SUPPORT GROUPS

Family members and the community at large can often benefit from support and education regarding mental illness. The Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Alliance for the Mentally III offers several support groups and the Journey of Hope, an educational program, for family members throughout the area. Membership in this organization also provides affiliation with NAMI, the National Alliance for the Mentally III. The Mental Health Society is another local organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for persons with mental illness through education and advocacy in the community. Their primary project at this time is Compeer of the Lehigh Valley, described in the next section. The Depressive and Manic Depressive Association of the Lehigh Valley is another local self-help organization. They offer support and education groups for persons with depressive and manic depressive disorders. You can call the numbers listed below for further information about these available supports.

Support Groups

 

PEER SUPPORT

For all of us, friends are a vital part of surviving in the community. Many people with mental illness find it especially helpful to form relationships with people who also have or who understand mental illness. People with similar problems can offer a special kind of support and to share things that have worked for them in the past. The  Clubhouses provide social opportunities for you to meet others in an informal, empowering atmosphere. The centers have computers and other office equipment available for you to learn new skills or refresh old ones. The Compeer Program helps connect persons with mental illness with community volunteers who are willing to spend time with them to form a friendship. Referral for Compeer must come through your mental health worker. You can reach these organizations through the numbers listed below.

Peer Support

 

HISPANIC/LATINO SERVICES

You can the organizations providing services for Hispanics and Latinos through the numbers listed below.

 Hispanic/Latino Services

 

PROTECTION & ADVOCACY

All of the agencies providing mental health services to Lehigh Valley residents follow state and federal laws regarding nondiscrimination and consumer rights. Consumers can voice complaints in a variety of ways, depending upon where they receive services. You can find out more information by asking your caseworker or treatment worker. If you need help to secure your rights to fair housing, benefits and entitlements, treatment, etc., the organizations listed in the Peer Support and Family and Community Support Sections of this directory are willing to provide advocacy services to persons with mental illness.

 

Additionally, the specific function of the Consumer Satisfaction Team of the Lehigh Valley is to listen to consumers and families to find out how satisfied they are with the services they receive. The Consumer Satisfaction Team can help you to get your needs addressed. Pennsylvania Protection and Advocacy, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit agency which exists to insure that advocacy services are available to help consumers become self-advocates, to obtain appropriate services, and to protect your legal rights. You can reach these organizations through the numbers listed below.

Protection & Advocacy

 

REHABILITATION & CLUBHOUSES

There are a variety of rehabilitation programs in the Lehigh Valley. “Rehabilitation” means different things to different people. For this purpose, rehabilitation is defined as all activities which help you learn the social and work skills and to get the supports you need to survive in the community. There are two main types of rehabilitation, social and vocational. There are some formalized programs but many are agencies where informal rehabilitation occurs as part of what happens during the day. You may need a referral from your caseworker for the formalized programs.

 

The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation is a starting point for many formalized programs for people with disabilities who want to work at some point. This office will assign you a counselor to help you get services to meet your vocational goals. You may need to go through OVR to get into the program you want, such as Creations or supported employment through PIC. You can reach these organizations through the numbers listed below.

Rehab & Clubhouses