august 2015 fresh newsletter date · nami cobb successes 2014-2015 continued we began using...
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NAMI COBB
Welcome to our family of National Alliance for Mental Illness - NAMI Cobb!
Our group works to be a wealth of information to you the consumer, the family member, the friends and relatives of those dealing with day to day issues of living with a Mental Illness.
NAMI Cobb Leadership Team
President -- Neill Blake 770-427-5353 [email protected]
1st Vice-President/Website Chair – Tim Link [email protected]
2nd Vice-President/Communication Chair Greg Ausham [email protected]
Secretary - Ashley Burton
Treasurer and Parliamentarian– Paul Wiser [email protected] Member At Large/Newsletter Editor/CIT –
John Avery [email protected]
Member At Large/Education Chair: Pam Burton [email protected]
Member at Large/Hospitality Chair: Nancy Spetnagel
Member At Large/Advocacy Chair:
Sylvia Oliphant [email protected] Membership Chair: Robert Gray [email protected]
Fundraising Chair: Reina Pantaleon [email protected]
Website: www.namicobb.org
Email: [email protected]
Mailing address:
NAMI-Cobb
P.O. Box 999
Kennesaw, GA 30156
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
1 NAMI Cobb Education Meeting/Guest Speaker
2 President’s Message
3 Education Series Speaker – Jamie Dickson, PsyD
4 NAMI Cobb Success Stories 2014-2015
6 NAMIWalk
7 NAMI Cobb Activities/Kroger Donation Program Info
9 NAMI Family-To-Family Class – Dallas, GA
11 Cobb County CIT Training
12 NAMI National Convention Report
13 Georgia misses federal mark on housing for the disabled
16 Meeting and Membership Information
Newsletter Date Volume 1 Issue 1 AUGUST 2015 FRESH START
We meet in the Parish Hall at St. James Episcopal Church, 161 Church
Street in Marietta. The doors open at 7:00 p.m. for registration,
refreshments and fellowship. The meeting and program begin at 7:30 p.m.
and conclude by 9:00 PM.
There are a limited number of parking spots in the church courtyard adjoining the Parish Hall; additional parking is available on the streets in front of and along the side of the church as well as in a parking lot across the railroad tracks adjacent to the church. We extend a warm welcome for all in the community to join us. We hope to see you there.
Education Speaker Series Presents:
Jamie Dickson, Psy. D
Jamie Dickson, Psy.D joins us this month to discuss the
various types of personality disorders – eccentric, dramatic,
anxious, antisocial and borderline – and how each type
manifests itself, is diagnosed and treated.
Dr. Dickson is a licensed Psychologist who practices
primarily in the area of Forensic Assessment. While Dr.
Dickson also performs evaluations with adults, she
specializes in assessment of psycho-legal issues in cases
that involve children and adolescents in both Juvenile and
Superior Court.
Page 2 Fresh Start
President’s Letter
I hope that everyone has had a safe and relaxing summer and that we are all ready for another exciting year with NAMI Cobb! Be sure to register and participate in the upcoming NAMI Walk on September 26 from 9-12 a.m. at Grant Park Atlanta. Why not take a moment to join the Cobb Stigma Busters for this 5K walk by clicking here? And be sure to like our Facebook page too! Your Leadership Team met for a planning retreat in July. We started by celebrating our successes during the past year. After a brainstorming session, the Leadership Team identified two key areas of focus for the new fiscal year: (1) NAMI Signature Programs and (2) increasing community awareness of NAMI Cobb and mental health in general. You will be hearing more at our monthly Education meetings because it will take the combined efforts of every member of NAMI Cobb to do this. Won’t you please volunteer to serve on a committee this year? We truly need your involvement! Speaking of NAMI Signature Programs, the always popular 12 week NAMI Family-to-Family Education class will be taught at West Ridge Church just off Dallas Highway in the West Cobb/Hiram area on Tuesday evenings beginning September 6, 2015. The class is filling up and space is limited so please contact Lisa Lahey at 770-364-9944 as soon as possible to register. Training for those who have taken the Family-to-Family class and who would like to become certified to teach is coming up on September 11, 2015. Those who are interested in attending this training should let me know as soon as possible. NAMI Cobb partnered again with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office to offer the 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) mental health training to local law enforcement officers during the week of July 26-31, 2015. Word has spread about the value of this training and the class was filled to capacity. Just a week after the training, one of the attendees had an opportunity to practice the de-escalation skills that he had learned during CIT on the job. He was called in as backup and intervened using skills learned during CIT training to successfully diffuse a mental health crisis without physical restraint. These are the type of results that we hope will become the norm as law enforcement officers become CIT trained. Many thanks go out to those in NAMI Cobb who contributed food and time during the week of CIT training. John Avery and I participated in the training each day. Nancy Spetnagel helped me prepare and delivered a homemade lunch for the officers: Chicken Spaghetti, Salad, Rolls and Chocolate Cake. Also during the week, Karen Stout brought in Dunkin Donuts coffee and donuts, Pam Burton brought in Chick-Fil-A breakfast biscuits and coffee, I made Gooey Bars and John brought in FireHouse Subs as well as donuts. The hospitality shown by NAMI Cobb is greatly appreciated by the law enforcement community and is an important aspect of our liaison. “If you feed them, they will come!” Hearing from NAMI members is also important and I appreciated Karen Stout telling her story on the spur of the moment. We will have one more CIT training this year in November. If you would like to help feed the officers then, please let me know! NAMI Cobb members are the best!! Neill Blake
Fresh Start Page 3
Education Speaker Series Presents: Jamie Dickson, Psy. D
Ever wonder what personality disorder is and how these disorders differ from mood disorders?
Jamie Dickson, Psy. D joins us this month to discuss the various types of personality disorders – eccentric, dramatic, anxious,
antisocial and borderline – and how each type manifests itself, is diagnosed and treated.
Dr. Dickson received her graduate and doctoral education at the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology and the
Georgia School of Professional Psychology earning a Master’s Degree in 2005 and a Psy. D in 2008. She completed her
pre-doctoral field training working for psychologists in private practice as well as clinical settings including the adult
forensic unit at Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital, the Devereux Georgia Treatment Network, Florida State Hospital
where she was responsible for forensic evaluations to determine competency to stand trial and the Dozier School for Boys,
a DJJ facility, where she conducted assessments, individual therapy and co-led group therapy for boys convicted of sexual
offenses.
Following completion of her education, Dr. Dickson served as a staff psychologist at the Devereux Georgia Treatment
Network for four years specializing in DBT and Aggression Replacement Training in addition to supervising master’s
level clinicians, assisting in program development and overseeing psychological assessments. She is currently practicing
with the Forensic Specialty Group in Marietta, Georgia where she conducts forensic evaluations addressing issues such as
violence and sexual violence risk, competency to stand trial, and various other psycho-legal questions.
Dr. Dickson is a member of Georgia Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, Society of Clinical
Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychology-Law Society, and the American Society on the Abuse of
Children. Dr. Dickson also completed the learning collaborative training and is rostered in Trauma-Focused Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy. She volunteers her time at the City of Refuge, a homeless shelter for women and children and also
volunteers as a Crisis Intervention Trainer for local law enforcement.
This event is a FREE community service; all are welcome!
Thursday, August 20, 2015 Doors open at 7:00 pm; the meeting will be from 7:30-9:00 p.m.
St James Episcopal Church Parish Hall 161 Church St Marietta 30060
Page 4 Fresh Start
NAMI COBB SUCCESSES 2014-2015
Here are just a few of the many accomplishments of NAMI Cobb during this past fiscal year. As you read over this list, please consider how you can contribute to the success of NAMI Cobb this coming year!
We went from not having a Connections Support Group at all to offering a free drop-in support group for those with a mental health diagnosis that meets every week. Facilitators were trained to lead the group. Ashley Burton, Robert Gray, Paul Miner and Jen Beaujon led the group going each week. There is a core group of regular attendees and participation is good.
We expanded our Family Care & Share Support Group from meeting twice a month to offering a free weekly drop-in support group for family, friends, partners and care-givers of those whose loved one has a mental health diagnosis. This group meets at the same location and time as the Connections group. Additional facilitators were trained. Our dedicated team of Susie Allen, Karen Jeffrey, Sylvia Oliphant, Angie & Peter Lyons, Greg Ausham and Nadine Laub ran the support group.
Our website was improved and the capability to process memberships and donations on-line was added. Tim Link and Allen Spetnagel work hard on the graphics and keep the information current.
Three new Family-to-Family classes were offered within Cobb County. Lisa Lahey & Steve Burton, Pam & Steve Burton and David McDaniel & Neill Blake led the classes.
Paul Wiser developed a partnership with the Atlanta VA hospital to offer the Family-to-Family class to the families of veterans on-site. Paul led several classes there last year.
We partnered with Lt. Rebekah Westenberger at the North Georgia Law Enforcement Academy to offer three CIT classes to train police officers and first responders to effectively respond in mental health crisis situations. It has been several years since these classes were last offered in Cobb County and we are proud of this partnership.
Donations to NAMI Cobb increased through payroll deductions, business donations and community programs such as Amazon Smile and the Kroger Plus program. Thanks for your generous giving!!
We had a successful NAMI Walk Fundraiser in November with a good number of dedicated walkers and runners who turned out in spite of unseasonably cold weather to raise funds and awareness about mental illness. We had awesome T-shirts designed by Ashley Burton. Lets make it an even
bigger event this year! Register online today at www.namicobb.org for the walk on September 26 at Grant Park Atlanta.
We had excellent speakers at our monthly Education Meetings. Pam Burton obtained biographical
sketches, created flyers and coordinated the speakers to ensure that a variety of mental health topics were covered. Nancy Spetnagel greeted attendees at the door, distributed literature and brought refreshments for the meetings.
Fresh Start Page 5
NAMI COBB SUCCESSES 2014-2015 continued
We began using Constant Contact for weekly email reminders about support groups, monthly meetings and other activities. Robert Gray prepared and sent these out.
Our newsletter, prepared by John Avery, is known as one of the best NAMI affiliate newsletters around.
We just added a new Facebook page created by Reina Pantaleon to keep us apprised on progress towards our NAMI Walk goals and other activities. Be sure to “like” NAMI Cobb Georgia on Facebook!
Pam Burton created a professional display board for use at Chattahoochee Tech’s mental health awareness day and other community events.
We now have brochures and literature to distribute! Neill Blake created a NAMI Cobb brochure as well as Support Group flyers and posters.
We have a diverse Leadership Team with key skills to guide NAMI Cobb and ensure compliance with regulations.
A dedicated team of NAMI family members attend the family workshop at Ridgeview Institute each month to talk to families with a loved one in the hospital there about the programs offered by NAMI. Ann Smith, Sylvia Oliphant, Pam Burton, Neill Blake and Angie Lyons participated in this.
NAMI Cobb is becoming more visible in the community. We were invited to participate in several mental health events. Cathy Coone-McCrary spoke and Neill Blake conducted a workshop at Chattahoochee Technical College. Neill Blake and Becky Westenberger participated in a televised
mental health panel for the Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission in May 2015 (view it at NSC
Cobb County.) Neill Blake served on the Healthy KSU Mental Health Council at Kennesaw State University.
We sponsored Sylvia Oliphant to attend the NAMI Conference in Washington, DC for advocacy training. Sylvia represented NAMI Cobb at Mental Health Day at the Capital both in Washington and Atlanta. Additionally, she and Allen Spetnagel received NAMI Smarts training to learn to tell their stories effectively as mental health advocates.
NAMI Cobb sponsored several of our members who are living with a mental health diagnosis to become Certified Peer Specialists. The Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network now employs some of these individuals.
We helped sponsor the Bipolar Babes to travel to the NAMI Conference to present their film and story of recovery.
We hope to accomplish even more this coming year. What ideas do you have for NAMI Cobb? Just think of how much more we can accomplish with YOUR
involvement!
Page 6 Fresh Start
Every journey begins with that first step! As NAMIWalks celebrates our 13th Anniversary in 2015, we are
proud to be the largest and most successful mental health awareness and fundraising event in America! Through
NAMIWalks public, active display of support for people affected by mental illness, we are changing how
Americans view persons with a mental illness. This is leading to ensuring that help and hope are available for
those in need. Please join us as we improve lives and our community’s one step at a time be sure to join us on
Facebook to connect with others across the country.
Join NAMI COBB STIGMA BUSTERS reach our $10,000.00 annual goal for the upcoming NAMI WALK 2015
Please mail Matching Gifts and Offline Donations to:
NAMI Georgia for NAMI COBB STIGMA BUSTERS
3180 Presidential Drive, Ste. A
Atlanta, Georgia 30340
Register ONLINE: https://securewalks.nami.org/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?TeamID=620471#&panel1-1
'LIKE' NAMI COBB GEORGIA on Facebook for updates.
Fresh Start Page 7 NAMI Cobb Activities
NAMI Connections Weekly Support Group
Our NAMI Connections Support Group for persons with a mental health diagnosis continues to meet every Monday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Room 231 at First Presbyterian Church located at 189 Church Street in Marietta. We have a good core group of people who are committed to living in wellness - please come join this drop-in group any Monday or every Monday! Contact Ashley Burton at 404-936-3887 for more information.
Family Care & Share Weekly Support Group
Our Family Care and Share Support Group is a drop-in group for family members and caregivers for someone with a mental health diagnosis. The group meets every Monday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Room 232 at First Presbyterian Church, 189 Church St in Marietta. If your family member is in crisis, come any or every Monday to receive support from others. And if your family member is doing well, please come to give your support and share your experiences with others! Contact Greg Ausham at 330-801-0328, Susie Allen at 770-565-4335 or Sylvia Oliphant 678-471-5907 for more information.
We just learned NAMI Cobb was accepted as a qualified Charity. NOW is the time to "encourage Kroger (and Ingels) Shoppers to "re-up" their Kroger Plus Cards for NAMI Cobb Affiliate. Here is how you do it.
Kroger Atlanta Division customers and associates covering Georgia, Eastern Alabama and South Carolina are eligible to re-enroll in
the Kroger Community Rewards program beginning August 1 through August 31, 2015. Customers and associates can designate
reward points to participating schools, charity or organization of their choice by using their Kroger Plus Card.
Organizations and schools do not need to enroll each year, but each Kroger shopper is required to re-enroll his or her Kroger Plus
Card on an annual basis. Re-enrollment will begin this week and dollars will start accumulating for your choice of charity beginning
Sept. 1, 2015. Please visit www.krogercommunityrewards.com
Kroger Community Rewards Re-enrollment starts Tuesday, August 1, 2015
WHAT The Kroger Community Rewards (KCR) program is evaluated annually, and the time for Kroger Plus Card holders to re-enroll is now.
The Atlanta Division launched the program in September 1, 2013 and Card holders must re-enroll to begin accumulating dollars for
their schools, charities, and organizations starting September 1, 2015. This year, Kroger is proud to donate $600,000 to local schools
and nonprofits through this Kroger Plus Card based fundraiser.
WHO All organizations that have already signed up for Community Rewards DO NOT have to enroll again. Once an organization is signed
up for the program they continue to be active.
An organization’s enrolled members and supporters DO have to re-enroll every August. They will not have to set up a new
Kroger.com account only link their card again to the organization of their choosing.
WHEN Now through August 31, 2015 customers may re-enroll. Their current selection will not be affected and continue to earn rewards
through the end of this program year (August 31, 2015). Their re-enrollment organization will start earning for the new program year
starting September 1, 2015
WHERE Kroger.com/communityrewards
WHY Past programs of this nature tend to lose their impact over long periods of time. Participants need to have an active role in order for the
program to continue to be effective and engage our customers.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact one of the team members for Kroger Community Rewards at 770.496.7538 or fax detail
to770.496.5354.
Have a great day!
Nancy Gore-Scott Kroger Public Affairs [email protected]
Page 8 Fresh Start
F R E E
FAMILY-TO-FAMILY
EDUCATION PROGRAM For family members, caregivers and partners of individuals with:
Major Depression
Bipolar Disorder
Schizophrenia & Schizoaffective Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder Panic Disorder & Anxiety Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Co-occurring Brain Disorders & Addictive Disorders The Family-to-Family Education Program is a series of 11 weekly classes structured to help family members and caregivers understand and support individuals with a serious mental illness diagnosis, while maintaining their own well-being. The course is taught by a team of trained National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) family member volunteers who know what it’s like to have a loved one struggling with a brain disorder. There is no cost to participate, registration is required. Over 115,000 people in North America and Mexico have learned to provide better support and care for family, friends and loved ones suffering with a brain disorder by completing this program. Please call for more information.
Class Starts: Tues, September 8, 2015 @
West Ridge Church 3522 Hiram Acworth Hwy.
Dallas, GA 30157 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM (wkly in room: “Kid Quest Jr. 101”)
Instructors:
Lisa Lahey - (770) 364-9944, email: [email protected] and
Kristi Malcom - (678) 878-5369, email: [email protected]
For Family Members and Caregivers only – REGISTRATION REQUIRED by contacting an
Instructor (or call NAMI Georgia at: 770-234-0855. Classes limited to 24 persons)
Fresh Start Page 9
Family to Family What does the course include?
Current information about schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, panic disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, & co-occurring brain disorders & addictive disorders
Up-to-date information about medications, side effects, & strategies for medication adherence
Current research related to the biology of brain disorders & the evidence-based, most effective treatments to promote recovery
Gaining empathy by understanding the subjective, lived experience of a person with mental illness
Learning in special workshops for problem solving, listening, & communication techniques
Acquiring strategies for handling crises & relapse
Focusing on care for the caregiver: coping with worry, stress, & emotional overload
Guidance on locating appropriate supports & services within the community
Information on advocacy initiatives designed to improve & expand services
Resource Links
NAMI Cobb Facebook Page LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/pages/NAMI-COBB-Georgia/573380466137238?fref=ts/
NAMI Cobb Webpage
http://namicobb.org/
Cobb Community Collaborative Resource Key link
http://www.cobbcollaborative.org/resources/community/
What people
have to say about Family-to-Family
“Family members who take the NAMI Family-to-Family course are better equipped to work with mental health clinicians in a collaborative manner. My bottom-line recommendation? Take this course. It will help you learn to cope successfully with a major challenge in your life, and that, in turn, will help your loved one as he or she works toward recovery.”
- Peter Weiden, M.D., author of “Breakthroughs in Antipsychotic Medications”
Page 10 Fresh Start
For Military Service Members, Military Families and their Caretakers
The Atlanta VA Medical Center is pleased to continue the
community partnership with NAMI and to work together to serve
family members and close supports of veterans who live with
mental illnesses such as PTSD, Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia.
The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is a free 12-week
course for family members and other close supports over 18
years of age. It is led by a trained family member with shared experiences.
The course was designated as an evidenced-based practice in 2013 by SAMHSA.
Examples of course topics include education about mental illness, communication,
problem-solving, resources, collaboration with treatment providers, and self-care.
Testimonials from past participants speak to how the course provides support,
understanding, and hope while working towards improved knowledge and family
relationships.
Next Course Starts on Tuesday, August 11 6-8:30 PM
For more information or to sign-up,
the interested family member or support person should contact:
Dr. Erin Elliott, Psychologist, 404-321-6111, ext. 6011
Group Location:
GB 151, Mental Health Clinic, Ground Floor Atlanta VAMC
Fresh Start Page 11
NAMI CIT July 27-31, 2015
Cobb County Sheriff’s Office hosted their third CIT training in 2015. This class had representatives from Cobb County S.O., Paudlng County S.O., Douglas County S.O., DeKalb County P.D., Kennesaw P.D., Smyrna P.D., Wellstar Healthcare Security and Fulton County Pre-Trial. Participants received training from experts in various areas of mental health, developmental and intellectual disabilities, suicide prevention, and heard compelling stories of recovery from consumers and family members . Officers learned de-escalation techniques and were able to use those techniques in a multitude of training scenarios. Neill Blake presented the Family Perspectives portion of the class,
Cobb County has two more trainings scheduled for this calendar year. The next training will be Advanced De-Escalation Techniques, Sept 8-10, 2015 at the North Central Georgia Law Enforcement Academy. The next CIT Class will be held November 16-20, 2015 and that will also be held at the North Central Georgia Law Enforcement Academy. NAMI Cobb provides logistical support in the form of water, snacks, lunches and various homemade items. If you’d like to donate towards the cost of these items or donate a home cooked meal or dessert please contact Neill Blake or Reina Pantaleon.
Congratulations to these fine law
enforcement officers for completing Crisis
Intervention Training at North Central
Georgia Law Enforcement Academy. Our
employees in the class include Deputies
Sepulvevda, Barrs, Church, Gondek,
Duncan, Ivey, Sanspree and Ms. Megan
Pietro. A special thanks to Lt. Becky
Westenberger for leading this effort! Job
well done.
-Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren
Page 12 Fresh Start
NAMI 2015 National Convention Report
Several Georgians have just returned from this year's annual convention in San Francisco: Cat Armato (NAMI Fannin), John Avery (NAMI Cobb), Dawn Biggs (NAMI Central Georgia), Lois Damron (NAMI Gwinnett), Jane Joiner (NAMI Hall), Diana Schmidt (Otsuka), Faye Taylor (NAMI Georgia), 3 representatives from Community Friendship, and 3 from Grady Hospital. It was a long journey, but the conference was WONDERFUL! If you would like to view this year's program and see a picture (p.26) of Kevin Johnson (NAMI Gwinnett president), click here.
NAMI National Convention 2015 John Avery, NAMI Cobb
The NAMI National Convention was held in San Francisco, CA, July 6-9, 2015. There was a full schedule of workshops, poster presentations, research reports and plenary sessions throughout the week. There was plenty to pick and
choose from, for all attendees. In addition to the schedule provided by the NAMI National Convention staff, attendees
were able to see the City of San Francisco.
For those who did not attend, special attention was given to provide tracks to follow, depending on what program you
may be involved in or may want to be involved in.
Check out the listing of 2015 NAMI National Convention sessions targeted towards specific groups, included were:
Multicultural Track
Veterans & Military Track
Young Adult Track
If you were unable to attend but were able to see the program schedule ( you can find this at nami.org and under the
heading National Convention) You can still “attend” the session by going to the following link and selecting the workshop
you wanted to attend. Most were recorded for future use.
http://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/The-2015-NAMI-National-Convention/Program-Schedule/2015-Convention-Presentation-Slides-and-
Resources
Each conference continues to evolve and provide more opportunities for everyone that is able to attend. Whatever the
need of your affiliate, your family member, friend, loved one or even yourself; there was something there for everyone.
Next year the NAMI National Conference will be held in Denver, CO, July 6-9, 2015
Fresh Start Page 13
Georgia misses federal mark on housing for the disabled Thursday, July 2, 2015 By Misty Williams - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The state’s behavioral health agency will remain under the oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice — at least for now
— after failing to move enough Georgians with developmental disabilities out of state-run hospitals and into the
community.
About 500 people with developmental disabilities have moved from state institutions into homes in the community over
the past five years, according to the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. But that
number still falls short of the 750 individuals the state was supposed to have moved out by the end of June.
In 2010, the DOJ and state signed a five-year settlement agreement to shift severely mentally ill and developmentally
disabled individuals out of state mental hospitals and into community settings after an investigation into the abuse and
deaths of dozens of patients. Federal officials launched the investigation following a 2007 series of stories in The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, titled “A Hidden Shame,” that brought the abuses to light.
As of Thursday, roughly 270 individuals with developmental disabilities, such as cerebral palsy or Down syndrome,
remained in state hospitals. That’s in part because Frank Berry, commissioner of the behavioral health department,
suspended transfers for nearly a year in the wake of reports of individuals being abused in their new homes and having
inadequate access to medical care.
“It was an important pause for us and a difficult one for us,” department Chief of Staff Judy Fitzgerald said in a recent
interview with the AJC. “We had to acknowledge we had to do more preparation.”
Mentally disabled suffer in moves from Georgia institutions
Landmark ruling and key developments
New rule requires ‘parity’ for mental health and physical health coverage
State to shutter South Georgia mental hospital
‘We’ll keep getting better’ In response, the agency set about developing a 41-step process to transition people with developmental disabilities from
hospitals into communities.
Staff members begin working with individuals two or three months in advance and talking about what they like to eat,
what they like to do, said Dan Howell, developmental disabilities division director, during the Carter Center’s annual
Mental Health Forum in May. The staff also looks closely at individuals’ medical and behavioral needs, Howell said.
*Elijah Reid, shown on Jan. 26, 2011, is a mental health patient who was able to move out of a hospital and into a group
home in Stone Mountain after getting a Medicaid waiver, which he was eligible for because he has a physical disability.
Many other mental health patients don’t qualify for Medicaid waivers. Changes put into place as a result of a 2010
agreement between the Department of Justice and the state, following a DOJ investigation, were expected to change that.
Under the five-year agreement, mental health patients were to be moved out of hospitals and into community settings. But
the plan, while an advancement in some aspects, still has some problems
*Elijah Reid chats with mental health advocate Susan Jamieson at his bedroom door in a group home in Stone
*Torment of mental illness. (Phil Skinner / [email protected])
Page 14 Fresh Start
The behavioral health department is also working with local nurses, doctors, hospitals and other health care providers to
ensure they’re ready to meet individuals’ needs, Fitzgerald said.
Eight individuals have successfully moved into community settings since that suspension lifted at the end of December.
And, advocates say, that’s simply not fast enough.
“We haven’t addressed the isolation. We haven’t addressed their hopes and dreams,” Josh Norris of the Georgia
Advocacy Office said at the mental health forum. “We’ve got to do better.”
Asylum's dark past relived as cycle ends
Perils in personal care homes
Five years, 115 patients dead who might have lived
People with developmental disabilities deserve the opportunity to have homes, friends, jobs and the power to decide what
they want to do every day just like everybody else, he said.
But the job of moving these individuals into new homes is an often complicated and emotionally fraught process. Some
people have serious physical ailments that require intense medical care. Others have called places like the state’s
Gracewood facility in Augusta home for decades. Elderly parents in their 80s worry about future care for their adult
children after they’re gone.
Fitzgerald acknowledged the frustrations. “The department is working to move people in the most integrated and
responsible way possible, she said. “This is system reform that takes time.”
“We want to move forward too,” she said. “We’ll keep getting better.”
‘A fragile but growing community’
Still, in many ways, the state has succeeded in transforming a broken system — dependent on aging, decrepit mental
hospitals — into one focused on helping patients build independent, productive lives for themselves.
Hundreds of people with mental illness are now living in their own houses and apartments; they’re receiving job training
and settling into lives with friends and community. The settlement agreement focused on 9,000 people with severe mental
illness, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, who were frequently in and out of state hospitals, chronically homeless
or in and out of jail.
“The state has continued to sustain progress strengthening its system of community-based supports for individuals with
serious and persistent mental illness,” independent reviewer Elizabeth Jones wrote in a March report.
Nearly two dozen teams of professionals, called Assertive Community Treatment or ACT teams, provide individualized
care to nearly 1,800 Georgians with mental illness, visiting many at home every day. It’s currently providing employment
services to about 1,240 people and has surpassed the DOJ’s requirements in that area every year.
The state is also providing housing support and “bridge funding” — which helps pay for apartment rental deposits,
furniture and other necessities to help people get settled in a new home — to roughly 2,400 people with mental illness.
Overall, the state is pumping more than $170 million into the DOJ agreement efforts in fiscal 2016 alone.
Advocates have especially applauded the strides the state has made in providing housing to thousands of individuals with
mental illness. Having a stable place to live is fundamental to a person’s recovery, they say.
“The state has now created, particularly for people with mental illness, a fragile but growing community system based on
dignity, independence and value,” said Talley Wells with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society.
Fresh Start Page 15
‘We want to see it done right’
For now, it’s unclear how long the Georgia behavioral health agency will remain under the federal Department of
Justice’s purview.
The state is waiting to hear from the DOJ on a plan it submitted in mid-April to address how it intends to reach the
settlement’s remaining goals.
There are two big hurdles: Moving individuals with developmental disabilities still living in state hospitals out into the
community, and providing housing help to all of the 9,000 mentally ill Georgians the settlement targets “who need such
support.”
“We’re going to be successful regardless of what the Department of Justice does,” Berry, the behavioral health agency’s
commissioner, said at the Carter Center forum. “I believe we can do this work.”
The settlement agreement already calls for the DOJ to continue its oversight for another year, Fitzgerald said. “We have
not anticipated that June 30 (of 2015) is magical in any way.”
The state has created a foundation on which to build more community services to serve Georgians with mental illness
beyond just the 9,000 targeted in the settlement, said Thomas Bornemann, director of the Carter Center’s Mental Health
Program.
“The progress has been enormous,” but there is still a long way to go, Bornemann said. “Yes, we would like to see things
sped up a bit,” he said. “But we want to see it done right.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Department of Justice Settlement Agreement
For individuals with mental illness:*
2,864 Number receiving regular and intensive case management services
2,421 Number receiving funding for housing
1,673 Number participating in services led by their peers
1,779 Number getting individualized care from Assertive Community Treatment, or ACT, teams
1,238 Number receiving employment help
For individuals with developmental disabilities:** 4,800 Families provided with family supports
500 Individuals moved from state hospitals into community settings
600 People who received waivers to help prevent hospitalization
270 Approximate number still living in state-run hospitals
12 Crisis respite homes created
12 Mobile crisis teams created
* Numbers current as of July 1.
** Numbers current as of July 2.
Source: Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
Page 16 Fresh Start
Thank you so much for your interest in joining NAMI Cobb Affiliate! Please complete the form below, and mail this with your check made out to
NAMI Cobb. (If you wish to pay by credit card, go to www. nami.org and click on “Become a Member”. You will start receiving our monthly
electronic newsletter within the month. You are also invited to attend our monthly education and support meetings at St. James Episcopal Church in
Marietta, 161 Church St. NE, on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30pm (there is a time to look at resources and brochures at 7pm). You are not
alone. Come join us.
NAMI Cobb August 2015
P.O. Box 999
Kennesaw, GA 30156
TO:
Yes, I would like to join NAMI Cobb of Georgia! Date:____________________
New
Renewal
$3 Financial Hardship Membership
(Please note there has been a slight increase in membership fees nationally).
___________Donation (I would like to give an additional donation
to support NAMI-Cobb programming and outreach) Name(s):______________________________________
Address:______________________________________
_______________________________________
Phone: _______________________________________
Email: _______________________________________
I am interested in volunteering. My skill is ________________________.
NEW LOCATION AND MEETING
DAY
Family Care and Share Support Group
For families of those with a mental illness
1st Presbyterian Church
189 Church St
Marietta, GA
MONDAYS Time: 7-8:30 PM
Susie Allen 770-565-4335
Greg Ausham 330-801-0328
Sylvia Oliphant 678-471-5907
Monthly NAMI Cobb General Meeting
August 20, 2015
St. James Episcopal Church
161 Church St, Marietta
7:00 PM Networking/Social
7:30 PM Program
**Please mail this form along with your check to:
NAMI Cobb, P.O. Box 999 Kennesaw, GA 30156
Thank you for your membership!