TandC Associates, LLC

On Wednesday, July 29th, 2015, I had the pleasure of spending about three hours at the East New York Clubhouse in Brooklyn.  I arrived at 10:45 am and after Larry helped me sign in as a visitor, was given a thorough and friendly tour by Bernard.  The clubhouse occupies the ground floor of a building located at 2697 Atlantic Avenue. We started the tour at the front door with the Reception Unit, where the sign-in desk is on one side and the Employment and Education Unit on the other. As we moved towards the back, I could see the large area that is the Food Service-Snack Unit. Passing through a doorway we entered a very nice, spacious and well-equipped large kitchen. Off the food service area is the Director’s office, and next to it is a meeting room.

The cleanliness of the clubhouse is striking. I was also impressed with the friendliness of the many members who clearly were pleased to have a visitor in the clubhouse.  I particularly enjoyed my conversations with Anthony and Norma, among others.  Norma contributes to the program as an ESL expert.  Later I also talked with Paul about his experiences with his Transitional Employment placement at Jackrabbit Deliveries, which was written up in The NY Times last November.

Following my tour, I met with Katrina Grant (the Director), Bill Lampert (the E&E Unit leader) and Margie Staker, (another visitor on tour). We discussed the program:  The clubhouse has been in existence for 20 years.  They just had their Clubhouse International (CI) certification visit, for which they received provisional three-year certification, pending attention to a couple of matters.

During this discussion, I learned that about 20% of the membership is undocumented. Housing and clinical needs are a major issue, along with financial benefits.  Following this meeting, we had a great lunch.  The main menu was pizza, prepared by Gregor and a couple of other members and staff, Jamala. The coffee was fresh and good.

After lunch the afternoon unit meetings were held and I sat in at the E&E meeting, conducted by a member.  Afternoon tasks were chosen by the some six members and two Occupational Therapy (OT) interns, and included activities such as reaching out to absent members, cleaning tasks, for which the staff (Bill) was joined by members.

Other relevant employment and education issues were discussed.  At the close of the meeting one of the members asked me if I was there to become a member.  When I responded that I was not good enough to become a member, she stated that I was a good person and I should not berate myself.  I was very touched and said that while I was a good person, I was not good enough to become a member.  She laughed and moved on.

There were some 30 members present during the time I was East New York Clubhouse, which was a strong attendance in view of the fact that it was one of the most miserably hot and humid days of the year thus far.  I am looking forward to involvement in Advisory Board of this clubhouse, as it is a good program, clearly dedicated to in becoming even better.

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We at TCA maintain editorial rights over feedback, discussions and comments.

While the major part of relating to men and women in their fight against the demons of mental illness must be a serious and hard-hitting effort, there is also a place, in fact a need, for humor. Sometimes the best way to combat the expression of suffering is to “shock” a change through humor. Such an approach can only be effective, in our judgment, when a trusting and understanding relationship has been formed.

Robert was a man given to expressing his “lamentations” at the drop of a hat. Often, my approach, especially when he lamented in public, was to ask his permission to stomp as heavily as I could on his left (or right) foot. Usually, his response was to look at me strangely enough for me to ask again. Almost immediately after the second time, he invariably paused and then gave a large grin and changed the subject to something more relevant to the situation.

Peter, on the other hand, reversed the roles, as humor was a large part of his life and was often expressed with his composing and sending stencil-printed cards, celebrating both events and non-events, to wit:
____________________________________
|                 THIS IS A FREE CARD                  |
|                     It’s not good for                         |
|                 Anything – it’s just                         |
|                             FREE                                |
|      TO: Thomas J Malamud 15 June 1995    |
|___________________________________|

Grace had a droll self-deprecating sense of humor. She would comment about something she didn’t understand by exclaiming: “That went over my head like a gown!” My hunch was that she really did understand, but wanted to have a little time before responding.

Nicknames can be a humorous way to acknowledge the depth of a personal relationship, to wit:

Richard, all 6’6” of him, got a kick out of his nickname –“Tiny”

Steve always responded with a smile to the nickname “Steverino”

Danny U. who never gave up; worked until the day he died. He hadn’t worked for years, had long hospitalization, came to program, had a couple of TE placements, then went to full-time at Newsweek magazine and got married. He always chuckled when I would call his home and ask for “Ungerungerunger”. When he would check in with me he would always identify himself the same way.

Mark was the “Ace”; I was the “coach”

Maria B said that she was the “bane” of my existence.

George sometimes got so concerned about achieving his vocational goals that he would become almost paralyzed. At these times, all I would need to do was to mention “the plan”, “What is the plan, is this part of the plaaaaaan (sic)”? George would stop, begin to smile, and invariable say: “it is not part of the plan, it is the plaaaaan (sic)!” Making a joke did not deny the importance of the issue; it provided the kind of relief that made further action possible.

Fred, a deaf member of Fountain House is a hulk of a man, about six foot two, 250 pounds and a bright happy fellow who has become well trained in the use video equipment. He pretty well sums up the importance of humor as follows: “(Tom) would joke and tease me and sometimes stick his foot out and pretend to make me trip. (He) would have different games and fun things in his office. I remember the cute little monkey he had in his office. I like the monkey because it would bang on the drums and move around. I also liked the other things in Tom’s office because (he) likes to have fun. Tom would always include deaf members, and when he wanted to talk he would always get the interpreter.”

Vincent was as close as anybody at Fountain House came to being a ”flower child”. He was a strange, mystical, most intelligent, contrarian who certainly marched to his own drum. Vincent joined Fountain House very early, around 1950, after some years of hospitalization and never was hospitalized again. He had no desire to be employed in the usual sense of that word, choosing rather to follow his unique path to fulfillment. He married Margaret (another very bright member), they lived close to Fountain House for a number years until he was run over by NYC bus. Among his many attributes, he was a prolific composer of fables, about which it has been said:

We read Vincent… because through his work we may grasp an historical perspective. (He) is our Dead Sea Scrolls, the key, the missing link: it is he who magically embodies, through his subtle epigrams, the living pulse of American literature in unbroken continuity from last generation to this.  (David Latimer, in his Introduction of “Fables” by Vincent, published by Come!Unity Press, New York, NY, 1973.)

                                          Vincent   (Photo from “Fables”)

Here are some of his fables:

Once a dog had a bone. He was satisfied with it until he saw a dinosaur skeleton in the museum.
Moral: There can be too much of a good thing

Once a bird found a rock and sat on it for twenty years. He kept it warm and nice but it didn’t hatch.
Moral: Such perseverance for nothing

Once an intruder was making a lot of noise on the roof. The householder went up and this dialogue ensued:
“Who are you?”
“Mumble, mumble.”
“I don’t care who you are, get those goddamned reindeer off my roof!”
Moral: No telling who you’ll meet in the winter.

Once a lost bird flew to Algeria. The crows received him with open arms and wings extended in friendly solidarity.
Moral: Algeria’s okay if you’re a bird.

Once a flower sat in a bed of skunk cabbage. He made the air nice and sweet but a little girl came along and picked him off.
Moral: Don’t be too noticeable or you’ll be “offed”.

Once a dog had a bone and he hoarded a lot of them but he wouldn’t give anyone else any so the other dogs ganged up on him and took all his bones and stored them away for themselves.
Moral: Comes the revolution everyone has bones.

Once a pig and a wolf fell in love and got married. The pig had a large salaried position with the police department and the wolf fell right into his orbit. Their parents thought they were incompatible but they turned out to have some things in common.
Moral: Some pigs are wolfish and some wolves are piggish.

As usual, this posting is part of a larger body of work pending publication.  Any quotation, or reference to it (or others) must be made with the authors’ permission, which may be obtained by contract through the e-mail listed below:

tandcassociates@gmail.com

or by contact via the URL below.   Readers’ comments and feedback are welcome by the same means, which will be edited and published for further discussion.

I learned over the years that a little charitable giving could accomplish an enormous amount. Much of this learning was provided thanks to the presence of a most unusual private foundation in New York City with whom I became an almoner. Each year the Fund provided its Almoners with an amount of money to make available to those in need of emergency funds.  The three stipulations were that those receiving money had to be residents of New York City, grants could not exceed $750 and the donating Fund’s name must be kept anonymous.

                                                                                          Photo: c malamud

As an Almoner for nearly 20 years I granted awards amounting in total to nearly $90,000.  To give some examples of how just a little award can significantly enhance a person’s quality of life and ability to achieve goals:

When Tom joined Fountain House, he and his cat moved into SRO housing.  The cat needed to be neutered in order for Tom to keep him in the apartment and so it was decided that a grant of $56 paid directly to the vet would be in Tom’s best interests.

David has been a very active member who completed several TE placements.  However he suffered a setback and had to be hospitalized.  After his discharge he was unable to support himself financially and so he needed to be employed as quickly as possible.  He was granted a mere $50 to purchase clothing for the TE position he obtained.

Fabio, after becoming a United States citizen, received a much needed $100 to obtain a US Passport in order to return to his native Columbia to marry his fiancée and then bring her back to America. .

Reginald lost all of his identity documents.  He was a permanent resident and most anxious to obtain duplicates in order to go to work, obtain needed benefits and secure housing.  A small donation of $88.25, allowed Reggie to receive a copy of his birth certificate from Jamaica with which he was able to get the remaining documents and subsequently start a TE placement.

Bert a man in his mid-60’s had been an in-patient at Manhattan Psychiatric Center for many years. Upon meeting him, one is struck by his dignified bearing, wry smile and soft-spoken manner.  He was a regular attendee at the Fountain House sponsored Tuesday evening socials held in the hospital’s snack bar.  One such Tuesday, we learned that his brother had just died, and that the funeral was to be held that following Monday.  Bert felt he was unable to attend because he did not have the appropriate clothing and the hospital could only provide a shirt and tie.

One of the Fountain House members asked and got his measurements including shoe size, and by the end of the week had, through the Fund’s help, purchased a black suit and matching black shoes. That Saturday, she and another member, on their own, traveled to Ward’s Island in the middle of the East River to deliver the new attire to Bert.  On the following Tuesday, the day after the funeral, Bert arrived at the snack bar all dressed up. Smiling from ear to ear he reported on the funeral, expressing the family’s appreciation for his being there, as well as his own gratitude for the opportunity.Within two months of that Tuesday, Bert was discharged from the hospital.  He became a member of Fountain House and is “giving back” by attending the Tuesday evening socials to help inspire other patients to plan for their discharge.

For many individuals receiving Medicaid or Medicare benefits, certain events occur for which such benefits are not available:

While Ray was enrolled in graduate school, he supported himself with per diem social service work, supplemented by SSDI and Medicare benefits.  When he broke his eyeglasses Medicare was not available because not enough time had elapsed since his last prescription. $440 allowed him to obtain new glasses, complete his semester’s work and go on to receive his degree.

Antoinette needed dental work not covered by Medicaid before she could go back to work.  We provided the $400 required for the procedure.  Antoinette was able to subsequently obtain employment and was adamant about repaying the advance for the use by others in need.

Educational needs were a third area were a little money helped in a big way:

Gladys needed help to maintain her job and her academic status.  A grant of $500 made it possible for her to get needed textbooks for her graduate courses and procure proper attire for her new job.

In order for Randy to  succeed at completing a course on Computer Animation at the NYU Center for Advanced Digital Applications, she had to acquire a pair of “Definity” lenses so she received the $340 she needed to purchase them

As usual, this posting is part of a larger body of work pending publication.  Any quotation, or reference to it (or others) must be made with the authors’ permission, which may be obtained by contract through the e-mail listed below:

tandcassociates@gmail.com

or by contact via the URL below.   Readers’ comments and feedback are welcome by the same means, which will be edited and published for further discussion.