

| PASSAGES 525 W. 2nd Ave Spokane, WA 99201 passages@voaspokane.org (509) 892-9241 |
Passages Life is no straight and easy corridor along which we travel free and unhampered, but a maze of passages, through which we must seek our way, lost and confused, now and again checked in a blind alley. But always, if we have faith, A door will open for us, Not perhaps one that we ourselves Would ever have thought of But one that will ultimately Prove good for us. - A. J. Cronin |
| Passages Spokane Families, youth, and children living in Spokane County and facing mental health challenges are welcome at Passages, a peer support organization that strives to form healthy partnerships with clients by providing recovery-based support services, coordination of care, classes, and advocacy. |
| Learn more about our program on the "About us" page.. |

| First Call For Help Crisis Services: (509) 838-4428 In an emergency call 911 |
| RESEARCH NEWS: "Anxious and Depressed Teens and Adults: Same Version of Mood Gene, Different Brain Reactions" (Dec. 08) Read the full report here. NIMH Perspective on Diagnosing and Treating Bipolar Disorder in Children Click here to read this update. |


Are you participating in the Food Stamp program? Check out information (and frequently asked questions) about this program here. |
For parents whose children have IEPs: www.teamchild.org *See especially "Make a difference in a child's life: A manual for helping children and youth get what they need in school", found here. |
| The Research and Training Center (RTC) on Family Support and Children's Mental Health has a page listing children's mental health links. Find it here. Also check out the RTC home page for more good information on children's mental health: www.rtc.pdx.edu |
| Help for adoptive parents: see this website: http://AdoptiveParentsNetwork.com |
A parent advocacy brief, "A Parent's Guide to Response-to-Intervention (RTI)" can be found on the National Center for Learning Disabilities website: www.LD.org To find the brief, click "Advocacy Center" under the "Our Programs" menu at the left of the home page, then scroll down to "A Parent's Guide . . . " |
| Also note that information about the "No Child Left Behind" act is available at this website: www.ed.gov Click on "No Child Left Behind" at the top right of the home page. And note that information about the Office of Civil Rights can be found at their website, here. |
| The state RCWs pertaining to Mental Health can be found here |
| Click here for more information about the Washington State Mental Health Transformation Project |
| "Parents work hard to provide for their families. Sometimes they need a little help. ParentHelp123 can help you find out if your family may qualify for health insurance and food programs in Washington State!" Go to www.ParentHelp123.org |
| Psych Central . "Trusted information in mental health and psychology" http://psychcentral.com |
Washington Dads: This organization serves male caregivers of children with mental health, behavior, or emotional concerns across Washington State Check out their website here: http://www.wadads.org/ And their excellent legislative web page is here. ******************************************************************************* Also check out this article from Disability Rights Washington: Youth Mental Health system under scrutiny |
Children’s Mental Health Coalition Introduces Bill of Rights for Families Living With Mental Illnesses: see it here. Behavioral Health Thermometers . . . wouldn't it be great if a thermometer could tell you if a young person wasn't feeling well emotionally? For more information, click here. |
On-line resources Some resources are listed below ("Where to find it on the web . . . " For a fuller listing of on-line resources, including (1) support for kids, teens, and families affected by mental illness, (2) information on educational law, (3) links to Spokane area schools, and (4) general mental health information, click here. |
| Passages is an age-span peer support program. We offer peer support to adult consumers, parents, and youth. |

| Here's a great new resource: www.bringchange2mind.org |

| Check out the Passages activity calendar for the month of February: support group meetings, WRAP workshops, and more. February Calendar |
