Power: the ability to do something or act in a particular way.

For people with serious or persistent mental health issues, power may seem out of their reach.But help is available for adults in Carbon and Schuylkill counties who are struggling to live as a result of a mental health issue.The Program of Wellness, Empowerment and Recovery or

P.O.W.E.R. is a nonprofit organization based in Lehighton that offers a unique set of psychiatric rehabilitation services to help these individuals not only cope with their issue, but learn how to overcome it and live a product life in society. Psychiatric rehabilitation is the process of improving or restoring a person's overall wellness and community functioning."Everything we do here is recovery based,"

P.O.W.E.R. Supervisor Jared Soto said. "It is saying that people have the capacity to work through their situations and come out of it, without saying they are stuck in their situation for the rest of their life."The program provides services to people living in Carbon and Schuylkill counties who have been referred by the county Mental Health/Development Services offices or a healing arts practitioner, such as a doctor, certified nurse practitioner or physician assistant, as having a documented mental health diagnosis that has affected their ability in the areas of employment, education, social relationships, self maintenance and/or stable and secure housing.There are no income guidelines, and

P.O.W.E.R. staff work with the person to set up coverage either through medical assistance or through the Carbon-Monroe-Pike Mental Health/Developmental Services office.A different approachSoto said that

P.O.W.E.R. is unique because of the approach it takes."We offer both mobile and site-based services (to Carbon County clients)," he said. "Most psychiatric rehabilitation services offer one or the other."Within the site-based services, trained staff work with people in a classroom setting. Classes take place Monday through Thursdays and cover a variety of topics, from anxiety management and learning about recovery models to teaching people about what they are experiencing and what actions they can put into place in their lives to help work toward their recovery.All classes use the Boston University Model of Psychiatric Rehabilitation's four goals: wellness, vocation, education and socialization."We tailor everything toward making sure it relates to the individuals," Soto said, adding that site-based classes are the optional part of the program."Classes help to reinforce things that they worked on," he said, adding that staff will provide transportation for people if they want to attend classes and can't find a ride.The mobile services are standard for all clients and offer one-on-one meetings with a

P.O.W.E.R. counselor.These meetings help counselors develop a recovery service plan for the individual based on what that person identifies as the goals they would like to work on.It uses their current diagnosis and home life, as well as their strengths, to find the best way to support them as they work to accomplish their goals."The one-on-one focus is how do we take your skills into the community," Soto said."We really identify what we have to do and work where the goal is."If the person's goal is home-based, then counselors work with the individual at their home. If it is somewhere in the community, then one-on-one sessions take place somewhere in the community."We really want to take the program outside the walls and make the things that we teach here as applicable to real life as we possibly can."Even though you have to have a diagnosis to come into the program, we don't spend a lot of time on that diagnosis," Soto said."It's more about how do we develop that overall person as compared to just that specific part of who they are."Community orientationAs part of the services offered, a big factor in guaranteeing success is community.P.O.W.E.R. does this by participating in a number of activities rooted within the community.Last year, the group held Art In the Park, which allowed clients to display and sell their artwork in downtown Lehighton.Soto pointed out throughout the office a number of art pieces that were created by past and current clients.He explained that art is a great way to help the people express their feelings.They have also helped with the Lansford Community Garden, an initiative Soto is involved in; as well as Values Day in Philadelphia."It's all about breaking down the stigma of mental health issues," he said. "One thing I want the community to take away is this kind of program looks through a different kind of lens than traditional mental health treatment. We look at a person as more of who they are as a person as compared to focusing specifically as the diagnosis."Expanding their reachP.O.W.E.R. has been rooted in Carbon County since 2006, operating in ways similar to a day treatment center, but its current operations formed in 2013 after the state approved regulation changes for psychiatric rehabilitation services.Courtney Uhl, program director, said that the expansion of mobile services into Schuylkill County came last June after it was identified that Schuylkill County didn't really have any psychiatric rehabilitation services in place."We thought that since we were so close to them that we should reach out," she said.Soto added that they are working to build a network in Schuylkill to provide the best possible program for adults in the neighboring county.He said that anyone in Schuylkill County who serves this specific group can contact

P.O.W.E.R. to find out ways they can help.P.O.W.E.R.'s office is currently located at 188 S. First St., Lehighton, but will be moving to the other end of the block in the next month or two.Depending on the state budget, which has still not been fully signed, the office is planning to move into the former Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug & Alcohol Commission office at 110 S. First St.For more information on

P.O.W.E.R., call 610-377-3940.