Ian has been a resident of the Oak

Program for a little over two years

and will be moving into the PALS

Program in February. He has been

diagnosed with OCD, depression,

ADD and has a learning disability.

He was referred to Phoenix because

he quit taking his

medication and

began using

marijuana to help

him cope with his

illness and as a

result he was not

taking proper care of

himself. He moved

into the Oak

Program to learn more effective

coping skills and to help him live the

life he wanted to live.

Ian is 31 years old and was born

and raised in Regina. He attended

college in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

as well as Toronto, Ontario where he

earned diplomas in Broadcasting and

Comedy Writing and Performance.

Ian also spent some time at Meadow

Lake Reserve where he worked at a

radio station.

P H O E N I X R E S I D E N T I A L S O C I E T Y N E W S L E T T E R

Winter 2011

Recovery Tools

— What does “Mental

Health Recovery” mean?

2

Resident Submissions 2

Famous People with

Mental Illnesses

— Linda Hamilton

2

The Notice Board — What’s Going on at

Phoenix

3

Reader’s Recipes

— Peanut Butter Cookies

3

Meet the Staff

— Featuring Lynne Scott

3

Exercise Your Brain 4

Who We Are and What We

Believe

4

Inside This Issue Ian’s hobbies and interests

include watching movies, reading,

music and writing. He is also an avid

Star Wars buff.

Since joining Phoenix Oak, Ian

has become more organized, has

learned vital skills which are

necessary to live

independently and

has developed new

coping skills to help

him live the life he

wants whilewith a

mental illness. While

at Phoenix, Ian also

received the support

and encouragement

he needed to help launch his career

in comedy. Ian is the founder and

head of the organization Healing

Through Humour which is a non-

profit organization that teaches

people with mental and physical

disabilities the art of comedy and

how to use humour as a tool for

recovery. Ian encourages everyone,

especially people with mental

illnesses, to check out their website

at www.healingthroughhumour.com.

The Phoenix

Story

In ancient Egypt

there lived a bird

called the

Phoenix. It was a

large bird, purple-

red and gold in

colour and it was

associated with

the rising sun.

There was only one

Phoenix in

existence at any

time and it lived to

500 years or more.

At the end of its

time, it built a nest

of twigs from spice

trees. It then sat on

the nest and set it

afire. Both the nest

and the bird would

burn to ashes and

then,

miraculously, a

new Phoenix

would be born,

rising from the

ashes more

beautiful than

ever, to begin life

anew.

It is for this reason

that Phoenix

Residential Society

uses the Phoenix

bird as its symbol.

It represents the

choices we make

and the strength

we need to stand

behind them. It

also represents life

lived in the face of

all adversity and

the beauty and

power of that

triumph.

Ian Morrison

The residents and staff of Westview were

fortunate to have a special visitor

recently. Maritza’s mom, Juana, came

from Chile to visit her and they had not

seen each other for 26 years! She brought

wonderful gifts for everyone and enjoyed

Saskatchewan hospitality at a couple of

Westview bbq’s. Maritza and Juana are

already planning another visit for 2012! Westview worker Maritza Tello (left) with

her mother, Juana, reunited after 26 years.

Phoenix Voices and Vision

P H O E N I X R E S I D E N T I A L S O C I E T Y Phoenix Voices and Vision

Page 2

Famous People with Mental Illnesses

— Linda Hamilton

Linda Hamilton is an accomplished

actress who went public with her

diagnosis of bi-polar disorder at a

young age. Hamilton, well known

for her part with Arnold

Schwarzenegger in "The Terminator" movies

explains how helpful medication has been for her

and that she understands she may have to be on

medication for the rest of her life. She also pays a

lot of credit to her therapist who she states has

helped her to learn coping skills to help her

through the tough times.

Resident Submissions Everybody

needs one

essential

friend.

Doctor

Glasser

Says

Dr. William Glasser is an internationally recognized psychiatrist who is

best known as the author of Reality Therapy, a method of psychotherapy

he created in 1965 and that is now taught all over the world. His ideas focus

on personal choice, personal responsibility and personal transformation.

Recovery in mental health is not used

in the same manner in which one

typically views recovery. Webster

defines recovery as:

1) a return to normal conditions

2) an act, instance, process, or period

of recovering

3) Something gained or restored in

recovering

4) The act of obtaining usable

substance from unusable sources, as

with waste materials

These definitions are problematic. What

is a normal condition? When is one done

with recovering? What is gained or

restored? And how could you even

begin to refer to the human mind as

unusable?

Consequently, the concept of mental

recovery was coined by Pricilla

Ridgeway as "an ongoing process of self

directed healing and transformation."

Recovery is a non-linear process where

one progresses from lower to higher

levels of fulfillment in a number of

metrics. In short, recovery is a

sliding scale process driven by

the consumer, rather than

scheduled out by the mental

healthcare practitioner.

Thus essentially, recovery from a

mental illness is not equated to

being cured, it means living a

meaningful, fulfilling life

regardless of, rather than in spite

of, one's mental condition.

A Collection of Poems

By: Ray Hanberg

Why help others

Because we’re all brothers

Why must we come together

After war and disasters

We can still save ourselves

By listening to the masters

How do you stay so happy with life

when you’re working

Your buns off

You just go and go

Like the energizer bunny

And when things are bad

You just think things are funny

We just sit and laugh

And make short of it

In the morning light

I can see the sun

I try to walk fast

Because my feet won’t run

Why in the world do I think

In the past

When I know staying busy

The thoughts won’t last

The world gets smaller

The women get taller

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

Lynne is a psychosocial rehabilitation

worker for the Phoenix Oak Program

and has worked for Phoenix for five

years. Her credentials include a

Rehabilitation Worker Certificate as well

as a certificate in Motivational

Enhancement Therapy. Currently she is

Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes about 2 Dozen

P H O E N I X R E S I D E N T I A L S O C I E T Y

working on her certification in Reality

Therapy.

Meet the Staff: Phoenix is Proud to Present… Lynne Scott

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream together butter, peanut butter and both sugars. Beat in the egg.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into batter. Chill batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.

4. Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern.

5. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.

Phoenix Voices and Vision

Page 3

If you would like to attend an AA or

NA meeting but are not comfortable

going on your own, give Westview a

call at 359-6605. We have an in-house

meeting on Tuesday evenings and go

as a group to meetings in the

community Thursdays, Fridays &

Saturdays. The only criteria is a

desire to stop using alcohol or drugs.

The Notice Board

What’s Going on at Phoenix Phoenix would like to thank all of our hard-working students in all of our programs. We appreciate all the help you give to staff and residents.

Don’t forget Monday afternoons

peer support worker Keith

leads a Lawson and coffee

outing group. Group meets at

Oak at 12:15.

PALS Coffee group

meets every

Friday at 2:00 at

Tim Horton’s.

We’ve Moved!

Phoenix Residential Society main office

has moved to 2035B Osler St. Please be

patient with us during this huge transition

and feel free to talk to your key worker or

any staff person if you have questions or

concerns.

2035B Osler Street

Regina, SK

S4P 1W5

Phone: 306-569-1977

Fax: 306-569-1986

E-mail: general@phoenixsocietyofregina.com

Website: www.phoenixsocietyofregina.com

To contact us regarding something in our newsletter or

to offer suggestions for future issues:

Phone: Susan Warren at 306-757-7310

or

Email: swarren@phoenixsocietyofregina.com

Jane and John are the parents of two kids,

one of them is a girl. What is the

probability that both of their children is

also a girl?

Hint: It is not 1/2.This is a conditional

probability riddle.

Answer to riddle from last issue:

Saw the table in half. Two halves make a

whole (hole). Crawl through the hole!

Phoenix Residential Society was founded in 1977 and is a community based health care organization that provides services to persons with psychiatric disabilities and also those with acquired brain injuries.

Vision Statement

Strengthening community by supporting recovery.

Mission Statement

To provide recovery oriented services that foster empowerment, promote hope and build connectedness in the community.

Principles and Values

Phoenix Residential Society is guided by the following principles and values of Psychosocial (Psychiatric) Rehabilitation:

Strengths-based: we build on the strengths and capabilities of individuals.

Person-centered: we address the unique needs of individuals, consistent with their values, hopes and aspirations.

Empowerment: we promote self-determination and empowerment.

What are our Programs & Services:

Phoenix Oak Program (POP)

Phoenix Apartment Living Services (PALS)

Phoenix Housing and Support Services Program (PHASS)

Phoenix Approved Home Support Services (PAHSS))

McEwen Manor Program (formerly Westview Concurrent Disorder Program)

PALS Westview

Pearl Manor (Acquired Brain Injury) Program

For more information about Phoenix programs & services please visit our website at:

www.phoenixsocietyofregina.com

(currently under construction)

P H O E N I X R E S I D E N T I A L S O C I E T Y S T R E N G T H E N I N G C O M M U N I T Y B Y

S U P P O R T I N G R E C O V E R Y

Progress is a nice word. But change is its

motivator and change has its enemies.

—Robert Kennedy

Who we are & What we believe and provide:

Quality of Life: we strive to help individuals improve the quality of all aspects of their lives; including social, occupational, educational, residential, intellectual, spiritual and financial.

Community Integration: we support full integration of people in recovery into their communities

Personal Support Networks: we facilitate the development of personal support networks by utilizing natural supports within communities, peer support initiatives, and self- and mutual-help groups.

Culturally relevant: we recognize that culture is central to recovery and strive to ensure that all services are culturally relevant.

Health & Wellness: we promote and assist to develop and use individualized wellness and recovery plans.

Hope & Respect: we convey hope and respect, and believe that individuals have the capacity to grow

and learn.

Evidence-based: we emphasize evidence-based, promising and best practices.