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MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH MONTH
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From the desk of Jackie Lane, Executive Director NAMI CC&I
Considering the tragic death of Yarmouth Police Officer Sean Gannon, it is only fitting that this message reflects on the work of the police departments of the Cape and Islands as well as the relationships that have been developed through our CCIT trainings. It is especially ironic that during the actual time of this horrific incident, several officers from both Yarmouth and Barnstable Police Departments were attending the final afternoon of our recent 5 day/40 hour presentation.
As we continue to present CCIT, sponsored by a generous grant from the Weny Charitable Trust, we see the relationships and the connections growing between not only NAMI CC&I and the Cape Cod police, but between the many agencies that address mental health issues and needs and the police departments. This It Takes A Community approach has been embraced by the police community to everyone's advantage. Better relationships and ongoing communications between the Behavioral Health Department and the Emergency Department of Cape Cod Healthcare are taking place and the police are also learning to navigate the new Bay Cove emergency system. We and the law enforcement community are realizing the "social work" aspect of modern policing and we are working together in an attempt to support each other.
In this recent training, we added a segment about self - care for police officers. Yarmouth Police Chief Fredrickson has been working on a Cape program, the purpose of which is to educate police officers about mental and physical self-care. In this capacity, Chief Fredrickson opened the CCIT training with a report and a message to the attendees. As we move forward in our shock and grief, we at NAMI CC&I will continue to support our local police officers and their families. They are such an important part of our community.
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April CCIT
Many thanks to all of the attendees and presenters at the April 2018 CCIT. We had representatives from most of the police departments on the Cape as well as from Hyannis Fire Department, Mass Maritime, Helping Hands of Cape Cod Healthcare and Blue Hills Therapeutics.
Some pictures from the event:
Photos by Judith Selleck
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From the desk of Mary Zdanowicz, Esq.
Officials from the Department of Mental Health, MassHealth and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission attended the NAMI Cape Cod & the Islands Annual Meeting on April 17, 2018. They were there to explain changes that will affect clients who receive behavioral health services through MassHealth and/or people who receive Community Based Flexible Support services (CBFS) through the Department of Mental Health.
The goal is to better integrate the behavioral health with the health care system overall.
This is a critical need.
It has long been recognized that premature mortality is a tragic reality among individuals with severe mental disorders. According to a recent study,
this population loses 28.5 years of life on average. Eighty-five percent of the premature deaths are due to largely preventable conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease.
January 1, 2018 - MassHealth created a new entity called Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), which include Primary Care Providers (PCPs)
that will coordinate services for its patients. If you are a MassHealth Member, you may have received a letter with a green stripe assigning you to an ACO effective March 1, 2018. It is very important to pay attention to this because it may mean that you have been assigned to a new primary care physician.
In addition,
MassHealth identified members who are high users of behavioral health care," including some DMH clients, who will be assigned to another new entity called Behavioral Health Community Partners (BHCP). ACOs will contract with these entities, which are responsible for coordinating health care services for their clients.
It is very important that you find out if you have been assigned to an ACO and whether your providers are part of the ACO because
MassHealth has indicated that if you want to remain with your primary care provider, you have until May 31, 208 to do so. For more information, contact your primary care provider or go to https://www.mass.gov/guides/learn-about-the-letters-with-the-green-stripe.
In addition, the Department of Mental Health is reforming its community-based service model. In 2009, DMH consolidated adult community services, including residential, community supports, (including many DMH case managers) and employment services to form Community Based Flexible Supports (CBFS). DMH clients may receive CBFS in their own homes or in DMH Supported Independent Environments (SIE, i.e.. apartments) or Supervised Group Living Environments (GLE, i.e. group residences).
However, DMH identified some shortcomings in the CBFS model. Starting July 1, 2018 CBFS clients will be transitioned to a new service called Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS). The benefits of the new service include:
- Clinical focus - ACCS programs will integrate with the health care system to deliver "evidenced based, clinically strengthened interventions, and support access to services to assist with competitive employment."
- DMH will take a more active role in managing and monitoring ACCS provider contracts. A benefit to this approach is that DMH may have some leverage if an ACCS provider services are not adequately serving an individual's needs.
- Family engagement and support is part of the ACCS model. "Family involvement is routinely encouraged, in recognition that families can be key allies in the treatment process and their involvement often can help facilitate better outcomes."
In November 2017, DMH requested proposals to take over the ACCS services. This month, DMH announced which companies won the contracts. Vinfen will keep the contracts for the services it currently provides on Cape Cod. In addition, Vinfen will take over the contracts that Fellowship Health Resources, Inc. has, which include most of the residential programs on the Cape.
The new ACCS services will become effective on July 1, 2018, which is not very much time to implement a new service model and hire staff to fill vacancies that may occur during the transition. NAMI CC&I will work with DMH and Vinfen to better understand the transition to this new service model.
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Annual Meeting and Presentation from The Department of Mental Health and Mass Health
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Joan Mikula
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NAMI CC&I held their Annual Meeting on April 17, 2018. Craig Rockwood, President of the Board of Directors moderated the meeting and introduced guest Cheri Andes, Executive Director of NAMI Mass.
Following the meeting, Joan Mikula, Scott Taberner, Brooke Doyle and Tony Wolf from the Department of Mental Health and from Mass Health discussed the changes to services scheduled for July, 2018. They then fielded questions from the audience and stayed late to answer all of the concerns expressed. Attendees appreciated this opportunity to meet these distinguished speakers and understand these changes in light of their own families. Our thanks to all who participated.
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| Cheri Andes, Scott Taberner, Brooke Doyle, Tony Wolf |
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Photos by Judith Selleck
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Suzanne Fronzuto
NAMI on Nantucket Program Coordinator
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Crocuses are in bloom giving us hope on the windy isle of Nantucket that spring is finally here!
The NAMI On Nantucket mental health marketing campaign "Mental Health Matters" is in the early planning stages with events scheduled on Nantucket for April and May to introduce the campaign to providers of behavioral health services on Nantucket. The campaign with culminate in August with the introduction of the live interface so callers seeking information for a wide spectrum of behavioral health services can speak with a live person who will provide information and follow up based on the initial inquiry.
Working with the Nantucket Behavioral Task Force we hope to have an informative array of activities and events planned in May to highlight Mental Health Awareness month.
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And From NAMI on Martha's Vineyard
In April some of the MV NAMI team met with Martha's Vineyard Community Services to share ideas and to learn more about MVCS current and future programs.
We have scheduled an ongoing monthly dialogue to continue open communication. We also received a small grant from MV Savings Bank!
May is a busy month. Thursday May 10 starts our first monthly meeting for NAMI MV to share ideas. All are welcome from noon to 2:00 at the IWYC conference room.
May 15 - NAMI will sponsor a showing of the movie "Call me Crazy" at the Vineyard Haven Library. Afterwards members of NAMI will share information on the organization.
May 16 - Several of our members will participate in a Support Group Facilitator given by Jud Phelps. Please let me know if you are interested in participating.
Thanks!
Cecilia
Cecilia Brennan
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Research Roundup
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April 2018 Research Roundup
Research Roundup is a monthly public service of the Office of Research and Public Affairs. Each edition describes a striking new data point about serious mental illness and summarizes recently published research reports or developments. This month, we hone in on research related to suicide.
DATAPOINT of the Month
- 9.5 million adults have serious thoughts of suicide
Suicide is a major public health concern in the United States and individuals with serious mental illness are disproportionately affected. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 9.5 million adults have serious thoughts of suicide in any given year, 2.7 million make a suicide plan and 1.3 million attempt suicide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 44,000 deaths in 2015 were a result of a suicide.
RESEARCH of the Month
- Increased mortality in individuals with serious mental illness is in part due to delays in seeking medical care
Individuals with serious mental illness have a 25-year shorter life expectancy than those in the general population and new research suggests this is in part due to delays in seeking medical care. In a recently published Psychiatric Services report, individuals with psychotic or severe mood disorders were surveyed on their recent physical medical appointments and reasons for not seeking such care, such as attitudes, beliefs or financial barriers. Individuals who delayed seeking medical care were two times as likely to have abnormal blood pressure measurements and three times more likely to have abnormal measures for diabetes than for patients with serious mental illness who did not delay their medical care, according to the results. The findings suggest that physicians understand barriers to seeking care for individuals with serious mental illness to improve access for these individuals.
Spivak, S. (2018, April). "Delays in seeking general medical services and measurable abnormalities among individuals with serious mental illness." Psychiatric Services.
- Social skills training to reduce negative symptoms in schizophrenia
Social skills training is effective in reducing negative symptoms for patients with schizophrenia, according to a new meta-analysis published in Schizophrenia Bulletin. Researchers analyzed 27 randomized control trials of 1,437 participants with schizophrenia comparing the use of social skills training to treatment-as-usual in the reduction of negative symptoms in schizophrenia, including apathy, loss of motivation, and inattention to social inputs, among others. The results indicate that social skills training may have similar effects to cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing negative symptoms and has a strong potential for wider implementation in outpatient mental health care.
Turner, D. T. (2018, April). "A meta-analysis of social skills training and related interventions for psychosis." Schizophrenia Bulletin.
- Early intervention in schizophrenia treatment has long term effects to reduce suicide
Early intervention not only improves short-term outcomes for individuals with first-episode psychosis but also reduces risk for suicide for the long-term, new research suggests. Historical data was analyzed for 1,234 patients with first-episode psychosis who received early intervention services for up to 12 years, including number of suicide attempts, treatment adherence, symptom relapse and others. The authors report that early intervention is associated with a reduction in the suicide rate among patients in the vulnerable early stage of disease as well as in the long-term, providing further evidence to the benefit of early treatment in psychosis.
Chan, S. K. W. (2018, April). "Association of an early intervention service for psychosis with suicide rate among patients with first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorders." JAMA Psychiatry.
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Elizabeth Sinclair
Director of Research
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Research Weekly is a summary published as a public service of the Treatment Advocacy Center and does not necessarily reflect the findings or positions of the organization or its staff. Full access to research summarized may require a fee or paid subscription to the publications.
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Thank You NAMI Cape & Island Volunteers
May is Mental Health month. NAMI Cape & Islands is truly blessed to have the commitment of many dedicated volunteers who bring education and support to our community. Not only do these volunteers help with education and support, they bring awareness to the public on the issues of mental health and the impact these health issues have on families. Thank you to all of the NAMI Cape & Island volunteers who give of themselves for the benefit of others. Your community truly appreciates you!
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Best Wishes, Anne Kiefer, owner of
Hidden Gems in Orleans
On April 19th the Orleans Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the newest consignment shop in Orleans. Hidden Gems specializes in antiques, primitives, small furniture, local pottery and framed artwork.
Pictured left to right:
Alan McClennen, Orleans Selectman, Joe Hartung, Chamber Board of Directors, Noelle Pina, Chamber Executive Director, Anne Kiefer, Owner Hidden Gem, Nancy Brown, Manager, Kim Lemon, Director of Family Programs, NAMI Cape & Islands, Terri Souza, Chamber Board of Directors, Jon Fuller, Orleans Selectman
Thank you, Anne Kiefer! All profits will be donated to NAMI Cape & Islands to provide assistance for local programming.
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Mental Health First Aid
Thanks to a generous grant from Cape Cod Healthcare Community Benefits, NAMI CC&I will be offering Mental Health First Aid, a national program which teaches skills to respond to the signs of mental illness and substance abuse. This program will teach 30 caregivers of adults, especially targeting the elderly and shut-in, to teach mental health first aid to others in their agencies thus continuing our focus on proactive programming. We will be recruiting caregivers from agencies across Cape Cod for these valuable 3-day programs in June and July.
If you would like more information, call the NAMI CC&I office.
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A poem from one of our readers...
"YOU CAN"
Darkness reaching out to
unexpecting
innocence
Eternity Swallows ,It's Throat
A deep cruel tunnel . No ending in sight
It's voice inside whispering , Shame and guilt
I'm locked up in this cold steel suit
An endless battle I must fight.
Strenth
in
Weakness when it's right . Armed with
faith and shown a way. Oh so much I have to
Say. As I look up in a breath I am consumed by
what I feel .
THEN!!! "Lightening Tears down as it spirals
through The Most Mighty tree and my being ." I am
Strong!!! I will go on
"YOU CAN"
by Robert
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The Key Idea
The Key to Understanding * Stories of Struggle and Healing will expose the deep fears and sincere hopes of individuals who suffer from mental health issues, their caretakers and first responders. This moving exhibit will give a voice to folks who suffer from an illness that is hard to explain to others. Your disorder does not define you. The key is to deal with my bipolar disorder.
People participating in NAMI Cape Cod & The Islands (National Alliance on Mental Illness) programs gathered together in NAMI Peer and Support Groups or Family to Family classes and were invited to add their experience to a collective art project though The Key Idea™. Individuals were given an opportunity to reflect on their experiences with mental health and create a meaningful piece of art inspired by a key. They each were asked to select a used key, draw it and answer the simple question,
What does your key open or start or do?
This key unlocks the chains that shackle my happiness.
The Key Idea, Inc
. will fund this project through a grant from the hope & grace fund, a project of the New Venture Fund in partnership with the global women's skincare brand Philosophy, inc.
Project developer Lenore Lyons and project partner Tamara Harper expect to gather and display several hundred KeyStories. The goal is to give people an opportunity to share their unique experiences through art and writing as well as to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of mental illness through this large-scale community engagement project.
The KeyStories were collected over a six -month period; the exhibit will travel to three regional libraries.
See The Key to Understanding at the Osterville Village Library in May, the Snow Library in Orleans in June and the Mashpee Public Library in July 2018.
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Screenagers:
Growing Up in the Digital Age
HARWICH: Thursday, May 17, 6:30 pm Harwich Elementary School
263 South St, Harwich
Another independent documentary focusing on the topic will be offered on Thursday, May 17
th
sponsored by
Harwich
Youth Services. The showing of the film
SCREENAGERS
: GROWING UP IN THE
DIGITAL AGE will be at the Harwich Elementary School, 263 South Street, Harwich at 6:30 p.m. In SCREENAGERS, as with her award-winning documentaries on mental health, Delaney Ruston takes a deeply personal approach as she probes into the vulnerable corners of family life, including her own, to explore struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction. Through poignant, and unexpectedly funny stories, along with surprising insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists, SCREENAGERS reveals how tech time impacts kids' development and offers solutions on how adults can empower kids to best navigate the digital world and find balance. Q & A. Open to all, no fee. For more information call the elementary school at (508) 430-7216 or Harwich Youth Services at (508) 430-7836.
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Dance In The Rain
Dance in the Rain Whole Person Approach is a non-profit organization that supports peers who struggle with mental illness. Located in the heart of Hyannis, we provide this population with an opportunity to expand their lives, despite their condition, to grow, engage and heal. The staff, from executive director to volunteers, live with a history of mental illness as well. Our staff is well vetted to work with other peers who wish grow and seek to define themselves beyond mental illness. We are the only program in New England to have an organization that is conceived, developed and designed by peers for peers. Daily programs are offered to enhance self-esteem and positive identity.
For more information, contact:
Founder/Executive Director/Peer
Dance in the Rain Whole Person Approach
Peer to Peer Mental Health Center
501 c 3 Non Profit Public Charity
508-364-4045
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Transportation Services....
The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority provides a daily general public demand service called Dial-A-Ride Transportation (DART) that is a door-to-door ride by appointment transportation service. It is available to all 15 Cape towns, runs from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekdays and more limited hours on weekends. It is easy to access and use.
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The Primer on Mental Health
WE'RE PUBLISHED!! You Are Not Alone: A Primer on Mental Illness, which has been in development for the past 18 months, is now available. (Call or email the office to make arrangements for your personal copy or copies for your organization.) The Primer has been hugely popular--we published 2,000 copies
and have only 300 left!
The Primer is also online on our NAMI CC&I web site. The production and publication of this 88-page booklet was made possible by generous support from the Cape Cod Healthcare Community Benefits Fund, The Kelley Foundation, Inc. and The Cape Cod Five Foundation.
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Tidbits...
If you shop at the Orleans Stop & Shop, take a closer look at your shopping cart. NAMI CC&I will have its signature sunset ad posted on the cart. We hope this will bring more
awareness of NAMI to that area.
Mark Your Calendars:
Family-to-Family and
Family Connections for Borderline Personality Disorder
A Family-to-Family class began in Harwich on Wednesday evening April 25.
Family Connections for Borderline Personality Disorder class will begin Wednesday, May 2 in Barnstable. If you are interested, or know someone who could benefit from this course, call Kim Lemmon at 508-778-4277 or email [email protected]
NOTE: It is not too late to join these classes!
Falmouth Support Group
The Falmouth Support Group, which usually meets on the 4th Monday of the month,
will be meeting Monday, May 21, 2018 at 7:00 at the Gus Canty Recreation Center. This change is for
Sponsored by
MASSRECYCLE
AND
COVANTA
this
webinar
will discuss how to properly approach hoarding situations, how hoarding cleanups can impact a municipality, and current issues and challenges faced by those that have to address a hoarding situation.
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Erika Woods is a Senior Environmental Specialist for the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment. She is a Registered Sanitarian and has over 10 years of experience in public health service, including enforcement of State laws and regulations relating to sanitation and housing. Erika is the Chair of the Cape Cod Hoarding Task Force which was established in 2010 as an advisory group to help coordinate a multi-agency response to hoarding cases that come to the community's attention.
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Register today to participate virtually via
GoToMeeting
or in-person live at the
Fiske
Public Library in
Wrentham
. Space is limited :
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For more information, go to the nami.org website
FROM NAMI MASS:
NAMIWalks Saturday, May 19 at Artesani Park, Boston
BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: MENTAL HEALTH AND CANCER CARE
2nd Annual Bridging the Divide Symposium--a 2-day event
Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12 at The Starr Center,
GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN - SEVERAL EVENTS
Workshop
: Legal Issues:
Wednesday, May 23 5:15-8:30 pm
Barnstable Senior Center, 825 Falmouth Rd, Hyannis
Dinner & Childcare provided Pre-registration required
Workshop: Grief & Loss for Children & Families
Wednesday, May 30 5:30-8:00 pm at
YMCA Camp Lyndon, 117 Stowe Rd, Sandwich Dinner & Childcare provided Registration required
Massachusetts Commission on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
7th Annual Conference: June 6 8:30am-3:00pm Marlborough, MA
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Legal Advice
Grandparents with questions about guardianship/options can visit the Probate Court on the
3rd Thursday
of the month between 8:30 AM-1:00 PM.
They can also call the Bar Association (508-362-2121) or Susan at the courthouse (508-375-6730) for an appointment with Kathleen Snow on
Mondays
between 10:00 AM-1:00 PM.
There is no fee for either of these consultations.
Lawyer For A Day--Free Legal Advice
Held daily at the Barnstable Probate Court. It is advisable to arrive promptly when it opens at 9:00 am as it is first come, first served and fills up quickly.
I
nclusions in the Newsletter
We have recently been asked for last minute inclusions of events in our newsletter. We have instituted a new policy: It is at the discretion of the Executive Director to determine whether content being submitted for distribution to the membership is aligned with our mission. If the content is determined to be appropriate, it may be included in the monthly e-newsletter if it is submitted prior to the first of the month.
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When shopping on Amazon, think NAMI CC&I and Amazon Smile.
Every dollar you give to NAMI CC&I goes to help support, educate and advocate for the residents of Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.
AmazonSmile is a simple way to give when you are shopping on Amazon
Amazon donates 0.5% of your eligible purchases.
It's so easy, you can still use your Amazon Prime and you still collect points. All you need to do is: When you are going to make a purchase on Amazon, first enter
in your internet browser. On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you will be prompted to select a charitable organization .
Select NAMI Cape Cod Inc.
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