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January 12, 2010
If you’re interested in making a difference in how the public perceives people with mental illness, there is still room to join the free January 20th training in Yakima on:
How Media Can Influence Public Perceptions of Mental Illnesses and What You Can Do About It
Read full article: Work with Media to Overcome Stigma
January 7, 2010
Staying connected with each other and avoiding isolation is one of the most important elements of staying healthy while recovering from a mental illness. Yet sometimes it’s hard to reach out to others and talk openly about mental health issues. The members of the Capital Clubhouse out of Olympia hope that their new website, named Seeds of Change, will fill a gap for people living with mental illness as a social networking tool and a fun place to “hang out” and chat.
December 9, 2009
Washington State’s Department of Health and Social Services (DSHS) carried out a process to obtain input into potential system transformation initiatives to integrate the delivery of behavioral health and primary care services through the Health and Recovery Services Administration (HRSA).
A two-stage process was used. First, a comprehensive, exhaustive review of recommendations from 66 reports was conducted. These reports incorporated input from a variety of stakeholder groups, local/state/Tribal government representatives, and subject matter experts. Second, regional community-based forums were convened to gather direct feedback to potential policy initiatives in support of integration developed by HRSA staff through the stage one review of reports. Regional forums were held in four locations around the state: Pasco, Mt. Vernon, Olympia and Spokane.
December 7, 2009
The Washington State Coalition to Improve Mental Health Reporting, a project of the Washington State Mental Health Transformation Grant and the University of Washington School of Social Work, has been chosen by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Ashoka’s Changemakers as one of 12 finalists out of 340 submissions in 42 countries in the “Rethinking Mental Health: Improving Community Wellbeing” competition. Changemakers around the world submitted smart programs and bold solutions to expand understanding of mental health and wellness. The goal of the competition is to provide a platform to change our society’s narrow perceptions and improve the rights and resources for individuals living with serious mental illness.
The winner of the competition will receive a $5,000 award in support of their work. As an open competition, anyone can vote for the finalists by visiting “Changemakers” from November 24 to December 9th to cast their vote for the winner. “Changemakers” is a program of Ashoka, an organization dedicated to expanding the work of social entrepreneurs across the globe. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation’s largest philanthropic organization devoted exclusively to improving health and health care of Americans.
By Amy Jeppesen
November 3, 2009
Peers and consumers serve vital roles in our community. In 2008, the Mental Health Transformation Project's (MHTP) Technical Work Group (TWG) formed a subcommittee on employment and use of Peer Counselors. Early on, a primary focus development and implementation of a survey of those who had taken the Peer Counselor training and certification.
Read full article: The Vital Role of Peer Counselors
By Rena Shawver
October 14, 2009
Every classroom has a child with a “behavioral” problem. It’s sometimes the withdrawn student with failing grades who rarely says anything until she or he punches someone on the playground. It’s the student who vandalizes the school or steals. Or it’s the bully who continually taunts and teases other children into tears.
Many of these students get into trouble, and are disciplined by school authorities. Yet discipline rarely “solves” the behavior or addresses the underlying reason for the behavior.
Read full article: Behind Every Child’s “Bad” Behavior is a Story Waiting to be Told
October 2, 2009
Did you know that serious mental illness is a leading cause of disability worldwide, yet only a small fraction of people who need treatment have access to care in their communities? Many more are subject to neglect and abuse of their human and civil rights..
Read full article: Join the Effort to Rethink Mental Health
September 25, 2009
Link to Dr. Jemelka's presentation on mental health transformation to the Tribal Communities Transforming Mental Health Conference, September 11th, 2009 at the Great Wolf Lodge, Grand Mound, Washington.
Read full presentation: The Path of Transformation
September 17, 2009
People living with serious mental illnesses are dying 25 year earlier than the rest of the population, in large part due to unmanaged physical health conditions. To address the gap in current thinking about this health disparity, this paper presents evidence-based approaches to a person-centered healthcare home for the population living with serious mental illnesses. In doing so, it brings together current developments around the patient-centered medical home with evidence-based approaches to the integration of primary care and behavioral health.
Read Archived News ArticlesYou can read more news articles like those above by heading to the News Archives section of this website.
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