What if you could help us win $1000 just by giving 10 bucks? On November 16, Give to the Max Day, you can. Last year we saw over $4,000 in donations through Give to the Max, so we’re very excited to be participating again this year.

Visit our page on GiveMN.org on November 16 to make a donation.

Overall last year, more than 38,000 donors logged on to GiveMN.org and gave over $14 million to more than 3,000 Minnesota charities and nonprofits in 24 hours during Give to the Max Day. This year, the goal for GiveMN.org  is to beat that record by engaging 40,000 donors during the second annual Give to the Max Day on November 16. The Mental Health Association of Minnesota together with GiveMN.org – a first-of-its-kind giving website for nonprofits in Minnesota – is working to create a stronger nonprofit community for Minnesota.

GiveMN’s Give to the Max Day amplifies your giving impact in a number of ways:

• Win a Golden Ticket! $1,000 will be given to a random donor’s charity every hour. You could be that donor! If you are up early or up late, increase our chances of winning that $1,000 by donating at time when there are fewer people awake.
• Put us on the Leader Board! Your donation on November 16, could put us on the leader board to win $10,000 or even $20,000 for the most number of donors for our nonprofit. Help us get “on the board!”

Visit the MHAM page at GiveMN.org to donate.

And thank you to all of our donors throughout the year. We appreciate  your support of our mission to enhance mental health, promote individual empowerment, and increase access to treatment and services for persons with mental illnesses.

Just a reminder that in recognition of Mental Illness Awareness Week, MHAM is hosting the Celebrating Recovery education event on Tuesday, October 5 at the Ramada Plaza in Minneapolis. The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m. We would love to see you there! If you register before October 5, admission is $15. At the door admission is $20. Your admission includes presentations, a Wellness Fair, a Steps To Wellness self-care kit, and lunch.

This will be a great event for individuals living with mental illnesses, their family members and friends, and mental health providers. Michael Trangle, MD will speak about holistic care and staying healthy and Minnesota 10 x 10 and the DIAMOND program. Kim Lutes will share her experiences with the mental health system and the importance of self-advocacy. Brain Doran will discuss ways in which family members and friends can support a loved one who is living with a mental illness. Brett Dumke will provide an overview of the brand new Steps to Wellness self-care kits. Ed Eide will give examples of how individuals can share their stories to influence public policy.

The Steps to Wellness kits have been developed with support from an educational grant from Lilly USA, LLC, a charitable contribution from Janssen, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceutical, Inc., a grant from Park Nicollet Foundation Healthy Community, and a grant from Pfizer Healthcare. The kits contain tools to help individuals manage their health and learn skills to advocate for themselves when working with medical professionals and social service providers. After the event, the kits will be available for order from the MHAM website.

Tickets to this event are still available. Please see the Celebrating Recovery page on our website to register online. Scholarships are available. To arrange for a scholarship, please contact Ed Eide at 612-843-4868, ext. 1 or edeide at mentalhealthmn.org.

We have two upcoming events to announce!

The first is MHAM’s education event Celebrating Recovery on October 5, 2010. This education event in recognition of Mental Illness Awareness week will provide you with information about self-care and advocacy and offer tips on how you can become a partner in your own care. We are also very excited to unveil our brand new Steps to Wellness kits. All attendees will receive a free kit. Lunch will be served and is included in the registration fee. Cost is $15 per person in advance, $20 per person at the door, and $40 to exhibit at the Wellness Fair (includes admission to the event and lunch). Location: Ramada Plaza Hotel, 1330 Industrial Boulevard NE, Minneapolis, MN.Click on the link for more information and to register online.

The second event is Proof by David Auburn, produced by the Phoenix Theater Project. After the death of her father, Catherine is left to pull together her own life; a life that was set aside to care for her ailing father, a famous mathematician. She must deal with his legacy; hundreds of notebooks that most likely hold the ramblings of a man slowly losing his genius, but may reveal the last great work of a brilliant mind.  Now she is forced to face her own life and can no longer avoid her possible inheritance; genius or insanity. Proof will be playing weekends beginning Friday, September 10 and running through Saturday, September 25 at the People Center’s Theater, 425 20th Avenue South, Minneapolis. Tickets are $16. MHAM is working closely with Phoenix Theater Project to offer feedback on the portrayal of family relationships where a mental illness is involved, and we will be participating in a talk back session after the show on Sunday, September 12. Visit Phoenix Theater Project for more information on this Pulitzer Prize-winning play or to purchase tickets.

Since mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the United States, it is vitally important that people of all ages be aware of the signs, symptoms, and proper treatment options for mental disease.  As explained by the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, and three quarters have begun by age 24. In Minnesota alone, approximately 56,000 children suffer from some mental disorder.  These statistics support the proposition that mental illness is, unfortunately, a major problem for the youth of our country and for the state of Minnesota.

Mental illness is uncovered in many young people at the point in their lives when they are searching for independence from others.  Because of this pursuit for independence it makes it hard for adolescents and young adults to seek help, and it makes it difficult for their friends and family to know if their irregular behavior is something serious, or perhaps just a passing phase.

It is particularly unfortunate that many lifelong afflictions go undiagnosed because they first manifest themselves during adolescence when so many changes in personality can mask underlying pathology.  For example, the onset of bipolar disorder usually occurs during the late teen years or early adult years. Schizophrenia, although rare in children under 12, begins to increase dramatically in frequency in adolescence, with an average age of onset between 20 and 25.

Though there are effective treatments for youth suffering from a mental disorder, all to often there are long delays between the onset of symptoms and the beginning of treatment.

As outlined by the National Institute of Health, there are several signs seen in teenagers and adolescents that may suggest referral to a medical or mental health professional.  Some of these signs are listed below:

• Feelings of anger or worry
• Feeling grief for a long time after a loss or death
• Thinking your mind is controlled or out of control
• Using alcohol or drugs
• Exercising, dieting and/or binge eating obsessively
• Hurting others or destroying property
• Participating in reckless activity that may harm you or others

Part of the goal of the Mental Health Association of Minnesota as well as public health systems and services is to provide people with the adequate resources and information needed to maintain a positive mental health throughout their lifespan.  Several mental health promotion projects promote help-seeking behavior and also help to reduce the current stigma associated with mental illness.

Most importantly, learning strategies for self-care can help people suffering from mental illness overcome their disease on a day-to-day basis.  Setting short term goals, staying in touch with friends, and seeking out resources in schools, faith communities, support groups and health centers can help provide people with the tools they need to work towards wellness.

This post comes from volunteer blogger Margo Tell.

The Facing Us Clubhouse, a program of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), is a free online wellness tool for individuals living with mood disorders. The website offers a variety of tools and resources to help support and maintain a person’s health and well-being. These include:

• Personal online journal where you can write down your daily reflections, do some creative writing or gratitude practice, or other forms of expression.
• A step-by-step individualized wellness plan that helps you take control of your health and well-being.
• Personal wellness book where you can collect and write down tips and advice that work for you, read tips from others, and if you like, share them with family and friends.
• Media room that includes audio and video material to uplift your spirit.
• Creativity center that has online workshops and podcasts to help you be inspired and find your creative outlet.
• DBSA Wellness tracker can help you chart your daily life by spotting trends related to your mood, symptoms, life style and physical health.
• You can even send an e-postcard to somebody you care about!

Incorporating wellness into your life is just a click away!

May is Mental Health Month and we wanted to highlight some important initiatives regarding wellness and recovery. The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) earlier this year started the SAMHSA 10×10 Wellness Campaign. The campaign’s goal is to address all aspects of a person’s health and wellbeing in hopes of increasing life expectancy for people with serious mental illness by 10 years over the next 10 years.

The rates of diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease and the early mortality rate from these types of diseases are often significantly higher for persons with serious mental illness. By addressing modifiable risk factors like smoking, obesity and inadequate medical care, can help reduce the progression or the risk of developing these diseases. The campaign provides a variety of resources, online issues of “Wellness Wisdom” and frequent teleconferences for providers, family members, and consumers.

To date, more than 2000 organizations and individuals have shown their support in promoting wellness to reduce morbidity and mortality for persons with SMI. The Minnesota Department of Human Services, along with other members of the community have developed a statewide initiative, Minnesota 10×10, which also promotes the importance of taking care of your physical health for living a healthier, longer life.

MHAM has joined this quest for wellness and we hope you will pledge your support for wellness too!

For over 60 years, Mental Health America – who began this tradition in 1949 – and other national and state mental health organizations have been celebrating “Mental Health Month.” In recognition of Mental Health Month, MHAM will be informing you about several important mental health initiatives involving both national and state led efforts. The central focus of these initiatives involves wellness and recovery for persons with mental illnesses. The importance of self-care and personal wellness not only can improve our mental health, but can also improve our overall health and well-being. So revisit our blog throughout this month and learn more about how these initiatives will help promote wellness and recovery for persons with mental illnesses.

Also, please check out our calendar of events that are occurring around the state for the month of May. If your organization is having an event and you would like it to appear on our calendar, please email details to Nancy at [email protected].