Robert Lee, LCSW
Executive Director

Thank you for visiting the MHSSO website! We hope you will find our site useful and the information, helpful to you in your daily life. Helping people is what we do best here at MHSSO so if you have any recommendations for improvement, please let us know. We really do want to know because we want to be your provider of choice when you consider assistance for a mental health or substance abuse problem. To earn your trust we strive to stay up to date on the latest research and information in the healthcare industry. Given the opportunity, we participate in any research projects that are available to us such as the current trauma research that is being conducted by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services through their Innovation Center. This project has involved MHSSO as a rural mental health center site to participate in providing specific treatment interventions designed to help those who have experienced a trauma. Trauma comes in many forms and can have a lifelong negative impact if not addressed. Currently, the most widely recognized trauma is related to war and soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder”. However, there are other traumas that are more hidden but just as damaging, such as domestic violence, child abuse/neglect or bullying at school. These events leave scars that sometimes cannot heal without help. In Ardmore OK, we have been working with a group of women who have such problems and asked for help. We offered them the opportunity to be part of our research project. It is their work and feedback that actually determines the results, so we asked them to share their thoughts and observations. Here are some comments:
LM: “The Seeking Safety group has taught me valuable communication skills. I’ve learned the difference between intimacy and sex, and that knowledge has been incredibly helpful. People are responding to me differently now, since I’ve learned how to communicate better.” 12/7/11
HG: “I really can’t imagine dealing with the problems in my life if I hadn’t gone through the Seeking Safety and Trauma Empowerment classes – it’s really made my life manageable!” 12/8/11
JH: “Just taking the trauma class, I’ve learned how to do the grounding technique, which has really helped me focus and see what’s in front of me. This, in turn, has reduced my inner turmoil and increased my serenity.” 12/9/11
RW: “Being in the trauma program showed me that there are other people in the same situation as me. The relationships I’ve built with other trauma survivors have given me the strength to get through some tough situations, and has given me an extra support system of people who know what I’m going through.” 12/9/11
KB: “I’ve learned the warning signs of unsafe people, and now can tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. We support each other while in group and even outside of group, as we’ve become friends. I know I have friends , whom I can count on now, and knowing that helps me.” 12/9/11
VR: “I feel very, very safe with the counselors leading the group, and with other group participants. The trauma class feels like a safe place to me. I see myself coming out of my shell and am able to participate, when at first I didn’t think I would talk or even go more than a few weeks. People say the right things to help me open up and talk.” 12/9/11
TC: “I came into the trauma program feeling victimized but learned that ‘no feeling is final.’ Just because I feel a certain way one day, doesn’t mean I’ll feel that way tomorrow. Now, I realize I don’t have to be a victim. I’ve been reminded that I am a survivor and that my life’s not over – it’s just beginning.” 12/9/11
MJB: “The trauma class has definitely taught me a lot of self defenses, and to be more aware of my surroundings. I’ve figured out how to control situations better and how to be more self-confident.” 12/9/11
KW: “What I’ve learned from the trauma group is that you have to love and believe in yourself every day, because there’s one higher who does. They’ve taught us to look in the mirror and say positive things to ourselves. I say, ‘I’m wonderfully made.’ I love my group; we’re a group of survivors who must have a purpose, since we’ve survived so long.” 12/9/11
SE: “It’s a wonderful group. I’m much less stressed than I used to be. Anyone who needs the group should use it, because it will help you.” 12/9/11
AM: “If someone’s committed to the trauma program, it can really help them. It takes that commitment to get the help. I’ve built up so many good coping skills and techniques from going to group. If I hadn’t committed to group, I’d still be lost.” 12/9/11
Comments such as these give real hope to others and support our belief that recovery from a mental illness is a real possibility. With help, and hope, along with a good dose of “will power” in accepting support from others, we can do it. We can achieve recovery. The future is there for us to grasp, with joy, hope and love. Let’s get on with it!

Regards,

Robert Lee, LCSW
Executive Director
MHSSO