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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

"Bush orders probe into the mentally ill"

Bush orders probe into the mentally ill - Yahoo!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070421/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_virginia_tech;_ylt=AmPFPhl3V24HdtAeExmYQeSyFz4D

Fri Apr 20, 8:46 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Responding to the Virginia Tech shootings, President Bush says he has directed federal officials to conduct a national inquiry into how to prevent violence by dangerously unstable people. The White House said Friday that the departments of Education, Justice and Health and Human Services will travel around the country to meet with educators, mental health experts and state and local officials, reporting back with recommendations.


They also will work with the Virginia Tech community to better understand what might have led a troubled student to kill 32 people on the campus and then commit suicide.

This was to be the topic of Bush's weekly radio address, taped on Friday and set to air on Saturday. The White House took the rare step of making the text of the address available for publication before its Saturday delivery.

"We can never fully understand what would cause a student to take the lives of 32 innocent people," Bush says in the address. "What we do know is that this was a deeply troubled young man, and there were many warning signs. Our society continues to wrestle with the question of how to handle individuals whose mental health problems can make them a danger to themselves and to others."

The president wore a maroon-and-orange tie Friday in honor of the school colors on a statewide day of mourning. In the days since, writings and other evidence have emerged to paint a disturbing psychological portrait of Seung-Hui Cho, the 23-year-old gunman.

Some of the warning signs in Cho's past include two stalking complaints against him and a psychiatric hospital visit in which he was found to be a danger to himself. Videos mailed to NBC the morning of the killings revealed a man angry at rich kids, snobs and people who had wronged him.

"This week at Virginia Tech, we saw a glimpse of humanity at its worst, and we also saw humanity at its best," Bush said. "This week we reflect on what has been lost and comfort those enduring a profound grief. And somehow we know that a brighter morning will come."

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National Coalition of People with Psychiatric Histories Responds to Virginia Tech Tragedy

Please distribute widely by all means. It has been released to the press
###

Press Release

For Immediate Release

National Coalition of People with Psychiatric Histories Responds to Virginia Tech Tragedy

WASHINGTON (4/20/07) � The National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations ( http://www.ncmhcso.org/), an organization of people with psychiatric histories, asks that everyone learn from the tragic events at Virginia Tech, in which a student was responsible for 33 deaths, including his own.

"We offer sincere sympathy to the families and friends of those killed and injured, including the family of Cho Seung Hui, as well as the entire Virginia Tech community," said Lauren Spiro, the Coalition's director of public policy. "We urge everyone to think compassionately about how to better engage people who are isolated, severely distressed, fearful and/or confused."

"Let's turn this crisis into an opportunity to understand more about mental health and create a more healthy and peaceful community," said Coalition member Can Truong. The Coalition endorses this approach and the importance of supporting one another, and promotes peer-run mental health education, awareness and advocacy organizations such as Active Minds on Campus ( http://www.activemindsoncampus.org/ ).

The Coalition also applauds Mental Health America for urging the public to avoid diagnosing others or engaging in "profiling" of groups such as those who appear to be foreign-born or people with psychiatric diagnoses.

"Reacting with judgment and labeling, fueled by the media, perpetuates misinformation and is a disservice to us all," said Spiro. According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health in September 2002, "Violent crimes committed by psychiatric patients become big headlines and reinforce the social stigma and rejection felt by many individuals who suffer from mental illness. But our findings suggest that serious violence is the rare exception among all people with psychiatric disorders. The public perception that people who are mentally ill are typically violent is unfounded." In fact, research shows that people with psychiatric disabilities are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent crime.

Given what has been reported about Cho's abuse by bullies, the role of trauma in the tragedy should be understood. "Ninety percent of persons receiving services in public mental health systems have been exposed to trauma," said Coalition member Mary Blake, a trauma survivor and a consultant to the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care. "Services must be sensitive to the fact of trauma in people's lives."

The National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations works to ensure that people who have experienced severe emotional distress have a major voice in the development and implementation of health care, mental health, and social policies at the state and national levels. The Coalition advocates for mental health policies that promote full participation and integration in the community and end discrimination.

"This tragedy is a reminder of the fragility of our humanity and the importance of reaching out with compassion to each other, especially those in distress," said Spiro.

Contact: Lauren Spiro, NCMHCSO director of public policy, 703-862-6512


--
Lauren Spiro
Director of Public Policy
National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations
1300 L Street NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005
V: 978-590-2014
www.ncmhcso.org
info@ncmhcso.org


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In the Wake of Virginia Tech

>-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: [NYAPRS Enews] In the Wake of Virginia Tech Tragedy: Calls to
>Action, Media Responsibility
>Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2007 06:59:56 -0400
>From: Harvey Rosenthal <harveyr@nyaprs.org>
>Reply-To: HarveyR@nyaprs.org
>To: <nyaprs@kilakwa.net>
>
>NYAPRS Note: Following are two very timely pieces by NYAPRS Board member
>Steve Miccio and Marcie Granahan, executive director of our national
>organization, the United State Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.
>
>
>
>A Call to Action
>
>By Steve Miccio, executive director PEOPLe, Inc.; immediate Past
>President, NYAPRS
>
>
>
>Whenever there is a tragedy of any kind that involves the loss of people
>it is extremely painful and I can't express enough sympathy for the
>families, students, colleagues and friends at Virginia Tech. I only hope
>that they find comfort in one another and in the joyful memories of
>their loved ones. This not only affects the people directly connected to
>the incident, it has affected all of us and right now we need to be
>cognizant that this event has traumatized a nation.
>
>
>
>The unfortunate outcome of this tragedy will no doubt take aim at the
>mental health community as it so often does when someone has a history
>of mental illness prior to such a tragic event. As professionals and
>people that use mental health services, we must be prepared to address
>this fallout in a respectful and proactive manner.
>
>
>
>We will most likely see the media report stories on mental illness and
>hear overgeneralizations concerning perceived "dangers" of mental
>illness. We will here stories blaming the mental health professionals
>for not protecting the community and we will be witness to the anger and
>fear from people in our communities surrounding mental illness. These
>reactions should not impede our progress of developing a recovery-based
>mental health system. We have been witness to media persecution for too
>long and it has resulted in increased fear and discrimination.
>
>
>
>As we are confronted with the stigma, fear and blame we must assure
>people that there are literally millions of people being successfully
>treated for mental illness each year in our country. It is important to
>note that the majority of people with mental illness are our neighbors,
>friends and relatives and that mental illness should not be equated with
>violence.
>
>
>
>Now is the time to stress the reality that people can and do recover
>from mental illness with proper supports and treatment. We should
>intelligently educate and infuse our knowledge of recovery into the
>media and within our communities and discuss how important it is for
>individuals to reach out for help. It's time to tell families and
>friends to support one another in getting help and treatment rather than
>ignoring a problem. This should be our time to illustrate the fact that
>it is acceptable to talk about mental illness or mental health in our
>schools and communities so that people can begin to understand that
>there are choices, hope and options for a better quality of life.
>
>
>
>This is not the time to fade quietly into the background and wait for
>the storm to blow over. It may not feel comfortable, but if we don't
>address and educate our communities with a strong factual and supportive
>voice we will witness the destruction of the wonderful work that we have
>been doing in promoting better recovery outcomes for all of the people
>we serve.
>
>
>
>This is the time that we must embrace the opportunity and teach while at
>the same time help a community to heal. Please find your voice and get
>out and educate your community about the work that you do and talk about
>where the mental health field is going to ensure that all people are
>treated with respect in an effective and efficient recovery-based mental
>health system.
>
>
>
>Steve Miccio
>
>PEOPLe, Inc.
>
>
>
>-------------
>
>
>
>United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association Concerned Media
>Coverage Of Virginia Tech Shootings Will Increase Stigma
>
>
>
>Linthicum, MD. - April 18, 2007 - The U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation
>Association (USPRA) wishes to express its deepest sympathies to the
>family, friends and classmates of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute
>shooting victims. As details surrounding the shootings continue to
>unfold, USPRA has become increasingly more concerned that the media's
>focus on the killer's mental illness will lead the public to believe
>that all persons will mental illness are potentially violent. Public
>perceptions that violence is strongly associated with mental illness are
>fueled by graphic media reports of violent crimes.
>
>
>
>Studies have shown that it is incredibly rare for someone with a mental
>illness to commit gross acts of violence, especially on such a scale as
>the Virginia Tech shootings. Violence is no more prevalent among
>individuals with mental illness than the general public, and often are
>more likely the victims of violence than the perpetrators. Along with
>its continued disapproval of media portrayals of mental illness, USPRA
>is concerned that the focus on the student shooter's possible mental
>illness will cause many students with mental illnesses on college
>campuses to not seek mental health services or be treated with suspicion
>as potential murderers, leading to their further isolation and
>discrimination.
>
>
>
>"USPRA is disheartened that the media continues to play to people's
>misperceptions by painting mental illness as evil and something to
>fear," said Marcie Granahan, CAE, chief executive officer of USPRA. "For
>thirty years, we have been working to break down the barriers and stigma
>associated with severe mental illness. Along with our members, we have
>developed the practice of psychiatric rehabilitation that leads to
>recovery and provides hope. Our hearts go out to the family and friends
>of the 32 victims and also to those of the suspected shooter. This
>incident underscores the need for quality campus mental health services
>and psychiatric rehabilitation support for college students with mental
>illnesses."
>
>
>
>Psychiatric rehabilitation professionals have conducted research on the
>experiences of college students with mental illnesses and have created
>state-of-the-art rehabilitation interventions to support these students
>to maximize their success and full inclusion. Mark Salzer, Ph.D., from
>the University of Pennsylvania Collaborative on Community Integration,
>recently conducted a survey where he found that college students with
>mental illnesses feel more alienated from other students and their
>campuses compared to the general college student. "The response to
>college students with mental illnesses should be to embrace and support
>them, rather than further alienate them by greatly overemphasizing any
>supposed inclination toward violence," stated Dr. Salzer.
>
>
>
>It is the hope of USPRA that the nation may learn from the Virginia Tech
>shootings that all individuals, college students included, have the
>right to necessary and appropriate mental health and rehabilitation
>services, and should be treated with dignity and respect, not with fear
>and shame. The continued portrayal of mental illness as a cause or
>precursor for violent acts is stigmatizing and discriminatory to a
>vulnerable population. In the wake of such a national tragedy receiving
>world-wide media coverage, USPRA urges all media networks to avoid over
>generalizations about the link between mental illness and violence.
>
>


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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Washington, "NAMI DC",

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Washington, "NAMI DC", is
seeking volunteers to lead its "Family to Family" and "Familia a
Familia" programs as well as to be speakers in its "In Our Own Voice"
program.  Also, its "Bridges" program which will be presented in the
DC Jail is seeking peer leaders.  If you are interested in
volunteering or attending these programs, please contact NAMI DC at
namidc@juno.com or 202.546.0646.
Thank you,
Steve at NAMI-DC

=====================================================
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Fw: News from CMHS's National Center for Trauma-Informed Care

 

 

  The image

 

 

 

 

New Web Site Available!

 

CMHS's National Center for Trauma Informed Care (NCTIC) is pleased to announce the launch of its new web site (http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/nctic/ ).

Trauma is now understood to be an almost universal experience of public mental health, substance abuse, crime victim, and many other human health and social service consumers. The need to address trauma has become a fundamental obligation for effective public mental health services delivery, and is increasingly recognized as essential for the growth and recovery of survivors of all types of trauma.

The new NCTIC Web site is designed to help public mental health systems integrate trauma informed approaches and interventions into their programs to improve efficacy and outcomes. It represents a growing and diverse community that is committed to transforming traditional programs and services to be more supportive of and empowering to trauma survivors.

The NCTIC Web site features...

  • details about free or low-cost trauma training and technical assistance
  • the NCTIC Speakers Bureau
  • information about healing from trauma
  • a training and event calendar
  • useful resources and links

The site will also include case studies from the perspectives of survivors and consumers who have benefitted from trauma-informed systems, as well as from organizations that have undergone the transformation and experienced the benefits.

Stay Informed by Joining the NCTIC Mailing List

The NCTIC web site also brings you the latest news and information on trauma.
Join the NCTIC e-mail list to receive notices, announcements, and other useful information--including Trauma Matters, NCTIC's monthly e- newsletter.

National Center for Trauma-Informed Care

phone: 301-634-1785

 

NCTIC has taken steps to minimize any duplicate deliveries of this e-mail to individual recipients. However, since this is being sent to a number of e- mail lists, some duplicate deliveries may be unavoidable, and we apologize if you have received more than one copy. If you have not already done so, signing up to the NCTIC e-mail list is the most reliable way to receive NCTIC news and information in a timely manner.

 

Forward email

This email was sent to hwest@witnessjustice.org, by nctic@abtassoc.com

Powered by


CMHS's National Center for Trauma-Informed Care | 4550 Montgomery Avenue | Suite 800 North | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Message Forward from
Daniel B. Fisher,MD,PhD
Executive Director
National Empowerment Center
599 Canal St.
Lawrence, MA, 01840
V:800-POWER2U
Fax:617-492-5729
daniefisher@gmail.com
www.power2u.org

=====================================================
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Pickup your copy of the latest "Newz & Viewz U can Uze" on the web. It's a jam packed issue...

 
Our latest issue of "Newz & Viewz U can Uze" is know on the web. 
The Spring 2007 addition is a 28 page guide it is jam packed with information.
 
 
There are many of you on the DCMHCL.ORG e-mail list who are not on our
USPS printed mailing list, so do pickup your copy.  For those of you, who are on
our USPS print mailing list, you will be receiving your printed copy very soon in
the USPS mail.
 
Enjoy,
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Bethesda Beatniks Dinner Club Spring 2007 after-dinner speakers And special events calendar.

 

Bethesda Beatniks Dinner Club*

Spring 2007 after-dinner speakers

And special events calendar.

*(The dinner club for people who are a little off-beat.) 

(Subject to last-minute changes…visit our Web site at www.bethesdabeatniks.org,

Or call the Beatniks hotline at (301)279-2578 several days in advance for speaker confirmation.)

v     Wednesday night, April 11th: Wondering what's up, as the County shifts from a "criminal paradigm" to a "mental health paradigm" re: consumers who run afoul of the law?  As the County Council mulls 24-hour-per-day operation of the Crisis Center?  Join veteran County Police Officer Joan Logan, and Crisis Center Manager Mike Chappell, to learn more.

v     Wednesday night, April 25th: The Beatniks' First Annual Open Mic Poetry Marathon, featuring a five-man instrumental section, gourmet coffee brewing, fresh popcorn, and over 20 budding poets reading their best original material.  To the best of our knowledge, nothing on this scale has ever been done before, anywhere in the country. This event has been plugged extensively on ABC Radio, on Bonneville Radio, in "Montgomery Gazette," and upcoming on Clear Channel Radio and CBS Radio at the very least.  A pro recording of the entire event will be made, for a possible National Public Radio special.  Come early for best seating...don't miss this one!!  Come and and support the club!!

v     Wednesday night, May 9th: Wondering which ways the political winds are blowing, with a new Democratic U.S. Congress, a new DC mayor, new Maryland and Virginia governors, new senators, and a new Montgomery County executive?  Join the American Psychiatric Assn.'s top lobbyist, Nick Meyers, and District-based activist Mary Blake from the Consumer Action Network, for a legislative outlook on the federal, state, and local levels, and how impending legislation may affect the mental health community.

v     Saturday afternoon, May 12th: Join DCMHCL for a special coffee klatsch at The Potter's House bookshop and coffeehouse in Adams Morgan from 3:00pm until 5:00pm, then stay for dinner and listen to the sounds of featured singer/songwriter/guitarist Lea.  1658 Columbia Road NW in the District.

v     Wednesday night, May 16th, back at Alfio's: Have you been hit with a Social Security Administration audit or review?  Do you have to file an SSDI or SSI-related appeal?  Join Attorney Suja Varghese from the Greenberg Bederman law firm for a brief overview of SSA law, with an emphasis on the review/appeals process.  Learn why it is wise to have a qualified attorney in your corner, and how you can best work with your attorney to improve your chances of success.

v     Wednesday night, May 23rd: Join Attorney Matt Famiglietti for a two-hour legal clinic, "Keys to Social Security Benefits."  After a brief introduction, topics covered will include SSA definition of disability, disability benefits eligibility, SSI benefits eligibility, factors negatively impacting disability determination, the application/reconsideration/administrative hearing process, what kind of documentation and paper trail consumers should develop to improve their chances, etc.  There will be a long Q&A session after the two hour clinic.

v     Wednesday night, June 13th: Dr. Jonathan Dalton, Ph.D., from big Beatniks booster Dr. Charley Mansueto's "Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington," will give a general overview of anxiety disorders and the types of therapy which can help alleviate them.  Dr. Jonathan runs the popular Anxiety Psycho-Education Groups for BTC.

v     Wednesday night, June 20th: Hot on the heels of the highly successful "NIMH Night" with the Beatniks, comes "Johns Hopkins Night," featuring two of the Medical Institute's top doctor/scientists.  Dr. Ann Pulver, one of the world's top experts in studying the inter-relationships between mental illness, genetics, and population studies, and chief of the Family Study program, will speak on the current status and future implications of individualized medicine.  In the not-too-distant future, it will be possible to tailor a treatment regimen based upon an individual's unique genetic profile.  Dr. Russel Margolis—JHMI's Director of the Laboratory of Genetic Neurobiology, the Neurogenetics Testing Laboratory, and the Schizophrenia Program—will discuss "Schizophrenia—Lessons from Other Brain Diseases."  Lessons learned from studying such disorders as Huntiington's Disease for example can shed new light on who is most susceptible to developing schizophrenia, and how the disease progresses.  Clinical trial recruiters from three different JHMI branches will be on hand, so you won't want to miss this one!!

v     Wednesday night, June 27th: Big Beatniks booster Dr. Bob Litman, from CBH Health and the Mar-Lyn group homes, discusses, "Putting the 'Community' Back in Community Mental Health." Though this model of community care and support—which was designed to supplant the massive state mental hospital system—has failed in many parts of the country, Dr. Bob will present his vision as to how this model of deinstitutionalized care can be made to succeed. 

 

    Unless otherwise indicated, all events take place at Alfio's Trattoria                  restaurant, 4515 Willard Avenue in Friendship Heights, three blocks west     of Wisconsin Avenue and the Friedship Heights Metro stop on the Red         Line.  Wednesday night dinners start promptly at 6:30pm, with the                 speakers starting at about 7:15pm.  Great food at affordable prices, and         free valet parking.  Questions?  Call Pete at (301)279-2578 or                          visit www.bethesdabeatniks.org. 

    Potential partner/sponsors & others: do you, or any                 member of your staff, have a particular burning issue             which you'd like to speak about to an audience of eager             mental health consumers?  Some of our Wednesday night         dinners have drawn over 80 people; one of our special             events drew over 250 people.  Call Pete to discuss your         speaking engagement, at (301)279-2578. 

 

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Police Response to Mentally Ill Waiting to Improve in DC

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sunday, Apr 15, 2007
Articles
Police Response to Mentally Ill Waiting to Improve
By Diane Rusignola

Advocates and government officials have been trying for months to work with the Metropolitan Police Department to establish a Crisis Intervention Team in D.C. in order to improve police responses to mentally ill people.

But since listening to the initial recommendation in September 2006, the District government has taken no action on the proposal.

"Being the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. should be a leader in protecting our most vulnerable citizens – those living with mental illness," said Michael Fitzpatrick, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. "Until we have adequate mental health care in this country, people living with severe mental illness will continue to populate our nation's jails unless we train police officers

to recognize the signs of mental illness."

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, located in Arlington, endorses the creation of the Crisis Intervention Team, especially as it is already in place and working in Baltimore and Montgomery County.

The Crisis Intervention Team program in D.C. would not involve hiring new officers, but rather training current police throughout the city. According to the Police Complaints Board, an independent police oversight committee appointed by the District government, trained officers would have the "expertise to deescalate a mental health crisis and quickly connect individuals in crisis to appropriate treatment."

The idea for such training came in response to citizen complaints about interactions between people living with mental illness and D.C. police. The Police Complaints Board estimates that 7% of calls responded to by the Metropolitan Police Department on an annual basis involve a person with mental illness. In certain cases, people demonstrating behavior stemming from or symptomatic of mental illness have been arrested or subjected to use of force by police.

Sometimes, although far less common, police force with mentally ill people has even resulted in death, as in two recent incidents: the fatal shootings of Terrance Andre Nowlin in April 2005 and Justin Fisher in nearby Anne Arundel County in May 2006.

The Office of Police Complaints first proposed the Crisis Intervention Team after its executive director Philip Eure learned about the Memphis Police Department implementing the program in 2005. He then sent two staffers to Memphis to investigate the program, and the policy recommendation followed in September 2006.

"Considering the length of the proposal, the process flowed pretty quickly," Eure said. "The program should have been instituted a long time ago, actually."

The September recommendation lists 14 steps that need to be followed in order to implement the program, including designating a Crisis Intervention Team task force and a liaison within the Metropolitan Police Department and applying for grants to help fund officer training.

"The program will require training for officers but no increase in hiring," Eure said. "And in other cities and counties, it has really resulted in an elite core of officers. They are very proud of it, they are recognized for it, they apply specifically to be part of it. The idea really generates the best possible officers."

Besides participation from officers, the D.C. Department of Mental Health, mental health service providers and mental illness advocates will also need to collaborate and embrace the program, Eure said.

With the recent mayoral change in the city, the institution of the program has not been immediate. Rumors of potential appointees within Police Chief Cathy Lanier's camp who would be very empathetic to the mental illness plight are circulating nonetheless, so there may be hope for the policy initiative yet.

"Good discussions went on last fall, but it's too early to tell what will happen to the proposal," Eure said. "I have respect for the new police chief [Cathy Lanier]. She can't put people into positions until she's confirmed, so it's a waiting game right now."

More information on the Office of Police Complaints, including the full report on Crisis Intervention Team proposal is available at www.policecomplaints.dc.gov.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

[DupontForum] Launching of Citizen Preparedness Academy

ARE YOU READY?

Serve DC Launches Local Neighborhood Preparedness Academy

WASHINGTON - (April 10, 2007) - Neighborhood Corps of the DC Citizen Corps, an integral component of the city government's emergency response team, is launching the Neighborhood Corps Academy April 14, 2007, 9 am at the Fire Training Academy. 

The Neighborhood Corps Academy will act as a medium for all volunteer emergency response teams (i.e. CERT, DAT), throughout the District.  The Neighborhood Corps Academy will disperse information via classrooms sessions and practical learning opportunities.

 Neighborhood Corps members live, work, or worship in the District of Columbia.  Every member of a Neighborhood Corps Cluster Team is trained in emergency preparedness and response through an approved program such as the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.    Neighborhood Corps members will meet regularly to participate in neighborhood-based training, presentations by other Emergency Preparedness partner organizations, table-top exercises and full-field exercises.  These sessions are customizable and designed to meet neighborhood-specific needs. 

Consisting of 5 classes instructed by Metropolitan Police Department, DC Fire/EMS, District Department of Transportation, and the Emergency Management Agency, the Neighborhood Corps Academy will be held in the spring and at the end of the summer, leading into September which is Emergency Preparedness Month. 

"Particularly in the District of Columbia, where our nation's capitol is located, it is inspiring to see so many agencies working together for the safety of all Washingtonians," said Millicent Williams, Serve DC's Executive Director, in praise of the citywide efforts.

The Neighborhood Corps Academy will prepare participants to educate their families, friends and neighbors about emergency preparedness, as well as respond to local emergencies before professionals reach the scene.

To register on-line visit serve.dc.gov under DC Citizen's Corps.

###

dy

Dy Brown

Executive Office of the Mayor

Serve DC

Communications Director

w 202.727.7931, c 202.615.0094

 dy.brown@dc.gov

Fw: Poetry class Thur April 12, info on Day of the Book Sun April 22, NAMI C.A.R.E. Sat April 14

Plain text for first flyer only:
 
Silver Spring Drop-In Center presents
POETRY etc.
Thursday April 12, 2007,
from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
JoAnne Growney will lead this class (and the next, Thursday April 26, 07) in editing our poems for a compilation for a booklet/newsletter. Please bring your works with you, and be prepared to edit!
For info on JoAnne Growney, please visit
www.joannegrowney.com
WHERE: Silver Spring Drop-In Center, 7961 Eastern Avenue, first floor, SS MD 20910
Please note that we would like to have essays, poems, and art (8.5 x 11", black and white) ready for a small newsletter or booklet (shoestring budget, but we want to have something to show!) for distribution at the annual International Day of the Book, on Sunday April 22, 12 - 5 p.m. in Old Town, Kensington (East Howard Ave.) For more info on the Day of the Book, visit
www.dayofthebook.com; for directions, visit www.mapquest.com or www.wmata.com
If you want to submit material (poems, articles, essays, or black and white art, 8.5 X 11" max) for this particular purpose, please email or hand deliver your submissions by no later than Thursday April 19, 5 p.m.
The drop-in center will have a booth at the festival; if you would like to booth sit with us, please contact Miriam, 301.589.2303 X 108; email
myarmolinsky@santegroup.org Booth sitters can arrange for shifts; we will need to set up at 10 a.m., and take down after 5 p.m.

Our current hours are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 4 - 7 p.m. (occasionally opening up earlier, or closing later), and Saturdays 1 - 5 p.m.
INFO: Miriam, 301.589.2303 X 108 or email
myarmolinsky@santegroup.org

* If you'd like to be removed from this email list, please let me know, with UNSUBSCRIBE as subject, thanks! *
 
Miriam L. Yarmolinsky
Director
Silver Spring Drop-In Center at Affiliated Santé Group
7961 Eastern Ave., First Floor
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Voice: (301) 589-2303 X 108; X 111 direct, during drop-in center hours
Fax: (301) 585-2965
myarmolinsky@santegroup.org
visit www.thesantegroup.org and click on Drop-In Center (left on menu)
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Fw: [DC-clf] Advance Directives training and article

Below is a very good article on Psychiatric Advance Directives and how they can help people in their recovery process.  You also can access the article at this link:  http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/marapr2007p20.shtml

Also, I will be working with Dave Norman (attorney at Public Defender Service and former Acting General Counsel, DMH) in providing a pilot training on Advance Directives in DC on June 4 and 5 from 1:00`-4:00 PM. Would be great to have consumers attend and I think people might find it helpful. You can contact Patricia Porter on 202-671-4039 or Tonia Shelton on 202-671-4084 if you'd like to register for the trainings.  Also, you can call me anytime if you have any questions.

For your reference, I'm giving you another link to the National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives: www.nrc-pad.org.  This web site is the product of collaboration between the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and Duke University and is a wonderful resource for DC and states across the country on Advance Directives.  Hope you find all this helpful.  Please pass the word.  MB
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March/April 2007

Get It in Writing — Psychiatric Advance Directives
By Lynn K. Jones, DSW
Social Work Today
Vol. 7 No. 2 P. 20

A relatively new document may make a big difference in the quality of care your client receives in a mental health crisis.

"I was inpatient more than I was outpatient," says Mary Blake. "I was a frequent flyer." It has been a long journey to recovery, since high school, when Blake had her first psychotic break. She has been diagnosed with both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, "but I think that schizophrenia is the one that stuck," she says. Blake has spent many of the past 30 years, often years at a time, in psychiatric hospitals and community placements and has experienced firsthand nearly every mental health intervention. What helped turn her situation around, she believes, is her psychiatric advance directive (PAD).

PADs, like health advance directives, provide persons with mental health conditions the opportunity to determine in advance the treatments they would choose, should they become incapacitated. The PAD is a witnessed legal document and may include information about a healthcare power of attorney—a trusted person who will make decisions and speak for the consumer when necessary.

Federal legislation supporting PADs has been around since 1991, when the Patient Self-Determination Act passed new requirements for healthcare facilities to implement advance directives. Since then, 25 states have passed legislation authorizing advance directives specifically for psychiatric patients.

Despite the increasing interest and support of PADs across the country, many social workers don't know anything about them and how they can be used to support the recovery of people with severe mental health conditions. A recent survey of mental health professionals in North Carolina found that two thirds of social workers lacked familiarity with PADs. "We found that clinicians are mostly supportive of PADs, once they're aware of them, but they've had very little experience with them," says Jeffrey W. Swanson, PhD, associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine. In North Carolina, PADs have been in effect since 1997, when the state legislature passed the Advance Instruction for Mental Health Treatment Act.

Developing PADs
Ideally, developing a PAD is a process that encourages reflection and dialogue, explains Anna M. Scheyett, MSW, clinical associate professor at the School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "It is not a one-shot deal."

For Blake, it was this dialogue that helped her turn the corner. "It was revolutionary for me when my psychiatrist first asked me to think about making decisions for myself. It was a painful process—I had never experienced that before, and I didn't think that I was capable of making decisions about my treatment. But it was very helpful in breaking my institutional mindset, and it also gave me some hope."

Scheyett suggests that a challenge for social workers is facilitating this kind of discussion without becoming prescriptive. Exploring what does and doesn't work and what will be helpful in a crisis, without telling the person with a mental health condition "what they ought to include in their PAD," can be difficult.

"I think the beauty of the PAD, if it is done well, is that it allows for deeper conversations between the social worker and the consumer about what is really going on," explains Blake. "So, for example, when the consumer says, 'I reject Haldol; I don't want Haldol under any circumstance,' even though the social worker may have the viewpoint, 'It is the Haldol that keeps you calm,' the conversation doesn't end there. It allows for more meaningful conversation because the consumer has the right to say why they don't like Haldol. It is a structured way for the consumer to explain what may be very difficult to explain. And it may not be in one conversation—it may be many conversations over six months."

Don't rush the process of developing a PAD, cautions Scheyett. "It is hard to think about what your life was like when you were in crisis, and that takes time," she says.

Blake explains, "If we have a hard time articulating our experience and what helps, it doesn't mean that we aren't able to. It just means that we need to find a way to do that. There is no timetable [for] a PAD. The PAD should be carefully thought out and should allow for much deeper conversation."

Blake advises that social workers who are helping people develop a PAD should ask them to talk to many different people regarding it. "Different people will help you to see things in a different way. Or they may help you to articulate what you weren't able to in a clinical setting."

Blake's PAD has evolved over the years. Her early PADs focused on helping her caregivers identify the symptoms that would necessitate hospitalization. "The idea was for me to be hospitalized before I was too far gone because it took so long for me to rebound from that. Every down cycle required a longer period to bounce back." Breaking this downward spiral was the beginning of Blake's recovery. As Blake's PAD developed, it also addressed issues, such as what medication she would prefer and how seclusion and restraint should be handled.

Blake says:"What was really remarkable was when the PAD started to become a recovery plan, and I was able to learn coping strategies that the hospital never taught me. The PAD was a legal document set up for me as a last resort to help me gain more control. But as a clinical document, it was able to stop me from going into a full-blown psychotic episode. I compare it to the experience of a brittle diabetic: when your blood sugar goes up and down, up and down, that is when your organs really start to pay a price. My experience with my psychosis was that when I could even out the severity of my episodes, I could work out coping strategies for myself; that is very hard to do when you are sick."

Schyett says her adrenaline gets going when she talks about PADs. "What is exciting is that the process and the conversations that result are, in and of themselves, very positive and can really help people move toward recovery. The dialogue builds a stronger therapeutic alliance with the social worker. You are honoring the person's lived experience, and that is empowering. It also starts building greater trust." The bottom line: "More engagement, better trust, more effective social work."

Blake agrees: "The real empowerment work was with me. I needed all the various tools and supports to help me to figure it out the best that I could. The PAD as a tool was just unbelievable. It is the whole idea of self-directed care. If I hadn't had the PAD, I would still be institutionalized—I am convinced of it."

PADs: Roadmaps to Recovery
Marvin Swartz, MD, professor and head of the division of social and community psychiatry at the Duke University School of Medicine, and Jeffrey W. Swanson, PhD, became convinced that PADs are an important innovation in reducing coercive treatment for people with severe mental illness. They began studying the experiences of people who had used a PAD in crisis. Because clinicians often fear a person with a severe mental health condition will use the PAD as a way to refuse all treatment or to demand unreasonable interventions, "like Ginkgo for psychotic episodes," Swartz studied what people actually wrote in their PADs.

Were the clinician's fears founded? "No," says Swartz. "Generally, consumers included a mix of what they wanted or didn't want. Nobody refused all treatment and all medication." (See sidebar for what consumers want in their PADs.)

Swanson says one request that comes up in most people's PADs is that they want to be treated with respect. "I think it is a commentary [on society] that people think that they need a legal document to be treated with respect, but people do put that in a lot."

Swartz suggests that engaging in the process of developing a PAD with a clinician, such as a social worker, helps a person with a severe mental health condition write advance directives that are feasible and consistent with community practice.

The PADs Experience
What do the stories of those who have used PADs tell? According to Swanson, some stories have been hopeful, and some are cautionary tales about what can go wrong.

In one case, everything that could go wrong did, and nothing in the PAD was followed. It was such a disaster that Swanson assumed that the person would say his PAD "wasn't worth the paper that it is written on." On the contrary, he said, "this is the best thing that I have ever done!" The man believed his experience showed PADs are necessary, but "we just need to work on getting the system to follow what they say." Swanson believes that if everything goes wrong that can go wrong and it is still the best thing a person has done for himself, then that is compelling evidence. "Now this man keeps his PAD in the visor of his car so he can take it everywhere he goes. I think that story shows the problems and also what these documents mean. PADs take on a symbolic, as well as a real, role in people's lives, especially people who have felt disempowered and helpless."

Sometimes the PAD works just the way it should, however. When one participant in Swanson's study was admitted to the hospital, she said, "The doctor didn't treat me like a nut case, because some do. Do you know what the doctor said to me? He said, 'You've got rights, and it is great that you know that you have them.' That's what he said to me! And he said, 'Now you know your rights, and we'll try to respect those completely.' That's the purpose of the PAD."

Facilitating Effective Treatment
One benefit of developing a PAD is that it collects important information critical to a person's mental health treatment into one document. In a fragmented mental health system where many consumers have a tendency to be transient, "it creates a précis of someone's clinical history and treatment record," says Swartz. "That is just enormously helpful in a person's treatment—it helps the provider get a better fix on what is going on, what has worked, and what the diagnosis is."

Another benefit is that it allows, through the healthcare power of attorney, family members and others to share important information and to be designated to be able to do so. Without the PAD, issues of confidentiality obstruct communication. "If you include in your PAD a healthcare power of attorney, then as soon as you are in crisis for incapacity, a family member or other designated person can be fully informed of the situation, make decisions, and share important information that might not be otherwise known. All of a sudden, this veil of secrecy around treatment is lifted," says Swartz.

PADs can usually be kept anywhere the consumer chooses. Some states have electronic vaults—essentially an electronic directory for both health advance directives and PADs—where a PAD can be securely filed and accessed 24 hours a day from anywhere. For states that don't have electronic vaults, the national organization, the United States Living Will Registry, is an option. "[Hurricane] Katrina illustrated the problem of having fixed records in one place," says Swartz.

Perhaps the most important benefit is that the PAD can be regularly revisited so it accurately reflects the consumer's wishes. Blake says, "As we change and grow in our knowledge of ourselves, our recovery and support systems, our specific instructions may evolve. In this way, the PAD is a useful tool for assessing people's movement in self-direction and recovery."

Role for Social Workers
For Blake, even though her days of being a "frequent flyer" seem to be over, she still has a PAD. She is a firm believer. As the director of training and communications of the Consumer Action Network in Washington, DC, she is trying to help professionals and consumers learn about the value of PADs. "We use the concept of the PAD in everything we do."

According to Swartz and Swanson's research, two thirds of the people studied said that, if given help, they would develop a PAD. But only 3% to 5% of people with severe mental health conditions actually have PADs. This gap between the demand for PADs and the existence of them suggests an important place for social workers to step in and help people with severe mental health conditions write PADs, which may well change the course of their lives. Scheyett says that in addition, social workers can play an important role in the education of providers about PADs, advocating not only for access to PADs for all individuals with mental health conditions but also ensuring that PADs are honored when they are used.

"My family was told that I was custodial," says Blake. "It has been slow; it has not been, 'Whee … now I'm cured!' But I have done very well. And I know my PAD was a very big part of how well I have done."

— Lynn K. Jones, DSW, is a freelance writer and an executive coach and organizational consultant in Santa Barbara, CA. As a specialist in organizational culture, she supports leaders and organizations in developing mission-driven cultures.


What Consumers Want in their PADs
Marvin Swartz, MD, professor and head of the division of social and community psychiatry at the Duke University School of Medicine, and Jeffrey W. Swanson, PhD, studied what people want in their PADs. Everyone they studied listed at least one risk factor for relapse and 20% provided detailed descriptions of what they looked like when they are decompensating; 94% gave advanced consent to treatment with at least one psychotropic medication; 77% refused some medication, and the vast majority of those (76%) gave reasons for their refusal—mostly side effects of the medication. No participant refused all treatment and all medication; 88% gave advanced consent to hospitalization in at least one facility; 62% documented advanced refusal of admission to a particular hospital; 52% wrote instructions to staff on ways to reduce or avoid the reliance on seclusion and restraint; 62% refused electroconvulsive therapy in any circumstance; 16% listed additional medical conditions they wanted providers to be aware of, such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and hypertension; 28% documented medication or food allergies.

It is important to note that some states preclude disallowing certain treatments in advance. Also, if a specific directive is written in a PAD, and it is not feasible in the situation, the healthcare facility does not have to follow it.

— LKJ


Resources for Developing PADs
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has developed templates for psychiatric advance directives (PADs) that can be downloaded and used as a starting point for developing a PAD.

The National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives is an online resource available for patients, families, and clinicians to learn about PADs and obtain up-to-date information on PADs (along with links to information about the legislation and development in various states): www.nrc-pad.org

Other organizations that can provide helpful information about PADs are:

The Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc.

Disability Rights Center

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Mental Health Association



Mary M. Blake, Director of Training/Communications
Consumer Action Network

TEL:  202.842.0001
FAX:  202.842.2685
E-mail: mblake@can-dc.org OR info@can-dc.org

1300 L St., NW -- Suite 1000
Washington, DC  20005

Monday, April 09, 2007

BEATNIKS CLUB HOSTS COUNTY POLICE & CRISIS CENTER, WEDNESDAY NIGHT APRIL 11TH.

Please post this to your respective mental health list-serves as soon as conveniently possible. Thanks!!
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From: Peter R. "Beatnik Pete" Warner peterwarner2@mac.com
To: dc-clf@yahoogroups.com
Date: April 09, 2007 02:02:39 AM EDT
Subject: BEATNIKS CLUB HOSTS COUNTY POLICE & CRISIS CENTER, WEDNESDAY NIGHT APRIL 11TH.

Want to know what's up, as Montgomery County, Maryland shifts from a "criminal paradigm" to a "mental health paradigm" re: consumers who run afoul of the law? As the County Council mulls 24-hour-per-day operation of the Crisis Center? What the criteria are, for forcible involuntary commitment to a mental hospital by the police?

Join the Bethesda Beatniks Club Wednesday night, April 11th, as we host veteran County Police Officer Joan Logan, and Crisis Center Manager Mike Chappell for a lecture and lengthy Q&A session after dinner.

WHEN: Wednesday night, April 11th, dinner starts 6:30pm, lecture starts 7:15pm.
WHERE: Alfio's Trattoria, 4515 Willard Avenue in Friendship Heights, three blocks west of Wisconsin Avenue and the Friendship Heights Metro stop. Free valet parking.
QUESTIONS? Call Pete at (301)279-2578.

Beatnik Pete/"Bethesda Beatniks Dinner Club"/www.bethesdabeatniks.org

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