Mental Health Weekly - May 16, 2016
Mental Health Weekly - May 16, 2016
In This Issue
The National Coalition for Maternal
Mental Health (NCMMH) on May 17 is
hosting a lobby day and briefing on
Capitol Hill to push support for
Bringing Postpartum Depression
Out of the Shadows Act of 2015,
which will provide for better
education about and treatment of
maternal mental health issues, as
well as increased access to
appropriate care. The legislation
propose $5 million annually for four
years, 20162020, to states to
support their actions in finding
innovative solutions to this
pervasive problem, officials noted.
. . . See bottom story of this page
Company rebranding reflects
commitment to staff, community
. . . See page 4
Gov. Cuomo awards NYS providers
funds to build infrastructure
. . . See page 5
MHA, Walgreens seeking 3 million
online screenings by 2017
. . . See page 6
Los Angeles County restricts
solitary confinement for juveniles
. . . See page 8
Bottom Line
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what works, and now its time to coalesce around a systematic, evidence-based approach to addressing a true civil rights issue, he said.
NAMI weighs in
Ron Honberg, J.D., senior policy
advisor of advocacy and public policy for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, weighed in on the debate.
Its a tired old argument, Honberg
told MHW. My inclination whenever this topic comes up is there are
no answers really. Sufficient, supportive housing and community services, such as the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program, are
needed, he noted.
Additionally, improved treatment for people with co-occurring
mental health and substance use
disorders, and more peer support
services, would go a long way toward addressing these problems,
Honberg said. Short-term crisis stabilization acute beds are also important. In some parts of the country,
its very difficult to find inpatient
beds, said Honberg. Funding is also
critical. We need to spend wisely
on things that work, he said.
Honberg added, Who are the
people most at risk of homelessness
and incarceration? Were talking
about people with very serious psychiatric conditions, [such as] psychosis, and people with co-occurring
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Promoting recovery
Everyone is astounded to hear
that people can recover, even from
schizophrenia, Daniel Fisher, M.D.,
Ph.D., executive director and CEO
of the National Empowerment Center, told MHW. The public has to
learn that we do recover.
The increase of persons with
mental illness in institutions and jails
is largely due to cuts in the public
health services, said Fisher, also
chair of the board for the National
Coalition for Mental Health Recovery. We need to restore voluntary
community supports that have been
cut by $4 billion by states, he said.
Fisher, along with 20 other people who have recovered from psychiatric disabilities, developed the
Emotional CPR (eCPR) initiative.
eCPR is an educational program designed to teach anyone to assist another person through an emotional
crisis by connecting, empowering
and revitalizing, he noted. Programs
like this, developed by people who
are experiencing recovery, are important complements to the mental
health system, he said.
Recovery learning communities,
run by peers, can help people overMental Health Weekly DOI: 10.1002/mhw
Bottom Line
The re-branding of South Bay
Community Services includes the
implementation of an on-line
electronic learning management
system for staff to receive additional
training opportunities.
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an important factor in our customized wellness plans for all consumers, and our internal improvements
will only help our clinicians to more
efficiently serve individuals and
families in our communities.
Expanded services,
staff development
Following the rebranding, South
Bays expanded services are both in
reach and in service, Pelletier noted.
We have expanded our service locations for mental health, the Childrens Behavioral Health Initiative
(CBHI) as well as our Early Childhood Division, he said. Additionally, the organization is beginning to
provide autism services.
South Bay provides annual reimbursement opportunities for staff to
continue with continuing education
units, said Pelletier. Further, we have
implemented an online electronic
learning management system to provide additional training opportunities
as well as unique
/
specific training
topics for our employees, he said.
The staff has the ability to go
online and take various courses offering different techniques, he said.
The curriculum varies in the services that we provide, said Pelletier.
Company officials boast an outreach program unparalleled to other behavioral health care and family
services. We are one of the only
programs that offer the array of services via outpatient care, he said.
From experience, weve seen that
behavioral health care works best
when it is delivered in the community including in peoples homes,
schools, child care centers, hospitals, group homes and our own
South Bay offices.
Pelletier added, This gives our
clinicians the opportunity to physically reach those who need it most
no matter where they are or their
circumstances.
The organization employs 1,000
and serves more than 35,000 adults
and children throughout MassachuMental Health Weekly DOI: 10.1002/mhw
Kiosk machines
Herrick Lipton, CEO of New Horizon Counseling Center in Ozone
Park, said one plan for the use of the
grant award will be the installation
of mini kiosk machines in the waiting area for consumers. Among other things, consumers will be able to
book appointments and work with
staff on scheduling work through its
care management program. This
will allow clients to interact with our
website portal, Lipton told MHW.
Screening goal
Our goal is that everyone in
America should be screened for
mental health as frequently as
theyare for blood pressure (adults)
and hearing and vision for children,
Paul Gionfriddo, president and CEO
of MHA, told MHW. Gionfriddo
pointed to the recent recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services
Task Force that adolescents age 12
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Coming up
The U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association will hold its 2016 recovery
workforce summit, The State of Recovery in the World of Psych Rehab: Our
Collective Vision Put Into Action, May 2225 in Boston. Visit www.uspra.org for
more information.
Mental Health America will host its annual conference, Media, Messaging and
Mental Health, June 810 in Alexandria, Va. For more information, visit www.
mentalhealthamerica.net/annualconference.
The National Association for Rural Mental Health is hosting its 42nd annual
conference, Rural Mental Health: Whats Around the Corner? June 1518 in
Portland, Maine. Visit http://togpartners.com/narmh/2016 for more information.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness will hold its national convention, Act.
Advocate. Achieve., July 69 in Denver. Visit www.nami.org/convention for more
information.
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For more information on
behavioral health issues, visit
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