Posts Tagged ‘Mental’

Natural Health: Improving Mental Wellness With Omega-3

June 18th, 2011

Many of us have already heard about natural health supplements like Omega-3, and today it is breaking ground with its natural ability to help in healing. How? In recent studies, Omega-3 fish oil was tested and has shown to act as a natural preventative and aid for a number of mental health problems.

First, a little background on omega-3 fatty acids: Found in fish oil and other food sources, these acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are nutritionally essential. This natural health supplement includes a-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Some of the many natural health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids include reduced risk of coronary heart disease, improved blood circulation, blood pressure reduction, and help in relieving depression and anxiety, among other health conditions.

The good news is that we can obtain natural health macronutrients like omega-3 through common food sources. Seafood – including clams, mussels, anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, and sardines are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed oil also contains omega-3 acids; as do kiwifruit, black raspberry, walnuts, pecans, hazel nuts, and eggs.

Because natural health supplements like omega-3 fatty acids are known to enhance membranes in brain cells, its no wonder researchers have taken an in-depth look into its effectiveness at helping individuals who suffer from a number of mental health disorders. For example, a preliminary double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids on bipolar disorder found that patients who not only tolerated the fatty acids well, but demonstrated improvement in the mental health condition of the patient.

Omega-3, one of the natural health nutrients of the new millennium has now been shown to have benefits in the prevention of schizophrenia. After a study (Schizophrenia Daily News Blog) conducted in Australia, participants who had displayed early signs of the disease were given fish oil for three months. Findings demonstrated that natural health treatments like omega-3 fish oil could be beneficial in preventing schizophrenia on patients who are at risk for developing the mental health condition.

In general, omega-3 fatty acids are truly a natural health benefit to any one wanting to maintain a healthy and well-balanced life. For those of us who may be at risk or are suffering from common health issues, it is proving to be a vital dose of daily nutrition.

Interested in learning more about these or other natural health supplements? Let professional training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, holistic health, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore natural health courses near you.

Note: This article is designed for education purposes only and is not intended to serve as medical advice.

*Other Sources: Archives of General Psychiatry

Natural Health: Improving Mental Wellness with Omega-3

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4 Goals for Expanding the Mental Health Care Policy for Children and Youth

June 5th, 2011

Change is the air, and everyone is cautiously optimistic for healthcare reform in the new administration. In the coming years, the national mental health organizations will begin expanding behavioral healthcare agenda for children and youth, and are looking to new members to help shape and prioritize policy goals. Focusing on children and youth is an important starting point.

With several healthcare reform proposals on the table from Congress, national mental health care organizations are working on a number of fronts to advance children’s behavioral healthcare in the new Administration. A top priority is securing additional Medicaid support through increased SCHIP funding and Federal Medical Assistance Percentages. In addition, mental health organizations are working closely with federal partners to include behavioral health issues for children and youth in federal initiatives. The unique healthcare needs of children are a priority in any health reform proposal.

Other child health policy goals will likely mirror and advance the objectives of many community mental health organizations around the US. The following four goals are objectives that are universally accepted by many mental and behavioral health care providers.

1.) Service needs, rather than financing streams, should shape the structure of delivery systems for children and youth.

Often, the rules and regulations governing coverage and reimbursement narrowly dictate how and which clients can be served. Early diagnosis and intervention remains more of a vision than the reality. Federal and state financing need to support — not impede — early intervention and prevention, care for the “whole child,” and incentives for statewide approaches to improving age-appropriate services.

2.) Behavioral health services for children and adolescents require a family focus

Child disorders can engender dysfunction even in relatively strong families. This phenomenon is especially challenging in families that may have difficulty accessing medical appointments or taking time off work. Policy should support services delivered by behavioral and mental health organizations in and across natural settings such as early childhood programs, homes, primary health care settings, and schools in order to successfully reach children and their families. More and more community mental health organizations are helping families obtain supports beyond traditional services like income support or public health insurance.

3.) Delivery systems should be both flexible and accountable

The focus on mental health care for children should dovetail with ongoing efforts to use data to drive clinical and administrative decision-making. Delivery systems must be flexible to support collaboration between providers and service sites that treat the “whole” individual while also being more attentive and responsive to functional outcomes. To do this, child mental health authorities, child welfare authorities, and state juvenile courts, in conjunction with federal partners, must develop a comprehensive strategy to work together in new ways: more cooperatively, transparently, effectively and efficiently.

These delivery systems need to be able to jointly measure effectiveness of services over time and to coordinate services within or between systems in order to improve outcomes experienced by children and their families. Meaningful, measurable, and manageable measures of performance across systems are critical. Community mental health organizations need to work closely with their members to advance policy that improves interagency financing and service networks, to develop methodologies for integrating and coordinating mental health resources for children and families, and to create a quality driven mental health system.

4.) Increase workforce capacity and competence, with greater attention to cultural responsiveness

Everyone needs to work at the federal and state levels to build a qualified and adequately trained workforce — one prepared to recognize, diagnose and provide mental health services for children and their families and a workforce trained to deliver care and treatment under a new paradigm that stresses collective responsibility for child mental health and well-being.

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Alternatives In Mental Health

May 15th, 2011

Some people believe that our brain becomes inactive when we sleep. If that were so then we should not have any dreams. Dreams are evidence that our mind remains active, even when we are asleep. This simply means that our mind is active 24 hours a day without any rest at all. Just imagine how our bodies would behave if we were to go through 24 hours of physical activity.


Although research may show that 30% of mental illness may occur without a trigger of stress, it also shows that a majority – 70% – of mental illnesses occur with stress. The research may have failed to look at the other 30%, mentally ill who may not be ‘acknowledging’ stress at a given moment. This gives us a pessimistic view of mental illnesses. We are made to believe that we can do nothing about them. We are also told that mental illnesses occur because of our genes, our upbringing, our personality, our temperament, our lifestyle and we can do nothing about them. Stress or no stress, we are told, if we have all these factors loaded in our personal history, we are prone to have a mental illness. Some psychiatrists adhere to this belief strongly. This belief is then put across authoritatively as the “gospel truth” of science. Naturally, this brings up a sense of low self-esteem and helplessness in the person who is suffering with the illness. We are then made to believe that medications are man-made answers to mental illness, which is a curse of nature.


Prayer, which was until recently considered unscientific, has now been shown to have beneficial effects on patients.1 Similarly, the current belief in psychiatry is that mental illnesses can be treated by medical professionals only and the person who is mentally ill has no control over their lives. The medical system works in a way in which the doctors themselves have limited choices other than prescribing drugs. The patient has no choices worth mentioning. From the legal perspective, a person who is mentally ill is considered not capable of taking any responsibility for their actions. This is one of the most unfortunate aspects of mental illnesses. People who are mentally ill also have a sense of responsibility in many areas of their lives.


The role of emotions in mental illnesses has been totally ignored by scientists. Yet researches do show that separation from mother,2 losses3 – including deaths,4 traumatic events, especially when they occur over the previous three months5 can trigger mental illnesses. What has been looked at is the history of such events in a person’s life. What is ignored is the emotional upheaval it causes in a person’s body and mind. Emotional expression ameliorates the effects of trauma.6 Repetitive upheavals in the body are simply not forgotten. Release of emotions by emotional expression explains the role of counselling and confession. We tend to believe, erroneously, that everything will settle with time. Things do settle with time – but not everything. It is these issues and their emotional effects, that cause mental illnesses and psychosomatic illnesses. It is obvious that whenever we undergo any emotional experience, our nervous and hormonal systems are shaken-up. The nervous system and the hormones together control the activities of various parts of the body. If the neurohormonal expression is allowed to go through completion, a physiological calmness occurs in the body. This has a scientific basis.7


For people who attend church regularly, a common experience is the sense of calmness on entering a church. Coupled with music, incense and sermons spoken in a low, soft tone, a sense of calmness dwells on the person. There is scientific evidence to suggest that going to church helps a person remain healthy.8 More interesting is the fact that there is little research to state that music or aromatherapy help to bring about mental health. Yet experience shows that they have a calming effect. Only recently have papers started to be published in scientific journals bridging the gap between spirituality and science.9 It has now been researched that people who are religious in orientation have a lower rate of strokes than those who are not religious.10


The whole area of mental illness is about losing a sense of freedom. When we find ourselves bound to emotional issues of our life, that we cannot rid ourselves of, we lose our freedom of thinking. This creates stress in our mind and our body bears the brunt of it. This loss of freedom brings up a sense of fear or a sense of helplessness. Both such feelings bring up a sense of insecurity. A person loses confidence in their own worth. Self-esteem becomes low. With lack of confidence and low self-esteem, comes poor decision-making. A person suffers with all these conditions when suffering with a mental illness. This changes the behaviour of the person. The behaviour is affected by the way the person feels and thinks. If the person feels fear for a long time, the chances of becoming phobic and paranoid increase. Withdrawal from social situations occurs. The family members observe the person to be unwell. Such a person is then asked to see a doctor. With the person’s self-esteem low, vulnerability increases. This does not mean however, that the person becomes totally irresponsible towards their own well-being. Many times the person wants to do ‘something’ to get better, but the health system has limited resources to offer much in terms of growth of the person, except medication. When a mentally ill person goes to seek help – confidence, self-esteem and sense of freedom are already lost. Instead of helping the person become independent, there is a tendency to make the person dependent on medication.


Medication plays its role in controlling the condition or state of illness. It does nothing to improve the quality of life permanently. To improve their quality of life, the person needs to take responsibility for their own well-being. This is encouraged in some of the organisations, which are being run by the sufferers themselves. GROW is an example of such an organisation. Are there any alternatives to medication in mental conditions? A doctor can only prescribe drugs to “control” the mental condition. The current trend in some other parts of the world is to encourage people suffering with mental illnesses to take responsibility for their own well-being, along with medication. Psychotherapy11 and self-help is encouraged. The usage of medication in such situations is minimised or eliminated.


In psychiatry, we know that the suicide rate among physicians is higher than in the general population and psychiatrists are at a greater risk among physicians, than other specialists.12 Research shows that psychotherapy is more economical than medication alone in treating mental illness.13 Conditions like schizophrenia are also being treated without medication in some parts of the world.14 It is also a known fact that the more positive the attitude we have, the more balanced are the chemicals in our body.15 This would be more acceptable for those who see the positive role of religion on mental health. Some authors have suggested that the medicine of the future is going to be “prayer and Prozac.”16 Mental health is a preventative activity. Do we need to suffer first before we take steps to deal with it? If we could only assume responsibility for our own mental health, we may not have to suffer. The best medicine in this case is certainly prevention.


We live in a free society. The freedom to suffer is also one kind of freedom. We also have the freedom to look for answers to minimise our suffering.


REFERENCES



ASTIN, J.A., (2000) Prayer, Other Forms of ‘Distant Healing’ seem to have Positive Effects. Medscape. Annals of Internal Medicine 132: P.903-910.

HARRIS T., BROWN G. W., BIFULCO A., (1986) Loss of Parent in Childhood and Adult Psychiatric Disorder: The Role of Lack of Adequate Parental Care. Psychological Medicine 16: P.641-659.

BROWN G. W., HARRIS T., (1978) Social Origins of Depression. Tavistock, London.

BIRTCHNELL J., (1970) Depression in Relation to Early and Recent Parent Death. British Journal of Psychiatry 116: P.299-306.

BROWN G. W., BIRLEY J. L. T., (1968) Crises and Life Changes and the onset of Schizophrenia. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 9: P.203-214.

KELLER, S.E., SHIFLETT, S.C., SCHLIEFER, S.J. & BARTLETT, J.A. (1994) Stress, Immunity and Health. Handbook of Human Stress & Immunity. San Diego: Academic. P.217-244.

CHADHA, P. K., (2000) Drugless Psychiatry – Physiological Basis of Clinical Experiences. Paper presented in 6th Conference – Innovations in Psychiatry, London, April 2000.

COMSTOCK, G.W., PARTIDGE, K.B., (1972) Church Attendance and Health. Journal of Chronic Diseases 225: P.665-72.

SLOAN, R.P., BAGIELLA E., POWELL T., (1999) Religion, Spirituality and Medicine. Lancet 353: P.664-67.

KOENIG, H.G., (1997) Is Religion Good for your Health? Haworth Pastoral Press, N.Y.

POMERANTZ, J.M. (1999). Focused Psychotherapy as an Alternative to Long Term Medication. Drug Benefit Trends 11 (7) : P.2, 5.

KAPLAN, H.I., SADOCK., B.J., (1998) Synopsis of Psychiatry – 8th Edition – B.I. Waverly Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. P.865.

TALLEY P. F., STRUPP, H. H., BUTLER S. S., (1994) Psychotherapy Research and Practice, Harper Collins: London.

McKENZIE, C.D., & WRIGHT, L.S., (1996) Delayed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders from Infancy – The Two Trauma Mechanism. Harwood Academic.

MOON, A. M., (2000) Positive Psychology Halved Depression in Kids. Clinical Psychiatry News. 28 (5): P.29.

MATTHEWS, D.A., LARSON, D.B., (1997) Faith and Medicine: Reconciling the Twin Traditions of Healing. Mind/Body Medicine : 2: P.3-6.

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Kinds of mental health services to search for

May 13th, 2011

Mental health illness is one of the most challenging situations to deal with. It becomes even more tough when the mental stability of an individual is lost and is regarded as to be incredibly serious in scenario. It is extremely essential to get the appropriate mental health services in order to provide the particular person with the best treatment feasible to check out and provide him back to normal. The mental illness can be caused because of a lot of possible reasons like the shock throughout an incident or an event, emotional disturbance, hormonal changes and many far more elements. There are several mental health services that can supply the best of the treatment to the individuals struggling from mental illness or emotional disturbances.

It is extremely generally seen that the family members of the individual who is suffering from mental sickness try to conceal the circumstance by not discussing the identical with the medical practitioner or a psychiatrist. It is very essential to understand the stage and the problem that the particular person is heading via to get the finest possible mental health services.

There are several mental health organizations that supply services which assist the individuals suffering from various mental problems like the autistic spectrum issue, tough behavioral issues disabilities etc. The teaching programs and mental health clinics conducted by these organizations assist the individuals in comprehension the various aspects of irritability, mental hygiene and mental well being. They also educate normal individuals for acquiring the very best mental health and to offer with pressure, irritability and numerous far more things. The following are the different types of mental health services that an individual struggling from mental sickness can be put forward to:

? They provide mental health training packages which consist of the effective tools to deal with stress, irritability and common nicely being of mental health.
? Workshops for mental health are executed which teach practical methods to preserve general mental health and lie the life happily.
? The mental health services supply full psychiatric reports, assessments and prognosis with efficient suggestions of the want fro suitable treatment. It helps the doctors style an appropriate program for the treatment of the mentally sick affected individual.
? Assess the risks for violent and aggressive behavior and the reasons for the exact same and also recommends a treatment plan.
? It aids recognize the various anxiety levels with the teaching applications and workshops to manage the scenarios far better and helps in comprehension the challenging behavior which can result in to self harm.
? They also provide for on-line training by providing access to issue solving services, burnout syndrome, alcohol use disorders remedy etc.

The mental health services have several advantages for the patient. They offer professional and educated service which can give the very best remedy results. The mental health services would provide the best health facilities that would boost the health of the particular person reliving him of most of the mental problems in due course.

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The Four Quadrant Model for Integrating Health Care for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Patients

May 11th, 2011

The Four Quadrant Model is a proposed model for the clinical integration of mental health and behavioral health services. A focus on the prevalence of co-occurring disorders (i.e. depression and alcoholism) is paramount in this model. The Four Quadrant Model builds on the 1998 consensus document for mental health and substance abuse/addiction service integration. This model for a comprehensive, continuous and integrated system of care describes differing levels of mental health and substance abuse integration and clinician competencies based on the four-quadrant model, divided into severity for each disorder:

>    Quadrant I: Low mental health – low substance abuse, served in primary care
>    Quadrant II: High mental health – low substance abuse, served in the mental health system by staff who have substance abuse competency
>    Quadrant III: Low mental health – high substance abuse, served in the substance abuse system by staff who have mental health competency
>    Quadrant IV: High mental health – high substance abuse, served by a fully integrated mental health and substance abuse program

The Four Quadrant model is not intended to be prescriptive about what happens in each quadrant, but to serve as a conceptual framework for collaborative planning in each local system. Ideally it would be used as a part of collaborative planning for each new behavioral health and community mental healthcare site, with the local provider(s) of public behavioral health services using the framework to decide who will do what and how coordination for each person served will be assured.

The use of the Four Quadrant Model to consider subsets of the population, the major system elements and clinical roles would result in the following broad approaches:

QUADRANT I

Low behavioral health – low physical health complexity/risk, served in primary care with behavioral health care staff on site; very low/low individuals served by the principle care provider, with the behavioral health care staff serving those with slightly elevated health or behavioral health risk.

The principle care providers give primary care services and uses standard behavioral health screening tools and practice guidelines to serve most individuals in the primary care practice. Use of standardized behavioral health tools by the principle care providers and a tracking/registry system focuses referrals of a subset of the population to the behavioral health clinician. The role of the primary care based behavioral health clinician is to provide formal and informal consultation to the principle care providers as well as to provide behavioral health triage and assessment, brief treatment services to the patient, referral to community and educational resources, and health risk education. Behavioral health clinical and support services may include individual or group services, use of cognitive behavioral therapy, psycho-education, brief substance abuse intervention, and limited case management. The behavioral health clinician must be competent in both mental health and substance abuse assessment and service planning. The principle care provider prescribes psychotropic medications using treatment algorithms and has access to psychiatric consultation regarding medication management.

The consumer of care, by seeking care in primary care, has selected a “clinical home.” Consistent with appropriate clinical practice, that should be honored. The primary care and specialty behavioral health system should develop protocols, however, that spell out how acute behavioral health episodes or high-risk consumers will be handled. This will also lead to clarity regarding the “clinical home” of consumers with serious persistent mental illness who are currently stable, which should be based upon consumer choice and the specifics of the community collaboration.

QUADRANT II

High behavioral health – low physical health complexity/risk, served in a specialty behavioral health system that coordinates with the principle care providers.

The principle care provider provides primary care services and collaborates with the specialty behavioral health providers to assure coordinated care for individuals. Psychiatric consultation for the principle care providers may be an element in these complex behavioral health situations, but it more likely that psychotropic medication management will be handled by the specialty behavioral health system. The role of the specialty behavioral health clinician is to provide behavioral health assessment, arrange for or deliver specialty behavioral health services, assure case management related to housing and other community supports, assure that the consumer has access to health care, and create a primary care communication approach (e.g., e-mail, v-mail, face to face) that assures coordinated service planning, especially in regard to medication management.

Specialty behavioral health clinical and support services will vary based upon state and county level planning and financing; some localities may encompass the full range of services offered by specialty behavioral health systems including:

Specialty Mental Health Services

>    Crisis respite facilities
>    24/7 crisis telephone
>    Crisis residential facilities
>    Mobile crisis team
>    Crisis observation 23 hour beds
>    Urgent care walk in clinic
>    Locked sub-acute residential
>    Inpatient (voluntary and involuntary)
>    Dual diagnosis inpatient
>    Hospital discharge planning
>    Partial hospitalization
>    In-home stabilization
>    Outreach to homeless shelters
>    Outreach to jail/corrections
>    Outreach to other special populations
>    Individual/family treatment /counseling
>    Group treatment/counseling
>    Dual diagnosis treatment groups
>    Multifamily groups
>    Psychiatric evaluation/consultation
>    Psychiatric prescribing/management
>    Advice nurse (medication issues)
>    Psychological testing
>    Services for homebound frail or disabled
>    Specialized services for older adults
>    Brokerage case management
>    24/7 intensive home /community case management
>    School-based assessment and treatment
>    Supported classroom
>    Stabilization classroom
>    Day treatment (adult, adolescent, child)
>    Supported employment /supported education
>    Transitional services for young adults
>    Individual skill building /coaching
>    Intensive peer support
>    After school structured services
>    Summer daily structure and support

Specialty Substance Abuse Services
>    Sobering sites
>    Social detoxification/residential
>    Outpatient medical detoxification
>    Inpatient medical detoxification
>    Pre-treatment groups
>    Intensive outpatient treatment
>    Outpatient treatment
>    Day treatment
>    Aftercare/12 step groups
>    Narcotic replacement treatment

Residential Services
>    Boarding homes
>    Adult residential treatment
>    Child/adolescent residential treatment
>    Transitional housing
>    Adult family homes
>    Treatment foster care
>    Low income housing (dedicated to behavioral health consumers)

Supports for Serious Persistent Mental Health Populations
>    Representative payee/financial services
>    Time limited transitional groups
>    Parent support groups
>    Youth support groups
>    Dual diagnosis education/support groups
>    Caregiver/family support groups
>    Youth after school normalizing activities
>    Youth tutors/mentors

The behavioral health clinician must be competent in both mental health and substance abuse assessment and service planning. A specific standard of practice should be adopted that defines the methods and frequency of communication with principle care providers. Note that this quadrant is where most public sector behavioral health consumers currently can be found.

QUADRANT III

Low behavioral health – high physical health complexity/risk, served in the primary care/medical specialty system with behavioral health staff on site in primary or medical specialty care, coordinating with all medical care providers including disease managers.

The principle care providers provides primary care services, works with medical specialty providers and disease managers (e.g. diabetes, asthma) to manage the physical health issues of the individual and uses standard behavioral health screening tools and practice guidelines to serve most individuals in the primary care practice. Use of standardized behavioral health tools by the principle care providers and a tracking/registry system focuses referrals of a subset of the population to the behavioral health clinician. The role of the primary care or medical specialty based behavioral health clinician is to provide behavioral health triage and assessment, consultation to the principle care providers or treatment services to the patient, referral to community and educational resources, and health risk education. Behavioral health clinical and support services may include individual or group services, use of cognitive behavioral therapy, psycho-education, brief substance abuse intervention, and limited case management. The behavioral health clinician must be competent in both mental health and substance abuse assessment and service planning. The principle care provider prescribes psychotropic medications using treatment algorithms and has access to psychiatric consultation regarding medication management.

Depending on the setting, the behavioral health clinician may also serve as a health educator regarding lifestyle and chronic health conditions found in the general public (diabetes, asthma) or conditions found in at-risk populations (Hepatitis C, HIV). These population-based services, as articulated by Bob Dyer, would include: patient education, activity planning; prompting; skill assessment; skill building; and, mutual support. In addition to these disease management services, the behavioral health clinician might serve as a physician extender, supporting efficient use of physician time by problem solving with acute or chronic patients, as well as working with patients on medication compliance issues.

Specialty healthcare and disease management programs could also integrate depression screening into a wide array of self management and rehabilitation programs, building on current research findings regarding the frequency and impact of depression in cardiovascular or diabetes populations.

QUADRANT IV

High behavioral health – high physical health complexity/risk, served in both the specialty behavioral health and primary care/medical specialty systems; in addition to the behavioral health case manager, there may be a disease manager, in which case the two managers work at a high level of coordination with one another and other members of the team.

The principle care providers works with medical specialty providers and disease managers (e.g. diabetes, asthma) to manage the physical health issues of the individual, while collaborating with the behavioral health system in the planning and delivery of behavioral health clinical and support services, which include those listed in Quadrant II. Psychiatric consultation is a key element in these most complex situations. The role of the specialty behavioral health clinician is to provide behavioral health assessment, arrange for or deliver specialty behavioral health services, assure case management related to housing and other community supports, and collaborate at a high level with the healthcare system team. The behavioral health clinician must be competent in both mental health and substance abuse assessment and service planning.

In some settings, behavioral health services may be integrated with specialty provider teams (for example, Kaiser has behavioral health clinicians in OB/GYN working with substance abusing pregnant women). With the extension of disease management programs into Medicaid health plans, there is the likelihood of coordinating with disease managers in addition to healthcare providers. The behavioral health clinician and disease manager should assure they are not duplicating tasks, but working together to support the needs of the consumer. A specific standard of practice should be adopted that defines the methods and frequency of communication.

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The Importance of Pursuing Mental Health Integration

March 30th, 2011

Why Pursue Mental Health Integration?

It is the right thing to do: The NCCBH vision statement provides the foundation for our work: We are committed to creating and sustaining healthy and secure communities, achieved through a system that holds the needs of consumers paramount, regardless of their ability to pay.

Vital to this commitment is a network of organizations and advocates promoting services of unparalleled value.

NCCBH members primarily serve public sector consumers, those with severe and persistent mental illness or serious emotional disturbance-the needs of this population are often overlooked in primary care and integration planning. We must assure that their needs as well as the needs of the broader community are appropriately addressed.

Many people in the broader community now receive their behavioral healthcare in a primary care setting, and the gap between the medical and behavioral healthcare systems must be bridged: As noted by Robin Dea and many other commentators, there is:

“evidence that many, if not most, people coming into primary care are being treated for psychosocial problems, not organically based medical disease . . . evidence of medical cost offsets from treating behavioral health problems presenting as physical health problems in the primary care setting . . . the assumption that if adequate detection of early stage psychiatric illness took place in primary care, there would be some prevention of patients going to more severe episodes of major psychiatric illnesses . . . and primary care is where most people who have behavioral health problems are in fact seen.”

Some of the important findings from the research field include:

-The Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Study and articles based on this survey data, reported the finding that about 50% of care for common mental disorders was delivered in general medical settings. However, many subsequent studies have shown that these disorders may be undiagnosed or under-treated.
-Screening systems, treatment guidelines and provider education in primary care are necessary but not sufficient steps to ensure a difference in outcomes.
-Collaborative and stepped care has been shown to achieve outcomes that are better than “usual care”.

There is the opportunity for quality improvement of care within the primary care and specialty behavioral healthcare settings: Studies have shown that many people with depression stop taking their medications before the minimal time required to effectively treat an episode of depression. Patients at Group Health Cooperative who initiated medications for depression with their primary care physician and received targeted stepped up care and relapse prevention support were significantly more likely to adhere to adequate dosages of medication and to demonstrate a greater decrease in depressive symptoms.

Application of research findings such as these through adoption of evidence-based practices in both primary care and specialty behavioral health (BH) settings will result in better outcomes for consumers.

With the publication of Priority Areas for National Action: Transforming Health Care Quality, the Institute of Medicine’s 2003 follow up to Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, a major opportunity and challenge has appeared for the public mental health system.

The Quality Chasm recommended the systematic identification of priority areas for national quality improvement; Priority Areas proposes twenty areas for transforming health care nationally. Included in this list are major depression (screening and treatment) and severe and persistent mental illness (focus on treatment in the public sector).

Their inclusion as priority areas, as well as the findings in the Interim Report from the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, with its observation that the system is “fragmented and in disarray-not from lack of commitment and skill of those who deliver care, but from underlying structural, financing and organizational problems” suggests that the time for new strategies is at hand.

Many people being served by public behavioral health services need better access to primary care: A rationale less frequently articulated for integration is that the specialty BH system, especially the public sector focusing on the severe and persistent mentally ill adult population (SPMI) and seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) children, serves a disabled consumer population with healthcare needs that are frequently under-addressed due to difficulties in obtaining medical services.

Most state Medicaid waivers related to coverage for physical healthcare have focused on enrollment of the TANF population into Medicaid managed care plans, leaving the disabled Medicaid population unable to adequately access care, or in better situations, reliant on “safety net” providers-community health centers (CHCs) or county delivered health services.

Community health centers serve people who need better access to behavioral healthcare. These “safety net” providers serve a broader scope of patients than just the Medicaid population. But many states have implemented mental health Medicaid waivers that focus the public mental health system on the SPMI/SED and Medicaid populations, with minimal levels of support for non-SPMI/SED or uninsured populations. Often there is not a good match of target populations between the two systems. If the Medicaid mental health program also has a highly managed service authorization and payment methodology, there may be additional barriers to reimbursement for mental health services.

This has led to frustration for “safety net” healthcare providers because they have difficulty obtaining behavioral health services for their non-SPMI/SED or uninsured patients. In a recent survey of CHC medical directors, 80% indicated that cost is the main barrier to behavioral health care for their uninsured populations. The recent financing and development of behavioral health services in CHCs addresses this frustration and is just the latest in a series of efforts to acknowledge that a large proportion of the population gets their behavioral health services in primary care.

Because behavioral health clinicians are a resource for assisting people with all types of chronic health conditions: Yet another reason for integration is the potential contribution of BH clinicians regarding behavioral and lifestyle change: providing interventions targeted at better management of chronic disease, supporting and “leveraging” the time of primary care providers through disease management programs.

Disease management activities focus on several areas: early identification of populations at-risk for costly chronic disease (e.g., asthma, diabetes), care interventions that utilize evidence-based practices, education-intensive orientations that focus on both patient and provider, care management and a coordinated approach across multidisciplinary treatment teams, and a method for systematic data collection that measures clinical and cost-effectiveness. Large organized healthcare systems, such as Northern California Kaiser-Permanente, implement their major disease management programs with specifically assigned nurses as care managers and educators.

However, many physicians in individual or group practices do not have access to this level of support unless they are in the network of a health plan with active disease management programs. In markets where primary care and multi-specialty groups have accepted accelerated risk, disease management approaches will be especially value-added.

We are in a time of significant public policy activity regarding financing of the national healthcare system and the uninsured population. As we approach the 40th anniversary of the founding of the community mental health center movement, the dialogue has returned us to our public health beginnings-serving the needs of a population.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Primary Care Integration Initiative is currently being implemented across the country. The HRSA initiative includes: identification of system issues related to integration and the development of related strategies; development of a service manual for CHC behavioral health services; development of BH intervention models for CHCs; and grants for establishing BH services in existing CHCs.

Newly funded CHC sites will be expected to provide dental, mental health and substance abuse services, either directly or by subcontract arrangements. CHCs are in the process of decision making about building their own BH services or contracting for BH services, as they prepare their grant applications. (The NCCBH website, www.nccbh.org, has a Primary Care Integration Resource Center with more details about the HRSA process.)

At the same time that HRSA is putting new BH resources into CHCs, reports are emerging from many states indicating that the public mental health system is funded at somewhere around half the level that is needed. In the private sector, the relentless downward pressure on behavioral health PMPMs has also reduced overall system resources, shifting cost from the private sector to the public sector.

Reports such as these were released prior to the current fiscal crisis in state Medicaid programs; rather than addressing the shortfalls, there are significant new reductions in BH services in many states. And, the implementation of managed care methods for Medicaid have made it difficult for some community based BH providers to continue to enact their mission of serving the needs of the population, regardless of ability to pay.

The implications for system-wide duplication and competition for the scarce resources of BH staff and funding, as well as the opportunity to improve consumer access to both health and behavioral healthcare services, suggests that collaboration is a priority at the national, state and local levels. Good public policy will work at sustaining, supporting and requiring collaboration between the two “safety net” systems of community mental health centers and community health centers.

The conceptual model proposed in this paper can become the basis for HRSA grantees to work with their partners in the public mental health system to fully define working relationships and collaboration on behalf of consumers of care.

In summary, the reasons for integration are grounded in the desire to improve access to both primary care and behavioral health services; ensure that there are evidence-based practices as well as consistent communication and coordination of clinical activities (especially medication management-a key concern of consumers) among the providers serving any single individual; wed the skill sets of primary care physicians and BH clinicians in order to better manage chronic health issues; and, participate in and shape the public policy debate regarding how services should be organized, delivered and financed in ways that ensure that needs of public sector SPMI/SED consumers and the broader community alike are met.

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Financing Integrated Behavioral and Mental Health Care – Existing Opportunities

March 24th, 2011

Financing is probably the most common perceived barrier in implementing integrated or collaborative mental health care. However, integrated health care is fundable in nearly every state right now! Even with the state by state difference in Medicaid programs, the complexity of Medicare billing, and uniqueness of healthcare coverage for those we serve, there are short term solutions that allow programming to proceed and services to be provided in integrated programs. In Medicaid fee-for-service and capitated states there are nearly a dozen ways to fund collaborative care and integrated mental health care initiatives.

The Community’s Money -

A consistent barrier in financing integrated healthcare services is that organizations think of the funding in a siloed way. It’s not uncommon to hear “this is my money” or “our money.” With this old approach to financing, the outcomes often need to benefit the organization and sometimes even the individuals within an organization. Success with financing integrated care requires a paradigm shift that involves putting the consumers’ and community’s best interest first. Agencies and organizations are stewards of the public money. It is a behavioral healthcare organization’s responsibility to make behavioral health resources available to the community as part of a package of services. This approach to financing integrated healthcare results in creative, effective service packages that meet everyone’s needs.

Generating the Will -

In these difficult financial times it seems natural to hunker down and wait for things to improve. Now, more than ever is the time to be creative and to stretch mental health resources to the maximum and assist consumers in their path to recovery. It may seem counter-intuitive but now may be when change is most possible and most effective. Now is the time to get the most creative financial minds together with the most conservative financial minds and hammer out exactly what is possible with the funding that is received. Partnering and collaboration are often keys to making money go further. This is particularly true in integrated healthcare where shared resources improve consumer outcomes while enhancing the bottom line of all the partners.

Advocating for State Level Medicaid Changes -

Medicaid regulations are made state by state in this country. This is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that there is often more ability to influence state policy rather than federal policy and a curse because the same work has to be done 50 times! A number of states already allow for billing two services on one day. It is possible to get a copy of that policy work in one state and work with another state to implement it.

Tips for Financing Mental Health Services Right Now -

Two series of codes are already approved for commercial, Medicare and Medicaid billing: SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment) and the Health and Behavior Assessment/Intervention (96150-96155). The Health and Behavior Assessment/Intervention codes can be used to bill a behavioral health service ancillary to a primary care diagnosis. This would include providing services regarding chronic care management such as diabetes care, cardiac support, and consulting and assistance with COPD management. SBIRT can be billed in the primary care setting for screening for substance use/abuse.

In Wisconsin, case/care management services are billable for primary settings working with individuals with a serious mental illness. In Michigan the Primary Care Association has negotiated a memorandum of understanding that allows for FQHCs to bill two services in one day (www.mpca.net). In states where two services rendered on one day by one provider are not billable, programs have found innovative ways to collaborate that allow both partners to bill, using two provider numbers to provide the services. They key here is creative, collaborative thinking that maximizes the current financing options. Improving the health status of those we serve requires all of us to come to the table and work within existing financing structures to find solutions rather than use financing as way to delay discussions.

In states where capitation is used, it often provides the flexibility for local decision-making regarding services and funding. Don’t be afraid to expand thinking about creative ways to secure better outcomes by integrating staff into primary care setting to provide mental health services. Often, it requires no new approvals for mental health centers to provide community based services. In fee for service states, review the regulations and find any way you can to bill for services at a primary care site. You’ll generate better health outcomes and support your organization’s bottom line.

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Psychiatry and mental health

January 30th, 2011

Psychiatry is the realm in which medical science and psychology join to provide help for persons whose mind (as one says) is disturbed and whose behavior does not conform to accept social patterns. Psychopathology  and clinical psychology are integral sub-fields of this branch of medical psychology which, of necessity, also includes neurology, mental deficiency or retardation, forensic psychology, certain aspects of abnormal psychology, social psychology and psychotherapy.Mental illness has been recognized as such since the days of Aristotle and Hippocrates, and its long modern history has been able described by some scientists.

Mental Health, state characterized by psychological well-being and self-acceptance. The term mental health usually implies the capacity to love and relate to others, the ability to work productively, and the willingness to behave in a way that brings personal satisfaction without encroaching upon the rights of others. In a clinical sense, mental health is the absence of mental illness.

The Mental Health Movement

Concern for the mentally ill has waxed and waned through the centuries, but the development of modern-day approaches to the subject dates from the mid-18th century, when reformers such as the French physician Philippe Pinel and the American physician Benjamin Rush introduced humane “moral treatment” to replace the often cruel treatment that then prevailed. Despite these reforms, most of the mentally ill continued to live in jails and poorhouses—a situation that continued until 1841, when the American reformer Dorothea Dix campaigned to place the mentally ill in hospitals for special treatment.

The modern mental health movement can be traced to the publication in 1908 of A Mind That Found Itself, an account of the experience of its author, Clifford Whittingham Beers, as a mental patient. The book aroused a storm of public concern for the mentally ill. In 1909 Beers founded the National Committee for Mental Hygiene.

Public awareness of the need for greater governmental attention to mental health services led to passage of the National Mental Health Act in 1946. This legislation authorized the establishment of the National Institute of Mental Health to be operated as a part of the U.S. Public Health Service. In 1950 the National Committee for Mental Hygiene was reorganized as the National Association for Mental Health, better known as the Mental Health Association.

In 1955 Congress established a Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health to survey the mental health needs of the nation and to recommend new approaches. Based on the commission’s recommendations, legislation was passed in 1963 authorizing funds for construction of facilities for community-based treatment centers. A similar group, the President’s Commission on Mental Health, reported its findings in 1978, citing estimates of the cost of mental illness in the U.S. alone as being about billion a year.

Scope of the Problem

According to a common estimate, at any one time 10 percent of the American population has mental health problems sufficiently serious to warrant care; recent evidence suggests that this figure may be closer to 15 percent. Not all the people who need help receive it, however; in 1975 only 3 percent of the American population received mental health service. One major reason for this is that people still fear the stigma attached to mental illness and hence often fail to report it or to seek help.

Analysis of the figures on mental illness shows that schizophrenia afflicts an estimated 2 million Americans, another 2 million suffer from profound depressive disorders, and 1 million have organic psychoses or other permanently disabling mental conditions. As much as 25 percent of the population is estimated to suffer from mild or moderate depression, anxiety, and other types of emotional problems. Some 10 million Americans have problems related to alcohol abuse, and millions more are thought to abuse drugs. Some 5 to 15 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 15 are the victims of persistent mental health problems, and at least 2 million are thought to have severe learning disabilities that can seriously impair their mental health.

In addition, according to the President’s Commission, the list of mental health problems should be extended beyond identifiable psychiatric conditions to include the damage to mental health associated with unrelenting poverty, unemployment, and discrimination on the basis of race, sex, class, age, and mental or physical handicaps.

Prevention

Public health authorities customarily distinguish among three forms of prevention. Primary prevention refers to attempts to prevent the occurrence of mental disorder, as well as to promote positive mental health. Secondary prevention is the early detection and treatment of a disorder, and tertiary prevention refers to rehabilitative efforts that are directed at preventing complications.

Two avenues of approach to the prevention of mental illness in adults were suggested by the President’s Commission. One was to reduce the stressful effects of such crises as unemployment, retirement, bereavement, and marital disruption; the second was to create environments in which people can achieve their full potential. The commission placed its heaviest emphasis, however, on helping children. It recommended the following steps:

1)    good care during pregnancy and childbirth, so that early treatment can be instituted as needed;

2)    early detection and correction of problems of physical, emotional, and intellectual development;

3)    developmental day-care programs focusing on emotional and intellectual development;

4)    support services for families, directed at preventing unnecessary and inappropriate foster care or other out-of-home placements for children.

Treatment

Care of the mentally ill has changed dramatically in recent decades. Drugs introduced in the mid-1950s, along with other improved treatment methods, enabled many patients who would once have spent years in mental institutions to be treated as outpatients in community facilities instead. (A series of judicial decisions and legislative acts has promoted community care by requiring that patients be treated in the least restrictive setting available.) Between 1955 and 1980 the number of people in state mental hospitals declined from more than 550,000 to fewer than 125,000. This trend was due partly to improved community care and partly to the cost of operating hospitals; in an effort to save public money, some large state mental hospitals have been closed, forcing alternatives to be found for patients. This is generally considered a progressive trend because when patients spend extended periods in hospitals they tend to become overly dependent and lose interest in taking care of themselves. In addition, because the hospitals are often located long distances from the patients’ homes, families and friends can visit only infrequently, and the patients’ roles at home and at work are likely to be taken over by others.

The psychiatric wards of community general hospitals have assumed some of the responsibility for caring for the mentally ill during the acute phases of illness. Some of these hospitals function as the inpatient service for community mental health centers. Typically, patients remain for a few days or weeks until their symptoms have subsided, and they usually are given some form of psychotropic drug to help relieve their symptoms. Following the lead of Great Britain, American mental hospitals now also give some patients complete freedom of buildings and grounds and, in some instances, freedom to visit nearby communities. This move is based on the conclusion that disturbed behavior is often the result of restraint rather than of illness.

Treatment of patients with less severe mental disorders has also changed markedly in recent decades. Previously, patients with mild depression, anxiety disorders, and other neurotic conditions were treated individually with psychotherapy. Although this form of treatment is still widely used, alternative approaches are now available. In some instances, a group of patients meets to work through problems with the assistance of a therapist; in other cases, families are treated as a unit. Another form of treatment that has proven especially effective in alleviating phobic disorders is behavior therapy, which focuses on changing overt behavior rather than the underlying causes of a disorder. As in the serious mental illnesses, the treatment of milder forms of anxiety and depression has been furthered by the introduction of new drugs that help alleviate symptoms.

Rehabilitation

The release of large numbers of patients from state mental hospitals, however, has caused significant problems both for the patients and for the communities that become their new homes. Adequate community services often are unavailable to former mental patients, a large percentage of whom live in nursing homes and other facilities that are not equipped to meet their needs. Most of these patients have been diagnosed as having schizophrenia, and only 15 to 40 percent of schizophrenics who live in the community achieve an average level of adjustment. Those who do receive care typically visit a clinic at periodic intervals for brief counseling and drug monitoring.

In addition to such outpatient clinics, rehabilitation services include sheltered workshops, day-treatment programs, and social clubs. Sheltered workshops provide vocational guidance and an opportunity to brush up on an old skill or learn a new one. In day-treatment programs, patients return home at night and on weekends; during weekdays, the programs offer a range of rehabilitative services, such as vocational training, group activities, and help in the practical problems of living. Ex-patient social clubs provide social contacts, group activities, and an opportunity for patients to develop self-confidence in normal situations.

Another important rehabilitative facility is the halfway house for patients whose families are not willing or able to accept them after discharge. It serves as a temporary residence for ex-patients who are ready to form outside community ties. A variant is the use of subsidized apartments for recently discharged psychiatric patients.

Research

Many different sciences contribute to knowledge about mental health and illness. In recent decades these sciences have begun to clarify basic biological, psychological, and social processes, and they have refined the application of such knowledge to mental health problems.

Some of the most promising leads have come from biological research. For example, brain scientists who study neurotransmitters—chemicals that carry messages from one nerve cell to another—are contributing to knowledge of normal and abnormal brain functioning, and they may eventually discover better treatment methods for mental illness. Other researchers are trying to discover how the brain develops—they have learned, for example, that even in adults some nerve cells partially regenerate after being damaged—and such research adds to the understanding of mental retardation, untreatable forms of brain damage, and other conditions.

Psychological research relevant to mental health includes the study of perception, information processing, thinking, language, motivation, emotion, abilities, attitudes, personality, and social behavior. For example, researchers are studying stress and how to cope with it. One application of this type of research may help to prevent mental disorders; in the future, psychologists may be better able to match people (and their coping skills) to work settings and job duties.

Research in the social sciences focuses on problems of individuals in contexts such as the family, neighborhood, and work setting, as well as the culture at large. One example of such work is epidemiological research, which is the study of the occurrence of disease patterns, including mental illness, in a society.

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Social psychology
Educational psychology
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Current Addictions and Mental Health Resources

January 19th, 2011

Anyone can have a mental illness, regardless of age, gender, race, or income. Mental illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes, heart disease, or AIDS. It is believed that one in five adults and children has a diagnosable mental disorder, one in every 10 young people age 9 or older has a serious emotional disturbance that severely disrupts daily life.and one in four families will have a member with mental illness. Children who develop depression often have a family history of the illness, many times a parent who had depression at an early age. Untreated mental health problems can lead to suicide, which is the sixth leading cause of death for 5- to 14-year olds. An estimated two-thirds of all young people with mental health problems are not getting the help they need.It is important to remember that mental illness occurs at any age, but most often appears for the first time between the ages of 25 and 44. With proper treatment, most people suffering from a mental illness can return to normal, productive lives, and almost everyone receives some benefit from treatment.

The causes of mental illness are complicated. Mental health disorders in children and adolescents are caused mostly by biology and environment. Examples of biological causes are genetics, chemical imbalances in the body caused by genetics, lack of sleep or poor nutrition, or damage to the central nervous system, such as a head injury, lack of oxygen in child birth and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Many environmental factors also put young people at risk for developing mental health disorders. Examples including exposure to environmental toxins, such as high levels of lead; exposure to violence, such as witnessing or being the victim of physical or sexual abuse, drive-by shootings, muggings, or other disasters; stress related to chronic poverty, discrimination, or other serious hardships; and the loss of important people through death,divorce, or broken relationships.

The following six preventive services are recommended and can be carried out in a clinic, church, library or local community center:

1. Prenatal and infancy home visits or support groups.

2. Targeted cessation education and counseling for smokers, especially those who are pregnant.

3. Targeted short-term mental health therapy.

4. Self-care education for adults (money management, relationship skills, stress management).

5. Mentoring and adult supervised after-school and weekend programs

6. Brief counseling and advice to reduce alcohol use.

Over the years I have found that finding good information is kind of like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The following links will take you to addictions and mental health sites that have the most current and useful information for addictions counselors, rehabilitation counselors, mental health clinicians, nurses and (of course) program administrators. All of the resources are FREE so you can order copies for your colleagues and/or staff!

Clinical Preventive Services in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Update: From Science to Services http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA04-3906/ This report has been prepared to summarize the most promising preventive interventions of a behavioral nature intended to impact mental and substance use disorders, or in some cases, medical outcomes. This review focuses on prevention interventions that are primarily delivered by health care systems. Interventions provided in schools, worksites, communities, and criminal justice systems were excluded, as were population-based interventions.Clinical

Preventive Services in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Update: From Science to Services Special Report: Preventive Interventions Under Managed Care: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA00-3437/SMA00-3437ch1.asp Programs and services that prevent substance abuse and mental health disorders have the potential to lessen an enormous burden of suffering and to reduce both the cost of future treatment and lost productivity at work and home. The availability and accessibility of these interventions to the millions of Americans whose health care is provided by managed care organizations depend upon the services’ status as covered benefits.

Get Connected! Toolkit (Linking Older Adults With Medication, Alcohol, and Mental Health Resources) http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=16523 Alcohol, medication misuse, and mental health problems can be significant issues for older adults. This kit is designed to enable their service providers to undertake health promotion, advance prevention messages and education, and provide screening and referral for mental health problems and the misuse of alcohol and medications. The kit includes a coordinator’s guide and program support materials such as education curricula, fact sheets, handouts, forms, and resources.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD): The Basics (CD Rom) http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17296 This mini CD—consisting of slides and accompanying notes—provides the latest and most accurate information on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders or FASD. The CD includes essential facts on what FASD is, how it’s caused, how many people have it, and much more.

Quick Guide for Clinicians Based on TIP 47, Substance Abuse: Clinical Issues in Intensive Outpatient Treatment http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17615 This pocket-sized booklet concisely presents information from TIP 47, including the principles of intensive outpatient treatment (IOT), the services offered, treatment engagement, clinical issues and challenges, and the approaches used in IOT.

TIP 46: Substance Abuse: Administrative Issues in Intensive Outpatient Treatment http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17440 This Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP), Substance Abuse: Administrative Issues in Outpatient Treatment, was written to help administrators address the changing environment in which outpatient treatment programs operate. The TIP provides basic information about running an outpatient treatment program, including strategic planning, working with a board of directors, relationships with strategic partners, hiring and retaining employees, staff supervision, continuing education and training, performance improvement, outcomes monitoring, and promotion of the program to potential clients, funding agencies, and government officials. More specialized sections address challenges that have emerged and gathered importance in the last decade: preparing a program to provide culturally competent treatment to an increasingly diverse client population and succeeding in a managed care-dominated world by diversifying the funding sources a program draws on.

TIP 45, Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17398 TIP 45 provides lists and tables related to such topics as initial evaluation domains for clients in detoxification, guidance on assessment and rehabilitation planning, and the management of intoxication and withdrawal from specific substances or substance groups such as alcohol, marijuana, stimulants, and opioids.

TIP 44: Substance Abuse Treatment for Adults in the Criminal Justice System http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17183 Research consistently demonstrates a strong connection between criminal activity and substance abuse; research also finds that involvement in substance abuse treatment reduces recidivism for offenders who use drugs. This TIP presents clinical guidelines to assist counselors in dealing with problems that routinely arise because of their clients’ status in the criminal justice system.

Good resources for teachers and parents regarding mental health and addictions can also be hard to come by. Additionally, many parents have a hard time sticking with programs because day-to-day things come up—working late, homework whatever. It is often more effective to use these materials in a group setting. Not only does it allow the parents and children to spend time together, but families can provide social support to one another. The following FREE resources are available for order and/or download and can be easily used in a classroom, homeschool or church setting.

Drugs, Brains, and Behavior – Science of Addiction http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17602 (As seen on HBO’s Addiction: Communities Take Action) This landmark publication provides scientific information about the disease of drug addiction, including the many harmful consequences of drug abuse and the basic approaches that have been developed to prevent and treat the disease, and aims to increase understanding of the basics of addiction to help people make informed choices in their own lives, adopt science-based policies and programs that reduce drug abuse and addiction in their communities, and support scientific research that improves the Nation’s well-being.

Building Blocks for a Healthy Future Family Guide http://media.shs.net/bblocks/ParentGuideLong.pdf

The Building Blocks Family Guide contains ideas for fun activities and discussion starters for you and your children, as well as advice and guidance on topics such as active listening, rule making, and being a good role model. It also can be used to guide you through the rest of the Building Blocks materials with your children.

Brain Power! The NIDA Junior Scientist Program: Grades K-1 http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=16883; Grades 2-3 http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=16037; Grades 4-5 http://www.drugabuse.gov/JSP3/JSP.html The Brain Power! program takes students step by step through an exploration of the processes of science and how to use these processes to learn about the brain, the nervous system, and the effects of drugs on the nervous system and the body. The materials include a videotape, a teacher’s guide, trading cards, and parent newsletters.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD): The Basics (CD Rom) http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17296 This mini CD—consisting of slides and accompanying notes—provides the latest and most accurate information on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders or FASD. The CD includes essential facts on what FASD is, how it’s caused, how many people have it, and much more.

Family Guide to Systems of Care for Children With Mental Health Needs http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/sma05-4054/ Caring for Every Child’s Mental Health Campaign is a national public education initiative emphasizing attention to children’s and adolescents’ mental health. It supports the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program, in place in communities across the Nation, which is demonstrating the effectiveness of systems of care in meeting the services needs and improving the lives of children with serious emotional disturbances (SEDs) and their families. This campaign is managed by the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services. The guide is intended to help parents and caregivers seek help for children with mental health needs. Information is provided on what parents and caregivers need to know, ask, expect, and do to get the most out of their experience with systems of care.

Reach to Teach Educating Elementary and Middle School Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17603 Reach To Teach is a resource guide for parents of a child with an FASD and for teachers in elementary and middle schools who work with children who have an FASD. It provides a basic introduction to these disorders and tools to improve communication between parents and teachers.

Heads Up: A website with .pdf printables from scholastic publishers. http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/headsup/support/index.asp?article=reproducibles

Real News About Drugs and Your Body. Here you’ll find real, science-based facts about the effects drugs have on the teen brain and body. Check out the articles and features below to get the latest facts so you can make smart choices about your health.

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Free Mental Health Resources: Brochures, Sites, Videos, and Publications

December 3rd, 2010

Resources for Education of Mental Illness Topics

Free mental health resources can be a great benefit for those in need of resources. Finding materials to educate people about mental illnesses can take time and energy. Fortunately you can use the links here to get you headed in the right direction. Luckily, the government provides some great resources about and for mental health that are free of charge. Luckily our tax money helps pay for some great free mental health educational resources.  Check out these totally free resources and you will likely find something that you can put to use if you educate students, clients, or patients about mental health. These items can be used in a multitude of settings including hospitals, educational institutions, and/or businesses.

List of Free Resources at a Glance:-

Free Science of Mental Illness: Free Curriculum and DVD video * Free Videos about Bullying and Mental Health for Latinos * NIMH Publications * NAMI Resources * SAMHSA Resources * Psych Central * Mental Health Matters * Mental Health Today Free Video and Lesson Plans for Educating Kids about Mental Illness The Science of Mental Illness is a curriculum put together by the National Institute of Mental health, and the entire lesson plans, hand outs, and free DVD are available at the link to the right.  The lesson plans meet many state standards, and the DVD is excellent. This free DVD is around 20 minutes long and shows four kids talking about their own experiences with mental illness.  There is a free worksheet guided notes that goes with the DVD which makes it easy for you to teach about mental illness.  It is great for kids 12 and older to watch and works well in therapeutic group education.

Free NIMH Resources

The NIMH stands for National Institute of Mental Health. It is a government funded organization that researches and educates about mental health. The official mission statement is, “to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure.” More specifically the NIMH aims to acheive these objectives:

* Promote discovery in the brain and behavioral sciences to fuel research on the causes of mental disorders * Chart mental illness trajectories to determine when, where, and how to intervene * Develop new and better interventions that incorporate the diverse needs and circumstances of people with mental illnesses

* Strengthen the public health impact of NIMH-supported research The NIMH will mail you free publications on various mental health related topic. This is totally free of charge. You can even order fairly large numbers or publications. So if you need free educational brochures for your outreach or program, check out the free resources of the NIMH.  Educating the mentally ill can be challenging, so you will want any help you can get.

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