Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

from DBSA: 



Educational Programs & Events


DBSA hosts a variety of educational and fundraising events throughout the year. We encourage you to check our events calendar often to find out upcoming opportunities to participate! 

View a full range of events by visiting:

 DBSA Events Calendar (DBSA National hosted events)
 Events Outside of DBSA (Events hosted by organizations outside of DBSA)
 DBSA Local Chapters (Check the DBSA Chapter pages to find regional events in your area, like Facing Us Events.)
DBSA National Confernce
September 10-14, 2008
Tap into the "Power of Peers" this September as DBSA presents a conference of compelling educational workshops, pre- and post-conference institutes and an unprecedented lineup of renowned keynote speakers:
Peer Specialist CE
Live Webinar
October 14, 2008
Moving from Peer to Peer Provider
Presenters:
Lisa C. Goodale, ACSW, LSW and Terry O'Connor




Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

NAMI Michigan NAMIWALK

from WHERE'S MARTY RECOVERY TOUR: 


Today I took the Silverwing to the NAMI Michigan NAMIWALK on Belle Isle. It was a great walk. There were lots of people there. I couldn't walk today as I have broken a bone in my foot so my ability to stand, much less walk is limited.

What I saw was many people walking, talking and having a great time. People with a mental illness, people who had family members who have a mental illness, friends of people who have a mental illness. There are more families involved now, I mean the ones with young kids. For a long, long time it always seemed to me that the people with an illness were around; sometimes they had parents and sometimes they didn't.




But now, there are families with younger kids involved. I am so glad that I have grandkids. (See grandkids to the left; Can't you just feel the love?) They would have been there today, but the truck was broken. 

I would love to tell you that my meds changed everything, but what made the biggest change for me was the support that I got from people and for me, many of the people who did the supporting were NAMI members (both family and consumer members; I always get asked.) And yes, I am often a fan of NAMI Michigan. We don't always agree, but they are a major reason I am well. Of course they are also a major reason that I have learned to become a great advocate.



Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Congress passes mental health parity bills, final enactment may be near

from Mercer Select: 



The House and Senate each passed mental health parity legislation, bringing months of negotiation to a near close. While the legislation would expand current parity rules, employers could define the mental health and substance abuse conditions covered by their plans and use medical management techniques. States could establish stricter rules for insured health plans. Although House and Senate provisions are identical, because they are contained in different bills, it's not clear yet how the two will be reconciled. The law would be effective for plan years beginning a year after enactment.  (Select News, 24 Sep 2008)


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Friday, September 26, 2008

Public Comment on Use of Block Grant Funding

Public Comment Request


Public comment is requested on the Michigan Department of Community Health’s annual application for Community Mental Health Block Grant funding. The application is for funding of $13,088,713 for the fiscal year that begins October 1, 2008. These annual funds are used to improve public community-based mental health services for adults who have serious mental illness and for children who have serious emotional disturbance.

The plan can be accessed at the following site: http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2941_4868_4902-125922--,00.html. There is a link at the site that may be used to submit comments. Comment may also be made in person at meetings of the Advisory Council on Mental Illness.

If you would like a copy of the plan mailed to you, or would like information on the Advisory Council meetings, please call Karen Cashen at (517) 335-5934 or e-mail her at cashenk@michigan.gov



Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Wall Street Journal: Mental Health Parity Bill Passed by Congress

from tonehall:


In a bleak news day, it was good to see that Congress finally gets it - mental health should be treated with the same seriousness as other health-related matters.
Though the bills that were passed exempt companies with less than 50 employees, it's a start in the right direction toward healthcare equity for those with mental health issues.
Here's an excerpt from Jacob Goldstein's piece:
A long fight over putting the coverage of mental health on par with other health conditions is nearly over.
Both houses of Congress yesterday passed bills that would prohibit employers who offer mental health coverage from doing things like charging higher co-pays for mental health services than for other kinds of health care. That’s long been a common practice.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Update: House passes Rep. Kennedy's mental-health bill


WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives passed Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy's mental-health parity legislation on a 376-to-47 vote tonight.
The Rhode Island Democrat's bill now awaits Senate action that may not be easy to secure this week because of the crush of urgent business, including the bail-out of the nation's financial system.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Bipolar in Louisville

I got a call this a.m. from a Congressional office (Yarmuth's) after a query about WHEN the Mental Health Parity Bill would come before the House and Senate. The word I got was that this would be tomorrow-- Tuesday, September 23, 2008. The nice lady to whom I talked said that the proceedings would 'probably' be broadcast on C-SPAN. [Those like me who lack cable with this specialized channel can Google C-SPAN on Internet and watch online.]  More... 

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Friday, September 19, 2008

Michigan Recovery Council Meeting, Part 6

REE Implementation in Michigan:

Darby from Advocates for Human Potential
Hired to implement the REE in Michigan

Implement the REE in Each CMH and each Provider Agency. with people who have been in the system for 90 days

Planning:

  1. CMH make Narrative Plan
    1. Sampling plan table
    2. Describe how to pick consumers
    3. How the REE will be administered
  2. Monitors will administer instrument.
    1. ACT
    2. Target Case Management
    3. Psychosocial Rehab
    4. Consumer run drop-ins
    5. Supported Employment
    6. Medication Clinics
    7. Group Homes

Various methods for sampling were discussed..

The surveyors may be peer specialists, staff of consumer programs, individual contractors, etc. Can't have conflict of interest. Much to be decided on this yet.

Preferred way for administering survey: Given on site at a program by consumer surveys to groups of consumers. Other ways can also be used.. there will be a web based version on Survey Monkey.

Not yet a bilingual  version.  This problem must be solved. Many other issues of logistics and detailed implementation came up.

Irene summarized the discussion by saying that the initiative will try to touch every aspect of the system with recovery.

Accommodations will be provided to assure that each person will be able to do the survey regardless of characteristic.

Data Collection will be over a 10 month period during 2009.. Each area will have 2 months to administer per area.

There will be some learning curve on this effort. There will be training for the Surveyors. There will also be a manual and a 1-800 number for questions.

No individual info will be reported in any form
Aggregated results will be provided to DCH
Reports for individual agencies and programs will be provided to each agency, but will not be public.

Rich talked about RCE's involvement in the REE implementation. There was also a discussion about using consumer run centers as a source of surveyors.

See you in two months.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

NAMI Fund For Hurricanes Gustav & Ike Disaster Relief To Help People With Mental Illnesses

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has established a special fund to provide relief to individuals and families affected by serious mental illnesses in Lousiana and Texas communities devastated by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

Donations to the NAMI Hurricane Relief Fund can be made on-line athttp://www.nami.org/HurricaneRelief. One hundred percent of funds raised will go directly to individuals and families through local NAMI affiliates.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Michigan Recovery Council Meeting: September 19, 2008, Part 5

After Lunch

Questions came up during lunch. People were concerned about reliability and validity. Priscilla went over the evidence for both.

The Special Needs section will be tweaked for language. Then a final version will be issued for use in Michigan. The Special needs section is only filled out by people who are in the respective categories.

Recovery Markers Section:

Outcomes are a less useful concept than markers as signs on the journey. There is a proportional relationship between number of markers and where on the journey you are.

Last Section has continuum responses.  The responses can point to system needs assessment information.

Many questions about possible uses. It seems that most are possible.

End of  REE Overview

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Michigan Recovery Council Meeting: September 19, 2008, Part 4

Part 4

The GUTS!!

Positive life markers are very important, and tell the tale of recovery.
No real problem with people understanding what the terms mean. Could add guiding terms or phrases to help people understand the question.

There is a magnetic list of the Pieces of Recovery. Got to keep it away from my computer. The 10 pieces of recovery are:

  1. Hope
  2. Self-Direction
  3. Individualized and Person-Centered
  4. Empowerment
  5. Holistic
  6. Non-Linear
  7. Strengths based
  8. Peer Support
  9. Respect
  10. Responsibility
The next section includes things like trauma, LGBT, cultural background, and other special circumstances.

Break til 1 pm.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Michigan Recovery Council Meeting: September 19, 2008, Part 3

Priscilla talked about the beginning, and its changes in Michigan.

Page 3 talks about stages in recovery. Change is a process: before you contemplate, contemplating recovery, planning recovery, active involvement, setbacks, and maintenance of recovery.

Moving along this process is dramatically accelerated .if the first time a person seeks services, they are met and introduced to a person who is in recovery, and can tell the person that recovery works. Many people never hear meaningful information about the possibility of recovery. This hope is especially important when the person is coming into the system through an Access Center.

Setbacks result in the disintegration of built infrastructure, requiring their rebuilding and additional support.

End of Part 3

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Michigan Recovery Council Meeting: September 19, 2008, Part 2

Council Members are telling about various consumer events, including a consumer conference at Baycliffe in the UP.  Now going through the approval of the minutes from the July 18th meeting.  Irene then welcomed the members of the Improving Practices Leadership Team (IPLT), and explained the collaborative approach that IPLT are using to build new practices, and that all we do with adults with mental illness is grounded in recovery.

Priscilla started her presentation on the REE. She thanked the Recovery Council for its efforts to make recovery the framework for services in Michigan. She went through the history of recovery and its denial. She sees her work as supporting individuals in recovery. Gradually, individual stories of recovery lead to the assumption of the peer responsibility by those individuals, and final recommendations by the government that all mental health services needed to be framed by the principles of recovery. in the late 90's and early part of the 21st century. The system of services should be driven by the lived experience of peers.

Performance measurement of recovery outcomes is critical to making the system honest. Output measures are typically ineffective at showing real change for individuals in their lives. Priscilla started looking at Recovery from the perspective of peers. She started out with peers stories, and then she talked to peer specialists.

Her model of Recovery has 3 parts:

  1. Identity (hope, sense of meaning and purpose, more than a mental patient)
  2. Self-Management (requires a shift in perspective, focused on wellness)
  3. Reclaiming your life (living a full life, belonging, basic resources, connections to others, being productive)
One person brought up the problem of CMH's not hiring peer specialists. Priscilla pointed out that recovery will be the system in 4-5 years, and that is the model the CMHs will be held to. Without peer specialists, they will not look good. Also, she pointed out that there are other roles peers can play besides specialists, including evaluation and monitoring. One group of peers performed their evaluation for a professional, peer, and family audience as a play, producing a far deeper effect than the numbers would.

The measurement and monitoring process also supports the individual doing the measurement  in going forward in their recovery.

End of Part 2.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Michigan Recovery Council Meeting: September 19, 2008, Part 1

Once again, we convene at Lansing Community College's West Campus to expand and deepen Michigan's Recovery Movement.

Today, the big agenda item is the beginning of making the Recovery Enhancing Environment measure the way our mental health system will tell how well it is internalizing the principles of recovery.

We are going through introductions right now.

Mike Head is speaking now.  His first question is, "Where is this Council going?"

The CMHSP's will be going through a renewal of their applications to run regional mental health services.  Outreach for peer and family feedback on what CMH's should be providing. Mike said that each PIHP will engage peers in developing their application.  The department will be evaluating the depth of peer involvement not only in the application, but also in the ongoing operations of the PIHP. In FY 2010, the plans will influence the negotiation of each PIHP contract.

Mike said that he participated in the recent Director's Forum about pay levels for peers.  He told them that framing the peer work as reducing hospitalization costs through real data is a way to justify higher pay.

"Access is not just bout saying yes or no; it's about giving people airtime."

First Question: How can peer support specialists get health care coverage? Mike said that they addressed health care as a general service for peers, but not especially peer support specialists.  Another person said that she spends a lot of time helping people figure out how to deal with medical debt. Mike also discussed availability of work incentives through SSI/SSDI and the Freedom to Work Act for people who don't have spend downs. Benefits Counseling is also available.

Mike talked about the feedback process on the application. Then, they will finalize the application, send it out to PIHPs, and give them 3 months to prepare, followed by .the department reviewing the applications with the PIHP's.

End of Part 1

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Parity update

The platforms of both political parties endorse some form of parity, though the Republican platform does not specifically include access to addiction treatment.


A parity law will be an important milestone, but it's clear that it does not mean that there will suddenly be easy access to care. Insurers will implement tight managed care protocols and, practically speaking, things may not be very different. Parity does not equal equity. This will be the next long struggle.    More...


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

The Power of Peers

I returned this week from the national conference of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, held in Norfolk, Virginia. The theme of the meeting was "The Power of Peers," and the lectures I attended, the response to the one I presented, and the conversations I had with fellow attendees all underlined for me the importance of this concept. Many at the conference were leaders of local DBSA chapters around the United States; some were peer counselors, peer trainers or peer advocates for mental health parity. Most were also living with depression or bipolar disorder themselves, or had a close family member with one of these illnesses. More...

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Congress Passes Bill With Protections for Disabled


WASHINGTON — Congress gave final approval on Wednesday to a major civil rights bill, expanding protections for people with disabilities and overturning several recent Supreme Court decisions.
The voice vote in the House, following Senate passage by unanimous consent last week, clears the bill for President Bush.
The White House said Mr. Bush would sign the bill, just as his father signed the original Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990.
The bill expands the definition of disability and makes it easier for workers to prove discrimination. It explicitly rejects the strict standards used by the Supreme Court to determine who is disabled.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

NARPA 2008



Save the Date!
October 1-4, 2008, Austin, Texas
Announcing NARPA's 26th Annual Rights Conference:

"Seizing Opportunities for Change"

Click here for mare details and to REGISTER.



Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Could mental health parity be in the offing?

 Lawmakers will try to move mental health parity legislation by attaching it to a tax bill that will be addressed by the Senate this week, CongressDaily reports (Edney, CongressDaily, 9/17).  Lawmakers reached anagreement in July that would combine the House and Senate mental health parity bills by removing a House mandate on coverage of specific mental health conditions in favor of one that would require that mental health benefits be equal to physical health benefits. No funding mechanism was included in the agreement (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 9/10).  The parity bill currently is being considered by theSenate Finance Committee, which has been charged with finding funding offsets. The House passed a similar bill this summer that would offset the cost by placing restrictions on physician-owned hospitals.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Sunday, September 14, 2008

The 10 by 10 campaign


from Kathryn Wyeth

The 10 by 10 Campaign Update
Volume 4
August/September 2008
Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Greetings!  This is the fourth update on the 10 by 10 Campaign to promote wellness for people with mental illnesses and reduce early mortality by 10 years over the next 10 year time period.  Please forward to anyone who might be interested. 
In this issue:
      New Grant Aims to Overcome Obesity in People with Serious Mental Illness
      Working Toward Wellness
      CDC National Health Interview Survey
      National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
      SAMHSA Smoke-Free Conference Policy
      Quote on Wellness
      Disease Prevention Called a Better Bet
      Consumer Affairs Enews
      Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report – Now Available!
A National Call to Action for Wellness of People with Mental Illnesses
        The early mortality rates of people with serious mental illness – up to 25 years life lost – have recently received much-needed attention. This disparity in life expectancy is unacceptable.  People with serious mental illnesses deserve to live as long and healthy lives as other Americans.
        As the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) Medical Director’s Council recently reported the “increased morbidity and mortality are largely due to treatable medical conditions that are caused by modifiable risk factors such as smoking, obesity, substance abuse, and inadequate access to medical care.”
The Pledge for Wellness
        We envision a future in which people with mental illness pursue optimal health, happiness, recovery, and a full and satisfying life in the community via access to a range of effective services, supports, and resources.
        We pledge to promote wellness for people with mental illness by taking action to prevent and reduce early mortality by 10 years over the next 10 year time period. Over 50 organizations have signed onto the pledge. Sing up now by email: paolo.delvecchio@samhsa.hhs.gov
New Grant Aims to Overcome Obesity in People with Serious Mental Illness
A new grant funded by NIMH will test the effectiveness of a promising intervention designed to help people with serious mental illness (SMI) who are overweight or obese lose weight and keep it off.
Obesity is common among people with SMI and contributes to a higher risk for cardiovascular disease and a shortened life expectancy. Yet, typical weight loss programs are frequently less effective for people with SMI. Gail Daumit, M.D., M.H.S., of Johns Hopkins University, and colleagues designed a comprehensive behavioral weight loss program tailored to the specific needs of people with SMI.
The program will be tested in a randomized clinical trial—named the ACHIEVE trial—with 320 participants in up to ten psychiatric rehabilitation centers around Maryland. Participants will be randomized to either the intervention or to a comparison group who will receive “usual care” that does not include the tailored components.
Participants in the intervention group will receive six months of intensive group and individual weight loss management and counseling sessions that complement their mental health treatments, plus exercise classes. During a 12-month follow-up maintenance period, the intensity and frequency of sessions will gradually taper off. The researchers will measure the participants’ change in weight and other health-related factors over the 18-month period. If successful, the intervention could become the basis for a model program to help people with SMI conquer obesity.
For more information go to:
Working Toward Wellness
        The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance’s booklet can help you look at your life style choices, track your progress, recognize the patterns relating to your mental health. Through examples it guides you in areas like symptoms, mood triggers, peer support, healthy lifestyle, talking to health care providers and others about your illness, crisis planning, and helping you to put together a wellness plan that fits you. 
CDC National Health Interview Survey
        The issue of health and well-being of people with disabilities is receiving recognition as a national and international priority, as several recent initiatives indicate. The accomplishment of these initiatives requires high quality data to uncover disparities, plan programs, and monitor and evaluate progress.
3% of the population reported emotional difficulties.  Approximately one-half of adults with emotional difficulties were under 45 years of age.  Of those who were aged 65 years or over with any basic actions difficulty, only 13% reported emotional difficulties.
Women were also overrepresented in the population with emotional difficulty (64%), and emotional difficulty is not as likely to be associated with increasing age as other disabilities.
Approximately 52% of those with emotional difficulty reported fair or poor health which is of interest because those with emotional difficulty are more likely to be 18–44 years of age, and this age group generally reports better health.
About one-third of adults with emotional difficulty were obese, compared with less than 20% of adults with no disability.
People with emotional difficulties were by far the most likely to smoke (43%) compared with those who had other types of difficulties.
Among adults with specific types of disability, current heavy drinking rates were highest for adults with the least severe difficulty in movement (10%) and with emotional difficulty (8%),  Rates of reporting of 5 or more drinks on 21 or more days in the past year were highest among people with emotional difficulty (18%).
Adults with emotional difficulty, who tend to be younger than those with other types of difficulties, are more likely to lack a usual source of healthcare (18%)  People with emotional difficulty were more likely than those with other types of disability to report aclinic or health center as their source of care (24%) – in contrast to private doctors and other settings.
People with emotional difficulties most often reported being uninsured (28%).
Among men and women 50 years of age and over with various types of basic actions difficulties, those with emotional difficultywere less likely to receive influenza vaccination than those with movement difficulty, seeing or hearing difficulty, or cognitive difficulty.
National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
        The mission of the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is to promote substantial health benefits that can be gained from participating in regular physical activity. The slogan of NCPAD is Exercise is for EVERY body, and every person can gain some health benefit from being more physically active.  NCPAD is an information center concerned with physical activity and disability. 
For more information, please see: http://www.ncpad.org/
SAMHSA Smoke-Free Conference Policy
Effective August 15, 2008, SAMHSA has adopted a smoke-free conference policy.
Policy Summary
        SAMHSA’s smoke-free Conference Policy requires that all meetings and conferences (20 or more participants) sponsored by SAMHSA or organized by a SAMHSA employee(s) be held in a town, city, county, or state that is smoke-free—this includes SAMHSA conferences done through a contract.
SAMHSA encourages adherence to Smoke-Free Conference Policy for conferences for which SAMHSA is a co-sponsor.
        An approved conference facility is in a locality that is covered by a state or local law that requires smoke-free enclosed workplaces and public places including restaurants and meeting facilities.
Quote on Wellness
Physical activity is vital to promote and maintain health, but it's easy for many of us to overlook. The Physical Activity Guidelines (see last page) will underscore the importance of physical activity to America's health and assist on the journey to a healthier life. Good health—wellness—doesn’t just happen. Wellness has to be a habit."
Secretary Michael O. Leavitt
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Disease Prevention Called a Better Bet
Wellness Programs Yield Greater Returns, Report Finds
By Megan Greenwell, Washington Post
An ounce of prevention in community health programs could save states hundreds of millions in health-care costs, a new study has found. The report from the Trust for America's Health, a nonprofit health advocacy group, found that programs encouraging physical activity, healthy eating and no smoking were a better investment than those concentrating primarily on treatment.
The results are laid out in a state-by-state breakdown. The District, the researchers found, would save $9.90 for every dollar invested, or $57 million over five years. Maryland would save $6 for every dollar, for $332 million over five years, and Virginia would save $385 million -- $5.20 for every dollar spent.
The researchers arrived at their numbers by calculating potential decreases in several chronic diseases based on a $10 investment per person. They found that community health programs could reduce rates of diabetes and high blood pressure by 5 percent within two years and reduce the incidence of some forms of cancer and arthritis within 10 to 20 years.
The report, called Prevention for a Healthier America, emphasizes a major role for nonprofit community health programs such as the YMCA. It also advocates that state and local governments help create healthier communities. Researchers endorsed such initiatives as increased tobacco taxes, smoke-free laws, nutrition labeling on restaurant menus and maintaining sidewalks as low-cost ways to encourage healthy living.
The researchers commended several innovative community health initiatives, including a children's program in Dallas that has led to healthier eating and increased physical activity among youngsters and the District's new Child Health Action Plan, which targets some of the city's worst health problems affecting youth. However, the researchers found that many such programs lack funding, a chronic problem for many preventive health initiatives.
Consumer Affairs Enews
The CMHS Office of the Associate Director for Consumer Affairs has established a Listserv to support the participation of mental health consumers in all aspects of CMHS policy, planning, and grant activities. The E-News provides useful news and information from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration including CMHS as well as other Federal agencies.  This includes information on trainings, grants, publications, campaigns, programs, and statistics and data reports related to mental health.
To join the Consumer Affairs Listserv go to: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/listserv/
Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report – Now Available!
        On October 26, 2006, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt announced the development of comprehensive guidelines to help Americans fit physical activity into their lives. The Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, 2008 is now available and presents and summarizes the Advisory Committee's review of science relating physical activity to a variety of health outcomes, also addressing particular subgroups of the population such as children and youth, pregnant and postpartum women, persons with disabilities, and individuals with some chronic conditions.
You can access the Report (and provide comment) by going to

For more information on CMHS Wellness Efforts, please contact:
Paolo del Vecchio
Associate Director for Consumer Affairs
CMHS, SAMHSA
1 Choke Cherry Rd. Rockville, MD 20857
Phone: (240) 276-1946
Fax: (240) 276-1340
<>


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Friday, September 12, 2008

The Center of Recovery & the Arts

from Gerald Butler:


The same programs available to us here in Michigan are the same across the nation. What makes Michigan’s recovery efforts so successful is this: no matter the quality of a program, if consumers do not actively participate in our own recovery process, we do not do well. The will to participate in the process lies in a basic, deep-seated belief that our recovery is possible. We needed leaders who had the same belief as ours. Two things I know for a fact are 1) I will never understand Algebra 2) Unless a person has walked in our shoes, they will never know the high value we place on our recovery.
At the base of Michigan’s advances in this field are people who are totally committed to systematic recovery. They have laughed with us, cried with us, broke bread at our tables, they have pushed us and pulled us and did whatever was necessary to assure doors were open. I feel I have a duty to pass that hope and trust on to as many of my brothers and sisters in recovery as possible. Being a musician it was natural that I chose music as a method of communicating the message, so I started the ‘Recovery Band’. Telling our stories artistically has had a profound effect on my recovery and those who work with us. I realize there is a goldmine of healing in the relationship between the arts and a healthy recovery.
These days one does not have to look far to find a support group. In my work with the band I am finding people who are more than Bi-Polar, more than severely depressed, many of these people are artists, poets, musicians, and writers. Support groups are extremely necessary and help us cope with our disease. Part of our contribution to system transformation is to become as independent as possible. Self-esteem and pride are vital components of independence. After treatment and above support systems, many of us must find who we really are deep down. We must then focus on two things 1) concentrate on and improve our positive attributes, 2) continue to pass the message of hope on to others. Thanks to Southwest Counseling we will soon have a program dedicated to these ideals.
By employing Peer Support as it’s base, The Center of Recovery & the Arts shall provide a recovery enhanced environment where artists of all genre’ can feel safe and comfortable enough to communicate their recovery artistically. Wanting to help in anyway possible spread the message of recovery; the members of the ‘Recovery Band’ shall be actively involved in the daily concerns of the center. We have learned how to put Peer Support into practice and we want to share our experiences. The center is in consultation with Yale University’s Dr. Priscilla Ridgeway (Pathways to Recovery). An artist in her own right, Dr. Ridgeway has begun similar programs and is willing to show us what she has learned. Her only demand was that our intentions be solely for and about consumer recovery.
Our dream is to one day be a valid enough program that the Michigan Recovery Council would advise us and we would provide the council with reports. Thus assuring the consumers we work with get the absolute utmost care and attention. Also, since different cultures have diverse ways of expressing themselves artistically, we hope to be able to learn and share by exhibiting art and music from consumers of other cultures I feel all cultures have certain valuable tools to contribute to the treatment and recovery process and everyone benefits when ideas are exchanged.
We have found a place where we can hone our skills before a live audience. Mexicantown’s Cafe Con Leche is a coffee the sponsors Poetry & Music Night. This is a night of folks sharing music, stories, journals, and poetry in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The Center also been in contact with local professional musicians and artists willing to volunteer their time and do workshops on such varied topics as, playing the blues, financial management, promotion, mixing colors, telling your story effectively. Plus a whole lot more!
Change is inevitable and whenever it is economic consumers pay by losing vital programs. What is and has been needed are leaders who can adapt to change while maintaining a high- level of consumer care. Since consumer directed programs are a vital part of transforming the system of treatment and recovery, we thank ‘Southwest Counseling’ for providing us this opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities and talents. We will be announcing the opening of the center soon.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

VIDEO: Idlewild play at Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Fest

from The Herald

The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, now the largest of its kind in the world, announced a programme of over 100 events yesterday.

Scottish music acts including Idlewild, King Creosote, and Sons and Daughters are part of the line-up, alongside film screenings, visual art, theatre and drama events.

There will also be a new two-day literary festival featuring Scottish writers Sheila Puri and Leela Soma, and Scottish poet and playwright Liz Lochead.

The festival, now in its second year, will run from October 1-19 and take in major arts and community venues across Scotland.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Senate Finance Committee members push for compromise on mental health parity legislation

from News-Medical.net


The Senate Finance Committee has begun discussing potential funding offsets for a compromise on mental health parity legislation passed by the House and Senate earlier in the 110th Congress, CongressDaily reports.

Lawmakers reached an agreement in July that would combine the House and Senate bills by removing a House mandate on coverage of specific mental health conditions in favor of one that would require that mental health benefits be equal to physical health benefits, although no funding mechanism was included in the agreement.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.), when asked about the bill's chances of passing this month, said, "The funnel is so small, there's so little time and there's so much we have to pass here," adding, "I'll hope." Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), who is expected to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to discuss the compromise, said the bill must receive final approval this month before attentions shift to the November elections. Kennedy said it is a "good bipartisan, bicameral compromise bill" and has secured "a sign-off from both business and consumer groups," adding, "[I]t's just hard to think that you're going to be able to get that kind of sign-off and political compromise back again without a lot of footwork." Kennedy also said there is a chance that business groups would withdraw their support for the parity legislation if it has to start from scratch next year.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Thursday, September 11, 2008

McCain vs Obama on mental health

from Crazy Meter:


Ok I found some REALLY great info regarding the candidates and mental health.

There is a TON of info, so I am just going to post links and a few summaries or key points.

Main Article Link:
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/09/07/mccain-vs-obama-on-mental-health-psychology-issues/

NAMI's 'Grading The States' (AZ vs IL) and a Summary of Info
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/09/07/mccain-vs-obama-on-mental-health-psychology-issues?pp=3#summary

NAMI's candidate questionaire and responses
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=2008_Primaries_and_Elections&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=65952&MicrositeID=0



Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Labels arrest thought. (Diagnosing prevents curing.)

Labels, stereotypes, abbreviations, shorthands, and heuristics are bad trade-offs. They speed communication and muddy it at the same time. Worse, once we apply the label, we stop thinking.

Labeling is used so often because it is so efficient.


Labeling is a particularly dangerous behavior in health care, and yet it is considered proper and necessary behavior. In health care, labeling or stereotyping is called making a diagnosis.

Making a diagnosis implies to both providers and patients that problem is understood. Consider some common diagnoses (or labels) that you see in TV advertisements by pharmaceutical companies selling drugs directly to consumers or by lawyers recruiting clients for class action suits.
Fibromyalgia (= pain in joints and muscles. The mechanism of disease is a mystery.)
Mesothelioma (= cancer of the lining of the lungs, often follows exposure to asbestos. How does the asbestos produce the tumor? Your guess is as good as mine.)
Erectile dysfunction (The "what" is obvious. The "why" is unknown.)


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Mental Health Parity Needs your support

The National Eating Disorders Association has issued the following alert:

Call-in day for passing mental health parity is this Wednesday Sept. 10. The NEDA wants people to call their members of Congress.

From the NEDA:

Action: On Wednesday, Sept. 10th, you should call your U.S. Representative and Senators by using the toll-free Parity Hotline: 1-866-parity4 (1-866-727-4894). The Parity Hotline reaches the U.S. Capitol switchboard which can connect callers to the offices of their members.

If you don’t know who your senator is, you can simply tell them your state and they will connect you. For your representatives, go to www.house.gov and then enter your zip code – this will identify who your Representative is.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

On Being A ‘Difficult’ Patient

A COLLEAGUE RECENTLY introduced me to a young physician, noting that her research interest was difficult patients. "Really," I responded. "I’m a difficult patient, and it’s served me well." I assumed that she considered being a difficult patient a good thing, but her pained expression suggested otherwise. We shared an awkward moment before parting, and I walked away considering the plight of the "difficult" patient.

In the clinical world, the term difficult is applied to a variety of patients: the noncompliant; the rude, abusive, and manipulative; the malingering; the mentally ill; the skeptical. In my case, I too frequently challenged my doctors with questions and too often chose a treatment that differed from what they’d recommended. I consider myself to be an assertive patient, but it was clear on many occasions that some providers thought I deserved the "difficult" label.

How did I earn this distinction? Surely some of it was genetic predisposition; I was born with a feisty personality that compensates for my diminutive stature. But mostly it was born of necessity, a survival instinct that involved both fight and flight.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 8, 2008

Nursing home inquiry grows

TRENTON | The state is expanding its investigation into a company operating eight assisted-living facilities, some of which allegedly evicted residents who tried to switch to Medicaid after they spent thousands of dollars of their own money at the homes.

The office began an investigation into Wisconsin-based Assisted Living Concepts in May after receiving complaints from several residents who were involuntarily discharged from the homes or threatened with eviction after spending down their private accounts.


The state Public Advocate's Office announced Friday more than 100 current and former residents could have experienced similar circumstances.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Friday, September 5, 2008

Medical Debt

Debt resulting from medical bills deters people from seeking future care, which can result in the need for more expensive treatment later on. In addition, medical debt can affect the overall financial security of families and undermine their economic stability. These are some of the findings from The Access Projects work with community organizations across the country to examine the consequences of medically-related debt for individuals and families.

Do you have medical debt?
The Access Project’s Medical Debt Resolution Program may be able to help. Please complete our intake form and someone from our program will respond with information and assistance. The form may be filled out electronically using our online form or, print out a .pdf version and return it to us by email info@accessproject.org or fax 617 654-9922.
The Access Project Testifies at Congressional Hearing on Medical Bankruptcy & Medical Debt
Mark Rukavina, Executive Director of The Access Project, testified on July 17, 2007 at the hearing "Working Families in Financial Crisis: Medical Debt and Bankruptcy" of the House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law. The hearing focused on medical debt as a contributor to personal bankruptcy. In his testimony, Mr. Rukavina described how the financial burden of health care costs sometimes results in medical debt. He presented information on the prevalence of medical debt, conveyed how it serves as a barrier to health care and explained how it tarnished people's credit He urged regulators to prevent involuntary medical debt from ruining people's credit reports and scores by prohibiting medical providers, and their agents, from reporting such debt to credit agencies.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The Candidates’ Silence on Long-Term Care

A guest commentary by Kathryn Roberts, Ph.D., president and chief executive of Ecumen, one of the country’s largest nonprofit senior housing and services companies, based in Minneapolis. She also is a member of the board of directors of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, an association of nonprofit service providers. — Jane Gross


My generation put day care in workplaces, gave rise to pediatricians and drove minivans and hybrids to market. Could transforming how we pay for aging be the baby boomers’ next big act?
Today about 10 million Americans need long-term care; 12 million will need it in 2020.
Should our primary option be a Cold War-era nursing home for which we largely pay with personal bankruptcy? No. I believe most Americans desire living fully — and differently — to the very end of life.
Unfortunately, as the unprecedented age wave rises, America sits in a costly time warp. We’re flying a 1965 aircraft — the Great Society programs of Medicare and Medicaid — absent an overhauled engine. While other countries have coordinated home- and community-based services for young and old with physical challenges, our outdated way unnecessarily, and expensively, institutionalizes people.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

New CMS guide serves as road map for Medicare coverage, coding

Full Guide-


The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services hopes that a new online guide for Medicare beneficiaries and healthcare providers will be a "one-stop shop" for information on coverage, coding andpayment.

The Innovator's Guide to Navigating CMS is the firstguide of its kind to combine coverage, coding and payment information in one document, according to CMS.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Healing Voices by Richard C. Morais

Full Article-

I learned about nutrition and changed my diet. I took classes in yoga and meditation and began to see an acupuncturist with yoga mat.
I watched for early warning signs of problems and began to consider the
spiritual aspects of what I was going through, listening to the voices
I heard and exploring their meaning. At one point back in San
Francisco, for example, I heard a loud voice telling me I had to do
yoga or I would die. It was frightening, but I realized it was like the
voice of an angry parent or guardian looking out for me. So that voice
is why I began to practice yoga.

http://www.forbes.com/philanthropy/2008/08/28/mentalhealth-schizophrenia-pf-philo-in_rm_0829philanthropy_inl.html

New Tools Launched To Help Fight Stigma Associated With Mental Illness

Full Article-

Results from a new global survey on bipolar disorder, released today at
the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress, indicate that
both patients and healthcare professionals face significant challenges
in managing bipolar disorder. At least 90% of patients surveyed
reported that the illness is difficult to understand and to live with
due to the episodic symptoms. Among physicians surveyed, more than half
found it challenging to explain the nature of the bipolar disorder to
their patients and in interpreting patients' description of symptoms.


The survey, which included responses from 2688 patients with bipolar
disorder and 643 health professionals, also revealed that there are
barriers to obtaining an accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
Approximately 40% of patients and health professionals reported that it
can take at take at least four years after the first onset of symptoms
before bipolar disorder is diagnosed. Once the diagnosis is in place,
25% of patients surveyed reported trying at least nine different
medications before they found a suitable one.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Americans Show Little Tolerance For Mental Illness Despite Growing Belief In Genetic Cause

The Core Barrier we face is Stigma...

Full article

A new study by University of Pennsylvania sociology professor Jason
Schnittker shows that, while more Americans believe that mental illness
has genetic causes, the nation is no more tolerant of the mentally ill
than it was 10 years ago.



The study published online in the journal
Social Science

and Medicine uses a 2006 replication of the 1996 General Social Survey
Mental Health Module to explore trends in public beliefs about mental
illness in America, focusing in particular on public support for
genetic arguments.


Prior medical-sociology studies reveal that public beliefs
about mental illness reflect the dominant mental-illness treatment, the
changing nature of media portrayals of the mentally ill and the
prevailing wisdom of science and medicine.


Schnittker's study, "An Uncertain Revolution: Why the Rise of
a Genetic Model of Mental Illness Has Not Increased Tolerance,"
attempts to address why tolerance of the mentally ill hasn't increased
along with the rising popularity of a biomedical view of its causes.
His study finds that different genetic arguments have, in fact, become
more popular but have very different associations depending on the
mental illness being considered.