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Eight Links to Recovery
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I was no stranger to the symptoms of bipolar disorder when I began having sleepless nights and racing thoughts at age 44. I worked as a counselor for adults with mental illness at a residential program and I was teaching daily living skills to clients, some who...
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Finding My Voice
I was one of those folks who couldn’t decide what they wanted to be when they grew up. I knew that I wanted to do something that would give back to the community, but I couldn’t seem to find my voice. Never in a million years did I think that, one day, I’d be helping those living with mood...
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Clothes Make the Man
Stigma means “a mark of infamy.” In ancient times they used to literally brand criminals and slaves. Now we talk about the stigma of mental illness. We know how we are marked by others; that’s obvious. We’re marked by the media, the medical establishment, the ignorant and the uninformed....
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Cultural Competence and Recovery
It seems to me that within the behavioral health service field, cultural competence is an approach designed to improve access, engagement, retention, and to contextually improve the quality of life of individuals and families. Within a cultural competence framework, services facilitate...
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Helping My Fellow Consumers in Their Recovery
When I was diagnosed with depression, I was devastated. I thought that this could not be happening. However, I accepted it. I knew that if I could just keep holding on, this too would pass. Somehow, I knew that I would get better. I enlisted into a partnership with a great psychiatrist, took...
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His Battle with Depression Opened a Door to Helping Others – A Mental Health News Interview with Award-Winning Actor Joe “Joey Pants” Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano is one of today’s best character actors. He has more than 100 film, TV and stage credits, including The Fugitive, Risky Business, Memento, The Matrix, and his Emmy-winning role as Ralph Cifaretto in HBO’s The Sopranos. One of his most recent films Canvas, tells the story about...
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Black Teens, Especially Girls, at High Risk for Suicide Attempts
Black American teens, especially females, may be at high risk for attempting suicide even if they have never been diagnosed with a mental disorder, according to researchers funded in part by NIMH. Their findings, based on responses from adolescent participants in the National Survey of American...
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MHN Spring 2009 Issue
"Providing Essential Care & Services Following Psychiatric Hospitalization” Articles in This...
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Care Coordination Takes an Innovative Approach to Case Management at the Mental Health Association of Westchester
A 62-year-old woman named “Mary” from White Plains, New York has been diagnosed with a serious mental illness. During her lifetime, Mary had experienced a 20-year incarceration and multiple psychiatric hospitalizations. She was referred to The Mental Health Association of Westchester’s (MHA)...
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Family Support is Key When a Member is Hospitalized
Enduring a hospitalization as a result of a mental illness can be a traumatic experience not only for the patient, but for the family, as well. This is true whether it is a first hospital stay or one of many. In an effort to assist caregivers in their roles, Federation of Organizations, in...
