Vol7 | August | View Archive

The Kim Foundation, in collaboration with individuals, organizations, and healthcare providers throughout Nebraska, is pleased to bring you a monthly e-newsletter addressing mental health care.

We will provide you with access to valuable resources, connections to individuals and agencies working toward behavioral health reform, insight into successful programs offered in Nebraska, and updates on the latest news and events.

If you have comments, questions, or information you would like to share through the electronic newsletter, please email us at info@thekimfoundation.org.

For more information on mental health issues in Nebraska please visit www.thekimfoundation.org.

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Nebraska’s Consumer Voice: Leading a Change in Mental Health Services

Raising Awareness in African American Faith Communities

Alternatives Conference Reminder

Not Alone Radio Program September Schedule

Leading a Change in Mental Health Services

Nebraska has been working toward behavioral health reform for many years. Beginning with LB 1083 in 2004 and followed by additional legislation in subsequent years, such reform has been a central focus and key goal for numerous individuals and organizations throughout the state.

Vital to successful reform efforts, consumers of mental health services have collectively authored a recent publication Nebraska’s Consumer Voice: Leading a Change in Mental Health Services that establishes rules necessary in creating a person-centered and recovery-focused system for our state. Hundreds of consumers from each of the behavioral health regions in Nebraska participated in this endeavor.

Sharing their experiences from within the mental health system the document “is a movement toward infusing recovery principles into Nebraska’s mental health service delivery system that will guide individuals toward self help, self determination, and empowerment.” Information received from hundreds of survey responses and twenty Recovery Education presentations was compiled to establish the Rules for Quality Mental Health Services in Nebraska. These rules include:

1. Transportation barriers must be eliminated
2. It must be recovery focused
3. There must be access to services
4. There must be peer provided services
5. There must be access to complete medical records
6. Care must be based on a partnership between consumer and provider
7. There must be access to affordable housing
8. There must be more recovery education
9. There must be opportunity for competitive employment
10. There must be access to information regarding benefits
11. Do no harm

Dialogue and work continues as Recovery Education presentations are being scheduled throughout the state to discuss the document, share findings, and determine next steps. If you would like additional information or to schedule a presentation in your area, please contact Melissa Doncheske at mdoncheske@mha-ne.org or by telephone at (402) 540-8390 or Denise Witherby at dwitherby@mha-ne.org or by telephone at (402) 441-4371.

This project was funded through SAMHSA-CMHS and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Office of Behavioral Health Services. Consultation was received from Steve Miccio, Executive Director of PEOPLe, Inc. in Poughkeepsie, NY, a nationally renowned expert on recovery principles, and the Mental Health Association of Nebraska.

NAMI-Nebraska and the Center for Holistic Development have partnered together in the launch of a new program Sharing Hope: Understanding Mental Illness. Developed to serve African Americans through their faith communities, Sharing Hope aims to provide education about mental illness, decrease mental health stigma, increase awareness of mental health recovery, foster dialogue, and introduce NAMI education and support programs to the African American community.

Research indicates that specifically, African Americans seek help from their clergy more frequently than from other professionals. The same holds true when dealing with mental illness. African American families are more likely to look for guidance, support, and understanding from their faith community versus a mental health practitioner.

NAMI’s Sharing Hope program was developed in an effort to better prepare clergy members and faith communities to support individuals and families touched by mental illness. The program reaches out to congregations of all denominations that bring African American families together.

Sharing Hope offers a free one-hour presentation led by a team of three people including an individual with mental illness, a family member, and a faith leader who has experience dealing with mental illness. Team members share their lived experience and through such personal stories participants will learn about symptoms, treatment, recovery, and support surrounding mental illness. Congregations will learn what they can do to provide support for individuals and families touched by mental illness as well as NAMI resources, supports, and education that are available to them.

Sharing Hope was piloted in Atlanta, GA, Trenton, NJ, and St. Paul, MN and is now offered in eleven states including Nebraska.

To schedule a Sharing Hope presentation for your congregation or for additional information on the program, please call (402) 502-9788 or email Sharita Ross at sross@chdomaha.org or Tricia Cottrell at tcottrell@chdomaha.org.

The 23rd Annual Alternatives Conference, the only national mental health conference organized by and for people diagnosed with mental illnesses, is coming to Omaha! Alternatives will be held October 28th through November 1st at the Hilton Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. Each conference offers in-depth technical assistance on peer-delivered services and self-help/recovery methods.

For additional information on the Alternatives Conference, please visit www.alternatives2009.org. To inquire about scholarship opportunities available, please contact the Mental Health Association of Nebraska at (888) 902-2822 or NAMI-Nebraska at (877) 463-6264.

Remember to join The Kim Foundation and KCRO channel 660 AM for Not Alone, a live talk radio program focused on behavioral health and recovery.

Airing every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Not Alone hosts guests from throughout Nebraska addressing a variety of topics. The schedule for August includes:

• September 1 – Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare
  Representatives with Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare discuss their role in administering services, supports, and programs through the behavioral health system of care.
• September 8 – Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
  Peter Ashenden, President and CEO of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance shares information about the organization and how it serves individuals and families touched by depression or bipolar disorder.
• September 15 – Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition and RESPECT
  Members of the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition discuss current suicide prevention efforts underway in Nebraska. The theatre group RESPECT (Relationship Empowerment for Students, Parents, Educators & Community through Theatre) addresses bullying and the effects on a child’s mental and emotional wellbeing.
• September 22 – Sharon Bracken, Author of "Eli, the Bipolar Bear"
  Sharon Bracken, author of "Eli, the Bipolar Bear" shares her children’s book addressing bipolar disorder with listeners and discusses her inspiration for writing the book.
• September 29 – Veteran’s Association
  Guests from the Veteran’s Hospital in Omaha share information with listeners regarding mental health services and issues affecting returning veterans, specifically suicide prevention.

Listeners outside of the broadcast area can access the radio program through KCRO’s website at www.kcro.com.

For more information on Not Alone or the Mental Health Minutes, please visit www.thekimfoundation.org.