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Youth Empowerment Services (YES) Waiver
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Department of State Health Services Given approval to implement a Medicaid Waiver.
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 DSHS was given approval by the federal government to implement a Medicaid Waiver. The Youth Empowerment Services (YES) Waiver is a 1915(c) Medicaid Waiver that will allow for more flexibility in the funding of intensive community-based services and supports for children with serious emotional disturbances and their families. The YES Waiver will initially be piloted in a limited geographic area (Bexar and Travis counties) and will serve up to 300 youth under age 19.
A Notice of Open Enrollment (NOE) for Potential YES Waiver Providers has been posted to the Internet on the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) Website.br>
MH-0336.1 - Youth Empowerment Services (YES) Notice of Open Enrollment posting can be viewed at:
http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid557
To learn more about the YES Waiver, visit http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/mhsa/yes/default.shtm
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| Study by Columbia University Medical Center |
Report by Columbia University On How Bedtimes Effect Children's Mental Health
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A Columbia University Medical Center report findings are the first to examine bedtimes' effects on kids' mental health — and the results are noteworthy.
Middle and high-schoolers whose parents don't require them to be in bed before midnight on school nights are 42% more likely to be depressed than teens whose parents require a 10 p.m. or earlier bedtime. And teens who are allowed to stay up late are 30% more likely to have had suicidal thoughts in the past year.
To learn more go to:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-06-09-bedtime-teen-depression_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
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| “SPEAK and Be Heard...Living With Bipolar Depression” |
| New Campaign Launched by AstraZeneca |
AstraZeneca launched a campaign on April 28th called “SPEAK and Be Heard...Living With Bipolar Depression” as part of their ongoing efforts to raise awareness of mental illness. The goal of the campaign is to inspire hope and show the importance of seeking an accurate diagnosis and developing an appropriate treatment plan with a health care provider in an effort to successfully manage the symptoms of the depressive phase of bipolar disorder. Hopefully, this campaign will give patients with bipolar depression and caregivers of patients with bipolar depression who have been successfully managing the disease the opportunity to SPEAK out and share their story to help others.
Below, please find additional details on the campaign and our launch that was held on April 28th. Please click on the link below for the campaign overview and guidelines/entry form that provide additional details on SPEAK and Be Heard
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Who's Eligible
Any US Citizen between the ages of 19-64 who has been professionally diagnosed with bipolar disorder, is currently under professional medical care and medical treatment, and has successfully managed the symptoms of bipolar depression for at least six months is invited to submit a written or video essay. Any US Citizen that is a caregiver, 18 years of age or older for a patient with bipolar disorder that meet the eligibility requirements of a patient (see above) is also invited to share their story.
How to SPEAK and Be Heard
Submissions will be accepted from Tuesday, April 28 - Wednesday, June 24, and must be received by June 24 to qualify.
Submissions will be accepted in the form of a written or video essay totaling approximately 500 - 750 words, or running under three minutes.
Submissions must not include any mention of specific treatments or brand names of medications, or full names of medical professionals, patients, caregivers, family members, or other individuals. Any entries that include this information will be disqualified.
How YOU can help
Please visit Speak and Be Heard to find additional details on the campaign and to share your stories of success with us.
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| Click Here for Guidelines and Entry Form |
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| Deputy Mobile Outreach Team Video |
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| "Deputy Ross Garza explains how the Deputy Mobile Outreach Team (DMOT) pairs deputies with mental health assessors to assist the community with crisis calls ... This recording is from a community presentation SMHC hosted on May 22, 2009." |
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| Click here to view DMOT Video |
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NAMI CONNECTION
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NAMI CONNECTIONS IS A RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
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NAMI Connection is a recovery support group for people living with mental illness. These groups provide a place where a person can go and be treated with respect and understanding. They offer encouragement and hope. The groups offer a casual and relaxed approach to sharing the challenges and successes of coping with mental illness. NAMI Connections will meet monthly for approximately 90 minutes starting Wednesday, June 10, 2009. It is offered free of charge and follows a flexible structure without an educational format. All groups are confidential.
NAMI Connections meetings will be held:
The second Wednesday of each month
La Paz Community Mental Health Center
530 San Pedro Avenue
For information, call the NAMI office at 210 734-3349
For directions, please call the La Paz office at 210 558-8744
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American Association on Health and Disability Scholarship
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The American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) is proud to announce the creation of the 2009 AAHD Scholarship Program
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The AAHD Scholarship Program will support students with disabilities who are pursuing higher education. Preference will be given to students who plan to pursue undergraduate/graduate studies in the field of public health, health promotion, or disability studies, to include disability policy and disability research. Royalties from the Disability and Health Journal will fund the first year of the AAHD Scholarship Program.
Please visit www.aahd.us to read more about the Scholarship Program and to download the application.
If you would like to make a donation to the AAHD Scholarship Program, please send your contribution to American Association on Health and Disability, 110 N. Washington Street, Suite 328-J, Rockville, MD 20850. Please indicate your donation is for the Scholarship Program. For additional questions, please contact Roberta Carlin at rcarlin@aahd.us or 301-545-6140 ext. 206.
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Second Annual Children's Crisis Intervention Training
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July 27, 2009 to July 31, 2009
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The Second Annual Children's Crisis Intervention Training will be held at:
First Church of the Nazarene
10715 West Avenue
San Antonio, Texas
Hours: 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
FREE TRAINING for School District Campus Police
40 TCLEOSE Credit Hours - Limited Enrollment
To enroll, contact Terri Mabrito at tmabrito@chcsbc.org
Please provide your name, telephone number, and school district
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| NAMI San Antonio reacts on KSAT-TV to the “Symphonic Schizophrenia" routine |
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 NAMI San Antonio reacts on KSAT-TV to the “Symphonic Schizophrenia" routine by the Churchill High School at a recent state band competition. The show showcased the band color guard in straight jackets and using padded walls as a prop.
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| View Interview |
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SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENTS
NEW MENTAL HEALTH UNIT
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Recently the San Antonio Police Department implemented a new Mental Health Detail on a 180 day pilot project review. There are two officers assigned to this unit. Officer Ernest Stevens and Officer William Kasberg have been chosen for this undertaking. The two Officers will be assisting patrol when a call is received for a mental heath issue. The Officers will respond with an assessor from the Center for Health Care Services to assist with an assessment and if needed, placement. The design of this program is to divert unnecessary arrest and expedite treatment for those who need it. Resources will also be provided to family members who need or request support.
The new detail will be working Monday thru Friday. Their hours are as follows:
Monday 8:00am – 4:00pm
Tues-Fri 6:00pm – 2:00am
The Officers are in the process of flexing their hours in order to provide more daylight hours as requested by patrol. They will be working 8:00am – 4:00pm the entire second week of every month. The need for their service has already out weighed the hours they are working. The initial statistics are astonishing and expansion of this unit is hoped for in the future. If police assistance is required and it is an emergency, continue to call 911 and request a CIT officer if one is available. To contact the two officers assigned to the Mental Health Detail if they can be of any assistance please call them at these phone numbers :
William Kasberg: 394-9637
Ernest Stevens: 289-2530
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| Grading the States 2009 |
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 Texas’ mental health care system is dwindling and
faces a multitude of challenges. In 2006, it received
a C grade. Three years later, it has dropped to a D.
Among the reasons for its decline are its low commitment
to supported housing, lack of efforts to reduce the
use of restraints and seclusions, and lack of cultural competence—
to name only a few.
Texas has the second-highest population in the nation,
with large percentages of foreign-born and uninsured residents,
and the highest uninsured population—almost 25
percent. It has remote rural and frontier areas and is positioned
in the hurricane-prone Gulf region. Those factors all
affect the need for mental health services.
Historically, Texas has under-funded mental health
care. It ranks 49th in mental health expenditures per
capita. The Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
administers mental health services through contracts with
39 Local Mental Health Authorities (LMHAs) and
NorthSTAR, the state’s Medicaid managed care plan.
In 2004, DSHS established Resiliency and Disease
Management (RDM) as a statewide component for system
transformation to better match the intensity of services
with individual needs for recovery. DSHS conducts fidelity
assessments of LMHAs to ensure adherence to evidencebased
practices (EBPs) as part of RDM.
In 2007, five DSHS on-site fidelity reviews revealed
lack of appropriate training of staff in EBPs. In addition,
LMHA self-assessments showed some decline in statewide
fidelity averages. Overall, inadequate data collection
and reporting impede the state’s ability to accurately
measure program performance and outcomes.
In 2005, Texas received a five-year federal mental
health transformation grant of $92.5 million. In 2007, the
legislature granted $82 million to redesign mental health
and substance abuse crisis services through 2009. The
focus on crisis services is commendable, but does not address
the need for an overall continuum of care that can
help avert crises in the first place.
The state is moving to address structural conflicts in
the mental health system, in which community mental
health centers both manage and distribute funds to providers,
while also providing direct services themselves. In
2008, LMHAs began a Local Planning and Network
Development initiative involving negotiated rulemaking
with providers. So far, the basic process seems to be
working, but it remains to be seen whether the initiative
will successfully open the system to additional providers.
Unfortunately, an equity issue exists within the system.
Funding for the LMHAs is not related to population density,
which results in inadequate capacity. In turn, lack of
community services results in significantly overcrowded
emergency rooms and inappropriate use of prisons as warehouses
for people with mental illness.
One notable strength is the Bexar County Jail Diversion
Program of the Center for Health Care Services in San
Antonio, which is recognized as both a state and national
model. It is particularly innovative due to its community
collaboration and increased access to care.
For the seventh most diverse state in the nation, Texas
is extremely deficient in cultural competence. It is a glaring
weakness. Furthermore, Texas has no plan or activities
geared toward recruiting and developing a competent
workforce, and significant shortages of mental health professionals
exist in rural areas.
Texas has not demonstrated reductions in the use of restraints
and seclusion in state hospitals, and inpatient conditions
continue to generate reports of abuse. Moreover, the
state’s failure to publicly report data on seclusion and restraints
limits the system’s transparency and accountability.
Greater investment is needed in order for the state to
truly transform and move toward an evidence-based, costeffective
mental health care system. Leadership and political
will must make that commitment. Otherwise, Texas will
continue its troubling slide backwards.
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| Click Here to see entire report |
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University of Texas Health Science Center Announces New Research
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The UT Health Science Center’s Psychiatric Genetics Research Center is studying the difference and potential of early interventions in the lives of those most at risk of one of two major mental illness; children of parents affected with Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. For these children who are at high genetic risk, the study team is endeavoring to get the children the treatment they need, and provide psycho education classes, giving children and their parents tools to properly deal with these illnesses when they do occur. NAMI San Antonio has responded to this project enthusiastically, providing co-teachers from their Family to Family team, to assist with the study’s Family Focus Group Classes, and their collaboration has been extremely beneficial. The intent is for the interventions to improve the ability of these children to finish school, have productive jobs and family lives, and reduce suicide attempts, substance abuse, and other risky behaviors.
Participating in this study can be a great help and real contribution toward improving the ways our culture responds to these major mental illnesses as they occur in families. People with Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia are typically not diagnosed until several years after onset of symptoms. This has serious consequences. Being undiagnosed or sub optimally treated during these years has lifelong effects, given the impact on school, relationships and first employment.
The two year study is enrolling children from age 6 to 20 who have at least one parent who has formally been diagnosed with either Bipolar disorder or Schizophrenia. The study is being conducted at the Psychiatric Genetics Research Center downtown on Soledad. For anyone who is interested in this important work, your participation will be a great help, financial compensation is included as well.
For further information, call either Sarah Japhet at 562-5116 or Judi Robinson at 562-5123.
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| ©NAMI-SAT 2007 |
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