Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Quarterly Newsletter Fall 2018
Colorado Recovery’s treehouse is a social-vocational center run by and for Colorado Recovery clients. The program helps prepare clients for success in relationships, volunteer work, education and job placements. The Treehouse is modeled after such programs as The Fountain House in New York which is famous for helping people with mental health challenges have a sense of belonging in the community.
Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Monthly Newsletter April 2018
There have been several studies in recent years about how art may have many health-enhancing benefits. Art making is a whole person activity, activating both hemispheres of the brain in cognitive activity, as well as activating kinesthetic experiences and affective states. Art making and creativity can hold intrinsic qualities of communication, exploration, self-reflection, increased attention & stress reduction.
Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Monthly Newsletter March 2017
Probiotics have traditionally been used for the treatment of conditions such as IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, and other GI related ailments. Currently there is some exploration in the medical community of the benefits of using probiotic therapies in the treatment of mental illnesses. Colorado Recovery psychiatrist Dr. Julia Maximon shared that currently there is great interest in the connection between the brain and gut health.
Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Monthly Newsletter December 2017
A light therapy box mimics outdoor light. Researchers believe this type of light causes a chemical change in the brain that lifts your mood and eases other symptoms of SAD. Sleep researchers are also highlighting the importance of light to promote alertness and balance circadian rhythm. Avoiding direct light into the eyes via screens is an essential sleep hygiene tip.
Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Monthly Newsletter November 2017
Welcome Colorado Recovery community! We have created a monthly newsletter to keep you informed about the issues, activities and progress at Colorado Recovery. We want to involve family andthe broader community as much as possible. We would like to share resources, ideas and tips for creating and making recovery a possibility.
Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Monthly Newsletter September 2017
Jed Shapiro a psychiatrist at Colordo Recovery, a local Reverend, Alan Johnson and psychology professorAnne Weiher, PhD. presented an enlightening In-Service on the importance of incorporating spirituality into recovery. Dr. Shapiro and his collegues are on the board of Interfaith Network on Mental Illness(INMI) The mission of INMI is to increase awareness and understanding of mental illness among clergy, staff, lay leaders and members of faith communities and help them more effectively develop and nurture supportive environments for persons dealing with mental illnesses and their families and friends.
Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Monthly Newsletter July 2017
The Treehouse went to a Colorado Rockies game on Father’s Day. Clients and staff said it was a great time and many clients hope to attend more games. Thanks to Tommy for coordinating. Blaise Rastello, CAC II and MSW candidate started a gardening group held every Tuesday. Note the before and after pictures!
Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Monthly Newsletter June 2017
May has been a fun month in Boulder, it snowed on the 18th, very late in the year, but we are grateful to have the moisture to possibly delay the inevitable fire season. The vocational department added a new activity this month. Every week we now visit a volunteer location such as Art Parts, a reused art supply store and volunteer as a group for 1-2 hours. A vocational counselor is present to support the clients with the volunteer experience.
Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Monthly Newsletter May 2017
InApril we had two wonderful in-services. Christie Slattery, LPC, presented a workshop about Grief and Loss, highlighting the differences between grief compared to clinical depression. It was a big topic to fit into an hour presentation, but Christie did a great job. She sent staff and clients home with a lot of resources.
Blaise Rastello, CAC II and MSW candidate, instructed staff and clients alike in various aspects of Developmental Trauma. He defined developmental trauma, helped participants understand how it can impact treatment and discussed why it is not in the DSM-V yet. Thank you to all of our wonderful presenters.
Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Monthly Newsletter April2017
Clients and staff also attended an in-service about how Drugs, Alcohol and Psychiatric medications interact. Dr. David Graybill said, ““the presentation was very informative in helping to understand the interactions between psychiatric medications and recreational drugs, particularly the ever-expanding knowledge base regarding marijuana itself as well as its interactions with psychiatric medications.” The in-service committee hopes to continue the dialogue regarding drug interactions and they have several great presentations planned for the upcoming year to ensure our staff and clients have cutting edge information.
Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Monthly Newsletter March 2017
The weather has been an amazing mix of contrasts over the past month. Our activity coordinators have adapted well, playing one soccer game in the snow! Dr. Julia Maximon gave an incredible presentation to staff and clients highlighting Dr. Warner’s areas of research and innovative leadership. It was inspiring, encouraging and thought provoking.
Widening Circles: Colorado Recovery’s Monthly Newsletter February 2017
Happy February! Colorado Recovery celebrated our 10th Anniversary on Friday, January 27th. It was a fun event. Lucy Warner, wife of the founder of Colorado Recovery spoke about Dr. Warner’s vision and values. A client wrote a tribute to Dr. Warner, read by our CEO. Board member, Jason Wiener, spoke about employee ownership and the benefits of the model. Two families spoke about their experiences in recovery, many clients appreciated the insights. Two clientsperformed some amazing music, enjoyed by all. It took them time and effort to plan and prepare for the event. We are very grateful for everyone who participated.
