Written Report

Julia and Edgar's Joint is a fantasy for me, a creative arts therapist working with psychiatric patients who often do not have good skills at socializing and interacting with others.  A place like Julia and Edgars should exist all over the country, but especially in large cities like NYC.   Higher functioning patients are just as vulnerable as seriously and persistently mentally ill patients.   Even though many of my patients improve while on the inpatient units, they had no supports after discharge to maintain that improvement. This was equally true of high functioning patients as the lower functioning, more needy patients.  I see a need to help the higher functioning patients (people with their own apartments, able to care for their activities of daily living independently, people in the workforce, who could pay their bills on their own).   

ZDisla

Similar to Fountain House and clubhouses in general, however, I do not want the program to be seen exclusively as treatment.  Like a library I want the patrons to come and go as they wish, to stay as long as they want, and to sign up to work on skills or arts they wanted to.  

 I envision a place where people who have psychiatric and social difficulties utilize a space designed specifically for them.  A space where patrons need not fear judgement.  Its a place to find books in the library, information about jobs, and entitlements like Social Security, SNAP (food stamps) or, housing applications, but also a place for personal fulfillment.  Edgar and Julia’s Joint is a safe space where patrons work to integrate better into society,  alleviate stress through therapeutic arts programming, technology,  and the use of Biofeedback.  This is a space that will empower people and move them further towards self-actualization and Being-in-the-World.

 To make this place a reality, I would have to partner with hospitals in the area to get referrals or for them to advertise that we exist.   We would have to referrals from doctors and social workers  Without a referral they cannot attend.   Edgar and Julia’s Joint is not a treatment facility in the traditional sense.  Patrons will not be treated as patients.  The goal is not therapy in the traditional, intimate sense, but rather, socialization, self-awareness, and wellness.  

The people who would work at the Joint would include librarians, social workers, creative arts therapists, nurses (in case of medical emergencies), peer specialists, a biofeedback technician.  We would probably need to get a license from the Office of Mental Health of NYS who inspect all psychiatric facilities and issue them licenses to operate.  

I would use a variety of technologies at the Joint.  I would want to have a  recording studio that utilizes MUSICat software. Through this software, Julia and Edgar's Joint patrons can record music they perform or any kind of sound content such as their poetry or any other writing they wish to record.  The service allows us to stream these works in our building, but also share the work with our larger community.   Our patrons can also potentially make money from their recordings which is another goal of MUSICat - to give back to independent musicians. 

Some of the other equipment I would need to make this place a reality is described in a library in Omaha, NE called DoSpace that helps their patrons to work on their computer skills.  I read about  DoSpace in an article in the American Libraries magazine website  and their Virtual Interview Lab.   Their mission is right on their home page 

"THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT YOU CAN DO. Do Space is a technology library open to everyone in Omaha. We provide free access to the latest software, devices, and ultra-fast internet. Our programs and events will provide the support you need to help make you future-ready"

I would love to replicate their interview lab with the same kinds of equipment they provide.  This would  give patrons who may be looking for work or want to change jobs, an opportunity to strengthen their skills and confidence to undertake the job search which can be a grueling and distressing process for anyone, let alone someone suffering from the effects of mental illness. 

There are two kinds of progamming I believe would benefit the patrons a lot.   Typing Club  and Vocab 1 .  I think this is very important because so many things we need to do in modern life depends on knowing how to type - writing a complaint online, registering for entitlements (SSD, Medicaid, Food Stamps) interacting with others on Facebook or other social media.  In order for patrons to fully take advantage of the cyber world -if they choose to - typing is required.   I chose TypingClub because they have grade-based typing, meaning that we can customize the program to the grade level of the client (grades 6- 12 coming soon).  The lessons seem to be fun.  And, because our Joint is for adults with possible vision, hearing and sensory difficulties, Typing Club also adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0!  

 Vocab 1 is a program that helps anyone improve their vocabulary.  In their home page they write: "You have probably been judged by your vocabulary many times this year without even knowing it!  Whether you realize it or not, every time you speak, people use your language to instantly “tip them off” about how educated, competent, and successful you are. It’s not surprising, therefore, that study after study has shown that a powerful vocabulary is directly linked to success, status, and income."  

Not only am I concerned about how psychiatric patients are judged, but I also want them to be able to verbalize their needs as well as they can.  Many patients with mental health illnesses have been under-educated or they may have other educational deficits.  The inability to utilize accurate vocabulary holds patrons back, and prevents them from making their needs known to people in their communities.  This would be an important inclusion in the service.  

Biofeedback will be offered to all the patrons of the Joint, should they choose to participate.  These technologies will b administered by a trained Biofeedback practitioner as part of the Relaxation and Meditation component of our programming.  Some of the technologies used in Biofeedback include EEG, Electromyograph (EMG) to monitor muscle contractions 

According to the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, Inc:   “Biofeedback is a process that enables an individual to learn how to change physiological activity for the purposes of improving health and performance. Precise instruments measure physiological activity such as brainwaves, heart function, breathing, muscle activity, and skin temperature.” 

 A place like Julia and Edgar's Joint could exist in the South Bronx or the East Village, or Bushwick or the Upper East Side.  Places like this are necessary.  I would want the program to be in the South Bronx in a building that used to house the Hunt's Point Palace on Southern Boulevard and 163rd Street.   Its a beautiful building and still looks handsome in that ever changing  landscape. 

Photo:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longwood,_Bronx#/media/File:Duane_Reade_HPA_163_St_jeh.jpg

 

New York City is currently going through a crisis due to the lack of psychiatric care.  Not only are in-patient beds disappearing, but day treatment programming for patients who are already not motivated due to their illness, but also have very little to do during their days.  

According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, an organization that advocates for psychiatric treatment across the country:  

• "In 44 states, a jail or prison holds more mentally ill individuals than the largest remaining state psychiatric hospital.  Individuals with psychiatric diseases like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are 10 times more likely to be in a jail or prison than a hospital bed."

This should not be.  Programs like Julia and Edgar's Joint are proactive and will help people live more complete, safer and healthier lives.  

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Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, Inc.https://www.aapb.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3678

Dale, Katie.  PSYCOM.   What's It Like In a Mental Hospital.   https://www.psycom.net/what-a-psychiatric-ward-is-really-like

edclub.  https://www.edclub.com/

Fitbit.   https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/home

Fountain House.  https://www.fountainhouse.org/

Mayo Clinic.  https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/biofeedback/about/pac-20384664

MUSICat.  https://musicat.co/  

New York State Nurses Association Website.  Closures are causing a Full-Blown Mental Health Emergency in New York.  august 20, 2020

New York State Office of Mental Health.  https://omh.ny.gov/

Poetry Foundation.  https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/julia-de-burgos#tab-related

Poets.org.   https://poets.org/poet/edgar-allan-poe

Sauers, M. (2021). Acing the Interview: Tech library assists locals in finding jobs by providing access to digital tools. American Libraries , 52(11/12), 18–19.

The Treatment AdvocacyCenter.   

https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/

Vocab1.   https://www.vocab1.com/