apnl 5.2002 »
rmTTÏÏTRTlnews
15
W ith a L ittle H elp
F rom H er F riends
Center will assist disabled, mentally ill
and queer communities in Corvallis by H eath er
aria Carter always has felt she
could do more.
The 36-year-old aligns herself
with many causes in the Corvallis
area. She volunteers with the
Democratic Party as well as AFTER 8, a politi
cal advocacy and educational organization serv
ing Linn and Benton counties. She has cerebral
palsy, is mentally ill and identifies as bisexual, so
she feels connected to a lot of issues.
After winning a $6,000 grant from the
YOUR WILLAMETTE VALLEY FAMILY REAL
ESTATE CONNECTION
H ybarger
bn ?
I support G A L A chorusesl
Plan members with the collaboration of mental
health departments. In addition, the alliance has a
provider panel of about 75 contracted behavioral
health therapists and 11 hospitals to ensure clients
receive the most clinically appropriate services.
The grant money comes from a fund the
alliance has set up for use by consumers or
organizations benefiting Oregon Health Plan
members in need of mental health services.
“I will give her technical assistance in the use
of the grant money because there are govern-
Contact Clark to list your upcoming
G A L A C horus Event
(Free public service provided by Clark)
B ryan t
Koalty ' IOC-
i
( 5 4 1 ) 7 5 8 - 1 2 3 4 x 21 1
CLARK HOUSE
Sales Associate
e-mail: clarkshouses@aol.com
—
— — ...................
I T Ä lK ,'
V:*:?
1575 MW 9th Street • Corvallis. OR 97330
HHI
egon Camera
Everything Photographic
Despite her mental illness, Carla Carter
has been the driving force behind the
advocacy and resource center
We have a know ledgeable,
friendly staff helping you find
the right cam era, binoculars,
or photographic accessories.
ju Y
^ 4 T
t
E ^
In c.
Boarding & Groom ing
lor D ogs & Cats
A ‘fam ily’ owned and operated
business since 1997.
“Individual Love and Attention "
720 SW Wake Robin Ave
Corvallis, O R 97330
(541) 757-9089 Larry & Marlene McNeill
582 SW Adams Avenue
Corvallis, OR 97333
www.oregoncamera.com
(541) 753-2653
H3H1V3H A8 O lO H d
Accountable Behavioral Health Alliance,
Carter is realizing her dream of doing more by
starting an advocacy center. It will ftxzus on the
rights of the developmental^ disabled, mentally
ill and sexual minorities communities.
“1 see injustice,” Carter says simply. “1 see
kids picking on people, see it in the housing
where they discriminate, I sec it in budget cuts
and the closing of hospitals.”
The facility will he known as Carters Advo
cacy and Resource Center. When it opens in
May, she will have a referral service in place and
will use her organization to provide visibility,
information and a little muscle for the issues she
feels passionately about.
“In the last five years the media has had a dif
ferent take on gay and lesbian issues,” she says.
“ I think the same thing needs to happen with
the other groups.”
Carter hopes to correct misinformation and
provide other social, advisory and policymaking
organizations with representatives from her
communities. The center also will he home to
social outlets for developmentally disabled,
mentally ill, gay and lesbian people in the area.
To do all this Carter has the support of her
board of directors, volunteers and the Account
able Behavioral Health Alliance. Although her
focus seems broad, an agency spokesman says
the union makes sense.
“By bridging different groups that are tradi
tionally underrepresented, she has economized
the system,” says Cory VanAlstine, consumer
affairs specialist. “ It is advanced in that she is
multidimensionally looking at these issues.”
The alliance is an intergovernmental organiza
tion formed by Benton, Crook, Deschutes, Jeffer
son and Lincoln counties. Its purptise is to manage
the behavioral health care needs of Oregon Health
mental rules she has to follow,” VanAlstine says.
“We are hands-off, though, and we try to ensure
the success of her business by helping her when
she asks for it.”
In fact, everyone who has worked with Carter
on this project is quick to say she is the driving
force, the organizer and the brains of the center.
“If you kx)k at Carlas exterior you could
jump to some conclusions," hoard member Julie
Williams says. “Her brain is sharp as a whip. The
cool thing about Carla is that she wants to do
advocacy from the inside.”
Carter has encountered problems with the
system firsthand. Her experience in a group
home ended with her leaving the facility with
no notice. Carter says the assigned caseworker
was never there for the residents and didn’t
seemed to care about what happened to them.
“Carla gets just enough money [from the
government] to just make it, buying her meds
and living in her apartment," Williams says.
“She’s trying to take care of her people, and she’s
one of the people that could use a little help."
Carter doesn’t seem to mind offering herself
as an educational tixtl for others.
“I wouldn’t know how that population lives
if I didn’t know Carla,” Williams says. “I think
Carla is one heck of a role mixJel.’ ’ in
C arter ’ s A d w c a cy and R esource C enter
is lixated in Suite 102 of the Btnvlby Building,
310 N.W. Fifth S t., and can he reached by calling
5 4 1 -754-4254 or e-mailmg cmd@peak.org. To get
it off the ground, donatums are requested of
money, time, adi’crasing, office furniture and
equipment as well as books on human rights.
HEATHER H ybarger is a mild-mannered PR per
son by day and a Cosmic Bowling fanatic by night.
OVER NET
INVOICE
Invoice = Invoice, minus denier holdback, minus any advertising
fees, minus any m unufartuter to dealer rebates or incentives.
O N ALL L FORESTERS
_
Art lor ill ti>t i siiioit only • Subject K* pnoi vale I Sices do not include license, title i* tit* tecs I Vices expire Monday fnHowring publication
dale All financing on approved credit.
H o u rs M o n - F ri 8 - 9 S a t 9 - 7 Sun 1 0 - 5
J u s t o ff 1-5 on M issio n St.
25th & Mission, SALEM 503*316*4294
© Oregon drives G4PHOL
w w w .c g p it o ls u b a r u .c o m
I