“The task is not to become normal.  The task is to take up your journey of recovery

and to become who you are called to be.”  ~Patricia E. Deegan

I recently had the opportunity to meet and interview Annmarie Cameron, CEO and George Kaufmann, a board director, of the Mental Wellness Center to learn about their wonderful community resource which provides a broad array of supportive mental health services for people living with mental illness as well as their families and the community at large.  I was surprised to learn that the services available at the Mental Wellness Center are completely free and available to those in our community who need them, regardless of who their provider of mental health care, public or private, might be.

Dr. Miller:   What exactly is the Mental Wellness Center?

Ms. Cameron:   We are a 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose purpose is to provide mental health information and education to our clients and the community, recovery services to people living with mental health disorders, and support services to their families.  We also advocate for improved mental health services locally, and through two state and national mental health organizations, Mental Health America and NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, with which we are affiliated.

Dr. Miller:   I’ve been in practice here in Santa Barbara now for well over twenty years, but until just recently had not heard of the Mental Wellness Center.  Are you a newer agency?

Ms. Cameron:   No, we have actually operated in southern Santa Barbara County for more than 65 years.  We were known as The Mental Health Association of Santa Barbara County until our name change in 2012.

Dr. Miller:   So, why the name change?

Ms. Cameron:   For a couple of reasons.  Having “Santa Barbara County” in our name confused many people who thought we were a public agency or were part of the county mental health department.  Also, we wanted our name to more effectively convey what it is that we do.  The world of mental health services is rapidly evolving toward a new philosophy known as “The Recovery Model of Care” which reaches beyond the traditional focus on treating a person’s illness, to encourage use of a person’s strengths in their journey toward wellness.  Since virtually all our client services are practical supports for this recovery journey the name, “Mental Wellness Center” seems to best reflect this.

 Dr. Miller:   Please further elaborate on what you mean by “recovery”.  Are you inferring the concept of “curing” those who suffer from serious mental illness?

Ms. Cameron:   Recovery is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.  We believe there are four major dimensions that support a life of recovery.

• Health (both physical and mental)
• Home
• Purpose
• Community

At the Mental Wellness Center we help people regain the belief that they can overcome illness-imposed obstacles and move on to have a rewarding life.  Hope comes from within, as well as from peers, family, providers, and the community.

Mr. Kaufmann:  Unfortunately “cure” is elusive for most people living today with the most severe mental health disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.  The best definition of recovery I know of is the one used by my son, who lives with schizoaffective disorder and has worked as a certified peer specialist offering recovery services to other peers:  “recovery is when a person living with a mental health disorder realizes that he/she can aspire to a life which they believe is worth living and embarks on the journey toward wellness.”   Even people with the most disabling diagnoses are finding that with proper supports and encouragement they can continue their education, reenter the work force and develop meaningful social relationships.  While the distance which any one individual can travel down this “road to recovery” can vary from person to person the one they all have in common is that they no longer let their illness define who they are.  They see themselves as worthwhile productive persons who happen to live with a chronic disease much as someone with diabetes or other “physical” disease does.

  Dr. Miller:   What recovery services are available at the Mental Wellness Center?

Ms. Cameron:   To address health, home, purpose and community we offer affordable housing, employment services, and a peer support program called the Fellowship Club /Recovery Learning Center.

Oftentimes we do not think of housing as a recovery service per se, but our many years of experience in this area have led us to understand that our clients cannot focus fully on the other aspects of their recovery if they do not have safe and affordable permanent housing.  The Mental Wellness Center operates more than 70 units of permanent and transitional housing in Santa Barbara, some independent, and much of it with supports.  And, all of it affordable even to those with low income and on disability.

The Fellowship Club/Recovery Learning Center, a long-time Santa Barbara  resource for those living with mental health disorders,  offers recovery services, including a community of peers for fellowship, work on self empowerment and other recovery skills, and pursuing interests, such as computer skills, art, and music. There is even a “Care Closet” which offers clothing and personal care items for sale to club members at very nominal prices.

Employment Services are offered in partnership with the California Department of Rehabilitation.  Because having a meaningful purpose is a major dimension of overall wellness, we are eager to assist our clients in finding their place in the community labor market.  While we have only worked with about 100 individuals so far we are very proud that 31 of them have secured part-time or full-time employment.

Mr. Kaufmann:   The Mental Wellness Center also offers a variety of recovery services for the family members of those living with mental health disorders.  When mental illness strikes a family it impacts every member of that family, not just the one with the diagnosis.  Those of us who have walked that road are often devastated by the illness of our relative and experience the pain of stigma, and the confusion of not understanding the illness and its impact on our ill family member.  And, as a result, we need to heal from this experience in much the same way as our directly affected family member does.  At the Mental Wellness Center we offer weekly family support groups and Family Advocate services to help family members understand mental illness and find the community resources that their family needs.  Additionally, the local NAMI chapter operates as a program of the Mental Wellness Center and offers a twelve-week class titled, “Family to Family.”  The class helps “well” family members to understand more about mental health and illness, and how to relate more effectively to their ill relative as well as self-care and advocacy.  All of these services are offered in both English and Spanish and are facilitated by people who have lived the experience as a member of a family which has been impacted by mental illness.

Dr. Miller:   Who qualifies to receive services at the Mental Wellness Center and are there any fees charged at all?

Ms. Cameron:  Any community member living with a mental health diagnosis can become a member of the Fellowship Club/Recovery Learning Center with a referral from their mental health professional.  Anyone who identifies as a family member of a person living with a mental health disorder may receive any or all of our family services.  One of the most common myths about our programs is that they are limited to clients of Santa Barbara County Department of Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services (ADMHS).  It does not matter if they are receiving public or private mental health services; there are no fees or insurance requirements for any of our services.

 Dr. Miller:   That is fantastic.  But what are the funding sources that allow you to offer all these programs free of charge to the community?

Ms. Cameron:   Contracts with our county’s ADMHS help fund the Fellowship Club/Recovery Learning Center, the Family Advocate program, and a portion of our supported housing program.  Additional contracts with the state Department of Rehabilitation and ADMHS help fund our Employment Services program.  Collectively, these sources provide about 35 percent of the Mental Wellness Center operating budget.  The remaining amount is funded by grants from foundations and from our generous community of supporters.  We could not offer our services without the generous community support we receive.

In fact, later this month, on April 28, our Second Annual Walk/Run for Mental Wellness is being held that morning at Lower Manning Park in Montecito.  Last year over 200 people living with mental health disorders, their families, mental health professionals, and the community at large came out to support our work.  The proceeds from the event help support our programs, but the best part is that we get the opportunity to show our community what recovery looks like, and in the process help dispel some of the negative stigma around mental illness which can impede the journey of recovery that we have been discussing.

 The Mental Wellness Center is located at 617 Garden Street here in Santa Barbara.  For further information about the Center or the Second Annual Walk/Run for Mental Wellness go to www.mentalwellnesscenter.org or call (805) 884-8440.