THE C4C FEDERAL EXCHANGE

The Coalition For Change, Inc. (C4C)

Vol. 3 / No. 4 (2016 April)
ISSN 2375-7086 (Online)

IN THIS ISSUE
FACTS ABOUT
THE COALITION FOR CHANGE, INC.
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME

The Coalition For Change, Inc. (C4C) is a

501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organization
comprised of former & present federal
employees who have been injured or ill-treated
due to workplace race discrimination and /
or reprisal. Tanya Ward Jordan, C4Cs
President and Founder, incorporated in
Washington DC in 2009. Ms. Ward Jordan
established the C4C as a way of healing by
helping others who had faced racial inequality
while working in the U.S. federal government.
The dual purpose of the C4C is as follows:

1. To provide a fellowship support network

(exchanging ideas, information and
encouragement) for those facing the
debilitating stress related to workplace
racial injustice and subsequent litigation;
and

2. To serve as a civil right advocacy group

providing a collective voice in addressing
the lack of accountability/ transparency in
the federal governments handling of
personnel and civil rights matters.

Note: The C4C does not provide legal advice,

representation or financial support.

The C4C Federal Exchange Newsletter

PTSD and Brain Injury

By Arthuretta Holmes-Martin,

M.S. CFCM, DTM

March was Brain Injury Awareness month. I
had the privilege to attend a Capitol Hill
Summit on Brain Injury. My son is a two-time
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) survivor. The
Will Smith movie Concussion, the emphasis on
brain injury involving the National Football
league, and the consequences of war and those
in the military made this a very special event
with high profile celebrities and politicians
attending. I saw this as an opportunity to help
my son. What I didnt expect was how my
attendance would directly affect me.
Yes, I am a family member and support giver
for a TBI survivor. I was aware of the
challenges involved with that role; I lived it.
However, I didnt realize that I too was the
victim of brain injury. How can that be? I was
diagnosed with a concussion when I was five
years-old after a class mate slammed a book on
my head; but other than that I had no physical
trauma to my brain. But yet there it was a

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picture that painted a thousand words. Based

on scientific research from several health
organizations including the National Institutes
of Health, your brain actually changes
after you suffer from trauma.

Source:
http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.co
m/content/stress/art1964.html
Like far too many civil servants challenging
workplace injustice, after my ordeal with the
Federal Government I was diagnosed with a
stress disorder. I was also diagnosed with
major depression. I had all the symptoms. I
was traumatized. It wasnt until I saw this
picture that I had to admit the US Dept. of
Health and Human Services intentionally
inflicts physical as well as mental and
emotional harm against its employees. Like
many of us, I am a Post-Traumatic Stress
disorder (PTSD) survivor.
How do you know if you have PTSD? To
start, know the symptoms. Is it difficult to
sleep? Do you have panic attacks? Do you
have unexplained headaches or stomach
ailments?
Do you have difficulty with
relationships? Are you forgetful? Do you have
mental flashbacks of incidents around the
discrimination you experienced? Are you like
me -- do you avoid things that remind you of
the abuse? Are you hypervigilant meaning you
seem to have endless energy to press and not
give up when others might?
Once youve compared the symptoms with your
condition and link the connections seek a
therapist that specializes in PTSD. Also, visit
your primary care physician to begin the
process of documenting the events. PTSD is
named as post because the symptoms
sometimes do not show up for months or years
The C4C Federal Exchange Newsletter

after the traumatic event. There is professional

treatment and self-treatment. Dont go it
alone. First you must acknowledge that you
have a condition. The social stigma, especially
in the Black community, of mental illness is
killing us. Left untreated this condition can
ruin your health, your social life, your family
and your life. The beautiful thing about the
C4C is that we are a community that supports
survivors of workplace abuse. However, your
connection to the organization alone will not
cure the medical consequences of the battle
scars youve endured. Get help.
We are all soldiers on the battlefield fighting
the good fight for justice. Dont be ashamed
to get treatment. Pace yourself. Love yourself.
Take care of yourself. If you live in a state that
has legalized marijuana, this is one time
when going to smoke a little weed may
be what the doctor orders. For more
information about PTSD visit the links below.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
http://www.adaa.org/understandinganxiety/posttraumatic-stress-disorderptsd/symptoms
Psychology Guides.
http://www.psychguides.com/guides/po
st-traumatic-stress-disorder-symptomscauses-and-effects/
This list is not exclusive. Rather, it serves as a
guide on how to seek support while you go
through the battle of seeking justice from the
Federal Government. Next Article: Stress and
its effect on your body mind and spirit. Take
Charge!

Arthuretta H. Martin, M.S. CFCM, DTM

Health and Wellness Chair-C4C

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Hilary Dike
(Veterans Affairs)
Roz Furch
(Agriculture)

Executive Administration
Tanya Ward Jordan, President/Founder
Paulette Taylor, Civil Rights Chair
Michael McCray, Esq. Special Advisor
Terri Williams, Greetings Chair
Diane Williams, Esq. Legislative Chair
Arthuretta Holmes-Martin
Health and Wellness Chair
Isaac Decatur, Outreach Chair
Willie Berry, Treasurer
David Grogan, Social Media Advisor
Dr. Keesha Karriem, Federal
Workforce Analyst

Pastor Michael Kim

(Veterans Affairs)
SOCIAL MEDIA

TWITTER
https://twitter.com/C4CFED
FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/c4cradio/
GOOGLE
https://plus.google.com/+TheC4C/posts
INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/c4cfed/
YOUTUBE
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheC4C
SCOOPIT
http://www.scoop.it/t/c4c-press-releases

The C4C Federal Exchange Newsletter

Vol.3 / No.4 (April 2016)

C4C On-Line Networks

Strategic Planning
Employment Litigation
Agriculture
Commerce
Veterans Affairs
Executive Support
Contact Information
Phone 202-810-5985
P.O. Box 142
Washington, DC 20044
http://coalition4change.org/
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For Your Information

C4C website recently added a link to Rate
Your Lawyer Visit link at
http://coalition4change.org/news.htm
Senator Grassley Addresses
Whistleblower case at Pentagon
April 4, 2016
http://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/new
s-releases/grassley-case-whistleblowerretaliation-pentagon

ARTICLE:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/p
owerpost/wp/2016/04/14/feds-urged-tofight-unconscious-bias-in-hiring-andpromotions/
Whos Carlton Hadden of the EEOC?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLUb
B2e5Nwo

Bureau of Prison Class Action

http://turnerclass.com/ Also, see Notice
of Class Action
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#search
/dennis+turner/153d586524b3f2b3?projec
tor=1
Amicus Brief- Tony Perry v Merit
Systems Protection Board
http://documents.tips/documents/amicusbrief-anthony-w-perry-v-merit-systemsprotection-board.html

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The C4C Federal Exchange

newsletter obtained its ISSN from the

Library of Congress in October 2014.
Editor -Tanya Ward Jordan

The C4C Federal Exchange Newsletter

Vol.3 / No.4 (April 2016)

ISSN 2375-7086

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