On Thursday, June 20, Friends of North Mississippi State Hospital will host Art and Alzheimer's: Dipping Into the Self at noon in the Multipurpose Room at North Mississippi State Hospital in Tupelo.
Daniel C. Potts, MD, will be the instructor. The cost is $10. This program is encouraged for caregivers, social workers, nurses, doctors, students, dementia care specialists, nursing home staff, psychologists, and activities directors. One hour of CEU will be awarded.
Up to 1 in 5 children living in the U.S. have mental disorders, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about $247 billion is spent on children's mental health each year.
Those were among the findings in the CDC's first report that examined the number of U.S. children between the ages of 3 and 17 years old who have specific mental health disorders or indicators of mental health issues.
The report—Mental Health Surveillance Among Children in the United States-2005-2011—appeared as a supplement in the Atlanta-based agency's weekly morbidity and mortality report. The study comes four months after President Barack Obama included expanding access to mental health services as one of the core elements of his gun-control initiative, “Now is the Time.”
Read more from Jessica Zigmond in Modern Healthcarehere.
Primary care professionals should ask all adults aged 18 or older about their drinking habits and offer brief behavioral counseling to those who drink more than the recommended daily, weekly or per-occasion amounts, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended May 14. Recommended screening tools include the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, abbreviated AUDIT-Consumption test, and single-question screening such as asking, “How many times in the past year have you had five (for men) or four (for women and all adults older than 65 years) or more drinks in a day?”
The panel assigned a "B" grade to the recommendation, which means all copays and deductibles for the screenings will be waived under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. According to the task force, an estimated 30% of U.S. residents drink more than they should, making alcohol misuse the third leading cause of preventable death.
The panel found insufficient evidence to recommend screening for all adolescents.
In an effort to help educate Mississippi’s Addiction, Treatment, and Prevention Professionals, about alcohol and drug abuse and prevention the 6th Annual Mississippi School for Addiction Professionals, hosted by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health’s (DMH) Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services, will be held April 9-12 at the Hattiesburg Convention Center.
“We provide a learning experience where professionals or nonprofessionals can come together to learn from innovative individuals who are leaders in the field of substance abuse treatment and prevention,” said Jerri Avery, DMH Director of the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services. “The MS School is an excellent way to educate people on the best practices available to produce the best outcomes for those we serve.”
The MS School for Addiction Professionals will offer exciting plenary sessions, special events and a variety of courses in prevention, intervention and treatment, all of which are designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of each participant. The MS School offers many courses that address contemporary topics to help professionals remain abreast as to the latest trends in their areas. The MS School is open to treatment professionals, service providers, educators, parents, nurses, social workers, school counselors, law enforcement, faith based organizations, concerned citizens and others.
Keynote presenters include: Tonier “Neen” Cain, “Dealing with Trauma and the Road to Recovery;” Dr. Brian Sims, “Trauma Informed Care: The Road to Recovery,” Jonathan Cloud,
“The Neuro-Science of Aggression,” Marshall Fisher, “Current Trends in Prescription Drug
Abuse,” Dr. David Mee-Lee, “Helping People Change: What You Can Do To Make or Break the Therapeutic Alliance,” Becky Vaughn, “Healthcare Reform,” and Penny Norton, “Prescription Drug Abuse: A National Public Health Crisis.”
Substance abuse disorders don’t just affect the individual, but their family, friends and the community. Thousands of Mississippians are in recovery from alcohol and drug abuse. They are neighbors, friends and family members leading healthy and productive lives in our communities.
More than 23 million people, aged 12 or older, needed treatment for a substance use disorder in the United States in 2007, and in Mississippi alone, 183,000 people and their families are affected by this disease. Each year, the alcohol and drug residential treatment centers in Mississippi certified by DMH’s Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services, provide residential treatment to more than 6,000 Mississippians suffering from substance abuse and dependence problems.
For more information about The Mississippi School for Addiction Professionals, contact 601-359-1288 or visit http://www.themsschool.ms/. If you or someone you know is in need of treatment, call the DMH’s Helpline at 1-877-210-8513.
Coverage gaps have led many patients with acute psychiatric problems to hospital emergency departments. Read how one initiative hopes to strengthen mental health services for this population here.
Suicide is one of the five serious events occurring in hospitals most often reported to The Joint Commission, and nearly 25% occur in non-psychiatric settings. Staff in medical/surgical units and the emergency department is recommended to watch for patient suicidal behavior.
The American Hospital Association on Sept. 17 unveiled recommendations and successful practices to help community hospital leaders meet the growing demand for behavioral health services in the face of inadequate funding. Developed by an AHA task force, the report provides strategies in the areas of community needs assessment, behavioral health planning, community collaboration, adequate financing, employer practices and advocacy.
“Patients coming into the hospital with physical illness such as heart failure and cancer may also face behavioral health disorders,” said AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock. “While we do a good job of treating the physical illness, oftentimes we don’t adequately address the behavioral health issues that may go hand-in-hand with these conditions.”
Almost one in four adult community hospital stays in 2004 involved a mental health or substance abuse-related disorder.
A new guide from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helps trauma centers identify and treat problem drinking. The guide is aimed at Level I and II trauma centers, but smaller trauma centers, emergency departments, clinics and primary care physicians also will find screening methods and interventions they can incorporate, SAMHSA said.
DMH is partnering with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to launch the campaign, “What a Difference a Friend Makes.” The campaign is designed to decrease the negative attitudes that surround mental illness and encourage young adults to support their friends who are living with mental health problems. DMH facilities, community mental health centers, mental health associations and other organizations across the state are joining in the effort to dispel the stigma associated with mental illness.
DMH Executive Director Edwin C. LeGrand III and DMH Bureau of Mental Health Chief Roger McMurtry will speak at the press conference and discuss statewide efforts to decrease stigma. Teresa Mosley of Clinton will also speak about her family’s experience with mental illness. Mosley’s 15-year-old daughter, who struggled with depression and anxiety, took her own life in 2006.
“The stigma attached to mental illness is why many people choose not to seek treatment,” said Ed LeGrand, DMH Executive Director. “Stigma gets in the way of proper treatment and recovery. There are ways, however, to counter stigma and our goal is to have the entire state of Mississippi join our efforts to combat stigma.”
According to SAMHSA the prevalence of serious mental health conditions in the 18-25 years of age group is almost double that of the general population, yet young people have the lowest rate of help-seeking behaviors. This group has a high potential to minimize future disability if social acceptance is broadened and they receive the right support and services early on. The opportunity for recovery is more likely in a society of acceptance, and this initiative is meant to inspire young people to serve as the mental health vanguard, motivating a societal change toward acceptance and decreasing the negative attitudes that surround mental illness.
SAMHSA and DMH are leading a public education effort to counter stigma and bring down barriers that keep people from seeking treatment.
Hospitals and other health care organizations are invited to host a National Alcohol Screening Day event April 5 to help people recognize and seek help for signs of an alcohol problem. Participants can register for community screening kits and to offer anonymous online screening from their Web site. For more information or to register, visit www.NationalAlcoholScreeningDay.org. According to the event’s sponsors, one in every 13 adults suffers from alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence, and millions more drink in ways that can place them or others at risk.
