MHEP Newsletter

April 2007

Note

During 2007, MHEP will be offering an opportunity for subscribers to our quarterly newsletter to move to an e-mail version. We will provide you with information on how and when you may elect to make this change in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.

In the meantime, if you have moved and would like to update your mailing address, or if you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please call our toll-free number, 1/800/MHEPINC or 1/800/643-7462, and let us know. Thank you.

Contents

• MHEP Reports
• Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center Collaborative Recovery Project
• Upcoming Initiatives
• Upcoming Events
• Resources
• COMPLEMENTUM Suicide—Not a Good Idea

MHEP Reports

MHEP 2006 Consumer Survey Results, Statewide

MHEP is always interested in knowing your concerns about the mental health services that you receive. So, to that end, we have compiled this summary of responses from the participants of our annual regional conferences who opted to have their voices heard.

Total percentages for each category may not add up to 100% due to rounding of the numbers. These percentages reflect the total number of responses received from attendees at all of the Mental Health Empowerment Project’s 2006 annual conferences.

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MHEP Suicide Research Initiative

In 2006, the Mental Health Empowerment Project, Inc., conducted focus groups comprised of over 200 people who had, at some point in their lives, considered suicide. The focus groups began with a discussion of the importance of hope in the recovery process. This was followed by a discussion of what they found most helpful in keeping them from acting on their suicidal thoughts. Participants then completed a survey where they responded to a series of questions relating to the topic of hope/suicide.

Below (in descending order) are the coping strategies most frequently used by the participants of these focus groups when dealing with thoughts of suicide:

• Talking, companionship
• Doing (music, reading)
• Tasks (gardening, etc.)
• Pleasure (fun activities)
• Grounding (WRAP)
• Thinking (positive thoughts)
• Spirituality
• Consequences—to people close to me; to myself
• Peer Support
• Using the mental health system
• Protecting myself from means
• Finding a safe place
• Helping others
• Emotional outlet
• Resting
• Maintain sobriety

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Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center Collaborative Recovery Project

In 2005, MHEP, the NYS Office of Mental Health, and the Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center (MHFPC) began a yearlong collaboration to incorporate recovery-based principles into policies and practices at the facility. MHEP Deputy Director of Training, Ike Powell and Isaac Brown, Trainer, trained 500 staff in a recovery-based curriculum that had been specifically designed by Mr. Powell. The training consisted of four modules presented in sixty-seven sessions with facility staff and patients.

Perhaps the greatest barriers to change at the facility were old ways of thinking and the harmful practices that necessarily followed. Encouragingly, after the trainings had been underway for some time, Howard Holanchock, Executive Director of the facility stated that the staff were making the transition from the old model to one informed by recovery and hope. The series of trainings came to a close in late 2006, and the positive impact they made left a powerful and lasting impact in the lives of staff and patients.

There are plans to return to Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center in June 2007 to continue our work with peers. The emphases will be in developing skill building, teaching peers to train other peers, and to develop self-help groups and peer leaders at the facility—while at all times reinforcing the message of hope and recovery.
After visiting a training at Mid-Hudson, Paolo del Vecchio of SAMHSA, has made a commitment to have Howard Holanchock, John Allen (OMH), and the MHEP Executive Director, Peter Ashenden present this curriculum to SAMHSA staff at the Center for Mental Health Services.

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Upcoming Initiatives

Office for the Aging “SMP Program”

Recently, the staff of MHEP received training from the New York State Office for the Aging in support of their new Medicare/Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse program called “SMP” (toll-free number: 1-877-678-4697). Under this program, MHEP will provide trainings to assist recipients of Medicare and/or Medicaid to identify fraud and inappropriate billing on the part of their service providers. MHEP will begin providing information about this important initiative in April/May 2007.

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CQCAPD Survey

The Commission on the Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (CQCAPD), [http://www.cqcapd.state.ny.us/; is conducting a survey with individuals who have been offered, or been in receipt of, case management, or intensive case management services in the last two years.  It is their intent—in cooperation with MHEP and NYAPRS—to reach as many individuals as possible who meet these criteria, and ask them to complete a survey relating to these services. (The survey does not ask for individuals’ names or any other identifying information.) The timeframe for these surveys would be between April and September 2007. A special toll-free line has been set up for anyone interested in participating: 1-800-624-4143.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Mental Health Empowerment Project, Inc.’s 2007 Annual Regional Conferences

Keynote Speaker—Edward Knight, Ph.D

• Central New York (Hutchings Psychiatric Center, Syracuse)—May 15 (Tuesday)
• New York City Region (Hunter College)—June 7 (Thursday) (Tentative Date/Location)
• Long Island Bi-County (Nassau/Suffolk Counties) Conference (Melville Marriott)—June 22 (Friday)
• Western Region (Buffalo Psychiatric Center)—September 18 (Tuesday)
• Hudson River Region (Clarion, Albany)—October 18 (Thursday)

Details on this year’s conferences will be available shortly.

The Third Annual Mental Health Film Festival

Saturday, April 28, 2007 at 12 noon

St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights

Themes: Our Movement; From Restraints to Recovery; Hollywood Drama about mental illness

Tickets $5 in advance; $7 at the door

Lunch served

Contact Carla at:  212/780-1400, ext. 7726

Pat Deegan Trainings

http://www.patdeegan.com

From the homepage, click on training registration and then on “About the Training.”

Currently registering for “CommonGround: Recovery Oriented Practice,” April 10-11, 2007.

National Association For Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA)

Passing the Torch: New Advocates, New Skills, New Alliances

November 14-17, 2007

Radisson Hotel Los Angeles West Side

Los Angeles, CA

www.narpa.org

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RESOURCES

What A Difference A Friend Makes

In December 2006, SAMHSA, in partnership with the Ad Council, launched a national public service advertising awareness campaign designed to decrease the negative attitudes that surround mental illness and encourage young adults to support their friends who are living with mental health problems. The first round of the campaign focuses on young adults between the ages of 18-25 since this age group has the highest prevalence of mental health problems but also is the age group least likely to seek support.

For more information go to http://www.whatadifference.samhsa.gov or call 1-800-789-2647.

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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: After an Attempt. A Guide for Taking Care of Your Family Member After Treatment in the Emergency Department

Suicidal thoughts and actions generate conflicting feelings in family members who love the person who wishes to take his or her own life.  This guide will give you some important points on how to take care of yourself and your family member following a suicide attempt and it will provide resources to help you move forward.

Download this guide at: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SVP-0159/ or order by calling: 1-800-789-2647.

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HHS Office of Disability Launches New Website

The Office on Disability launched a completely redesigned website at www.hhs.gov/od. The new website provides comprehensive yet easy-to-access information supporting the seven domains—housing, education, information technology, transportation, health, employment, and community integration—identified by the President’s New Freedom Initiative; plus, information on advocacy, entitlements, and emergency preparedness.

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NIMH Supports New Website on Postpartum Depression

This website includes separate pages for healthcare providers and for consumers—the latter in both English and Spanish.

Go to: http://www.mededppd.org/

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SAMHSA Releases Guide on Reducing Stigma and Discrimination

“Developing a Stigma Reduction Initiative” is designed to support the activities of those who plan and implement a statewide, regional, or local effort to address and counter stigma and discrimination. The kit offers guidance on how to implement an initiative, sample materials and templates to use in developing communication materials, tactics to enhance outreach efforts, and directories or resources for creating public education materials. A school's training package and business materials to create mental health-friendly environments are also provided.

You can view the guide at: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/sma06-4176/
or, call 1-800-789-2647.

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Launch of a New Website, “Mental Illness Watch”

A new website called “Mental Illness Watch,” (or MIWATCH.org) was launched in late February. The site was the brainchild of Phyllis Vine, a New York advocate/author whose background includes journalism, history, and public health research. Vine believes that the mental health community needs an accessible forum where issues can be discussed constructively. Her goal is “to create an Internet portal for information, conversation, and dialog.”
The website can be viewed at: http://www.miwatch.org

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Launch of CMHS’ National Center for Trauma-Informed Care

The US Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Mental Health Services announced the launch of its National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC) in January of this year.

NCTIC was created to stimulate and support trauma informed care concepts and services within publicly funded mental health systems and programs.  Their goal is to make the trauma healing and recovery process more supportive, comprehensively integrated, and empowering for trauma survivors through the development and implementation of trauma informed care systems.

To learn more about this initiative, go to: http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/nctic

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Volunteerism

Volunteerism is the willingness of people to work on behalf of others without the expectation of pay or other tangible gain. Volunteers may have special training as rescuers, guides, assistants, teachers, missionaries, amateur radio operators, writers and in other positions, but the majority work on an impromptu basis, recognizing a need and filling it, whether it be the dramatic search for a lost child or the mundane giving of directions to a lost visitor. In economics, voluntary employment is unpaid employment. It may be done for altruistic reasons, for example charity, as a hobby, community service or vocation, or for the purpose of gaining experience.

--From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Find opportunities to volunteer in your community by going to the following websites:

www.Volunteermatch.org—Click on “Search” to find a variety of volunteer opportunities in your geographic area that will fit your skills and interests.

www.DoSomething.org—Provides you with a broad array of information ranging from how to volunteer to providing volunteer opportunities in your area.

www.Local.com—Type “volunteer” in “What”; and your local zip code in “Where”; to search for volunteer opportunities in your area.

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COMPLEMENTUM

Com . ple . men . tum, v.t., Lat.: to make whole

Suicide - Not a Good Idea

By: Mary Ellen Copeland

Experiencing psychiatric symptoms is horrible. Many people who try and live with these symptoms every day sometimes feel so discouraged they want to end their lives. Suicide is never a good idea. Why not?

1. Psychiatric symptoms get better. Sometimes they get better even if you don't do anything about them. But there are many things you can do to help relieve these symptoms. To feel a little better right now, try the following:
   • Tell someone how you feel--someone you like and trust. Talk to them until you feel better. Then listen to them while they tell you what is going on in their life.
   • Do something you really enjoy--something you love to do--like go for a walk, read a good book, play with your pet, draw a picture or sing a song.
   • Get some exercise--any kind of movement will help you feel better. It doesn't have to be strenuous.
   • Eat something healthy like a salad, some fruit, a tuna fish sandwich or a baked potato.
   • Develop and use a symptom monitoring and response plan (Wellness Recovery Action Plan™) to help yourself get well and stay well.
2. When you feel better, you will have many wonderful experiences--warm spring days, snowy winter days, laughs with friends, playing with children, good movies, tasty food, great music, seeing, hearing, feeling. You will miss all these things, and many more, if you are not alive.
3. Your family members and friends will be devastated if you end your life. They will never get over it. They will think about it and miss you every day for the rest of their lives. If you have a box of family photographs, choose some photos of the people you love and display them around your house to remind yourself that you never want to hurt these people.
   • When symptoms are very severe, you may have a hard time making good decisions for yourself. To make it hard to make a bad decision, like ending your life, make suicide hard for yourself by taking these preventive actions.
   • Get rid of all the old pills and any firearms you might have around your house.
   • Give away your car keys, credit cards and check books when you start to feel experience symptoms--before they get worse.

There are good people who can help you through these hard times. It may be your family members or friends. Set up a system with them so they will stay with you around the clock when your symptoms are severe. If you don't have family members or friends who could do this, call your local mental health emergency services and ask them what to do.

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Help Wanted

UPenn Study: Internet Peer Support Study for People with Serious Psychiatric Disabilities

The UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration is seeking participants who will use e-mail for peer support and recovery.

They are looking for people who:

• Have been diagnosed with a mental illness, other than anxiety disorders;
• Have access to a computer and the Internet;
• Would consider using the Internet for support and information;
• Are United States residents; and
• Are fluent in English.

Participants will be compensated up to $60 for their participation in this study.  If you want to participate or would like more information, please e-mail them at: mhsupp@mail.med.upenn.edu

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