According
to its website, the Iverson Wellness and Recovery Center in Chico "is a
group of men and women challenged by a variety of mental health, alcohol and
drug issues." Iverson is a program of Northern Valley Catholic Social
Service, supported by the Mental Health Services Act and Butte County
Department of Behavioral Health.
Outreach
Coordinator and Peer Assistant Andrea Wagner, with a degree in journalism from
Chico State University, facilitates a writing group and a yearly compilation of
work.
That project
has expanded to encompass sixteen Northern California counties. "Diverse
Minds: North State Journal 2017" ($7.10 in paperback from CreateSpace;
also for Amazon Kindle), edited by Wagner, presents readers with the work of
over fifty writers and artists who are living lives "of wellness and
recovery."
"Life
can be challenging for people on the autistic spectrum," writes Paloma
Blanca. "I often have to script my conversations. So don't treat me worse
because I can come off as awkward." Jonathan Roy Martin cultivates
gratitude: "I'm grateful for good people/ In my community/ I'm also
grateful for/ Those who heard my plea."
The book includes
"frank discussions of suicide, domestic violence, and substance use."
Donna C. writes that "my writing is a step to my recovery. … Slowly I'm
learning that life can be lived without violence and abuse. It's hard for me to
live this way. For me, I've come to expect being hit."
Drawings and
photographs, fanciful, serene, or stark, add resonance. Autobiographies at the
end open up the meaning of the contributions. A section presents work by Shelby
Wright, submitted by her mother after "Shelby completed suicide in
2011." "And although I am fighting with all my heart and soul,"
Shelby wrote, "my road is still long and hard." Her legacy of hope
mixes with the sadness.
The road
can be hopeful, but it is not safe. Kadjain Troi: "When you come to a fork
in the road, remember, the paved road is an easy way home, but the other path
will get you there with a story to tell."
Submissions
are being accepted for the 2018 Journal at nvcss.org/diverseminds. Publication
and an art show are scheduled for November.
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