Join us for the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community Erie and support Mental Health Association of NW PA

The 2013 Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community in Erie will take place on Saturday, June 8, 2013, at Presque Isle State Park. Onsite Registration and Check-In begin at 7:45 a.m.

The 5K walk will start at 9:00 a.m. and the 1 Mile Fun Walk will start at 9:15 a.m.

Participants can look forward to:

• A beautiful day! The walk will be held rain or shine.
• A walkway accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.
• Food, beverages, music, activities, and prize drawings immediately following the conclusion of the walk.
• A chance to win one of our great prizes valued at over $1000 collectively. For every $50 that you donate or raise in support of a participating organization, you will receive one raffle ticket.
• Receiving a Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community t-shirt if you donate or raise $25 or more for a participating organization (while supplies last).
• Convenient parking is available at Beach 1. However, get there early because it fills up fast.

~ Register Today ~

"Seeking the approval of my Father" Father/son relationship

Brian McLaughlin writes in this essay, that the questions about his relationship with his father have been resolved. "In the end I learned something very important. Dad thinks I am more than enough just for showing up." Read this very touching essay.

~ Brian McLaughlin Essay ~

Black History Month Celebration

MHA celebrated Black History Month on Feb 19th, 2013. Keeping with this year's theme "Building a Brighter Future through Education and Diversity", Eric Jackson, a graduate student at Edinboro University, produced an event that included voter registration, community service awards, guest speakers, spiritual music and refreshments.

~ Event Overview ~

A quick guide to some housing resources for people experiencing homelessness

Warming Center at MHA

Click on Icon just above this column.

The Warming Center at MHA opens its doors whenever the overnight temperature will be 25 degrees or less, accepting anyone who needs to come in from the cold during overnight hours. All are welcome while they abide by basic rules of mutual respect. MHA provides shelter, safety, food, coffee, activities, conversation, support, and a place to "nap" for those needing to rest.

Erie County Care Management Homeless Case Management

814.528.0600

Best to call early in the morning or late afternoon or most likely you will need to leave a message and number for them to call back. They can meet with you at their office or somewhere in the community. Homeless Case Management can be a good resource way to help someone with a mental health need find a place to live. Homeless case managers have expertise and resources others may not have. The case managers are in the emergency shelters almost every day.

United Methodist Alliance Project Hope

814.456.5670

Project Hope has very active outreach workers. They can meet with you in the community. Project Hope workers often can meet with people in the evenings as well as the daytime. Project Hope has resources others may not.

Over-flow shelter information

814.459.5765

The over-flow shelter location rotates through the community. Call to find the location and times it is open.

Congratulations to Zlata!

Congratulations to Zlata Dzambic on graduating from Treatment Court on Dec 20, 2012. We have seen so much growth in Zlata’s recovery from a year ago. Zlata has kept all of her Treatment Court requirements; she attends AA meetings on a regular basis, and shares her story freely with others in the hope to help them. Zlata is a very strong, caring and respectful person with great compassion towards other peers and give each and every one of them hope for the future. Her family and friends support and believe in her 100%. We believe that she will go far in her recovery with all the love and support from all of her family and friends here within the MHA. We couldn’t be more proud of Zlata for all of her accomplishments she has had in the last year. We believe that Zlata will go far in her life if she continues on the recovery path that she is on today.

Congratulations Zlata from your family at the MHA.

MHA Board Pres. & Johnston Evergreen Nursery Help Beautify the Property

MHA Board President Missi Berquist and MHA volunteers planted new lilies donated by Johnston Evergreen Nursery

~ Complete Article ~

Support group for people with mental illness and addiction

Gain strength and hope for a brighter future by meeting with others suffering with mental illness and addiction. Share your experience and help others learn to cope with their disease. 1st meeting is Tuesday, October 16 at 2:00PM

~ Overview of dual diagnosis support group ~

Peer Support Program at MHANP

We are pleased to announce that the Mental Health Association of Northwestern PA is opening a new free standing, consumer run Peer Support Program (PSP) housed at our facility at 1101 Peach Street, Erie. .....complete article

~ Referral Form ~

~ Service Description ~

Invitation to Join MHA in "Celebrating Hope, Encouragement, Recovery"

MHA is proud to announce that we have partnered with the I'm the Evidence/Mental Health Campaign (ITE/MH), a grassroots initiative to increase awareness that people recover from mental illness and to celebrate individuals who are living examples of recovery, as well as those who support them.

The campaign officially launched this month after a year of planning led by the Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania (MHAPA) and Support the Journey. The MHAPA works on behalf of the mental health of citizens of Pennsylvania instilling principles that facilitate recovery and resiliency of individuals and their families. Support The Journey provides products and services that help people understand, embrace, and support the human potential for growth, discovery, and recovery. At the heart of the Campaign is a poem expressing the Campaign's values - belief, hope, giving, connectedness, action, example, encouragement, and possibility. (Read the entire poem at www.itecampaign.org.)

Becoming a partner in the ITE/MH campaign is a natural fit for MHA. Celebrating the recovery accomplishments of mental health consumers and the roles of families, professionals and organizations in helping consumers in the pursuit of their dreams has been a part of what we do since the MHA came into being in 1993. Those of you receiving this message have also shown a commitment to mental health recovery and we invite you to become a part of this powerful and positive statewide initiative by becoming an ITE/MH partner (organization) or ambassador (individual)

As a Partner, we will spread the messages of the Campaign by helping consumers share their recovery stories, hosting ITE/MH events, recruiting more partners and ambassadors for the campaign, and by being true to the campaign mission.

Join us! Be part of the Campaign. Learn more or get involved at www.itecampaign.org or call me or Rita Wheeler at 814-452-4462 to honor the Evidence in you or someone you know.

Thanks

Bill Grove, CEO

The Internship Experience at the MHA

Several college seniors from universities within the tri state area have spent a semester at the MHA. We have asked our recent interns to express their impression of their experience with us.