the latest

Introducing... Victoria de Ney

2011-09-20T16:33:00.000-04:00

Before the road to Caramore intersected with my life, I was one of the most critical people you’d ever meet…

In Tier 1, I spent most of my free time hiding in my bedroom, silently criticizing everyone and everything in my head. My ego and I in particular seemed to have "bull's eyes" for me to throw darts at. If you met me back then, I would’ve zoomed in on your faults and ignored your talents!

In Tier 2, my best friend and roommate (a Caramore graduate who is now one of Caramore’s best RAs!), encouraged me to “get out of my shell.” So I hung out with her in the med office (a great place to meet other clients, by the way), where I met and connected with new friends. I became more social and less critical, somewhat, at this stage.

In Tier 3, I was cruising past the speed limit one last time, crashing my criticism directly into a club I didn't approve of and Caramore accommodates. As soon as Caramore helped me change the oil in my "car" (outlook on life), I finally realized how negative my thoughts were. I'm now mentally insured by a company called "Happiness"! (And it's been over 3 years since I experienced my second, and last, involuntary hospitalization and hallucination).

It was then (Tier 3) my new life-changing attitude allowed Caramore to piece its way into the big puzzle that is me! And so my relationships within the Community have been renewed.

Thanks to the new "leash" on life Caramore gave me, I’m:

1). now a member of NAMI. Caramore encourages clients to explore mental health issues outside our close-knit Community!

2). hopeful I can contribute to the fight against stigma! I openly discussed my schizoaffective disorder during my latest interview and my employer told me the disorder runs in her family (I even told her Caramore is the reason I'm prepared for the interview!). She hired me on the spot!

3). more intuitive! Along with my therapist (and my mother the social worker!), Caramore taught me to follow my intuition and to speak my mind (positively!).

4). more financially savvy. Caramore (and a businessman for my father!) inspired me to follow the daily budget I created, with Scott's help!

5). a Parking Monitor for Special Events at UNC, a really fun job Barry referred me to!

6). no longer afraid to venture outside my own city, by bus! Caramore taught me how to navigate the bus system.

7). discovering who I am, who I'm not and what my passions are! Caramore promotes only the best in us.

If the above sounds like I'm bragging, well, I am! Caramore worked hard with me (not for me!) to get where I am now. As a result, I'm finally happy with my identity and I'm happy to be alive!

"Bark,"

Victoria de Ney

Caramore uses the UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment

2011-08-01T09:56:00.001-04:00

Upon admission, Caramore currently uses the standardized UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment, which is extremely useful for determining everyday functioning in severely mentally ill adults and helps us specialize in treatment plans for individuals.

Please feel free to contact Jacob Long ((919) 967-3402 extension 100, jacob.long@caramore.org) with any questions on our use of the UCSD Assessment or any admission questions.

Thank you.

Thanks to Strowd Roses

2011-07-30T18:55:00.001-04:00

Many thanks to Strowd Roses for their recent generous grant to Caramore. Thank you so much!

Caramore’s 2009-2010 Annual Report

2011-07-30T18:13:00.000-04:00

Check out Caramore's most recent Annual Report.

Madison Summarizes Schizophrenia

2011-07-12T21:27:00.000-04:00

I was approached by a Caramore staff member and they asked if I would be willing to publish my story for the Caramore website. I pondered on it long and hard and finally decided to do it. But I also struggled with what to write. And I have decided just to give it straight.

If I was to sit here and tell you that living life with schizophrenia is easy I’d be lying. In fact each day is a struggle to live life as normal as possible. Unlike the average person there are strict medicine regimens which also include getting blood work done every week, therapist appointments, counseling sessions, meetings with vocational rehab and so on and so on. These are things that most humans may never see in there lifetime but as a person with mental illness this is LIFE.
Along with the everyday struggles of my mental illness I also work 30 hours a week in the culinary field. Not only do I have a life altering illness I also work in one of the most intense, and mentally demanding fields known to man. And to be honest If I had never found the culinary arts I would probably be dead. But now, not only am I conquering my mental illness I have also found a new lease on life and that lease comes in the form of working with food. Yes I get tired, and yes some days I want to quit but it is in that moment that I recall all of what I have been through with my mental illness and life itself and I see where I have come from and where I am going and I find the strength within to keep pushing.
In saying that there is no way that I could have accomplished this all on my own. In fact If I hadn’t have found the people at Caramore I would be doing just good enough to get by, BUT I wouldn’t be doing great like I am today! The Caramore program has added tons of help on getting me to the point that I am at today. The greatest thing that I have found with being in the Caramore program is that the staff helps you out tremendously but they DO NOT do the work for you. They make you strive to find ways to overcome your illness and also help on ways to becoming a functioning member of society.
Like I said to begin, living life with mental illness is an ongoing process that takes time and effort to overcome. It is not conquered in a day, a week, or a year, it is an uphill battle your whole life. But with the help of the Caramore staff and the dedication to overcome your mental illness anything is possible!

Madison

Remembering Steve Powers

2011-05-30T13:21:00.004-04:00

Steveo and Chubby

Caramore friends and family lost one of our own—Steve Powers—who abruptly passed away May 3, 2011, leaving us confounded in that senseless way that profound losses leave us.

Steve struggled and suffered and persevered and eventually etched out a life with a wonderful sense of self-awareness expressed through irony. He relished absurdities and long ago dropped any desire to take what happens in life as personal.

He was filled with humor and belly laughs and specialized in shtick-driven voicemails that he would leave on my phone, and purposely cloddish pencil-cartoons on notebook paper all folded up and mailed to me at my home.

Steve was a mainstay in the kitchen of Carol Woods Retirement Community, working there for almost ten years, but he always told me he really should have been a weatherman. He fed me leading-edge weather science and predictions for long time—in fact, when I told my nine year old daughter of Steve’s passing, the first thing she asked was how I was going to get my weather forecasts.

Steve was a pleasure to know as a friend, and I appreciate having known him, and miss him…

David E. Cooley

Our Community

2011-04-17T11:14:00.001-04:00

Important News! Beginning July 1, 2011, Caramore Community will no longer provide any of its residential services in what has traditionally been regarded as typical "group home" settings.

Instead, Caramore will improve the level of service to its clients by incorporating all of our residential services within a community of four bedroom supervised apartments, thus providing a more normalized community environment for all of the Caramore program residents.

Supervision, guidance and support for residents will consistently be provided in direct relation to an individual client's needs, and personalized plans and goals will be set up before each individual is admitted into the Caramore program

This represents a progressive shift in the way we offer our services and places and increased emphasis on a more person-centered approach to success and achievements for each resident.

Caramore staff and clients welcome this change as it reinforces our mission to help all our residents be fully integrated in the general community as they enter our program, and not feel isolated in a group home environment while working on their individual goals.

The overall affect will be a more unified program, less separation of clients in homes, and more exposure of all residents to all staff and fellow clients.

Barry Shanley
Program Director

Our Annual Campaign—2011

2011-02-26T18:27:00.000-05:00

We are so grateful for the tremendous amount of financial support we received from our loyal donors last year, and we hope that this year will be just as wonderful. Because of the contributions we received over the past year, we have been able to kickoff a 5-year plan to purchase a condominium for our long-term clients. Amazingly, $14,086.00 has already gone towards the purchase of one 4-bedroom condominium at University Commons in Carrboro, and as a result we have been able to vastly improve the lives of four individuals living with severe and persistent mental illness. Why is this so important?

Because of the recurring difficulties individuals living with mental illness receive over time, we developed a program called Tier 3; this is where our condominiums come into play. Caramore clients that have exhibited an ongoing dedication to their recovery, and that have traversed the group home and supervised apartment setting of our program, may desire a long-term, close relationship with us. In that case, they enter into Caramore’s Tier 3 program. Sometimes these very clients have had legal troubles or credit issues, and find it difficult to get an apartment of their own, despite positive financial and behavioral changes they have enacted in their recovery. We are able to get around these practical barriers by having our Tier 3 clients sign a year’s sublease with Caramore at our condominium, and receive continued assistance with problem solving and job counseling. Most importantly, our Tier 3 clients see an immediate improvement in their life, and they are so appreciative for the comfortable environment that University Commons offers, allowing them a “peace-of-mind.”

Let’s make it our goal to extend this opportunity to more Caramore participants by purchasing another 4-bedroom condominium in the next 5 years. We all know the effect that lack of funding has had on mental health providers, but Tier 3 offers us the ability to have a stake in owning residential treatment that can really last. If we receive $30,000 a year over the next 5 years, then the possibility of ownership can become a reality. Let’s double our efforts from last year, and by doing so, provide progressive, life-enhancing, long-term services for our clients. Please help us assist more clients enter into Tier 3 by making a tax-deductible donation or pledge this year so that we can sustain and expand life-enhancing services to those living with severe and persistent mental illness. Thanks for your commitment to those living with mental illness, and your financial support in helping us, help others, achieve their goals.

Sincerely,

David Chapman

President/CEO

A Letter From a Mother

2010-12-27T17:51:00.000-05:00

As a Mother of a child with mental illness I’ve had to deal with a lot of struggles with J. for a very long time. At the time of his very early diagnosis I was married but in a situation that I found myself dealing with this alone. Family didn’t understand and I had very little knowledge as to how to handle and work through those many daily struggles. After the first hospitalization, that almost did me in, I knew the answer to some of my questions as to what J. was going to be dealing with the rest of his life so my first step was to learn all I could about his illness. Books, questions to the doctors, and even a little internet research helped me to gain a better understanding of what I was dealing with and the struggles J. was going through. Of course over the following years we had other hospitalizations but each time we learned more and gained a lot of valuable information. For me this was a team effort that I knew J. and I were going to have to work through TOGETHER! Many days I felt I was losing the battle to help him and then other days I felt we were getting the tough work done. I knew there were many great groups out there to offer support but it was a struggle for me to reach out to them and most of the time I was just too exhausted to do it!

As J. got older and bigger in size he started to become more difficult to handle. I knew as a family, me and his sister especially, were struggling with the all time consuming energy to get through a day and even an hour with J. My problems with his father were getting worse and it was just getting too much to handle all alone. For so long though, and still today I see it, people just do not understand what you go through unless you have to walk in those steps but still it was hard to reach out to family. At this point I started looking for some kind of inpatient placement for J. We went into one program for about a year but J. was moved from house to house and he did not respond well at all. J. came home and soon afterwards went into the hospital to stabilize meds and his mood swings. I reached out to one more program at the age of 16 and he went to live in a wilderness style program for boys. I couldn’t believe I was putting my child into a program that was so strict and lacked so many of the things we take for granted everyday. He struggled in the beginning, as to be expected, but gradually started responding to all the various things put into place for this to be a success for each young man there. J. came out of there at 18 years old a much better person. He had learned to talk through his anger and learned to control his outburst. Was he perfect, no, but he learned very valuable skills there. He was a different person. The one thing he didn’t learn though was how to start managing his life on his own… to be more independent and to make better choices as an adult. After about 6 months, I felt J. needed to go somewhere that could teach him some life skills: paying bills, managing money, cooking for himself, independent but monitored, etc. I had tried this at home but as every parent can say our kids always think they know a little more than us at that age and he was not interested in his mother trying to tell him what to do. So we went to a new placement for independent living. This became a disaster and my nightmare in real time! He stopped taking meds as needed, spent all his money, was easily manipulated by peers and learned hard lessons about trust. There was no tiered program to learn this stuff, just thrown out to the wolves so to speak. I, as his Mother got no support from the program and was basically told to mind my own business. J. become his own worst enemy and was told he had to leave the program. I felt they gave up on him after not helping him as this “new” program has promoted itself to do. I was given 10 hours notice to move him out and all of his belongings. What an experience! This caused J. to withdraw and didn’t believe anything or that anyone cared enough to help. Again, back to the hospital to stabilize medicine because he had been off of them for so long and he was depressed and was having problems but also back to the beginning of reminding him of all he had accomplished at the wilderness program. Thankfully, J. had retained enough that he bounced back fairly quickly. J. spent the next year at home with family but just had no motivation to do anything with his life because we as a family had made it too easy for him. I started trying to find something or somewhere that could teach him what he was so resistant to do at home.

Now I come to Caramore! I stumbled over the website one day and started doing some research about the program. I made a few phone calls. Then I approached J. about Caramore. He was so resistant but after a few talks decided to look into “that place”…as he called it. We started the application process and worked with Jacob Long. I took J. for a tour and he listened to everything Jacob told him. J. told me afterwards that Jacob was so cool and seemed to get him and what he was saying and feeling. I breathed a sigh of relief! After some time we got notice that J. had a spot to move into and we started preparing for this. J. was scared and nervous because he didn’t want to be lied to and believe in”these people”. I was nervous because I had to trust strangers to do right by my child, though he was an adult. I took J. and dropped him off. While J. did struggle a lot to begin with, he also loved it. He enjoyed the people he lived with and started working a real job and grew to love that too! After a couple of months I saw progress with him.

I am under no illusions that all is perfect in J.’s world and he has his moments of struggles but the staff at Caramore has been able to help him through all of this. J. will always have struggles but the staff helps him work through that. He has made friends that maybe have the same struggles and can relate to him. I have made many phone calls to Barry to help me out with concerns I had and he has always been patient, kind, considerate and very understanding. I have never felt excluded from J. and his needs and how to help him. Many people behind the scenes have worked with my son to help him be more successful and help him out with the guidance he needs when he struggles. J. is very stubborn but Caramore never gives up and always give him what he needs, though sometimes he may not see it at the time. I have felt Caramore has always had J.’s best interests at heart. He has grown in so many ways and I give him credit for his hard work and determination but I also give credit to Caramore. Caramore has helped our family finish what others have started with him. The wilderness experience taught J. better ways to deal with his anger, his family has taught him how to love and know we are there for him good and bad but Caramore has taught J. to be a productive young man in today’s society. Caramore opened up doors for him that he never thought would open. They showed him how to use his strengths but to also how to work on his weaknesses. J. has worked hard and sometimes wants to give up but Caramore NEVER gives up on him. Caramore continues to show J. how great he can be!!!!

As a Mother, I would always recommend Caramore to anyone I saw going through similar struggles with a family member. I also thank God for leading me to a program that has helped my son so much and has never given up on him even during his hardest struggle. Mental illness affects not just the person but the whole family and Caramore helps keep the family involved as much as possible. Caramore is a team of people…some we see and some we never hear about but I am so very thankful for each of them.

With gracious thanks always,

Christina

A Friend Leaves Us

2010-12-19T18:14:00.001-05:00

A Friend Leaves Us...

Dianne Swearingten, a true friend of the Caramore family, passed away on December 12, 2010. Dianne was responsible for providing many Caramore participants with meaningful employment opportunities through McLaurin Parking at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill.

But it wasn't just the opportunities for work that we are indebted to Dianne for ... it was for her insight, her support, and her tireless belief that people with disabilities could work effectively and be successful in the community.

Dianne championed many of our clients over the years, sticking with them when necessary, and helping them to realize their potential.

We are saddened by her leaving us, but we cherish the memories of of our relationship.

Bless you always Dianne.

Barry Shanley
Program Director ... and grateful friend

Anthony

2010-12-03T09:08:00.001-05:00

A Snapshot of Anthony and his talents ... Anthony's intelligent mind is always at work, as evidenced by some of his many sketches and cartoon drawings. Anthony has a kind demeanor that is both humorous and yet also serious at the same time, a creative combination that is always enjoyable and disarming for all of us

Anthony has been at Caramore for several months now and has been working at a job in the community that he truly enjoys. He plans to continue working for awhile and then pursuing courses in art school

Anthony's simple sketch about "crossing the bridge" resonates with all of us at Caramore --- it truly represents the mindset and effort of everyone in the Caramore Program.

Enjoy
Barry Shanley
Program Director

Thanksgiving Wishes

2010-11-27T08:13:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is a special time for us, an opportunity to reflect and give thanks for all that we hold dear. In that spirit, we at Caramore would particularly like to express our heartfelt gratitude to you for the support and generosity you have shown for our program. For almost 35 years, the mission of Caramore has remained steadfast --- to empower adults with mental illness to live productive and satisfying lives. Caramore continues to accomplish that mission by providing housing and job opportunities within an environment that respects the dignity and potential of all adults who live with mental illness.

In reality, carrying out this mission is quite challenging. It is only through the special help and generosity of individuals such as you that we have been able to see hundreds of our clients achieve their goal of independent living.

While the heart of Caramore lies in its dedicated staff, a large measure of our success is a direct result of the impressive level of commitment that you and others have shown through your efforts. Your dedication and support helps create a significant part of the environment that empowers our clients to help themselves. You help demonstrate to our clients that they can live rich and rewarding lives with mental illness --- that there is nothing to deter them from fulfilling their dreams. Without your involvement and personal commitment, many of the Caramore participants might never realize their dreams of independent living.

It is with great joy and sincerity that we thank you for your generous and concerned help. Your spirit and support allows us to carry out and continue the important work that we do. You are truly very special to all of us.

Thanksgiving blessings to you and your families,

David Chapman & The Caramore Staff

FRANK Gallery Salon: Brushes with Life: Art, Artists, and Mental Illness

2010-11-09T09:47:00.003-05:00

On Thursday, November 11; 6:30PM at the FRANK Gallery (109 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill), the TGI Thursday Salon will offer community members, professionals, artists, and mental health consumers an opportunity to engage in conversation about how art and mental illness interplay as part of the creative process, and as part of the recovery journey. Select pieces from theBrushes with Life exhibit will be on display and remain for the Second Friday Art Walk on Friday, November 12; 6:00-9:00PM.

Brushes with Life is a creative arts program open to people with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses through UNC’s STEP and OASIS clinics in the Chapel Hill area. By connecting with the larger community though their work, artists promote a broader understanding of the human side of mental illness. For more information check out: http://cecmh.org/center-in-action/specialized-programs/brushes-with-life/ or http://www.frankisart.com.

Brought to you by the Healthy Carolinians of Orange County Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee to raise awareness of the challenges and contributions of people with severe and persistent mental illness in our community.

Additionally, they hope to engage members of the community in supporting and expanding the Mental Health Association in Orange County’s Compeer Program, a project that fosters supportive friendships between people with mental illness and volunteers.

Social Security and You

2010-09-20T08:05:00.000-04:00

Whether you already receive Social Security benefits when you enter Caramore or want to apply for them while you're here, we can help.

Here are a few facts. There are two types of benefits, Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and Supplementary Security Income (SSI). SSDI provides benefits to blind or disabled persons who are "insured" based upon FICA contributions, while SSI provides benefits to low income people who are disabled, blind or elderly.

Many of Caramore's clients receive or are applying for one or both types of disability. Those who receive SSDI will also receive Medicare two years after the date they became eligible for SSDI. Those who receive SSI automatically receive Medicaid.

Some common myths:

everybody is denied the first time
most people are denied three times before they're approved
if you work, you'll lose your benefits

In fact, assuming you are disabled for purposes of Social Security law, your chances of being approved the first time you apply are very good if your case is presented properly.

Also, while SSDI and SSI calculate your "earned income" differently, each allows disabled individuals to work part time. In fact, each program encourages its recipients to work. Caramore's mission is to, among other things, find employment in the community for its clients. It could not do so if Social Security prohibited or otherwise penalized its recipients from working.

Caramore helps those who are seeking benefits navigate the sometimes complicated application process, and it helps those who are receiving benefits understand the rules that apply to them concerning work, Medicare and Medicaid. The interplay between these social services can be overwhelming; it's comforting to our clients and their families to have Caramore there to help with the issues that arise inevitably.

Scott D. Zimmerman
Financial and Benefits Counselor

Caramore is...

2010-09-17T11:31:00.001-04:00

Caramore is an established psychosocial treatment for mental illness; once stabilized on medication, Caramore provides individuals with a warm and comfortable community environment to form and keep relationships; where work, health, and continual practice of confronting the everyday challenges of life can be achieved and maintained.
Caramore has 30 years of success in rehabilitation emphasizing social and vocational emersion—we offer immediate work and continual job counseling, money management counseling, and transportation; all of which adds up to mastering and keeping employment.
Through our structured program, individuals are more likely to keep taking their medication and less likely to relapse or be hospitalized. The program—and work with therapists—combine to allow for a better understanding of how to best live with mental illness and its common yet individual symptoms.
Caramore residents take an active role in managing their illness and can better make decisions about their own care, be very aware of their persistent symptoms, and have a plan to respond to early warning signs of possible relapse, typically preventing it.

"Unlisted: A Story of Schizophrenia"

2010-09-17T09:23:00.005-04:00

Sponsored by NAMI Durham Free to the public

October 13th at 7:30 pm

The Carolina Theatre

Cinema One

309 W Morgan St., Durham

Director Statement...

For years I felt conflicted about having disconnected from my father. I told myself that

without my contact information my dad would no longer be tempted to come searching

for me in a psychotic state, and I could avoid the pain of not being able to get him help.

Five years ago I decided to stop hiding. Part of the catalyst for this decision was my

growing need to tell my story; a story that while unique in its details is universal in its

themes.

Severe mental illness tears families apart, but not for the reasons that make tabloid

headlines. Yes, the symptoms of these illnesses can be devastating, but what really tears

families apart is their inability to get treatment for their family member. The frustrations

and heartache that comes from not being able to get care causes thousands of family

members to disconnect. Over the years, the films I have seen about mental illness, have

portrayed devoted caretakers, but I had a need to expose the other side of the story,

family members who are themselves deeply conflicted by the realities of deciding not to

care for an ill family member.

Not only was I propelled to give a new voice to family, but also to give a more typical

picture of someone suffering from severe mental illness. The stories we hear in the media

focus on a few famous individuals (Van Gogh or John Nash, for example) or a few

notorious ones (the rare, but terrifying person shooting at strangers). My dad, on the

other hand, represents the more common face of mental illness; a regular guy who

wanted a career and a family, but was constantly stymied by his disordered thought

process.
With Unlisted I wanted to give viewers a background on why getting mental health

treatment is so difficult. My hope is that this knowledge will not only help viewers

understand why so many people sit untreated on our streets, but why things do not have

to stay this way. I hope that viewers will have a foundation from which to take action; be

it simply taking a moment to validate the existence of someone living on the streets or

working to create a more functional and compassionate mental health system.

Finally, my hope is that after seeing Unlisted viewers will be more motivated to discuss

mental illness, for if it is not present in their own family, it certainly is present in a family

of someone they know. Greater than any statistic, what most reminds us of the

prevalence of mental illness, and the obstacles to treating it, are these conversations.

Josh

2010-09-10T13:11:00.000-04:00

Eric's Words

2010-09-08T15:42:00.001-04:00

Jacob Long Ties the Knot

2010-09-02T07:44:00.002-04:00

Kwami’s Resplendent Wedding

2010-09-02T06:58:00.002-04:00

Caramore Annual Report for 2008/ 2009

2010-02-23T15:49:00.003-05:00

Read what the numbers say about Caramore...

Envisioning A Brighter Future by Taking a Bold Step

2010-01-30T13:24:00.007-05:00

This past month Caramore took a progressive step --- we have purchased our first residential condominium in Chapel Hill (a four bedroom unit), and thus begun the process of being able to effectively shape our future and enhance the lives of our residents.

For over twenty years Caramore has rented numerous apartments in the community, and then we subleased these units back to our various clients. We were renters, not owners. Although this process has been suitable for us in the past, we have realized that through our lack of ownership, we also lacked the ability to design and shape the environments that are residents lived in.

To illustrate this point, over the past two years Caramore has dramatically rethought and redesigned the interiors of our office spaces and group homes. These changes have created a peaceful, comfortable, and stimulating environment that sets the tone for the supportive nature of services that Caramore provides. The response from clients and others to the new environment has been overwhelmingly positive.

Our goal of ownership of Tier 2 and Tier 3 residences will help us have better control and creative input in designing apartment environments that are more pleasant for our clients. This step will provide us with a more desirable residential program that helps our residents feel positive about themselves and where they are living.

The task is daunting and the cost for funding this undertaking is extremely high, as we currently provide leases to almost 40 residents. But we feel we are securing a better future for our participants and we are committed to do what is necessary to raise the funding that is required.

Why Caramore is So Successful

2009-07-30T16:19:00.003-04:00

As you examine the various components of our mission and services, it becomes clear that the Caramore Program takes a bold and unique approach in guiding people with mental illness to realize their potentials and expand their futures. Our success is based upon many solid and consistent program guidelines, as well as on a personally tailored plan for every individual who enters Caramore.

But of equal importance, Caramore is also strategically located in a geographic community that offers three key and readily available components that are essential to helping adults with mental illness maximize the benefits of the Caramore Program. Those three elements are ---

1) Outstanding Mental Health Treatment --- Effective local mental health treatment and community support services are readily available for adults with mental illness. UNC Hospital and Duke Hospital are close by and provide excellent psychiatric and therapy services. Local agencies such as Oasis, The STEP Clinic, Freedom House and Club Nova also act as partners with Caramore to address the various mental health needs of our participants

2) Availability of Community Jobs --- The Chapel Hill / Carrboro area is home to a vibrant and stable college community with many job possibilities available in support of that community. The various service industry and University related jobs that are created in our area have been wonderful employment opportunities for all of our participants

3) Free Public Transportation --- Caramore is situated in the heart of an area that provides free public bus transportation to local population. All of our participants are able to utilize free public transportation to get them to their jobs, doctors, therapists, shopping, social events, etc. In other words, people are not held back from opportunities because of any inability to get there.

Caramore offers the perfect mix of a well designed program, fully competent and caring staff people, and valuable community services ... and utilizes all those assets to ensure the success of our participants.

Helping Our Caramore Family

2009-06-20T16:39:00.004-04:00

Diane Enger, a noted artist of handcrafted glass and jewelry, currently residing in Morganton, NC, has taken it upon herself to donate her time and talents to furthering our mission of providing quality lifestyles for our program participants. If you are interested in hand made jewelry, and would like to support the growing financial needs of our organization, explore Diane’s website and work – there is a designated page of handcrafted items dedicated to raising funds for our community. Diane has made a pledge to support our cause by donating 80% of her profits from these jewelry sales to Caramore Community, which is quite a stance of magnanimity considering the labor, supplies, and effort that goes into each piece of jewelry. Perhaps, you can find something special for yourself, or a loved one, that will provide our Caramore family with even greater opportunities.

Diane has been fusing glass and creating jewelry for 12 years. After teaching art for 25 years in the Illinois Public School system, she has recently retired to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Art (B.A.) degree from Western Illinois University and a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) from Northern Illinois University.

To see Diane’s work, please visit her website.

Pushing Towards Potential

2009-05-07T10:25:00.003-04:00

A integral component of the Caramore philosophy is the value of helping all our clients reach their individual potentials. We at Caramore recognize that the goals of each participant may be different, but that every one shares the desire to find meaningful and rewarding work in his or her life.

Tanya Beiars has been with Caramore for almost 10 years now, serving as a hands-on instructor with many of our participants. Tanya helps people get themselves "job ready" for an employment situation in our community. Tanya has been adept at utilizing all of her diverse and effective skills in helping people realize their own potential and thereby get closer to their personal goals.

The path towards being able to work competitively isn't always smooth, and the ride can be bumpy for some. But Tanya has guided people as needed, aiming to bring out the best in all of the people who have worked with her. She is at times mentor, teacher, friend, sympathetic listener, and when necessary a focused task-master --- often she assumes each of these roles seamlessly in a single day.

The people who have worked with Tanya are better for her influence, and often people return and express grateful thanks for her guidance during a difficult time in their lives. The proof is also in the results. Every participant who has spent sufficient time with Tanya in the Caramore program has been able to find a job in our community. Everyone ... that's quite an accomplishment.

Caramore is a truly special place ... dedicated people like Tanya continue to make it so.

Justin and Jacob

2009-04-11T10:33:00.005-04:00

Justin Mashburn and I attended the Orange County Chapter of NAMI's family-to-family a few nights ago. I gave my general overview of the program, and then Justin hit the floor, tapping out rhythmically his stint in the program thus far.

Justin spoke of his overall impression of Caramore as being a program that embraces individuals for their differences, and not by their mental illness. He concentrated more upon self-desire, determination, and will-power. He spoke of routine, a welcomed transition away from tired performances with family members, and he made it clear that he feels really accepted, a part of community, and a self-contributor. Not once did Justin speak of his mental illness. Instead, he spoke of his difficulties with getting up in the morning, coming to terms with his illness, and getting adjusted to a new routine.

In the end, Justin said that he was proud to be a part of Caramore, and when we were being bombarded with questions, he answered with no hesitation, and I never felt the slightest discomfort or unease. When asked, "How does Caramore bridge the gap between the greater community of Chapel Hill, and the community of Caramore, knowing that you have a mental illness," Justin responded very articulately, "We don't define ourselves in that way."

Justin has accepted his illness, and truly wants to grow. Growth is different for everyone. When given compassion, understanding, acceptance, and temperance, individuals feel free to grow in their own UNIQUE way, without fear of being judged. The moment this begins to happen, an individual surfaces with autonomy and self-motivation. Justin did that without any rehearsal, without any push, and without any reservation. No matter what is in store for his future beyond today, I can say confidently, and without any reticence, that the Justin that spoke tonight was not the same Justin that I met when he was admitted.

We never stop growing until the world tells us otherwise, and the world does not define us. Instead, we define ourselves, and the world learns acceptance, or turns away. Either way, the one is not contingent or dependent on the other, but they gently ask for cohabitation, and I am sure that we provide that.

Jacob Long

Admissions Director

Integrating with the Community

2009-03-03T20:13:00.003-05:00

Question:

How do I figure out what my interests are after being diagnosed with “mental illness?”

One challenge of living with a chronic illness is addressing the questions “who am I, how do I relate socially, and what do I still care about?” With Caramore serving as a community and physical space for one to reconnect to self—meetup.com serves as a much broader community to rekindle old interests and develop new skills.

Answer:

meetup.com

See for yourself.

Brian F

We Shall: A Message from the President of Caramore to Potential Clients

2009-02-22T17:49:00.003-05:00

• We shall not protect your life as it is; we shall promote what it could be. At Caramore, you should expect to change and dare to dream, because—“It’s never too late to become the person you might have been.”

• We shall be a beacon, not a butler.

• We shall offer patience, not protection.

• We shall offer hope, not a handout.

• We shall offer opportunity, not a guarantee.

• We shall model and promote success and health.

• We shall care about you, but not for you.

• We shall offer structure, not a shield.

• We shall not passively observe you, but will actively engage you. At Caramore, you shall be known and noticed.

• We shall together realize and promote that you have worth, value, capabilities, potential, rights, and responsibilities.

• Welcome to opportunity, welcome to adventure, welcome to hope.

David Chapman, President of Caramore.

Hope at Caramore

2009-01-25T13:56:00.011-05:00

I've often been asked what specific attributes are the most important for someone to have in order to succeed in Caramore. Of course there are many intangibles to consider, but I am convinced there are two underlying forces that link everyone who has ever been successful at Caramore—first is the willingness to embrace a philosophy of sacrifice and hard work to achieve goals; and second, is the inner desire to develop a life built around hope.

Hard work and sacrifice, I think we all can grasp the meaning of that. But I believe it is that elusive concept of hope which is truly the underlying foundation upon which Caramore has been able to guide people towards success. But what is hope? And can hope, together with hard work, actually alter the course of a disability and its effect on someone's life? We believe the answer is yes.

At Caramore, we don't confuse hope with optimism—a sense that things will work out for the best. Hope is very different from optimism. Hope does not arise from merely “thinking positive,” or crossing our fingers and wishing things will turn out ok. Hope, unlike optimism, is deeply reflected in one's personal efforts and determination to overcome the harshness of reality.

Although there is no universal definition of hope, I found one that seems to capture the essence of what makes hope so vital in everyone's life:

Hope is that elevating feeling that we experience, in our own mind's eye, of our personal path to a better future. Hope acknowledges the enormous obstacles and deep pitfalls that exist along that path. Hope is our inner guiding light that empowers and propels us through the darkness towards achieving our best destiny.

For any person, from anywhere, I can't envision a meaningful life without a strong sense of hope.

Barry Shanley

A Gracious Goodbye to Mickey Locklear

2009-01-20T22:48:00.002-05:00

Since I've been at Caramore, I've witnessed and have been part of many changes around here. Hundreds of clients have come through our doors, staff has come and gone, programs have been revitalized, and all of our offices and residences have taken on a different appearance. But one valued constant that has not changed has been the calming and lasting presence of Mickey Locklear at Ephesus.

Mickey's legacy is incredible. I have never heard from a single client anything in the least bit negative about Mickey. In fact, many of our clients have regarded their relationship with Mickey as one of the most supportive and nurturing aspects of the Caramore experience. Mickey had a warm way with everyone who lived in the group home. She could make people feel appreciated and comfortable, not an easy thing to do when so many people come to us who might be anxious, frightened or feeling depressed. Mickey's charming, relaxed demeanor could cut through all those tensions very quickly and people would know they had a close friend and ally with Mickey.

In times of crisis, Mickey was a good person to consult with, share feelings with, and lean on for comfort. In times of joy, Mickey would be the first person you would want to share your happy news with. She connected with all of her clients—young or old, men or women, outgoing or withdrawn. Mickey had a personal touch with each and every one. I have nothing but admiration for the lasting memories she has left in the minds of all who resided with her.

And, of course, Mickey's many cooking and baking skills are legendary. Everyone looked forward to her Sunday evening meals and everyone learned from her down home cooking techniques. Mickey enjoyed putting food on the table for all to enjoy, and she could see how the communal meal could bond people together and make for a shared, enjoyable experience. With Mickey in or around the kitchen, Ephesus was filled with warmth, comfort, and good vibrations.

Mickey's last day will be this Friday, January 23rd. She has been with Caramore for longer than I can imagine, I think around 14 years or so. Incredible. We have hired Nancy Phillips and Caroline Crumpler to cover most of the duties that Mickey had. Caroline and Nancy will be wonderful new additions to our staff and do a fine job. But I cautioned them that they should do their job in their own style, and not think of themselves as Mickey's "replacement.”

That would be just an impossible order for anyone to undertake ... to try and replace someone as uniquely revered and special as Mickey Locklear.

Thanks Mickey, and here's to many happy days ahead for you.

Cheers Barry

Our Voices: First-Person Accounts of Schizophrenia

2009-01-13T19:10:00.002-05:00

Forwarding the Recovery Paradigm

Here’s a snapshot of a new local book connected with our friends over at UNC STEP Clinic…

Forwarding the Recovery Paradigm

“Our Voices: First-Person Accounts of Schizophrenia is the first book of its type. There are similar books on schizophrenia, one where patient-authors ask the questions and share their first episodes. Our book is different in that it was designed to emphasize that schizophrenia is a lifelong illness with long-term and daily challenges, not isolating the focus on initial episodes. The market also has books with a similar format to ours: some interview and ask questions to experts, and some attempt to record or analyze answers from the popular mainstream. It should be pointed out that the subject matter of the interviews in these books varies greatly from ours.

The commitment and long process of writing and editing our own book became a reality when Jenny Edwards, one of the social workers from the UNC STEP Clinic (the University of North Carolina Schizophrenia Treatment and Evaluation Program) recognized the potential of one of many ideas that were proposed to her. It is so incredible that she would choose an idea, and have the vision, faith and confidence in us that we would make it happen! Her colleague Bebe Smith, Director of Outpatient Services at the STEP Clinic (who has worked in publishing), put the process in motion. Technically, Bebe and Jenny were just advisors for our book project, but we relied greatly on them, much more than they would have liked.

Our team of author-editors consisted of five individuals, each with some form of schizophrenia, who have weathered the worst part of their illness, have put their lives back together, and have really started to succeed in life again. Our author-editing team consists of talented writers, some accomplished, some truly solid. Because of all the unique battles we have triumphed over, we started this book project to share our personal perspectives with the world.

Our goal is to develop understanding in our readers that schizophrenia is a life-long illness, as well as an understanding of shared perceptions, experiences, and challenges people with schizophrenia face in daily living and throughout the course of their illness…”

Kwami Jackson Featured in Chapel Hill Magazine

2009-01-13T12:40:00.001-05:00

Forwarding the Recovery Paradigm

This month’s Chapel Hill Magazine features our own Kwami Jackson. Available at Weaver Street…

Self-Direction

2009-01-12T07:30:00.005-05:00

David Chapman and David Cooley were fortunate to meet Peer Specialists Larry Fricks at the State NAMI Conference in October. Larry has vast experience and credentials and achievements as a force for change in the public mental health system, where people with serious mental illness die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population.

The Peer philosophy that Larry espouses focuses on individual's strength rather than illness. Recovery is no longer only about what clinicians do to consumers, it has become, with the assistance trained peers, what individuals do for themselves and each other. Peers are trained to assist in skills building, goal setting, problem solving, setting up and sustaining mutual self-help groups, and in helping individuals build their own self-directed recovery tools.

The mental health field has been shifting to this recovery model in the last few years because it’s effective, flexible, innovative, and offers choice and self-direction. Caramore’s Tier 3 project efficiently utilizes peers to sustain lasting recovery from mental illness, and in 2009, we plan to host one of Larry’s trainings to further the potential impact our experienced clients have in helping our newer clients recover and live well.

A short clip Larry Fricks appears in:

STEP Clinic Visit

2008-11-07T12:45:00.005-05:00

The staff of UNC Hospital STEP Clinic paid a welcomed visit to the office and residences of Caramore yesterday. The overture was a joint effort from both organizations to further strengthen and enhance an already positive relationship, with the hope of introducing new personnel to each other and opening wider channels of communication.

The STEP Clinic at UNC is an invaluable resource in our community in that they provide consistent and excellent care to a large number of persons with mental illness who live throughout North Carolina. The partnership of the STEP Clinic and Caramore has served hundred of individuals who reside in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area, offering a comprehensive combined program of mental health services (STEP Clinic) and residential and employment services (Caramore). The synergy of the two organizations provides their mutual clients with a total package of support and services that are unrivaled anywhere in the state.

Better Insurance Coverage Coming

2008-10-06T10:00:00.001-04:00

"More than one-third of all Americans will soon receive better insurance coverage for mental health treatments because of a new law that, for the first time, requires equal coverage of mental and physical illnesses."

Caramore on the People’s Channel

2008-09-23T13:35:00.003-04:00

Jacob Long and Eric Morris appeared on TV the other night, talking about Caramore on The People's Channel .

Filmmaker Philip Brubaker on NPR

2008-09-19T09:11:00.004-04:00

Listen to filmmaker Philip Brubaker on NPR talk about art and mental illness.

"Brushes With Life: Art, Artists and Mental Illness" Premiere

2008-08-25T13:51:00.004-04:00

"Brushes With Life: Art, Artists and Mental Illness" premiere! September 18th, 2008 5:30pm FedEx Global Education Center 301 Pittsboro Street Chapel Hill, NC 27516

A Message from Charlene Lee

2008-07-15T10:39:00.003-04:00

My name is Charlene Lee and I live with bipolar1 mixed disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Having battled with these dual diagnoses for most of my life, it has been difficult, and impossible at times, to maintain any meaningful employment. Even though I am educated, and consider myself to be very bright and intelligent, my mental illnesses would oftentimes bring me to points where I would have to leave great jobs because of my battles.

I entered the Caramore program in October of 2003. It was my hope that the program would assist me in obtaining structure in my life that would eventually help me to move forward with successful employment. Even though I experienced some rough times after graduating the program in 2004, I was still able to bounce back and continue my journey to fulfill my desire of working and succeeding. I still strive for success every day of my life. I have a great story that I enjoy sharing with others who live with mental illnesses. Every time I am invited to share that story, I jump at the opportunity. Those who know me in the community know that I am not ashamed to say that, “Yes, I live with mental illness, but mental illness does not control my life.” I still battle, but with the help and resources that I have gained over the past five years through various mental health organizations, including Caramore, the struggles are much lighter and the results are more rewarding.

One of my favorite hobbies is writing. Aside from educating myself on mental health disorders by reading and reading and reading, I also write some. I have written a little acronym about Caramore, and would like to share it with you:

Cemented
Awareness in my
Recovery process
Allowing me to
Move forward and to
Overcome fears so that I could maintain
Rewarding and meaningful
Employment

Thank you, Caramore, for being a vital part of my recovery! I often think back to my days on the cleaning crew at Caramore and think about how far I have come. The Caramore program was truly a blessing for me.

In October of this year, I will celebrate my second year of continuous employment at Staples in Chapel Hill. Also, I have been a part time van driver for Club Nova since February 2007, and was promoted to Transportation Supervisor in December 2007. I am also currently volunteering as a board member for the Mental Health Association of Orange County and for Club Nova, Inc.

2008 Legislative Agenda

2008-05-28T09:45:00.002-04:00

Passionate and concerned about our own friends and family who are struggling with psychiatric disorders? Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the following three legislative initiatives—initiatives that we believe will improve the lives of our clients and other struggling NC folks.

1. Support the Coalition Budget - The Coalition represents forty statewide non-profit organizations that advocate for persons needing services and supports for mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases. This year’s Coalition Budget calls for additional funding for a variety of services to potentially benefit those with mental illness. In particular, additional funds for residential housing and support services, restoration of funding for the non-Medicaid population, and supported employment services are most needed.

2. Support House Bill 2217 – This bill calls for additional funding to “Appropriate Funds to the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina to Expand the Schizophrenia Treatment and Evaluation Program (STEP) in the Department of Psychiatry at the UNC School of Medicine.” Many Caramore clients receive services from the STEP programs. This quality program is under-staffed and under-funded. Caramore clients will benefit if UNC is able to expand their community mental health services.

3. Support House Bill 1897 – This bill establishes a Health Care Policy Council. Right now, the best way help someone with mental illness is to improve the quality and accessibility of affordable health care. Insurance parity and Medicaid buy programs have not helped those who participate in the Caramore program. The issues involved are complicated and sizable. We believe the establishment of the Health Care Policy Council will be an important, appropriate step toward a substantial improvement of health care services for adults with mental illness.

Please consider contacting your House and Senate representatives to promote the above legislation. Contact information may be accessed via the NC General Assembly website: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/homePage.pl.

David Chapman, President/CEO

‘Mad Pride’ Fights a Stigma

2008-05-12T23:04:00.003-04:00

A great article on Mad Pride…

A Caramore Wedding

2008-04-26T17:32:00.008-04:00

Our own Josh and Shannon got married today in a beautiful ceremony at Orange United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill.

It was particularly touching knowing both so well, having worked with both of them separately, back when they were struggling in the most difficult years of their illness—and to see them now, clearly very much in love, and neither able to imagine living their lives without the other.

Many couldn’t help but to comment on the fact that their own lives have been touched by Josh and Shannon, including Caramore—and that increased the pleasure all take in their happiness.

Congratulations Josh and Shannon!

Become a fan of Caramore on Facebook

2008-04-16T08:48:00.001-04:00

Really Outsider Art

2008-04-06T17:22:00.003-04:00

Here’s nice little piece from Lee Smith in today's Sunday NY Times that mentions Caramore and our resident celeb, Kwami Jackson.

Challenge Accomplished

2008-03-25T20:52:00.004-04:00

David Chapaman, CEO of Caramore and Hank Humphrey from RTI

Thanks to all of you—on the web, through the mail, and at our banquet—who contributed to us meeting our latest fundraising intention. We met our goal to raise $5,000 to upgrade and refurbish both group homes—and even surpassed it, with donations coming in at over $6,000.

Work will begin in April to:

Contemporize, modernize, upgrade, and compliment rooms and living areas with new lighting, furniture, rugs, wall colors, art work, and layouts.

Our clients begin their recovery in our two homes. Often these homes are the first environments that our clients are exposed to after exiting a hospital—meaning that it is a critically important first step.

Your donations—including a generous donation from RTI—will directly go towards these improvements to revamp lives in our homes. Thank you to all who donated.

David Cooley

Kwami Jackson

2008-02-03T15:06:00.000-05:00

Our own Kwami Jackson was recently featured in “West End Poetry” with the following poem…

Made for you

As you turn it on it brushes against the flesh

Then falls into creeks and streams

Put it in a cup as it ravels down the throats many

Where? Ashes spread, guns are thrown, and decomposed bodies float aside.

Thrown garbage in the sea lies here

Where piers are guilt for you and me

A mother in a unexpected place. Water breaks!

As drops of rain falls for growth.

It is most of the body. Human, mammal or animal.

At times it can be frozen

Materials were made to repel because of it.

Some beds have it

You could not clean dishes without it.

Nothings can live without it

You brush your teeth and wash your face and then turn off the water.

Robert Kwami Jackson

Kwami is also featured in this month’s documentary movie,“
Brushes with Life: Art, Artists and Mental Illness.”

Brushes with Life: The Journey of Art

2008-01-17T06:49:00.000-05:00

Everyone who’s ever picked up a paintbrush and touched a canvas knows the thrill and release of creation. The joy of pressing the shutter on an old Leica camera and hearing that click as you immortalize the look of a stranger or a towering building or golden-hued sunlight resting on the treetops. The nurture of knitting, the mood of music, the praise of poetry; these are the pleasures of being an artist.

There are artists who have spent hundreds of hours, thousands of dollars and millions of moments of inspiration to be what they considered to be ‘artists.’ Some measure their success in canvases sold, or number of exhibitions or word of mouth in their community. Many other artists don’t consider themselves artists. They do their drawings in notebooks that never see the light of day, instead hibernating in bedside table drawers. They write poetry that plumbs the depths of angst and despair like Sylvia Plath. They create paintings that, like Van Gogh’s, never get sold in their lifetime.

Anyone who can afford the materials can be an artist. Getting your art shown is another matter. The trick to getting your art shown is two-fold: You must have the confidence to put yourself out there and try and make a deal. And you must make someone believe in your art enough to display it to the world.

We mentally ill can be a shy bunch. Aside from bipolar mania, we generally keep to ourselves. But our dreams of being artists are realized with the Brushes With Life gallery. Here is a gallery that shows folk art, amateur art, outsider art, classically trained art, abstract art. The only way to have your work shown is to have a mental illness which is seldom an asset.

Through creation, the mentally ill find peace. Art springs from the heart, but more importantly, the mind. A mind that is heavy with anxiety and pain can get a release from art like nothing else. The gallery is the best kind of therapy there is for those who struggle with mental health challenges. Joy is real when you overhear two strangers gush over a photograph you’ve taken, not realizing the artist is standing right next to them. Brushes With Life has grown over the years, developing a consistent roster of talented artists. Many of these artists you see in my film. Their journey through art is a way to relieve pain. We are all better off that they are expressing their pain. Turning pain into joy is the most productive occupation on Earth.

- Philip Brubaker, January, 14, 2008

See Philip’s documentary at Sunrise Church in Hillsborough
Thursday February 21, 2008
7:30 to 9:00

Dangerous Criteria

2007-12-26T21:01:00.000-05:00

One of the big stories from 2007 in Mental illness revolved around “dangerous criteria,” that is, whether or not to require that individuals be dangerous before treating them for mental illness.

That criterion is meant to protect the public while protecting an individual’s liberty, a fundamental freedom. In the field of mental health, we’re always quick to point out that statistically, individuals with mental illness are far more likely to be a victim of violence, rather than the perpetrator. But it is also statistically true that up to 40% of mass-shootings have been by people with psychiatric disorders.

Is someone undergoing a significant psychotic episode capable of declining treatment? CPR classes don’t cover debating whether a passed out person is dangerous before treatment can be administered.

The argument then against dangerous criteria is that schizophrenia can lead to violence (rarely mass-shootings—but tragically far more often—suicide of the individual with the illness). Also, a recent study by Matthew Large states that in jurisdictions that demand dangerous-based criteria for intervention, individuals who suffer with mental illness go an average of five additional months with no treatment at all (worsening the illness of the individual and despair of the family).

The eventual answer will lie somewhere in a more sophisticated understanding of the cognitive disruptions and irrationality brought on by psychiatric illness—understanding the process and the familiar signs of the illness, followed by the compassion to provide immediate and appropriate treatment.

Honorary Gift

2007-12-08T15:06:00.001-05:00

Honor a friend or loved one this holiday season with an exclusive gift to Caramore Community. With your gift, your honoree will receive a card from Caramore in your name expressing your appreciation.

If you prefer to mail in a check to Caramore, simply designate the person whom you are honoring, and their address.

If to make the gift on-line, send me, David Cooley (dcooley@caramore.org), a separate email informing me that you are making an honorary gift including your friend or loved one's name and address.

As always, thank you, and have a great holiday from everyone at Caramore!

Reginald Green

2007-12-04T09:43:00.000-05:00

I’m Free

Don’t grieve for me now, for now I’m free.
I’m following the path God laid for me,
I took His hand when I heard His call,
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work or play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way,
I found peace at the close of the day.

If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joys.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
Oh yes, these things I too will miss.
Do not be burdened with times of sorrow,
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life’s been full, I savored much.
Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.

Give your heart and peace to thee—
God wanted me now, He set me free!

Reginald Green—a Caramore family member—passed peacefully in November. Reginald’s humorous and good-natured personality made Caramore a more cheerful place, and it’s not the same around here without him.

Beth Kurtz

2007-11-18T17:18:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Caramore said goodbye to our friend Beth Kurtz in a memorial service in Chapel Hill. Beth died suddenly on November 11, 2007 leaving us confused and grieving.

The service acknowledged and eulogized how deeply Beth suffered from her mental illness, but how she had—through it all—persevered, had some success, and had done the best that she could.

Beth will be remembered at Caramore for her stoic endurance against mental illness, and she’ll be dearly missed by her friends.

Blake's Story

2007-11-02T13:43:00.000-04:00

Blake, at the head of the table, captivating the audience

Blake Daughtry, a former Caramore client and now employee and Peer, spoke to a NAMI Family-to-Family Program last night.

Blake offered a very personal and experienced account of the potential for recovery.

Blake first experienced symptoms in 2002. Neither he nor his family knew what to make of his bizarre and erratic behavior which culminated in drugs, rehab, jail, and suicide attempts.

In January of 2006 he entered Cherry Hospital and stayed for 8 months. During this period he eventually came to a place where he realized he was hearing voices and that he was sick—he was open to receiving help. Eventually his medication was perfected and he gained some mental stability. He worked on controlling himself and his thoughts—learning to understand the new mental processes that the illness brought and how to function with it.

From the hospital he was released to Caramore which offered him more time to continue his rehabilitation in a structured environment committed to seeing him get better.

Blake credits Caramore with furthering his own goals—attaining friends, an apartment, a job (working at Caramore), educating others on recovery, and starting college classes.

Blake’s message was simple—admit that you need some help from others, take your meds, and pursue your goals, because there’s no reason you can’t achieve them.

D.Cooley

A Testimonial from an Employer of Caramore Clients

2007-10-27T13:37:00.001-04:00

Michael Malek, Carol Woods Retirement Community dining services manager, compliments Caramore for its record with workers with disabilities.

"The presence of Caramore's workers has lent a significant dimension to the Carol Woods community. Caramore has high expectations, just like we have of our own staff. Caramore's values—courtesy, respect, dignity, self-determination—are closely aligned with ours. Ted McCreary and Barry Shanley are phenomenally gifted. With tough love, hands on counseling and unusual acumen, they encourage (client’s) reliability and desire to learn."

Tonight’s Client Celebration

2007-10-25T23:52:00.001-04:00

Thanks Paul E. Jones for the inspirational night and thanks to all of you who came out tonight and made this such a memorable appreciation for the achievements our clients have made this year!

Caramore’s 2007 Annual Client Celebration

2007-10-09T12:47:00.000-04:00

Carmore’s 2007 Annual Client Celebration features Paul E. Jones, also know as "Bipolar Boy," a nationally recognized speaker on the topic of Living with Mental Illness.

He's an author, speaker, and has been a stand up comic for over 17 years.

Over the past 4 years he has helped thousands learn to deal with their Bipolar Illness and has been called upon by some of America’s Business Leaders and Entertainers to help them better understand what it takes to move forward.

Join us as we listen to Paul E. Jones and celebrate the many accomplishments our clients have made over the past year.

7:00 PM
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Chapel Hill Bible Church
260 Erwin Road
Chapel Hill, NC

Cake and punch reception. Free admission.
We hope to see you there. Please call us with any questions about the event at 919-967-3402.

A Long Island Sensibility

2007-10-07T22:11:00.000-04:00

Over the past 10 months, the face of Caramore has changed enormously. The Caramore offices, housed in the newly dedicated Jack Simonds Center, have received a burst of energy and renewal in the form of fresh colors, carpeting, furnishings and artwork.

The igniting spark can be attributed mainly to the vision and efforts of Long Island native Sue Curtis. Suzi selflessly donated her design and artistic expertise towards giving Caramore a new look that would be warmer, friendlier, and more reflective of the relationship-building efforts that Caramore has established with their clients and the whole community.

Suzi's creative vision for Caramore, as a model environment for the rehabilitative and relationship-building work that we do, has been immediately accepted. The new Caramore is a place that promotes wellness, social integration, and success for all who enter. It is also a vibrant and comfortable environment that encourages growth and creative interaction for all.

Many thanks to Suzi for her infusion of energy and for setting a new standard for a proper rehabilitative environment for dealing with mental illness.

Thanks Suzi!

B. Shanley

Caramore, at the Jack Simonds Center

2007-10-02T22:09:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who made our building dedication yesterday a success. From now on our building will be known as The Jack Simonds Center. We’ll be forging on ahead, following Jack’s vision to better the lives of those who suffer from mental illness. Thank you Jack Simonds.

Jack’s speech at the dedication.

A Personal Testimonial

2007-09-14T18:22:00.000-04:00

Eric speaks about his Caramore experience.

And on how he’s experienced and found recovery from his own illness.

Brushes With Life: The Movie!

2007-09-14T18:11:00.000-04:00

Brushes with Life, the highly successful project organized by UNC Department of Psychiatry’s Schizophrenia Treatment and Evaluation Program, is now a movie! Local filmmaker Philip Brubaker has created a documentary exploring the project and it’s themes of mental illness, creation, and hope.

The trailer

The movie will be shown at the Century Center in Carrboro, Thursday, October 11 from 7 to 9 PM.

Caramore is excited because the movie features our own Kawmi Jackson!

It’s free, light refreshments will be served, and the movie will be followed by a panel discussion—so come on out and join us!

D. Cooley

Jack Simonds Center Dedication Ceremony

2007-09-13T22:30:00.002-04:00

portrait by jimshawphoto.com

Back in 1984, when Jack Simonds first showed up at Caramore, uncertainty abounded. A disjointed staff, negative press, and shaky funding sources were just a few of the problems facing the small Caramore program as it forged its unique mission: to better the lives of those suffering with mental illness through vocational, residential, and clinical coordination services.

Chief among the uncertainties of those early days was the fact that the Caramore staff and clients never really knew for sure if they would be able to get to the office or not. Back in those days, rain showers often resulted in a flooded access bridge leading to Caramore. Facilities on loan from the University housed the Caramore administrative offices when Jack Simonds first accepted the challenge of leading as President.

In 1997, under Jack's leadership, Caramore moved its administrative and operations center to a beautiful, brand new, 10,000 square foot facility on Smith Level Road in Carrboro—a facility that is accessible and vibrant everyday, rain or shine! To this day, many Caramore staff refer to our building as "the house that Jack built."

On October 1, 2007, Caramore will dedicate its facility headquarters as the Jack Simonds Center. The center will continue to house the wonderful work that Caramore does, but it will also increasingly become a focal point for advocacy in alleviating the suffering and stigma of mental illness in this community.

Jack Simonds served as the Caramore President and Chief Executive Officer from 1984 to 2002. During those years, Caramore grew in significance and accomplishment. Jack's vision, passion, and leadership continue to inspire and sustain the dedicated group of men and women who now serve as Caramore staff. Today, Caramore leads our state in effectively providing comprehensive community-based support to adults with mental illness. Caramore is now nationally accredited and locally designated as a high-confidence provider of mental health support services.

For nearly twenty years, Jack Simonds demonstrated a unique ability to directly relate to and win over—with wit, wisdom, compassion, and kindness—all who came into contact with Caramore, from staff, to clients, board members, families, customers, colleagues, and salesmen.

Jack Simonds is a man of great leadership and charisma whose vision crafted today’s Caramore. The home of Caramore will forever be known as the Jack Simonds Center to honor his inspiring work and continue our mission for years to come.

Dedication Ceremony and Open House
Monday October 1, 2007 at 3:30
At Caramore (or rather The Jack Simonds Center)

David Chapman

Caramore President / CEO

Outcomes and Statistics for FY 2006-2007

2007-09-09T16:45:00.000-04:00

In 1987-1988, the approximate cost per client for the State of North Carolina to rehabilitate an individual at Caramore was $22,000. Today, in 2007, that cost remains the same.

In 1987 Caramore served about 20 clients a year. In 2006 we served 77. In the past twenty years Caramore has grown 75% more efficient with no increase in cost. How?

Caramore’s approach to rehabilitation centers on responsibility, connectedness, and autonomy to achieve the best life possible for those suffering with psychiatric illnesses.

Caramore is a supportive program for adults with mental illness. Caramore promotes relationships, wellness, managing illness, and facilitates the skills needed to live and work in the community.

Caramore’s rehabilitative environment is one of safety and structure, but also freedom, respect, and trust. We believe that real rehabilitative progress and meaning comes from real accomplishments that result from real effort. And that’s the simple secret to Caramore’s remarkable success at clients achieving wellness. People don’t recover from this illness in isolation. They need the help of a lot of others and they need to be active—working and living with others. Caramore reintegrates individuals into a challenging and expectant social community that has immediate and meaningful relevancy to their lives and results in demonstrated recovery.

Mental illness is a unique illness in that it typically demands:

Consistent psychiatric treatment
Social rehabilitation to restore insight, and cognitive and behavioral functioning
life-long management of the illness

Caramore provides what mental illness demands:

coordinated psychiatric care
normalized and challenging environment that requires direct effort and participation
ongoing illness management

Year end statistics:

clients served: 77
number of new admissions: 35
percentage of successfully secured community employment and residence for those new admissions: 69%
Major Benefited (successful Vocational Rehabilitation contracted outcome): 71%
26ed (successful Vocational Rehabilitation contracted outcome): 57%

County of residence:

22% came from Orange County
19% came from Wake County
10% came from Granville

Male/female:

72% were male
28% were female

Living arrangement before coming to Caramore:

29% were living with their family
16% were in a hospital
12% were in John Umstead Hospital

Referral source:

17% were referred by John Umstead Hospital
10% were referred by family
10% were referred by Caring Family Network

81% had a high school diploma or equivalent

14% had a college degree

31% have learning difficulties

60% have had a criminal arrest in their past

67% have a history of substance abuse

21% had Medicaid and SSI at the time of their visit

7% had Social Security Disability at the time of their visit

90% did not have private insurance

76% of those visiting Caramore gained admission

the average number of days that our clients stayed in our homes until moving out to our supervised apartments: 74

number of clients who needed hospitalization: 2

the average number of days that our clients stayed in our supervised apartments: 98

the average number of days that our clients worked on our cleaning crew and lawn crew: 62
average starting wage for first community job: $8.07
Percentage of clients who work part time: 100%

Diagnosed illness:

37% had a diagnosis of Schizophrenia
16% had a diagnosis of Schizoaffective Disorder
3% had a diagnosis of Bipolar
3% had a diagnosis of Major Depression
13% had multi diagnoses
28% had a Dual Diagnosis
10% had Personality Disorders

Psychiatric provider:

44% from UNC Hospital
28% from The Caring Family Network
13% from Dorothea Dix Hospital
13% from Duke Hospital

Living arrangement at the time of program completion:

37% went on to live in their own independent residence
27% chose to stay with us and participate in our long-term Tier 3 program

D. Cooley

Caramore’s Top Ten Goals

2007-07-19T07:07:00.001-04:00

Counselor and peer relationships at Caramore work to facilitate ten practical skills or traits that can really help someone be terrifically positioned in life.

In our homes and apartments, we stress being an empathetic, compassionate, and considerate housemate that can live well with other people. This includes contributing to every aspect of a functioning house (chores, cleaning (house and yourself), being helpful, and being a full-group-contributor).
We teach the basics of food, nutrition, and portions. This includes having the knowledge and ability to buy, prepare, and consume appropriate foods.
We stress the development of leisure activities—like exercise, going to the YMCA, reading, hobbies, education, art, classes, etc.
We teach and counsel on how to constantly improve on managing illness. This includes everything from medication compliance and awareness, following doctor's orders, attending all appointments and therapies, and gaining continued insight into the nature of the disorder.
We work hard to get everyone understanding their money—how much they have, and where and why they spend it—to always have a budget.
From that budget, saving an appropriate amount is mandated and we do this by making it uncomplicated and easy.
We work hard on facilitating organization of receipts, wage stubs, bank statements, job start dates, and employment information for the myriad of agencies that constantly need information.
We teach the behaviors that employers most desire—like being on-board, eager, cooperative, communicative, and having follow-through and being responsible.
We assist in the paying of close attention to appearance—grooming and properly fitting clothes.
We need people who want to help us and other people—we orientate individuals to think of themselves as peers who specialize in relationships.

D. Cooley

Brushes With Life Reception

2007-06-07T13:52:00.000-04:00

Bill Wyatt

Panzanella, Carrboro's Community-Owned Italian Eatery, presents

Brushes with Life: Art, Artists, & Mental Illness
May 22, 2007 through July 29
Public Reception: Monday, June 11, 5:30 - 7:30pm

The name of this exhibit is also the name of a patient art gallery located on the 3rd floor of the UNC Neurosciences Hospital outside of the Psychotic disorders inpatient unit. It is part of the Schizophrenia Treatment and Evaluation Program (STEP) at UNC, which provides inpatient and outpatient care of people dealing with psychotic symptoms or illnesses such as Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective disorder. The gallery features artwork and poetry from STEP inpatients, clinic outpatients, and clients from Club Nova, a local clubhouse for the mentally ill. The initial goal of the gallery was to give our artists a permanent art space to display their creativity and art to a wider audience. Additionally we hoped to promote art and healing. We also target stigma associated with mental illness demonstrating people with serious mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective, and Bipolar disorder can be productive and creative.

"Brushes With Life" has also had numerous traveling shows around the state over the years including the NC Museum of Art and the RDU International Airport. This August the gallery is slated for an exhibit at the Carrboro Art Center. The permanent collection is on display on the 1st floor of UNC Neuroscience Hospital.

This exhibit will also include Peer Tree mirror frames handcrafted by artisans using the traditional techniques of genuine gold leafing and painted finishes. Each frame is a work of art uniquely designed, crafted, and signed by the artist.

The website is www.brusheswithlife.org and the email is stepart@med.unc.edu.

Environment, Health, and Relationships

2007-05-20T07:20:00.000-04:00

“Love is the selfless promotion of the growth of the other.”

Milton Mayeroff

Caramore exists specifically to aide those attempting to recover from psychiatric diseases. Our program is entirely centered on our clients, as individuals, and tailored specifically to meet the unique challenges that each requires beginning recovery. Our program centers on the value of relationships.

At Caramore, recovery means the process of gaining control over one’s illness and life and reshaping one’s own future.

It can happen at Caramore. It can happen when you are surrounded by others who care and strive for your success.

Over the past year Caramore has focused on the following key elements of our client’s lives:

Environment. We’re out to change and improve our environment to order to change the way people think about themselves (photos from program-wide renovations coming soon).

Health. We’ve increased our resources and initiatives surrounding smoking cessation, nutrition, and exercise—all essential to one’s total health and battling mental illness.

Peers. New this year will be peer orientation trainings for clients who begin to work for us. Peers play an invaluable and unique role at Caramore; they are employees who work for us, and at the same time they are friends to all. They are role models who form relationships with other clients—to mentor and guide. They are responsible for nothing short of the success of the others, and take pride in themselves according to the relationships they form.

D. Cooley

Loneliness and isolation

2007-04-02T14:19:00.000-04:00

Bowen

A large part of mental illness is battling loneliness and isolation. The residual stigma involved with the illness has resulted in most people in society innocently identifying more with what makes someone with a psychiatric illness different, rather than being able to see what they might have in common.

Mental illness is a very unique and terrible disease. It requires those who suffer from it to admit that they are going to need a lot of help—to admit that they are going to have to rely on others. This disease requires a team of family, therapists, doctors, and friends. At Caramore, everyone is in the same situation.

Battling stigma can be as simple as ending the secrecy of the illness and saying to others “hey look, my friend here has some problems, and we need your compassion and help.” Most people, when asked directly like this, rise to the occasion. People want to help.

The community aspect of Caramore asks our clients to not only be dedicated to their own improvement, but to serve all the others in the group. We realize that our success is interconnected here; and we have to find a way to get there together. We don’t want to fix defects—we want to find unique talents and celebrate them and use them to help others with the illness.

Individuals with mental illness are people who are lonely, want relationships, and want some success in life. They want to feel needed and appreciated and loved. Success in battling this illness demands directly getting others involved, both for themselves and for others.

D. Cooley

Deinstitutionalization

2007-03-24T08:17:00.000-04:00

When you read story after story in the News & Observer chronically pining about deinstitutionalization and the lack of services in the community for the mentally ill, what they’re complaining about is the lack of comprehensive care.

One in four of us will experience some form of psychiatric illness in our lifetime. This statistic alone communicates how widespread and common it is for any of us to fall prey to depression, an eating disorder, anxiety, substance abuse, or a psychotic disorder.

For one in seventeen of us, mental illness will be severe. Severe psychotic illness most frequently comes early in life—in youth, when individuals are their most productive. Not only is the productivity impaired, but the nature of the brain disease also damages insight, cognition, and behavior.

A young person discharged from a hospital after being temporarily stabilized, gets released into the community with no plan, no job skills (never got a chance to learn them with the illness hitting so young), and no rehabilitation focusing on their illness and behavior, is destined to fail.

For all of the limitations of a hospital, it did provide comprehensive care. Caramore provides comprehensive care. Caramore is the community service that people wish existed for the mentally ill.

Caramore attempts to provide comprehensive assistance for as long as it takes. We centralize medication, shelter, food, therapy, and rehabilitation in one place and we do it for the length of time necessary, and to the degree necessary.

There is no cure, but almost all brain diseases can be treated, and part of the treatment requires (along with the traditional model of drugs and doctors) comprehensive and intensive support and rehabilitation. The beauty of Caramore is that it is not a hospital—it’s essentially the real world, with real jobs, real friends, and real apartments. But it provides that underling helpful and watchful guidance. We find that our clients want to be independent—not dependant, and when they gain the maturity and perspective regarding managing their illness, they rise to the occasion, attempting to achieve all that they can, while remaining aware of their illness.

Our model is worth copying in all communities.

D. Cooley

What Caramore is not

2007-03-16T15:27:00.003-04:00

Caramore is not a group home.

Caramore has two homes that serve as the first stop for incoming clients. These homes house all new incoming residents and are designed to provide a stable and structured environment where all that goes into “living” (chores, social interaction, nutrition, cooking, hygiene, etc.) can be gradually addressed. But within weeks, many of our clients find themselves in a large two bedroom apartment that we manage. No one lives in our homes for long, they're just the first step.

Caramore is not a clubhouse.

Caramore has two in-house businesses that are actually for-profit competitive services in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. All of our incoming clients begin working on these jobs to gradually address stamina, work-place etiquette, and employment soft skills. But these jobs are temporary and exist to prepare our clients for a more permanent job in the community. Besides, these guys down the street do the clubhouse thing better than anyone else.

Caramore is not for everybody.

All potential clients visit Caramore for at least a week prior to coming in officially. Many individuals, in various states and severities of their illnesses, are simply not ready to try and work in the Caramore environment. That’s why we are a small program and why visits are essential. But just visiting can be valuable—it demonstrates, through our feedback, exactly what is needed to improve, and what should be worked on, to eventually gain admission.

Caramore is not an easy program.

The real work begins after getting admitted. Our clients must be willing to work exceptionally hard to manage their illness, their work, and life. Nothing is guaranteed. Entrance into program offerings like Tier 3 are not automatic, but are contingent upon consistent effort and a motivated attitude. Most find though that genuine effort brings great rewards at Caramore.

Caramore is…

A highly supportive environment and a loving group of people that strive to provide just the right help to each client we serve; to gradually, in stages, and to the extent that each individual needs and desires, promote progress, wellness, rehabilitation, and independence.

D.Cooley

Creative, flexible, and adaptive

2007-03-14T15:28:00.000-04:00

Caramore has the honor or serving extremely unique and rare individuals. Illness is experienced and manifests itself very differently in each individual, making meeting people who come to Caramore a new adventure each time.

Experiences of mood disorders and psychotic diseases are traumatic and tragic—but they also can be fascinating, unimaginable, and humbling. The struggle to overcome illness is heroic and inspirational to be a part of.

It truly takes a team to take on this illness—and time. Treating it requires being creative, flexible, and adaptive. No one approach is always appropriate—each individual is frustratingly one-of-a-kind; but that’s also the challenge and source of satisfaction. Each individual necessitates being known within the context of who they are and what they need, and getting to know them is part of the fun.

How do you re-teach someone every little messy and complicated life-circumstance that the rest of us take for granted? It’s no science, and it begins simply enough with being kind and listening. It takes an open mind and a willingness to approach each person as needing something wildly different from the last one—and the reward for that openness is gaining a new friend.

D. Cooley

Police Crisis Intervention Teams

2007-03-13T09:22:00.000-04:00

NAMI has been doing a wonderful job advocating for Police Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) to be adopted in all communities.

What is a CIT program?

-CIT is a partnership between the police, the mental health system, family members and individuals suffering from mental illness.
Certain officers within a force who have an interest and insight into psychiatric illnesses, receive specialized training from mental health professionals and advocates .

-They are taught to recognize psychiatric distress and symptoms that accompany the disease, and the types of techniques and responses that best work to de-escalate the situation rather than compound it.
The goal, through recognizing psychotic symptoms and dealing with them appropriately, is to get the individual into the proper mental health treatment rather than arresting them or anyone getting hurt.

-Implemented in communities (Memphis, Durham, and many more), the program greatly reduces the rates of arrests and injuries for those with mental illness; and it improves the understanding and compassion and satisfaction for officers working within those communities.

The existence of this program is an encouraging example of the gradual progression of societal awareness concerning psychiatric brain diseases, its symptoms, and how best to help someone suffering from them.

D. Cooley

Caramore offers immediate jobs

2007-03-13T06:38:00.000-04:00

If you are appropriate for our program, Caramore gives you a real job the minute you walk through our door regardless of your illness, past, criminal record, education, or lack of references. You immediately begin making money and have a place to live in one of our two family-oriented homes.

Our landscaping and professional cleaning businesses are real for-profit services valued in the community and will serve as an excellent reference for your next job.

We give you a real job and a comfortable place to live—with low hours and low stress— to gently get you accustomed to working, living, and interacting socially again.

But it’s all very temporary. With the right attitude and effort you may be—within just weeks—ready to interview for a job in Chapel Hill or Carrboro, and move to our apartments to enjoy a greater degree of personal freedom.

Caramore provides the job and a great place to live first, and surrounds it with intensive support and treatment coordination to ensure your success.

D. Cooley

Caramore's mission

2007-03-03T17:40:00.000-05:00

Caramore’s mission—written at the top right of this page—is to aid those suffering from psychiatric diseases.

Our mission and services are centered on providing a response to mental illness. This blog has stated our medical, rehabilitative, and ongoing illness management responses to the illness—responses that are at the same time scientific, ethical, and practical.

But there is another vital response needed—that of battling stigma. Slow realization, agreement, and acceptance of all that can go wrong with the complex brain; and the natural bewilderment of trying to understand distorted behavior altered by brain diseases, add up to a society that at best doesn’t understand, and at worst feels extreme discomfort.

Certainly the illness deserves anxiety—considering that we’re all vulnerable to depression and anxiety just as we are to heart disease and cancer. As we pass from youth into adulthood, limits to our healthy functioning begin to make themselves known. Our own imperfections, misfortunes, and limited suffering awake in us the realization that many others are suffering.

And to have a mental illness is to suffer—as millions do. But then to be marginalized and shunned by a confused and uncomfortable society, simply for having a hereditary illness—well, it doesn’t get any worse than that.

Caramore’s response to this is to be an organization based on inclusion. We believe that the most important first step in reversing society’s uneasiness—is to show them how easy it is. Caramore’s “community” is one in which having a mental illness does not mean exclusion or limitation. We seek to embrace, incorporate and include. Through camaraderie, relationships, expectations, and opportunity, we seek to not only pull people out of a debilitating illness, but show the obvious: we’re dealing with ordinary yet capable people who have a treatable disease.

A growing number of our clients—because of performance, attitude and effort—go on to work for us in permanent positions. These merit-based achievements we talk up precisely because we believe they are an example of our mission—to change society’s perception of mental illness.
D.Cooley

Study: Drugs don’t help enough

2007-03-01T12:14:00.000-05:00

An article in today’s News & Observer says that for mental illness, drug therapy is not enough. It needs to “be accompanied by intensive support, including family counseling, vocational training and regular contact with doctors and other professionals."

Caramore has been providing the response needed for mental illness—and we’ve been doing it for 30 years. Here are the three responses that severe mental illness demands:

1. Medical Care. All forms of serious psychiatric disorders and diseases require ongoing medical treatment.

Caramore serves as a liaison between our clients and psychiatrists, therapists and pharmacists. We monitor all medication to ensure all prescribed medical treatment and therapies are being followed.

2. Supportive Environment. In severe cases—like schizophrenia—where cognition and behavior and insight have been impaired; rehabilitation is required. It can take a long time to relearn, readjust, and regain normal functioning. A structured environment that’s normalized, full of routines, expectations, and social interaction, is vital.

Caramore provides a rehabilitative setting that is supportive and encourages and requires direct effort and participation—the goal being to re-establish a meaningful life in our community.

3. Ongoing Illness Management. There is no immediate cure for hereditary psychiatric disorders. The illness can, and often does, return in degrees. But the chances of re-hospitalization can be reduced. Ongoing illness management entails living a healthy lifestyle, continued medical treatment, and remaining associated with support—support that helps limit isolation, ensure that the prescribed and correct (and often complex) medication regimen is being followed, and providing assistance in preventing small everyday life-problems from becoming large and un-repairable (like losing an apartment or a job).

Caramore offers long-term association with us that entails housing, medication management, psychiatric care coordination, along with employment, financial, and health care counsel. We work hard to ensure progress is continually gained and not lost during unfortunate twists and turns of the illness.

Who is the “typical” Caramore client?

2007-02-25T21:19:00.000-05:00

The typical client is someone who has had a grievous progression from a normal life into the despair and turmoil of psychosis. Not only has their behavior and identity and reason become alien to them, but their family often suffers equally from fright, confusion, and pain.

The vast majority of mental illnesses are treatable and manageable. Caramore maintains that with medical treatment, our rehabilitative setting, and ongoing illness management, individuals can reach a high level of progress.

Frustratingly, it is the client—with impaired insight—who frequently struggles for years before coming to the realization that the illness is much more than they are and that it demands treatment and a life built around being conscious of that demand.

Caramore clients who buy into the program and are cooperative and are willing to work hard currently enjoy a near perfect success rate.

Most of our clients work part time. Part time is appropriate; the illness is not gone—it’s simply being treated and managed. Part time is less stress, less exhaustive. Part time allows the time for medical appointments and therapy. Part time allows for the continuance of Social Security. Part time is perfect for gradual recovery.

Our typical client works part time, receives Social Security, lives in our long-term program called Tier 3, enjoys our vibrant social setting, is trying to get better, and is always preparing and planning for the future.

D. Cooley

Caramore’s rehabilitation is centered on working

2007-02-25T12:40:00.000-05:00

The only thing larger than our families in our lives is work. For the vast majority of us, freedom and self-determination are contingent on our ability to contribute—through creativity, skills, education, and determination—our labor to society. Most individuals who suffer from a severe psychiatric disease can still work, although usually at greatly reduced hours.

Caramore is centered on work because we’ve seen—for thirty years—that individuals with mental illness respond well to work. Work typically awards them with a feeling of meaning and self-mastery, which is a powerful coping mechanism. They feel “normal” again—a regular member of society who works for a living (and creates economic value).

Caramore’s work-based rehabilitation not only functions as a methodical framework to begin recovery of one’s life from illness; but in addition, we facilitate valuable soft skills such as punctuality, dress, work-place etiquette, conscientiousness, and more. Caramore works hard to make sure these skills “stick.”

Caramore produces individuals who have significantly mastered managing their illness, and highly competent, assured, and mindful employees.

D.Cooley

What can I do about mental illness?

2007-02-24T07:17:00.000-05:00

The most important first step the average person can do about mental illness is this:

Take the time to understand mental illness as a no-fault brain disease that greatly disrupts normal brain functioning. By virtue of all of us being human, we must admit that we have weaknesses and are susceptible to illnesses. These severe and predominantly hereditary psychiatric disorders and diseases are illnesses; they can actually change people’s behavior and personality and alter their identity. They can run from neurosis all the way to psychosis—a loss of touch with reality. Irrationality is frightening in all its forms, and an illness that can change the way a person thinks and acts takes an effort to understand and accept. Everyday we learn more about the functioning of the brain. It’s society’s duty to now get past the fear, misconceptions, and possible prejudices that have historically occurred revolving around brain ailments.

The nature of the illness and the suffering it brings demand that we see a psychiatric disorder it for what it is—yet another illness that afflicts us. We need to recognize the heroism in fighting it—as we do for those who battle cancer. It’s ridiculous to associate the vulnerability of being susceptible to illness as a form of personal weakness or deserved blame; rather, it’s the existence of that vulnerability in all of us that should be our call to action; it requires us to act—to help our neighbors, friends and family.

Alleviation of suffering never comes from denial or avoidance, but through empathy and action. Inside our own family we pride ourselves for loving and accepting our own as the flawed and the wonderfully "human" beings they are. And so it should be for those who have a mental illness.

Through honoring the full humanity and dignity of each of the people we serve, Caramore is out to consciously challenge old and misguided notions of mental illness. You can help us do the same by being aware of the real nature of the illness and knowing that it’s very much treatable (90 percent, like any other illness).

D. Cooley

What can be done about mental illness?

2007-02-23T13:18:00.000-05:00

Medical Care. All forms of serious psychiatric disorders and diseases require ongoing medical treatment.
Supportive Environment. In severe cases—like schizophrenia—where cognition and behavior and insight have been impaired; rehabilitation is required. It can take a long time to relearn, readjust, and regain normal functioning. A structured environment that’s normalized, full of routines, expectations, and social interaction, is vital.
Ongoing Illness Management. There is no immediate cure for hereditary psychiatric disorders. The illness can, and often does, return in degrees. But the chances of re-hospitalization can be reduced. Ongoing illness management entails living a healthy lifestyle, continued medical treatment, and remaining associated with support—support that helps limit isolation, ensure that the prescribed and correct (and often complex) medication regimen is being followed, and providing assistance in preventing small everyday life-problems from becoming large and un-repairable (like losing an apartment or a job).

Caramore currently provides those three services:

1. We serve as a liaison between our clients and psychiatrists, therapists and pharmacists. We monitor all medication to ensure all prescribed medical treatment and therapy are being followed.

2. We provide a rehabilitative setting that is supportive and encourages and requires direct effort and participation—the goal being to re-establish a meaningful life in our community.

3. We offer long-term association with us that entails housing, medication management, psychiatric care coordination, along with employment, financial, and health care counsel. We work hard to ensure progress is continually gained and not lost during unfortunate twists and turns of the illness.

D. Cooley

A Parent’sTestimonial

2007-02-22T14:37:00.000-05:00

Dear Mr. Chapman,

My husband and I want to personally thank you and the staff first for accepting our son into the program and secondly for the excellent support given Joel.

In the beginning of Joel's stay in the group home, he was most unhappy. He bombarded us with complaints. We told him to stick it out, for he would see that his complaints would be unfounded. Ms. Mary and the other two ladies treated Joel as any parents - giving him praise when earned and advice. We appreciate everything they did for Joel, for they created a sense of pride in him.

We really appreciate Mr. McCreary, Mr. Shanley, and Mr. Cooley for their persistent dedication, commitment, and faith in our son. These gentlemen take an active interest in Jay (Joel). They don't interact with Jay as if he is just another client, but a human being. Joel himself refers to them as people who take a genuine interest in him. In Jay's words, "They have made me want to live again. Since coming to Caramore, my life has taken an upward spiral." I would be homeless if it were not for Caramore and the help I received from Ted, Barry, and David. Mom, they gave and give me hope. They make me know that I'm not the only one experiencing these problems. I work. I have money in my pocket. Things are looking up." Jay's now positive attitude gives us hope and belief in the system."

Just recently, Jay had to be re-hospitalized for a brief time. David, Barry, and Ted called us to reassure us that everything would remain intact and to check on Jay's progress.

We just wanted to take a few minutes to thank you and the staff for everything you have done for our son. We don't have the words to adequately describe how we feel when we see the positive transformation in Jay. He is now an ambassador for Caramore, and so are we!

Thank you,
Joel Rogers
Carolyn Rogers, mom
Larry Rogers, dad

What in the world is a hereditary psychiatric brain disorder?

2007-02-20T16:26:00.000-05:00

· A hereditary psychiatric brain disorder—or mental illness—includes disorders such as major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

· These disorders are real medical illnesses—diseases—more common than heart disease or cancer.

· Most of them are passed on through families—hereditary—and can not be prevented.

· They are not the fault of the individual who was born with it.

· They affect everyone with no regard for income, intelligence, or race.

· They can involve cognitive, emotional, behavioral and interpersonal impairments. They can severely limit insight. Those immediately suffering from untreated disorders can seem scary and strange.

· 90 percent of these disorders can be treated and managed and individuals can re-establish their lives.

· Caramore’s program is specifically tailored to treat and manage mental illness. Our rehabilitation methods work to restore impairments—to improve behavior, insight, and functioning.

D.Cooley

Brushes with Life

2007-02-09T07:54:00.000-05:00

Check out the show at the NC Museum of Art

The Brushes with Life art show and reception at the STEP clinic was very cool. I saw so many ex clients and their families that I felt literally overwhelmed with their stories and greetings—I felt like I was at an Alumnae Reunion with not enough time to talk with everyone. As I was listening to one person, I’d get jostled for contact from several others.

One aspect that has always interested me about these events is how intriguing it is to see people in a different environment. Many former Caramore clients said hi and I was pleased to see them outside the confines of Caramore. It reminded me of when I was a kid and I would meet a teacher outside of school. What a strange feeling that was—it was like that teacher had another life that I never would associate him or her with. I always referenced them as solely a teacher, not as a person with a life outside the class room.

The other lives of our clients, past and present, are really what makes what we do at Caramore so fascinating. For many of us, we sometimes see them in certain limited situations. But they all have "other lives" that we don't always see or appreciate. We have an impact on those lives far more than we might realize.

The high point of my evening was running into Jeff N. and his mom. Jeff was a real handful when he was with us—surly, disinterested, and slovenly. He had a couple of art pieces in the show and one work is featured prominently on the cover of the program brochure. He recently had a solo exhibit at Driade Cafe. He looks terrific. His mom introduced herself to me and went on about how well Jeff is doing. She says that she owes most of Jeff's improvements to his time at Caramore. Mind you, this was totally unsolicited by me and I didn't know what to expect from her. Jeff also referenced something I had given him eight years ago that he still has and appreciates. It illustrates to me the importance that we maintain in many of our clients' lives and the awesome power and influence that we demonstrate—sort of like being a parent.

Anyway, it was great to see people that we have worked at the reception. It's real nice to witness the "other lives" of the people we have worked with and it gives me renewed enthusiasm for what we do.

Barry Shanley

Pat's Story

2007-01-15T07:16:00.000-05:00

In an effort de-mystify mental illness and reduce the stigma often associated with it, Caramore will occasionally present a short narrative summarizing the lives of some of our clients. We hope that these short stories provide a glimpse into the common struggles people with mental illness face, and how Caramore is uniquely situated to help.

Pat

When Pat was a freshman at UNC, things began to get difficult for him. Other students were immersing themselves in academic studies and social life, but Pat found himself becoming increasingly isolated. He stopped attending classes and spent most of his time in his dormitory room, eventually becoming almost catatonic.

Pat’s parents took him to a psychiatrist, and he was hospitalized. This was the first of several hospitalizations for treatment of what was ultimately diagnosed as schizophrenia.

Over the next several years, Pat was able to hold down a job and also earn an Associate’s Degree in landscape gardening, but he continued to struggle with disabling symptoms, including suicidal feelings.

Eventually, he became a client at Caramore, a vocational and residential program in Orange County. He successfully completed the program, maintained a job, got married, and had a child. Things were going well.

Then he endured a relapse and was hospitalized at UNC. He found this hospitalization to be very helpful. “I realized that things aren’t always going to go great, and that’s okay,” he says. He re-entered the Caramore Program and has continued to receive community mental health treatment.

Today, Pat is a friendly gentleman in his early fifties. He has not been hospitalized in over 10 years. He holds a job, lives independently, and maintains an active relationship with his 11 year old daughter. Caramore continues to be a mainstay in his life, providing support with budgeting and vocational issues.

In the past year, Pat’s long-time therapist at OPC (now Caring Family Network) left his position. Pat received a new therapist, but that therapist left after only six months. Pat was placed on the waiting list for another therapist, and has been waiting for several months.

Although he sees a psychiatrist for medication management, the lack of a therapist has been challenging. He recently went through a stressful time and would have liked to discuss this with a therapist. In addition, this past summer, he lost his Medicaid benefits. Although Pat earns too much money to receive Medicaid, he does not earn enough to cover the high cost of his medications. Pat was in danger of losing access to his medications.

Fortunately, Caramore staff assisted Pat with getting medication samples from Caring Family Network and also helped him apply to the indigent care program of the pharmaceutical company.

Pat is lucky. Caramore staff has helped him negotiate the complexities of the service system, thereby preventing problems from becoming catastrophes.

Evonne Bradford

The Reddy Room: A New Look for the Client Lounge

2007-01-11T06:38:00.000-05:00

A newly decorated client lounge at Caramore

This room was made possible by donations in honor of Charles Reddy. It will be labeled the “Reddy Room” to celebrate Charles and his gifted, artistic, and imaginative identity. Its purpose is to elevate, invigorate, and inspire.

Drink coffee, cruise the Internet, read the paper, work on a resume

Lee Smith on Her Son's Mental Illness

2007-01-10T10:48:00.000-05:00

The following video in two parts is Lee Smith’s “The Working Man,” in which she talks about her son Josh, his illness and struggle, and how Caramore helped him find another identity, that of a “working man.”

The text from Lee Smith’s extended version of “The Working Man,” delivered at a legislative breakfast.

My talk this morning actually has a name---I’m calling it “Kindly Nervous,” my father’s euphemistic term for the immense anguish he suffered periodically from bipolar depression. Unfortunately for him, the fabled “up” phase was no fun ---no wild sprees, no elation---instead, he just worked harder than ever at his beloved Ben Franklin dimestore, where he did EVERYTHING, anyway. All my earliest memories are tied up with this dimestore, where I, too, “worked” from the time I could walk; my first job was “taking care of the dolls.” When Daddy’s mania increased to the point where he could no longer sleep, sometimes I accompanied him down to the store, sleeping on a pallet under his desk while he worked all night long, then going out with him in the chilly dawn to a greasy spoon for breakfast.

But these weeks of intense activity would inevitably be followed by a downward spiral. He’d speak less and less, stay in bed more and more, sometimes becoming virtually catatonic, unable to speak or get up at all----at which point my uncle Curt or my cousin Jack or some other family member would come and take him away to the hospital---sometimes the state mental hospital over in Marion, sometimes Duke (ALWAYS Duke, after I started living down here---but I’m getting ahead of myself).

I remember visiting him once at Duke, where I found him staring at a sheet of paper with something drawn on it.

“What’s that?” I asked.

He replied that his doctor had left paper and pencil for him to draw a picture of a man doing something he enjoyed.

I looked at the stick figure. The man’s hands hung straight down from his tiny hunched shoulders; his legs were straight parallel lines, up and down; his round head had no face, no features at all. None.

“So what’s he doing?” I asked.

“Nothing,” my father said.

In the fierce grip of severe depression, this popular, active, civic, public man---a great storyteller, a famous ”yellow-dog Democrat”---could not imagine doing ANYTHING…..not one thing in the entire world that he might enjoy.

The worst part was that he was always so horribly embarrassed and ashamed of this illness, never understanding that it WAS an illness, but regarding it rather as a weakness, a failure of character, which made him feel even worse.

2

I will never forget what a breakthrough it was for him when I gave him William Styron’s just-published book “Darkness Visible,” a memoir of his own depression, to read. My dad respected William Styron; he had read “The Confessions of Nat Turner,” he had heard Styron speak at a literary festival at my college. He read “Darkness Visible” in one sitting.

“I can’t believe it!” he said. “I can’t believe he would tell these things!”

Styron laid it on the line: ‘Depression afflicts millions directly, and millions more who are relatives or friends of victims….as assertively democratic as a Norman Rockwell poster, it strikes indiscriminately at all ages, races, creeds, and classes, though women are at considerably higher risk than men.”

And, “The pain of severe depression is quite unimaginable to those who have not suffered it, and it kills in many instances because its anguish can no longer be borne. The prevention of many suicides will continue to be hindered until there is a general awareness of the nature of this pain.” (William Styron, “Darkness Visible”)

Depression is even more prevalent today than it was in 1990, the year Styron wrote those lines. By the year 2020, Major Depressive Illness will be the leading cause of disability in the world for women and children. Suicide worldwide causes more deaths every year than homicide or war.

In fact, in the next 42 seconds, before I finish reading this page, someone in the United States will try to commit suicide. And about every 2 hours, a young person will succeed. Because the fact is that the majority of those 2,000 Americans who will attempt suicide today are adolescents and young adults.

Right now, 192,371 children and adolescents in North Carolina (10 %) have serious emotional disturbance, and only 34. 3 % of these receive treatment.

In the words of Mark Sullivan, Executive Director of the Mental Health Association of Orange County, “Without treatment, the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering: unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, wasted lives. The economic cost of untreated mental illness in the United States is more than 100 billion dollars each year. “ These statistics are true despite the fact that “the best treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective; between 70 and 90% of individuals have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports.”

3

This was certainly true for my son Joshua Seay, who was struck at 17 by the devastating brain disorder of schizophrenia. And though my beloved Josh died three years ago, I am not here today to mourn him, but to celebrate his remarkable life. The exact cause of his death was an “acute myocardiopathy,” the collapse of an enlarged heart brought about in part, I believe, by all the weight he had gained while taking the antipsychotic drug clozapine. He was 34, he had been sick for half his life, doing daily heroic battle with this disease which first hit him in the summer between his junior and senior years in high school, while he was in a summer program for gifted teen musicians at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Back in Chapel Hill, we’d started getting wilder and wilder phone calls from him about “birds flying too close to the sun,” reports of all-night piano jams, strange encounters in the park, and no sleep---no sleep, ever. He flew home in a straight jacket.

Then the hospitalizations began. First a lengthy stay at Holly Hill in Raleigh, followed by several heart-breaking tries at normalcy, life back home with us and stints at local schools---then off to longterm care at Highland Hospital in Asheville where he lived for four years, sometimes in the hospital itself, sometimes in a group home on the grounds, sometimes in an apartment with participation in their day program. ( I should add that Highland Hospital is closed now, along with Holly Hill, along with most private mental hospitals). For a while he was better, then not. Then REALLY not. We brought him back home to UNC Neurosciences Hospital, where several doctors told us he was so ill that he would never EVER live outside a hospital again, and referred him to Dorothea Dix. But then Josh’s luck changed. Once he got to Dix, they put him into their test program for the brand new “wonder drug” clozapine, which had just been legalized in this country (1992).

And up on that beautiful, windy hill, overlooking the city of Raleigh, Josh started getting truly better for the first time. Suddenly he could participate in a real conversation; he could make a joke. He asked me one time whether or not I believed in Jesus, and I said, “Well, yes. But what do you think? Do you believe in Jesus?” Josh thought for a while, then said, “Well, I don’t know. Every time I’m in the hospital, there are at least three people in there who think they’re Jesus. So sometimes I think, well, maybe Jesus wasn’t Jesus at all---maybe he was just the first schizophrenic.”

It was literally a miracle.

The doctors said he could be released soon, but to our surprise, Josh didn’t want to go. He liked the hospital, where he played jazz every afternoon on an old upright piano they had brought into the dayroom for him. Whenever we attempted to take him off the hospital grounds for dinner at a restaurant or maybe a short visit back to Chapel hill, he’d often say, “Let’s go back now” when we were only halfway to our destination.

4

It was a shock for us to realize that Josh had come to identify himself AS A PATIENT, pure and simple. And he wanted to remain a patient forever. The last thing he wanted to do was come home. But the folks at Dorothea Dix were determined to kick him out, and fast. So in desperation we met with the social workers and looked at whatever programs were then available in the community. We looked at Club Nova, the Chapel Hill clubhouse which was just getting started, and at Caramore, and at several day treatment programs.

And then suddenly my father, who was visiting us at the time, weighed in heavily on the subject. “Listen,” he said, “He’s got to be trained for something. A man’s got to have a job.” Of course this would be the advice from my dad, who would go on to run his dimestore until the age of 85, when he died in the middle of his going-out-of-business sale. “A man’s got to have a job,” he said.

So we picked Caramore because it offered vocational rehabilitation training, as well as housing----though at the time, I frankly never thought it would be possible for Josh to ever hold any sort of job again. But to our relief and surprise, Caramore accepted him, and Josh moved into one of their group homes in Chapel Hill, where he started out working with the lawn and landscaping crew, then their housecleaning business.

At first it was a complete disaster. Josh kept running away from the job, “getting lost” somehow between the group home and the job site…other times he’d just walk off a job and hop a bus down to Franklin Street. Once he hitch-hiked back to our house, where he hid in the basement until the whole lawn crew came rushing over in hot pursuit, pounding at the door. I didn’t even know Josh was down there! They came in, dragged him out, put him in the truck, and took him back to work.

After about a month, some significant changes began to occur.

Maybe it was the early wakeup hour, or the rigorous, physically demanding schedule---but Josh began to seem lots more alert, lots more animated, even lots more co-ordinated. He began to make friends at the group home, clients and staff alike---friends who would actually last for the rest of his life. We realized how ISOLATING his illness had been, how good it was for Josh to be in this group situation.

Before long, Caramore placed him in a job at a local dry cleaners. At first he was terrified, especially of working the cash register and the computer, so a vocational rehabilitation “job coach” came in to work with him for a while, until he was comfortable with all his tasks. Things settled down. Josh made some friends on the job; he made some money. He moved into a supervised apartment with a roommate. And best of all, he even got a girlfriend!---also in the Caramore program.

5

It was about this time that Josh and I were walking along the street and ran into an old family friend who had not seen him for many years. She asked Josh where he was in school.

“Oh, I’m not in school,” he said confidently. “I’m a working man now.”

“Of course,” I thought. The working man. My father’s words rang in my head.

His other friends and roommates similarly identified themselves by their jobs. His best friend said, “I work in the meat department at Weaver Street.” His girlfriend said, “I work at the nursing home.” Their jobs had given them all an identity---something their illnesses had taken away.

Work is a normalizing experience—as is living independently, another experience which illness can deny us. This is why affordable supportive housing, group homes, and rehabilitative clubhouses for adults are crucial in our support of the mentally ill. Eventually Josh was able to move out of supervised housing and into his own apartment. He learned to manage his own medication entirely, and get to his own doctor appointments on time.

For the last seven years of his life, Josh worked at Akai Hana Restaurant in Carrboro. Of course he had to have a few “tune-ups,” as he called them, from time

time, over at UNC’s Neurosciences Hospital. The difficult transition from hospital back to daily life was facilitated by the hospital’s STEP Clinic program, which allows local emerging patients to participate in hospital programs during the day but return to their own homes and routines for the evening.

Josh also played piano at Akai Hana every Saturday night, unique sets which mixed blues and jazz along with his original music. He assembled a tape of his own compositions which he entitled “Five Not So Easy Pieces,” a title which now strikes me a symbolic of his whole life., which was NOT easy, as he bravely dealt the hand which fate had given him. Yet his life was full and rich and valid and successful and, yes, HEROIC---as heroic as anybody’s on this earth.

I credit this to the resources available in this community----medical care, medication, hospital and day hospital programs, vocational training, group homes and clubhouses, the family support offered to us through the North Carolina Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

6

Yet the promise of community health remains unfulfilled. Many people living right now with the most serious and persistent mental illnesses are not being provided with the treatments they need. Treatment works if you can get it, but many just cannot get it. In the United States today, there are 8 million people with “serious and persistent” mental illness---3 million of them presently untreated. Our family was lucky, but we were also persistent. And we had insurance, a key factor. And we were educated enough to figure out how to navigate the system, which is NOT SO EASY—to use Josh’s phrase. In fact, it is almost impossible for a seriously ill person to do so. But listen to me: my “kindly nervous” family is far from unique. One family in five is affected by serious mental illness. ONE IN FIVE. That’s a lot. Do something for us.

Lee Smith

Charles Willis Brown, III

2006-12-14T11:57:00.000-05:00

Charles Willis Brown, III, a longstanding client and friend, passed away last week leaving us deeply saddened.

A beautiful memorial service was held yesterday in Charlotte and attended by his family and friends. His best friend, Richard Tursi, delivered an emotional and fitting eulogy at the service that expressed not only his sense of loss but also communicated some of the depth and richness of the life Will had led.

Will was a very special and unique individual beloved around Caramore for his storytelling and folksy wisdom. He was a fixture around here and it's very difficult to imagine that he's gone. We're grateful to have known Will and we’ll miss him dearly.

D. Cooley

A piece about Caramore that originally aired on PBS

2006-11-18T16:29:00.000-05:00

Scroll through to see all of Caramore’s videos…

2006 Slideshow

2006-11-14T23:53:00.000-05:00

Caramore’s 2006 Client Celebration

2006-10-13T19:46:00.000-04:00

Read the Chapel Hill News article on the event!

Caramore held its annual client celebration event last night. Noted author Lee Smith was the highlighted guest speaker and delivered a moving recitation concerning her deceased son who participated in the Caramore program several years ago.

The activities were attended by many past and present clients of Caramore, as well as some of their family members, local employers, friends, and health care professionals who work in tandem with Caramore staff.

The theme of the evening centered around the many profound benefits that people with mental illness have achieved through the simple act of being able to work.

Many of the Caramore clients told moving stories of how Caramore had changed their lives and enabled them to reach goals they had previously given up on.

The stories evoked a vast array of emotions from everyone, from tears to laughter, as all the clients shared their personal pains and accomplishments for all to celebrate.

Cake and punch were served as the guests mingled, exchanged stories, hugged, and felt better about the brighter possibilities in their lives ahead.

B. Shanley

Caramore’s 2006 Client Celebration Features Lee Smith

2006-09-22T19:09:00.000-04:00

Caramore’s 2006 Annual Client Celebration will feature local, award-winning author, Lee Smith. Taking a break from her fall book tour, Smith will speak from first-hand experience in her talk The Working Man: How Caramore Helped My Son.

Join us as we listen to Lee Smith and celebrate the many accomplishments our clients have made over the past year—followed by a cake and punch reception.

7:00 PM
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Chapel Hill Bible Church
260 Erwin Road
Chapel Hill, NC

We hope to see you there. Please call us with any questions about the event at 919-967-3402. For more information on Lee Smith, please visit her website at www.leesmith.com

Thank you.

We appreciate all of the recent donations

2006-09-22T19:05:00.000-04:00

When you donate to Caramore, you keep individuals out of hospitals, and in their communities—where they work, contribute to society, and begin to enjoy their lives again. We at Caramore feel good about that, and you should too. Your gifts make a difference in the lives of real people.

Caramore Community, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) private, not for profit organization and your valuable donation is fully tax deductible. We currently accept donations though the mail at our office address:

Caramore
550 Smith Level Road
Carrboro, NC 27510
919-967-3402

Please call us anytime with questions, and thank you again.

How lives get better around this place

2006-09-20T14:47:00.000-04:00

The strength of the Caramore program is the length our staff goes to try and improve a client’s life. When we get evaluated as a facility periodically by Carf, they are always impressed by our “anything it takes” mindset to improve a client’s life.

But what is it to improve a client’s life?

Certainly all of our client’s are different and need to be evaluated differently. But we examine the following:

The illness. First and foremost our client’s mental health treatment is paramount—this includes all prescribed psychiatric care.

Overall health. Caramore believes that a sick body needs all the help it can get in adapting and gaining some equilibrium around deficiencies. We do not preach a cure for mental illness; rather, we encourage the gradual move towards a healthier lifestyle—beginning long-term cumulative habits of doing more things right than wrong. We want clients to see the results of healthier choices in the way they feel.

A unique life. What are the particular circumstances of a client’s life? We know we have to work on practical survival stuff like working and bill paying, but how can we help them enjoy their life? What are the obstacles holding them back? How can we help them handle difficulties and frustrations? How can we help them be more adaptable? Do they have a good mix of interests?—neither being excessively active or inactive in any one thing? Are we paying attention to the dreams they had before they got sick? What are their dreams and motivations now?

This final category is very complicated and we as staff do not always agree on how to help facilitate a better life.

It can be very frustrating trying to rouse motivations and see progress amid mental illness, the complicated baggage of a life lived, experiences, family relationships, permanent delusions, immaturity, substance abuse, terrible decision making, dependency, sometimes learning disabilities, worsening of symptoms, and the trial and error of psychiatric medication—it all can seem overwhelming!

But that’s the nature of what we deal with. We have a remarkably long-term staff that prides itself on being creative and trying many strategies to improve lives. We don’t want to give up on anyone!

D. Cooley

The restorative power of being involved

2006-08-29T11:46:00.000-04:00

Hanging out at Weaver Street, Carrboro

The simple secret to Caramore is that we get people who are mentally ill, involved. We believe in the restorative power of being involved—in something, anything.

Being involved may mean having a job, or interacting with people, or solving problems. It may mean taking an art class or being in a book club or exercising, or even just eating a meal with others. It means facing issues and completing tasks and accomplishing goals—whether or not you’re fully successful. It means changing habits and maybe a lifestyle from doing almost nothing to doing a lot.

Moving around, keeping busy, and getting involved is living life. That’s about all there is to it. It’s the difference between remaining vital or decaying. Our brains and body desperately crave—and indeed require—new experiences and challenges; experiences and challenges that stimulate all of our senses, breaking the deadlock of inaction, inactivity, and monotony.

Getting out there and experiencing and living—with all the risk that that involves—is living, and can only broaden, better, and restore your health and improve your life.

D. Cooley

Faison Sloan

2006-08-28T22:39:00.000-04:00

Faison Sloan is a former client who now works for us as an apartment manager, and because of that he’s unique in really understanding the seemingly mundane element of adding structure and routine and purpose to a day—and then spreading those days into months and years. No one better understands this simple long-haul approach to rebuilding behavior—and how all of this can pay off big time later when you start to realize how much stronger you’ve become; when you find you can handle those things that used to put you over the edge.

And that’s Faison’s strength. He really knows himself and can pinpoint the exact things that he can’t handle. It took him a long time to do that and it is frustrating for him to attempt to articulate that to our current clients who can only see the present and don’t understand the cumulative power of time. But that’s another quality Faison has: patience.

Faison even claims to be the originator—at least in spirit—of our current Tier 3 Project. You see, years ago, after he completed our program, he sensed he needed more. He kept coming over to see our apartment manager at that time, Eric Goldman. Faison new it was beneficial to stay in touch but he felt awkward. Goldman said “just tell them you’re coming to get meds everyday,” and the Tier 3 Project was born.

D. Cooley

Justin: our photographer

2006-08-28T20:01:00.000-04:00

The photos you’re now seeing up on these pages are coming from one of current guys—Justin. You’re not seeing a photo of him here because he prefers to stay behind the camera—as a lot of artists do.

Justin has a bachelor’s degree in multi-media (web, video production, etc.), has shot a lot of photos for local newspapers, and is a short film director (he’s made 3 films). Currently he is experimenting with spoken-word art and has completed a few performances around town during open-mike night

He’s been given an old low-grade Sony Cybershot—probably inadequate—but he considers it a challenge.

D. Cooley

The tragedy of having a mental illness affects an entire family

2006-08-28T15:45:00.000-04:00

I was reminded of this today from a nice phone call from a parent who tells of her own struggle with her son’s illness. The experience and emotions run the entire spectrum, from shock, and disappointment, to sometimes shame, and denial. The slow and time-dependant craw through all of this then is not only experienced by the individual, but often also by the family, who become de facto caregivers.

This particular parent called it a “grieving” process, which appropriately communicates the mammoth sense of loss and sadness that must be confronted. This, again, takes time—often a long time.

This process of coming to grips with a horrifying life long illness then get complicated by two more factors: the illness is still shrouded in stigma and myth, and almost no societal plan exists to inform and help people on what to do next.

Years of recovery time are sometimes lost in utter confusion about the path and treatment of the illness. Parents must connect themselves with others who are going through this—NAMI is a nice first start.

Ironically, at Caramore, we sometimes have to remind ourselves of the lack of knowledge out there on mental illness. We see so many similar stories and histories, that it becomes almost routine.

Personally, we at Caramore feel we have some nice methods to begin recovery for a person with a mental illness. We also feel that we can begin to alleviate a small portion of the suffering a family feels. We offer some hope amid the loss, for a life that wasn’t expected, but not too bad either.

D. Cooley