The Guiding Council of Western Massachusetts (GCOW) serves as the advisory council to the Recovery Learning Program (RLC), a program that provides peer supports and seeks to build a strong peer network throughout Western Massachusetts.  For those in the area who identify as being someone with lived experience in mental health and would like to have a voice as an advisor to the Western Mass Recovery Learning Program, please come join us for our next GCOW meeting!

For people who are income eligible, you can receive a free cell phone and 80 free minutes per month by going to:

www.safelinkwireless.com

Please spread the word!

*This is a general community resource and not sponsored by the RLC!

Career Initiatives

Career Initiatives, like the RLC, is a program of the Western Massachusetts Training Consortium.  Career Initiatives has collaborated with the RLC on several projects, including the opening of our new Springfield Center.

The next Council meeting will be held on Monday, April 6th from 2pm to 4:30pm at the Holyoke RCC!!

Come and get your voice heard and give input on the future of the Western Mass RLC! All are welcome!

Wednesday, April 22nd from 4 to 6 pm.

"Mad in America: Finding Sanity in a Crazy World" features 45 minutes of footage of Robert Whitaker, author of Mad in America and Oryx Cohen, RLC Co-Director, from a February 2009 talk in front of around 100 Holy Cross Colelge Psychology Students.  In the talk, Bob and Oryx discuss the voice of people with lived experience from a historical and personal perspective, up to the present time. 

As you may have heard, the RLC will be opening a new center in Springfield at 340 Main St.  We hope to be open 3 days per week with a particular focus on accessibility for Hispanic and young adult members of the community.

We have decided to name the center the "Bowen Resource Center" after the late Shelley Bowen of Springfield.  It was her dream to open a center in Springfield.

Thursday, April 2nd, 10 am to 3:30 pm. 
340 Main St., Springfield
(Training begins promptly at 10 am!)

Join Sera, Amanda, Oryx, Danielle, Briana, and others from the RLC and Career Initiatives at this volunteer training designed to give you an overview of the RLC and Career Initiatives programs and prepare you to take the next steps to becoming a volunteer.  Gain confidence in talking about and representing the RLC and/or Career Initiatives, providing support in person and by phone, etc.

Call to sign up!

Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) is a peer-lead process that encourages each individual to use his or her own wisdom to create a personal plan for wellness.  Level I classes help you get familiar with all the components of WRAP and get you started with creating your own WRAP!

Northampton: Join Maura and Karen for a new 10-session Level I WRAP on Thursdays beginning March 26th from 1:30-3:00 pm, Forbes Library, Watson Room, 20 West Street, Northampton.  The last day to join is April 2nd.