| May 2001 marks the 52nd observance of National Mental Health
Month. It is both an exciting and worrisome time for the Washington County
Mental Health and Addiction (MHAR) Board, the agency that, under the Ohio
Revised Code, is charged with planning, monitoring, and financing all
publicly funded services for mental health and chemical dependency in
Washington County. It is worrisome because the Ohio Department of Mental
Health (ODMH) is facing budget decreases for the next fiscal year and
exciting because of the development of several new programs and opportunities. |
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- Please Don't "Shrink" Me! A Recovery
Summit. ODMH continues to favor the funding of programs
that promote recovery from mental illness over those that foster dependency
and little or no growth and this summit is no exception. Planned for
May 3rd in St. Clairsville, the summit will feature Amy Long, a well-known
mental health advocate from the National Empowerment Center in Boston.
From her unique perspective as both a person who is recovering from
mental illness and a mental health professional, Ms. Long brings a
powerful message of hope and recovery. Transportation will be provided
and the summit is free to consumers of mental health services and
their families in an 11-county area, including Washington County.
For more information, call the Washington County MHAR Board at 374-6990
- BRIDGES is a consumer-to-consumer education
program that is based on the belief that persons with mental illness
"can and do recover a new and valued sense of self and purpose."
Washington County has three newly trained instructors who will begin
this free 15-week course on April 24th. The course covers such topics
as the biology of mental disorders, medications, advocacy and consumer
rights, the principles of recovery, tools for recovery, and spirituality.
For more information call John at 585-2311, Lona 749-1333, or Martha
at 374-2375
- The Clubhouse Model. The Washington
County MHAR Board has received a federal grant to develop a Clubhouse,
a community-based rehabilitation program for people struggling with
mental illness. Today there are over 300 Clubhouses all over the world
modeled after the first Clubhouse, Fountain House in New York City.
In a Clubhouse there is no hierarchy; members and staff work side
by side in an
intentional community that offers meaningful work, employment opportunities,
social and educational opportunities, and friendships for people with
mental illness. This is an important recovery concept - that individuals
with serious mental illness who have been largely segregated from normal
socialization and activities can participate in meaningful work and
become part of a community. Washington County consumers and mental health
professionals are working together on the project, which will be developed
over a three-year period.
One in every five American adults experiences some type of mental
disorder each year. In addition, one in every five children and adolescents
has a mental health problem that can be identified and treated. As we
commemorate National Mental Health Month, we are challenged to overcome
a multitude of barriers and antiquated beliefs. Less than one-third
of persons with mental illness receive the services they need. Health
insurance does not adequately cover mental health treatment. And we
still see media portrayals of the mentally ill as maniacal gun-wielding
monsters or drooling zombies. New programs that erase the stigma of
mental illness and offer hope, support, and tools for recovery are paramount
to our mental health system in Washington County.
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