CVAB



	Welcome to The CVAB Online Community

	Consumer Voices Are Born (CVAB) encourages self-determination and self-sufficiency for people in mental health and addictions recovery. People come to CVAB to build confidence and be proactive in their recovery and wellness. The heart of our agency is peer-to-peer support. CVAB is building a better community by providing support and advocacy for individual mental health or addictions recovery and encouraging a life of wellness. CVAB is committed to being the community resource for wellness and recovery through our programs that include two Self-Help Recovery Centers, a Warm Line and the Empowerment, Education and Employment clubhouse program center.

	The REACH Center:Vancouver

	CVAB operates two centers in Vancouver. The REACH Center is a safe and sober environment open to anyone wanting to participate in a recovery-based supportive community. You will be warmly welcomed as you enter and you can depend on a secure familiarity each time you return. Your first visit will include about a 20 minute orientation to help us get to know one another better and from that point on you have a choice of activities including self-help classes, recovery groups, a variety of trainings, access to computers, volunteer opportunities, social activities and much more. REACH is a reminder of our Recovery, Empowerment, Advocacy, Community and Hope. Though familiar, there is a diversity of people and activities each time you come back so it doesn’t get old. Each day offers a new day to explore your life and continue your journey towards being the person you want to be.

	Val Ogden Center:Vancouver

	CVAB operates a second center in Vancouver. We like to think of the Val Ogden Center as our “E” Center: Empowerment, Education and Employment. The VOC utilizes a clubhouse model as its organizing core but we like to think of it as much more. The VOC is a community of peers working together to achieve recovery goals. Through participation at the VOC, you are given the opportunity to develop and use your talents and skills in an environment similar to a typical workplace. The community supportively empowers each individual to identify personal strengths that are put into practice through participation at the Center. You will make meaningful contributions to the VOC through working and participating in decisions regarding the Center. You will be able to develop positive work habits, adjust to a regular work schedule, build interpersonal skills, and gain the flexibility needed to adapt to changing situations. The Val Ogden Center is here to see that you can put personal strengths and abilities into action with the ongoing support of the community as you reach your vocational goals.

		Skagit Valley REACH Center:Mt Vernon

	CVAB operates a self-help recovery center in Mt Vernon, WA. Like the center in Vancouver, The Skagit Valley REACH Center is a safe and sober environment open to anyone wanting to participate in a recovery-based supportive community. REACH is a reminder of our Recovery, Empowerment, Advocacy, Community and Hope. As with the Vancouver SHRC, your first visit will include about a 20 minute orientation to help us get to know one another better and from that point on you have a choice of activities including self-help classes, recovery groups, a variety of trainings, access to computers, volunteer opportunities, social activities and much more. The SVRC staff will encourage each participant to develop an individual wellness and recovery plan that includes goals for the year and how to use the SVRC to accomplish those goals. No matter what the level of participation, wellness and recovery activities are encouraged as a means of getting the most out of the center and in life.

	CVAB:Extending Our REACH A SAMHSA funded Statewide Network Project

	CVAB is developing Regionally Empowered and Accessible Communities of Hope (REACH), these will be consumer organized, operated and run centers. CVAB will simultaneously be forming the REACH Network that links the developing centers and other consumer organizations and businesses providing technical assistance to consumer operated services. The REACH Network will be committed to the continuous transformation of mental health services and shaping public policy. The REACH Project is funded by a three-year Statewide Consumer Network Grant of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that assist in the development of network infrastructure. The Skagit Valley REACH Center is a direct result of this project.

		The WarmLine

		The WarmLine is based in Vancouver and operates every evening. There are times when you just need to talk to someone, to let off some steam, or sort through your day. We listen and offer reassurance that you have been heard and things can be better. When you call us you are talking to a peer. We have some understanding of what you are feeling and take the time to listen to what you have to say. We are not a Crisis Line, we are the call you make when you feel you need to talk to someone to get through the rough point in your day, week or month. You are our top priority and our goal is to help you navigate safely through your day.

	And more to come....

	We think the best way to discover what CVAB is really like and can be for you is to spend time with us. Check out our calendars for the schedule or better yet, stop by to get started