Five Ways to Support A Friend Living With Acute Mental Illness

It has been a long, tough summer. From unseasonal weather to unexpected organizing momentum, my preference for having a plan and knowing what to expect has been crushed. And this week, it caught up to me and I am ill. And by ill, I mean that my mental illness symptoms are out of whack and […]

AMPLIFY! Joy KMT Values Intersectional Healing Spaces for LGBTQIA Communities

Joy KMT

AMPLIFY LGBTQ is a new occasional series of blog posts designed to give a “signal boost” to the voices of our LGBTQ neighbors throughout Western Pennsylvania. We are using a Q&A format and will mostly avoid editing their responses. The questions, however, may change as we ask each participant to tell us what we’ve missed […]

UPDATED: Allegheny County Will Terminate Domestic Partner Benefits on June 30

Allegheny County Pennsylvania

As we explored last year, Allegheny County plans to eliminate domestic partner benefits for LGBTQ employees effective June 30, 2015. Heterosexual employees were never offered access to these benefits. From the County Communications Director, Amie Downs: [This] is correct and those employees will be reminded/given notice again of the policy. Eliminating domestic partner benefits is […]

This Is How Food Stamps Benefit ALL Farmers Market Customers

A terrific program designed to help neighbors use their food stamps – SNAP – at local farmers markets has a wonderful benefit for all of us: the option to use our debit/credit cards at the same markets. Fresh Access Food Bucks offers SNAP recipients a chance to redeem their benefits for tokens that can be […]

My Therapist is a Nun

Persad Center

For ten years, I saw the same therapist, “D,” here in Pittsburgh. I was referred to her by my then-PCP because she was in a unique practice specializing in treating my diagnosis. The psychiatrist in the practice moved out-of-state after a few years, but I stayed with her. She was a tremendous support to me […]

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

  I’d love to see a therapist, but I’m too busy with work/family/other activities. I talked to a counselor one time and it didn’t help. I’m not someone who talks about my feelings with a stranger. Psychiatry is a racket. It is on my list of things to do, right after I accomplish <insert xyz […]

Five Ways to Improve Accessibility of Your Special Event in Pittsburgh

I just got off the phone with an event organizer who responded really well to my simple request for an accommodation at their upcoming event. I just needed a chair – a simple request, but it is an event without designated seating or even “a lot” of seating. So having a polite, accommodating conversation was […]

This Is Spring Depression

Depression Anxiety

March has been a pretty good month in our household. The critters are all doing well in terms of their health and quality of life, something that we value with 3 very elderly animals. We’ve had some fun and exciting experiences socially. Both of our work lives have been fine. I heard that a grant […]

Merry Christmas: My Dog Beat Cancer

Today, Xander wagged his tail for the first time since surgery. A full butt-wiggling wagging, not just a tepid little twitch. He’s not permitted to bound into the yard until his stitches are removed, but he’s got some bounding energy in that tail wag. I took a call from an unfamiliar number without thinking about […]

Art Gallery To Host Health Care Happy Hours for Local Artists

This is an interesting outcome from #ArtisticVisionPgh – Most Wanted Fine Art (MWFA) gallery and the Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN) have teamed up to sponsor a series of happy hours for artists to learn more about the Affordable Care Act and other health insurance opportunities. The first happy hour is set for Thursday, December […]