Buckelew Programs

January 2010 | In this Issue:

• From the Executive Director
• A Few Good Women Bringing About Change in Youth Mental Health Service

• How You Can Help Meet Mental Health Needs in Haiti

• Buckelew Hosts Free Educational Session About Mental Health in the World’s Poorest Communities

• Accelerating Mental Health Research
• Welcome New Board Member, Leslie Augustson!

 

From the Executive Director:

Welcome to 2010!

Leading off this first issue of 2010 is a great article on how “A Few Good Women” have worked to bring change in youth mental health services. And if you haven’t seen our website lately, check out the new description of PATH, our program for transition age youth. It’s In the Spotlight on our home page, where you’ll also see the text of a brief tribute I recently gave to an “angel donor,” Sarah Shaw.

You’ve hopefully heard that Buckelew’s Blue Skies Personnel Services was named as one of 12 Finalists in an international competition for innovation in mental health services. You can read more about the award, and the excellent work of our employment staff in my new blog. Future postings will take a closer look at consumer employment and other important aspects of mental health wellness and recovery, sustainability, social enterprise and other innovations from Buckelew.

Of course, there’s a lot more in this issue, so please read on!

~ Steve

A Few Good Women Bringing About Change in Youth Mental Health Services By Francis Rivetti, Sonoma Country Life [permalink]

When Lori's teenage son was diagnosed with an early on-set of severe schizophrenia it was shattering to all of us who know and love this family of most vibrant human beings, a Bay-Area tribe of remarkable individuals, known for shared qualities giving rise to frequent, random acts of community kindness and a quest for travel, adventure, enduring friendship.

For Lori (pictured at right above) to come to terms with her beloved boy's early prognosis and subsequent years of turbulent periods ranging from remarkably serene to downright traumatic, it has been a mother's journey of discovery of her inner most strength and fortitude and a fantastical spirit of positivity, acceptance with a pioneering determination to make much-needed improvements in the field of mental health care for California youth.

Beginning on home turf in Marin County, Lori's first major impact on the county's Transitional Age Youth Program, a collaboration between Buckelew Programs and Family Service Agency of Marin has been as a leading influence in the launch of a spacious, new office center for the TAY Program in downtown San Rafael.

Thanks to the generosity of Sarah Shaw (pictured at left at the new office opening celebration on Lincoln Avenue with Kathy Eagle, TAY Team Leader, center), the TAY program is also looking for a new training house for young men and women (16-25) of Marin County who are struggling with mental health challenges.

The TAY program uses a strength-based model and integrates wellness and recovery principles, supporting transitional age youth to become architects of their own futures.

As Lori had discovered through her own personal experience, there is, except for the TAY program, a staggering lack of resources for young people suffering from similar mental health problems as her son. No longer a child, but not yet equipped with the experiences of an adult, this critical stage of transition requires guidance, supervision and care not easily available or affordable here in California.

Currently TAY provides full services to around 20 young adults and partial services to 70 to 100 more young men and women each year. Staffed by a Team Leader, Team Partner, Peer Mentor, Independent Living Skills Counselor and Family Advocate, TAY office services are community-based, with outreach by these staff, volunteers and many fully involved parents such as Lori.

Youth in need of full services are referred by County Mental Health Services and after an initial assessment, TAY provides 24-hour crisis management, medication oversight, peer mentoring, housing support, education and employment support.

Families and youth assist in the development of an individualized service plan based on a picture of the youth's goals for independence and psychiatric needs, symptoms and challenges, housing, education and job needs including a range of social issues and concerns.

Thanks to the generous support of the Shaw Family, the new training office on Lincoln Avenue offers all sorts of effective socialization programs including art, meditation, mind over mood, movie night, movie and video production in a small, on-site media center. Staff have been able to develop new collaborations with other providers to bring services such as counseling sessions and job training classes to the TAY offices. 

Lori's story is not unique. Sadly there are many more young men and women in the North Bay suffering from mental health illnesses such as schizophrenia, yet the development of programs within the community such as the Transition Age Youth Program help dispel much of the mystery, confusion and helplessness felt by the supportive families and provide invaluable full or partial care for the youth themselves, within an open environment.

Until you, or someone close to you experiences mental severe health challenges with a youth in the family, the crisis that these families face sometimes on a daily basis simply does not hit home. Programs such as TAY are a lifeline to the community. It is remarkable that given the current state of the economy, private funding has enabled this superb North Bay program to continue to expand and to realistically dream of furthering its reach in 2010.

How You Can Help Meet Mental Health Needs in Haiti

Many mental health needs are expected to emerge in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010. The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare’s Project Helping Hands supports mental health efforts in Haiti and for Haitian populations in the U.S. As a National Council member, Buckelew wants you to know about this resource if you’re looking for ways to help in Haiti. You can learn more about Project Helping Hands here.

The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (National Council) is offering small emergency grants and free Mental Health First Aid training to support mental health efforts in the wake of the devastating Haiti earthquake.

Through its Project Helping Hands, the National Council offers small grants to organizations working to meet the mental health needs of Haitian survivors and loved ones in the U.S. Since 2005, Project Helping Hands has supported behavioral healthcare organizations responding to emergency mental health and addictions treatment needs in the wake of disaster — hiring treatment staff, setting up emergency outreach offices, and purchasing medications and emergency equipment.

It is estimated that up to 25 to 30 percent of people in the most vulnerable communities experience the onset of trauma and mental disorders in the wake of disaster. These needs usually manifest several weeks to months after a disaster, as the reality of loss and displacement sinks in. Those with pre-existing serious mental illnesses may be traumatized anew or displaced and need extra care and support.

Haitian populations in the U.S., concerned about the safety and whereabouts of any loved ones in Haiti, may also be experiencing acute anxiety and stress reactions. Further, it is likely that the U.S. will see a significant influx of surviving Haitians over the coming months and a good number will likely experience mental health issues, in addition to the challenges of settling into a new culture.

Free Mental Health First Aid USA training is available for volunteers headed to help in Haiti in the coming months and for community groups and caring citizens working with Haitian populations in the U.S.

Mental Health First Aid USA — a collaboration of the National Council, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Missouri Department of Mental Health — equips members of the public with skills and resources to help someone developing a mental health problem or save someone experiencing a mental health crisis. Those trained in Mental Health First Aid can recognize the risk factors and warning signs of mental illness and connect persons in need with appropriate professional or other help, including peer and family support.

Those who wish to support the Haiti disaster mental health response may donate to the National Council’s Project Helping Hands.

Buckelew Hosts Free Educational Session About Mental Health in the World’s Poorest Communities

Buckelew Programs will host a free “lunch and learn” session and global discussion on Friday, January 22 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. featuring the work of BasicNeeds, a non-profit group that provides community mental health services to some of the world’s poorest communities in Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, Laos, and Nepal. [RSVP here]

The event will be held in the Connection Center of the Marin Health & Wellness Campus, 3240 Kerner Blvd in San Rafael. Food will be available from Blue Skies Cafe, Buckelew's green-certified social enterprise that creates employment and hope to people with mental illness in Marin.

“Like Buckelew, BasicNeeds' programs create opportunities for people with mental illness to live and work successfully in their communities,” said Buckelew Program Executive Director Steve Ramsland. “BasicNeeds’ approach can add a cross-cultural perspective to efforts in Marin to link mental health, social, and economic issues to bring about and sustain positive change.”

For millions of people in developing countries, mental illness is a world of poverty, stigma, pain and isolation. It is not uncommon in parts of Africa and Asia to find people with mental disorders or epilepsy chained to a tree, banished from their communities or badly beaten according to BasicNeeds US President Richard Dougherty, Ph.D. Often this is the result of desperate attempts by loved ones to protect an ill family member in the absence of accessible and appropriate treatment. By ensuring that basic needs are met and basic rights are respected, BasicNeeds aims to give hope to people who struggle daily with a lack of treatment and the stigma surrounding their disease.

Accelerating Mental Health Research

Have you checked out the new Family Resource section of the Buckelew website yet?  We will be continually adding information, news and self-help resources for family members of persons with mental illness to navigate “the system,” to cope better with stress, and create more of the life you want. 
everyminute.org supports innovative research that will profoundly transform the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders, paving the way for a cure. The need for transformative, innovative research is urgent; each year, as many as 57 million Americans meet criteria for some mental disorder, with roughly 12 million reporting symptoms so severe as to cause significant disability and interference with everyday living. Similarly, the economic costs of mental disorders are estimated at over $317 billion, with most due to the loss of economic productivity as a result of the illnesses. We know that mental disorders can also be fatal. Each year more Americans die from suicide than from homicide. In sum, these are real disorders requiring life-saving treatments.

everyminute.org is a grassroots organization mobilizing mental health advocates, organizing them into a lobbying power with the goal of encouraging Congressional leaders to increase mental health research funding.  You can read more about everyminute.org in the Family Resource Center of Buckelew’s website, here.

Welcome New Board Member, Leslie Augustson!

Buckelew recently welcomed Leslie Augustson of Mill Valley as a new member of our board of directors.

Leslie J. Augustson,
Registered Principal, NPB Financial Group, LLC
I have been a long-time fan of Marin/ Scapes art show but I have been noticing all the great work that Buckelew is doing around Northern California for several years.  I had not put the two together until getting to know about the program in depth.  I am so happy to be a part of such a rewarding program.