September 2005:
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
WCCD Hosts Disabilities Forums
1-3pm,
Sept. 8
1-3pm, Sept. 20
1-3pm, Sept. 24
6-8 pm, Sept. 28
New Wings Advisory Council
joins the Washington
Coalition of Citizens with disAbilities to present a series of forums
around the county. People with disabilities living in King County are asked to
share interests, issues and concerns. New Wings Advisory Council is a team of
people with disabilities and service providers who have been meeting for over
two years to create a day center for adults with disabilities in King County.
For more information visit www.wccd.org
or call (206)
545-7055.
Hurricane Katrina Response Fund
United
Way of America has activated the Hurricane Katrina Response Fund. Find out
more here.
United Ways in and near the projected hurricane path will be working with
community partners and
2-1-1 call centers to respond as quickly as possible, as the first stage of
the long-term recovery process.
Free Tuition Program
South Seattle Community College has new funding
available to pay the tuition and fees for food-stamp-eligible adults who want
to take job training and placement classes including ESL support. For
details, call (206) 764-5804.
Auburn’s Suicide Awareness Day
1-4pm, Sept. 4
Federal Way
Memorial Stadium
30611 16th Ave. S
Auburn
Survivors of Suicide is sponsoring an event “Walking Laps for Life” to
help raise suicide awareness. The group’s mission is to prevent suicide
through awareness and education with compassionate support for survivors. At
the event there will be informational booths, “life keeper quilts” on
display, and a raffle. Walkers are encouraged to carry a pair of new shoes in
memory of the one they lost to suicide. The shoes will be donated to a local
shelter. For more information, visit the group’s Web site or call (253) 838-8947.
ICE your cell phone
ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. If you add an entry in the
contacts list in your cell phone under ICE, with the name and phone number of
the person that the emergency services should call on your behalf, you can
save them a lot of time and have your loved ones contacted quickly. It only
takes a few moments of your time. Paramedics know what ICE means and they
look for it immediately.
Early-stage Memory Loss Seminars
Begins Sept. 22 in Renton
Begins Oct. 5 in Seattle
Begins Oct. 11 in Bothell
The three series of nine seminars will cover living with memory
loss problems; self-esteem issues and Alzheimer’s; improving quality of life;
developing coping skills; how to manage changes in personal relationships;
dementia and communication; preparing for the future; becoming a care
partner; and how to access programs and services. The seminars are sponsored
by Alzheimer’s
Association. For more information and locations visit www.alzwa.org.
LGBTQI People of Color Gathering
9am-5pm
Sept. 10-11
MLK Day Home Center
1855 South Lane St, Seattle
Verbena’s Queer W.H.A.T.
Symposium is sponsoring “LGBTQI People of Color: Building Community,” which
includes workshops on spirituality and faith, understanding and undoing
internalized racism/oppression, healthy intimate relationships, group art and
an intergenerational panel. A light breakfast will be served, and a variety
of food will be available for lunch. For more information, call (206)
323-6540, ext. 1. The Queer W.H.A.T.?! Symposium will be Sept. 10-17 and
participants will discuss issues related to lesbian, bisexual, transgender
and queer women's priorities for individual and community health care.
Books for Africa
A former Teen Link phone worker and current Teen Link
supervisor and board member Julia Lowe was featured in the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer last month along with her project Books for Africa, which
is collecting tens of thousands of books for African children that Julia will
personally deliver. Read the article here.
GriefWorks Forum
10:30am-noon, Sept. 12
or 7-8:30pm Sept. 22
GriefWorks Office
715 30th St. NE, Auburn
GriefWorks’
Public Forum, “The Impact of Grief on Families” is the topic for September. Held
twice each month, the free forums provide the public with an opportunity to
learn about grief and loss. No registration is necessary.
Mature Workers
Job Fair
10am-2pm, Sept. 14
Seattle Center
Mature Workers Alliance of Puget Sound
The
Mature Workers Alliance of Puget Sound holds a job and resource fair
annually at Seattle Center. The fair includes workshops on how to start your
own business, how to re-invent yourself, writing a good resume, interviewing
skills, coping with career change, etc.
Borderline Personality Disorder Symposium
8am-4pm, Sept. 24
Highline Community College in Des Moines
NAMI
Greater Seattle is hosting a one-day symposium, “Borderline Personality Disorder Conference
Provider, Family & Consumer Perspectives” for professionals, family
members and consumers who want to know more about Borderline Personality Disorder.
For information on pre-registration, to receive conference materials or to
find out about being on a consumer and family panel, contact Anisa Ralls at
(206) 783-9264.
Crimes Against Vulnerable Adults
Noon-1:30pm
Sept. 14
Seattle City Council Chambers
600 4th Ave
The nature of elder and vulnerable adult abuse will
be discussed at a Seattle City Council Town Hall meeting. Learn how easy it
is to report suspected elder and vulnerable adult abuse and neglect. The
event is sponsored by the Seattle City Council and the King County Elder
Abuse Council. For more information call council member Tom Rasmussen at
(206) 684-8808.
Library E-book Service
The King County Library System has
started an e-book service that allows individuals to download audio e-books
to home computers. The e-book can be downloaded from the library's Web site
and either burned to a CD or transferred to an MP3 player. E-book titles
include fiction and non-fiction. Log on to the e-book Web
site for more information.
United Way hosts ‘Day of Caring’
9am-3pm, Sept. 16
The United
Way’s Day of
Caring brings thousands of volunteers together to make a lasting impact at
non-profits, schools and parks across our community.
For details, click here.
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Discovering Resources
for an Autistic Child: A Parent’s Perspective
Joe Cunningham, Development and Community Relations
Officer at Crisis Clinic
Recently, my 6-year-old son, who has been diagnosed with
high functioning autism, and I were at Matthews Beach Park where we met a
girl and her dad. As Patrick (or “Patro,” as he calls himself) made tentative
moves to play with the girl, her dad and I ended up talking about autism.
When she heard the word, the young girl said, “Autism’s bad!”
So, I set about telling her what autism means. “It
means Patro is real good at some things like math and science, but has a
harder time on other things, like knowing how to play with other kids.”
Patro, our family’s deep thinker, responded with, “I
have a theory about autism.” Like a college professor in front of a class of
sleeping students, Patrick began to articulate his latest observation.
Similarly, experts and clinicians have quite a bit
to say in the way of theories and discussion on what autism is, what causes
it and how to help with treatment and resources. Two years ago, Patro’s
diagnosis suddenly landed him as one of an estimated 100,000 people in
Washington state with a developmental disability and part of a fast-growing
subset. The number of children in Washington state diagnosed with autism shot
up from 51 in 1993 to 2,824 in 2004, climbing 5,000% in 11 years, due in part
to an increased awareness in the medical community and a broadening
definition of the disorder.
My wife and I, like other parents armed with a
“diagnosis,” then struggled to determine where to go with the information. We
found that the child psychologist who has made the diagnosis often can make
referrals to occupational therapists and speech and language therapists and
provide assistance in working collaboratively with providers and the schools.
We accessed information from the University of Washington’s Autism Center, a
major local and regional source of information on autism and services, very
soon after the diagnosis.
For every professional we met and hired we stumbled
across new theories and modalities of treatment. It wasn’t until we actually
started finding other parents of kids “on the spectrum” that we really gained
insight into the larger picture of just how to manage the multiple needs our
son possesses and to find more hope for what the future has in store for
Patro. That’s where we found the
importance of support groups and programs in King County. There are a number
of autism and Aspergers support groups in King County, many of which meet
monthly, and others relating to support for parents of special needs kids. A
good example of a well-resourced, supportive parent group for dads is the Father’s
Network.
In King County, we found the Aspergers Northwest organization has a
listserv that provides an extensive list of upcoming events for various
autism spectrum support groups and seminars, lists assessment and treatment
services and places to turn for finding out how to work with your child’s
school on the IEP process and explains your child’s legal rights to an
education. Seattle
Aspergers Group’s facilitator, Karen Roe, also publishes a guide of
Autism Spectrum service providers. Statewide and local groups, such as ARC
of King County and FEAT
of Washington (Families for Effective Autism Treatment), can also help
steer you to the many resources available in King County.
Making sense of the system of services for
individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, also requires a good
understanding of what financial and treatment help is available. The Washington
State Department of Developmental Disabilities provides a number of
services for parents and children who are in the autism spectrum. Eligibility
depends on the impact of the disability on the child and on the family. For
eligibility information on how to get services, as well as an overview of
emergency support, please call the King
County Developmental Disabilities Division.
Unfortunately, services and support are not keeping
pace with the increasing need.
Communities across the state are grappling with this problem, and the
state legislature enacted legislation designed to study the need for autism
services. For more information on how to get involved, please consider
joining the King
County Parent Coalition.
As Patro’s father, I’ve had struggles and challenges
guiding and parenting a child that does not quite fit in with others. It is
painful to watch Patro’s attempts to make his way in a world that does not
make sense to him.
After teaching the young girl how to jump into the
sand “Patro style,” and having a wonderful time co-creating a sand bridge and
road system, Patrick happily decided this was a good park to come to more
often after establishing a connection with the girl. His assertion that
autism was caused by too much gluten somehow was lost in the din of sand play
with his new playmate.
Crisis Clinic is able to offer an enhanced level
of assistance to people with disabilities, their friends and family members,
through our Community
Information Line. The telephone service is easily available to everyone,
and the Disability Specialist helps callers who have a more complex situation
or who may need extra assistance in getting connected to a service provider.
We work closely with many disability providers and often know which services
are most effective. •
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‘Where to Turn for Teens 2005-06’
Booklet Now Available at Crisis Clinic
Maryellen Ferro, Teen Link
Supervisor
Crisis Clinic’s Teen Link has
published its free Where to Turn for Teens booklets for the 2005-06 school
year. The booklet is a resource guide that was created specifically for youth
who are seeking personal empowerment with the support of others. The goal of
Where to Turn for Teens is to make sure teens are aware of the many
youth-friendly resources that exist to serve individual needs.
The booklet is updated yearly and published in August.
Teen Link is able to send up to 100 resource guides free of cost, but will
charge a shipping and handling fee for additional copies. Picking up orders
of any amount at Crisis Clinic’s business office is free, but must be
scheduled in advance. To order the Where to Turn for Teens booklets, call
(866) TEENLINK between 6-10pm or (206) 461-3210 during regular business
hours. The booklet can also be downloaded from our Web site here.
Teen
Link is a confidential, anonymous and non-judgmental telephone help line
answered by teens each evening from 6-10pm. Teen volunteers are trained to
listen to concerns and talk to youth about whatever is on their minds. No
problem is too big or too small. By accessing an extensive database, phone
workers can connect callers with agencies and provide referrals.•
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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 office building for City
of Seattle – Seattle Office for Civil Rights has relocated to the Central
Building in downtown Seattle, 810 3rd Ave., Suite 750, just one
block north of the old location.
Family
Kitchen will continue to temporarily serve their meal at the Fellowship
Hall at Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave, through Sept. 2. They
will not serve meals from Sept. 5-9. On Sept. 12 they will begin serving
meals at their permanent location at 803 Terry St, St. James Cathedral Hall,
Seattle, 98104.
The King
County Sheriff’s Office is offering electronic tracking bracelets for people
prone to wandering away from caregivers. The free bracelet weighs one ounce
and emits a unique radio signal that allows the King County Sheriff's Search
and Rescue Unit to find the lost person quickly. Will waive $15 monthly
maintenance fee on a case-by-case basis. Caregivers may call (206) 205-8226
to apply. Supply is not unlimited.
Share/Wheel’s
Tent City 3 will move to the Church by the Side of the Road Sept.
2. The church is at 3455 S 148th St in Tukwila. Tent City
4 has moved to Woodinville Unitarian Universalist Church at 18900 168th Ave
NE in Woodinville. It will be at that location until Nov. 20, when it will move to Temple
B’nai Torah in Bellevue.
The food bank at Tukwila
Pantry will no longer be open after the community meal on Tuesday nights.
However, it will now be available from 11am-2pm on Saturdays. The food bank
is closed on legal holidays. The Tuesday meal, however, will be served on
holidays that fall on a Tuesday.•
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September and October
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.
September Resource Highlights
Access
to Justice Institute
Runs two Community Justice Centers from September through November and from
January through April where legal educational presentations and individual
consultations with attorneys are held. Expert attorneys offer educational
presentation topics for two consecutive weeks. Clients hear the presentation
the first week 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. The first presentation is Sept. 13.
Gethsemane
Community Services
Serves a hot meal followed by a movie each Saturday at 11am from September
through May. Ticket pick-up: 9:30am, Saturday.
GriefWorks
– A Bereavement Resource for Education & Support
Facilitates eight-week support groups for individuals who want to work on the
process of grief work, memorializing and re-investing in life. Sessions are
confidential. Groups: 7-8:30pm, every Tuesday, Sept. 20 through Nov. 8.
Hamlin
Robinson School
Offers a 10-week session (20 classes) each fall for adults with language
disabilities to provide them with additional skills in reading, writing,
spelling and expressive language. A 10-week session is held from September
through December. Call for class times.
Humane
Society for Seattle/King County
Provides speakers at schools, community groups and businesses on the
protection and welfare of animals. Gives 30-45 minute tours of The Humane
Society facility, primarily for children but also for individuals and groups.
Offers animal care workshops for adults in the spring and fall. Fall
workshops are held September through November. Call to arrange speakers or
workshops.
Millionair
Club Charity, Inc.
A weekly eye clinic is available for clients who need an eye exam. Clients
receive an exam and a pair of glasses once per year. The program is run by
volunteer opticians and optometrists Thursday mornings from September through
May and is funded by the Lions Sight Foundation. Call the receptionist to
schedule an appointment.
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October Resource Highlights
Des
Moines Senior Activity Center
The senior center runs a volleyball program from October to May. This program is open to all older adults
who desire to have fun and get in shape. Open play is Mondays and Wednesdays
from 1-3pm at the Des Moines Field House. Drop in cost is $2.
Families
for Effective Autism Treatment – FEAT of Washington
Program hosts children with autism and their siblings. Activities are
designed to get children out of the house and facilitate productive social
interaction with other children. Activities are run by trained facilitators
and include fun, social and educational activities geared specifically for
children with autism and their siblings. Provides three hours of quality respite
for parents. The event takes place every second Saturday of the month from
10am-1pm October through June.
FamilyWorks
Offers one-on-one tutoring and community workshops/programs to help children
build skills and self-esteem. Community members, organizations, and
volunteers may conduct workshops and activities relating to careers, dealing
with conflict, cultural diversity, nutrition, gardening, art, and music.
Tutoring takes place from 3:45-5:30pm, every Monday. Tutoring/community
workshops/programs take place from 5-5:30pm, W. Programs are offered during
the school year (October through May). Starts Oct. 12. Register in advance.
GriefWorks
– A Bereavement Resource for Education & Support
Provides one-day retreat opportunities for families with children, ages 6-18,
to participate in memorial activities to grieve a death or loss. The day will
include separate and combined groups for adults, teens and children;
workshops for each group; and rituals for all. Adult groups will focus on
parenting children who are experiencing grief while taking care of their own
grief. Children will participate in memorial art activities and story-telling
and will have mementos to take home. Participants are asked to bring a sack
lunch. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Upcoming dates will be
10am-4pm, Oct. 29 and Dec. 3.
SmileMobile
Mobile dental van offers oral health services for children on a year-round
basis. Basic dental services include examinations, preventive care, fillings,
and minor oral surgery. Van locations vary in Washington state. Will be in
Tukwila Oct. 31-Nov. 4. Accepts medical coupons and offers sliding scale fee
structure with up to 90% off the fee.
YWCA
of Seattle/King County Snohomish County – East Cherry
Coordinates an annual higher education fair in October for students to learn
about options for college. Each year features a particular college. Offers
free workshops. The colleges that primarily attend are known as historically
black colleges and universities. This year’s fair will be from noon-4:30pm,
Oct. 23. Seattle Central Community College, 1701 Broadway, Seattle.•
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“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, August 30, 2005 03:39 PM
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