tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68067979683783506432024-03-12T19:26:16.493-04:00Advocacy Unlimited, Inc.Advocacy Unlimited, Inc. offers comprehensive education in recovery and advocacy skills for persons with, or in recovery from, psychiatric disabilities or co-occurring disorders, as well as a wealth of information and resources on mental health.Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-43998901973800447592014-01-13T17:50:00.000-05:002014-01-14T13:24:08.045-05:00<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Next Advocacy Education Course</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AU's next Advocacy Education Course starts February 3, 2014 at InterCommunity Mental Health Group in East Hartford. Interviews are being scheduled now. For details and to apply, see </span><a href="http://www.mindlink.org/ed_schedule.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Course Schedule</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span> Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-5591280209078257132013-07-03T18:05:00.000-04:002013-07-03T18:06:02.278-04:0054th AU Graduation Scheduled<div style="margin-top: 27px;">
AU is pleased to announce its 54th Advocacy
Education Course Commencement Ceremony celebrating the graduating class of the
15th Hispanic Course held at the Hispanic Health Council in Hartford. The
ceremony will be held<span class="ellipsis">…</span></div>
<div class="large centerthis boldthis no-bttm-margin" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="large centerthis boldthis no-bttm-margin" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="xlarge">Friday,
July 12, 2013</span><br />
2:00 - 4:00 pm<br />
<span class="unboldthis emphthis med">- at -</span><br />
State Capitol Building<br />
North
Lobby<br />
210 Capitol Ave.<br />
Hartford, CT 06106</div>
<div class="large centerthis boldthis no-bttm-margin" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="medsm" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
74 Advocacy Education
Courses courses and 54 graduations have now been held throughout Connecticut
since AU was founded. Fourteen of the courses have been offered in Spanish. More
than 500 persons in recovery from mental health or co-occurring disorders have
now graduated and become AU Advocates, 125 of whom are Hispanic course
graduates. More than 100 young adults have graduated from AU's Young Adult
"Super Advocate" Program. In addition, 474 individuals have been State Certified
as Recovery Support Specialists through AU's comprehensive Recovery University
program. See <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/graduation_54_15th_hispanic_class.html" target="_blank">54th Graduation</a>.</div>
Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-80189841256028879652013-05-23T13:50:00.001-04:002013-05-23T13:50:39.120-04:00Sandy Hook: AU's Involvement and Response -- In the aftermath of the December 14, 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy in Newtown, CT, Advocacy Unlimited has been extremely proactive in monitoring, responding to, participating in, advocating, and reacting to media coverage and legislation surrounding the incident, especially where it became discriminatory or encroached upon Human Rights. See <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/au_sandy_hook.html" target="_blank">AU Sandy Hook</a>.Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-38011033640189215202012-03-19T13:16:00.000-04:002012-03-19T13:16:18.415-04:0049th AU Graduation...AU is pleased to announce its 49th Graduation Celebration honoring the students of the 12th Latino Advocacy Education Course. To recognize these courageous individuals, a commencement ceremony will be held<span class="ellipsis"> </span>Friday, April 13, 2012 at the Connecticut State Capitol, North Lobby in Hartford, CT from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. See <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/graduation_49_12th_hispanic_class.html" target="_blank">49th Graduation</a> for details.Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-1858410945353808612012-03-19T13:03:00.000-04:002012-03-19T13:03:37.124-04:00Upcoming Recovery University course offerings announced...Two new 60-hour courses and one refresher course have been scheduled. See <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/ed_recovery_university.html" target="_blank" title="Recovery University">Recovery University</a> for complete details.Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-73770851344001372102011-05-26T22:26:00.000-04:002011-05-26T22:26:13.225-04:00"Music for Our Time" FundraiserThe <b style="color: #8e7cc3;"><i>Voice Studio of Adele Paxton</i></b> will be performing "Music for Our Time," a fundraiser to benefit Advocacy Unlimited...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Music for Our Time<br />
~ A program to benefit AU ~<br />
Sunday, June 19, 2011<br />
4:00 pm<br />
- at -<br />
St. James Church<br />
767 Elm Street<br />
Rocky Hill, CT</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><br />
See <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/res_ctr_events.html#fundraiser">www.mindlink.org/res_ctr_events.html#fundraiser</a> for directions and more info.Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-51430412284007511742010-09-02T13:01:00.000-04:002010-09-02T13:01:27.482-04:00AU's 2nd Annual Fundraiser<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mindlink.org/images/ing_htfd_marathon_logo_vert.png" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mindlink.org/images/ing_htfd_marathon_logo_vert.png" /></a></div><br />
AU is proud to be an official charity of the ING Hartford Marathon again this year as part of <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/res_ctr_events.html#ing2010" title="AU's 2nd Annual Fundraiser">AU's 2nd Annual Fundraiser</a>. Visit <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/" target="_blank" title="Visit AU's website">AU's website</a> for more details!Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-15591622058549787022010-07-13T16:51:00.002-04:002010-07-13T16:57:05.180-04:00<b>ADA 20th Anniversary Celebration</b><br />
The ADA Coalition of Connecticut cordially invites you to “The ADA at 20: Dreams Delivered, Dreams Deferred” on July 26th at the LOB in Hartford.<br />
<br />
Honorary chairperson and keynote speaker is Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., former Connecticut Governor, U.S. Senator, and a chief architect of the ADA. See <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/res_ctr_events.html#ada20" target="_blank">ADA 20th Anniversary</a> for more information.Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-41537797645970818362010-03-12T11:30:00.004-05:002010-03-12T11:46:10.175-05:00<a href="http://www.mindlink.org" title="See Recovery University on Advocacy Unlimited's website" target="_blank"><strong>Advocacy Unlimited's Recovery University Course</strong></a> – a training and certification program for Recovery Support Specialists. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: #990077">New dates announced!</span> The dates for the next full session of the RU Training and Certification Course, as well as the next Refresher Courses, have just been posted. For details and complete information, see <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/recovery_univ.html" title="Recovery University details and complete information" target="_blank">Recovery University</a>.Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-4584018929599507522009-09-21T12:33:00.001-04:002009-09-21T12:38:44.250-04:002009 ING Hartford Marathon<p><span style="font-size: 120%; color: #990077"><b><i>WOW!</i></b></span> 19 days until race day. I always get a little sad at the end because I feel like I should have run faster or should have eaten better. I guess I will not be allowed to be an elite runner. I hope to see everyone at Bushnell Park on October 10, 2009, it will be a great day of fun. Visit <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/res_ctr_events.html#ing" target="_blank" title="AU an Official Charity for 2009 Hartford Marathon">AU Official Charity for 2009 Hartford Marathon</a>.</p>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-69374741272242203312009-09-21T12:15:00.004-04:002009-09-21T12:28:39.891-04:00Recovery University - 2nd Session Starting!<p>Advocacy Unlimited is pleased to announce that we are accepting applications for the 2nd session of Recovery University classes. Recovery University is a training and certification program for Recovery Support Specialists, Peer Delivered Services.<br><br />Classes will begin on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at Beers Hall on the CVH campus in Middletown, CT. Classes will run from 9:00am to 5:00pm, every Thursday until December 10, 2009 (no class on Thanksgiving Day). <i>Please submit your application ASAP -- seats are limited!</i> For complete details, visit <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/recovery_univ.html" target="_blank" title="Recovery University - Training and certification for Recovery Support Specialists, Peer Delivered Services">Recovery University</a> on AU's website.</p>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-42801910554095876762009-09-04T14:04:00.005-04:002009-09-21T12:30:08.636-04:00Volunteers NeededAdvocacy Unlimited needs help during the Hartford Marathon on Saturday, October 10th. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact our office at (860) 667-0460 and ask for Linda. Thank you!Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-30740400963202734942009-09-04T14:02:00.000-04:002009-09-04T14:03:58.313-04:00Words of Encouragement“ The big day is approaching and my goals have changed. Speed is not my concern, fun is. I tried a couple of speed runs, my old injury from the marathon started acting up, I have black toe and I am getting tired. Is this a sign of old age? Am I really coming to the end of my running ? NO! I always get really tired and discouraged at the end of my training but I never give up!”Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-27267794797229698012009-08-05T16:20:00.002-04:002009-08-05T16:28:37.604-04:00Running for Recovery Update"My running has been wonderful ! This morning was like running in molasses, it is so humid outside. My left leg has been bothering me and I am hoping that the tightness goes away before my long run on Friday, keep your fingers crossed. If you have any suggestions, please send them to llentini@mindlink.org."Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-57865732918995645382009-07-22T12:13:00.010-04:002009-07-24T19:49:37.843-04:00Running for Recovery UpdateLinda reports from yesterday:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;"><em>"Good rainy afternoon! I had to wear my hat today because of the rain. I always wonder what people are thinking about when they see a person running in the rain. I will give you updates about my sprinting after Wednesday's session. Sprinting is really important to remind my legs that I have to kick it in high gear at the end."</em></span></strong><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/SmpIfpuOF8I/AAAAAAAAAH8/bwAi044Su8U/s1600-h/hat.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 277px; height: 208px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/SmpIfpuOF8I/AAAAAAAAAH8/bwAi044Su8U/s320/hat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362178014950856642" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color:#990077;"><strong>REMEMBER, THERE ARE 4 WAYS TO SUPPORT AU:</strong></span><strong></strong><br /><br /><strong>●Join us as a volunteer on October 10<br />●Make a contribution through </strong><a title="AU's Website" href="http://www.mindlink.org/res_ctr_events.html#ing" target="_blank"><strong>http://www.mindlink.org</strong></a><strong><br />●Donate using Mastercard or Visa through </strong><a title="donate by MC/Visa through Active.com" href="http://www.active.com/donate/Advocacyunlimited" target="_blank"><strong>www.active.com/donate/Advocacyunlimited</strong></a><strong><br />●Invite your friends and family to contribute!</strong>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-79361696356432550232009-07-20T13:18:00.015-04:002009-07-22T13:42:41.472-04:00Bazelon Center Releases Report on Olmstead Challenges Ahead<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/SmSoSBfFEuI/AAAAAAAAAHk/fJDkd_A4rm8/s1600-h/Olmstead_CalltoAction.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360594484067635938" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 233px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/SmSoSBfFEuI/AAAAAAAAAHk/fJDkd_A4rm8/s320/Olmstead_CalltoAction.jpg" border="0" /></a> The <a title="Bazelon Center" href="http://www.bazelon.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law</strong></a> has just released "Still waiting...The Unfulfilled Promise of Olmstead: A call to action." The publication commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court's historic decision establishing the right to services in the most integrated setting.<br /><br />Main points of the report include:<br /><ul><li>States must determine how many people with disabilities are served in unnecessarily segregated settings and what community-based services are necessary to support reintegration and recovery. They then must shift funding from institutions to community-based services.<br /><br /></li><li>Implementing Olmstead programs through health care reform would save billions of taxpayer dollars by making essential community services available to people with mental illnesses.<br /><br /></li><li>Often pressured by profit-making providers, states continue to waste valuable resources by placing people with mental illnesses in costly, ineffective institutional settings. The cost of a supportive apartment is one eighth that of state hospital care, just over a third of the cost in a board-and-care facility.<br /><br /></li><li>It is critical to promote Supreme Court and other judicial nominees who have an understanding of and intention to uphold Olmstead, the ADA and other civil rights laws. </li></ul><p>“On this pivotal anniversary of Olmstead, we must take a hard look at what really needs to be accomplished to adequately serve millions of people with mental illnesses so that they receive the most integrated care possible. <a title="President Obama’s statement of commitment to Olmstead" href="http://www.bazelon.org/newsroom/2009/6-22-09Obama-Olmstead.htm" target="_blank"><strong>We are encouraged by President Obama’s statement of commitment on Monday</strong></a> to Olmstead’s civil rights and community integration mandates, and we hope that the release of this report spurs additional action,” said Robert Bernstein, Ph. D, executive director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.</p><p>To download a copy of the report, please click <a title="Download Olmstead Call to Action" href="http://www.mindlink.org/dwnld_docs/Olmstead_Call-to-Action_Bazelon_6-24-09.pdf" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-53900495241532349062009-07-16T09:09:00.008-04:002009-07-22T13:24:01.575-04:00Running for Recovery Update<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sl8oRoG2aCI/AAAAAAAAAHc/LG2yn3pn_Bs/s1600-h/1563785199_f6f1c1cf3e.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359046364883216418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sl8oRoG2aCI/AAAAAAAAAHc/LG2yn3pn_Bs/s320/1563785199_f6f1c1cf3e.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Hartford Marathon</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">October 13, 2007</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">image: Bill Jankowski</div><br />Linda reports:<br /><br /><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff6600;">"One of my goals for the race is to finish with a time of 1:45 - that would take 10 minutes off last year. I talked to my husband and asked him to get a stopwatch and time me. We are going to the track tonight, after I run my scheduled 4 miles, and I'll practice sprinting. I will let you know my time for the 100 yard dash and we can track my progress together . . ."</span></i></b><br /><br />(Linda promises to explain to us why sprints are an important part of training for a marathon!) </div>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-50647510621255551622009-07-10T12:25:00.018-04:002009-07-22T13:23:29.439-04:00Running for Recovery UpdateFor the next twelve weeks, Grants Manager and Director of Training for Recovery University Linda Lentini will be sending in periodic updates on her training for the October ING Hartford Marathon. You can also follow her on our <a title="AU on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/advocacyunltd" target="_blank"><strong>Twitter feed</strong></a>.<br /><br /><p align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356880116002765154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 145px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sld2FWKyuWI/AAAAAAAAAHM/CW8pnQOpk5k/s200/Linda+for+blog.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">Linda Lentini - She's smiling today! <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sld1U5tH6PI/AAAAAAAAAG8/JQFejcyRsUI/s1600-h/Linda+for+blog.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;"><em>"Well, training starts tomorrow and I have planned my routes in my head. It is really amazing how much time and energy goes into training for a half marathon. The race only takes about 2 hours but the training can take months. I am really excited and I cannot wait to share all it with you!"</em></span></strong><br /><br /><p align="left">If you have any questions for Linda about her training, you can email her directly at <a title="email Linda Lentini" href="mailto:llentini@mindlink.org" target="_blank"><strong>llentini@mindlink.org</strong></a>. We'll post her answers here.<br /><br /><span style="color:#990077;"><strong>REMEMBER, THERE ARE 4 WAYS TO HELP AU:<br /><br />●Join us as a volunteer on October 10<br />●Make a contribution through </strong><a title="AU's Website" href="http://www.mindlink.org/res_ctr_events.html#ing" target="_blank"><strong>http://www.mindlink.org</strong></a><strong><br />●Donate using Mastercard or Visa through </strong><a title="donate by MC/Visa through Active.com" href="http://www.active.com/donate/Advocacyunlimited" target="_blank"><strong>www.active.com/donate/Advocacyunlimited</strong></a><strong><br />●Invite your friends and family to contribute!</strong></span></p>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-78718825255959437982009-07-09T16:50:00.017-04:002009-07-22T13:04:45.629-04:00AU Celebrates Fourth Hispanic Graduation at Hartford Foundation<div align="left">Advocacy Unlimited held its Fourth Hispanic Graduation at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving on Wednesday, July 8 from 2-4. The ceremony honored graduates of AU’s Advocacy Education class, a 14-week course for persons in recovery from psychiatric disabilities and/or co-occurring disorders.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356858183324564018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/SldiIsk0ejI/AAAAAAAAAGs/drsTaAcuYqM/s400/AUgroup1.JPG" border="0" /> <div align="center">2009 Hispanic Mi Casa Class</div><br />This class, taught entirely in Spanish at Mi Casa Family Services in Hartford, was funded as part of a multi-year grant from the Hartford Foundation to create a Hispanic Initiative that expands Advocacy Unlimited’s service to Greater Hartford’s Latino community.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356858175821471362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/SldiIQn8XoI/AAAAAAAAAGk/RA75pDQU7kE/s400/speaker1.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center">Annette Deonarine, AU Director of Education and Latino Initiative and Pete Rosa, Program Officer, Hartford Foundation</p>The keynote speaker was Pete Rosa, Program Officer, Hartford Foundation. Other speakers included Jorge L. Rivera, Founder and Executive Director, Mi Casa Family Services and Thomas A. Kirk, Jr., Ph.D., DMHAS Commissioner.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sldh-NE1G7I/AAAAAAAAAGc/UAm92rLdDfY/s1600-h/speaker2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356858003070196658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 336px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 371px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sldh-NE1G7I/AAAAAAAAAGc/UAm92rLdDfY/s400/speaker2.JPG" border="0" /></a> Jorge L. Rivera, Founder and Executive Director, Mi Casa Family Services<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sldh93vjlFI/AAAAAAAAAGU/0O8GaKvjkvM/s1600-h/speaker3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356857997343822930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sldh93vjlFI/AAAAAAAAAGU/0O8GaKvjkvM/s400/speaker3.JPG" border="0" /></a> Thomas A. Kirk, Jr., Ph.D., DMHAS Commissioner, addresses the graduates.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sldh9kG94EI/AAAAAAAAAGM/KyaNrZPZnVE/s1600-h/AUaward1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356857992073306178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 275px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sldh9kG94EI/AAAAAAAAAGM/KyaNrZPZnVE/s400/AUaward1.JPG" border="0" /></a> Commissioner Thomas A. Kirk, Jr., Ph.D. (center), John Sims,<br />President of AU's Board of Director and Dr. Karen A. Kangas, AU’s Executive Director<br /><div align="left"><br />At the ceremony, John Sims, President of AU Board's of Directors, presented Commissioner Kirk with <em>The Karen Kangas Excellency in Advocacy Award</em> in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of mental health and substance use disorders. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sldh9b5OkeI/AAAAAAAAAGE/NfI8jriDPKM/s1600-h/AUaward2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356857989868196322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 263px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sldh9b5OkeI/AAAAAAAAAGE/NfI8jriDPKM/s400/AUaward2.JPG" border="0" /></a>AU would like to congratulate the graduates and especially recognize Annette Deonarine, Director of Education and the Latino Initiative, for successfully leading the class and for tremendous work and dedication to this class and to all her students.</div><div align="left"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sldh9flhACI/AAAAAAAAAF8/LLmDqgWyx00/s1600-h/AUcake.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356857990859259938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 277px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/Sldh9flhACI/AAAAAAAAAF8/LLmDqgWyx00/s400/AUcake.JPG" border="0" /></a> Also visit <a title="AU graduation on DMHAS website" href="http://www.ct.gov/DMHAS/cwp/view.asp?a=2918&q=443118" target="_blank"><strong>Advocacy Unlimited Celebrates 38th Graduation Ceremony</strong></a> at the DMHAS website! </div></div>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-32146079974002990942009-07-06T14:30:00.006-04:002009-07-06T14:44:24.774-04:00Save the Date: "Recovery Through a New Lens"<strong><span style="color:#000099;">Co-Occurring Concerns:<br />Mental Health and Substance Abuse Recovery<br />Educational Forum<br /><br />September 2, 2009</span></strong><br /><br /><em>co-sponsors</em>:<br />Advocacy Unlimited, Hartford Recovery Community Center<br />and Women’s & Children’s Program Connection Inc.<br /><br /><em>guest speakers</em>:<br />Julienne Giard, MSW, Co-Occurring Project Manager,<br />CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS)<br />and Paul Acker, InterCommunity Mental Health<br /><br /><em>time</em>:<br />10:00 am – 12:00 pm<br />doors open at 9:30 am)<br /><br /><em>location</em>:<br />Hartford Recovery Community Center<br />198 Wethersfield Avenue<br />Hartford, CT 06114<br /><br />space is limited<br />light refreshments will be served<br /><br />for more information or to RSVP, please contact Lyne Stokes,<br />Program Director, Advocacy Unlimited, at 860-667-0460 or<br />at <a href="mailto:lstokes@mindlink.org"><strong>lstokes@mindlink.org</strong></a>.Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-88172447247596929702009-07-06T13:06:00.015-04:002009-07-22T13:51:07.075-04:00Running for Recovery: Training for the ING Hartford MarathonFor the next twelve weeks, Grants Manager and Director of Training for Recovery University Linda Lentini will be sending in periodic updates on her training for the October ING Hartford Marathon. You can also follow her on our <a href="https://twitter.com/advocacyunltd"><strong>Twitter feed</strong></a>.<br /><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355395414993546754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YKokn09F_H0/SlIvwX5yLgI/AAAAAAAAAFE/VWW0265ROEk/s200/IMG00029.jpg" border="0" /></p>Today, Linda reports:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;"><em>"These are the sneakers that will be on my feet for the next 12 or so weeks. As a runner, I have to plan my sneakers around my training. I was able to run 10 miles on Friday for fun, and now I need to do some speed runs. More later this week!"</em><br /></span></strong><br /><p align="left">If you have any questions for Linda about her training, you can email her directly at <a title="email Linda Lentini" href="mailto:llentini@mindlink.org" target="_blank"><strong>llentini@mindlink.org</strong></a>. We'll post her answers here.<br /><br /><span style="color:#990077;"><strong>REMEMBER, THERE ARE 4 WAYS TO HELP AU:<br /><br />●Join us as a volunteer on October 10<br />●Make a contribution through <a title="AU’s Website" href="http://www.blogger.com/www.mindlink.org/res_ctr_events.html#ing" target="_blank">AU's Website</a><br />●Donate using Mastercard or Visa through <a title="donate by MC/Visa through Active.com" href="http://www.active.com/donate/Advocacyunlimited" target="_blank">www.active.com/donate/Advocacyunlimited</a><br />●Invite your friends and family to contribute!</strong></span></p>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-10953369055751381342009-07-02T08:43:00.003-04:002009-07-06T14:47:12.145-04:00Advocacy Unlimited Celebrates 38th Graduation Ceremony & Fourth Hispanic Graduation<b><i>Congratulations to the graduating students of the 2009 Hispanic Mi Casa class, the fourth AU course taught entirely in Spanish!</i></b><br /><br />To recognize and honor these courageous individuals as they begin their journey as AU Advocates, a commencement ceremony will be held on<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#663366;"><b>Wednesday, July 8, 2009 2:00 - 4:00 pm <br /><br /></b></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#663366;"><b>- at -</b></span> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#663366;"><b><br />Hartford Foundation for Public Giving <br />10 Columbus Blvd, 8th Floor<br />Hartford, CT 06106 </b></span><br /><br />The commencement ceremony will feature keynote speaker Pete Rosa, Program Officer, Hartford Foundation. Other speakers will include Jorge L. Rivera, Founder and Executive Director, Mi Casa Family Services, and Thomas A. Kirk, Jr., Ph.D., DMHAS Commissioner. </div><div><br /></div><div>A complimentary reception will follow the commencement activities.<br /><br />AU has held 54 Advocacy Education Courses throughout Connecticut since its founding in 1994. Over 390 students in recovery from psychiatric disabilities or co-occurring disorders have graduated from the Advocacy Education Course and become AU Advocates.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hfpg.org/tabid/157/default.aspx#directions"><b>Click here for directions to the Hartford Foundation and for parking information.</b></a><br /><br />* * * * * *<br /><br />For more information about the Advocacy Education Course, visit <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/ed_overview.html"><strong>http://www.mindlink.org/ed_overview.html</strong></a><strong> </strong><br /><br />For information about Spanish-language classes, visit <a href="http://www.mindlink.org/espanol/default.html"><strong>http://www.mindlink.org/espanol/default.html</strong></a> </div></div>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-22673503837451419012009-07-02T08:32:00.006-04:002009-07-22T13:05:09.901-04:00Schizophrenia linked for first time to chromosome regionFrom Stanford University School of Medicine:<br /><br />"Researchers at Stanford and 14 other institutions carried out a study of common DNA variations throughout the genome, and then combined forces with two independent studies to complete a pooled analysis of 27,000 individuals. The largest genetic differences between the study participants with and without schizophrenia were found on a stretch of chromosome 6 containing numerous genes associated with immune response (and some with other roles). This raises the possibility that immune function plays a role in schizophrenia."<br /><br />See the full story at <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/news_releases/2009/july/schizophrenia.html"><strong>http://med.stanford.edu/news_releases/2009/july/schizophrenia.html</strong></a>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-53243995824912801582009-06-20T09:44:00.005-04:002009-07-22T13:07:24.530-04:00Please Join Us: Rally at State Capitol 6-23<p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#663366;"><b>HELP KEEP CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS HEALTHY AND INDEPENDENT!</b></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">Please join the Keep the Promise Coalition for a Rally at the State Capitol to support vital services that help Connecticut's older adults, children, parents, pregnant women, people with disabilities, immigrants and others stay healthy and live independently in the community. </p><p style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">Keep the Promise is partnering with several disability and older adult advocacy groups to rally against the multitude of proposed budget cuts to vital services.</p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><b>WHAT: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"></span>STATE BUDGET RALLY TO SUPPORT PEOPLE IN NEED</b></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><b>WHEN: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"></span>TUESDAY, JUNE 23 AT 11:30 AM (PLAN TO ARRIVE BY 11AM)</b></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><b>WHERE: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"></span>SOUTH LAWN OF THE STATE CAPITOL (Capitol Avenue side)</b></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"></span></span></b></span>(rain location: Old Judiciary Room, 3rd floor, State Capitol)</p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">*** Free Bag Lunch will be Provided <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, -webkit-fantasy;">Courtesy of AARP<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, fantasy;">***</span></span></p><p style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">To RSVP or get directions, please call Cheri or Maura at (800) 215-3021 or (860) 882-0236 or email at <a href="mail:keepthepromise@namict.org"><strong>mail:keepthepromise@namict.org</strong></a>.</p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#663366;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#663366;">PLEASE INVITE YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS TO THIS EVENT! </span></b></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#663366;">LET THEM KNOW HOW THE PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS WILL IMPACT YOU!</span></b></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica; TEXT-ALIGN: center"></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">You can reach your legislators by calling: </p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">House Democrats (800) 842-8267 </p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">House Republicans (800) 842-1423 </p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">Senate Democrats (800) 842-1420 </p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">Senate Republicans (800) 842-1421</p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">or go to <a href="http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp"><strong>http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp</strong></a></p>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806797968378350643.post-78316608605916633982009-06-11T13:22:00.008-04:002009-07-22T13:06:31.067-04:00Save the Date: 4th Annual Recovery Transformation Celebration<strong>Food! Fun! Music! Networking! Karaoke! Giveaways!<br />4th Annual Transformation Celebration Cookout<br />*co-sponsored by FOR-U and AU*<br /></strong><br /><strong>Where:</strong> Camp Harkness: 301 Great Neck Rd., Waterford, CT<br /><strong>When:</strong> Friday, <strong>August 28th, 2009</strong>, from 1:00 pm–3:00 pm<br /><strong>Who:</strong> ALL ARE WELCOME!<br /><strong>Cost:</strong> $5 per person (includes food, t-shirt, activities and door prizes)<br /><br />Please register the number of individuals and their shirt sizes and send with cash or check payable to “FOR-U” to:<br /><br />Focus On Recovery-United, Inc.<br />100 Riverview Center, Suite 272,<br />Middletown, CT 06457<br /><br />by <strong>Wednesday, AUGUST 12th</strong><br /><br /><em>Pre-registration is not required, but only those who register by August 12th are guaranteed a free Celebration T-shirt.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#990077;"><strong>In order to make this the biggest and best yet, WE NEED YOU!</strong></span><br /><br />Any questions? Please contact FOR-U at (860)704-0556 or by email at <a href="mailto:focusonrecovery@gmail.com"><strong>focusonrecovery@gmail.com</strong></a><br /><br /><em><strong>*partial funding for this event provided by DMHAS*</strong></em>Advocacy Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05027696630851654262noreply@blogger.com0