Ouststanding Young Advocates Recognized For Raising Awareness of Mental Health Issues

Mental Health America presented six outstanding young advocates with mpower awards for their exceptional efforts to raise awareness of mental health issues among America's youth at the Dinner and Awards Ceremony of its 2008 Conference, No Health Without Mental Health, June 7, 2008, in Washington, D.C.

A Mental Health America youth awareness campaign, mpower is supported by hundreds of musicians nationwide and reaches teens and college-age adults at concerts, in the classroom, over the Internet and through the media to help them get informed, get help and get involved with one of most debilitating health care dilemmas facing Americans today: untreated mental illness. These six outstanding award winners demonstrated extraordinary initiative and leadership in undertaking steps to combat stigma and champion mental health awareness and treatment among their peers.

Awarded 2008 mpower awards were:

Brad Luthe, 16; Wichita, Kansas

Brad has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and a deep commitment to reducing the stigma surrounding mental health conditions, especially among his peers. His personal experience has motivated him to share his story and educate youth and adults about what it's like to live with a mental health condition and what stigma feels like, as well. A Power Point presentation and interactive workshop he developed shed light on discrimination and stigma and encourage others to re-think the way they view people living with a mental health condition. Through the presentation, Brad also talks about his own personal experiences, sending the message that you can have a mental health condition and live and be well. In addition to giving the presentation before the state government and at schools and national conferences, Brad is an active member of Youth LINK (Leaders in Kansas) Consumer-Run Initiative and President of the Wichita/Sedgwick County Peers as Leaders Consumer-Run Initiative, a local peer-to-peer group for teens with mental health conditions.

Eric Vasilevskis, 18; Samuel Lewis Little, 18; Tom Corcoran, 17; Nashville, Tennessee

Eric, Samuel and Tom are sending a clear message to their peers: help is available, and it's okay to seek help. After the loss of a close friend by suicide, these three young men appeared in a public service announcement to let teens know that help is available; they don't have to go it alone and suicide is not the answer. The public service announcement is being aired on the local NBC affiliate and has resulted in a significant increase in calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for the middle Tennessee region. Eric, Samuel and Tom's participation in the public service announcement has helped reduce stigma among their peers by putting a real face to an important issue, making it okay for other youth to talk about mental health, depression and suicide.

Jared Sherman, 16; Toledo, Ohio

Jared has been a mental health advocate since the age of 8. Motivated by his own personal experience, and with the support of his mother, Dorene, Jared founded Rainbow Kids, a support group for children of parents living with a mental health condition. Over the past eight years, Rainbow Kids has evolved into Generation Y Youth Depression Awareness and Suicide Prevention Program, an independent 501(c) (3) organization of which Jared is President. In addition to his work with Generation Y, Jared has spoken at conferences, in classrooms and communities in his state and around the country, sharing his story and experience to educate others and raise awareness. And he's encouraged other youth to do the same.

Mental Health America is the country's leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives. With our more than 320 affiliates nationwide, we represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mental wellness for the health and well-being of the nation - everyday and in times of crisis.

Taken from MentalHealthAmerica.Net

Winnebago Mental Health Institute � Its History and Development

If we speak of a primary center for treatment of mental illness in Wisconsin, Winnebago Mental Health Institute or WMHI is the first facility that comes to mind. Located at Lake Winnebago�s west shore, this state facility has about 1300 admissions every year and an average of 250 patients.

The facility was constructed in 1871. Originally named Northern Asylum for the Insane, its name was later changed to Winnebago State Hospital before the name was again changed to Winnebago Mental Health Institute.

Basically, WMHI�s services can be grouped into three areas. The first one is called Adult Service 1, consisting of forensic units. The second area is called Adult Service 2, for adults that are multiply impaired, and those requiring treatment for behavior modification, substance abuse and mental illnesses. The third unit, Youth Services, is for children and adolescents that are multiply impaired and those who are mentally ill and have substance abuse disorder.

The Therapeutic Services Department is responsible in evaluating and assessing the patients. There are 4 divisions of service: occupational therapy, recreational therapy, speech therapy and physical therapy. These divisions are responsible in the holistic approach to treatment.

There are various treatment activities in WMHI. One of them is individual psychotherapy. A treatment plan is outlined for each patient to determine the frequency of sessions that he must undergo. A clinical staff writes notes for each visit. The attending psychiatrist meets the treatment team on a regular basis to review the treatment plan.

Another treatment activity is through psychopharmacology. The attending psychiatrist determines and orders the medication according to the individual patient�s treatment plan. Psychotropic medication is used in order to achieve treatment goals and reduce risk of injury and violence.

Group therapy is another kind of treatment, where problems of each patient are shared and solutions are discussed. Other treatment activities include self-help groups, family therapy and community groups.

However, the facility is faced with controversy lately. City inspectors found violations of the hospital. Infractions include failure to protect patient�s rights such as the right to be protected from violent and sexual behaviors of other patients, to have privacy and to be in a safe environment. Other violations include medication errors and failure to correct environmental hazards and infection control in the facility.

Within a period of two years, three deaths and one rape case were reported. These, among other problems, have caused authorities to cite the facility for neglect and lack of attention. Reports indicate that poor supervision and staffing as well as bad judgment in medication caused these problems. Because of this, the government ordered the facility to correct the problems by 2008. Otherwise, it shall lose its federal funding for both Medicaid and Medicare.

With this development, lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill requiring all patient deaths in the facility be investigated. This is to create more transparency and accountability to the taxpayers.

More problems are at hand for WMHI. Hospital officials cite financial loss as the reason why there is not enough staff in the facility. Because of such financial losses, there are not enough employees to maintain hospital safety and provide better service to patients.

Despite these problems that the Winnebago Mental Health Institute has, hospital officias continue to work hard to give quality treatment to their patients.