Building Trust, Hope and Empowerment in Englewood
Community leaders and activists joined us at the Adler School Thursday to discuss how a collaborative effort might be created to improve the community well-being of Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.
Where people are born, grow, live, work and age has a profound impact on their mental health and overall well-being. For example:
- Children exposed to community violence exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Abandoned housing provokes anxiety and stress among nearby residents.
- Mass unemployment is associated with high rates of depression.
- Mass incarceration has pervasive effects on communities, economy, and families.
Violence, housing quality, employment status, crime prevention, and opportunity for positive societal reintegration after incarceration–these are among the numerous social determinants of the mental health and well-being of our communities. More than 60 people gathered in Community Hall on Thursday to discuss these issues as they affect Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood and other urban communities, at our “Summit on Proven Approaches for Action Improving Community Well-Being.”
The Adler School has an established tenure working with community well-being in Englewood. For the last six years, the Adler School’s Institutes for Social Change and its Art Therapy Department have worked with residents here and other underserved Chicago communities, public service providers, and community-based organizations to address issues ranging from youth violence to women’s empowerment.
Raymond Crossman, Ph.D., President of Adler School, and Illinois State Sen. Mattie Hunter kicked off Thursday’s summit. “Collaboration is necessary for social change,” Crossman said. “Everyone here has a stake in collaboration.”
Hunter echoed Crossman’s thoughts, saying community groups and agencies, residents, elected officials, businesses and philanthropic organizations must come together in a collaborative effort to improve the Englewood neighborhood. “We need to form a public-private partnership,” she said.
Lynn Todman, Ph.D., executive director of our Institute on Social Exclusion (ISE); Elena Quintana, Ph.D., executive director of our Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice (IPSSJ); and Dan Cooper, M.S., M.U.P.P., assistant director of the IPSSJ, presented research and statistics on the challenges faced by residents living in Englewood. For example, the average vacant housing rate in Englewood is 25 percent, compared to 7 percent for the city of Chicago. And in 2011 (through November), 56 of Chicago’s 419 homicides happened in Englewood.
Joining us along with Sen. Hunter in leading discussion on these issues were our partners and panelists:
- Anthony Lowery, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Safer Foundation
- Jacque Conway, Executive Director, Teamwork Englewood
- Asiaha Butler, President, Resident Association of Greater Englewood
- Randell Strickland, Chicago Area Project, moderator.
With everyone gathered, we examined what is needed to bring about changes in Englewood amid what attendees identified as challenges in the community, including a lack of trust and a code of silence among residents, feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness, and the way the neighborhood is divided up by Chicago’s aldermanic wards.
The summit is a first step in developing a collaborative effort to improve the community wellness in Englewood. Stay tuned for future developments.
Maj. Gen. Mark and Carol Graham Bring Inspirational Campaign of Suicide Prevention to Community Hall
There is a stigma associated with depression and suicide, and that makes honest and productive conversations on the topic difficult. But Tuesday evening in Community Hall, the stigma was pushed aside as U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mark Graham and wife Carol Graham presented their heart-wrenching story and their campaign for more suicide prevention awareness, research and education.
“The seeds you plant here will save lives,” Mark Graham told the audience of students, faculty, veterans, and members of the public. He frequently thanked those participating in the Adler School’s Military Clinical Psychology track, the only one of its kind outside of a government military school.
Related news: Click here to read “Psych school strives to educate about military suicides.”
As featured speakers at the forum “Personal Journeys Dedicated to Suicide Prevention in the Military”—sponsored by the Adler School’s Military Psychology Student Association in association with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention—the Grahams shared their story of losing in less than one year’s time one son to suicide and another to combat in Iraq. The Grahams have become national advocates for suicide prevention in the military and believe awareness is key to understanding post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and other mental illnesses. “Our sons died truly fighting two different types of battles,” Graham said.
The inspirational presentation was followed by a panel discussion in which students and veterans discussed the challenges of raising awareness of depression in the military and the general public. Also presenting at the forum were the following experts, who shared valuable information on suicide prevention programs and resources:
- Joseph E. Troiani, Ph.D., Adler School of Professional Psychology. Troiani is a retired U.S. Navy commander and founding coordinator of the Adler School’s Psy.D. track in military clinical psychology.
- Steve Moore, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Moore spoke about the recent legislative activity related to military suicides.
- Mariann J. Blacconiere, LCSW: Veterans Administration resources. Blacconiere is the suicide prevention coordinator at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Johanna Buwalda, M.Ed., M.A., L.C.P.C, The Soldiers Project. The Soliders Project provides free, confidential psychological counseling for soldiers and their families.
Samantha Schilling, a doctoral student at Adler School and co-chair of the Military Psychology Student Association, moderated the event.
The POP! Art exhibit opens today at the Adler School (15th floor) from 4-6 p.m. The exhibit celebrates artistic expression from Thresholds artists. Thresholds is one of Chicago’s most recognized and renowned social service agencies serving persons with severe and persistent mental illness. The artists utilize various media, including pen and ink, paint, collage, sculpture, pencil, pastels and more to express their artistic voice.
Art therapy has proven to be a creative outlet for people with mental illnesses. The Adler School is home to Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology: Art Therapy (MAT) program, that trains practitioners to use the creative process to help their clients cope with stress, have better relationships with family and friends, and achieve greater self-fulfillment.
The Adler School of Professional Psychology Rotating Art Exhibit hosts art exhibits in collaboration with a community partner or non-profit organization. The theme of the exhibits relate to the mission of the School:
The Adler School of Professional Psychology continues the pioneering work of the first community psychologist Alfred Adler by graduating socially responsible practitioners, engaging communities, and advancing social justice.
The theme for this display focuses on recovery and is joyful and creative in nature. Many of the artists are self-taught with little to no outside instruction. Whether dealing with bi-polar disorder, depression, schizophrenia or other chronic illnesses, the members at Thresholds have chosen unique ways to express their artistic voice.
Threshold artists gain inspiration from music and sound, film and comic, literature, news, current events, or the power of the imagination and use that inspiration to express voices of recovery and joy. One of the featured artists, Robert Bell creates portraits of musicians that are cartoonish in nature and represent the large egos of various rock stars. Stop by and check out the delightful, lively and fun art that expresses the recovery side of mental illness.
Join us at 7 p.m. Jan. 18 at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, at 170 N. Dearborn just down the street from our campus, as we co-sponsor the first of two special presentations on women and the impact of military combat. Our discussions will follow “A Dramatic Reading of Scenes from Sophocles’ AJAX—The Female Warrior Program,” presented by Goodman Theatre and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble in association with Theater of War.
This dramatic reading of Sophocles’ Ajax—with a woman in the title role—uses the classic play to illuminate the modern military experience through highlighting the impact of combat on female service members. It ignites conversation about the dignity and honor of service—as well as its physical and psychological impact.
Immediately following the presentation, an in-depth discussion with town hall-style presentation will be led by panelists:
- Melissa Montalvo, MSW,LSW, Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn case manager, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center; U.S. Army veteran.
- J. Sherrod Taylor, JD, lawyer and faculty fellow at the Adler School’s Institute on Social Exclusion; U.S. Air Force veteran.
- Betsy E. Tolstedt, PhD, team leader of the Evanston Vet Center.
- Joseph E. Troiani, PhD, Adler School core faculty member and coordinator of the military clinical psychology track of our doctorate in clinical psychology program; U.S. Navy veteran.
The discussions will be moderated by Willa Taylor, director of education and community engagement, Goodman Theatre; U.S. Navy veteran
Tickets are FREE but reservations are required—call the Goodman box office at 312.443.3800 to reserve your seats.
“AJAX—The Female Warrior Program” will also be presented at 7 p.m. next Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the National Veterans Art Museum, 1801 S. Indiana Ave. in Chicago. Joining the panelists will be Tammy Duckworth, former assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; former director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs; Iraq War veteran.
To reserve tickets for the Jan. 25 presentation, visit RivendellTheatre.org or call Rivendell’s box office at 773.334.7728.
Theater of War is an innovative public health project that presents readings from Sophocles’ Ajax and Philoctetes to military and civilian audiences across the country—to de-stigmatize psychological injury, increase awareness of post-deployment psychological health issues, disseminate information regarding available resources and foster greater family, community and troop resilience. For more information about Theater of War, visit www.OutsideTheWireLLC.com.
These productions are made possible by the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation in collaboration with the USO. We’re proud to help lead and support discussion of the important issues raised by these productions.
Tonight, we are honored to host, “Personal Journeys Dedicated to Suicide Prevention in the Military” featuring speakers Major General Mark Graham and his wife Carol Graham. The event will be 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Community Hall.
The Grahams’ son Jeffrey was killed in action in Iraq in 2004 and months after, their younger son Kevin, a senior ROTC student at the University of Kentucky, committed suicide. Major Graham wanted to retire early, but even in the midst of grief, the Grahams found strength and a purpose in being a military family. The Grahams have become national advocates for suicide prevention in the military, and believe awareness is key to understanding post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and other mental illnesses.
The Grahams’ have established the Jeffrey C. and Kevin A. Graham Memorial Fund at the University of Kentucky to raise awareness of depression and suicide prevention. They also have established the memorial fund at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, where their daughter attended school. The Grahams’ have spoken at conferences, seminars and workshops throughout the U.S. to help others survive grief and understand depression.
In the fall of 2011, The Adler School of Professional Psychology introduced a Military Clinical Psychology track, the only one of its kind outside of a government military school.
Also presenting this evening:
- Steve Moore, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Moore will speak about the recent legislative activity related to military suicides.
- Joseph E. Troiani, Ph.D., Adler School of Professional Psychology. Troiani is a retired U.S. Navy commander and founding coordinator of the Adler School’s Psy.D. track in military clinical psychology.
- Johanna Buwalda, M.Ed., M.A., L.C.P.C, The Soldiers Project. The Soliders Project provides free, confidential psychological counseling for soldiers and their families.
- Mariann J Blacconiere, LCSW: Veterans Administration resources. Blacconiere is the suicide prevention coordinator at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
After the presentations, those attending are welcome to stay for refreshments and conversation.
The event is also sponsored by the Adler School’s Military Psychology Student Association in association with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Many individuals living in the U.S. are undocumented. Studies have shown that being an undocumented immigrant can be detrimental to one’s mental health. Recently, Illinois Issues covered immigrant mental health issues based from an event hosted this fall by the Adler School’s Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice (IPSSJ).
Click here to read “Undocumented anguish: Mental health issues plague immigrant youth.”
Immigrants come to the United States for multiple reasons. They come for economic reasons, but also as asylum seekers without benefits or authorization to work when entering the United States, or as refugees with permission to immigrate but without access to benefits, including health care and opportunity to work. They may be fleeing persecution or civil unrest; they may be victims of torture, human labor or sex trafficking.
Sonali Gupta, Psy.D., core faculty in the Adler School Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D) in Clinical Psychology program, says there is a human rights perspective on immigrant policy, particularly when dealing with children who are more vulnerable, in this story in the January 2012 issue of Illinois Issues. Dr. Gupta was one of four expert panelists examining immigrant mental health issues the fall IPSSJ event, led by Executive Director Elena Quintana, Ph.D., which prompted the story.
Dr. Gupta has held many different positions within the field of psychology. She has worked extensively studying the effects of human trafficking, refugee resettlement, and the trauma caused be these experiences, and has explored the experience of loss and separation in these contexts.
The IPSSJ, in collaboration with the Office of Peace and Justice, Office of Immigrant Affairs of the Archdiocese of Chicago (ICIRR) is hosting today’s program “Separation + Loss: Deportation Through the Eyes of Children” as the latest in a yearlong series providing another look at the challenges facing immigrant youth in this country.
Artists and their work help zero attention on important issues. They will do so Thursday at the Adler School as we welcome several young artists–immigrant children–whose work reflects their family experiences with deportation. Elena Quintana, Ph.D., Executive Director of our Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice, calls their art and the anguish it reflects “heart-breaking.”
The artists’ welcome and an exhibition of their work will be part of “Separation + Loss: Deportation Through the Eyes of Children,” featuring a presentation by and discussion with panelists including Fred Tsao, Policy Director at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Mary Lou Gonzalez, Education Coordinator for Immigrant Education, Archdiocese of Chicago; and Sisters of Mercy representatives who provide group homes and care for children of immigrants whose parents have been deported.
The event is a collaboration among the Adler School’s Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and the Office of Peace and Justice, Office of Immigrant Affairs of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
The event begins 3:30 p.m. Thursday, at the Adler School’s downtown Chicago campus. To RSVP and for more information, contact the IPSSJ at ipssj@adler.edu.
A reflection on conversation on hierarchies of identity, coming out, racism, and colorism
In today’s post, guest blogger Katrina Sanford, MA, a doctoral student here at the Adler School, reflects on an event hosted last term by the School’s Institute on Social Exclusion. The panel discussion “A Conversation: Hierarchies of Identity, Coming Out, Racism and Colorism”
was the first in a series of events intended to reframe mainstream LGBTQ discourse on salient issues that confront QPOC (queer people of color).
Originally from Virginia, Katrina attended James Madison University in Harrisonberg, VA, where she majored in psychology and minored in women’s studies. She’s involved in many on-campus groups; she is co-chair and founder of the Feminism and Equality Alliance, and a member of the Adler Pride group, the Black Student Association, and the Traumatic Stress Group, in addition to participating in work study for the School’s facilities department. She is also active with the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) representing the North Central region as the Regional Advocacy Coordinator.
Katrina shares these thoughts:
On October 19, 2011, the Institute of Social Exclusion hosted a panel discussion titled ‘A Conversation: Hierarchies of Identity, Coming Out, Racism, and Colorism.’ This event sought to reframe mainstream Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) discourse to include salient issues that confront Queer People of Color (QPOC). Historically, critical issues in QPOC communities have been overlooked by ‘mainstream’ gay culture. At this gathering, participants who were self-identified as Latino, African American, Asian, and Middle Eastern shared their perspectives on what it means to be gay or lesbian.
As a student fully invested in the LGBTQ community, and a member of the planning committee, I was highly impressed by the caliber of discussion, as well as by the diversity and openness of the panel. Panelists had a wide range of expertise flowing from their long-term work within the LGBTQ community. A noteworthy aspect of this disucssion was the idea of recognizing one’s privilege, even if one is a part of a community that is consistently discriminated against.
As a student at the Adler School of Professional Psychology, I have witnessed the School’s appreciation of diversity and commitment to addressing tough social issues that other individuals or institutions choose to avoid. The panelists thoughtfully discussed levels of oppression, the barriers they experience and insight about their own experience with privilege.
“It’s important to note that although there are general barriers that are universal to the LGBTQ community as a whole, there are also more specific difficulties that hinder each individual grouping as well. For instance, all individuals within the LGBTQ community deal with covert and overt discrimination within society, including legislative, social, political, and physical barriers. Examples of some of those barriers would be the lack of marriage recognition of same-sex partners in most states, the inability to adopt children as a same-sex couple, job and housing discrimination, and physical, emotional, and societal abuse in the form of hate crimes.
“There are also specific barriers that pertain to each individual group, whether the are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. Transgender individuals in particular have major difficulties when they want to transition from one gender to another. These issues include changing legal documents such as passports or driver’s licenses, as well as the inability to transition without the ‘approval’ of a psychologist and a forced diagnosis of Gender Identity Disorder.
“I think the biggest example of the Adler School’s commitment to erasing stigma and bringing to light the issues of the LGBTQ community is the new LGBTQ Mental Health and Inclusion Center under the direction of Dr. Kevin Osten. I know of very few school our size that have a center of this nature.”
The Adler School’s recently established LGBTQ Mental Health and Inclusion Center has partnered with Chicago Lakeshore Hospital to host a free professional development program next Thursday, Dec. 8: on the complexity of substance use in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community.
The program, “LGBTQ Substance Abuse and Treatment,” will examine substance abuse through individual, community, and societal lenses to gain both micro- and marco-level perspectives on drug choices and use rates. There will be additionally exploration of factors that assist in successful treatment for LGBTQ people and common areas of struggle in early recovery.
Learning objectives are to:
- Understand use rate differences for LGBTQ and heterosexual people
- Explore individual, cultural, and societal influences impacting substance use in the LGBTQ population
- Learn about common struggles of LGBTQ people in their efforts in recovery
- Learn about common struggles of LGBTQ people in their efforts in recovery
- Learn about strategies to improve cultural competence in substance abuse treatment for LGBTQ people
Guest speaking during the program will be Dr. Kevin A. Osten, Director of the Adler School’s LGBTQ Mental Health and Inclusion Center (LMHIC). Under Dr. Osten’s direction, the LMHIC mission is to provide culturally competent education and training to graduate-level students in the behavioral health field, advance social justice for the LGBTQ community, and engage in community efforts to improve serices and quality of life for the underserved members of the LGBTQ community.
In addition to leading LMHIC at the Adler School, Dr, Osten volunteers as an allied health professional for the Valeo Program at Chicago Lakeshore Hospital where he previous was program coordinator. Valeo is an inpatient and intensive outpatient program dedicated to the LGBTQ community, providing treatment for mental health, substance abuse adn co-occurring disorders. Dr. Osten also is co-authoring a textbook on integrating 12 steps into therapy work, scheduled for 2012 distribution through Sage Publications.
The free CEU program will take place at the Adler School in Community Hall, from noon to 1:20 p.m. Check-in will be 11:30 a.m. - noon. Admission is free, but space is limited and reservations are required. At the conclusion of the program, 1.5 CEU certificate credits will be provided through Chicago Lakeshore Hospital. RSVP by emailing Maria Fritz at mfritz@adler.edu at the Adler School.
Nationally recognized ‘Theater of War’ in Chicago: Adler School panelist & veteran discusses the macro mental health issues
Sherrod Taylor, J.D., Vietnam veteran, Adler School Institute on Social Inclusion Faculty Fellow, and Theater of War panelist
While the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) did not become widely known until after World War I, when it was known as shell shock, it’s in fact been recognized since the time of Sophocles in Ancient Greece. Sophocles was a Greek military general as well as a playwright, in an age when war was waged over many years. His play “Ajax” particularly highlights some of the issues that returning soldiers and veterans face as a result of war.
The story focuses on the title character, a soldier in the Trojan War, plotting to murder the Greek generals who have disgraced him. Under a trance by the goddess Athena, he slaughters farm animals he thinks are officers. Ajax’s concubine and other soldiers are depicted as trying to bring him to his senses; the pivotal scene shows Ajax in agony, committing suicide.
Although Sophocles wrote this play nearly 2,500 years ago, it remains an accurate depiction of the anguish and turmoil that modern-day soldiers experience. In fact, nearly one in five troops is diagnosed with PTSD, and suicides are climbing at unprecedented rates.
For this very reason, modern theatre director Bryan Doerries believed the Greek drama could offer something worthwhile to the modern world. Thus, the Theater of War was created.
The Theater of War is a nationally recognized independent production company that performs stage readings from Sophocles’ plays. So far, the company has performed more than 190 times across the United States, Europe and Japan. Last week, the company’s work came to Chicago in the first of two performances of AJAX—The Female Warrior Program,” presented by Goodman Theatre and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble in association with Theater of War.
The Adler School of Professional Psychology has co-sponsored special panels and town-hall discussion after the productions, Jan. 18 and again this week on Jan. 25, which focus on women and the impact of military combat. Through the discussions, veterans, soldiers and other audience members speak out on and their experiences. The play—and the discussions—offers insight to the 99% of Americans who have never served on the battlefield.
Among the Adler School panelists and veterans leading discussion is Sherrod Taylor, J.D., faculty fellow of the Adler School Institute on Social Exclusion (ISE). A combat veteran who served with the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing in Vietnam, Taylor practiced law for 28 years near Fort Benning, Georgia, where he often represented clients with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. He also is a former director of the National Head Injury Foundation.
During last week’s Theatre of War post-reading discussion, he described the barriers faced by returning soldiers in individual and collective mental health contexts. The individual mental health aspects are perhaps the more well-known: the diagnoses such as PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), or depression. The less obvious context is what not only affects veterans as a group but also detrimentally impacts society: Veterans return to a poor job market, systematic unemployment, home foreclosures, structural racism and a host of macro-level problems.
Taylor also pointed out other major barriers faced by those invested in the “warrior culture,” such as stigmatization. Soldiers throughout history have been challenged to be completely independent, to “stand on their own two feet,” and never ask for help. In fact, as Taylor pointed out from his own combat experience, building an inflated ego is part of military training. This training and the stigma associated with requesting mental health services often prevent soldiers and veterans from seeking the therapeutic help they need.
Taylor’s work and that of the ISE is not only focused on promoting positive mental health for individuals but also on population mental health as well. The concept is consistent with Bryan Doerries’ vision for Theater of War productions, which he sees as a public health project to function not necessarily as a therapeutic session alone but instead as a public health campaign.
We invite you to join us this week for Chicago’s second production of AJAX—The Female Warrior Program, followed by discussion with Taylor and fellow panelists including Joseph E. Troiani, PhD, Adler School core faculty coordinator of the School’s Military Clinical Psychology track and retired U.S. Navy Commander; and Tammy Duckworth, former assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; former director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs; Iraq War veteran.
The production is at 7 p.m. Jan. 25, at the National Veterans Art Museum, 1801 S. Indiana Ave. in Chicago. To reserve your free tickets, visit RivendellTheatre.org or call Rivendell’s box office at 773.334.7728.
Read more about Theater of War: