Thursday, October 25, 2007

Pickens County :: Anyone out there interested in Long Term Care issues..?

Just throwing out a quick feeler here while still reeling from a recent, very energetic conversation about long term care (LTC) in this area..

Long story short, if anyone in this immediate area (such as we all know the concept of "immediate area" applies to counties in Georgia) is interested in becoming involved in long term care, community home-based care services (HBCS), and other similar topics, drop me a quick email with a subject line that can be simply "LTC" if you wish.. As soon as any meetings regarding the same occur, you would then be among the first to know..

With this being a brand new inspiration born from a conversation of two, no idea yet on the what and when a first gathering might entail.. Hearts and minds will always be open to hear all that might not fall into any particular meeting agenda of the moment.. :wink:

Cyber hugs..

PS Whoopsie, almost forgot.. The email address is:

ButterflyBytes@gmail.com..

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

ProBlogger :: If I had a million dollars..

If I had a million dollars, I'd use it to generate a not-for-profit that provides computers and ongoing technical training for persons with disabilities so that their own fingertips were free to sing glorious songs of self-advocacy..

Special to Darren and Lara.. See, it really never is over 'til the geekette with the slowest computer in the Universe (or at this particular moment in Time with any computer access at all) weighs in.. :wink, grin:

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Not that I'm opinionated *BUT* :: Alabama's DHR..

If other states are looking to Alabama's Department of Human Resources (DHR) for how they run their own family and children's services divisions, advocates and self-advocates need to be seriously concerned..

Having been involved on the fringes of one particular and very recent case of theirs, I witnessed them take a child away when the case ultimately boiled down to that the child did not like the parents' choice in britches.. The child exhibited physical violence towards family members, and, for such, received (state paid for..???) trips to highend department stores for punishment..

With respect to family counseling, lessons in clothes folding were offered or at least mentioned at some point, but not once, not once, NOT ONCE was there indepth follow-through with respect to mental health counseling..

The even deeper history to the case..? Physical violence witnessed by the child as a youngster that was never addressed.. Would take a glimpse at the case history to see if they would even allow it to be admitted for consideration towards the child's current history of behavior..

Also of interest to these fingertips was the one office's bias regarding the freedom of religious choice provided by our country.. The child's papers physical reflect..? Unwitnessed by these fingertips, but verbally stated as a written recorded statement of:

"claims to be Christian"

The statement of "claims to be Christian" was reported to have been placed on file after a member or members of the family were repeatedly asked about their religious convictions.. For what it's worth in rumorable materials, these fingertips have been personally privy to that this is not the only case of religious bias shown by Alabama DHR, either..

WHOOPS..... Forgot to include the link that started this rant:

Now.. Why should this be of any immediate interest to a blog expressing personal opinions concerning disability self-advocacy rights..?

Because these fingertips are also privy to what remains at best a rumor that a grandmother was put through an absolute ringer over custody of her grandchildren because of her weight.. Reportedly, hear me again, reportedly, as in Rumor has it, the grandmother went through invasive operational procedures for weight removal only to continue to have custody rights to her grandchildren still be denied afterwards.. Granted, I know nothing, nothing of the specifics of this case, but it is not an isolated reported instance of this type.. Surely, surely, surely there is a creative press-type reporter out there who can dig deep down into the nitty gritty of the same..

Yup, jim dandy to know other states will be leaning on Alabama's DHR for the how-tos of getting involved in guiding our family units.. Can't wait to see it reflected in the overall health of our local communities as a whole as Time goes on..

Cyber hugs..

Celebrity Privilege :: Allen Iverson's $6.2 million lawsuit over a $2.2mil house..

Don't know how anyone else sees it, but, from up "here in the hills" ( :wink: ), these kinds of lawsuits are really starting to burn my britches when those who need real accountability for Lives genuinely destroyed are regularly blocked from being able to do the same..

'Nuff said (for the moment).....

Cyber hugs..

Saturday, October 20, 2007

In these times of alternative "recycling", please don't forget your local thrift stores..

Super quickie here.. With alternative forms of recycling still usable household articles becoming more and more popular (not to mention accessible through the availability of the Internet), PLEASE don't forget to keep your local community thrift stores in mind along the way..

As one on a very limited budget myself for quite some time, my community thrift stores are a regular stop each month.. With the popularity of commendaable websites such as Freecycle, one cannot help but notice the shelves in thrift stores are becoming increasingly more barren..

My thought process is......

The programs that depend on the funds generated through community thrift store revenues are the ones that will feel, nay, are feeling the pinch as tangible donations dry up a little in their directions.. Just please don't forget they are all out there as technology continues to connect us all together more and more..

Cyber hugs..

Monday, October 8, 2007

MH State Hospital Survey :: GA MHDDAD Family Satisfaction Survey..

*Love* Life's little presents like the following that wholly accidentally find their way to these fingertips.. This is a Georgia DHR MHDDAD mental health hospital survey explaining itself with the following:

People who are treated in Georgia’s state mental health hospitals need the support of their family and friends to get and stay well. Loved ones also see the progress of the patient and the quality of the hospital and its staff from a unique perspective.

If you’re close to someone who’s been treated in one of Georgia’s seven state mental health hospitals, we want to hear about your experiences. Please take a moment to fill out the following survey. If a question isn’t applicable to you, or you prefer not to answer, just select N/A.

Survey's original URL :: 167.193.142.194/mhsite/survey.aspx..

For those who may be concerned, the numerical web addy reflected, 167.193.142.194, defaults back to Georgia DHR's Office of Communications if followed..

BUTTERFLY BYTE :: Know up front that, while this survey does not appear to ask for any personally identifiable information, any server anywhere, any time can and does document our IP (Internet protocol) addresses, the sometimes temporary, sometimes more permanent numbers our IPSs (Internet service providers) mark us with, identify us by each time we log on to the Internet.. Just a subtle reminder that we are never as invisible as it may seem at first glance.. :wink:

Cyber hugs..

Cindy Sue

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

CSBs :: LE seeking potential victims regarding Gwinnett mental health care..

This is coming to you from a local library (Pickens) so apologies for the apparent shortness..

Couldn't get the related Atlanta Journal-Constitution webpage to pull up (keeps frying this machine), and most others pretty much deny reproduction rights of any kind soooooo........

Try the following search keywords in your favorite search engine.....

Gwinnett County :: Dr. Mohammed Qureshi, 45 :: psychiatric evaluation :: Lawrenceville :: psychiatric physician :: Gwinnett Rockdale Newton Community Service Board

Google's news search feature provides the following..

MOST importantly :: Investigators want to hear from potential victims for whom the above keywords ring home.. Contact info I could immediately come up with (as it was not provided in any of the stories I located)........

As soon as possible, I'll provide more legal resources interested in hearing from potential victims..

If you are affected by this story, please come forward if you can.. Turn to your private circle of support to go with you in person or sit by the phone while you call the proper authorities..

If you have no one immediately available to stand by your side as moral support, call your local CIL (center for independent living) for support.. Better yet, just walk in.. They're open most business day hours.. Ask one of the on-duty CIL associates to sit with you while you call the local Lawrenceville or Gwinnett County law enforcement agencies to explain your own situation..

If you are a friend, family member, or newbie advocate assisting someone filing a report with Lawrenceville or Gwinnett County, please keep in mind that the person who originally opeenheartedly sought out mental health care services, your friend sitting with you there, is now potentially also a victim of sexual assault.. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to this end may additionally have to be factored in to Life, possibly from this point forth..

Remember.. You didn't ask for this to happen to you.. You did what countless psychiatric survivors did before you.. You trusted as you should have been able to do.. When you are ready, do what you can within yourself to hold the person responsible accountable.. Speaking from very personal experience, self-determination and empowerment will be your immediate reward..

Cyber hugs..