Thursday, April 30, 2009

Patient Advocate Foundation

Most Interesting Site….. 

Patient Advocate Foundation is a national non-profit organization that seeks to safeguard patients through effective mediation assuring access to care, maintenance of employment and preservation of their financial stability relative to their diagnosis of life threatening or debilitating diseases.

Patient Advocate Foundation

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Proposed Rules: Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act » Federal Register [FR Doc E9-9629] [26 CFR Part 54]

{{w|Paul Wellstone}}, former member of the Uni...

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This document is a request for comments regarding issues under the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) invite public comments in advance of future rulemaking. The Departments are seeking comments to aid in the development of regulations regarding MHPAEA. To assist interested parties in responding, this request for information describes specific areas in which the Departments are particularly interested; however, the Departments also request comments and suggestions concerning any area or issue pertinent to the development of regulations……

Your chance to comment on parity!

Proposed Rules: Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act » Federal Register [FR Doc E9-9629] [26 CFR Part 54]

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

getarticlesonline.com » Blog Archive » GROW

The "Blue Book", GROW: World Communi...

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GROW is a peer support and mutual aid organization for recovery from, and prevention of, serious mental illness. GROW was founded in Sydney, Australia in 1957 by Father Cornelius B. “Con” Keogh, a Roman Catholic priest, and psychiatric patients who sought help with their mental illness in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Consequently, GROW adapted many of AA’s principles and practices. As the organization matured, GROW members learned of Recovery, Inc., an organization also created to help people with serious mental illness, and integrated pieces of its will-training methods.

getarticlesonline.com » Blog Archive » GROW

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Monday, April 27, 2009

Yes, Looks Do Matter - NYTimes.com

 

FOR more than a week now, people on both sides of the Atlantic have been using the story of Susan Boyle — the dowdy Scottish spinster who sang her way to fame on “Britain’s Got Talent” TV show — as an example of just how shallow we’ve become.

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Enlarge This Image

Andy Barr/News International/ZUMA Press

WHAT YOU SEE ... in the case of Susan Boyle, isn’t what “Britain’s Got Talent” (or the world) expected.

Related

Unlikely Singer Is YouTube Sensation (April 18, 2009)

Andrew Milligan/Associated Press

WHO’S THAT GIRL! Fame has changed Susan Boyle (her look, anyway).

Readers' Comments
Readers shared their thoughts on this article.

Before she sang, Ms. Boyle seemed to be merely a frumpy 47-year-old unemployed church volunteer who lived alone with her cat, Pebbles, and had, she said, “never been kissed” (a claim that she later took back).

Now, after the video of her performance went viral, a flurry of commentary has focused on how we stereotype people into categories, how we fall victim to the prejudices of ageism or look-ism, and how we should learn, once and for all, not to judge books by their covers.

Yes, Looks Do Matter - NYTimes.com

Sunday, April 26, 2009

The Soloist: A Call To Action

 

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has launched a new Web site, http://www.nami.org/soloist, as part of a social action campaign with Participant Media surrounding Friday's release (April 24) ofThe Soloist, starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr.
"The movie will help humanize people who live with schizophrenia and are homeless," said NAMI executive director Mike Fitzpatrick. "It will help people look beyond stereotypes and create better understanding of the challenge for treatment and recovery."…

The Soloist: A Call To Action

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

People can recover from mental illness - NEC Article

 

Research carried out at the National Empowerment Center has shown that people can fully recover from even the most severe forms of mental illness. In-depth interviews of people diagnosed with schizophrenia have shown that these people are capable of regaining significant roles in society and of running their own lives. Though they have recovered from their mental illness they, as everyone, continue to heal emotionally. In most cases they no longer need medication and use holistic health and peer support to continue their healing. Our findings are consistent with long term studies carried out in this country by Dr. Courtenay Harding and colleagues, and in Europe by Dr. Manfred Bleuler and Dr. Luc Ciompi. These workers have shown that over a 20-30 year period a majority of people recover from even the most severe forms of mental illness. In addition, cross cultural and historical studies indicate that chronic mental illness is recent phenomenon of Westernized countries. Recent studies by the World Health Organization show that the rate of recovery from severe mental illness is much better in third world countries than in Western industrialized countries. Historical evidence points out that the rates of recovery were much higher during the 1830-40¹s in this country when there was a much more optimistic view of recovery. (See accompanying article on moral therapy.)…..

People can recover from mental illness - NEC Article

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Mentally Disordered More Likely To Become Victims Of Violence When Showing Increased Symptoms

 

Contrary to common stereotypes, individuals with major mental disorders are more likely to become victims of violent crimes when they are experiencing an increase in symptoms than they are to commit crime, according to a new study by Brent Teasdale, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Georgia State University.
Teasdale found that patients experiencing delusions, hallucinations and worsening symptoms generally are most likely to become victims of violence. In addition, individuals with mental disorders are particularly vulnerable for victimization during times of homelessness and when suffering from alcohol abuse.

Mentally Disordered More Likely To Become Victims Of Violence When Showing Increased Symptoms

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Views From The Trail; Recovery & Resiliency

 

When I was first diagnosed my first thought was: Ok, well, I'll take my the meds and pretty soon because I am taking the meds, I'll be able to think more clearly, be able to work and get a better life.
Then as humiliation piled on humiliation; the worst humiliation being that even when I took the meds I was still socially unacceptable.
Then my thought grew to: "How can I get into recovery when they stole my dignity when they took my bootlaces?"
I didn't know what recovery was or what it was supposed to look like. How I was supposed to find out about Recovery when everyone I could find who was in recovery kept saying things like, "Recovery is an individual process for everyone, or that recovery was a process and not a destination"……

Views From The Trail; Recovery & Resiliency

Monday, April 13, 2009

2 Day Countdown: Ray's Next Forced Electroshock on Tax Day - ndelisle@prosynergy.org - Michigan Disability Rights Coalition Mail

Monday, 13 April 2009
   Dear Friend of Human Rights in Mental Health:
Had a chance to check out the "Web of Link$" surrounding Ray
Sandford's life yet?
http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray-sandford-minnesota
It's super-urgent to ACT on these links now.
Why?
In just two days, Ray is scheduled to be woken up early in his
basement room in a group home in a quiet residential neighborhood
just north of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Against his will, Ray will be escorted the 15 miles north to Mercy
Hospital, put under anesthesia, and given another involuntary,
outpatient electroshock, also known as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Ray's has had more than 40 of these court-ordered electroshocks to
his brain. No end is in sight.
By a rotten coincidence, this next forced electroshock is on USA Tax
Day, Wednesday, 15 April 2009.
So especially during these next 48 hours please *act* on Ray's Web of
Link$!
*ALL* of these many groups and individuals involved in Ray's life
receive taxpayer funding, directly or indirectly. A few are helping
Ray, some are harming him, many are silent:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray-sandford-minnesota
Like Ray, do not give up. Never ever give up.
For the months I've worked with Ray on his campaign, both he and his
mother have continued to clearly, passionately and reasonably argue
against his ongoing forced electroshock.
I'm spiritually disgusted that during a time of economic crisis, our
scarce taxpayer dollars are wasted torturing an American citizen.
I say it's time to peacefully throw some tea into the harbor.
Are you with us?
Please ACT with Ray Sandford, his Mom, and all of us now:
1) VISIT Ray's Web of Link$:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray-sandford-minnesota
2) CONTACT as many of the agencies and individuals as possible with a
civil message of support for Ray. Yes, there are more than two dozen.
Just do what you can. A few are supporting Ray, many are not.
3) FORWARD this alert to others.
4) LINK to all of Ray's Web of Link$ if you have a blog, web site,
Facebook page, posting on web forums, etc. Your linking can help make
it easier for all to search for who is helping Ray, and who is not.
The updated list of links is in this message *BELOW*, or click here:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray-sandford-minnesota
Thank you, everyone, for your emergency support of Ray, his family,
and his human right to say "no" to electroshock.
Act now!
David

2 Day Countdown: Ray's Next Forced Electroshock on Tax Day - ndelisle@prosynergy.org - Michigan Disability Rights Coalition Mail



Friday, April 10, 2009

Mental-health plan opts for homes over nursing homes - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

David Robinson is adjusting to the silence, living alone for the first time in nearly 20 years.
His severe depression kept him from a steady job and a stable home. He bounced from friends’ couches to homeless shelters, he said. Last year, after a short stint in SwedishAmerican Hospital, he was released to the Fairview Nursing Plaza nursing home, where he stayed about six months.
He knew he didn’t want to stay there but had few options — a situation tailor-made for a new state program that helps people with mental illness find housing with appropriate support services.
‘It’s a little weird’
“We wouldn’t be sitting here right now having this conversation,” Robinson, 45, said in his new Rockford apartment. “We’d be sitting on a park bench talking about me being homeless. ... It’s a little weird, hard at first. It was so overwhelming, it brought tears to my eyes.”
Rockford’s Janet Wattles Center, primed with state and federal money, was the first in the state to be selected for the new program, called Rapid Reintegration.
“Many of these folks could benefit significantly from community placement if they had the housing support or subsidies and supportive services to help them live,” said Executive Director Frank Ware, who has been involved with the state’s long-term planning for nursing home issues for several years.
The goal, he said, is to catch people before they move into a nursing home or if they’ve been there less than a year…..

Mental-health plan opts for homes over nursing homes - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

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MindFreedom News - Nonviolent Revolution in Mental Health

http://www.mindfreedom.org/radio/protest - please forward
   Peaceful Protest is Theme of Next MindFreedom Live Web Radio - Free
This Saturday, 11 April 2009, MindFreedom Live Web Radio will have at
least four guests leading nonviolent direct action, including:
** DARYL TRONES of Minnesota is helping to organize the protest on
Friday, 1 May, 10 am to 2 pm, at Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda, of
Ray Sandford's forced electroshock.
** MOLLY HOGAN of MindFreedom San Francisco is helping to organize
protest of Americn Psychiatric Association on May 17, 1 pm, in front
of Moscone Center.
** SARAH TRIANO is helping to organize protest of the Psycho Donuts
store mis-use of terms about "mad people." Sarah is Executive
Director of the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center.
** MARY MADDOCK of Cork, Ireland is supporting Mothers Day protests
of electroshock in Ireland and Canada. Mary is on board of
MindFreedom International.
And you! Your calls, questions, comments, are welcome.
Host is MindFreedom director DAVID W. OAKS, psychiatric survivor, who
will be speaking at Minnesota and San Francisco protests.
HOW TO LISTEN AND CALL-IN TO THE LIVE SHOW:
DATE: This Saturday, 11 April 2009
TIME: 11 am Pacific, 12 noon Mountain, 1 pm Central, 2 pm Eastern
USA, 6 pm [1800] London UTC/GMT. Show is 90 minutes.
CLICK here to listen and call in live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/davidwoaks
CALL-IN number: (646) 595-2125. Tell us how you will protest this
Spring!
No computer to listen in that day? No problem. Use the call-in number
just to listen!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

OpenCongress - U.S. Congress - H.R.1205 Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2009

Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2009

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the establishment of ABLE accounts for the care of family members with disabilities, and for other purposes.
current 111st session of congress Other Bill Titles (3 more)Hide Other Bill Titles
  • Official: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the establishment of ABLE accounts for the care of family members with disabilities, and for other purposes. as introduced.
  • Short: Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2009 as introduced.
  • Short: ABLE Act of 2009 as introduced.

2/26/2009--Introduced.
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2009 or the ABLE Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts for individuals with a disability to pay certain expenses of such individuals, including expenses for education, housing, transportation, employment support, medical care, and certain life necessities. Defines "individual with a disability" as an individual who is eligible to receive certain supplemental security income benefits under the Social Security Act.
Allows individual taxpayers a tax deduction, up to $2,000 per year, for contributions to an ABLE account. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to study and report to Congress on the use of ABLE accounts and the effect of the tax deduction for contributions to such accounts.
Requires ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid benefits and for purposes of determining eligibility for other means-tested federal programs.
... morehide bill summary

Read and Comment on Full Bill Text

OpenCongress - U.S. Congress - H.R.1205 Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2009

Monday, April 6, 2009

James Love: People vs the Authors Guild, don't turn off text to speech in Kindle 2

 

As has been written about extensively in the press and the blogsphere, the Authors Guild has pressured Amazon to disable the text to speech feature in Kindle 2. This has set of a storm of opposition among groups that see the Guild's actions as harmful to access for persons who are reading disabled. Details are reported by the Reading Rights Coalition(http://www.readingrights.org) and by others. The Guild has issued this statement, which has been widely criticized by organizations working on accessibility issues.

Nothing is more moving than the comments of persons who are signing the "We want to read" petition to the Authors Guild.

If you are as outraged as I am, you might want to sign the petition, but also contact directly the members of the Guild Board of Directors: http://www.authorsguild.org/about/board.html who are directly responsible.

The following are only a few quotes from the petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/We-Want-To-Read

…….

James Love: People vs the Authors Guild, don't turn off text to speech in Kindle 2

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Graduating to a New Future

:en:Category:U.S._State_Population_Maps :en:Ca...

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I attended the graduation ceremony for the newest class of Peer Support Specialists in Michigan. Around 300 family members, friends, dignitaries, and new peer support specialists attended.

Michigan now has over 500 peer support specialists. Each one is an ambassador from the recovery community to the current system of mental health services.  But, unlike most ambassadors, their goal is to create more than friends. Their purpose is to transform Michigan’s mental health system, so that it becomes driven by people in recovery, so that the system provides tools and supports for choice-filled and fulfilled lives.

Three of the new peers told their stories as part of the ceremony. These stories are a high point of each graduation ceremony. Each is unique, a completely individual path of recovery. I have to say, that the talents shown by the story tellers over the graduations I have attended are broad and diverse, a reminder of the uniqueness of all of us, and a tribute to the growing common power of Michigan peers.

Becoming a certified peer support specialist requires a lengthy application process, a solid week of study and work, and a 4 hour exam. Each peer works in the mental health system in a variety of ways, using their experience, skills, and example to support individuals who are seeking or receiving support.

As each of the 60 plus new peers receive their certificate, family and friends applaud them, cheer them on, take pictures, in this celebration of their achievement. After each person has received their certificate, a group photo is taken, and a reception is held.

I have been working in the disability community since 1970, and Michigan’s peer movement is the fastest growing social justice movement I have seen. The support for this growth from DCH has been an example of how government can support real change by the only people who can make that change. The Michigan recovery community has grasped that opportunity with both hands and is working hard to make system transformation a reality.

All that said, the choice of recovery is always an individual one. We all have to decide for ourselves that we will take what we saw as the broken pieces of our lives and our selves, and use them for what they really are-our uniquely personal resources, ones we can individually use to create our lives and live out our dreams.

 

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Friday, April 3, 2009

Coping with Life: The desperate village

A newborn infant

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A sobbing woman walks into her obstetrician's office with a newborn baby. Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, right? Well, for some unfortunate women, the joke is on them and it's a dangerous joke indeed. The women I am referring to are new mothers who have been courageous enough to seek treatment for a Postpartum Mood Disorder yet find themselves either denied assessment, dismissed, or inappropriately medicated and sent on their way with no additional therapy prescription, left wading fearfully and silently through dark waters.


In the spring of 2004, I found myself joining the ranks of women turned away by the very people they trusted the most – their physicians. For three months after the birth of my first daughter, I often struggled with sleep, snapped at my husband for no reason, yelled at the dogs for glancing my way , and constantly battled horrific fleeting thoughts filling my head. I finally garnered enough courage to call my doctor's office. I hesitantly admitted things weren't the way they were supposed to be. I was promised glow. Where was my glow? Where was this mythic calm? Where was my Vaseline lens of cheer, my soap opera happy mama moment? Why couldn't I enjoy my daughter instead of thinking she judged me every step of the way?…

Coping with Life: The desperate village

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Simple Lessons Change Teenage Attitudes To Mental Illness

Teaching school children about common mental health problems can reduce prejudice and negative attitudes towards mental illness, according to a new study published in the April issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.
A group of researchers, led by Dr Paul Naylor of the University of Sheffield, found that teenagers who received just six lessons on mental health showed significantly more sensitivity and empathy towards people with mental health problems. The teenagers also used less negative language to describe mental health problems….

Simple Lessons Change Teenage Attitudes To Mental Illness

Study Links Reduced Use of Mental Health Facilities, Nursing Homes and Other Public Services to "Smart Investments" in Supportive Housing - FOXBusiness.com

Affordable housing that provides on-site services for people who are homeless, have a mental illness, and other vulnerable populations could dramatically reduce the use and cost of expensive public services such as state prisons and mental health facilities, according to a new report released Thursday by the Heartland Alliance Mid-America Institute on Poverty (MAIP: undefined, undefined, undefined%), the Supportive Housing Providers Association (SHPA: undefined, undefined, undefined%), and the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH: 16.21, 0, 0%).

The study found that Illinois saw an overall 39 percent cost reduction in the use of public services, such as inpatient mental health care, nursing homes, and criminal justice, over a two-year period after a sample of 177 individuals were moved into supportive housing. The shrunken need for public services yielded a total overall cost savings of more than $850,000 -- an average savings per resident of $2,400 per year….

Study Links Reduced Use of Mental Health Facilities, Nursing Homes and Other Public Services to "Smart Investments" in Supportive Housing - FOXBusiness.com

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Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Alternative Approaches: New Age, Magick, Pagan, Wiccan News :: Psychology Professor Publishes New Book on Mental Illness

Eight women representing prominent mental diag...

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Mount Holyoke College psychology professor Gail A. Hornstein has authored a new book, Agnes's Jacket: A Psychologist's Search for the Meanings of Madness. The book offers readers a provocative new perspective on mental illness and recovery based directly on patients' own accounts of their experiences….

Hornstein has long investigated personal testimonies of madness to determine what they can teach us about mental illness and its treatment. During the six years she spent researching and writing Agnes's Jacket, she witnessed hundreds of patients telling their stories in a vibrant underground network of psychiatric "survivor groups" across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. In these peer support groups, patients help one another understand anomalous experiences like hearing voices and develop their own coping strategies to deal with emotional difficulties….

Alternative Approaches: New Age, Magick, Pagan, Wiccan News :: Psychology Professor Publishes New Book on Mental Illness

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