MIND MATTERS
Alamo Head Injury Association, Inc.
April - June 2008
April Meeting
When: Wednesday, April 23rd, 5:45 – 7:45 p.m.
Where: Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center
2203 Babcock Road, San Antonio
PROGRAM: (Please note that the meetings and programs of the Alamo Head Injury Association (AHIA) are open to members, non members, guests, visitors and anyone desiring to provide or receive information and/or support.)
Family members: Dr. Douglas Cooper, a neuropsychologist in private practice in the area will be facilitating a discussion session for family members.
Survivors: Mary Ann Lopez will lead a survivor’s discussion group and Lupe Armendariz will be facilitating a Bingo Marathon.
In our
monthly meetings, we strive to provide speakers and/or programs that are
informative and will benefit our members and survivors in some way. However,
if you have come to our meeting seeking personal support or guidance and would
prefer to speak with someone one on one, please let it be known, as there will
always be someone available to talk with you.
May Picnic
When: Wednesday, May 28th
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
(Please plan your ViaTrans return for 7:30 p.m.)
Where: MacArthur Park, Pavilion #1,
1611 NE Loop 410, Harry Wurzbach Road exit.
Program: Come join the fun at MacArthur Park for the AHIA Family Picnic. Hot dogs and the fixin’s, iced tea and lemonade are provided. You may bring chips, dips or desserts to share! There will be a fun game of Sandbag Baseball to play or just come and enjoy an evening at the park!
See Map below for directions to MacArthur Park.
June Meeting
When: Wednesday, June 25th, 5:45 – 7:45 p.m.
Where: Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center
2203 Babcock Road, San Antonio
Family members: Dr. Douglas Cooper will be facilitating a discussion session for family members.
Survivors: Mary Ann Lopez will be facilitating a survivor discussion group and Lupe Armendariz will present a program on Managing Stress “Be Cool!?”
REPORT ON AHIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
This year’s conference was quite a success with an attendance of 126 people. The proceeds from the conference netted $11,500 which is a record. The silent auction also netted a record of $1,216. Thank you to everyone, especially Marcine Garis and the co-presenters, University Hospital and Reeves Rehabilitation Center, who worked hard to make this such a successful event. Also a special thanks to the following sponsors for the conference:
Platinum Sponsors:
HEALTHSOUTH RIOSA
ResCare Premier - Dedicated to Persons with Acquired Brain Injury
Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center
IMS- Information Management Solutions
Reeves Rehabilitation Center
University Hospital
Gold Sponsors:
Bexar Care Home Medical Equipment & Services
CNS - Center for Neuro Skills
Mary Lee Foundation
Pronto Publishing & Printing
Texas NeuroRehab Center
Touchstone Neurorecovery Center
Warm Springs
Information about Trey’s House a new facility in San Antonio for Acquired and Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors:
A clubhouse for individuals with acquired and traumatic brain injury
230 E. Travis 2nd Floor
Travis Park United Methodist Church
Open Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm
210-771-4489
Tuesdays and Thursdays
9 am Doors Open, Social time:
9:30 AM – 10 AM Morning Unit Meetin
10:00 AM - Noon Unit Wor
Lunch served includes lunch cleanup Noon – 1 PM
1:00 - 1:30 PM Afternoon House Meeting
1:30 – 3:00 PM Unit Work
3:00 to 4:00 pm Close up days work, social time
Features of the Work Ordered Day
Clubhouses are based on the idea that work is healing. We also recognize that healing
comes from social times as well. Members of the Clubhouse work with the staff,
using their abilities to complete the work of the Clubhouse.
Treys House Clubhouse will feature these Work Units.
- Special Events Unit: This unit is responsible for planning and organizing parties and fundraising events, and “Heads Up Program.”.
- Advocacy and Out-reach. This unit will be responsible for calling members who haven’t been seen in a while, and working with existing programs to help members access services, like transitional employment programs, and food stamps. Additionally, this unit will maintain a catalog of existing services.
- Clubhouse Extras: The Clubhouse also offers Internet support and plenty of games.
Members are expected to sign in and out of the clubhouse. Common rules of respect and courtesy will apply. If you are being aggressive, or threatening to harm yourself or others, you will be asked to leave for the day.
International Standards For Clubhouse Programs
The International Standards for Clubhouse Programs, consensually agreed upon by the worldwide Clubhouse community, define the Clubhouse Model of rehabilitation. The principles expressed in these Standards are at the heart of the Clubhouse community’s success in helping people with mental illness to stay out of hospitals while achieving social, financial and vocational goals. The Standards also serve as a “bill of rights” for members and a code of ethics for staff, board and administrators. The Standards insist that a Clubhouse is a place that offers respect and opportunity to its members.
IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT THESE STANDARDS, WITH SOME MODIFICATION, CAN BE APPLIED TO A CLUBHOUSE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ACQUIRED AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
TREY’S HOUSE SA
MEMBERSHIP
1. Membership is voluntary and without time limits.
2. Trey’s House has control over its acceptance of new members. Membership is open to anyone with a history of acquired brain injury, unless that person poses a significant and current threat to the general safety of the Trey’s House community.
3. Members choose the way they utilize Trey’s House, and the staff with whom they work. There are no agreements, contracts, schedules, or rules intended to enforce participation of members.
4. All members have equal access to every Trey’s House opportunity with no differentiation based on diagnosis or level of functioning.
5. Members at their choice are involved in the writing of all records reflecting their participation in Trey’s House. All such records are to be signed by both member and staff.
6. Members have a right to immediate re-entry into the Trey’s House community after any length of absence, unless their return poses a threat to Trey’s House community.
7. Trey’s House provides an effective reach out system to members who are not attending, becoming isolated in the community or hospitalized.
RELATIONSHIPS
8. All Trey’s House meetings are open to both members and staff. There are no formal member only meetings or formal staff only meetings where program decisions and member issues are discussed.
9. Trey’s House staff have generalist roles. Trey’s House staff are sufficient to engage the membership, yet few enough to make carrying out their responsibilities impossible without member involvement.
10. Responsibility for the operation of Trey’s House lies with the members and staff and ultimately with Trey’s House director. Central to this responsibility is the engagement of members and staff in all aspects of Trey’s House operation.
SPACE
11. Trey’s House has its own identity, including its own name, mailing address and telephone number.
12. Trey’s House is located in its own physical space. It is separate from any institutional settings, and is impermeable to other programs. Trey’s House is designed to facilitate the work-ordered day and at the same time be attractive, adequate in size, and convey a sense of respect and dignity.
13. All Trey’s House space is member and staff accessible. There are no staff-only or member only spaces.
WORK-ORDERED DAY
14. The work-ordered day engages members and staff together, side-by-side, in the running of Trey’s House. Trey’s House focuses on strengths, talents and abilities; therefore, the work-ordered day must not include medication clinics, day treatment or therapy programs within Trey’s House.
15. The work done in Trey’s House is exclusively the work generated by Trey’s House in the operation and enhancement of Trey’s House community. No work for outside individuals or agencies, whether for pay or not, is acceptable work in Trey’s House. Members are not paid for any Trey’s House work, nor are there any artificial reward systems.
16. Trey’s House is open two days a week initially, with the expectation that we will open five days a week in the future. The work-ordered day parallels typical working hours.
17. Trey’s House is organized into one or more work units, each of which has sufficient staff, members and meaningful work to sustain a full and engaging work-ordered day. Unit meetings are held to foster relationships as well as to organize and plan the work of the day.
18. All work in Trey’s House is designed to help members regain self worth, purpose and confidence; it is not intended to be job specific training.
19. Members have the opportunity to participate in all the work of Trey’s House, including administration, research, intake and orientation, reach out, hiring, training and evaluation of staff, public relation, advocacy and evaluation of Trey’s House effectiveness.
EMPLOYMENT
20. Trey’s House encourages its members to return to paid work through existing available services. Therefore, Trey’s House does not provide employment to members through in-house businesses, segregated Trey’s House enterprises or sheltered workshops.
Transitional Employment
21. Treys House recognizes that transitional employment (TE) is best managed by existing organizations that are already in place, and that:
a. The desire to work is the single most important factor determining placement opportunity.
b. Members work at the employer’s place of business.
c. Members are paid the prevailing wage rate, but at least minimum wage, directly by the employer.
d. There are no TE placements within Trey’s House. Transitional Employment placements at an auspice agency must be off site from Trey’s House and meet all of the above criteria.
22. Members who are working independently continue to have available all Trey’s House supports and opportunities including advocacy for entitlements, and assistance with housing, clinical, legal, financial and personal issues, as well as participation in evening and weekend programs.
EDUCATION
23. Trey’s House assists members to further their vocational and educational goals by helping them take advantage of adult education opportunities in the community.
FUNCTIONS OF THE HOUSE
24. Trey’s House is located in an area where access to local transportation can be assured. Trey’s House may provide or arrange for effective alternatives whenever access to public transportation is limited.
25. Community support services are provided by members and staff of Trey’s House. Community support activities are centered in the work unit structure of Trey’s House. They include helping with entitlements, housing and advocacy, as well as assistance in finding quality medical, psychological, pharmacological and substance abuse services in the community.
26. Trey’s House is committed to assisting members in finding a range of choices of safe, decent and affordable housing for all members.
27. Trey’s House conducts an objective evaluation of its effectiveness on a regular basis.
28. Trey’s House has recreational and social programs during evenings and on weekends. Holidays are celebrated on the actual day they are observed.
FUNDING, GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
29. Trey’s House has an independent board of directors, and an advisory board comprised of individuals uniquely positioned to provide fiscal, legal, legislative, consumer and community support and advocacy for Trey’s House.
30. Trey’s House develops and maintains its own budget, approved by the board or advisory board prior to the beginning of the fiscal year and monitored routinely during the fiscal year.
31. Staff salaries are competitive with comparable positions in the mental health field.
32. Trey’s House may collaborate with people and organizations that can increase its effectiveness in the broader community.
33. Trey’s House will hold open forums and has procedures which enable members and staff to actively participate in decision making, generally by consensus, regarding governance, policy making, and the future direction and development of Trey’s House.