Transformation

Mental Health First Aid featured in USA Today

Mental Health First Aid USA, a Missouri Mental Health Transformation initiative, was featured in the March
 11, 2012, issue of USA Today. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a 12-hour course designed to teach the general public how to help individuals who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. Missouri currently has more than 180 MHFA instructors in the state.

The USA Today article mentions a growth in the number of MHFA classes being taught in Arizona following the shooting of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, the value of MHFA in reducing stigma experienced by persons with mental health disorders, and the five-step process that Mental Health First Aiders use in helping persons in crisis. The article is available online at http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2012-03-11/Classes-teach-first-aid-for-mental-health-crises/53489150/1.

State features Mental Health First Aid in new video

A new video on Missouri's state government web page provides an overview of Mental Health First Aid and its benefits for those who participate in the course. Using footage from actual Mental Health First Aid courses and featuring comments from individuals taking the 12-hour course as well as officials involved in coordinating the state's efforts to provide the courses, the video provides insight on the value of the information provided.

To view the video click below or go to www.mo.gov and view on the State of Missouri website.

 

NMPRC celebrates RESPECT Day 2012

The results are in, and the second annual RESPECT Day at Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center (NMPRC) is an official success. Participation in the event, held January 25, nearly quadrupled from the first held last year, with more than 180 people in attendance from the center and the community.

It was a "fabulous day," according to Dee Kinder, an NMPRC staff member who worked on the planning committee.

"We offered speakers throughout the day as well as activities designed to educate people," said Gail Current, RESPECT coordinator at NMPRC. "It was gratifying to have so many people turn out to hear our speakers’ stories, educate people on the effects of mental illness, and hopefully reduce some of the stigma attached to those who have mental illness.”

Mental Health First Aid expanding in Missouri; state to test a new course targeting adults who work with youth

Mental Health First Aid is taking shape in Missouri, five years after it was introduced in the state through the efforts of staff of the Mental Health Transformation grant, awarded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The five-year grant will wrap up by March, and sustaining Mental Health First Aid is a priority.

“Our main focus with Mental Health First Aid has been twofold,” said Benton Goon, co-chair of the state Transformation Working Group and Missouri’s representative on the national Mental Health First Aid USA planning team. “We wanted to train enough instructors so that the course is available in all areas of the state, and we wanted to initially target training to groups who are most receptive and where it could be most useful.”

Those objectives seem to have paid off. The state now has 183 certified instructors of Mental Health First Aid statewide, and – in addition to mental health agencies – higher education agencies and faith-based organizations have become partners in the effort to spread the word.

St. Francois County formation of Mental Health Board will help sustain Community of Hope efforts

With help and support of the St. Francois County Community Partnership and DMH staff, the St. Francois County Commission voted unanimously to officially form the St. Francois County Mental Health Board on August 30. The formation of the board will help solidify the Partnership's efforts to call attention to the mental health needs of the county's citizens.

The county commission currently is seeking candidates for the Mental Health Board of Directors.

"It's exciting to see that the needs and resource assessments and statistics that were gathered will now be put to good use," said Candy Zarcone, Special Programs Consultant for the St. Francois County Community Partnership. "I believe good changes are ahead!"

DMH/Transformation Release Housing Toolkit

 A toolkit to provide housing resources and information for agencies that serve people with mental disabilities has been completed and is now available on line. The compilation of the Housing Toolkit, funded under Missouri's Mental Health Transformation initiative, was completed as the product of a contract with Places for People -- a St. Louis agency recognized as a leader in providing housing for people with mental illnesses --  and led by its now former executive director, Francie Broderick.

According to Broderick, the document "is not meant to be an exhaustive or complete list of all mental health supported housing or residential programs in Missouri. Rather, I have attempted to describe different models and different approaches used by providers across the state."

National Council Awards Mental Health First Aid USA Challenge Grants

Washington, DC, Sept. 15, 2011 — The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (National Council) announced today it is awarding community dissemination grants to 18 organizations to support Mental Health First Aid programs nationwide.

Introduced in the U.S. in 2008, Mental Health First Aid teaches people how to help someone with the signs and symptoms of mental illness or in a mental health crisis. To date, nearly 30,000 people have been trained through a network of 1,300 certified instructors across the country.

“These grants will help instructors expand Mental Health First Aid offerings in communities across the country,” said Linda Rosenberg, the National Council’s President and CEO. “This simple yet powerful program holds the key to combating stigma, increasing health literacy and building a community’s capacity to reach out to struggling neighbors and families.”

Remembering 9/11, renewing the commitment to trauma-informed care

 
Ten years ago, the fabric of our country was incontrovertibly changed with the tragic events of 9/11. The staff, board, and members of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare remember the lives that were lost and honor those who remain. We also honor the brave men and women who have fought and continue to fight to keep our country strong, safe, and free.

The tenth anniversary of 9/11 drives home the pervasive and debilitating impact of trauma. Anniversaries of disasters and traumatic events can be “healing” or they can be “triggers,” reminders of the reactions one had to the original event. Even ten years later, one can re-experience what it was like to flee the World Trade Center or the Pentagon, or — in Shanksville, Pennsylvania — to smell, taste, and see the smoke and debris. The closer one was to the epicenter of the tragic event, the more serious the impact.

RESPECT speakers participate in college course videoconference

It's one thing to share your personal life story in front of a group of people. But to share with people in remote locations on a six-site teleclass is another. Two RESPECT speakers from northwest Missouri -- one a veteran speaker and one on his first speaking engagement -- did just that and were cool, calm, and collected throughout the process.

The outing started out normally. The two speakers -- Mark and Steve -- went to speak at a Social Work class at Missouri Western State University. But when they arrived, they discovered the DSM Psychopathology class was to be video-conferenced to six sites: Kennett, Cape Girardeau, Kirksville, Warrensburg, Blue Springs, and Columbia, with 42 students in attendance statewide and a local instructor.

"They did a wonderful job!," said Scott Clark, staff development officer at Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center (NMPRC) in St. Joseph, where the two speakers are based. "We knew Mark would handle himself well . . . and did. He attached the lapel mic and said 'test, test' a couple of times and launched into his talk. Stacy (Downey) and I cannot say enough about Steve's performance. This was his first time out. His presentation went really well."

Governor signs legislation in support of Mental Health First Aid

The Missouri legislature has passed, and Governor Jay Nixon has signed, a bill allowing profits derived from the Mental Health First Aid USA (MHFA) initiative to be reinvested to support the program in Missouri. Without the legislation, such funds would go into the state's general revenue account.

House Bill 557, first introduced February 17 by Representative Jeff Grisamore (R-Lee' Summit), was signed by House Speaker Pro Tem Shane Schoeller (R-Willard) on Friday, April 22. "This legislation will allow the momentum of expansion of Mental Health First Aid USA in Missouri to continue," said Benton Goon, co-chair of Missouri's Transformation Working Group and the state's representative on the national MHFA planning group. Governor Nixon signed the bill into law on May 5.

Mental Health First Aid USA is one of the initiatives begun under the auspices of Missouri's Mental Health Transformation grant. For more information on Mental Health First Aid, go to www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org.