Family Stories – Whitney B

Saving Our Streets: Part 3- Treating Mental Illness at a Young Age

Posted on June 19, 2017June 19, 2017 by mywhitneyb

Mental Illness and developmental disabilities are starting to be detected in children as early as two years old. The most common childhood mental disorders are anxiety disorders, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There are many treatment options available for children that are affected but extensive assessments have to be done to see what is most effective for the child, such as medications, educational interventions, and psychotherapy. Children with mental-health problems can have lower educational achievement, greater involvement with the criminal justice system, and fewer stable placements in the child welfare system. Due to mental illness being frowned upon in black communities, many parents do not take them to get tested, so either most people are checked by a school doctor, or there’s a major issue when the child gets older.

Many colleges are becoming proactive with addressing and treating mental illness. Depression and anxiety is on the rise in many college campuses around the world. According to the U.C.L.A Higher Education Research Institute Annual Freshman Survery, a record high of 11.9 percent of the students in the 2016 incoming class reported “frequently” feeling depressed in the past year, and 13.9 percent said “there was a very good chance they would seek personal counseling in college.” And for the first time in the survey’s history, less than half (47 percent) consider their mental health to be above average relative to their peers. “I was first tested in college, I had been feeling funny and needing to know why and what was going on with me, especially because it was causing me to start sleeping a lot,” said Bruce Garcia.

Bruce was tested in college but did not follow through with his medications. After his third year he dropped out and turned to a life of drugs. “I am in treatment now, and I go to my group meetings. I have been trying to stay focused but what I do realize is I am a lot better around people that I feel are more like myself. It’s not easy being a recovering drug addict and I feel that I should probably be dead, but group has really been helping me,” said Garcia.

Community outreach programs in Detroit have been working hard and working together to keep mental illness and drug abuse down in the city. Detroit Recovery Project and The Detroit Rescue Mission are two leading community programs for assistance in the city of Detroit and the metro area. Support is community based, and a lot of these non-profit programs need help from community volunteers. Mental illness can be controlled with the proper treatment and the proper support.

Detroit Community Outreach Programs Help Struggling Residents Back on Their Feet

Posted on May 21, 2017May 31, 2017 by mywhitneyb

Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries: One of many buildings located throughout the city of Detroit, location 138 Stimpson St. Photo: Whitney Bryan

Detroit, MI. May 22, 2017- Detroit community outreach programs work to keep mental illness and drug abuse from affecting more lives of residents. Mental illness and drug abuse have become a major cause of homelessness. With the help of community outreach programs, the number of people needing assistance decreases each year.

Mental illness is often overlooked, because of that it’s not properly treated, causing other issues in a person’s life. Most people aren’t diagnosed with a mental illness until something unfortunate happens, or there’s a major change in a person’s life, like jail or homelessness. The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that rates of mental illness among people who are homeless in the United States are twice the rate of the general population.

“I never wanted to admit that mental illness was the underlying cause of what was going on with me. Sometimes, I am still not comfortable talking about it,” Carolyn Suttles said. Carolyn spent a lot of her past in the streets. She was addicted to drugs and spent time in jail. “Being out there, you don’t really think of the consequences or repercussions. It was just about being a part of the fast life, and doing it around people like me,” Suttles said.

Carolyn Suttles outside of the Heartland Rehab Facility. Photo: Whitney Bryan

Mental illness makes people feel crazy. Many people never talk about how or why they feel different. Instead, drugs and alcohol become treatment instead of the person receiving proper care. Victoria Adewale, Dianne Ritchie, and Sarah Everhart Skeels wrote a great article called African-American and African perspectives on mental health: A pilot study of the pre and post- colonial and slavery influences and their implications on mental health. In this article they mentioned that substance abuse in the community has been linked to increased mental health disorders; however, most do not receive the appropriate services that they need. Sometimes, people aren’t able to be assisted because services aren’t in reach, affordable, or they’re full. “I spent a lot of my younger years on the streets. I was homeless, and in and out of jail. I knew I had to get myself together for my kids because they deserved a better mother. I was clean for over a decade, but once issues started coming up, memories and feelings of the past came back. Today, I realize that was my mental illness.”

In an article by Henry J. Steadman, Suzanne M. Morris, and Deborah L. Dennis called The Diversion of mentally Ill Persons from Jails to Community-Based Services: A profile of Programs. They mention that a major proposal for appropriately treating people with illness who have been arrested is to divert them from jail to community-based mental health programs. Detroit Recovery Project (DRP) was founded in July 2005. DRP is a private non-profit corporation dedicated to supporting recovery, which strengthens, rebuilds and empowers individuals, families, and communities who are experiencing co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders.

“The program is effective, in my opinion, because I’ve seen so many people benefit from it,” Rickey Kelley, a Peer Support Recovery Specialist for DRP, said. Detroit Recovery Project offers cognitive behavior therapy, 12-step programs for drugs and alcohol, family re-integration, employment training, AIDS and HEP testing, and much more. “DRP is located in a community known for a lot of issues, but the organization is consistently evolving and creating new agendas to aid their cause to combat the issues, focusing on meeting everyone’s needs,” Kelley said.

Detroit Recovery Project Inc: One of the many locations located in the city of Detroit, location 1121 Mc.Nichols Ave. Photo: Whitney Bryan

Not all programs are effective or work for everybody. Everyone’s need for assistance is different. Sometimes programs aren’t able to help. K. Bost grew up with a mother addicted to drugs, in and out of different programs, hoping that one day her mother would be free from addiction.

“I remember when I was younger and my mother stayed at Harbor House for a six-month program. I was young when we went to the meeting as a family and it was nice. My mother stayed clean for a few months but was right back on drugs. I credit that to her program just ending with no out-patient support,” Bost said.

Phillip Simmons founder of Pure Recovery started this program to help men transition into life after going through treatment. Pure Recovery has been very effective in helping many men, and even assisting some with long-term employment.

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“I spent a lot of time in and out of jail, and on drugs. I never really thought about my family, just about how I was going to survive and get to my next high. It wasn’t until I got older and became a part of Project Recovery, that really helped me out greatly,” Vernon Bryan said. Vernon is no stranger to the system and how it works. However, instead of continuing down the same road, he is now using this knowledge to help other men like him.

Vernon Bryan posing in his office with certificates, making him qualified for his work. Photo: Whitney Bryan

In 2014, more than one-fifth of the homeless population suffered from a severe mental illness. The most common three are schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression, which are all manageable with proper medication. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, mentally ill homeless people are the hardest to reach and the toughest to treat. They often self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, which causes them to fall more into the illness instead of getting the proper treatment that will help with change. This has been an increasing issue since the 1970s in all major cities around the USA.

Information is drawn from 2014, 2015, and 2016 AHAR Report for Michigan. Infographic by: Whitney Bryan

Although it seems that the number of homeless people in Detroit seems to be out of control, Michigan is on the list of states reporting the largest decrease in homelessness since 2015. This is strongly credited to community outreach programs and the help of many volunteers. Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries is amongst the others mentioned that lead the city in community outreach, as well. With many different programs, and partnering with several different churches in the city of Detroit, DRMM’s plan is to service more people in 2017 than the following years. “Detroit Rescue Mission is a dynamic organization that responds to the pressing needs of men, women, and children. We are embarking on relevant and viable projects aimed at helping them gain the stability, sobriety, and self-reliance they need,” C. Paschal Eze, Director of Spiritual Life and Public Relations, said.

Photo of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries Headquarters. Photo: Whitney Bryan

It is time to make a difference in your area so that Michigan can continue to be on the list of states with decreasing numbers. Join organizations like Detroit Recovery Project, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, and many others to save our streets.

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Family Stories

Enjoying the Coke Side of Life

Posted on April 16, 2017April 16, 2017 by mywhitneyb

Coca-Cola have been enjoyed by many Americans since 1886, but have you been really enjoying the coke side of life? Many people do not realize that their favorite caffeinated soda can be used for so much more than just quenching thirst. Coca-Cola began in 1886 when Atlanta pharmacist Dr. John S. Pemberton created a flavored syrup. He then took the syrup to his neighborhood pharmacy where it was mixed with carbonated water and since then has been named one of the best of the best in soda. People have been enjoying the refreshing sweet taste of Coke, but they are also enjoying the drink for much more.

Today coke is not only enjoyed as America’s favorite soda but also to remove grease or blood stains from fabric and other household items, but it’s also used to relieve terrible congestion. Qwendolyn Hughes, a Detroit native have been using the product remove gum from her hair. “Growing up we never really drunk pop, so I didn’t really have a favorite between Coke or Pepsi. Coke became a favorite of mine when I was in school and a boy dropped gum in my hair. My first reaction was to try to get the gum out and doing so only made it worse. I cried to my teacher and she told me not to panic. She called my mom and came from out back with a can of pop. I didn’t understand why she would be smiling with a can of pop, that wasn’t going to help me and I don’t drink pop. She took me into the teacher’s room to the sink, poured the pop in a big bowl and made me turn upside down in it, after a few minutes the gum started coming out,” says Qwendolyn Hughes.

To remove gum from your hair simply dip the affected area into small bowl of Coke for a few minutes. After letting the hair sit in the drink the gum should wipe right off the hair. Since Coke is a sugary soft drink and is mixed with so many chemicals, it is suggested that the hair be washed afterwards to avoid any other issues. There are 51 other common uses for Coco-Cola, for more information visit us.coca-cola.com.

Community Outreach, Family Stories

Help Detroit and put your Faith in Action

Posted on April 2, 2017April 2, 2017 by mywhitneyb

Picture of the sign outside of the main building for DRMM. Photo taken by: Whitney Bryan

Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries is planning on feeding 2000 plus people this Easter holiday, but is asking for help from the community to make this all possible with the Faith in Action campaign. DRMM is challenging the community to put their faith in action by downloading a free kit and donating as little as $1.95 or more to help a person that is lost or broken to rebuild their lives. The Faith in Action kit will include social media post that will help spread the word, a cover photo for Facebook and Twitter, a church flyer, and email messages for family and friends.

“We get volunteers through our user-friendly website, drmm.org/volunteer. There they can learn about our volunteer projects and complete the volunteer registration form. The more individuals and groups that understand and appreciate the difference we make in the community, the more volunteers and donors we get,” says C. Paschal Eze director of spiritual life and public relations for DRMM.

Detroit Rescue Mission Ministry is one of the biggest non-profits in the city of Detroit, founded in 1909 the mission began as a soup kitchen that provided church services, shelter, food and clothing for the homeless and downtrodden. With over a hundred years of service to the city of Detroit, DRMM has been able to expand and continues to help more and more people each year. The Faith in Action campaign was started as something to get the community more involved with helping one another. Join the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries and put your faith into action by donating and download your free kit today.

Community Outreach, Family Stories

Saving our Streets Part 2

Posted on March 26, 2017 by mywhitneyb

Drug Abuse is an issue that have been taking over many urban cities in the United States of America since the early 70s and have been an issue since. Mental Illness have been named as one of the major causes of drug abuse. In the past people were just being treated for drugs and not for the underlying problem that caused the abuse. Now and days there are many programs that work with individuals to treat both the mental illness and the drug abuse such at the Behavioral Center of Michigan located in Warren, MI, where the treatment works hand-in-hand.

Photo of the main office for Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries

The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries along with many other organizations in the city of Detroit work together to keep people safe and off drugs. There are many different programs offered and half-way houses that are setup so that people can be successful before, during, and after their program. Many of these non-profit organizations cater to the person’s individual needs, understanding that everyone is different, treatment is catered to the individual person’s needs. DRMM has several locations across the city of Detroit that are set up to assist people and their needs. They have Genius House 1-3 and the Christian Guidance Center for men and women, these are places where they can go for treatment, have meetings and also have a safe place to sleep. According to the Facebook page for DRMM, in 2016 963 men and women received mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Photo of Vernon Bryan Standing outside DRMM Christian Guidance Center

Vernon Bryan is a resident of Detroit that has been in the treatment program and is a witness that it works. “It used to be hard for me to talk about my life but now it is something that helps the lives of other young men. When I was on the street, I never thought that programs like this worked because so many people that I ran with tried before. One day I knew that I could not live like that anymore, that I had a family and needed to be a better man for them. I called the number, they sent me to CDC (Christian Guidance Center) and I went through the program. From there I stayed in another home that I am now employed through an able to help other people like me. It’s like a second chance at life,” says Bryan.

Photo of Vernon Bryan standing outside the residential facility for men where he works

Drug and alcohol abuse have been on the rise in Michigan and about the national average, since 2003. With many efforts in many different cities to keep the streets clean, it seems that each year it there are new drugs being introduced, or something easier to access. It’s not just up to law enforcement, but also the community. Community outreach programs are designed to help, but they are non-profit and many of them depend on donations or partnerships. “We partner with hundreds of churches, para-churches and for-profit corporations who send us volunteer groups. Because of that we have over 300 men and women graduating from various life-changing programs next month, this is what we are here for,” says Rev. C. Paschal, director of Spiritual Life and Public Relations for DRMM.

Family Stories

Saving Our Streets

Posted on March 20, 2017March 20, 2017 by mywhitneyb

Dale A. a homeless man that has been living on the streets of Detroit for going on 4 years now, due to dysfunction in his family

The city of Detroit has a growing number of people living on the streets or in need, and many different community service organizations have pitched in and are offering services to people in need. In 2015 there were more than 69,000 people in the State of Michigan reported homeless during homeless week November 12^th-20^th. Due to a growing number of donations and community outreach that number has gone down, and the city of Detroit hopes to keep it down.

“I can remember my first time seeing someone homeless and asking my mom questions about what was going on with the man. At first I thought it was a game almost, I didn’t understand that the person was homeless, and I never thought that it would be me. I can remember wondering why people were so cruel to the guy, he just sat outside the local store not bothering anyone, but now I wonder when kids look at me if they are thinking the same things,” says Megan Zuwinski.

This winter have not been easy on the people living on the streets of Detroit, there have been many churches that have opened their doors as emergency warming centers for people living on the streets and with no heat. Because there are so many people and so little resources, many of the homeless find shelter an abandon homes or buildings with hopes that blankets will keep them warm.

“I have been to warming centers and shelters but it is hard to go with Meagan, usually they want to separate us because we are not married. Many times we try to make enough money so that we can afford to get a room for the night at a cheap motel, if not we find an abandon house and make the best of the situation. Many times I have wanted to go to different places for help, but with no ID or way to verify who I really am to the people, it is hard for me to get the correct help that I need.” says Dale A.

Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, COTS, and many other organizations have teamed up with the Detroit Homeless Coalition to help keep the homeless safe and warm. To find out how to donate or volunteer to any of the organization in partner with the National Homeless Coalition, you can visit them at http://nationalhomeless.org there will be a list of all organizations affiliated along with how to contact them.

Family Stories

Detroit Suffers Huge Loss After Windstorm on Wednesday

Posted on March 12, 2017March 12, 2017 by mywhitneyb

On Wednesday March 8^th more than 1 million residents across the state of Michigan was affected by a high windstorm, and as of Saturday March 11^th there were still more than 300,000 metro-Detroiters without power. More than 4,000 power lines were pulled down or affected by fallen trees causing the huge outage to all of the utility customers. This being called the largest weather event by DTE Energy, crews from around the country drove in to assist with restoring power. Many people from Ohio, Kentucky, St. Louis and other cities have given up their time and safety to assist DTE and Consumers Energy to get power restored. The Detroit Free Press reported that people are advised to stay 20 feet away from any down lines or anything they come in contact with.

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Trees that have fallen down on to power lines causing the electrical pole to be uprooted

Many residents have been without power causing them to lose money on food and finding somewhere warm and safe to stay. Many students have missed school since Wednesday afternoon, and adults missing work due to there being no power. “I was not affected by the storm, and none of my kids schools closed. It was after the storm when I started to have problems and I knew that we would have a hard time finding a room since people were talking about it the day before. My family and I ended up having to go to Ohio to find an open vacancy,” said Atiba Mumphield.

Facebook post from local new channel 4

DTE Energy Tweet

Residents from all over are posting on social media about their experience during this outing. Andre Foster shared an article on Facebook from clickondetroit.com about the power being restored late that evening, and he didn’t seem too happy about it. On Thursday Richard Pounchy posted on Google Plus about how 665,000 utility customers were still affected one day later from the 1 million number and that is just counting customer, not everyone affected. CBS Detroit (@CBSDetroit) also tweeted about the many warming centers open around the metro area for the people who are also without heat due to the issue. Two popular pastors Rev. Wendell Anthony and Rev. Horace Sheffield drove around the metro area on Saturday March 11^th making sure that people, especially the elderly were safe in their home with no power or heat.

DTE has plans on having 90 percent of all it’s customers restored by Sunday evening. They are asking that for any assistance place download and visit the DTE app or call at 800-477-4747. Please report all suspicious down lines and do not go anywhere near them.

Family Stories

Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries: Striving in Community Service

Posted on March 5, 2017March 5, 2017 by mywhitneyb

Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries was founded in 1909 by David C. Stucky inside of a room at a poultry store. In 1918 the ministry moved into a larger headquarters and started helping and feeding more and more families. By 1928 the organization had grown even more, moved to Jefferson and began feeding as many as 400 families a week. Every year the ministry grows from the number of volunteers to the number of people that receive assistance. Last year DRMM was able to change the lives of 13, 125 people through many different forms off assistance such as substance abuse and mental health treatment for men and women, to camping and afterschool programs for children.

Chart made based of information from Facebook post on official Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries page

“It is not easy asking for assistance, everybody want to be able to take care of themselves and their kids on their own with no help. One day after prayer I just called 211 for assistance and the lady on the other end of the line gave me a number to the Detroit Rescue Mission, and at first I didn’t think it would work so I didn’t call. A few days later I called and within a week I had assistance and my kids received back-packs and dental screenings,” said Qwendolyn Hughes.

Easter is approaching, which is a major holiday for DRMM, and this year they are preparing to feed 2,200 people. They will be providing a good, hot meal to men, women and entire families in need, and is asking for the community to contribute by donating as little as $1.95. This past winter was not as bad as ones prior too, but DRMM doors were still open for the homeless with warming centers and assistance with food. As the above chart shows, DRMM assisted over 13,000 people last year.

“Community service and servicing the community is two different things and I can honestly say that the rescue mission is truly about servicing the city of Detroit and its’ residents. I am always recommending Detroit Rescue Mission anytime that I can,” said Hughes.

Every year Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries grow, and this year they plan to assist more people in Detroit with the help of the community. Residents in the city of Detroit and the surrounding area’s question how far their donations will really go, with all of the stories and scandals from politicians; but the numbers don’t lie and DRMM isn’t afraid to share them. Even if you can’t donate monetarily, DRMM is asking that people download and print compassion cards to give to the homeless to point them in that right direction. “People helping people is what it’s all about, this is a team effort, it takes everyone and all donations help,” said Roxanne Dukes employee with DRMM.

Family Stories

Blight: A Never Ending Story for the City of Detroit

Posted on February 19, 2017February 19, 2017 by mywhitneyb

A Detroit Family is forced to look for residence outside of the city, due to the horrible blight issue in the community. After the riot in 1967, Detroit has struggled to come back and with the recession in the late 90s early 2000s, many families were forced into foreclosure and had to leave their homes. Many homes were taken over by the bank, some people squatted in until they couldn’t anymore, and many were broken into and thieves took everything they could scrap.

Dion Tate has been living in the same community his entire life. Watching people come and go and many houses become abandoned, Dion refers to his community as a “ghost-town”. “When I was little kid it was safe enough for us to walk around and we knew the people, our neighbors. It seemed like our parents trusted us out because they knew that we were always being watched by other adults that were out in the neighborhood. I would never send my child out in this neighborhood for nothing,” said Tate.

Blight is nothing new in Detroit, and since mayor Duggen took office in 2014, there have been area’s where homes have been demolished. “Downtown looks nice, Dan Gilbert and the Illitch family is making it look great down there. The lofts are an arm and a leg though. I would love to stay in the city but other than downtown most of the area’s look the same or are already occupied. We have been looking outside of Detroit now and as bad as I would hate to move out that way, I have to do what is best for my family,” said Tate.

Until the community come together and come up with a plan to rebuild, blight will continue to be an issue. The Smith family isn’t the only family looking to the suburbs for safer living, but many families want what’s best for the generations ahead and feel that cities in the suburbs are what’s best at this time.

Family Stories

Dion Shepherd Jr. Talks About 60 Days In and What’s Next

Posted on February 13, 2017February 13, 2017 by mywhitneyb

Dion Shepherd Jr. a 25-year-old Detroit native talks about his time in jail and how he plans to make a difference not only in his community but the world around him. Dion’s ambitious personality have gotten him far in just a short period of time, working with Dog the Bounty Hunter his senior year of college, to being a participant on A&E’s new original series 60 Day’s In.

Shepherd obtained his undergrad degree in Criminal Justice from Western Michigan University. There he was a counselor for troubled youth and did all kinds of work outside of his internship with Dog the Bounty Hunter in his field of criminal justice. Becoming bored and wanting more for himself, Shepard moved to California to pursue bigger opportunities. He went to graduate school at the University of California Irvine getting a masters in Criminal Law and Society, but first making his appearance on the show 60 Days In as a part of his master’s thesis project.

Dion at the turning point for himself on 60 Days In. Photo still taken by: A&E digital production team

Being from the city of Detroit, Shepherd thought that jail wouldn’t be so bad based upon the things he run into on the streets from day to day. “The main goal was to stay focused and not crack, the living conditions in jail is nothing like being on the outside,” said Shepherd. “This went from being an internship I was looking into on the website, to them asking me if I wanted to be a part of the show and it worked for me because of my master’s thesis.” A project rejected twice by the university became a learning experience for Dion and others around him, often people take advantage of their freedom, or are not aware of conditions that people go through in jail, the amount of security and even the hygiene issues.

“I am very proud of my son, there are many other things that he could have done, or many other paths but he chose this. I was not sure what he was getting himself into but being his mom all I could do was support him, now the jail thing I thought was a lot, but seeing how it has motivated him now and where he is, I am just so happy and proud to be his mother,” said Kendra Grier.

Dion Shepherd Jr. Photo taken by: Thomas Pierson Photography

Along with starting his own consulting company Elaio Properties, Shepard is currently studying for the graduate record exam so that he can become a post-graduate student at Stanford University. He is also starting a panel discussion series called Millennium Surviving and Thriving which will focus on social justice issues among millennials. “I was able to find a great mentor in Dr. Waymen Rodgers and I want to be that for other young men,” say’s Shepherd. Dion’s season of 60 Days In has ended but it is available on A&E on demand.