What do you do when life has you in check? This is the question that Grandville, one of the fictional characters of the fictional novel The Anniversary, ponders as he struggles to come to terms with his mental health disorder and its impact on his family. Like Grandville, there are many Americans who feel like they are in check, in respect to getting assistance for a potential behavioral health disorder, while dealing with the fear of being labeled or stereotyped. The Anniversary Guide to Behavioral Health and Workbook is designed to be a supplement to the fictional novel The Anniversary, but even those who have not read the novel can benefit from the information contained within this valuable resource. This guide explores several topics related to mental health and substance abuse disorder, which include: warning signs, diagnoses, treatment options, advocacy and self-care options. The exercises provide real-world examples and allow the reader to demonstrate their knowledge of the material. This workbook also contains discussion questions for the novel The Anniversary, and is a valuable resource for the individual who wants to gain a basic understanding of behavioral health and its related topics.
About the Author: For 19 years, J.J. Winston served as the Client Rights Officer (CRO) at the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services Board (ADAMHS Bd.) of Cuyahoga County where she had the privilege of working with hundreds of mental health and drug and alcohol consumers and their families. In her role as CRO, she investigated allegations of abuse and neglect and rights violations within Cuyahoga County's contract behavioral health agencies, adult care facilities and contract housing units. Winston's goal was to ensure that the rights of the behavioral health constituency that she represented were protected. As CRO, she also performed public speaking on an extensive variety of topics to agency staff and consumers and their families that included Client Rights, Advocacy, Ohio Landlord Tenant Law, Advance Directives, Involuntary Commitment and more. Her work as CRO influenced how she developed the characters in The Anniversary, and the situations that are represented in her fictional novel are realistic and reflective of some of her experiences during her journey within her professional career. In 2017, she left the ADAMHS Bd. and is currently a magistrate in the County's Court system. In her current role, she still uses what she learned during the time that she worked in behavioral health within her new-found career. Winston received her Bachelors Degree in Social Work (BSW) from the University of Akron, (1991) her Master of Social Service Administration (MSSA) from Case Western University (1993) and her law degree from Cleveland State University (1998). She is also a Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervisory Designation (LISW-S) and a Licensed Attorney (Esq.) in the state of Ohio. She is the recipient of the Connections, Health, Advocacy, and Wellness "Martha Infield Excellence Award" (2016), NAMI Greater Cleveland "Community Leader of the Year Award" (2008) and Ohio Advocates "Community Advocate of the Year Award" (2003). She is a former board member of the West Side Community House where she served from 2007-2014 and the Advisory Board for the Cuyahoga County Department of Senior and Adult Services (DSAS) where she served from 2009-2016. Winston is the author of the fictional novel, The Anniversary, and The Anniversary Guide to Behavioral Health and Workbook. It is her hope that her novel and workbook will help the general public to understand that behavioral health care is a vital part of health care.