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Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care (PCHC) would like to invite individuals who have dual diagnosis and people who know them well to participate in our storytelling project, “Bridging the Gap…One Story at a Time”. “Bridging the Gap…” is a project stemming from the public awareness efforts of the PA Developmental Disabilities Council funded, Dual Diagnosis Services and Supports Grant. The mission of this grant is to determine how people with dual diagnosis want to be supported, identify ways the support system could be more responsive, provide a comprehensive review of best practices from existing literature, advocate for increased collaboration between systems that support people with dual diagnosis, educate one and all to improve outcomes, and create public awareness to increase acceptance and understanding.

“Bridging the Gap…One Story at a Time” is a project 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 with dual diagnosis to 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 dual diagnosis. 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 would like to sincerely thank all of those who have participated in the Storytelling Project thus far. In July 2010 PCHC collaborated 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.” Currently, 10 videos have been captured and 21 people have been interviewed using video recording. PCHC is working hard to create a way to share these wonderful stories with the public and all those who may be interested in listening. It is our aim to encourage all participants to focus on their personal and emotional lives and their experiences surrounding having and/or supporting individuals who cope with dual diagnosis; not simply dates, places and chronologies. We realize that each participant’s story is personal and special to them and we are so grateful for everyone’s contribution to this very important venture.

Ultimately, it is our goal to make a compelling case about people with dual diagnosis, their struggles, successes and more importantly, their humanness. Each participant will receive a copy of their recording and the opportunity to work with PCHC for any following related initiatives. Currently we are still accepting appointments and would love your support and participation. To schedule storytelling appointments or if you have any questions please contact Monique Shaw, Community Outreach Projects Manager, at 215-546-0300 ext. 3230 or MShaw@pmhcc.org.