May 2005:
Contact us:
24-Hour
Crisis Line
(206) 461-3222
(866) 4CRISIS
(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
(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
Saying it Out Loud Conference Offered
8am-3:45pm
Friday, May 20
Free health conference
addresses alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, mental health, and other issues
facing the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning communities.
The Conference will be held at the Shoreline Conference Center.
For more information, call (206) 272-2190.
School Supplies Needed at Valley Cities
Counseling
Last summer Valley Cities Counseling & Consultation
provided more than 140 backpacks filled with school supplies to kids in need.
The agency is continuing the program this year and is looking for donations
of basic school supplies such as backpacks, pencils, pens, paper, etc.
For more information,
call (253) 876-3423.
Mercer Island All Senior Day Held
Saturday, May 14
Obtain free health screenings
and valuable resources for senior living. Call (425) 688-5641 for more
information.
Rainbow Women’s Health Fair Coming
10am-4pm
Saturday, June 25
Verbena’s
"Rainbow Women's Health Fair" provides services, education, and
information for lesbians, bisexual, and queer women in an all-day fair during
Pride Weekend. Offers free services including mammograms, pap smears, bone
density screenings, etc.
Finding Summer Camps in the Online Resource Database
For a listing of day and
overnight camps in the Community Resources Online database, do a keyword search
using the word “CAMP.”
Queering Femininity National Conference to be
Held
Friday-Monday,
May 27-30
The conference will present
opportunities for those invested in exploring queer feminine gender expression
to share information, network, and support one another. The conference will
be at the Washington State Convention Center.
Diabetes Expo Returns to Seattle
9am-4pm
Saturday May 14
The 4th annual American Diabetes Association's
Diabetes
EXPO will be held at Qwest Field Event Center (next to Safeco
Field). There will be more than 150 booths and exhibits as well as dynamic
speakers throughout the day, free screenings, and for the kids - the
"YouthZone!" Show.
Training Offered for People who Work with Sex
Workers
8:30am-6pm
Saturday, May 14
6-10pm
Wednesday, May 18
9am-6pm
Saturday, May 21
New
Horizons Ministries will be offering a 3-day training for volunteers and
people who work with sex workers. Pre registration is required. For more
information call (206) 374-0866.
Healthy Aging Summit: Partners in Healthy
Aging
9am-3pm
Wednesday, May 4
Tukwila Community Center
Contact Karen at (206)
824-2907.
Join Women-At-Risk Roundtable Discussion
10am-4pm
Wednesday, May 11
Street
Outreach Services will facilitate a free roundtable discussion concerning
decreased funding for services for women in Seattle-King County. The
discussion will promote collaborations among service providers and form a
working group that meets quarterly. For more information call Kat at (206)
625-0854, ext. 101.
Salvation Army Celebrates National Week
Noon-2pm
Monday, May 9
The local Salvation
Army will have an open house to celebrate National Salvation Army
Week. It will be at the Salvation
Army William Booth Center and will highlight the work the Salvation Army does
with Seattle’s homeless and veteran population including tours of the
facility and a free lunch. For more
information, call (206) 287-0107.
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Chemical Dependency and Queer Youth
Jeffrey Markwardt, Resource Specialist
Crystal meth was described as “the
current drug of choice among the queer community” at a recent all-day Queer
Youth Forum.
At the forum, D. L. Scott, clinical coordinator
for Project
Neon, made the interesting connection between crystal meth use and Adderal,
a stimulant drug similar to Ritalin that helps calm and focus youth with
ADD/ADHD. He said he finds more and more cases where youth using
(prescribed or not) Adderal move toward crystal meth because it offers the
same effects.
The forum, organized by Seattle
Commission for Sexual Minorities, held at Meany Middle School last month
included presentations from local community members and representatives,
booths staffed by area non-profits, and a variety of workshops.
One of the many workshops available for the youth
to attend included a workshop on alcohol and drug use among queer youth,
facilitated by Seattle
Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities (SCS). SCS is the only agency in
Washington State that has an outpatient chemical dependency treatment program
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, or those questioning their
sexual orientation or gender identity.
The youth in attendance at the workshop on
alcohol and drug use pointedly described personal experiences that
demonstrated that drug and alcohol use is not a hidden occurrence in their
lives. One youth described having been offered an Altoid tin case with a
variety of drugs — none of which the person offering could name for certain —
after asking the classmate for a mint.
A youth who regularly frequents Oasis, a drop in center for
GLBTQI youth in Tacoma, said, “I’ve been to many raves and I’ve never been to
one where someone didn’t O.D. and had to be taken out on a stretcher.”
Queer youths’ drug use most often begins after
they have been ostracized from family for their sexual orientation/gender
identity, says a peer educator with Project
Neon, a program of SCS. According to Arnold Martin, health educator with
SCS, there are a variety of reasons why queer youth use drugs. More often
than not, it is a way to cope.
In addition to helping cope with coming out, peer
pressure, family issues, or depression, queer youth may use drugs in order to
try to not feel hungry or even as a survival mechanism to stay awake at night
on the street. Programs that offer users tools they need to reduce their harm
— such as clean needles or programs that help users use less frequently —
were highly recommended.
Dunshee House offers space for a Crystal
Meth Anonymous support group that meets weekly every Friday. Capitol
Hill Alano Club provides a host site for weekly meetings of 12 step
programs such as AA and NA, which focus on the GLBT community. Other programs
include Street
Outreach Services and needle exchange programs through Public
Health.
One youth said he thought there should be a main
access phone number they could call to access services. He learned one
already exists — the Community Information Line, soon to be accessible by
dialing 211.
For more information on 211 visit 211.org or WIN211.org
for the status of Washington State’s involvement with this nationally
designated phone number. •
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Paperwork
Crucial in Legal Aid Requests
Hannah Newton, Resource Specialist
Clients looking for legal assistance should come
prepared, says Hong Tran, an advocacy coordinator with the Northwest
Justice Project.
Tran recently spoke with information and referral
specialists on Crisis Clinic’s Community Information Line about services
offered by the Northwest Justice Project and gave them guidelines for
referring potential clients.
“Tell clients to get documentation,” she said.
“Tell them to keep a journal of what goes on if there are no documents.”
The journal of phone calls, conversations, etc.
with the conflicting party should include as much detailed information as possible
such as dates, times, locations, and names. She said having as much
information in writing as possible makes it easier for attorneys to help
them.
Clients should even keep the envelopes documents
come in because the date the document is postmarked could help decide their
case. If a caller speaks limited English, Tran said organizations are
required to arrange for interpreter and translation services if the
organization receives any federal funds.
Here are some more tips from Tran for those needing
legal aid:
- Have documents arranged in chronological order and
in hand when first calling to speak to an advocate about a case.
- Know the deadline for responding. Deadlines
are usually given at the beginning or end of a document.
- Insist on submitting a written application when
appropriate, and then keep a copy of that application.
- Require a written notice denying or approving an
application.
- Bring all documents, photos, records, etc. relating
to the legal case when meeting with an attorney/advocate. •
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Critical Resource Updates
Compiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center
Beginning May 1, the Children’s
Crisis Response Team – now Children’s
Crisis Outreach Response System – will be administered by the YMCA –
Family Services and Mental Health Branch.
They will provide 24-hour crisis intervention for children ages 3-18
and their families in a mental health crisis. The major difference between
the old CCRT and the new CCORS is where the children receive out-of-home
placement. The new service places
kids in specially trained therapeutic foster homes for a one- to 14-day stay.
Gethsemane Lutheran Church Outreach Ministry has
changed its name to Gethsemane
Community Services. New services include food bags once a month for
individuals and families, mail service, and free local phone use.
The Josephinum
has apartments available through May. Rents begin at $425 per month for
studios and $595 per month for one-bedrooms. Minimum 6-month lease.
The phone number for the Morrison
(permanent supportive housing for elderly, disabled, and/or chronically
mentally ill, et al) has changed.
The new number is (206) 515-1545.
The Auburn
Senior Activity Center now maintains a monthly food pantry where older
adults can grocery shop at wholesale buying prices. Serves people age 55 and
older. 9am-1pm, on the 1st Thursday and 9am-noon, on the 1st Friday of each
month. •
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May and June Selected Resources
Compiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center
This column attempts to highlight available timely
resources in the community information database that might otherwise go
unnoticed to our users.
It is always recommended to check Community Resources Online
for additional information and for the most current information concerning
the following resources.
May
Resource Highlights
Compiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center
Master Builders Care
Foundation
Ramp
Construction
“Rampathon" weekend event on Saturday, May 14, coordinates volunteers
who build wheelchair access ramps for low-income homeowners who have
long-term physical needs. Office: 8am-5pm, Monday thru Friday. The event
happens one weekend per year.
Ruby Room
Prom
Boutique
Offers barely worn formal dresses, shoes, handbags, jewelry, makeup, and
cosmetic services to Seattle-area girls with limited financial resources.
Dresses and accessories are made available at boutiques in the spring.
10am-5pm, April 17 and 19, May 1 and 8.
Registration is accepted year-round.
Washington State Parks and
Recreation Commission
Campsite
Reservations
Accepts reservations year-round for camping between May 15 and September 15
at more than 45 state parks. During summer months, length of stay is up to
ten consecutive days in any one park. This may be extended to 20 days from
October 1-April 30. Fees vary depending on site and number of vehicles;
camping discount is available for qualified and eligible older adults and
people with disabilities. Reservation fee is $7.
YMCA of Greater Seattle –
Shoreline
Youth
and Government
Youth participate in a statewide learning experience about government and
legislature. There are three events per year that lead up to a mock
legislature in Olympia in May. •
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June
Resource Highlights
Compiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center
City
of Seattle – Human Services Department –
Family and Youth Services
Summer Food Programs
Provides free meals (breakfast, lunch, and snack)
for low-income children and youth, ages 1-18, during the summer. Program is
designed to reach children who receive free or reduced-price meals in school,
but who don't receive them in the summer. Operates June through August. Call
for more information on nearest summer meal location.
Seattle Youth Symphony
Orchestras
Marrowstone-in-the-City
A Seattle-based day program for young musicians
offers two-week sessions at Shorecrest High
School and the Overlake School. Applications
are due in June. Call for more information.
Special Olympics Washington
Seasonal
Sports
•
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Resource Talk,
Crisis Clinic’s free e-newsletter, provides a health and human services
update for King County with critical resource updates to the annual
publication of Where to Turn Plus. Subscribe/unsubscribe to Resource Talk and
other agency materials online.
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.
Crisis Clinic respects the privacy of our website
users.
For business purposes, please email us at ResourceCenter@crisisclinic.org
or call us at 206.461.3210.
www.CrisisClinic.org
This Newsletter was last updated on Saturday, April 30, 2005 01:09 PM
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