The Self-Helper

The Newsletter of the Self-Help Center of Family Service

Winter/Spring 2005
 

 

Top Ten Steps Toward Cultural Sensitivity

Shared by Jeanette Goines Osler at the October 2004 Self-Help Conference. Jeanette is the former Executive Director of the YWCA at the University of Illinois and a program planner at the Urban League. She currently teaches 3rd grade and is an enrichment specialist at Stratton Elementary School in Champaign.

 

1.      Take the initiative to interact with those who are culturally different from you.

2.      Show respect for individual cultures and languages.  See each person as an individual, not a stereotype.

3.      Be sensitive to each person’s feelings about their background, neighborhood and family.

4.      Learn to pronounce names correctly.  It is offensive when you attempt to “Americanize” names (e.g. Muhammed, Brianna, Sharonica).

5.      Genuinely care about the needs of others.  Be yourself at all times.  Respectfully express any reasonable curiosity.

6.      Take time to listen carefully and get a good understanding.  Ask questions that demonstrate a sincere desire to know more.

7.      Avoid a condescending attitude and do not patronize culturally different persons.  Resist an attitude of superiority.

8.      Don’t assume that everyone wants to be assimilated or that their goal should be to become as European as possible.

9.      Allow those who are different to maintain ownership of their differences.  Don’t take over their hairstyles, clothes, language or traditions.  Don’t presume to know and understand all about their experiences.

10.  Don’t allow cultural differences to be the basis of criticism (e.g. your music is too loud, your dish is too spicy, that outfit is exotic).

Mowrer Awards Presented to Outstanding Groups and Individuals

The Mowrer awards were established in memory of the late Hobart and Molly Mowrer.  The Mowrers were professors at the University of Illinois and were pioneers in the self-help movement with the introduction of Integrity groups.  The Integrity groups were the forerunners of what is today known as GROW, Inc., an international self-help organization for personal growth in mental health.  This year at the Self-Help Conference awards were given to three groups and three individuals.  A fourth individual award for a very deserving professional is listed below; the award was conferred after the conference.

 

Outstanding New Groups:

    Mothers and More – Champaign County Chapter provides support for women through all stages of motherhood.  The organization is set up to do this through several separate but interlocking means: discussion groups, playgroups, moms helping moms, social events and email chatrooms.  This all volunteer group works with mothers who are new or long standing in the community, whose educational, professional experience, current work and school status may vary.  The group works to fill voids in the support system for mothers and recognizes that motherhood brings a barrage of changes and challenges that are often only understood by peers.

     Latina Women’s Support Group – McLean County The Latina Women’s Support Group provides a safe environment for women to come together and receive support in their role as a parent.  The group’s existence is a major accomplishment because the culture does not consider it proper for a woman to be outside her home at night.  The commitment of the women to each other and the benefit to their families and the community has allowed them to continue to meet.  Special recognition was given to Nora Garcia who made significant changes in her own life and family and is, in return, giving back to the group and community.

 

Outstanding Established Group:

     Provena Covenant Hospice Center for Grief, Loss and Hope Provena Covenant Hospice Care program has offered grief support to our community for the past 23 years.  An adult grief group was formed at the onset; today the support groups also include a lunch and friends group for widows and widowers, Share for parents who have experienced miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or infant death, Our Time to support children who have experienced the death of a loved one, Survivors of Suicide, PALS parent bereavement group and Loyal Friends for those who have experienced the loss of a pet. 

 

Outstanding Lay Group Facilitators:

     Carla Oldham of PROUDD – Parents Resource Organization for the Understanding of Disabilities and Developmental Delays is a parent of two wonderful children one with autism and the other with a developmental delay.  Her own experience and education led Carla to realize that local families need a chance to network, receive special training and have social opportunities for their children outside of school. Carla is the founder of PROUDD and has initiated many outings, trainings and networking opportunities; over 40 families are now connecting to resources and each other and helping to educate UIUC students in Special Education or Social Work to understand the perspective of the family with a special needs child.

     Jim Williams – American Cancer Society Man-to-Man; Side-by-Side Prostate Cancer Support Group Jim has served as the volunteer group facilitator for the last seven years.  Jim conducts monthly meetings, serves as a member of the advisory board, and is the group’s liaison with the American Cancer Society.  Jim has brought inspiration, hope, energy and enthusiasm to the group and serves as an excellent role model to others who need to be encouraged and know that they too can not only survive prostate cancer but also thrive.

Outstanding Professional Support:

     Kate Garbacz, Social Worker, Carle Cancer Center Kate has been with the Carle Cancer Center for over five years and completed her internship in the Cancer Center prior to graduation.  Kate gives tirelessly of herself to her patients and families and always strives to make a difficult situation a little easier.  In her role as a facilitator in the cancer groups, Kate models good listening, has a great sense of humor and provides an atmosphere that allow the group members to be very honest and specific about what is going on for them.  She is a strong advocate for members and works on the patient and family’s behalf to network them with community resources. 

     Judy Mullen, Low Vision Specialist, PACE, Inc. – Persons Assuming Control of their Environment  Judy has been a staff member at PACE for 14 years and has served in the capacity of coordination and technical support for 5 low vision support groups in East Central Illinois during the past 7 years.  Judy has experienced visual decline and has great empathy and encouragement for persons who are in a similar situation.  Judy has attended the Self-Help Center Group Leadership Course at the UIUC and other trainings and conferences offered by the Center.  She encourages other group leaders to develop their facilitation skills and maintain as healthy a group as possible.  Judy is an encourager and inspires hope by her cheerful and optimistic nature.

 

Self-Help Conference 2004 a Memorable Event

     The crowd of approximately 100 participants came away expressing their thoughts that the day was renewing both personally and professionally, very educational and good for networking purposes while at the same time relaxing, refreshing and insightful.   The labyrinth project, life mapping and cultural sensitivity sessions were given very positive reviews and other sessions were also positively received; many participants expressed the need for the morning sessions to run longer. The weather turned out to be a metaphor for the day’s theme of hope, healing and transformation; the morning was cold, overcast and raining but by the award ceremony at the close of the afternoon the skies were clear, the sun shone brightly and the weather had turned warm and balmy.

 

     Our keynote speaker, Margaret Dubay Mikus, wrote the following poem and dedicated it to the conference.

 

Thinking of the Conference: Grace Cathedral

Did I meet you walking

the labyrinth at grace cathedral

perhaps you were going out as

I was walking in

illuminated by the sun, through

brilliant stained glass,

the choir singing evensong

as if just for us?

 

And what was revealed to you

on this winding journey?

Something – it showed on your face

Go forth my friend

and live that truth.

 

Margaret Dubay Mikus

Copyright © 2004

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The directory provides information on approximately 300 self-help support groups in and around Champaign County including a group description, meeting times and locations, contact name and numbers, Web sites and e-mail addresses.  Copies can be ordered by phoning or e-mail to the Self-Help Center.  There is a $2.00 shipping and handling fee per book or stop by the office for complimentary copies.  Donations of $3 per book are also appreciated but optional. 

 

Annie is the staff supervisor for the Self-Help Center as well as First Call for Help, Family Preservation, Children First and Family Counseling.

                                                                                                                                                                                        

Issues in Self-Help

Group Development

And Leadership

 

Spring 2005                                             

University of Illinois Undergraduate Open Seminar                    Open to University Students and to the General Public.

REGISTRATION
 
                                                                                               

HDFS 199K                                                     

Mondays, 7:00-9:00 pm                        

March 14-May 2, 2005                                    • For University of Illinois Students

No class Monday, March 21 - Spring Break                       Enroll in HDFS 199 Section K.

Final Exam Session – Thursday, May 12, 7-9 pm                Contact the instructor (see below) for

                                                                                                additional information if desired.

242 Bevier Hall, 905 S. Goodwin, Urbana                                                               

University of Illinois campus

                                                                                                • For General Public

An eight-week experiential course providing an                         Contact the instructor (see below)

introduction to:                                                                          for more details about enrolling in

·    Self-help groups,                                                         HDFS 199 Section K as either a

·    Leadership strategies,                                                 community credit student or as a

·    Facilitation and Listening skills,                                 visitor for no credit.

·    Diversity in groups, and

·    Internet resources.

While the focus is on self-help, the leadership and                      • For Further Information Contact:

group skills can be applied to other situations.                            Sharon Monday-Dorsey

Attendance in the seminar is mandatory, and active                    The Self-Help Center

participation in class discussion and exercises is                         Family Service

expected.                                                                                 217-352-0099 or e-mail to

selfhelp@prairienet.org

                                                                                   

INSTRUCTOR:                                                                     ADVISOR:

Sharon Monday-Dorsey, Coordinator                                   Laurie Kramer, Professor

Self-Help Center, Family Service                                              University of Illinois, Department of Human and

                                                                                                Community Development

           

                                                                                                                       

Co-sponsored by the University of Illinois

Department of Human and Community Development,

Counseling Center/Student Affairs of the University of Illinois,

and the Self-Help Center of Family Service, Champaign, Illinois

 

WORDS OF APPRECIATION

Erma Bridgewater, Jane Brown, Vera Caplan, Mariana DeOlveira, Erin Dunn, Henry Emerle, Barbara Jauhola, Audrey Johnson, Toun Kolawole, Joan Lathrap, Kindra Lynch, Sylvia Perez, Gloria Rainer, Kris Raup, Stephen Scharf, Kim Simpson, Sarah Stahl, Patty Stamos, and Roxanna Webb for their assistance with the 2004 Fall Self-Help Conference.

Committee Members Imani Bazzell, Mary Dennis, Joan Lathrap, Renee Lyell, Jo Pauly, and Mendy Smith for their work in planning and implementing the 2004 Fall Self-Help Conference.

RSVP Volunteers Elizabeth Easley and Joan Lathrap for their ongoing assistance with projects at the Self-Help Center.

David Gordon, Urbana Adult Education, for his generous assistance with the layout and production of this edition of the Self-Helper newsletter.

Ted Kappes, Prairienet Community Networking Initiative, for his ongoing technical assistance with the Self-Help Center website.

Mary Anne Wilson, United Way Success by Six Director, for her assistance with editing the 10th Edition of the Support Group Directory. 

 

Staff

Sheryl Bautch.......................................... Exec. Dir. of Family Service

Annie Clay............................................................... Program Director

Sharon Monday-Dorsey.................................................... Coordinator

Elizabeth Easley, Joan Lathrap.......................................... Volunteers
 

The Self-Helper

published by The Self-Help Center

A Program of Family Service

405 South State Street

Champaign, IL 61820

217-352-0099

e-mail:  selfhelp@prairienet.org

Web:  www.prairienet.org/selfhelp/