The Open Door
A look inside our Clubhouse
July 2015
www.howardlevinclubhouse.org
A Publication of the Howard Levin Clubhouse
Getting to Know Jeannine
Howard Levin Clubhouse
A Program of Jewish
Residential Services
2621 Murray Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
(412) 422-1850
Newsletter Staff:
Mike Hogan
Jeannine Lawson
Francis E. Pesanka
Sumit Santhanam
Eric Sc.
Arielle Seligson
Delaine S.
Ed Tipton
Julia V.
Virginia Wendt
Aileen Zurenski
Getting to Know Jeannine
1
Clubhouse International Stand- 2
ard #36
Promoting Health by Filling Our 3
Plates and Minds
Give Back With Volunteering
by Arielle Seligson & Jeannine Lawson
Have you seen a new friendly face around? It might be our newest Clubhouse
staff member, Jeannine! Jeannine, originally from Philadelphia, is joining us
as the Member Services (MS)
Area coordinator. She has been
working in the mental health
field for nine years and says
that she has always been drawn
to this type of work. People
often feel comfortable talking
to Jeannine and she believes
that this quality has influenced
her desire to work in an
environment where she can
help people. She also has
family members who have had
mental health concerns and
says that ―they have provided
me with ample training in the
field.‖
Outside of work, Jeannine
enjoys trying new things,
reading, rocking in her rocking
chair on the porch, tending to
her houseplants, relaxing in the
Jeannine makes herself at home in the
sun and hanging out with her
Member Services Area
kids. She reports that her
favorite new activity that she‘s
tried is painting rocks. When asked for more details, Jeannine adds that, ―my
favorite one says the word ‗peace‘ on it and has a sun, a peace symbol, a
heart, and polka dots on it.‖ In addition to these activities, she‘s also been
exploring making jewelry such as bracelets, earrings, and beautiful hat pins.
4
This Is About You, Me, and HLC 5
The Game of Chess; Living
with Mental Illness
Clubhouse Magic; Jeannine
cont.
Bowling; From the Newsletter
Staff
6
Bargain Bin Record Review
9
Cases of Books
10
Bob Dylan at 74
11
7
8
Jeannine loves to laugh, bake, and cook. She believes ―that no one should
cross your path and leave it in the same way – I believe in making people feel
better when I cross their path.‖ In addition to doing this through her work,
Jeannine also opens her home to individuals in need. The people that make her
laugh the most are her kids, ―because they‘re little comedians in the making.‖
Continued on Page 7
PAGE 2
HOWARD LEVIN CLUBHOUSE
Standard Number 36
by Mike Hogan
Clubhouse International Standard Number 36 states:
―The Clubhouse holds open forums which enable members and staff to actively
participate in the decision making, generally by consensus regarding governance,
policy making, and the future direction and development of the clubhouse.‖
This an important requirement of the CI Standards, despite being the last enumerated. All clubhouses must have means of communicating with the membership and staff. This is accomplished in many ways. Nonetheless, face to face meeting is important to getting good decisions
made for the good of the clubhouse.
This requirement can be met in many ways. Many clubhouses use a weekly ―house meeting‖
during which issues may be discussed. Unlike our Community Forum, the house meeting is an
open ended discussion on many topics.
Some clubhouses, such as the Howard Levin Clubhouse, prefer a more focused approach. We
use a ―Community Forum‖ to discuss matters of policy and redefine the rules of the Clubhouse.
This requires two steps to precede the discussion of a topic. First the issue must be defined, and
it also must have a sponsor. This assures that
the topic will not be discussed ―out of the
blue,‖ and someone is responsible for the idea
to be debated.
The most important element of this process is
the agreement by consensus of an issue to be
adopted as Clubhouse policy. Voting is prohibited. The objection of one person must be
considered before a policy may be changed.
This is an important block to hasty or poorly
considered ideas which will not make good
policy. The consensus model has been part and
parcel of the Clubhouse model since the institution of Clubhouses themselves.
The Standard also is aimed at the future. The
forum is responsible for planning the future of
the Clubhouse. All members and staff are invited to make changes to policies and procedures
that will effect the future of the clubhouse. Our Community Forum serves this purpose admirably, as evidenced by our recent Accreditation report. We cover Standard 36 quite well.
THE OPEN DOOR
PAGE 3
Promoting Health by Filling our Plates and Minds
by Delaine S.
The Howard Levin Clubhouse was recently visited by volunteers from the Squirrel Hill Food
Bank and Squirrel Hill Health Center for an educational presentation on healthy eating and diabetes. We learned tips about balancing our diet by following the government recommendations
of using a 9 inch plate and dividing it in quarters; filling one quarter with protein, one quarter
with grains and half with fruits and vegetables. We came up with examples of each of these
types of food for members to include in their own diet. Protein foods include meat, eggs, fish,
and cheese. Grains/carbohydrate rich foods include bread, rice, pasta, quinoa, and potatoes.
And of course we came up with lots of examples of our favorite fruits and vegetables!
Processed foods are generally higher in salt, lower in fiber, have added sugar, or contain artificial ingredients. If possible, consider making substitutions such as choosing whole fruits rather than
juices or whole grains rather than refined grains.
Thinking about the portion sizes of the food that you
are eating is also important because many times the
food we are served is actually more than one serving.
Combining a healthy diet and regular exercise will
help manage weight. This is very important because
excess weight is related to many chronic diseases
and is a major risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease characterized by an excess of sugar in the bloodstream. Common symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, excessive urination, extreme hunger, blurry vision,
and fatigue. Sugar builds up in the bloodstream due to insulin not working effectively at moving
sugar out of the blood and into the cells. Type 2 Diabetes is commonly treated with oral medications. These medications may help the body produce more insulin or help the body use it
more effectively. Sometimes, Type 2 Diabetes is also treated with insulin injections. The goal
of treatment is to lower blood sugar to normal levels, but not below normal. A carefully managed diet is especially important for patients diagnosed with diabetes because carbohydrate rich
foods are converted into sugar in the body and this will affect blood sugar levels. Exercise uses
up the sugar in the body, also lowering blood sugar levels. So following a treatment regimen of
medication, diet, and exercise is very important to maintaining good health.
Regardless of whether or not you are currently diagnosed with diabetes, you may still be at risk.
You may want to bring up the idea of being screened for the disease the next time you visit your
primary care doctor, even if you don't have symptoms. Many people have the disease, or prediabetes, without knowing it. In the meantime, you can work on incorporating the aforementioned healthy eating ideas and visit the website choosemyplate.gov for even more suggestions.
PAGE 4
HOWARD LEVIN CLUBHOUSE
Give Back with Volunteering
by Virginia Wendt
For the last several months, a group of members have been working to organize and plan volunteer activities in our local neighborhood. On two recent occasions, we have made a trip down
Murray Avenue to help at the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry. Members have enjoyed this so much
that we are planning to do it again on Friday, July 31st!
We also hold monthly meetings to talk about
past events and plan for future ones. We agree
that we are interested in doing at least one activity per month and are open to doing more!
Other suggestions have been to hold our own
―neighborhood clean up‖ and collect trash from
nearby streets and sidewalks. We‘ve also talked
about visiting a nursing home, a soup kitchen,
or something at a local library. Lots of members have really wonderful ideas about volunteering!
Mike (top) and Graham (below) take a quick
break for a photo while packing up lunches.
Members (right) work
together to pack up
lunches at the Squirrel
Hill Food Pantry
Consider joining us on July 31st to pack produce at the pantry and give back to the community. It feels really good!
THE OPEN DOOR
PAGE 5
This is About You, Me, and HLC
by Ed Tipton
We will either find a way or make one. – Hannibal, a general who, around 220 BC, took 60,000
to 100,000 men and elephants across a dangerous mountain terrain in Italy.
I have only begun to fight. – Captain John Paul Jones, a U.S. Navy captain who survived—and
won—one of the fiercest battles of the American Revolution.
No, you may not be leading elephants through mountains or fighting for your life on the sea,
but don‘t ever put the battle you face every day on the shelf as meaningless. I don‘t know the
exact diagnosis of everyone in this Clubhouse, nor do I need to. We all have or had struggles
with various aspects of life, whether it be battling addictions, seeing things people can‘t see that only we can, suicide, broken families, sexual abuse, and a wide variety of things. These are the
battles, silent but intense, sometimes mysterious even to ourselves, that we face day in and day out. We are broken by these
things and more… but never destroyed.
We keep fighting, but not illegally. We fight not with violence,
but by living the best lives we can together in the Clubhouse. We
fight by caring for one another and ourselves. We fight by improving ourselves through expressing ourselves, by getting up
and doing Clubhouse work and Transitional Employment positions. Also, by talking about our struggles, forgiving our faults and the fault of others, and by
taking care of ourselves. None of us is better than another; we are all equals. We fall, but we do
not stay down.
That‘s the key.
When I first started here, I was lost in my own world. Then, even though, I made some mistakes, I learned to appreciate myself and others. I learned to care about others and myself. I just
hope that one day you‘ll be able to have a Clubhouse testimony of your own to share, for I
know you have overcome a lot to get where you are. Congratulate yourself and then keep moving from there.
I hope the following helps you: a lot of you know about my plights in the past. One thing I kept
private was that in the past, I once brought about four bottles of aspirin to my therapist at the
time in a cry for help. Now, I have better supports and better hope. The Clubhouse has been a
major part of my recovery and success.
So, if and when you can, come in or at least call us. We do care. I‘m talking to you all, but especially those we haven‘t seen in a while. Come on in and let us hear your testimony… or
come on in and let‘s see you. Sometimes to be seen and heard and to be cared about is a success, and a victory, in itself. Take care of yourself.
PAGE 6
HOWARD LEVIN CLUBHOUSE
The Game of Chess
by Sumit Santhanam
I‘ve developed an interest in chess. I began by reading a Bobby Fischer chess book. It talked
about how the pieces are set up and how they function. It also showed various scenarios. This
helped me to move the pieces in order to get my opponent‘s king in check. The great asset to
playing chess is that it is a good way to problem solve. Another good reason to play chess is
that you never stop learning. I strongly recommend this game to everyone. It will help you to
think and feel better about winning and developing strategies.
Living with Mental Illness
by Anonymous
I have mental illness and society is not always kind to the
mentally ill. Some people like to push the buttons of the
mentally ill and watch us react. To watch the mentally ill
suffer and laugh at them is cruel and not kind. Think
about it, would you like someone to do this to you? If
the answer is no, please don‘t do it to us. If you do not
like us, you may not like the manifestations and repercussions of the mental illness not the person. Please see
us as a person with mental illness not the mental illness
itself. I have Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress, OCD, and Complicated Grief. My life has been
a plethora of emotions coupled with internal and external triggers that affect me daily. In fact,
my mental illness has affected me so greatly that I was banned from a store, arrested, handcuffed and spent two days in jail. Unfortunately, people that have mental illness are not seen as
people but we are seen as our mental illness. We are still very stigmatized and seen as the crazies of society as people put their finger in their ear and make a motion that we are nuts or
wacko. We are scoffed at, ridiculed, and made fun of. We would like people to treat us with
dignity, compassion and respect. Life‘s tragic events, genetics, and chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters, can cause a person to become mentally ill. We are people just like the rest of society with wants, needs, desires, and goals. We would like to live, not just to exist, and enjoy
life. We are trying to make a contribution to society in our own way. So please be patient with
us and try to understand our situation. It is hard to put yourself in someone else‘s shoes but
please do.
It is here at the Howard Levin Clubhouse that helps us realize that we can make a contribution
to ourselves and society. The Clubhouse gives us tools where we can grow as individuals. It is a
safe haven where people with all types of mental illness come together and are treated with respect and dignity. We learn new skills which helps us feel better about ourselves. Some of us
are alone and are socially isolated and have no support groups, so the Howard Levin Clubhouse
is a great asset in our lives. Thank you, Howard Levin, and all the staff and members for being
there for us. May you be there for many more years.
THE OPEN DOOR
PAGE 7
Continued from Page 1
When asked about her experience of the interview process at the Clubhouse, Jeannine says that
it was interesting and that she liked that it was different than typical interviews. The first interview was very conversational for her – it wasn‘t a cut and dry interview. The second interview
was a bit more intense, because of the hustle and bustle of the Clubhouse. Sitting at the green
table with a large group of interviewers felt a bit intimidating. However, now that those interviews are over and she is getting more comfortable in the position of MS Coordinator each day.
Jeannine reports that, ―I‘m so glad that I get to work at the Clubhouse because I love psych rehab. It‘s something that I hold very near and dear to my heart because I believe in its principles.
I think it‘s important to work in a place that practices what it preaches.‖ We‘re glad to have
her!
Clubhouse Magic
by Anonymous
I retired after 31 years of teaching. Without a routine, my Bi-polar disorder and OCD landed
me in the hospital and at the Re:solve Crisis Center multiple times. When I first came to the
Clubhouse several years ago, I wasn‘t well enough to find my way. After my last stay at
Re:solve, I felt much better. I was able to attend the Clubhouse on a regular basis. That was in
March. This is July, and I have learned many of the tasks, but best of all, by regular attendance, I have made new and lasting friends. If you can attend the Clubhouse regularly, fairly
regularly, or an hour on same days, the magic will work for you, too!
PAGE 8
HOWARD LEVIN CLUBHOUSE
Bowling
by Julia V.
Hi, my name is Julia V. I have been a member of Howard Levin Clubhouse since 2013. I like
bowling. I‘ve been doing it since I was about nine or ten years
old. When I was young, I got a big sister. Her name was Audrey
and she introduced me to bowling. We used to go a lot.
The reason why I like it so much is because it makes you learn
how to concentrate and keep focus. I used to go midnight bowling and have so much fun. I was also on the Special Olympics
Bowling Team for Manhattan. I‘ve been on so many bowling
teams in my life.
If I could give you some bowling tips, one would be to have your
own bowling shoes and bowling ball. The second tip is not to
throw it but to roll the ball. The last tip would be to roll the ball
down the middle of the lane.
I am available if anyone needs any other bowling tips. I really enjoy bowling. It‘s one of the many sports I enjoy.
From the Newsletter Staff
We hope you enjoy reading The Open Door newsletter each month. We enjoy writing and producing it for you! Did you know we create and print ALL our newsletters in-house? This takes
a lot of hard work and dedicated members make sure that our newsletter is of a high quality
and gets out as quickly as possible. Consider joining us for any part of the process that interests
you! Below, a group of members prepare the newsletter for mailing: this includes printing, as
well as attaching labels and stickers to make sure each newsletter meets USPS standards. It‘s a
fun group project we do each month.
So thanks for reading
and we hope to see you
at the Clubhouse soon!
THE OPEN DOOR
PAGE 9
Bargain Bin Record Reviews
by Mike Hogan
There has been a lot of hybrid music in our popular canto. Among them are the blues, soul, and
rock and roll. Also in this category is Rockabilly. This was a musical form of the late 1940‘s
and 1950‘s that combined boogie woogie, the blues, western swing, and early country music
into a truly wonderful musical stew.
The roots of rockabilly can be traced to the early singles released by Sun Records. Carl
Perkins’ song, ―Blue Suede Shoes,‖ defined the genre. Also making significant contributions
were Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. Also, Elvis Presley helped define this style of music
before he became big as a rock and roll star.
Most people are familiar with rockabilly music through the debut album of the Stray Cats. It
sparked the ―Rockabilly Revival.‖ This is an underground music
effort which is supported by tiny independent labels. Most of these
do not have regular distribution to record stores, so they depend on
mail orders and the internet. These CDs are generally too expensive for this column to afford.
There are a couple important personages in the rockabilly revival.
One is Dave Edmunds of the UK. He has been championing the
rockabilly sound since the early seventies. Edmunds has recorded
or produced many rockabilly albums which are worthy of being
collected. Another is the Rev. Horton
The Stray Cats
Heat. He and his band have kept the
rockabilly idea alive, although his recent albums have been gospel oriented.
A special case were The Cramps. They played what was called
―Psychobilly.‖ This style of rockabilly is characterized by funereal
rhythms, bizarre horror movie subjects, and musical references so
obscure that even I could not decipher them.
The Cramps debut EP, Gravest Hits and first album, Songs the Lord
Taught Us, as well as Flame Job, exemplified their insane take on
Dave Edmunds
the rockabilly idea. They are not for the faint of heart; however, I
find that The Cramps are a good listen to those willing to put up
with their weirdness.
So there you have it, rockabilly was the worthy precursor to rock and roll. It is well worth collecting even it you do not pomade your hair. So why not give it a chance?
AS ALWAYS:
KEEP ON TWANGIN‘
PAGE 10
HOWARD LEVIN CLUBHOUSE
Cases of Books
by eric the redologist
In this article, I will be discussing some of the writings of Jorge Luis Borges. He wrote many
short stories and essays, some as short as two or three pages. In fact, as he grew older, his stories seemed to become even more short and concise, and still densely packed with profound
information or consequences. Many of the works are philosophical in nature, and some of the
short stories could be categorized as science fiction. From reading the stories, Borges seems to
have a preoccupation with concepts of infinity, and the classification of differing conceptions
about the universe (or universes).
In one of his essays, Borges maintains that Argentinian authors like himself need not confine
themselves to ―nationalistic topics,‖ in other words stories that only could happen in their home
country, but rather to a broad range of topics about the whole universe. Borges‘ background in
working at libraries seems to have shaped his broad interests.
Themes which appear in his work are: dreams from which characters awake to only find themselves in other dreams; novel viewpoints which reveal a ―true‖ nature of the universe; mirrors
which reveal frightening facets; characters or beings being manifested in other beings; and, in
almost every work, a figurative or literal labyrinth appears.
Many of the protagonists in the short stories have a fascination with literature and seek out specific volumes in hopes of finding some divine understanding of the nature of the universe. Inevitably, gods are thrown into the mix, and many different religions appear, and are analyzed in
some sense, from the character‘s historical point of view. Many of the characters find themselves in prison, awaiting execution, due to their theological views. This solitude facilitates
their rampant thought processes, which Borges describes.
When starting to read some of the stories, the reader may feel overwhelmed at first by unfamiliar references, some of them fictional, but soon the shape or premise of the story will become
apparent and captivating. I would liken this experience, of startling science-fiction, as being
similar to Rod Serling‘s The Twilight Zone, since we first are introduced to focal characters,
and then some sort of transcendent twist will grip the watcher or reader. While usually not as
disturbing, Labyrinths still finds its characters in life threatening or altering situations.
One of the most memorable short stories is Death and the Compass, about a detective trying to
predict by geometrical means, where a killer will strike next. The culprit leaves behind clues,
which are tied to the formulation of a mysterious religious word. The detective tries to pinpoint
the location of the next event by forming a geometrical figure between sites, with a certain
number of sides, however the number is not certain. The solution of this mystery lies in the difference of calendar systems of other cultures. The pieces fall into place when this is taken into
account.
This story is just a sample of his entertaining and illuminating stories and essays. Since the
works are short, they are also something you can pick up whenever you have a spare moment,
and quickly feel rewarded.
THE OPEN DOOR
PAGE 11
Bob Dylan at 74
by Francis E. Pesanka
Bob Dylan is a well-known musician. I recently saw a movie and this made me think of him,
his music, and his life. He was born in 1941, and he is now 74 years old. I was born in 1953,
I‘m 61 years old. I didn‘t really listen to Bob Dylan‘s music when I was growing up. Instead I
listened to Frank Zappa, Lovin‘ Spoonful, The Mamas and the Papas, and Little Richard – to
name a few. I thought that The Dave Clark Five was better than The Beatles; I liked their music
better.
I read an interview with Dylan recently in AARP Magazine and he said that rock and roll died.
This stood out to me and I started to think about it. Music has always been important to me. I
used own a turntable and took records with me whenever I moved; I‘ve lived in Pennsylvania and Florida
and played music all the time. When I moved from Miami back to Pittsburgh, I had packed up my turntable,
stereo, and vinyl records. They got stuck in an elevator
when I was moving. I couldn‘t get them out of the elevator. I had to leave them behind. Once I was back in
Pittsburgh I had only my records. I never got another
turntable after that!
Recently I have been listening to an MP3 player and I
can‘t believe the sound on that thing! It‘s so clear,
clean, and richer than my records used to sound. I like
to borrow CDs from Carnegie Library; every Saturday
I go to the main branch in Oakland and they have a
huge selection to choose from! This way, I can find lots
of music to enjoy.
I couldn‘t stop thinking about Dylan saying that rock
and roll has died. I‘ve also been thinking about how all
these ―old‖ bands are back on the road touring, like The Rolling Stones and Huey Lewis & the
News. I think I might go down town to Point State Park with a big towel and see if I can listen
to the Stones concert (they‘re playing at Heinz Field Saturday June 20).
I‘m not sure that rock and roll has died. I think it just went to sleep and took a nap! It‘s starting
to wake back up with big shows like The Rolling Stones!
HOWARD LEVIN CLUBHOUSE
JEWISH RESIDENTIAL SERVICES INC.
2621 MURRAY AVENUE
PITTSBURGH, PA 15217
NON-PROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE
PAID
PITTSBURGH PA
PERMIT NO 34
The Clubhouse is planning fun
summer activities so
stop in to see what’s
coming up!
Feel the Heat —Summer is here!