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| Your Voice Each of us has a voice that needs to be heard
regarding the things that affect us. The Kim Foundation is here
to help in letting your voice be heard. We want to educate both
you and others about issues that affect those with mental illness. P.O.S.T. (Parents of Suicides Together) Support Group Parents in the Omaha community who have lost a child to suicide have come together to form P.O.S.T. (Parents of Suicides Together) Support Group. This group was formed to support other parents and family members after the loss of a child to suicide. P.O.S.T. meets twice per month at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 84th and Pacific, in Omaha, Nebraska. For more information or to inquire about attending, please contact Laraine Peck at (402) 496-0309 or via email at lpeck@tconl.com. Accessing Mental Health and Substance Abuse Care for Nebraska Children The Children’s Services Initiative together with the Nebraska Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health have developed three brochures aimed at helping families access mental health and substance abuse services for their children. In addition to accessing needed services, the brochures address the topic of psychiatric medications for youth and include a list of questions you may want to consider asking your child’s physician or pharmacist. Click on the following links to download or view the brochures: Accessing Mental Health and Substance Abuse Care for Nebraska Children Your Child and Psychiatric Medications Adolescents and Psychiatric Medications I Always Felt Different: A Child’s View of Living with ADHD What does it feel like to have attention deficit disorder? The answer to that question can be found in a report from the Journal of Pediatric Nursing called “I Have Always Felt Different.” The article gives a glimpse into the experience of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, from a child’s perspective. Assistant professors Robin Bartlett and Mona M. Shattell, from the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, interviewed 16 college students who had been diagnosed with ADHD as children. The investigators talked to them about how the disorder affected life at home, school, friendships, and what their parents did to help them. "I Have Always Felt Different" is summarized in Tara Parker-Pope’s health blog “Well” in The New York Times. Click here to access the article You are Not Alone: A Family Members Perspective on Bipolar Anyone who has experienced the bipolar express can feel alone and isolated. You think no one else can possibly understand the day-to-day trials and tribulations associated with an episode. As I am sure you have been told, you are not alone. The problem often lies with your own guilt, maybe because you want to fix your loved one who suffers from this mental illness. But you know you cannot fix their condition, you can only find solutions and strategies. This is not failure, only reality. One word of advice, do not isolate yourself from the outside world because you feel that no one will understand, or they will think you are weird. There are thousands of people who are probably feeling the same way you do. For me, when I talk about my son's illness it gives me a chance to make them aware of what bipolar really is. I usually do not use technical terms, as most people have a hard time understanding what I am trying to convey. The most useful way to communicate is to break it down with examples, "picture words" that illustrate things in a way that's easier to understand. Nine times out of ten, I find there are people out there going through a lot of what I have been through, only with different circumstances. Although I don't usually gain any additional information, I often gain the comfort of knowing that some one else deals with their own bipolar express. Some people find comfort in support groups. I have found comfort in reading, researching, and sharing my experience with others. I have found some great advice and solutions by talking to others regarding my son and my mother, both of whom have bipolar disorder. Not all the advice will work and I know that the ones that do work today may not work tomorrow. I look at it as a learning experience. There have been as many books published on the subject as different perspectives and situations that others have gone through. I recently read parts of "The Bipolar Child," and "Heathers Rage." When I was reading sections of these books, I was thinking, "Wow, my son does this," and, "oh, he did that, too." Or "my son hasn't done that, but I might want to prepare myself for this just in case." I feel on certain days that I can go forward full steam ahead and the next I might be a little less determined, but one thing I know for certain, I am not alone. About The Author: Stacey Adams supports her mother and child, both of whom have bipolar disorder. Stacey is a contributing writer for www.BipolarCentral.com. Know the Warning Signs—Prevent Suicide in Young People Suicide is the third leading cause of death
for 15- to 19-year-olds in the United States. Most youth who attempt
suicide show some warning signs beforehand. If your child seems
constantly depressed, angry, or withdrawn, pay attention and
encourage communication. New AHRQ Guides Summarize Effectiveness, Side Effects of Antidepressants The Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ)'s new guides outline the latest scientific evidence on antidepressants, including how well the medicines work and their potential side effects. The guides, one written for clinicians, the other for patients, explain that about 6 in 10 adult patients get some relief from the drugs. In addition, about 6 in 10 experience at least one side effect, ranging from nausea to sexual dysfunction. AHRQ's new guides summarize information on a dozen second-generation antidepressants: bupropion (sold as Wellbutrin), citalopram (Celexa), duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (formerly sold as Luvox), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (formerly Serzone), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), trazodone (formerly Desyrel), and venlafaxine (Effexor). The guides can be found on the AHRQ Web site, http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/. Choosing the Right Treatment: What Families Need to Know About Evidence-Based Practices NAMI has designed a guide to inform families about evidence-based practices (EBPs) in children's mental health and to share information on an array of treatment and support options available. Knowledge is power and informed families are in the best position to advocate for the most effective treatment and supports for their child and family. Click here to access the complete guide. How to Help Your Child: A Parent's Guide to OCD This guide describes symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), appropriate treatment, OCD in the classroom, and where families can find information and support. Click here to access the guide. People Who Care Family Support Group The Nebraska Family Support Network invites family members of children ages birth to 21 to participate in their family operated support group. The group works to connect families with children experiencing either psychiatric, behavioral, or emotional disorders. The Support Group meets on the third Tuesday of every month from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 6630 Dodge Street Room 211. There is no fee or referral required to attend. For more information please contact the Nebraska Family Support Network at (402) 345-0791 or (800) 245-6081. The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia NAMI lists this book as one of the best, most recent, comprehensive, and easily read books on how to help a loved one, and the rest of the family, cope with schizophrenia. It provides “state of the art tools for mastering extraordinary challenges” notes NAMI Medical Director Ken Duckworth, based on the premise that families are natural, lifetime support systems. The book is divided into six parts.
Each part contains chapters offering a wealth of practical information. One chapter discusses “establishing household rules and sharing responsibilities,” while another addresses “anger and violence.” Other chapters discuss “work and school” and “independent living and self-care skills.” Sill another involves “planning for the future.” The book provides a vision of recovery, while acknowledging that recovery is a lifelong journey. For families that are facing the onset of schizophrenia or who have been confronting it for years, it is an invaluable resource. Use this link to purchase The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia now from Amazon.com, and NAMI will automatically receive a portion of the sale. UPenn Collaborative Produces Guide to Parenting with a Mental Illness “Parenting with a Mental Illness: Programs and Resources Guide” has been published by the UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration to help the estimated millions of parents in the United States who are living with a mental illness. Select programs throughout the United States are featured in addition to a variety of fact sheets and resources available to anyone in the Country. Click here to download your own copy of the Guide. Medical Insurance Assistance The United Healthcare Children's Foundation is offering support to meet the needs of children across the United States with assistance grants for medical services not fully covered by health insurance. Parents and caretakers across the country will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $5,000 for healthcare services that will help improve their children's health and quality of life. Examples of the types of medical services covered by UHCCF grants include speech-therapy, physical therapy, and psycho-therapy sessions; medical equipment such as wheelchairs, braces, hearing aids, and eyeglasses; and orthodontia and dental treatments. Any child 16 years old or younger living
in any UnitedHealthcare region of the United States and in need
of financial assistance for healthcare services will be considered
eligible for a grant. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside
in the United States, and be covered by a commercial health insurance
plan. New Resource for Psychiatric Advance Directives Introduced in the 1990s, psychiatric advance
directives, commonly called PADs, offer a way for people with mental
illnesses to plan ahead for a mental health crisis. PADs are legal
documents that typically specify treatment instructions and appoint
a designated health care agent, among other actions. The National Resource Center for Psychiatric Advance Directives (NRC-PAD), developed by psychiatric and legal experts at Duke University Medical Center and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, went online in January. Its web address is http://www.nrc-pad.org. The developers hope that the website will serve as an online gathering place for people with mental illness and their families, as well as for clinicians, to learn about PADs and how to complete the documents. WRAP Workbook for Kids WRAP stands for Wellness Recovery Action Plan. The program was developed by a group of people who had mental health difficulties and wanted to incorporate tools and strategies in their lives that worked to keep them well. With the help of two great kids, Hawk and Esther, WRAP is now available for kids. The new book will guide a child through the process of developing their own Wellness Recovery Action Plan. It will help them discover all the things they can do to feel good, stay well and even feel better when the going is hard. It starts with listing all those good and fun things that they can use to develop their action plans like running with the dog, coloring and talking to a friend. Then, using these tools, the book guides them through the process of listing:
Once they have completed their WRAP, they will have a powerful personal guide to daily living. As they get older they may want to revise or update their plans or even develop new ones. As children develop and use these plans it helps to have supportive parents, teachers and other adults who provide encouragement and praise as they grow, change, make good decisions and take positive action in their own behalf. Developing a WRAP is creative, fun and life changing for everyone involved. For additional information please visit http://www.mentalhealthrecovery.com or e-mail books@mentalhealthrecovery.com. Resources for Families The Center for the Advancement of Children's Mental Health has compiled a selection of resources that may help you learn more about children's emotional and behavioral disorders, and provide helpful information for parents, families, and professionals who care for our youth. Visit their website to access links to various resources, including disorder profiles, treatment options, and current projects. New Online Videos on Bipolar Disorder How is bipolar illness diagnosed? What advice would you give someone in recovery from bipolar? What advances are being made in the research and study of bipolar? These are just some of the questions addressed in a series of 13 short videos now available online from NAMI's 2006 convention. The videos feature questions-and-answers with Dr. Thomas Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. William Lawson of Howard University Medical School, and John McMananmy, consumer and author. The interviews were conducted through a partnership with HealthCentral.com, and are available for viewing on HealthCentral's BipolarConnect Website. A Parent’s Guide to Recognizing and Treating Depression in Your Child This guide is designed to provide parents and caregivers information about childhood depression. Its goal is to help those who touch the lives of children recognize the signs and symptoms of depression as well as provide resources and information to act on such concerns. Depression is one of the mental disorders that can appear during childhood and adolescence. Today 1 in 33 school-aged children and 1 in 8 adolescents suffers from clinical depression. Click here to download A Parent’s Guide to Recognizing and Treating Depression in Your Child. |