The House yesterday easily approved a $1 trillion omnibus budget bill, the result of intensive negotiations over the last month to fund government operations for the remainder of 2014 and avert another shutdown. The bill, which is also expected to pass the Senate this week, increases mental health funding over 2013 levels and includes $15 … Read more
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Today, the House passed the FY2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act, an omnibus bill that provides discretionary funding for the entire federal government.
“This bill also includes millions of dollars for Mental Health First Aid. The $15 million investment will be devoted to new mental health training programs like those administered by the Bert Nash Community Health Center in Lawrence, Kansas.”
An idea championed by Lawrence’s Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center soon may be going nationwide. The $1.1 trillion budget bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives today includes $15 million in funding to nationally launch a mental health first aid program that was tested in Lawrence.
Once a month, a group of individuals from local organizations, schools and others in the community come together to discuss the mental wellness of Marion County. Link to Source
When someone is physically injured you grab the first aid kit. But what about when they are having a mental health crisis? Link to Source
The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) today announced the awardees of the Mental Health First Aid Grant. The grant will support two Michigan organizations who demonstrated interest and ability to provide Mental Health First Aid training in Michigan. MDCH originally announced the Request for Proposals to bidders on Oct. 7, 2013. “Governor Snyder has … Read more
Pima Community College and the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona will offer free training in how to help someone with a mental health problem later this month. Link to Source
The beginning of a new year is always a time for reflection on our achievements over the last twelve months and setting goals for what we hope to accomplish in the coming twelve. 2014 is an especially exciting time to do this because of how far we’ve come with our legislative priorities, thanks to unprecedented … Read more
It’s been three years since the mass shooting in Tucson left six people dead and 13 others injured, including former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The shooting sparked a nationwide debate about gun control and mental illness.
Wednesday Barber joined the Arizona delegation and other friends and colleagues of Giffords to honor those who were injured and killed.
Barber also introduced the bipartisan Mental Health First Aid Act, which will proved education to increase public awareness of mental illness symptoms and the services available to those in need.
Five months ago, Jacquelyn Jackson pulled in to a parking space six places away from the entrance of the Safeway north of Tucson where she had gone shopping Jan. 8, 2011. She thought she could face down her memories and park a little closer to the store. But Jackson felt her heart beating as she … Read more
Ron Barber introduced the bipartisan Mental Health First Aid Act, which will provide education to increase public awareness of mental illness symptoms.
Still reeling from the shock of a school shooting in Connecticut that killed 20 first-graders and six educators, the nation started 2013 with a renewed debate on gun control. But because many politicians in Washington and around the country didn’t want to talk about guns, they quickly shifted the discussion to another problem that factored … Read more
“We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.” I couldn’t agree more with Bill Gates. 2013 saw progress. But big ideas are exacted quickly; it is change that is incremental and requires … Read more
“We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.” I couldn’t agree more with Bill Gates. 2013 saw progress. But big ideas are exacted quickly; it is change that is incremental and requires … Read more
“We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.” I couldn’t agree more with Bill Gates. 2013 saw progress. But big ideas are exacted quickly; it is change that is incremental and requires … Read more
Dr. Jeremy Barowsky, a psychiatrist at the Behavioral Health Center at Greenwich Hospital, was a guest on a WGCH Radio podcast hosted by Tony Savino in which mental health first aid was the topic of discussion. Barowsky discussed warning signs and risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and intervention for mental health. Read More.
Beginning today, all behavioral-health providers are required to have a treatment and crisis plan in place for individuals diagnosed at higher risk for an incident. The plan is part of a statewide intervention initiative to help individuals before their mental health or substance abuse crisis escalates to the point of requiring hospitalization or being involuntarily … Read more
This program is a top-notch service to communities like ours; we are so grateful for the opportunity to have this program in our area.
Treating the first signs of a mental health crisis could eventually become as common as administering CPR. Transitions of Western Illinois has trained about 90 people a year since 2010 through the Mental Health First Aid program. Tragic shootings at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary and most recently Arapahoe High School have … Read more
In Susan Marine’s guest commentary (“Suicide as a major public health problem,” Dec. 20), she articulates the harsh realities of suicide in Colorado. She lists factors contributing to our state’s dismal suicide statistics, including shortage of funding for suicide prevention efforts, the lack of education for mental health professionals and the mountain of stigma confronting … Read more
Building on momentum generated by the Newtown shootings, advocates for mental health services hope to make strides next year on multiple fronts, including strengthening services in schools and improving coverage and access for privately insured patients. Read More…
Chamisal resident Juliana Anastasoff has been named the Con Alma Foundation’s 2013 Hero of Health. Anastasoff was key, for example, in bringing Mental Health First Aid to local residents. The program created a network of hundreds of individuals trained in responding to mental health crises and recognizing early signs of behavioral health problems. Read More.
A year has come and gone. And during this holiday season, it’s hard to think of those 20 innocent children and six brave adults in Newtown, Connecticut who will never unwrap their presents, hug their families, or bake cookies again. With heavy hearts our nation still asks why, and what can be done to prevent … Read more
A year has come and gone. And during this holiday season, it’s hard to think of those 20 innocent children and six brave adults in Newtown, Connecticut who will never unwrap their presents, hug their families, or bake cookies again. With heavy hearts our nation still asks why, and what can be done to prevent … Read more
A year has come and gone. And during this holiday season, it’s hard to think of those 20 innocent children and six brave adults in Newtown, Connecticut who will never unwrap their presents, hug their families, or bake cookies again. With heavy hearts our nation still asks why, and what can be done to prevent … Read more
Mental Health First Aid skills can be applied anytime, anywhere, and to anyone in distress, be it a brother officer exhibiting symptoms of PTSD, an unemployed friend displaying signs of severe depression, or a teenage family member presenting evidence of self-injury.
WILLMAR — When Val Swanson took a class in mental health first aid, the lesson that hit home the most was hearing it called the CPR of mental health. “That made an impact on me — that we should be treating this like all first aid,” said Swanson, who coordinates the chemical dependency counseling certificate … Read more
A new Crisis Solutions Coalition meets for the first time Dec. 9 in a statewide effort to reduce the number of emergency room visits for those experiencing a mental health crisis. At issue is a lack of alternatives for crisis treatment, which drives a growing number of patients in the state to hospital emergency departments … Read more
He was astonished how well the ALGEE Action Plan worked. He went through each letter and explained how he used it to help his daughter through a difficult time.
We hear and see time and again stories of individuals living with schizophrenia involving struggles with keeping consistent employment, housing, or care. We read the studies that find that people with schizophrenia face increased risk for suicide, premature death, and as victims of violence or harm. Change will not come with trying the same approaches. … Read more
Jeannie Campbell, Master Chief Petty Officer, ret. serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Ms. Campbell leads national civilian initiatives to improve community-based mental health and substance use treatment for veterans and pioneered the Veterans Behavioral Health Certificate, designed to train civilian healthcare … Read more
As we mark the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s signing of the landmark Community Mental Health Act of 1963, Patrick Kennedy, behavioral health’s great champion, has launched The Kennedy Forum to honor the legacy of his uncle and to create a national conversation that will advance the work President Kennedy began. I am privileged to … Read more
As we mark the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s signing of the landmark Community Mental Health Act of 1963, Patrick Kennedy, behavioral health’s great champion, has launched The Kennedy Forum to honor the legacy of his uncle and to create a national conversation that will advance the work President Kennedy began. I am privileged to … Read more
As we mark the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s signing of the landmark Community Mental Health Act of 1963, Patrick Kennedy, behavioral health’s great champion, has launched The Kennedy Forum to honor the legacy of his uncle and to create a national conversation that will advance the work President Kennedy began. I am privileged to … Read more
When a loved one has cancer, families rally around — they cook, clean, drive their loved ones to doctor’s appointments, and much more. But when someone is struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, or other mental conditions, family members are not sure what to do.
Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and the National Council share a similar goal: improve the emotional health of youth. When mental health and celebrities are talked about together, more often than not, advocates can only cringe at the resulting conversation. It’s unusual for a celebrity to take up the cause unprovoked – and it’s … Read more
Mental Health First Aid Added to Federal Registry of Evidence-based Programs Contact MeenaD@TheNationalCouncil.org or call 202.684.3728 Washington DC (July 17, 2013)—The federal government this week added Mental Health First Aid to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), a searchable database of mental health and substance … Read more
Writing in Wednesday’s issue of The Hill, Arizona Congressman Ron Barber urged his colleagues in Congress to support the expansion of mental health services in the U.S. Barber highlighted the Mental Health First Aid Act as a key example of legislation that could help prevent future mass shootings. Barber wrote, “As a survivor of the … Read more
Chuck Ingoglia, Senior Vice President for Public Policy at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, discussed the Mental Health First Aid Act of 2013 in a Care For Your Mind article published this week. In January, legislation was introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to fund public education programs that train emergency services … Read more
There was great attention on the White House Conference on Mental Health yesterday. People from around the nation watched the proceedings through the White House live feed. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and traditional media were ablaze. The conference wasn’t the beginning of this ongoing conversation, however ― not by any means. “The main goal of this … Read more
Washington, DC, June 25, 2012—Behavioral health organizations in the U.S. are committed to improving patient care through the “meaningful use” of health information technology (HIT), but face considerable barriers in adopting electronic health records (EHRs) and other technological advances, according to a new report previewed today by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing (National Council). … Read more
Washington, DC, June 25, 2012—Behavioral health organizations in the U.S. are committed to improving patient care through the “meaningful use” of health information technology (HIT), but face considerable barriers in adopting electronic health records (EHRs) and other technological advances, according to a new report previewed today by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing (National Council). … Read more
EVIDENCE-BASED TOOLS HELP IMPROVE DAILY FUNCTIONING AND INCREASE TREATMENT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY March 8, 2012 – Washington, D.C. – People with schizophrenia report improved functioning after participating in a new, evidence-based clinical program, according to results announced today from a six-month pilot. The program, Advancing Standards of Care for People with Schizophrenia, was spearheaded by … Read more
