January 2006:
Contact us:
24-Hour Crisis Line
(206) 461-3222
(866) 4CRISIS or
(866) 427-4747
(206) 461-3219 TDD
Available 365 days
a year
Community
Information Line
(206) 461-3200
(800) 621-4636
(206) 461-3610 TDD
Monday-Friday,
8am-6pm
Teen Link
(206) 461-4922
(866) TEENLINK or
(866) 833-6546
(206) 461-3219 TDD
Every evening, 6-10pm
Business Office
1515 Dexter Ave N
Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 461-3210
Fax: (206) 461-8368
8am-5pm, M-F
Martin Luther King Day Celebration
9:30 a.m. - noon
Monday, Jan. 16
Garfield
High School
400 23rd Ave, Seattle
King County has one of the
largest MLK events in the country. Events in the morning include workshops, a
march to the Federal Building and a rally to honor
the Rev. Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. Public is invited to attend.
Resource Fair for Home and Community Services
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.,
Tuesday, Jan. 31
Home and Community Services
Office
1737 Airport Way, S Seattle,
WA 98134
DSHS Region 4’s Home
and Community Services Division is hosting a free Resource Fair, which is
designed to provide information about community resources for low-income
adults with disabilities and older adults. For more details call (206)
341-7695.
Recognize a Stroke: Save a Life
Neurologists
say if they can get to a stroke victim within three >>>hours they can reverse the effects of a
stroke. But sometimes a stroke is difficult to recognize, and the victim
suffers brain damage. A bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three
questions of the suspected victim:
·
Ask the individual to
smile.
·
Ask him or her to raise
both arms.
·
Ask the person to speak a
simple sentence (coherently).
If he
or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1 and describe the
symptoms to the dispatcher.
Help Children Cope with Family Changes
3:30-5 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 29
$15 per person,
$25 per couple,
Scholarships are available.
Jewish Community Center Early
Childhood Services
3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island, WA
Learn
ways to help children understand and handle situations such as a new baby,
moving, loss of a grandparent, etc. Come share your ideas, get new ideas and
be ready to help your child through the ups and downs of family life. Program
is facilitated by Marjorie Schnyder, MSW, Director of Jewish Family Life
Education. For details and to register, call (206) 461-3240, ex. 3146.
Health Care Access
Health Care Access links
low-income people with health insurance coverage wherever possible, assisting
them in finding a provider and health care that meets their needs. Offers
managed care education, application and enrollment assistance, advocacy, and
casework for homeless and at-risk families and individuals at more than 25
sites in Seattle and King County. Click here
for more information.
Crones’ Getting to Know You Party
12:30-3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21
Sunset West
6535 Seaview Ave, NW
Seattle, WA 98117
The Crone
of Puget Sound board and membership committee invite members and
potential members of their older women’s social club for tea and
entertainment. For more information call (206) 526-1790.
Pathways to Work
9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 15-Thursday, March 2
Snohomish County PUD 807
Rainier St., Snohomish, WA 98290
Offers a free, intensive
workshop designed to help participants learn new job skills, explore career
interests, cope with stress, become a decision-maker and plan for the future.
Transportation and child care assistance may be available. To register, call
(425) 258-2766, ext. 226.
Did You Know?
Matthew
House provides free monthly van transportation from Seattle for families
visiting inmates at Washington state correctional institutions in Airway
Heights, Coyote Ridge, Forks/OCC, Monroe and Walla Walla. Also provides
overnight accommodations in Monroe for families visiting loved ones who are
incarcerated.
Martin Luther King, III, to Speak on Equality
7-9 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 23
Admission: $10,
$5 for seniors
Lynnwood Convention Center, 3919 196th St.
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Martin Luther King, III, the second-oldest child
of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King, examines the goals of his
father in today's society with his message, “The Dream Deferred.” He has been
actively involved in significant policy initiatives to maintain the fair and
equitable treatment of all citizens, at home and abroad. His messages and
initiatives are all rooted within the tenets of nonviolent conflict
resolution.
Homeless Youth Statistics
According to Seattle's Human Services Department,
on any given night an estimated 800 young people ages 12-24 are without a
safe place to sleep. For all of King County the number of homeless youth
nightly may be as high as 2,000.
Mental Health Parity Goes into Effect
Beginning this month, insurance companies have to cover mental health services
in the same way that they cover other medical and surgical services. In other
words, if you have a $10 co-pay to see your doctor, then you have a $10
co-pay to see your mental health professional (currently, mental health
co-pays are often 50% of the cost of the appointment!). Other parts of the
new law will go into effect over the next few years.
Youth Environmental and Social Justice
Conference
Friday, Jan. 20 - Sunday, Jan.
22
Seattle University
901 12th Ave, Seattle
Learn valuable activist skills, including developing
effective campaigns, nonviolent direct action, building a grassroots
organization, preventing activist burnout and developing non-profits. Plug
into campaigns including clean energy, countering military recruitment and
green building. Network with other activists from the Northwest. Conference
is free. Register here.
Lunar New Year Celebration 2006
noon-6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 4
Union Station Great Hall
401 South Jackson Street
Free admission
Celebrate the Year of the Dog in
the Chinatown-International District. Entertainment
includes musical performances and cultural dances as well as booths featuring
arts and crafts, local businesses, and community organizations. Experience
the rich flavors of the Chinatown-International District at our food court.
$3 food coupons may be purchased at the door. For more details, click here.
Counter-Recruiting Meeting Held
5:30-8 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 9
American Friends Service Committee Meeting Hall
4009 9th Ave NE, Seattle
The American
Friends Service Committee carries out service, development, social
justice and peace programs throughout the world. Counter-recruitment dispels
myths about the realities of military service and refutes false information
provided by military recruiters or advertising. Sometimes counter-recruiters
are able to work in schools - alongside military recruiters - but most work
in community groups or in public spaces due to lack of access to schools.
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2-1-1 Is Coming to King County
Kathleen Southwick, Crisis Clinic Executive Director
After more than five years of planning,
Crisis Clinic will make the dialing code “2-1-1” available as a way for
people to directly connect to our Community Information Line. It’s the same
service with the same staff, just an easier way to reach us! The public
launch of 2-1-1 is scheduled for Feb. 22 at an evening celebration.
Since the early 1970s, Crisis
Clinic’s Community Information Line has been providing King County residents
with information on a wide range of community services, most notably basic
needs and financial assistance. Our Information & Referral Specialists
are experts in helping people navigate the complex world of human services.
Crisis Clinic will retain the
existing local, toll-free and TDD numbers for the Community Information Line
because some cell phones or business switchboards won’t be programmed to
reach us by dialing 2-1-1. Callers from Pierce County or Snohomish County who
call 2-1-1 will reach their local Community Information Line. Other 2-1-1
centers plan to offer service later in 2006. We expect full state coverage
by 2007.
Thanks to the generosity of
United Way of King County,
the city of Seattle and King County, within the first quarter of 2006, Crisis
Clinic’s 2-1-1 service will be available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8
p.m. Hopefully, funding from the state of Washington will enable us to offer
service 24 hours a day later in 2006.
Eventually, Community Resources Online
will also become easier to use. New software will enable you to search for
services by a ZIP code or city, as well as having an easier list of search
topics. Over the next year, each of the other 2-1-1 centers will be adding their service information so the
database covers the entire state of Washington.
Today, more than 139 million
Americans have access to
2-1-1, a simple, easy-to-remember number to “get help”
or “give help.” Here in King County, not only will you be able to find help,
but we will be able to direct you to those agencies that connect people to
volunteer opportunities, most notably United Way of King County, or to
agencies that accept donated goods.
We greatly appreciate the many individuals,
businesses, organizations and governments that have worked with
Crisis Clinic to bring 2-1-1 to King County! •
The 2-1-1 celebration will be from 5:30-7:30
p.m., Feb. 22, at Bell Harbor on Seattle’s waterfront. Suggested donation is
$100 per person. For more information call Crisis Clinic’s development office
at (206) 461-3210 ext. 605.
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Pulling Apart Outdated Views About Gender: A Look
at Transgender Youth
Jana Ekdahl, Trans-therapist and Crisis Clinic Supervisor
There are as many ways to be
transgendered as there are to be young. Some terms used by trans youth are
gender-queer, gender-free, gender-outlaw, trans-girl and trans-boy. Some
prefer less gender specific pronouns, as in “ze,” instead of “she” or “he.”
Dr. Randi Ettner, Ph.D., a gender specialist, states that 8-10% of the
world’s population is transgendered in her book Gender Loving Care.
The word “transgender” is an umbrella term that covers the entire spectrum of
gender-variant expression.
When trans youth go through
puberty, their bodies are developing in ways that may be foreign and distasteful.
They often feel betrayed, shameful and bewildered. This can be a dangerous
and vulnerable time for gender-variant youth; a time when depression,
cutting, substance use/abuse and suicidality are on the increase. Depression
and low self-esteem exacerbate their feelings of shame and guilt. They could
also have an extreme dislike for certain body parts, which can lead to
self-injury and self-mutilation. Dating is rife with complications. Close
friends and intimacy can be illusive.
High school is a scary place for
someone who feels different. GLSEN
(Gay, Lesbian Straight Education Network) Puget Sound is a
non-profit organization seeking to end anti-lesbian, -gay, -bisexual and -transgender
harassment in K-12 schools. More than 90% of LGBT students report hearing
homophobic remarks in school. GSA
(Gay-Straight Alliance) is a student organization that focuses on raising
consciousness about LGBT issues, and works on developing effective
intervention methods to counteract bullying and harassment. American
Friends Service Committee has panels consisting of gender nonconforming
youth that go into schools and other organizations to talk about high school
challenges and answer questions about issues they face.
Family support makes all the
difference. Without their support, trans youth are cast adrift. Living on the
street and being trans creates a very unhealthy scenario. Drugs and
prostitution are two glaring dangers. Also, without access to medical care,
those in transition may resort to street hormones, which can be dangerous.
More parents are trying to understand what it means to have a gender-variant
child, although support is lacking for family members. PFLAG
is
a good resource for parents and there are some online groups as well.
The Internet provides gender
nonconforming youth with information, chat rooms, online journals and more.
Knowledgeable medical services, gender-friendly social agencies and
supportive counselors are valuable community resources that are available in
King County. Teen
Link, which offers peer support over the phone, is available from 6-10pm
every evening through Crisis
Clinic by calling (206) 461-4922. The
Trevor Project, (866) 4U-TREVOR, is a 24-hour national suicide hotline
for gay and questioning youth.
Transgender as a concept is
becoming more normalized in today’s world. With an increasing number of
books, articles, documentaries, TV shows and films about and/or including
gender-variant people, understanding and acceptance have also increased.
TRANSGENERATIONS, a docu-drama on Bravo, chronicles the lives of four
gender-variant college students. TRANSAMERICA is an award-winning film
festival movie now playing in major theaters.
Trans youth are excellent teachers and role models
in a culture that often resists growth and change. They are pulling apart
some possibly outdated views about gender by expressing their true selves. We
all have male and female parts. Our binary gender system may one day become
more spectrum-oriented. They are paving the way for this to happen.•
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United Way Kicks
off Free Tax Preparation Assistance Program
United
Way of King County and the King County Earned Income Tax Credit Campaign
will provide free tax preparation services at sites across King County from
Jan. 17 to April 15.
Beginning Jan. 3, residents can
call (206) 315-8722 and be connected to Information & Referral
Specialists on Crisis Clinic’s Community Information Line who will refer
callers to one of 12 free sites. The program is targeted toward residents who
are low income, immigrant or refugee.
Taxes will be prepared by
volunteers who are IRS trained and certified. Taxes will be electronically
filed for a rapid refund. Multilingual tax preparers will be available at
several sites to serve customers who do not speak English. Tax customers will
also be able to sign up for certain public benefits and learn about
opportunities they have to make the most of their tax returns through opening
or expanding savings accounts, repairing their credit and improving financial
and budgeting skills.
The King County Earned Income
Tax Credit (EITC) Campaign's 2006 goal is to help people keep more of what
they work for to reduce the risk of homelessness and increase family economic
success in low-income communities in King County. The three main strategies
are to provide all tax customers:
·
Free, quality tax preparation services, with an
emphasis on low-income tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit.
·
Information and access to public benefits.
·
Access to financial services and asset building
opportunities.•
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Critical Resource Updates
Compiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center
It is always recommended to check Community Resources Online
for additional information and for the most current information updates of
following resources.
The
Arc of King County is moving this month to a new facility at 233 6th Ave.
North, Seattle 98109, three blocks from the Seattle Center.
Catholic Community Service’s Lao
Community Center has closed because of lack of funds.
The
Federal Way and Des Moines fire departments have merged to become South
King Fire & Rescue as of Jan. 1, 2006. Headquarters are in Federal
Way.
Highline Community College’s
respite care program has closed. King County did not renew the contract for
2006. The program matched students with families in need.
Kang
Wen Clinic now offers low-cost complementary medical services for HIV/AIDS
referrals funded by Seattle-King County Public Health's Ryan White Title 1
Funds. The clinic provides acupuncture, nutritional information, lifestyle
counseling and general support alongside regular care. Each patient will
receive a $30 coupon for high quality, pharmaceutical-grade nutritional
supplements that are considerably discounted from at-cost rates. Monitors
drug/herb interactions carefully and only provides care to patients in
conjunction with conventional medicine.
Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s Chicken
Soup Brigade now also delivers free meals to people who have a medically
verified impairment to preparing food, including people who are homebound.
Does not include people with only mental illnesses.
Neighborhood
House Helpline’s baby items such as diapers, baby
toiletries and infant clothing are now only available to parents in the White
Center/Burien/West Seattle area.
Presbyterian
Counseling Service has changed its name to Samaritan Center of Puget
Sound.
University
Churches Emergency Fund has returned to its permanent location at
University Congregational United Church of Christ (4515 16th Ave NE) in
Seattle. Their phone number and hours remain the same. •
Return to the top
January and February
Selected Resources
Compiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center
This column highlights available timely resources
in the community information database that might otherwise go unnoticed by
our users. It is always recommended to check Community Resources Online
for additional information and for the most current information concerning
the following resources.
January Resource Highlights
Access
to Justice Institute
Coordinates legal educational presentations and individual consultations with
attorneys at Community Justice Centers located in the Seattle Central
District and the International District. Centers are open from January to
April and from August through December. Topics are selected for their
relevance to the communities they serve, fostering community development,
growth, and investment. Educational Presentation topics are offered by expert
attorneys for two consecutive weeks. The first week, clients hear the
presentation and may be interviewed to meet individually with an attorney the
following week. Each client is guaranteed at least 20 minutes to receive
advice from the attorney.
St.
Louise Catholic Church
Provides a divorce support program. You MUST pre-register for this series as
space is limited. Please call to register or for more information. This eight
week program provides a safe place to deal with the pain of separation or
divorce. Topics covered are the process of divorce, self-esteem, stress,
anger, blame and guilt, loneliness, and pathways to happiness. Call for
times. Generally runs 3 times a year in late September-early October, January
and late March-early April.
Seattle
Indian Center
Summer Youth Employment Experience: A limited number of work experience
positions are available during the summer months to eligible high school
students. Interested parties should contact the Workforce Investment Act
office in January for further information.
Seattle
Parks and Recreation – South Park
Offers organized sports teams. Basketball league is on Friday nights, as well
as Saturdays and Sundays, January-March. Practices are held twice a week
after school.
Shoreline
Community College
The restorative dental clinic will be open Thursday afternoons January
through May. Patients needing fillings may be referred to the clinic, where a
dentist prepares teeth and a hygiene student does the filling. The clinic
cannot do root canal, orthodontic or surgical work, bridges, gold work,
dentures, or treat dental emergencies. Also supervises students as they
perform head and neck exams, medical histories, blood pressure checks, oral
exams, fluoride treatments, cleaning and polishing, X-rays, oral cancer
screening, sealants and oral hygiene instruction. Complete dental care takes
at least two appointments that are three hours each. First appointment is
examination only (except for children), and includes exam and diagnosis by
dentist.
February Resource Highlights
AARP
Coordinates
free income tax assistance programs from Feb. 1 through April 15 each year.
Services are available to people of all ages who are middle- and low-income.
Pays special attention to those individuals who are age 60 and older. Limited
assistance is available to homebound taxpayers. Some printed materials are
available in Spanish. For a list of local Tax-Aide sites, visit www.aarp.org/taxaide and click on the link
to “locate a site.”
Children’s
Hospital and Regional Medical Center – Stanley Stamm Children’s Hospital Camp
Coordinates
a summer camp for a week in August for children with medical problems that
disqualify them from other camping programs. The camp is located at the
Sunset Lake Camp facility in Wilkeson and has medical facilities that meet
the needs of the campers. Call for an application. Applications are
distributed beginning in February each year and the camp is usually full by
April 1.
Internal
Revenue Service – Tax-Aide
Administers
a program where volunteers provide free income tax assistance at numerous
locations throughout Washington. Foreign language abilities vary from year to
year. Chinese Baptist Church in South Seattle offers interpretive services.
This church does some tax returns for Chinese taxpayers. Call for information
on other language service sites. To find current sites, call. Eligible
individuals may walk into the Seattle downtown office (915 2nd Ave, Room 414,
Seattle, WA 98174) and wait in line to receive an appointment. Individuals
must bring their unlaminated Social Security Card and relevant W-2 forms.
League
of Women Voters of Seattle
Advocates
for the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to
increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public
policy through education and advocacy. A free directory of elected officials
is published annually in February, entitled “They Represent You: A Citizen's
Directory of Elected Officials.”
Mary
Bridge Children’s Hospital – Bridges – A Center for Grieving Children
Offers support groups for children who have experienced the violent
death or suicide of a parent or sibling, for children who are living with
someone who is chronically or critically ill, for children who have lost
their parents and for children who have lost a sibling. Simultaneous support
groups are offered for the parents. Call for an intake appointment. New
families may join ongoing groups in November, February, April and September.
Parent pledges are based on a sliding fee scale.
National
Eating Disorders Association
Distributes
educational materials and organizes awareness and prevention events. Operates
a toll-free information and referral helpline. Offers a searchable online
database of treatment providers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Sponsors
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAW) held during the last week of
February each year.
Seattle
Public Library – Downtown Seattle
Free
tax help from trained volunteers is available at the Central Library and
several branches. Most branches also stock a selection of tax forms and
Internal Revenue Service publications. Unless otherwise indicated, volunteers
will be available on a first come, first served basis (no reservations).
Senior
Services of Seattle/King County
Senior
Information and Assistance provides information on locations of tax
assistance sites and programs which will send income tax assistance
volunteers to the homes of homebound seniors or people with disabilities.
Program begins in February.•
Return to the top
“Resource Talk,” Crisis
Clinic’s free monthly e-newsletter, provides critical resource changes,
community events, feature articles on important health and human service
topics and updates to the annual publication of the Where to Turn Plus
directory. Click here
to subscribe or unsubscribe to Resource Talk. You may view past issues of
Resource Talk by clicking here.
Crisis Clinic offers
a variety of products to help connect people with critical resources.
Information about purchasing Crisis Clinic’s Where to Turn
Directories, Where to Turn CD-ROMs, customized reports, customized
mailing labels and holiday lists can be found online by clicking here.
Crisis Clinic
respects the privacy
of our Web site users.
For business
purposes, please e-mail us at ResourceCenter@CrisisClinic.org or call us at (206) 461-3210.
www.CrisisClinic.org
This Newsletter was last updated on Tuesday, February 07, 2006 12:22 PM
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