May 2, 2015 5 min read

WAYNESBURG – For several years, Daniel Latanation has been participating in mental health recovery programs at Greene Arc Inc.

The programs, which provide services to assist people in their day-to-day lives as they recover from mental health issues, has been a benefit to the 48-year-old Waynesburg man.

“It’s given me a chance to have a life of my own, to be my own person,” he said.

“I had a difficult time before. I was afraid of making wrong choices and it bothered me a lot. Now, I have my fears under control… I’m more self-aware, more useful and more caring.”

Latanation, who grew up in Davistown, gives much of the credit to the programs at Greene Arc.

Though Greene Arc is primarily known for working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, it has for several years also provided mental health recovery services.

The programs are for any Greene County resident 18 and older who has a mental health diagnosis for disorders including schizophrenia, major mood disorders, psychotic disorders, borderline personality disorders and schizoaffective disorders.

Those participating in the programs already have received a diagnosis and continue to receive care from their doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist, Greene Arc Executive Director Cynthia Dias said.

“The programs we offer support them through their recovery,” she said.

The programs are designed to help the consumers, as program participants are referred to at Greene Arc, obtain the skills they need to live life day-to-day, said Travis Duncan, director of mental health services for Greene Arc.

“Our focus is on the living domain, the learning domain, the working domain, socialization and wellness,” Duncan said.

This may involve helping people learn better social skills, apply for or keep a job or cope with any recurring symptoms.

“Our goal is to make it so that (the consumers’) symptoms aren’t impeding them in their day to day living functions,” he said.

Latanation is now also employed by Greene Arc and is one of the three co-directors at the agency’s drop in center in Waynesburg. The programs at Greene Arc have helped him make better decisions and control his fears as well as on a more practical level, balance his checkbook and do his grocery shopping, he said.

Latanation said his goal is to one day work as a cook in a restaurant or to be involved in a business and eventually to get married and have children.

“I’m just an ordinary guy living an average life,” he said.

Greene Arc is now calling attention to the mental health programs it offers because May is mental health awareness month, Dias said.

“Greene Arc has been operating mental health programs for several years and we have been doing that very successfully,” she said.

Another important aspect in addressing mental health recovery involves advocacy, Dias said. In addition to support programs, the agency attempts to ensure consumers have the ability to advocate for themselves.

Greene Arc also advocates on their behalf. At times, people in mental health recovery do not received the same opportunities as others in regard to issues such as education, housing, employment and medical care, Dias said.

“We advocate for individuals with disabilities or mental health recovery concerns so that the stigma is reduced and they have community tenure and are awarded the same opportunities as any other community member,” she said.

The mental health recovery programs are free to the consumers. However, the agency does receive funding for the services from the Greene County Human Services and Value Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania.

Greene Arc will hold two open houses this month to make people more aware of the services it has to offer the community.

An open house will be held for the social rehabilitation program from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 13 in Suite 106 at Victoria Square, 95 E. High St., Waynesburg.

Another open house will be held from 11 to 1 p.m. May 15 for the drop in center, psychiatric rehabilitation program and peer support program at the drop in center at 30 N. Washington St., Waynesburg.

Greene Arc believes the programs it offers have been successful in helping consumers in mental health recovery.

“The simplest way (to determine success) is to talk to the consumers,” Duncan said. “If they see success coming to our program as not feeling so bad about themselves or if they see success as not being stigmatized by their disorder, that’s success,” he said.

The agency also can measure the correlations between how often a consumer participates in the recovery services and reductions in hospitalizations. “We are successful in decreasing hospitalization for individuals in mental health recovery,” Dias said.

For more information about Greene Arc’s mental health recovery programs contact Duncan at 724-627-7079.