Thursday, May 01, 2008
A welcome center
On Our Own Roanoke Valley tackles the stigma associated with mental illness.
KYLE GREEN The Roanoke Times
April 14, 2008 Ronald Fore (hand at right), signals bingo as fellow players, Joseph Perez (left), Freddy Fralin (left back, red hat), and Virginia Burnett (middle, holding playing board), look on during a bingo game at "On Our Own of Roanoke Valley, Inc." located on Elm Avenue in Roanoke, Virginia. "On Our Own" has a stated purpose of providing a safe haven for people dealing with mental illness, giving them a social gathering place to interact in an environment of mutual support.
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Those who want to improve their physical health have a wide range of choices to help them achieve their goals -- gym memberships, recreation club sports and even groups that meet to walk the malls.
For those who would like to improve their mental health, the opportunities are more limited.
"We're the best kept secret in town," said Robin Hubert, executive director of On Our Own Roanoke Valley.
The organization, which began in 1993, is located near downtown Roanoke on Elm Avenue near the Lions Club headquarters. It provides a safe place for socializing, advocacy, recovery and education for adults with psychiatric disorders.
The group currently has about 30 members, Hubert said, each of whom pays a $1.20 yearly membership fee. They come from all ages, races and backgrounds. Some have major illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder while others struggle with depression.
Many of them have been coping with mental illness all of their lives and have been unable to hold down paying jobs.
Mentally ill people who are fully employed and have good health insurance can also afford more services and treatment, Hubert pointed out.
Although some of the group's seven staff members have been professionally employed in the mental health field, "we don't do counseling," Hubert said. "We are a complement to professional services."
On Our Own is a consumer-driven organization, she said, and relies on certified peer counselors who come from the ranks of the membership. Every one of the center's employees, including Hubert, is recovering from a mental illness, she said, "but it doesn't consume our lives."
The center is open from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There is a full calendar of activities ranging from regular Saturday night coffeehouses, to board games and bingo.
There are weekly peer support groups and recovery groups, which focus on mental wellness. For those who are employed, the peer counselors help with social skills and other techniques that help them fit in on the job and cope with challenges.
Hubert said the meetings are similar to those of Alcoholics Anonymous, and anyone is welcome to drop in.
In the wake of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech, Hubert believes it is vital that the mentally ill have opportunities to socialize.
"We have gotten a bad rap with the Virginia Tech situation," Hubert said. "People see mental illness in such a negative light. People think we're all dangerous."
She said having a psychiatric disorder is little different than having a chronic physical condition.
Despite the nominal membership fee, "all services are free," Hubert said. "We get our funding from state grants.
"We try to spread the word," she said. "It helps to decrease the stigma."
To contact On Our Own Roanoke Valley, call 362-0061 or go to www.rvonourown.com.
