Archive for August, 2007
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
Dear National Council Member:
As part of the 2007 World Mental Health Day observation, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals is organizing a contest for individuals living with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia and their relatives or caregivers. The National Council encourages members to invite the individuals you serve and their families to participate in this contest. Entries must be in the form of original 800 - 1,000 word essays, poems, short stories, videos, paintings, or songs on what an average day is like living with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
Click here for details.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
Szabo’s personal story is both powerful and educational. His candid conversation frames mental health in real life language and examples and leaves participants with a genuine understanding of a day in the life of a person living with a mental disorder. The program is a valuable tool for students looking to better understand their friends who are facing depression or mental health issues. Szabo covers warning signs that can be seen in friends or family members as well as options and resources to turn to when a friend needs help. His program is valuable for the millions that will face some type of change, loss, and transition in their young lives.
On Monday, September 10th at 8:00pm in Student Center Dinning Room, Szabo will present "What Happy Faces are Hiding" to Students and Faculty of Regis University. For more information, contact Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas (303.458.4323, sspencer@regis.edu).
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, August 23rd, 2007
PPBHG’s, Brian Butler did an interview for the Jim Lehrer News Hour yesterday. He did a panel interview along side a LTC from the Marines. They reviewed news footage from Iraq and commented on the war zone situations and how they can manifest in PTSD. He also brought back some historical aspects into the interview on treatment for PTSD in the Army. Brian was able to bring in his time in war theater and experiences with working with soldiers in the LAC together and do some audience education on the physiological aspects of combat stressors. He worked hard to maintain a balanced interview and stay neutral on Ft.Carson and the Army.
The piece will be broadcast on Friday Aug. 24 at 6 PM. He will be on the Denver PBS station KRMH (I believe channel 6). He will then be taking part in an online chat session and field questions from the national audience.
One caveat, the interviewer chose to generalize Brian’s title to a regional provider since the organization for the other panelist was not used. Brian was introduced as a Colorado Spring health group provider. This cannot be amended, but PPBHG will be affiliate with his on line chat session.
All in all, this is a fantastic success. Anytime we can educate on mental illness we erode the barriers of stigma and increase awareness. Together, we help change lives one person at a time.
On another note, we are still awaiting a specific date on the 20/20 airing in late Sept or Oct.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, August 9th, 2007
Last night, the National Council received advance notice that CMS will issue proposed regulations regarding the Medicaid Rehabilitation Option on Monday, August 13. To view an advance copy of the proposed regulations, go to:
www.nccbh.org/TemporaryFiles/RehabReg.pdf
Based on our initial review of the proposed regulations, the National Council believes our advocacy has minimized some of the damage that could have been done to the Rehabilitation Option. However, we still have some serious concerns about the proposed regulations, and questions regarding how certain sections could be interpreted.
We will be sending out a more thorough analysis of the proposed regulations on Monday. Because these are “proposed” regulations, we have 60 days from publication on August 13 to submit comments to CMS. We will be working to develop comments and to help you do the same. Our ultimate goal is to protect the ability of our members to provide rehabilitation services to people with serious mental illness—services our members are uniquely positioned to provide.
Please contact Chuck Ingoglia, Vice President, Public Policy, with any questions on the rehab regulations at 301.984.6200, ext. 249 or chucki@nccbh.org.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, August 6th, 2007
Shortly after Jeannie Ritter became Colorado’s first lady in January, her predecessor shared a bit of hard-earned perspective.
"It won’t last forever," former first lady Frances Owens told her. "Every day you’re closer to being the ex-first lady of Colorado."
Ritter, 51, took it to heart. "At that point I knew I had this short window of opportunity," she said in a recent interview in the sunroom of the Governor’s Mansion.
It perhaps explains her fast start out of the blocks on the issue of mental health awareness.
Driven in part by her experiences with a bipolar sister, Ritter said she wants to use her position to make talking about the topic as normal as talking about food and drink.
"We have an extensive language about coffee, but at the same time we don’t know what bipolar is, and people don’t know the difference between anxiety and severe anxiety."
Ritter is committed to changing that, she said as she curled in a chair in her khaki shorts and flip-flops and talked about the wild, inspiring ride she has been on since assuming her first role in public life seven months ago.
Click here to read the full Rocky Mountain News article.
Posted in News Articles | No Comments »
Monday, August 6th, 2007
Call Your Senators Today to Urge Support for Legislation to Expand Mental Health Care Access for Veterans Through Partnerships With Community Providers!
Executive Summary: Last week, the House passed legislation (HR 2874) to improve mental health services for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The National Council urges all members to take advantage of this momentum and contact their Senators to ask them to become co-sponsors of the Veterans Mental Health Outreach and Access Act (S 38) and to thank those who have already signed on as co-sponsors.
Action Needed:
The National Council urges all members to contact their Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the Veterans Mental Health Outreach and Access Act (S 38) or to thank those who have already become co-sponsors. In addition, we encourage you to raise this issue with your members of Congress when they are at home in the district during the August recess.
You can reach all Congressional offices by calling the Capitol Switchboard. Call 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected with the office you want.
Members of Congress return home to their district for the August recess - August 6 - 31 for the House and August 6 - September 3 for the Senate – this week. The National Council encourages all members to invite their members of Congress to visit your agency during the August recess period.
A flyer, available on the National Council’s website, provides information about how to schedule and prepare for your visits. The National Council urges you to work with your local NAMI chapter in preparing for these visits as well. National Council staff are also available to assist you in your efforts. If you have any questions about the process or the request, please contact Allison Fort at 301.984.6200, ext. 235 or allisonf@nccbh.org.
What should you say?
I am calling to urge the Senator/Representative to become a co-sponsor of the Veterans Mental Health Outreach and Access Act.
Please let the National Council know if you contact a member of the Senate on this issue. Contact Allison Fort at allisonf@nccbh.org to let us know you participated and share the response you received. Thank you!
Posted in Legislative | No Comments »
Friday, August 3rd, 2007
Colorado first lady Jeannie Ritter and other speakers at the Aurora Mental Health Center’s third fundraising luncheon emphasized that laughter is a key to good mental health. They also made it clear that full and happy lives don’t "just happen," they’re achieved with planning, commitment and skill.
Click here to read the full Denver Post article.
Posted in News Articles | No Comments »
Thursday, August 2nd, 2007
Upcoming meeting of the Colorado Association for Infant Mental Health
Dear Colleagues,
We hope that you are having an enjoyable summer.
This is a reminder that our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 14. Stacey Bromberg, Ph.D., will be presenting on "Infant Mental Health in Residential Substance Abuse Treatment." The meeting will begin at 6:00PM in the Long’s Peak Conference Room at Children’s Hospital. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is free for CoAIMH members. The fee for nonmembers is $10.
We look forward to seeing you there,
Lorraine, Ayelet, Kelly and Joy
Posted in Trainings | No Comments »
News Categories
|
