Napa State programs help patients’ recovery

By NATALIE HOFFMAN
Register Staff Writer

Napa State Hospital has been a big part of the community for more than 125 years, and more than 1,000 people are there being treated for mental health problems.

But many locals know little about the hospital’s more creative therapy programs and the work of staffers and volunteers who are using the arts to help patients recover.

Scott, 38, is a patient at the hospital who credits the hospital’s ceramics and painting class with more than teaching artistic techniques.

“This class has pulled me out of a lot of tight spots. I get all cooped up in the dorms. A lot of the guys in there are crazy, you know. I come to this class, and I’m free. It’s a safe haven here,” he said.

Scott’s class is part of the Arts in Mental Health program, one of two popular arts programs.

In the classes, patients create art for enjoyment, and the gatherings are not unlike painting or pottery classes at a typical university. Hospital employees, however, use art as a vehicle for patients’ psychotherapy and treatment in art therapy groups.

Sally Denman is coordinator for Napa State Hospital’s Arts in Mental Health program, which began at the hospital 17 years ago. Ceramics, theater, music, photography, drawing, dance, painting and more are part of the program.

Richard, a 26-year-old patient — patients’ last names are withheld for privacy reasons — said he’s attended the class for the past month and enjoys the tranquility and atmosphere of the classroom.

Art therapist Esther Feagan said the painting and ceramics class, unlike an art therapy group, is about learning a craft. “It’s more about mastery of skills; it’s also a confidence and self-esteem builder.”

Late one afternoon, Denman led a sacred circle dance, including hospital employees and patients. “The sacred circle dance is not about performance, but about the feeling of connection with others. It can be a form of meditation and prayer, or just for relaxing,” she said.

Denman’s group joined hands around a tulip centerpiece, and began with an old Eastern European form of the dance. Denman, who was introduced to the ritual about 15 years ago, said she prizes it for its meditative quality.

“It’s a no-fail dance situation. There are no wrong steps — only variations to the dance. It allows people to feel comfortable in their bodies and is a great stress reducer,” she said.

Al, 46, a patient, attends the hospital’s sacred circle dances regularly. “I like to think of it as meditative. It’s a way of being alone yet (also) being in a group of people,” he said.

Patients and employees danced to a Native American song titled “As One” and to Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” They also did the “Elm Dance,” a modern circle dance, to Latvian music.

“It’s a dance for empowering people. It’s about standing tall and strong in the face of adversity,” Denman said.

Art as therapy

Art therapist Ron Lay heads about 15 hours of therapy groups each week. Last month, his group of 12 patients explored current events and celebrations such as Black History Month, Presidents Day and Mardi Gras. The men also discussed the “Season of Non-Violence,” a worldwide celebration emphasizing a peaceful lifestyle; patients created collages reflecting this theme.

Lay, leader of the group for eight years, said one of the goals for of the class, called “Creative Expressions,” is rooting patients in the present and their environment. He said since many of the patients have issues with impulse control and anger, turn-taking and respecting one other is especially important. “They’re expressing themselves in non-violent, appropriate ways.”

The group invites occasional guests such as psychologists and social workers. “For some of these guys, just coming to group is a great success,” he said, adding that many patients don’t want to come out of their rooms.

Lay said he places patients’ artwork in individual files, and over time, the works becomes a document of progress and any personal difficulties. But sometimes, he said, patients like a particular creation so much that they request he photocopy it so they can keep the original for themselves. “It’s a piece of who they are,” he said.

A separate group called “Symptom Management Through Art Therapy” is headed by art therapists Emily Freiman and Feagan.

Patients worked together last month to create a large work of art from smaller components. During a two-week period, Freiman said, each patient worked on re-creating a portion of a Georgia O’Keeffe painting. When Freiman arranged the completed sections on a display board, the patients’ collective version of the O’Keeffe painting materialized.

Feagan said patients practice self-expression in the group. “It’s very hands-on and they don’t always express themselves verbally,” she said.

Freiman said in the project, patients can work individually while collaborating toward a common goal. “In that way, it relates to them eventually getting out of the hospital, and learning to work with other people while retaining a sense of individuality,” she said.

Freiman’s group of nine later created paper mandalas, or works of art on circular pieces of paper, and used them to explore the concept of opposites.

One patient’s mandala, she said, showcased Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Freiman said this started a group discussion about old-fashioned interpretations of schizophrenia. “(The group) helps individuals with their personal struggles and working through symptoms,” she said.

Banners of achievement

Art therapist Kristin Menne heads the hospital-wide art banner project, part of the art therapy program. There are 26 six-foot-by-two-foot banners adorning Napa State Hospital grounds, all created by patients.

“For this project, (patients) have to be more extroverted. And it’s a tremendous amount of pride they get from seeing something in public that they created. They get a lot of respect from others,” Menne said.

Menne coordinated an opening night, where banner artists showed their work and received recognition for their creations.

“What I was trying to create was an art gallery atmosphere; this project mirrors the outside art world. I got so much good feedback,” she said. “It’s the first time we’ve had a project that gave (patients) a significant venue. They get an idea of what it’s like to be a professional artist.”

Menne said she got the idea for the project when she realized how visible local advertising banners are, and said funding for the project is provided annually by the California State Lottery.

Feagan said the programs keep patients “engaged and moving forward in treatment. They learn coping skills and the socialization is great; the group introduces men from the locked unit to those who are outside. And this group gets them thinking not of just themselves, but others too. Art therapy improves self-esteem and gives them a sense of accomplishment. It’s about taking a risk, trying something new, and mastering new skills. Some of these guys have never painted or drawn much before.”

Donations

To donate supplies or funds to Napa State Hospital’s arts programs, contact Patty Bradshaw, hospital coordinator of volunteer services, at 253-5413.

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