Year-end Musings

The year 2001 has been a time of growth and challenge for the Washington County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Board. Prior to the opening of the Board's two mental health agencies, Washington County Community Mental Health Services in Marietta and Worthington Center in Belpre, the highest number of Washington County citizens receiving mental health services through Board agencies in one year was seven hundred. That number has more than quadrupled in the past two and one-half years, with combined enrollments of over 2800 people. This does not mean that there are four times as many people with mental illness, but that those members of our community who are in need of mental health services are seeking and receiving them in greater numbers than ever before.

Unfortunately, this increased service provision has resulted in Medicaid match and other mandated services consuming all available resources, leaving no discretionary funds at the Board for special projects that meet the many and varied needs of schools and the community-at-large. We have been forced to rely solely on grants from state and federal entities to fund programs that promote mental health and recovery, and 2001 has been marked by a few very special ones. The Washington County MHAR Board is in the last six months of its tenure as the Center of Excellence for Advance Directives, a legal document that allows people living with mental illness to detail their treatment preferences and make plans for what will happen to them in the event of a mental health crisis. Ohio Advocates for Mental Health, the state's consumer advocacy agency, will take leadership of this project in July of 2002. The MHAR Board, along with three neighboring mental health boards, sponsored two Recovery Summits for consumers and their loved ones in 2001. We believe that people can and do recover from mental illnesses, and these conferences offered the hope and encouragement that is so vital to the recovery process. The Consumer Quality Review Team is comprised of Washington County consumers of mental health services who have been trained to interview other consumers regarding their satisfaction with the mental health services they receive. The MHAR Board is determined to provide the most accessible and effective services possible, and no one can lead the way to improvement as capably as those who receive those services. BRIDGES is a 15-week mental health education course taught by consumers to consumers. And finally, the MHAR Board has completed phase one of a three-phase project to develop a Clubhouse in our county. People who have chronic mental illness fare much better if they are involved in meaningful activities; too often they live an unchallenging and isolated existence that tends to exacerbate the illness. The Clubhouse is a psychiatric rehabilitation model that offers a work-ordered day, life skills development, jobs skills training, and fellowship with staff and other Clubhouse members. The end of the year is often a time of emotional extremes. The joy of the holiday season can be followed by moodiness and lethargy. This psychological "virus" can be caused by post-holiday letdown, but also by the physical consequences of holiday excesses or lack of sunlight. Whatever the reason, I have borrowed these tips, "Five Anytime Mood-Boosters," from Jenanne Leary-Rodriguez, director of Selby General Hospital's Daybreak program and president of the MHAR Board. Eat healthily. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates will restore balance and energy to your body. Remember to drink plenty of water - the most restorative substance of all. Get moving. Even a 10-minute walk is enough to elevate your mood. A 20-minute walk is even better because the brain releases mood-elevating chemicals called endorphins. Look on the bright side. Research has shown that the more optimistic you are, the better you are able to handle everyday stresses. People who look for and expect positive things naturally bounce back from emotional setbacks more quickly. Reach out to others. Look beyond your own needs to see the needs of other people; by helping others you gain a more balanced perspective on life and improve your own opinion of yourself. Keep in touch. Spend time with people who are supportive and care about you. Although it is tempting to isolate when you feel blue, it will most likely contribute to your feeling even worse. If we have learned nothing else in 2001, we have learned how much we need each other. From the Washington County MHAR Board, we wish you a mentally and emotionally healthy New Year.