We read in the papers that the recession is over and things are slowly returning to normal.  That may be true in some sectors, but we are still waiting to see the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” in the funding for behavioral health and rehabilitation services.  In fact, in Portage County, we have received bad news from one of our principle funders, the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Portage County, after its funds were reduced by the state.  They will be cutting our funding by 5% immediately for a total cut of $214,527.

What does that mean for Coleman in Portage County?  While the specifics are yet to be determined, careful study and tremendous thought is going into how best to make the necessary cuts to our budget while maintaining the high quality of services we provide.  There will be staff cuts, and a reduction of services provided, though the details are yet to be announced.

Looking ahead is even more daunting.  According to Hal Farrier, Executive Director of the MHRB of Portage County, “We also may not have seen the last of the state cuts.”  His staff believes they may need to cut as much as another 20% for next year’s budget. 

For those of us at Coleman in Portage County, it’s easy to be upset with our Mental Health and Recovery Board.  We should remember, though, that they absorbed the lion’s share of the funding cuts (to the tune of $1.6 million since January) and have made difficult cuts to their own budget.  We should instead keep the lines of communication open with our state leaders.  We must impress upon them the importance of funding for mental health and rehabilitation… not just once, but every chance we get.  This is true not just for Portage County, but for all our counties, as they are all facing similar budget issues.

So where does this leave us?  In his message announcing the budget cuts to the Portage County Staff, Nelson Burns, CEO of Coleman Professional Services said, “Our vision addresses Coleman’s desire to provide services to individuals and families regardless of their ability to pay.  We will not abandon this important vision.  Maybe we can call this a ‘bump’ in the road or a ‘detour.’  I hope you join with me in remaining strong in our vision and our quest to grow and diversify our revenue so we can help those who are not eligible to pay for services.

We appreciate you all joining with us to support Coleman and its vision as we make difficult decisions during these difficult times.

Coleman Data Solutions, in an effort to increase branding and generate new revenues in our target markets of education, health care, nonprofits and government, has recently been approved as a preferred vendor for the Ohio Management Council, Technology Solutions Group (MC-OECN) and achieved membership in the Ohio Health Care Association (OHCA).  Staff members exhibited at a conference last month and will be attending three this month to meet and greet potential new partners and clients.  Should you have contacts at the executive level in the industries of education, health care, nonprofits or government, please contact Debra Prioletti at 330.644.8899 with contact information!   

Do you sometimes feel as if your brain is running on empty?  There are some simple things you can do to pump up your problem-solving abilities, fight forgetfulness and think more clearly and creatively.  Studies of athletes indicate that imagining a tennis serve or ski run between competitions can boost performance.  By “practicing mentally”, you may build mental “muscle” by sparking the brain connections needed during the real thing.  Focus your attention to help remember “where” you put something!  If you tend to misplace your car keys, for example, say to yourself, “I’m placing the keys on the shelf by the hallway mirror”.   Research suggests that as you age, you can reverse a decline in thinking abilities by becoming more mentally active.  Suggestions:  learn a new language, study a new subject, play games like checkers, and do crosswords and other puzzles. Evidence also shows that people in their 70’s and 80’s who stay healthy can expand their brainpower and easily match the mental abilities of a 30 year old.  You can continually work on boosting your brainpower by keeping physically active, managing stress and maintaining a positive attitude.

Tackling Depression & Surviving Suicide Loss
A Quarterbacks Inspiring Story: Eric Hipple, author, former Detroit Lion and former FOX sports analyst, talks about recovery after depression and a suicide in his family.

Presented by the Portage County Suicide Prevention Coalition
Tuesday, Apr 28 6:00p to 8:00p
at Kent State University KIVA, Kent, OH

Free admission. Resgister for free CEUs: call 330-678-3006 or email Deborahn@townhall2.com.

Co-sponsored by the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County, Coleman Foundation, KSU Office of Safety & Sercurity, Delta Tau Delta and Townhall II.

Eric Hipple is a former NFL quarterback whose ten year career was spent entirely with the Detroit Lions. His accomplishments include 2 playoff bids and a divisional championship. In addition, he was named Most Valuable Player for the 1981 season. His jersey hangs in the Canton Hall of Fame. He’s ranked 5th in all-time career passing yards in the Detroit record books.

Since his retirement from the Detroit Lions, Eric has been a professional motivational speaker. Eric’s public speaking work shifted to topics of depressive disorder awareness and treatment, and to suicide prevention in 2000, after the tragic death of his 15-year-old son to suicide.

Eric currently serves on the board AAS (American Assoc. of Suicidology) and Michigan’s Mental Illness Research Association (MIRA), a fund-raising organization that gives grants to further brain research. He works at the Univ. of Michigan’s Depression Center as Outreach Coordinator.

Eric has recently authored a book ” Real Men DO Cry ” it chronicles his life as a NFL Quarterback from youth to his current position and his struggle with suicide loss and his own depression. His story is one of hope and recovery and uses education as well a practical advice to help others live and enjoy life again.

There are a few things that you should take into consideration when you would like to make a healthy lifestyle change. 

First, start with a lifestyle change that you are most interested in making (i.e. healthy eating, walking, losing weight). You must believe you can be successful in making that change.  Start with smaller changes first and then tackle the harder, more difficult changes later.  If we set ourselves up at the onset for failure with the most difficult task, we will more than likely sabotage our chances of positive change.  Additionally, seek advice from your health care professional prior to beginning any physical fitness activity.  They may also provide much needed guidance.

Secondly, find reliable sources of information.  Try talking with people around you who are health conscious, or have made similar changes to those you would like to make.  Find out what they did, how they did it, what challenges they had to overcome, what they learned about their experience and maybe even ask them to hold you accountable while you are going through these new lifestyle changes.  Enlist the help of your spouse or friends to build a support system.  Maybe they will even make the changes with you!

Lastly, create an action plan.  Write out specific goals and a realistic time frame for what you want to change.  Be as specific as you can so you can measure your results.  Either keep a daily log of your progress or a weekly progress chart.  This will help motivate you and keep you accountable for your actions, not to mention the encouragement it will be to see your progress with time.  Once you reach your first small goal, reward yourself.  Get new clothes, take a special trip or do something special or something that you have wanted to do in the past.  Rewarding yourself insures your progress, keeps your enthusiasm and positively changes your actions.  DON’T get discouraged if you have a setback or two.  That’s to be expected.  Start again and learn from your mistakes.  It’s the person who never gives up who wins in the end.  As Donald Trump has said, “Try Again, and if that doesn’t work, Try Again, and if that doesn’t work Try Again.”

Persons looking for information about how mental illness affects a loved one can join the Family-to-Family Education Program set to start March 19 in Ravenna.

The free, 12-week program is sponsored by NAMI Portage County, the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County and Coleman Professional Services.

Classes will run from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Sue Hetrick Building of Coleman Professional Services, 3922 Lovers Lane, Ravenna. The in-depth curriculum covers symptoms, treatment, medications, advocacy and caregiver issues.

To sign up, call the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County at 330-673-1756, ext. 201, by March 18. For more information about Family-to-Family, go to www.nami.org.
Thanks for considering this!

President Obama and his administration are promoting the economic stimulus package to increase spending and stimulate the economy by generating jobs for individuals and revenues for business entities.  Most importantly to the behavioral healthcare community are the dollars allocated for the implementation of electronic health records.  These set aside dollars are part of President Obama’s promise to address health care concerns nationwide.

Legislation was passed on Friday February 6, 2009 that approved spending approximately $19 billion helping organizations convert their client records to electronic health records.  The key to being awarded the funding is to register on the web site, recovery.ohio.gov and click on the “Submit Your Proposal” button at the top. On the next page, you will be required to provide your county, and zip code, contact information, a description of the project the number of jobs created and the dollar amount requested for your organization.  There are a few additional questions.

As soon as the State is informed relative to dollars available, these registered organizations will be contacted.  It is imperative that healthcare facilities follow the required protocol in a timely manner to ensure they are a part of the stimulus package benefits.

A large part of staying “well” is managing our stress.  Stress.  We all have it.  It comes in all shapes and sizes!  What does stress mean to you?  Stress is the way you react to any change in the status quo (good, bad, real, or even imagined.)  We all process stress and respond to stressors differently.  We physically respond to stress with increased breathing, heart rate and blood pressure.  Our muscles tense us, we sweat, our blood sugar for energy actually increases and even our abstract thinking is diminished.

The stress response can make you more productive.  However, high levels of stress can make you less productive and possible lead to health issues such as: heartburn, headaches, back and/or neck pain, heart disease and the lowering of the body’s immune system.  What can we do that will help to lower our overall stress?  Eat healthy, limit caffeine, limit alcohol, drink 8-10 glasses of water a day, get enough rest and sleep, get regular exercise and balance work and play. 

Dear Mental Health Advocate:

The future of mental health services in Ohio is resting in the hands of the United States Congress.  If Congress does not include funding for states in the Federal Stimulus Package currently under consideration, we are told by Governor Strickland that 51,530 fewer Ohioans will receive mental health services, including individuals with bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia and other major disorders. 

We need your help.  Please contact your representative and Senators Voinovich and Brown in Washington and urge them to support state assistance in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Let them know that without these funds, there are people with severe mental illness in Ohio who will die. 

Call the numbers below and ask to be connected to your Congressman and Senators.  If you are unsure who your representative is, click here:  http://www.oacbha.org/advocacy/congress.html.  

Your friends at the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio (NAMI Ohio) 

A new study by SANE Australia reveals people affected by mental illness pay a high price when it comes to relationships and social contact, with the study showing half have no close relationship with another person.

The research, conducted September to December 2008, focused on the emotional and physical relationships of people living with a mental illness, the consequences of this for their lives and what can be done about it.  To read the whole story, visit: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/137751.php.

How can we help to prevent the loneliness?

Are the best steps preventative, reactionary or a combination?