’s
August 2016
NEWS BRIEFS The State’s Voice on Mental Illness
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Alliance on Mental Illness
The State’s Voice on Mental Illness
Ohio’s Voice on Mental Illness
CLEVELAND
PHILADELPHIA
Bringing Mental Illness Out of the Shadows
In this issue: Bringing Mental Illness Out of the Shadows Luncheon
Loneliness, Isolation and NAMI
Executive Director's Report
Building Our Cathedral
Actionable Solutions
Thank You!
NAMI Ohio Board of Directors Anne Walker, President Jack Sherman, 1st Vice President Joyce Campbell, 2nd Vice President Janet Polzer, Secretary Tom Standish, Treasurer Lee Dunham, Past President Etta Almon Scott Boone Karen Cousins Lovell Custard Lori D’Angelo
Bringing Mental Illness Out of the Shadows On July 19th NAMI Ohio, in collaboration with the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, the Woodruff Foundation, NAMI National, NAMI of Greater Cleveland, the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County, Murtis Taylor Community Mental Health Center and The Magnolia Clubhouse, hosted the Bringing Mental Illness Out of the Shadows luncheon in Cleveland Ohio. This invitation only event featured speeches by national and state legislators, family members and individuals living with mental illness. A similar event was held in Philadelphia during the Democratic National Convention. The goal of the Bringing Mental Illness Out of the Shadows luncheon was to raise national awareness of the need for comprehensive mental health reform. In the words of NAMI National CEO, Mary Giliberti, “Mental illness is a public health crisis,” we must act now to reform the mental health system and save lives. Both the Republican and Democratic 2016 presidential platforms have included language regarding mental illness. The platform language can be found on the party websites www.gop.com and www.demconvention.com.
Geraldine Frazier Nila Kaempf Daniel Knapp Adrianne Kolasinski Mark Krieger Eric McKee
"NAMI is a non-partisan organization in search of bi-partisan solutions." - Mary Giliberti, CEO, NAMI National
Dave Morrow Dell Nicolas Debbie Peters Nilda Rodriguez Patrick Runnels Jessica Schmitt Doug Smith Bob Spada Gil Thompson Anne Walker
Bringing Mental Illness Out of the Shadows Luncheon in Cleveland on July 19th
Gloria Walker Fred Frese, Ex Officio
NAMI Ohio Staff Terry Russell, Executive Director Stacey Smith, Director of Operations Katie Dillon, Media Relations Karen Lindberg, Director of Administration Dustin McKee, Director of Policy Peg Morrison, Director of Programs Angela Schoepflin, Children's Programs Administrator
“I’m a retired Sheriff's Deputy, & was proud to help others & serve my country, it’s sad that this is an epidemic, & it’s also sad that people don't get the help they need!!!” - Facebook Comment
“Mental illness is real. And no, people can't just 'shake it off'... Thank you for what you do NAMI.” - Facebook Comment
News Briefs
SPECIAL EDITION 2016
Executive Director's Report By Terry Russell As Ohio’s voice on mental illness, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Ohio often asks elected officials to listen. We ask them to listen to the stories of families who are struggling to access mental health care for their loved ones. We ask them to listen to the individuals who have battled their own brains and won, and learn from the stories of those who lost their lives to mental illness. Mental illness isn’t an easy story to tell or hear. Currently, the suicide rate is the highest it has been in 30 years. In the United States, someone dies by suicide every 12 minutes. Veterans who have served this country die by suicide at an alarming rate of 22 veterans every day. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and results in more sick days than chronic physical diseases like hypertension and diabetes. At NAMI Ohio, we receive calls every day from family members who are scared and desperately looking for help. Unfortunately, our mental health system is incredibly flawed, which makes our job of helping Ohio families harder than it could be. Approximately 60% of adults with a mental illness do not get the care they need. Individuals with serious mental illness often end up in jail or on the streets. In fact, jails are the largest mental health providers in the country. The intense stigma around mental illness isolates individuals with mental illness and makes them less likely to seek help. In the midst of the heartache, there are glimmers of hope, thanks to the dedication of many. Recently, those elected officials we asked to listen, did. The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (H.R. 2646) passed out of the House with bi-partisan support and is now heading to the Senate for a vote. At NAMI Ohio’s Bringing Mental Illness out of the Shadows event in Cleveland during the Republican National Convention, political leaders offered heartfelt responses to our Nation’s struggling mental health system. They expressed frustration at the high number of people with mental illness in jails and the lack of care for veterans’ mental health. Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, a keynote speaker at the event, highlighted the importance of treating the brain just like any other organ. “The more we learn about the brain, the clearer it is that any health analysis that does not include the health of your brain and mental system is inherently false.” It is remarks like this one from top leaders that help break stigma and bring mental illness out of the shadows. Mental illness isn’t an easy story to tell, but it’s one we have to tell. In fact, it’s a story we need to shout. The majority of people in the United States have been or will be affected by mental illness themselves or through others. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion or political affiliation. This is an issue that should be on the minds of every elected official, regardless of which side of the aisle, as one of the salient issues of our time. It is no secret that Republicans and Democrats don’t always work well together. Both parties should put aside their differences and act for mental health. It’s time to reform the mental health system in America. Those who are struggling to fight mental illness—our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends—need and deserve a better system. The only way to change the system is to talk about it and to come together as Republicans and Democrats to find solutions for the good of our country.
Note:
National mental health reform is a priority and this newsletter clearly demonstrates why. As we move forward, let us honor, applaud and celebrate all of those individuals working in the current system. You are NAMI Ohio’s heroes. You have done a tremendous job in managing this struggling system and you don’t always get the recognition you deserve. NAMI Ohio appreciates and thanks you for all that you do every day to improve the lives of individuals affected by mental illness. My prayers are with you, Terry
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National Alliance on Mental Illness
News Briefs
The State’s Voice on Mental Illness
Actionable Solutions By Rick Kellar
President, The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation The nation’s leading mental health and addiction organizations and policymakers came together to present actionable solutions at both the Republican and Democratic National conventions in late July and early August. Partners included NAMI Ohio, NAMI National, Woodruff Foundation, Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, Kennedy Forum, Thomas Scattergood Foundation, Pennsylvania Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities, Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine, and others. The purpose of the two nonpartisan meetings at the conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia was to raise awareness regarding mental illness and substance abuse disorders, propose ways to improve the mental health care system across the country, and call on our leaders to address challenges that everyday impact 1 in 5 Americans. This effort sought to encourage leaders to better understand the impact of these illnesses, and understand the availability of real solutions to improve care and outcomes for those suffering and their families. The rally in Philadelphia included an outdoor event attended by nearly 1,000 advocates and family members, and featured
Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy speaking at Awareness Event in Philadelphia
at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, featured The Honorable Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, NAMI National Executive Director Mary Giliberti, and numerous Ohio officials voicing the need to bring mental illness out of the shadows. A key outcome of both events included adoption of new language in each respective party platform regrading mental health treatment policy, a key step in building consensus regarding solutions for mental health reform at the national level. The two events are evidence that we are no longer content with working in today’s fractured behavioral health delivery system. We simply ask our elected leaders of both parties to understand treatments work and people recover.
Awareness Event in Philadelphia
The Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy, NAMI-NY Executive Director Barbara Ritchie, and several key Pennsylvania officials voicing their support for improving services for those suffering from these treatable diseases. A similar effort the week prior,
The Philadelphia rally also included the release of the Nonpartisan National Behavioral Health Platform, which includes a list of 12 top priorities for elected officials to adopt and pursue. Highlights include a behavioral health checkup as part of every medical exam, increasing mental health research budget at the National Institute of Health, and the decriminalization of mental health and substance abuse disorders.
“These are the people who change policy. I find it a positive thing that caring for the mentally ill is finally a bi-partisan issue!” - Facebook Comment
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SPECIAL EDITION 2016
Loneliness, Isolation and NAMI By Rachel Gearinger NAMI Ohio Intern When thinking about how to reform America’s mental health system, a lot of the focus tends to be on mental health services and access to care. How do we get more people struggling with mental illness to doctors and therapists? What is the best way to treat the people who need help? Where is the best place to treat people? Medication and therapy are life-saving treatments. I live with panic disorder and depression. Without a doubt, medication restored my quality of life. Treatment, as in the traditional sense of medication and therapy, isn’t the end of the road, though. People living with mental illness have a more basic need that is often forgotten about. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich hit the nail on the head at the Bringing Mental Illness Out of the Shadows event: “One of the greatest problems [for people living with mental illness] is isolation. The doctor’s not going to solve that.” He went on to say that doctors don’t always have the personal experience to know what people with mental illness are going through. Having a mental illness can make you feel isolated even in a room full of people. The symptoms of mental illness can be confusing and frustrating. My mental illness is something that, at times, makes me want to hide. People who haven’t experienced mental illness in themselves or someone they know often can’t empathize with what I’m going through. The stigma surrounding mental illness is a whole other story. For individuals living with severe mental illness, the illness can ravage relationships and leave people feeling incredibly lonely, which doesn’t help improve their mental illness. Erratic and sometimes scary behavior can drive friends and family members away. Imagine if those you were close to suddenly disappeared. This is the reality for many people living with serious mental illness. Relationships and support are often overlooked as accessories to treatment, but they are essential for recovery. Some have said they are essential for overall health. Loneliness has even been declared by the likes of TIME, the Washington Post, and the Telegraph as a public health issue. The longer we ignore the impact of loneliness on mental health, the longer people living with mental illness will live in the shadows. At NAMI Ohio, we see the negative impact of loneliness and isolation every day. We often get Helpline calls from people who really just need someone to talk to. These people have been through the struggling system and are discouraged that no one will take the time to listen to them. We are often the last
number they call and the first to listen. This is what makes NAMI such a special organization. We do our best to help people through a struggling system. We support each other. At our core, we welcome everyone, no matter how ill, and tell them “you are not alone.” We not only say this, we embody it. It is this determination to support those affected by mental illness that spurred the eight month Bringing Mental Illness out of the Shadows awareness campaign. Across Ohio, this campaign will show NAMI is there for those who need a caring hand and the mental health system should be, too. This campaign will not only help bring people affected by mental illness out of the shadows, it will bring them together. "One of the greatest problems [for people living with mental illness] is isolation. The doctor's not going to solve that." - Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
For me, isolation is the exact point where NAMI comes in. I go to NAMI Connection support groups because I feel like I belong there. Not because I’m “crazy” and it is a group for “crazy” people, as society would like to think, but because I feel like I’m with family. I can breathe. I can share my struggles and not worry about stigma. Stigma isn’t bearing down on me like a heavy weight. At NAMI support groups, I am with people who truly care about my mental health instead of those who belittle those with mental illness. Most importantly, I am with people who listen. Beyond support groups, there are places like Magnolia Clubhouse, a sponsor of the Bringing Mental Illness out of the Shadows event, which provides a supportive space for people with mental illness to be around others who “get it.” Adult care facilities across Ohio offer community living for people in recovery. Those who have been rejected by their families and friends have people who care about them. These places give many people suffering from mental illness the family they desperately need. Support groups and clubhouses are more than just programs. They are cures for loneliness and isolation. They may not be exactly what the doctor ordered, but they’re no less important.
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National Alliance on Mental Illness
Bringing Mental Illness Out of The Shadows luncheon
Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Newt Gingrich speaking with members of the media following his remarks at the Bringing Mental Illness out of The Shadows luncheon.
NAMI Greater Cleveland volunteer, Jean Johnson, singing the national anthem to begin the event.
News Briefs
The State’s Voice on Mental Illness
NAMI Ohio Executive Director Terry Russell, Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Newt Gingrich and NAMI National CEO Mary Giliberti in Cleveland on July 19, 2016
Event Highlight:
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine talked about the relationship between mental illness and the criminal justice system, specifically the “revolving door” where people with serious mental illness are often in and out of jail. “Too many people with mental health problems are going into jails and jails are not equipped to deal with them.” He acknowledged that police officers are a lot more educated in regards to mental illness than they used to be, thanks to efforts like crisis intervention training (CIT), but there is still a need for advanced police training. We’re better, but we’re not where we need to be.
Event Highlight:
Mary Giliberti, CEO of NAMI National NAMI National CEO Mary Giliberti spoke about how in our mental health community we have suffered too much loss. She stated that “mental illness is as lethal as cancer and heart disease and in some cases it is more lethal.” Mary ended her remarks stating that she is hopeful that we can invest in the right programs to get individuals affected by mental illness appropriate care and support telling the audience we need to focus on what is strong not what is wrong.
Event Highlight:
Ohio Congressman Bill Johnson Congressman Johnson highlighted his support of the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act and some of the key points of this legislation: “That legislation passed out of our [Energy and Commerce] committee with unanimous support. There was not one dissenting vote on either side of the aisle because we all recognize how critically important it is that we bring mental illness out of the shadows.” He recognized the importance of mental health advocates in getting this legislation through the House.
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Event Highlight: Loree Vick
Loree Vick is a former broadcast journalist and current behavioral health advocate. At the event, she shared the story of losing her husband to suicide. “Don’t waste your pain,” she says. “Turn it into something good.” She talked about many of the myths about mental illness that are perpetuated by stigma and make living with mental illness feel like living in a “secret society.”
SPECIAL EDITION 2016
Event Highlight:
Ohio State Representative Scott Ryan Ohio State Representative Scott Ryan talked about the need to engage multiple communities, including neighborhoods, family members, businesses, non-profits, faith leaders, and more, in the need for a better mental health system. Everyone needs to know this is a crisis and advocate for a solution. He also addressed the stigma that acts as a barrier to care by making the point that often people are too uncomfortable to admit they know someone with mental illness or suffer from one. “No one chooses mental illness any more than they choose cancer.”
Event Highlight:
Ohio State Senator Frank LaRose
Event Highlight:
Ohio State Senator Bob Hackett Ohio State Senator Bob Hackett highlighted the need to focus on mental illness in the longterm: “Mental health will always be a work in progress. It affects everyone.” He applauded the historic passing of mental health parity, which states that mental illness should be treated equal to physical illnesses. He also said Bringing Mental Illness Out of the Shadows is his favorite event of the whole week!
Event Highlight:
“We ask a lot of our police officers… We owe them the training they need to be well equipped to deal with those suffering from mental illness.” He also talked about the need for mental health support for police officers and confronted the stigma that so often keeps people from seeking help. Like DeWine, Senator LaRose lamented the high number of people with mental illness in jails and prisons: “People with mental illness don’t belong in jails, they belong in treatment.”
Audience members meet with event speaker Loree Vick at the Bringing Mental Illness Out of The Shadows luncheon
Magnolia Clubhouse
Event Highlight:
Magnolia Clubhouse, a sponsor of the event, showed a beautiful video called “Magnolia Clubhouse is Hope.” Members of the clubhouse were in the audience at the event to receive a standing applause. Magnolia Clubhouse, located in Cleveland, is a place for people with mental illness to work together, gain self-confidence and create more fulfilling lives. The Clubhouse promotes vocational, educational, social and personal achievement as a center of recovery. To view the “Magnolia Clubhouse is Hope” video, go to www.magnoliaclubhouse.org.
Ohio State Senator Frank LaRose started his speech by saying “this is something I care about in my heart.” Like other speakers, he emphasized the need for police training like crisis intervention training (CIT):
Fred Frese, Ph.D; FAPA; Professor of Psychiatry at NEOMED; Captain, U.S Marine Corp. Retired
Audience members at the Bringing Mental Illness Out of The Shadows luncheon
Dr. Fred Frese spoke about his personal experience as an individual living with mental illness. He told the audience about his journey from being hospitalized and declared insane, with an expectation to spend the rest of his life being institutionalized, through deinstitutionalization and his work as a psychologist and professor fighting to protect those individuals whose lives have been affected by mental illness.
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National Alliance on Mental Illness
News Briefs
The State’s Voice on Mental Illness
Building Our Cathedral By Dustin McKee, Director of Policy Recently, while speaking to the chief of the county jail of one of Ohio’s largest counties, I asked the chief how many of his inmates had a serious mental illness. Although I am aware of the reality that we are relying on our jails and prisons as our nation’s primary mental health care provider, his answer made my jaw drop. His estimate was that 35%-40% of his inmates suffer from a serious mental illness. How have we let our mental health system get to a point where Rikers Island, Cook County and Los Angeles County jails are the largest mental health service providers in the United States?
cathedral in our time, we must keep working to build it. So how do we change our system? We fight stigma by talking about our experiences with mental illness to our friends and colleagues. We work to be more tolerant of the differences in each one of us, and respectful of one another’s unique struggles and strengths. We talk to policy makers about our experiences and the need for change. We help push for new policies to gradually transform the system, like the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016 (S. 2680) which is languishing in the U.S. Senate right now. If Ohioans impacted by mental illness make the call to Senator Sherrod Brown and Senator Rob Portman asking them to urge Senate Majority Leader McConnell to bring the
As a society, we have a mental health system that relies on jails and prisons for people with mental illness, instead of treatments leading to positive, evidence based, person-centered health outcomes for people suffering from these brain diseases. Our system now bares a frightening resemblance to the mental health system in the 19th century that spurred Dorthea Dix to shame state and national policy makers into moving people with mental illness out of prisons and into medical facilities. Unfortunately, comprehensive reform of the mental health system will not happen all at once with large policy prescriptions coming in the form of pieces of legislation. It will happen gradually, in small steps, with ordinary people working every day to improve Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris the system at all levels. bill to the Senate floor for a vote, it can make a difference and Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris took a century to build, as did bring us closer to our goal of comprehensive reform. Lincoln Cathedral. These beautiful structures were not always so marvelous looking. They were built by piecing together stone, We must be steadfast in this fight. Our persistence is vital to bit by bit. If the laborers who built these structures decided they getting us to our goal of comprehensive reform. We must have should give up because they would never see the final result, faith that future generations will continue this struggle and civilization would lack these marvelous structures. build a better mental health system, and ultimately a more just society. The pace of changing the mental health system is and may continue to be frustratingly slow, but we should be clear eyed Now, lets assume we can get comprehensive reform of our about this reality and the need for perseverance. We cannot mental health system in less than 100 years. The problems lose our enthusiasm and our will to fight for a better mental with our mental health system are too dire to wait a century. health system. There are so many people around us who However, in order for it to happen any time soon we must not perform small miracles as they care for their loved ones or their give up the fight to end stigma and work persistently to ensure clients living with mental illness. These miracles must be used that all people in America have access to effective treatment to motivate us to persevere as we work for a better society in and support for mental illness. It is quite simply; the only way spite of how difficult it may be. Although we might not see the we will achieve our goal. 6
SPECIAL EDITION 2016
Mental Health Reform The U.S. House voted 422-2 to pass mental health reform—H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2016 before Congresses’ August break. Now, we need the Senate to act when they return to Washington on September 6th. The senate has the opportunity to pass mental health reform by bringing the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016, S 2680, to a vote before the November Presidential election. Mental health reform will help by promoting early intervention, crisis response services, and integration of health and mental health care. Highlights of S 2680: •
Combats suicide in our schools and communities, so precious lives are saved
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Increases the mental health workforce, so more trained professionals are available to help
•
Strengthens enforcement of the mental health parity law, so health plans are held accountable for the coverage people paid for
•
Invests in early intervention, so people get the right mental health care at the right time to promote healthy lives
•
Promotes integration of health and mental health care, so people get care that treats the whole person, not just one condition
•
Strengthens community crisis response systems, so people experiencing a psychiatric crisis can get help sooner, before their condition worsens
We encourage you to call Senator Rob Portman at (202) 224-3353 and Senator Sherrod Brown at (202) 224-2315 and ask them to urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to schedule S.2680, The Mental Health Reform Act of 2016, for a vote immediately. We need your help to get this bill passed!
“Very moving event. I feel better about others and myself fighting for solutions in our American society that will bring change to those of us suffering from a lack of accommodation for our style of life and treatment.” - Facebook Comment
“Awesome. I love NAMI. It's a blessing to families. Mental illness is real.” - Facebook Comment
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National Alliance on Mental Illness
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News Briefs
The State’s Voice on Mental Illness
SPECIAL EDITION 2016
Thank You Thank you to all of our Bringing Mental Illness Out of the Shadows event sponsors, partners and speakers for your support of comprehensive mental health reform. This crisis impacts all of us, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion or political affiliation. NAMI Ohio and our partners are committed to working with every policy maker interested in comprehensive mental health reform to ensure all individuals affected by mental illness have access to the help that they need.
Event Sponsors & Partners:
Event Speakers:
Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Mike DeWine, Ohio Attorney General Ohio Congressman Bill Johnson Ohio State Senator Frank LaRose Ohio State Senator Bob Hackett Ohio State Representative Scott Ryan Loree Vick Mary Giliberti, CEO, NAMI Fred Frese, Ph.D; FAPA; Professor of Psychiatry at NEOMED; Captain, U.S Marine Corp. Retired
To view a recording of the Bringing Mental Illness Out of The Shadows event, visit the NAMI Ohio YouTube page via the link on www.namiohio.org.
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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
News Briefs National Alliance on Mental Illness The State’s Voice on Mental Illness National Alliance on Mental Illness
The State’s Voice on Mental Illness
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COLUMBUS, OHIO Permit No. 3181
1225 Dublin Road, Suite 125 Columbus, Ohio 43215
National Alliance on Mental Illness
The State’s Voice on Mental Illness
1225 Dublin Rd. Suite 125 Columbus, Ohio 43215 Phone: 614-224-2700 or 1-800-686-2646 Email:
[email protected] Website: http://www.namiohio.org
National Alliance on Mental Illness
The State’s Voice on Mental Illness
Mission Statement “To improve the quality of life, ensure dignity and respect for persons with serious mental illness, and to support their families.”
