Next Advocacy Education Course
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 Course Schedule.

54th AU Graduation Scheduled

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…

Friday, July 12, 2013
2:00 - 4:00 pm
- at -
State Capitol Building
North Lobby
210 Capitol Ave.
Hartford, CT 06106

 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 54th Graduation.

Sandy 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 AU Sandy Hook.

49th 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 Friday, April 13, 2012 at the Connecticut State Capitol, North Lobby in Hartford, CT from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.  See 49th Graduation for details.

Upcoming Recovery University course offerings announced...

Two new 60-hour courses and one refresher course have been scheduled. See Recovery University for complete details.

"Music for Our Time" Fundraiser

The Voice Studio of Adele Paxton will be performing "Music for Our Time," a fundraiser to benefit Advocacy Unlimited...

Music for Our Time
~ A program to benefit AU ~
Sunday, June 19, 2011
4:00 pm
- at -
St. James Church
767 Elm Street
Rocky Hill, CT

See www.mindlink.org/res_ctr_events.html#fundraiser for directions and more info.

AU's 2nd Annual Fundraiser

AU is proud to be an official charity of the ING Hartford Marathon again this year as part of AU's 2nd Annual Fundraiser. Visit AU's website for more details!

ADA 20th Anniversary Celebration
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.

Honorary chairperson and keynote speaker is Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., former Connecticut Governor, U.S. Senator, and a chief architect of the ADA. See ADA  20th Anniversary for more information.

Advocacy Unlimited's Recovery University Course – a training and certification program for Recovery Support Specialists.  New dates announced!  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 Recovery University.

2009 ING Hartford Marathon

WOW!  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 AU Official Charity for 2009 Hartford Marathon.

Recovery University - 2nd Session Starting!

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.

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). Please submit your application ASAP -- seats are limited!  For complete details, visit Recovery University on AU's website.

Volunteers Needed

Advocacy 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!

Words 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!”

Running 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."

Running for Recovery Update

Linda reports from yesterday:

"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."



REMEMBER, THERE ARE 4 WAYS TO SUPPORT AU:

●Join us as a volunteer on October 10
●Make a contribution through http://www.mindlink.org
●Donate using Mastercard or Visa through www.active.com/donate/Advocacyunlimited
●Invite your friends and family to contribute!

Bazelon Center Releases Report on Olmstead Challenges Ahead

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law 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.

Main points of the report include:

• 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.
  
  
• Implementing Olmstead programs through health care reform would save billions of taxpayer dollars by making essential community services available to people with mental illnesses.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• 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.

“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. We are encouraged by President Obama’s statement of commitment on Monday 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.

To download a copy of the report, please click here.

Running for Recovery Update

Hartford Marathon

October 13, 2007

image: Bill Jankowski

Linda reports:

"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 . . ."

(Linda promises to explain to us why sprints are an important part of training for a marathon!)