September is National Suicide Prevention Month

All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness.  If you know someone is at risk, #BeThe1To spread the word about actions we can all take to prevent suicide.

Ask – Research shows people who are having thoughts of suicide feel relief when someone asks after them in a caring way. Findings suggest acknowledging and talking about suicide may reduce rather than increase suicidal ideation.

Be There – Individuals are more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful after speaking to someone who listens without judgment.

Keep Them Safe – A number of studies have indicated that when lethal means are made less available or less deadly, suicide rates by that method decline, and frequently suicide rates overall decline.

Help Them Stay Connected – Studies indicate that helping someone at risk create a network of resources and individuals for support and safety can help them take positive action and reduce feelings of hopelessness.

Follow Up – Studies have also shown that brief, low-cost intervention and supportive, ongoing contact may be an important part of suicide prevention, especially for individuals after they have been discharged from hospitals or care services.

Join us for an unforgettable event as we unveil COMHAR’s breathtaking new mural created through the Mural Arts Porch Light Project. This project has been a labor of love, focusing on resilience, mental health, and community.

Over the last year, under the instruction and direction of artist Marisol De La Garza, members of COMHAR’s Community Integrated Recovery Centers (CIRC) developed the concept and design of the mural. During our Community Paint Day, community members, artists, COMHAR staff, and members donned large sections of the mural with vibrant colors, prepping it for the big reveal!

Be a part of this special moment at the Mural Dedication on Friday, September 27th at 11 am at COMHAR’s Administrative Building, 100 W. Lehigh Avenue. Don’t miss out on being a part of something truly inspiring.

Welcome to Volume 11 of PEOPLE FIRST, COMHAR’s Agency Newsletter!

If you are interested in receiving the newsletter electronically, please email a request to info@comhar.org.

Welcome to Volume 10 of PEOPLE FIRST, COMHAR’s Agency Newsletter!

If you are interested in receiving the newsletter electronically, please email a request to info@comhar.org.

COMHAR Celebrates Intellectual Disabilities Month

Each March, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), and our partners work together to create a social media campaign that highlights the many ways in which people with and without disabilities come together to form strong, diverse communities.  The campaign seeks to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life, as well as awareness of the barriers that people with disabilities still sometimes face in connecting to the communities in which they live. 

“A World of Opportunities” – we’re celebrating people and working together to remove obstacles. Our goal is to build a community that’s committed to creating a world where everyone can do well and succeed. Join us in making a world where all kinds of people have the chance to thrive.

COMHAR supports individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) to reach their fullest potential and live happy, productive lives. We provide customized programming that helps individuals maximize the skills they need to thrive at home or in their communities. COMHAR’s Vanderwoude Center is the epicenter of our ID Supports. In addition to housing our administrative offices, the Vanderwoude Center is the hub for the Community Participation Supports and Supported Employment programs. This wonderful space offers individuals a safe environment where they can continue to grow. 

COMHAR offers Community Living Arrangements with Direct Support Professionals (DSP) who support residents with activities of daily living in community-based residences. These homes typically support between one and three residents, and offer various levels of staffing supports. Additionally, our teams help residents to maintain medical care for both chronic and acute conditions. DSPs will promote community experiences for the residents as we support individuals to reach their fullest potential.

The individuals served in this program must have a primary diagnosis of intellectual/developmental disabilities or autism. Many are dual diagnosed with ID and mental health issues. We serve a substantial number of wheelchair users in this program and others with complicated medical conditions.

For more information about COMHAR’s services for people living with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,

visit our website.

COMHAR Celebrates Black History Month

AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE ARTS—Art as a Platform for Social Justice is the theme for Black History Month 2024.  Carter G. Woodson, a historian, founded Black History month in 1926 to promote the history, culture and achievements of African Americans and other people of color. “Those who have no record of what their forebearers have accomplished lose the inspiration from the teaching of biography and history”, said Mr. Woodson.

According to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, African American art is infused with African, Caribbean, and the Black American lived experiences. In the fields of visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression, the African American influence has been paramount. African American artists have used art to preserve history and community memory as well as for empowerment. Artistic and cultural movements such as the New Negro, Black Arts, Black Renaissance, hip-hop, and Afrofuturism, have been led by people of African descent and set the standard for popular trends around the world. In 2024, we examine the varied history and life of African American arts and artisans.

Please join us in recognizing the people of color in the COMHAR Family and the Community for the contributions they make every day.