Download Community services directory - on our own of montgomery county, inc.

OOOMC SUMMER 2015 COURSE
DIRECTORY
434 East Diamond Ave.
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
www.ooomc.org
240-683-5555
HOURS OF OPERATION
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
CLOSED
10am-7pm
CLOSED
10am-7pm
10am-3pm
10am-7pm
10am-7pm
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This Course Directory outlines the core activities and programs offered at the On Our Own of
Montgomery County center every month for the next three months. We will also be offering
one-time special events and activities – please see the monthly calendar for a full listing of
everything we offer. You may subscribe to the monthly calendar by emailing
[email protected] or by viewing the current calendar on the web www.ooomc.org
You can also follow us on Twitter
@OOOMONTGOMERY
Arts and Crafts
Led by a program member with expertise in arts and crafts. Projects include painting, drawing,
holiday decorations, scrapbooking, sand art, and collages.
Assertiveness
This is a skill that can be learned and is sometimes lost as consumers attempt to cope with the mental
health system. Discussion focuses on speaking up for themselves in a variety of situations. Members
develop skills in asserting themselves in a clear and non-aggressive way.
Cooking Class
Members are shown step-by-step how to make a simple, easy, affordable, and healthy meal. A
shopping list and written instructions are provided. Everyone partakes in the finished product.
Computers and Informational Technology (See Back of Catalog)
Instruction in Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office software that can be taken at the basic,
intermediate, or advanced level.
Communication Skills
A variety of skills to enhance communication will be discussed, such as listening and speaking
skills, nonverbal communication, and dealing with difficult situations.
Creating Wellness
Strategies are discussed to improve wellness through developing stress relief and coping skills,
creating a social support system, and learning how to manage mental health issues. The focus
is on learning to master your own wellness and recovery.
Current Events
An opportunity to discuss events going on in the world, state, and community, and how they
impact us.
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Disclosing Our Illness
Discussion and guidance concerning whether or not you feel comfortable disclosing your
illness to new friends, employers, and even family. Guidance is drawn from published sources
and current laws.
Dual Recovery
A group designed for individuals to explore and discuss through shared experience how mental
health and substance addictions have impacted their quality of life. Alternative and interactive
support and new concepts in the path of recovery are discussed. The focus is on affirmations in
your walk in the path for recovery. Members set goals and meet with others who can help with
an abstinence-based approach to wellness and recovery.
Gentle Stretching
This is a process to relieve stress and anxiety. Gentle Stretching provides 20 ways to manage
stress. Participants use this as a technique to increase positive thinking and reduce negative
self-thoughts.
Group Peer Support
An opportunity for members to share issues of concern to them and receive support from
peers. The format is flexible. A time for sharing and listening.
Happiness Project
This group is inspired by an online blog called "The Happiness Project" created by Gretchen
Rubin. She brings to us hundreds of everyday ideas for enhancing happiness. The group leader
will choose a topic or the group can choose one from a variety of topics.
Health Education Series (Please see the back of the catalog)
Healthy Boundaries
Developing this skill can empower you to feel better about yourself and enhance your
relationships with others. Learning too say no can be difficult and avoiding becoming “codependent” with others takes practice and awareness of this pattern. We will examine these
dynamics and practice interacting in a healthier way.
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Healthy Eating
Ideas for eating to enhance health and wellness, as well as support and motivation for making
healthy changes.
Identify Your Strengths
Sometimes people don’t recognize or acknowledge their actual strengths. This is an
opportunity to name them, be supported by other members, and realize how to build on those
strengths as they work on their wellness and recovery.
Individual Peer Support
The opportunity for members to speak privately with Peer Support Specialists or with peers
whom they trust to discuss issues of concern on a one-to-one basis.
Mindfulness
This is a mind-body approach that is a state of active, open attention to the present and living
in the moment. By awakening to your thoughts and feelings without judging them, you can
develop a different approach to your thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness has shown to help
improve both mental and physical problems.
Mind over Mood
Learn to identify individual symptoms and ways to manage the warning signs of relapse,
coping with persistent symptoms and avoiding alcohol and drugs as you gain new
understanding. Develop a better knowledge of medications and side effects and the mood
changing thoughts that can shape your moods.
Mindset for Recovery
Are you ready to recover and will you commit to your decision to recover? Explore your
readiness plan and develop it as you prepare to take meaningful steps forward in your
recovery.
Motivation
Realizing that motivation comes from within the individual, the focus of this group is
identifying goals and actions that may increase motivation even when in a depressed mood.
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Moving and Stretching
This group uses physical activity to improve agility and decrease stress. The activities are
individualized to meet each member’s level of movement.
Personal Bill of Rights
The Personal Bill of Rights originally came from the WRAP program, which is run by a certified
WRAP® facilitator. In presenting this information, we have found are many members are not
aware of their basic rights. This is a tool to use for members working on wellness and recovery.
Personal Safety
Discussion of various aspects of keeping ourselves safe, especially out in public. We look at
awareness of surroundings, body language, and projecting confidence. There are tips and
tricks for elevators, streets, stairwells, dealing with strangers, and using cell phones to boost
our safety.
Perspectives on Recovery in Telling Our Story
This event series focuses on the power of telling our own stories to help ourselves and others
toward recovery. It is very powerful to realize that others have gone through similar battles,
overcome familiar obstacles, and been in situations that many can relate to. Sharing these
stories provides a sense of kinship and a realization that we are not alone.
Poetry
This class invites members to read and discuss selected poems. Members also are encouraged
to create their own poems. Participants get enjoyment from listening to poems about life’s
challenges and rewards and also in tapping into their own creativity.
Positive Thinking
Ways to enhance positive thinking are discussed, including exploring alternatives to negative
thinking patterns.
Procrastination
Understanding the reasons that cause us to procrastinate. Learn skills to combat a habit that
may impede recovery.
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Respecting Yourself and Others
Discussion on how to treat others in groups and as individuals with kindness and dignity.
Members are helped with looking at whether they respect themselves and practice speaking to
each other in a respectful way.
Resolving Conflict
Healthy ways to resolve with conflict are explored and examples are discussed.
Socialization and Recreational Activities
Each day provides the opportunity to socialize with other members. Recreational activities
include movie and popcorn, snacks, and card games, among other activities. Coffee is always
available. Birthdays for each month are celebrated at the end of each month. In addition,
community meals are held twice per month and a Member meeting is held monthly.
Supported Employment Services Informational Series
Vocational Support Systems, Inc. is conducting a series of discussions for members interested
in adult living, job support, and employment opportunities, for mental health disparities.
Tapping Your Creativity
We discuss the creativity that we each have within us. This group gives tips on how to get in
touch with our own creative gifts.
Thought Stopping
This is a technique to gain control over anxieties and obsessive thoughts by breaking into the
pattern of negative thinking. Members practice developing an internal command to “STOP” to
interrupt the intrusive thoughts and then refocus on thoughts that are more positive and
realistic.
Walking Group
Members are encouraged to participate as a way to increase their activity level. Walking helps
to burn calories and can improve heart and lung function. It also can be helpful in reducing
stress. Members are encouraged to make time to walk daily.
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Wellness Tools
An opportunity to discuss among members activities that help to get well and stay well. By
sharing, members can learn new tools for their wellness and recovery.
WRAP® Group
A series of 4 sessions totaling 16 hours, these courses are to give guidance and aid in
developing a Wellness Recovery Action Plan. A WRAP plan is an evidence- based practice and
a proven tool to plan and advocate for wellness. There are five key concepts needed in forming
your foundation and you write down your personal WRAP plan of recovery.
WRAP® Support Group
This is a monthly group for people who have taken the basic WRAP course. If no one in the
group has taken WRAP, we will provide an introduction to WRAP. The group is run by a
Certified WRAP facilitator.
Women’s Group
A discussion group to focus on issues particularly important to women. These include family
challenges, the aging process, women in today’s society, and the challenges of coping with
mental health and medical issues. Members are encouraged to support and inspire each other
in a non-judgmental environment.
Would You Rather?
Options are discussed concerning what members would rather aspire to in life. They then give
their reasons for their selections. The focus is on how these choices can impede or help in their
recovery.
Yoga
Our yoga practice incorporates meditation, gentle stretching and postures allowing a chance
to connect with the mind and body. Classes are gentle with options for everyone of different
abilities using chairs and yoga blocks to assist. While gentle music plays, you'll practice at your
own comfort level and pace. Join us for a gentle movements to care for your body or simply
take time to meditate and calm the mind.
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Health Education Series

Measures to Manage Stress - Group discussion on what issues cause members to feel
stress. Focus is on learning coping skills to deal with stress from each other.

Feeling Good: Coping with Depression - This group looks at ways to cope with
depression without the use of medication. Discussed will be learning to recognize what
triggers your depression, tips on developing different responses when you feel
depression coming on, and learning to cope with negative situations in your life.

How to Talk So People Will Listen - Learning to listen to others can be difficult to do
whether in an argument or self-engrossed in your own thoughts. Improving
communication skills is an important component in wellness and recovery. Discussion
will focus on developing new ways to communicate so both you and the other person
can learn to listen to each other.

Self-Compassion - Learning about self-soothing techniques that help us care for
ourselves and de-stress.

Dealing with conflict - This is an opportunity to understand how we cope with those
difficult people in our lives and how to stay in control of situations when we must interact with
them.
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ON OUR OWN OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
DUAL RECOVERY PROGRAM
DUAL RECOVERY PROGRAMS are designed for individuals with co-occurring mental
illness and substance abuse. Our program is focused on providing clients with a
transformative, nurturing, and individualized experience, designed to address the major
concerns of members with dual diagnosis.
Understanding Dual Diagnosis and Dual Recovery
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance abuse and mental health
disorders frequently occur together. When an individual suffers from one of these
disorders, he or she may attempt to self-medicate through the use of alcohol and/or
drugs. In order to have the most optimal chance at a successful recovery, it is important
to seek out a behavior addiction recovery facility that is capable of handling a dual
diagnosis treatment. In this type of facility, an all-encompassing treatment approach is
often used to meet all of the patient’s needs. Although the mental health disorder may
develop first, in other instances, the substance abuse may be the trigger for the mental
health disorder. Regardless of which condition occurred first, an individual with a dual
diagnosis will need to receive treatment for both. In order for treatment to be effective, it
will also be necessary for you or your loved one to stop using drugs or alcohol.
Substance abuse and mental health disorders can interact with, and even lead to, the
presence of other disorders. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration reports that approximately 53 percent of individuals who use drugs have
at least one mental health disorder. Because the two illnesses can aggravate one
another, it can sometimes be difficult to determine which symptoms are caused by
which problem.
The Dual Recovery program at OOOMC meets once a week. We cover topics that
help support members in seeking treatment, in maintaining abstinence, and in
understanding the root connection between mental illness and substance abuse.
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Computers and
Informational
Technology
Classes
Windows 7
Basic
Getting Started with Windows, Launching and Working with Apps, Customizing Windows,
Surfing the Web, and Sending and Receiving Email
Intermediate
Getting Social with Windows, Performing Day-to-Day Tasks, Working with Images,
Working with Multimedia, and Editing Documents
Advanced
Working with Files, Sharing Your Computer, Implementing Security, and Maintaining
Windows
Microsoft Word
Basic
Getting Familiar with Word, Managing Documents, Editing Text, and Proofreading
Intermediate
Formatting Text, Formatting Paragraphs, Formatting Pages, and Printing Documents
Advanced
Working with Tables and Charts, Working with Graphics, Customizing Word, Working with
Mass Mailing Tools, and Word and Beyond Desktop
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