schizophrenia — hallucinations, hospitalizations and all the attendant miseries — he was a genuinely new man.
This was about 20 years ago, and clozapine — then viewed as a miracle antipsychotic drug — seemed to have wrought some deep, transforming magic. True, he had put on 20 pounds and complained of mild drowsiness. But the crippling fears and fearsome voices had been quieted. We were able to discharge him from the hospital and arrange for placement in a neighborhood residence.
At his first outpatient appointment, Harry looked cheerful. He seemed to be adjusting to a life of relative normalcy. This was more than I had hoped for, given his disease and its devastation.
When the German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin described what we now recognize as schizophrenia, he called it “dementia praecox” — premature dementia. For decades, the condition was thought to have an inevitable downhill course, much as we still see with Alzheimer’s disease. Even during my residency in the early 1980s, most of us were gloomy about schizophrenia.
We now believe that schizophrenia comprises several different disease processes and often has a more benign course. We have begun to speak not only of remission, but even of recovery — and hope.
Hope is what Harry presented to me at his most recent appointment — along with a request that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. He wanted me to sign off on his application for a driver’s license.
Suddenly, I was caught between two conflicting visions: one of my patient obeying some malign voice behind the wheel, with who knows what consequences; and another of a young man yearning to get his life back.
Driving is what guys do, Harry reminded me — guys with a real life! And a guy who drives has a fighting chance — he put this in cruder terms — to make a good impression on the ladies.
I understood completely. Long before I was of age to drive, I had experienced the exhilaration, the sense of unbridled possibility, when I sat in my father’s lap and steered our 1962 Bonneville while he worked the gas and brake. And I remembered what my widowed mother had told me, while in her late 80s, living alone in Florida: “The first thing the women ask about a man down here is, does he drive?”
A patchwork of state regulations governs the driving privileges of patients who may have neurological or behavioral problems. Some states, like California and Utah, require physicians to report a patient’s “cognitive impairment” for driving purposes.
While schizophrenia may increase the likelihood of an accident, research in the 1980s by Dr. Russell Noyes suggested that, among patients with psychiatric disorders, those with alcoholism and antisocial personality traits accounted for most of the risk. The Utah Department of Public Safety asserts that most people under active treatment for schizophrenia are “relatively safe” drivers, and clearly says that one’s accident and violation record is a better predictor of driving risk than is a psychiatric diagnosis.
Still, drugs like clozapine can impair driving skills. And the doctor’s-office-based assessment of a patient’s driving skills is only moderately correlated with scores on standardized road tests.
The part of me steeped in Kraepelin’s pessimistic paradigm did not want to sign off on Harry’s certification. The part of me that had sat in my father’s lap, feeling the first flush of manhood as we drove together, wanted to help my patient move forward with his life.
I asked Harry how he would respond if one of his “voices” commanded him to do something dangerous while driving. “I wouldn’t listen, Doc,” he replied, looking me straight in the eye.
We decided on a plan: if Harry could pass a certified driver education course, I would sign off on his license application. “Deal!” Harry exclaimed, pumping my hand.
As he walked away, I mumbled a prayer, hoping that I had made the right call. Roughly a month later, Harry strode into my office looking about four inches taller and handed me an embossed certificate from a driving school. He had passed the course “with distinction,” and I had my part of our bargain to keep.
After all, driving is what guys do — guys with a real life.
Ronald Pies, a psychiatrist, is the author of “Everything Has Two Handles: The Stoic’s Guide to the Art of Living.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
