By Brett Dumke

September 6^th through September 12^th is Suicide Prevention Week.  This national campaign draws attention to this public health crisis and how we can take action.  There are many things that individuals, local communities, and places of employment can do to help in this effort.  Several local and national organizations can assist those who would like to get involved, here are just a few:

Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), based here in Minnesota, offers a variety of educational materials and resources via their website.

Check out the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), which provides an abundance of information and is a good starting point on how to create an effective approach for preventing suicide.  In addition, SPRC has compiled a list of ideas and activities that may also be helpful.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an outreach partner of MHAM, has an updated suicide prevention page for this campaign as well.

By Kathy Kelso

The August congressional recess has brought us opportunities to talk with our Senators, Congressmen and Congresswomen to urge enactment of a strong, comprehensive health insurance reform bill.

It is important for mental health advocates to counter negative messages spread by anti-reform groups. Urge Members of Congress to improve health care coverage and protections for millions of Americans by:

• Preventing insurance companies from denying coverage or charging more because of a pre-existing condition, like a mental illness, or dropping and reducing coverage if you become seriously ill.
• Ensuring payment for evidenced-based practices that work.
• Extending Medicaid to households with incomes below at least 133% of the federal poverty level.
• Requiring that all plans include mental health and chemical dependency treatment, and that this coverage must be at full parity (i.e., equal to the coverage of physical health conditions).

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law provides a detailed webpage on how the legislation affects individuals with a mental illness and issue briefs on the integration of mental health services in healthcare reform.

A number of policy proposals are under consideration, and parity for mental health must be a fundamental benefit in the final congressional act. We know that our Senators support parity and reform, as do some of our Congressional representatives. Thank them for all they are doing to enact historic health care reform!  Contact elected officials.

By Kathy Kelso

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act enacted in 2008 requires three federal departments to implement rules to ensure full compliance by health plans and access to services. These implementing rules must be issued before the effective dates for health plans: a) with coverage year beginning after October 3, 2009, and b) with coverage calendar years beginning January 1, 2010. With three federal agencies involved in a lengthy approval process, expeditious action is critical.

Senator Al Franken joined with Senators Edward Kennedy, Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse in circulating a letter which was sent to the Secretaries of the departments calling upon them to issue regulations that set out the clear Congressional intent of the law.

Earlier this year, the agencies issued a request for information (RFI), but rules have yet to released. For more information, see this link to the Bazelon Center website:

Please join us in thanking Senator Franken for his leadership in this effort. You can send an email to Sen. Franken thanking him for his dedication to Senator Paul Wellstone’s legacy – mental health for all.

The Greater Twin Cities United Way has informed MHAM that an extreme heat alert is in effect from today, Thursday, August 13 through tomorrow, Friday, August 14, 2009.

Temperatures are to reach the 90s with high heat index and humidity.  Today it will be warm and muggy with few thunder storms possible early this evening.  Friday is predicted to be hot and muggy, few clouds and isolated thunder storms are possible.  High temperatures at 87 to 92 and winds at 10-20mph are expected.

Individuals on certain medications may be more vulnerable to heat stress. Persons taking regular medication should consult with their physician.  Some medications cause an adverse reaction in hot weather. If you are on such a medication, or if you know someone who is, please take a look at these strategies for managing heat stress.

To avoid heat-related illness, metro residents of all ages should:

• Avoid, as much as possible, working or playing in the hot sun or other hot areas.  If you must be out in the sun, wear a head covering and sunscreen.  A wide brimmed hat or visor will not only protect your head from intense rays of the sun; it will also provide a shield for your eyes.
• Shut blinds and open windows slightly during the day to release trapped hot air.  Use air conditioners if you have them.
• Wear lightweight clothing.
• Drink plenty of water and fruit juices; avoid alcohol, carbonated or caffeinated drinks.  Because the body loses fluids in the heat, drinking lots of liquids helps to avoid dehydration.
• Eat frequent, small meals; avoid high-protein foods
• Take cool baths or showers—cold water can lower body temperatures 25 times faster than sitting in an air-conditioned room
• Spend time (even 2 hours will reduce the risk of heat-related illness) in an air-conditioned environment or basement; cover windows to block direct sunlight; turn lights on low or off; use fans to blow hot air outside.
• Do NOT direct fans to blow in at you.  Fans can actually increase heat stress.
• Do not leave older people, children, or pets, alone in cars.

Non-emergency questions about how to stay cool—call 2-1-1 or visit the Minnesota Department of Health for further information.

Emergency heat-related health problems—call 9-1-1

By Ed Eide

Last evening Dr. Ron Groat shared information in regard to the stress most of us live with.  It was very interesting from many perspectives.  The key being stress is simply change.  However, with all of the changes the body goes through it can lead to other health issues.

He provided some coping ideas he referred to as the Three Strategies of Managing Angst:

       1.  Maintain the illusion of control:  We ned to distract ourselves, find diversions and forget.  If we can give control to someone we trust, we can be more more likely to maintain our health.
       2.  Be resilient:   Stay healthy.  An eighty percent decrease in diabetes and other chronic illnesses can occur if people follow four life style changes:  don’t smoke, avoid obesity, eat healthy, and exercise.
        3.  Adaptability:  Are we able to absorb new information, or are we stuck with our old opinions?  Can we allow for a change of opinion?

Many of us are living with various fears right now.  Dealing with these fears create angst which can lead to other illnesses.  Here is a link to a Harvard Study which can provide additional information.

Monday, August 10th, the New York Times featured an excellent article discussing the abundance of teens with mental illness that end up in the juvenile justice system. With a nationwide shortage of child psychiatrists and the increasingly scarce funding for community treatment options, many teens and kids have nowhere to seek treatment beyond youth prisons.  In such prisons children and teens with mental illness do receive diagnoses and medications, but the overall environment can often be hostile, neglectful and even violent.  This article forces a typically invisible issue to the forefront.  Is this the best we can do for these kids?  Is a youth prison even helpful in terms of psychiatric treatment and recovery?  What happens to these young people when they leave the youth prison?  Click here to read the full article.

Link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/us/10juvenile.html?em=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1249920135-sLjO6IwxN+lYOtFuadqeXw

by:  Ed Eide, Executive Director MHAM

Dr. Ron Groat, psychiatrist and MHAM Board Member, answered questions about medication on Don Shelby’s afternoon radio show on WCCO yesterday afternoon.  Dr. Groat, who has practiced in the field of psychiatry for 30 years, shared his insight on how the use of medication, primarily by people with depression, is now being used for other sysptoms.  Doctors are prescribing some medications for people without a diagnosis in order to provide relief of other physical ailments.

Here is a link to the discussion between Dr. Groat and Shelby.  You can hear how diagnoses have changed over the years.  In fact how terminology has shifted along with a de-stigmatization of depression.

Elsewhere on our website is information about an upcoming event where Dr. Groat will talk about stress and how to maintain a healthy balance in your life for good health.

Tomorrow Kathy and I will be in Marshall meeting with the 5 County Local Advisory Council for training on strengthening the LAC.  Hope to see you there!

Welcome to our new website!

We have spent the past few months developing a new identity and interface for our mental health resources & service offerings.  We have implemented new colors in unison with our updated logo design.  While our core services haven’t changed, our goal is to keep you more informed as to action that may impact your life.

As we work on keeping our web content current so you can be fully and accurately informed, we also want you to participate with others around Minnesota.  As we went around the state with our 2008 Community Forums, we heard from many people about feeling isolated.  A request for a manner to talk with other people led to the development of myMHAM, or new online community that provides access to a mental health Discussion Board.

The intent with the Discussion Board is to allow people to share information, ask questions and share stories of recovery.  While having a Discussion Board is new and exciting to us, we anticipate many people will benefit from it.  To make it a success, we need your help to acheive its’ goal.  Please be respectful of others, don’t use profanity or other inappropriate words, and don’t instigate actions that may cause harm to others.  We will have moderators watching and taking action when necessary.

Establishing a myMHAM account gives your access to the Discussion Board and grants you options for our organization to communicate with you, including email newsletters, quarterly mails and blog updates.

We will also be hosting our new blog page to provide updated information on decisions made in regard to services, provide the latest scientific based studies,  promote activities and events of interest, and keep you updated on legislative action, health care updates, and wellness information.

We hope you find our new website useful and that you choose to participate with us.

The MHAM Workplace Education department hosted a series of webinars in spring 2009 as part of our ongoing effort to provide mental health guidance for employers and employees in the workplace. These are no-cost educational workshops available to everyone online through our website.

We give a big thanks to the professionals and supporting individuals that participated in the process and the Minnesota Department of Human Services who made these presentations possible.

The Spring 2009 Workplace Webinar Series:

Topic: Psychiatric Disabilities and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA)

This session discusses the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), which is expected to significantly expand the ADA’s protections for employees and job applicants in cases which arise after the ADAAA’s effective date of January 1, 2009.

• Click to view the archived web page and learn more

Topic: Ask the Doctor: Mental Health and Your Employees

This session provides you with an opportunity to gain a better understanding of mental health and how it can affect your employees.

• Click to view the archived web page and learn more

Topic: A Practical Approach to Accommodating Persons with Mental Health Impairments

This session provides practical solutions for providing accommodation for workers with psychiatric impairments.

• Click to view the archived web page and learn more