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Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care (PCHC) is conducting a storytelling project entitled, “Bridging the Gap…One Story at a Time.” This storytelling project is designed for individuals who have intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) as well as mental illness to share their stories in a way that engages people, changes perceptions and connects them to the community. In helping individuals tell their stories, PCHC hopes to reduce disparities by increasing cultural sensitivity, creating public awareness, dispelling societal assumptions, and increasing acceptance of people who have I/DD and those with I/DD as well as mental illness. As a participant of the “Bridging the Gap…” project participants will be able to tell their stories through various methods, including: video recording, audio recording and written interviews.

PCHC is collaborating with StoryCorps for the audio recording portion of the project. StoryCorps is a national oral history project whose mission is to “provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives.” On behalf of the PA Developmental Disabilities Council, Dual Diagnosis Services and Supports Grant, StoryCorps and PCHC will be holding a 2-day storytelling event on July 19 and 20, 2010. Participants of the event will be interviewed for a 40-minute audio recorded segment, focusing primarily on their personal and emotional lives and their experiences surrounding having and/or supporting individuals who cope with dual diagnosis.

In addition to the audio recordings, PCHC will be capturing video recordings and written stories to effectively promote the opinions and stories of people with I/DD. All information obtained from this project will be used to increase public awareness about individuals who cope with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as mental illness. Ultimately, it is our goal to make a compelling case about people who cope with I/DD and mental illness, their struggles, successes and more importantly, their humanness.

This storytelling project is ongoing and PCHC is still looking for participants. If you are interested in participating, we would be delighted to capture your story. Please contact Monique Shaw, Community Outreach Projects Manager, at 215-546-0300 ext. 3230 or MShaw@pmhcc.org with any questions or to volunteer.