Hello Friends Once again I would like to present you with some positive information on the ongoing attempt by many to improve our present system for mental health care. This research report could lead to some reforms. Your response to this and other posts made on these forums could go a long way towards making sure that some of these new treatment plans and ideas are acted upon.You can contact the sources of this information yourself and ask that immediate action be taken. Or, if you prefer, you can just post to this message and I will forward our collective message to the appropriate agencies. Thank You once again for your support Sincerly, Bill Vanderbilt [ Print Article | E-mail Article | Close Window ] Contact: Vanee Vines news@nas.edu 202-334-2138 The National Academies Institute of Medicine news: Report on mental illnesses and drug addictions WASHINGTON- Without a comprehensive strategy to improve the quality of health care for people with mental conditions and alcohol or drug problems, high-quality care in the nation's overall health system and better health for the public are goals that will remain unmet, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. The report offers such a strategy, outlining key roles for government officials, clinicians, health care organizations, health plans, and purchasers -- companies or other groups that compensate health care providers for delivering services to patients. The diagnoses and severity of mental and substance problems vary widely -- from distress caused by a life-changing event to severe depression to physical dependence on alcohol. Each year more than 33 million Americans, many of whom are working adults, use health care services for such conditions. And research shows that successful, cost-effective treatments exist. However, as with general health care, the delivery of high-quality interventions can be spotty, and poor care has serious consequences: Mental health problems and alcohol and drug issues are leading risk factors for suicide. Furthermore, the consequences ripple throughout the U.S. education, legal, and welfare systems and the workplace in the forms of lost productivity, low academic achievement, and dysfunctional behavior. "America will not have a high-quality health system if equal attention is not given to mental health issues and substance-use problems," said Mary Jane England, president, Regis College, Weston, Mass., and chair of the committee that wrote the report. "Mental health is inextricably linked with health and well-being, but treatment for mental conditions and inappropriate use of substances is often separated from other health care." Health services for these conditions have been isolated not only from other components of the health system but also from each other, despite the fact that many people have both mental conditions and problems with alcohol or drugs. To make collaboration and coordination of care the norm, service providers should link relevant areas of their own organizations and form ties with other providers, the report says. Government agencies, purchasers, health plans, and accrediting groups also should create incentives and policies to increase collaboration among all health care providers, the report says. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services should lead these efforts by establishing a permanent, high-level mechanism to foster greater coordination across the department's mental, substance-use, and general health care agencies. A broad range of providers is licensed to diagnose and treat mental health and substance-use illnesses. Consequently, their training levels and therapeutic approaches often differ, leaving the overall work force with an uneven distribution of the knowledge and skills necessary to provide consistent, high-quality services. Congress should authorize and fund a Council on the Mental and Substance-Use Health Care Work Force to develop and implement plans to help professionals improve the quality of their care, the report says. Licensing boards, accrediting organizations, and purchasers should adopt any national standards identified by the council, which would operate as a partnership between the public and private sectors. Likewise, government programs, employers, and purchasers should allocate funds in ways that better support the delivery of high-quality care, the committee said. For example, states should revamp how they purchase health care services, giving more weight to the quality of care that vendors would provide. Health professionals' ability to quickly obtain and share information on a patient's health and potential treatments is essential to effective care, the report says. Federal and state governments should revise laws, regulations, and administrative practices that hinder such information sharing. Public-private partnerships are now developing an information technology system called the National Health Information Infrastructure (NHII) to make the exchange of health information easier. But so far, these efforts have not adequately dealt with health care for mental and substance-use problems, the report says. HHS and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs should take steps to ensure that NHII will thoroughly address such conditions. Additionally, federal and state governments, purchasers, and foundations should offer clinicians and groups who treat these problems incentives to invest in the information technology needed to fully participate in NHII. HHS should synthesize and disseminate scientific evidence on effective services for mental and substance-use conditions, the report adds. It also should lead efforts to significantly develop an infrastructure for measuring and improving the quality of mental and substance-use health care. To this end, the department, working with the private sector, should charge and fund a group similar to the National Quality Forum -- a private, nonprofit organization -- to identify and put into practice quality measures in these areas. And HHS should oversee a coordinated research agenda for improving care. The report -- like the Institute of Medicine's 2001 report CROSSING THE QUALITY CHASM: A NEW HEALTH SYSTEM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY -- envisions a revamped health care system that not only is centered on the needs, preferences, and values of patients, but also encourages teamwork among health care workers and makes much greater use of information technology. Patient-centered care is especially important in the delivery of mental health services and treatments for addictions, the report says, because of the stigma sometimes associated with interventions and greater use of coercion into treatment compared with general health care. The study was sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation; CIGNA Foundation; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Institute of Medicine is a private, nonprofit institution that provides health policy advice under a congressional charter granted to the National Academy of Sciences. A committee roster follows. Copies of IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE FOR MENTAL AND SUBSTANCE-USE CONDITIONS will be available this fall from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at HTTP://WWW.NAP.EDU. Reporters may obtain a pre-publication copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above). [ This news release and report are available at HTTP://NATIONAL-ACADEMIES.ORG ]

Hello Friends Once again, in my quest to find ways to offer hope to the hopeless, I am posting a story with a happy ending. A beginning that could have had all of the heartbreak that so many mental illness stories have. The difference, early recognition of symptoms, proper diagnosis, out patient therapy and medication. While it is heart warming to read stories like this one, it is even more heart warming to copy it and share it with others that you know could use a little message of hope in their lives. Just a thought my friends. Sincerly, Bill Vanderbilt Our Partners CBSnews.com CBS.com Local News > By Area Local Main Minnesota Wire Wisconsin Wire Iowa Wire Albert Lea Alexandria Bemidji Blaine Brainerd Buffalo Burnsville Duluth Hastings Lino Lakes Mankato Maple Grove Marshall Minneapolis Rochester Shakopee St Cloud St Paul Wayzata Winona Woodbury Nov 22, 2005 1:49 pm US/Central Senator Talks About Struggle With Depression Pat Kessler Reporting Save It Email It Print It (WCCO) St. Paul In a move some call courageous, Sen. John Hottinger revealed he was hospitalized for depression while he was Senate Majority Leader. Hottinger announced Monday he will leave the Senate when his term expires. During the pressure-filled, chaotic 2003 Legislative session, then-Democratic leader Hottinger agreed to deep and controversial Republican budget cuts to end the stalemate. "Frankly, I was suicidal," Hottinger said about that period in time. In a documentary by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Hottinger said he was in a deep depression at the time and thought about killing himself, before calling a friend for help. "My friend was very supportive," Hottinger said. "Got me over to Regions Hospital, where I self-admitted myself for four days." After his discharge from Regions, Hottinger had therapy, three hours a day, three times a week, for six months, as well as medication. He said his depression was not a factor in decisions the Democrats made that year. He said he is better now and says it is not the reason he won't seek re-election. "I can understand how you might make the correlation between positive mental health and leaving the Legislature," Hottinger said. Advocates for the mentally ill said Hottinger's experience with depression is not unusual and neither is his recovery. "People recover," said Sue Abderholden with the National Alliance on Mental Illness. "They can go on to great things. It doesn't mean the end of their life as they know it and so when people start feeling really bad, they really need to seek out help and treatment." Hottinger hopes sharing his story will help erase the social stigma associated with mental illness. "Mental illness, depression, excessive anxiety, the variety of things, is an illness," Hottinger said. "It's not a character defect." Hottinger said he is not sure what he will do when his term expires next year, but said he plans to focus on other interests, including writing a book on baseball. (© MMV, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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Hello Bogdan Thank you for posting on my forum however, I do have a favour to ask. Please do not use my mental health forums for the purpose of marketing your programs. My mental health sites are for sharring hope with those who suffer with a mental illness. Thank You Sincerly, Bill Vanderbilt Mental Health And Political Forums http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=10129 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=9637 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=8212 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=7420 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=8259 Lifetime web building and hosting for under $40. One time payment http://www.superpayline.com/p002859 The most advanced VOIP system there is anywhere. https://wv0079721.betteruniverse.com/members/index.php?action=buy_miphone Better Universe. The People Helping People Company http://wv0079721.betteruniverse.com

Hello everyone :) I am here today because Bill asked me to share my story with you. Thank you Bill for giving me this opportunity! Although I do not suffer from a mental illness (as far as I know!) I do suffer from Chronic Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. MS is a disease of the autoimmune system that causes the white blood cells to attack the Central Nervous System. The results are many and unpleasant and they vary in severity depending on which parts of the brain have been “eaten away”. In my case, the pyramidal lobes have been affected most severely, which has left me with tetraparesis (weakness in all limbs). But tetraparesis is only ONE of the many problems that MS brings, as the white blood cells attack the brain nerve cells indiscriminately and every day brings new surprises. Life with MS is not dull! Kinetic problems are considered to be the most serious MS problem, but in my opinion, the psychological symptoms of MS are the most torturing of all. Depression is something we have to learn to live with every day of our lives, and it is produced both by physical factors, such as brain cells that control the emotional condition have been destroyed, as well as the external factors of not being able to live a “normal” life. The above was a short introduction of what MS does, so that you can understand how 30 years of living with MS may have affected me. Yes, I have been living with MS for 32 years. My doctors and I date my first symptoms at age 18 when my right hand became paralyzed during my first semester in College and I had to learn to take notes with my left hand. No one diagnosed me at the time. No one diagnosed me until many years later when I had a complete “meltdown” and the MRI became available. I have the honor of being one of the first MS sufferers in Greece that was diagnosed with the first MRI machine that came into this country. There are many things I can talk about regarding my 32-year experience, but in this forum, I would like to concentrate upon the psychological factors. I would lie if I were to tell you that having to live with a chronic, debilitating, incurable disease that has placed me firmly in a wheelchair has not affected me psychologically. It has, it does, and it continues to do so. I take my Prozac every day like a good little girl. Sometimes that is enough to keep the dark ghosts at bay, other times it is not and I need to supplement them with more medicines. Even now, not a day passes that suicide is not in my mind somewhere. It is a real effort at times to push it away. If it were not for my husband and my immediate family, there is a good chance I would not be here today, writing this piece. Having a good support system is of vital importance for people with chronic diseases. My husband married me knowing quite well that I had MS and that it would leave me disabled at any time. After a tubal pregnancy that almost killed me, we decided not to have any children, and although we both feel the lack, it was for the better since we would not be able to care for them. My husband has his hands full now, juggling work – he is a high school Physics teacher – and having to take care of me. My husband is a gentle soul that was diagnosed a few decades ago with mild schizophrenia and is underr medication and therapy that controls it quite well. I too knew of his condition before we were married but it would have been the biggest mistake of my life if I had turned him down because of it. He has proven to be my biggest supporter in many ways and has stood by me at times where any other man may have walked away, as so many do when faced with a spouse that has MS. My other invaluable supporters are my mother and my brother and to a lesser extent, my sister. Although they don’t live with us or even near us, I know that they will come at a moment’s notice to help out if needed. Circumstances had made us a very close knit family in the past and we are still very close. With such a good support system in place, a person can overcome any difficulties, even when things look very dark, and there were several times in my life that things looked pitch black. Perhaps the worst of those times was when at the ripe old age of 33 I had to give up my 11-year career, admit defeat to the MS “enemy” and pick up the pieces somehow after a year of what I like to call temporary insanity. Still unmarried at the time, with the need to work in order to live, barely able to drag my feet on the floor and with my mind playing tricks on me I still had to go on somehow. I was unemployable, uninsured and brow-deep in severe depression. The solution to all my problems throughout my life had been to bury myself in work. I did the same thing this time. I started a small business as a free-lance translator and started taking in work. It allowed me to work from home and provided much-needed insurance. It was a track that lasted 10 years and I was doing quite well with it. It also gave me time to “play” with another passion of mine – writing. I wrote and was lucky enough to have 7 books accepted for publication. In the meantime, I met my husband, got married and life began to have some value for me again. Then, about 7 years ago, the disease took the upper hand again. I lost the rest of my mobility in my legs, my eyesight became almost non-existent, I had to give up driving and that dreaded wheelchair became a reality. My eyesight and certain cognitive problems that appeared at the time forced me to give up translating as well. The clouds gathered and the darkness closed in. This time, another, unexpected development saved me – the Internet. Intent on researching everything I could find about MS and its prognosis, I came across some support groups where other MS sufferers were posting. I had never met another person that had MS until then. These people shared their experiences and they taught me a lot about MS as well as gave me the emotional support I needed at the time. I was not alone! I learned what courage means from these people. Some were better off than me, others were worse but no matter what their overall condition was, the way they faced their own problems and the love with which they took me in and shared freely of themselves was nothing short of a miracle. In time, I too had learned enough and was able to give advice and support to others, which was deeply satisfying. They gave me the courage to try to get pensioned off on disability, which I managed to do. This took the worry of financial survival away. My pension and my husband’s paycheck are not enough to keep us in riches, but they take care of our basic needs. Yet this wasn’t enough for me. Burying myself in work had become a habit. I could not even imagine myself with nothing to do. As I played around on the Internet, I couldn’t help but notice that some people were actually trying to do business and make money via this medium. Tentatively at first, with more passion as time went on, I too tried my hand in the world of Internet business. I now have several websites that work for me and they supplement my income – some more than others – and most importantly, I have learned a whole lot about things I had never thought about before. How to work a business, how to build a website, how to promote it, what works and what doesn’t work on the Internet. I’m self-taught and proud of it. Work, as usual, pushed away the darkness of depression. It’s my solution to everything. Nowadays, I can’t spend as much time on the computer as I used to, I become tired easily. I fear that I will soon have to give up my businesses. I have already curtailed my activities to a minimum. When my thoughts get away from my control, I see the darkness closing in again. On the other hand, when I think back at all the major problems in my life I have somehow scraped through, it gives me hope that I will get through this hump as well. I don’t have a solution that works for everyone. I’m not an overly religious person nor do I believe that I will have “help from above” to get through my problems. I do believe in myself, I take pride in what little I have accomplished, I hope that in time I will be given an opportunity to do more. I like helping others and perhaps this is the new path I need to take. I don’t know yet, but I do believe that when it is time, the opportunity will present itself. I guess the best advice I can give at this point in my life to people who are suffering from depression is “believe in yourself”. My mother always says: tomorrow is another day. If I can live through tonight, tomorrow may bring something else to my path – something I have not even imagined yet, something better and more fulfilling. Thank you for spending a little time with me. All my best, Amalia