“Where We Go From Surviving to Thriving”

MARCH & APRIL 2021

HOPE HOUSE NEWSLETTER

The vaccine is coming! If you are 65 and older, you can sign up now through Sanford Chart or call your doctor. Getting the vaccine is safe. As more people get the vaccine, it will be easier to get back to a regular routine. For now, and until further notice, wear your mask, wash your hands throughout the day, and keep six feet of distance from people outside of your household.

Adult Rehabilitation Mental Health Service (ARMHS)

What Is It? Skills training designed to help people with mental illness

learn to manage mental illness so they can live healthy lives.

Is ARMHS a good choice for me? __ I have Medical Assistance or MA PrimeWest __ I have a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, borderline personality disorder, schizoaffective disorder or a similar diagnosis __ I have goals and/or I want to feel better.

What happens in the ARMHS program? 1. I learn how to work around mental illness symptoms and barriers to get a life I want. I can learn how to feel better and not return to a hospital or residential care. 2. I look at areas of my life to see how mental illness is affecting me. I look at what symptoms are keeping me from living as I want to live. The areas of my life that mental illness might affect are:

Other –spirituality, culture, sexuality, veteran’s status, legal, etc.

This review is called a Functional Assessment. It is done with my worker and me every 6 months to review and honor my progress.

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Mental illness symptoms Interpersonal (family)

Mental health services Dental

Drugs and alcohol Housing

Education Self-Care and Independent Living

Vocation (work) Financial

Social Transportation

Medical

3. I set goals and plans so that I can steadily get closer to what I want in life. What I want in life may include getting a job, my own place to live, having friends, getting my kids back, taking a trip, etc. Setting goals and ways to meet goals is called a Treatment Plan. I can work on these areas, called Basic Living and Social Skills, in the plan: --interpersonal communication skills -mental illness symptom management skills -medication monitoring -relapse prevention skills -budgeting and shopping skills -transportation skills -cooking and nutrition skills -household management skills -healthy lifestyle skills and practices -health care directives -employment-related skills -transition to community living -crisis assistance/problem solving skills -community resource use and integration skills

My wishes will be respected/included in the Treatment Plan. 4. I meet with a Community Mental Health Practitioner (Human Service degree plus >2,000 hours of experience) or a Rehabilitation Worker (Human Services degree and gaining experience on the job). I can select individual meetings or individual and group meetings. Group meetings cover the same topics, but with more than one person learning at once. 5. My meetings include: __Check-in __Review of the learning task from the previous week __Skills training to help me work toward my goal __Review of the current meeting/progress note of the meeting __Task I will do during the week to practice what I’ve learned I have a right to hear or see the progress note. I may also tell my worker what I need best for learning, so the meetings fit what I need.

1/6/21

REMEMBER! “Spring Ahead” SET YOUR CLOCKS Ahead

ONE HOUR SATURDAY NIGHT (March 13)

Hi everyone: Just want to say how proud I am of you. You work hard to take care of you. You also look out for others. I have heard from many of you that being with others and helping others are ways you distract yourself from internal stress. And while most of you have symptoms every day, you have learned to live healthy lives. It doesn’t mean every day is good. In fact, some days might be quite unpleasant! However, you know who to call. You know coping skills to try. You know what triggers a down mood, or paranoia. For people in the public, managing symptoms such as anxiety, and tension is very new. They are overwhelmed. They are lonely. They don’t know who to turn to, or how to manage. You can help by sharing what you have learned. Hope House is working on an idea for a care kit for families in our community. This care kit would share wise words and encourage healthy coping. It would help community members know they will be ok. We are in the planning stages of this project. Would you like to join us in helping our community go from surviving to thriving? If you have ideas for what should be in the kit, please call 444-6748, or come to the Healthy Steps group to share your ideas. Robin

Minnesota Touchstone Energy Community Award Hope House received the Beltrami Electric Touchstone Energy Community Award in 2020. This put Hope House in the award process at the state level. We received state recognition with the Minnesota Touchstone Energy Community Award in February! This award came with a crystal award, $1,000, and publicity. Thank you to Beltrami Electric for their role in our nomination! We are humbled to have this honor at the State level.

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

1 10-12 Healthy Steps

2 1-3 Coffee Club & 10,000

3 1-3 Coffee Club & 10,000

4 1-3 Coffee Club & 10,000

5 1-3 Coffee Club & 10,000

8 10-12 Healthy Steps

9 1-3 Play Scattergories

10 1-3 Play Scattergories

11 1-2 Play Scattergories 2-3 BARC Therapy

12 1-3 Members’ Meeting

15 10-12 Healthy Steps

16 1-3 Talking Circle

17 1-3 St. Patrick's Day Fun

18 1-3 Paint wood, canvas, or ceramics

19 1-3 Paint wood, canvas, or ceramics

22 10-12 Healthy Steps

23 1-3 Bingo

24 1-3 Bingo

25 1-3 Bingo

26 1-3 Bingo

29 10-12 Healthy Steps

30 1-3 Easter Craft

31 1-3 Easter Craft

March 2021

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

1 1-3 Writing Group

2 1-3 Color Eggs

5 10-12 Healthy Steps

6 1-3 Coffee Club & 10,000

7 1-3 Coffee Club & 10,000

8 1-2 Plant Flower Seeds 2-3 BARC Therapy

9 1-3 Coffee Club & 10,000

12 10-12 Healthy Steps

13 1-3 Make a Wind Chime

14 1-3 Make a Wind Chime

15 1-3Make a Wind Chime

16 1-3 10,000 or bring a project from home you would like to work on/share

19 10-12 Healthy Steps

20 1-3 Talking Circle

21 1-3 Flower Pot Painting

22 1-3 Flower Pot Painting

23 1-3 Flower Pot Painting

26 10-12 Healthy Steps

27 1-3 Bingo

28 1-3 Bingo

29 1-3 Bingo

30 1-3 Bingo

April 2021

Thank you to Jim Aakhus! Jim just completed six years on the Hope House board. He has served as treasurer, committee member and committee chair, Facebook guru, fundraiser, and public speaker, among many things! He continues to be a strong advocate for mental health, as he is also the local contact for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Jim will continue as our Facebook guru, and all- around-resource-and publicity-advocate! Thank you, Jim, for all you do!

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2014 7th Street SE PO Box 1097 Bemidji, MN 56619

Staff: Stephanie Chupp, Rehab Worker, ext. 105 Sharon Collins, contract nurse, ext. 104 Joseph Cook, CMHP, ext. 102 Brenda Epeneter, CSP Worker, ext. 103 Katrina Pink, CMHP, ext. 108 Robin Wold – Director, ext. 109 Jody Yerbich, Secretary/Activity Coordinator, ext. 101

Phone: 218-444-6748 Phones are not answered between Noon & 1 PM. (Please leave a message during those times.)

Crisis Line: 1-800-422-0045

United Way Helps Here