As featured in the 411 Newsletter by the Center of Forensic Profiling
Who hasn’t seen something about Charlie Sheen in the news this past month? Who hasn’t WRITTEN or REPORTED on Sheen in the past month, now including me? Charlie’s articles and talk of warlocks and tigers blood and WINNING!!! Is fodder not just for tabloids and celebrity magazines but for national, primetime news reports and exclusive interviews. I think all of us, at least once have been bombarded with his videos or interviews and depending on what you’ve heard, your reaction can go from , “Well he seems pretty sane to me,” to the extreme, “I can’t believe he’s walking around without a keeper!”
In less than 30 days, though, Sheen has lost a very lucrative job, who knows how many friends and family members he’s alienated and he’s had his twin boys removed forcibly from his home. Does anyone doubt that this has gone way past typical publicity issues or even addiction issues? We are looking in the face of mental illness in all its power and destruction.
I empathize with Sheens’ family. My heart hurts for Sheen and his torments. But I am damn mad at the media! Not because they are telling us what Sheen is doing, but because that is ALL they are doing. This is a golden opportunity to educate the general public and break down the walls of stigma in one swoop of the media sword by providing the world with information about mental illness and what is available to treat it. It’s like Sheen said, “Manic? I don’t know what that means,” in one of his rants. Most of the world doesn’t really know that means either. But it is the name of a mental state of someone who has bipolar disorder who is experiencing symptoms such as:
1. inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
2. decreased need for sleep
3. more talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
4. flight of ideas, or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
5. distractibility increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
6. excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences
Sound like anyone we’ve been talking about? Along with mental health education, the media has failed to provide information about resources, help lines and all manners of information that the general public could utilize, because Charlie Sheen is not the only Warlock with Tiger’s Blood DNA walking around today. He is just getting all the attention. So in this little circus, we are watching a person struggle through an illness with no idea of what support or treatment he may or may not be experiencing. Sheen’s brother and dad did make a public statement that they are praying for his recovery. And I will join them in this. As of today though, the score is: Sheen – 0,
Media - Winning!,
General Public – Losing!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, July 2, 2010
What Happened to the Origianl Signers of the Declaration of Independence?
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary war.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family
was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
So please, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these and all other patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: freedom is never free !
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary war.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family
was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
So please, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these and all other patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: freedom is never free !
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Is your marriage making you sick?By Elizabeth Cohen, Senior Medical Correspondent
(CNN) -- You eat right. You exercise. You get an annual physical. You probably think you're doing everything you can to stay healthy.
But here's one more thing you need to do: Learn how to argue well with your spouse.
A new study from Ohio State University shows just how physically harmful it can be to argue the wrong way. In the study, 37 married couples were brought into a hospital research lab, and a tiny vacuum device gave them eight 8-mm blisters on their forearms. Each couple was then videotaped while having conversations, and researchers graded them on their communication skills, noting who had distressing or hostile styles of communicating.
After 12 days, the researchers noticed that the blisters healed faster on the couples who had more positive communication styles, and the blisters healed the slowest on the couples with more negative styles.
Why would physical wounds heal more quickly among the better communicators? The researchers at Ohio State who did the study think it might have something to do with oxytocin.
"Oxytocin is a protective hormone," says Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, the lead author of the study, who noted that the better communicators in her study -- the ones whose wounds healed the fastest -- had the highest levels of oxytocin in their blood.
The study was recently published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.
There are certainly many examples of high-profile troubled marriages. For example, actor Charlie Sheen was arrested in connection with an argument he had with his wife last Christmas Day; a court hearing on the case was delayed Monday. But husbands and wives don't always make the connection that stressful marriages can actually harm your physical health.
"People get very surprised when they hear that marital stress is actually worse for your health than workplace stress," says Tara Parker-Pope, author of "For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage."
Overall, couples with more marital stress have worse immune function and higher blood pressure and heart rates, according to Debra Umberson, a professor of sociology at the University of Texas, who studies couples and stress.
"Marital stress is so pernicious because it's chronic, long-term, and you can't get away from it," she says "You're having these problems day in and day out year after year, decade after decade."
While both sexes suffer, some, but not all, studies show women suffer more physical effects from a bad marriage than men, Umberson adds.
Of course, having a happy marriage or relationship is easier said than done. Here are some tips for limiting marital stress to make you happier and physically healthier.
1. Argue well
"We tend to focus on how often we fight -- as in, 'we've been fighting a lot lately' or 'we've haven't fought much lately,'" Parker-Pope says. "But that's actually pretty meaningless. What really matters is the quality of your arguments."
Let's say, for example, your house is messy. You have a choice: you could say something like "This house such a mess, and you never help me clean it up" or you could say "I want us to learn how to be neater." The latter, marriage experts say, is better not just for your marriage but for your and your partner's physical health.
"Any elements of criticism or demand make your words stressful," Umberson says.
Here's another example. Let's say your partner has just baked cookies and the kitchen looks like a hurricane hit it.
"You could walk into the kitchen and notice the mess but not the cookies," she says. "Or you could say, 'It smells great in here, and I can't wait to have one of those cookies, but wow, it's messy in here."
If you think style doesn't matter, think back to that Ohio State study, Parker-Pope adds.
"Think about those blisters, and how slow they were to heal after a nasty comment," she says. "This should make everyone stop and realize, 'I need to think about what I'm doing to my health and my partner's health and make sure I'm fighting well to stay well.'"
2. Your spouse is annoying -- accept it!
Umberson noticed something interesting in her studies of happy couples.
"It's always been striking to me that when people get along, they just accept something annoying about their partner. They don't try to alter it," she says.
Case in point: The wife in one of her happy couples had the habit of stacking up books in various places around the house, including doorways. Her husband wasn't thrilled with it, but he learned to live with it -- and more.
"He saw her as a creative, interesting, quirky person," she says. "He just saw it as a reflection of why he'd fallen in love with her in the first place."
Here are more tips on how to have a happy marriage from the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center.
3. Don't yell at a yeller
If you're married to a yeller, don't yell right back, advises William Doherty, a marriage and family therapist and professor in the Family Social Science Department at the University of Minnesota.
"Be strong without shouting," he says. For example, if you're dealing with a chronic yeller, you could respond by saying in a calm voice: "This behavior that you're doing now I will not accept in this relationship, and if you continue it, I'm leaving."
4. Limit the Greek chorus
Doherty says he's noticed that women who are unhappy in their marriages will often confide in their girlfriends, and the typical response tends to be, "What a jerk!"
While it's fine to seek support from your social circle, it's also important to go to a counselor, who will do more than commiserate, and actually help you find a solution to your problems, which might include identifying the role you've played in your marital difficulties.
The website for the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy can help you find a therapist near you.
5. Recall the happy times
Even in stressed-out marriage, there are often moments of happiness. Tracy Todd, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Virginia, and spokesperson for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, recommends analyzing them.
"Think of some recent times that were OK to positive. How did they occur? What did you do to help create the situation? What can you do to recreate a more positive environment?" he says. "Recall exceptions to the bitterness."
But here's one more thing you need to do: Learn how to argue well with your spouse.
A new study from Ohio State University shows just how physically harmful it can be to argue the wrong way. In the study, 37 married couples were brought into a hospital research lab, and a tiny vacuum device gave them eight 8-mm blisters on their forearms. Each couple was then videotaped while having conversations, and researchers graded them on their communication skills, noting who had distressing or hostile styles of communicating.
After 12 days, the researchers noticed that the blisters healed faster on the couples who had more positive communication styles, and the blisters healed the slowest on the couples with more negative styles.
Why would physical wounds heal more quickly among the better communicators? The researchers at Ohio State who did the study think it might have something to do with oxytocin.
"Oxytocin is a protective hormone," says Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, the lead author of the study, who noted that the better communicators in her study -- the ones whose wounds healed the fastest -- had the highest levels of oxytocin in their blood.
The study was recently published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.
There are certainly many examples of high-profile troubled marriages. For example, actor Charlie Sheen was arrested in connection with an argument he had with his wife last Christmas Day; a court hearing on the case was delayed Monday. But husbands and wives don't always make the connection that stressful marriages can actually harm your physical health.
"People get very surprised when they hear that marital stress is actually worse for your health than workplace stress," says Tara Parker-Pope, author of "For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage."
Overall, couples with more marital stress have worse immune function and higher blood pressure and heart rates, according to Debra Umberson, a professor of sociology at the University of Texas, who studies couples and stress.
"Marital stress is so pernicious because it's chronic, long-term, and you can't get away from it," she says "You're having these problems day in and day out year after year, decade after decade."
While both sexes suffer, some, but not all, studies show women suffer more physical effects from a bad marriage than men, Umberson adds.
Of course, having a happy marriage or relationship is easier said than done. Here are some tips for limiting marital stress to make you happier and physically healthier.
1. Argue well
"We tend to focus on how often we fight -- as in, 'we've been fighting a lot lately' or 'we've haven't fought much lately,'" Parker-Pope says. "But that's actually pretty meaningless. What really matters is the quality of your arguments."
Let's say, for example, your house is messy. You have a choice: you could say something like "This house such a mess, and you never help me clean it up" or you could say "I want us to learn how to be neater." The latter, marriage experts say, is better not just for your marriage but for your and your partner's physical health.
"Any elements of criticism or demand make your words stressful," Umberson says.
Here's another example. Let's say your partner has just baked cookies and the kitchen looks like a hurricane hit it.
"You could walk into the kitchen and notice the mess but not the cookies," she says. "Or you could say, 'It smells great in here, and I can't wait to have one of those cookies, but wow, it's messy in here."
If you think style doesn't matter, think back to that Ohio State study, Parker-Pope adds.
"Think about those blisters, and how slow they were to heal after a nasty comment," she says. "This should make everyone stop and realize, 'I need to think about what I'm doing to my health and my partner's health and make sure I'm fighting well to stay well.'"
2. Your spouse is annoying -- accept it!
Umberson noticed something interesting in her studies of happy couples.
"It's always been striking to me that when people get along, they just accept something annoying about their partner. They don't try to alter it," she says.
Case in point: The wife in one of her happy couples had the habit of stacking up books in various places around the house, including doorways. Her husband wasn't thrilled with it, but he learned to live with it -- and more.
"He saw her as a creative, interesting, quirky person," she says. "He just saw it as a reflection of why he'd fallen in love with her in the first place."
Here are more tips on how to have a happy marriage from the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center.
3. Don't yell at a yeller
If you're married to a yeller, don't yell right back, advises William Doherty, a marriage and family therapist and professor in the Family Social Science Department at the University of Minnesota.
"Be strong without shouting," he says. For example, if you're dealing with a chronic yeller, you could respond by saying in a calm voice: "This behavior that you're doing now I will not accept in this relationship, and if you continue it, I'm leaving."
4. Limit the Greek chorus
Doherty says he's noticed that women who are unhappy in their marriages will often confide in their girlfriends, and the typical response tends to be, "What a jerk!"
While it's fine to seek support from your social circle, it's also important to go to a counselor, who will do more than commiserate, and actually help you find a solution to your problems, which might include identifying the role you've played in your marital difficulties.
The website for the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy can help you find a therapist near you.
5. Recall the happy times
Even in stressed-out marriage, there are often moments of happiness. Tracy Todd, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Virginia, and spokesperson for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, recommends analyzing them.
"Think of some recent times that were OK to positive. How did they occur? What did you do to help create the situation? What can you do to recreate a more positive environment?" he says. "Recall exceptions to the bitterness."
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Reviews on Two of My Books by a Professional
"You + Me = We; How to Communicate with a teen diagnosed with a mental illness or anyone else, for that matter"
By Deborah Colleen Rose
The introduction is very helpful in setting a boundary for communication, i.e.. you cannot communicate with a person who is "raging", in this case, safety for everyone is the primary goal.
The way this workbook starts is very engaging, it takes you right into the mind of your child (or attempts to) it is very helpful in setting a paradigm for which to continue through the other assignments. The thought provoking questions disarm a parent who is truly seeking to understand their child. Then shifts to have parents take a look at themselves in a non-threatening way. Ending with the goals the workbook has in mind with the first one being that parents must take care of themselves before they can take care of their kids.
Through out the book it is straight forward, easy to understand language with avenues of explanation for more difficult words or concepts. The practical applications can be implemented in a family right away. Teaching families to build on the strength they have already, love, and "tweaking" that powerful connection to work for a family not against them in negative expressions such as fear, anger, etc; that are fueled by disappointment, dreams lost, conflict, stress, anxiety, poor communication and bad choices. This is an excellent thought through and organized workbook that could reap great benefits for families who choose to implement these skills.
They way it is written communicates true understanding of these issues with MI teens from an experiential point of view. It also exudes the love, empathy, humility, and compassion, the writer has for her children and other teens that suffer from mental illness. I recommend this workbook for laypersons and professionals alike.
The only concern I would express about this workbook is the level of "understanding" a parent has. This is somewhat tied to education, but also motivation and desire to be a better parent. Some of the parents we work with at Metrocare are attending services to "fix" the child, without considering that they too may need the help. These parents are generally at the prompting of the school or legal system with little or no motivation to engage in a process of change.
"Sick Can Be Fixed" by Deborah Colleen Rose
This is a peer to peer publication written by a parent for parents. The stories throughout the book offer great vignettes for expounding what is being taught, in particular the story of Josh and his "not being evil .... sick can be fixed (hence the title)." (funny, I use the, MI does not mean you are evil, unintelligent, etc with my clients all the time:)
However, this is a very technical book as well, teaching many new words and concepts through out the book.This is a book for those who not only want to know the symptoms of the MI, but the etiology and history. I think it would benefit a person who has at least some high school education and higher. Many, many parents would benefit with this approach and it would give a greater understanding and empathy for the biological functions of the brain. Some parents would get lost and either skip ahead or stop reading altogether, these are generally lower functioning adults themselves, lower education, or parents who do not desire or seek to understand their child.
This would be best if done in group with a facilitator to guide, answer questions, at least the first time through the book.
This is a great resource for parents to gain a plethora of knowledge about several diagnoses. It answers questions and gives sound guidance. One concern, if the parent attempts to "self diagnose" the child and attempts to be fixated on one element or diagnosis or medication and is resistant to the professional's impute in treatment or prescribing medications
I really liked the C.H.U.N.K. approach to attaining ones core emotion. It is easy to understand and implement right away. The direction given to establish a treatment, plan, goals and interaction with the school system in particular will be exceptionally helpful to parents.The crisis plan is a crucial step in being proactive. I can see these implemented in most of our families immediately.
By Deborah Colleen Rose
The introduction is very helpful in setting a boundary for communication, i.e.. you cannot communicate with a person who is "raging", in this case, safety for everyone is the primary goal.
The way this workbook starts is very engaging, it takes you right into the mind of your child (or attempts to) it is very helpful in setting a paradigm for which to continue through the other assignments. The thought provoking questions disarm a parent who is truly seeking to understand their child. Then shifts to have parents take a look at themselves in a non-threatening way. Ending with the goals the workbook has in mind with the first one being that parents must take care of themselves before they can take care of their kids.
Through out the book it is straight forward, easy to understand language with avenues of explanation for more difficult words or concepts. The practical applications can be implemented in a family right away. Teaching families to build on the strength they have already, love, and "tweaking" that powerful connection to work for a family not against them in negative expressions such as fear, anger, etc; that are fueled by disappointment, dreams lost, conflict, stress, anxiety, poor communication and bad choices. This is an excellent thought through and organized workbook that could reap great benefits for families who choose to implement these skills.
They way it is written communicates true understanding of these issues with MI teens from an experiential point of view. It also exudes the love, empathy, humility, and compassion, the writer has for her children and other teens that suffer from mental illness. I recommend this workbook for laypersons and professionals alike.
The only concern I would express about this workbook is the level of "understanding" a parent has. This is somewhat tied to education, but also motivation and desire to be a better parent. Some of the parents we work with at Metrocare are attending services to "fix" the child, without considering that they too may need the help. These parents are generally at the prompting of the school or legal system with little or no motivation to engage in a process of change.
"Sick Can Be Fixed" by Deborah Colleen Rose
This is a peer to peer publication written by a parent for parents. The stories throughout the book offer great vignettes for expounding what is being taught, in particular the story of Josh and his "not being evil .... sick can be fixed (hence the title)." (funny, I use the, MI does not mean you are evil, unintelligent, etc with my clients all the time:)
However, this is a very technical book as well, teaching many new words and concepts through out the book.This is a book for those who not only want to know the symptoms of the MI, but the etiology and history. I think it would benefit a person who has at least some high school education and higher. Many, many parents would benefit with this approach and it would give a greater understanding and empathy for the biological functions of the brain. Some parents would get lost and either skip ahead or stop reading altogether, these are generally lower functioning adults themselves, lower education, or parents who do not desire or seek to understand their child.
This would be best if done in group with a facilitator to guide, answer questions, at least the first time through the book.
This is a great resource for parents to gain a plethora of knowledge about several diagnoses. It answers questions and gives sound guidance. One concern, if the parent attempts to "self diagnose" the child and attempts to be fixated on one element or diagnosis or medication and is resistant to the professional's impute in treatment or prescribing medications
I really liked the C.H.U.N.K. approach to attaining ones core emotion. It is easy to understand and implement right away. The direction given to establish a treatment, plan, goals and interaction with the school system in particular will be exceptionally helpful to parents.The crisis plan is a crucial step in being proactive. I can see these implemented in most of our families immediately.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
I can't think of anything better to post today....Handbook 2010
HANDBOOK 2010
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14.. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. (This one seems to be the hardest for us)
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...
Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
And my own personal addition:
40. Never deny that you love or refuse to let others love you. If this confuses you, then you are not following it.
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14.. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. (This one seems to be the hardest for us)
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...
Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
And my own personal addition:
40. Never deny that you love or refuse to let others love you. If this confuses you, then you are not following it.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy New Year
You slip out like you’ve not been a part of me – every single day.
There is another waiting to take your place, but we know it’s not quite the same.
There were those before you and those that come after. Some more special than the others but all important in some way.
’70, ’74 and ’84 come to mind quickly and bring a smile. Others come just as fast to mind but bring with them tears.
I hate to see you go, - I’m glad there is more to come.
So take with you the pain that was a part of what you are and leave behind only that which made a difference – made me smarter, made me wiser, made me kinder, made me happy.
Auld Lang Syne – though it be a lifetime, is not so long, long ago.
There is another waiting to take your place, but we know it’s not quite the same.
There were those before you and those that come after. Some more special than the others but all important in some way.
’70, ’74 and ’84 come to mind quickly and bring a smile. Others come just as fast to mind but bring with them tears.
I hate to see you go, - I’m glad there is more to come.
So take with you the pain that was a part of what you are and leave behind only that which made a difference – made me smarter, made me wiser, made me kinder, made me happy.
Auld Lang Syne – though it be a lifetime, is not so long, long ago.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Star Gazing
You recognized me as a star
Maybe not as bright at the moon,
or as strong at the star of the North,
But you plucked me from the darkness
and claimed as me as your own.
You are my earth and sun
Giving me a reason to shine and give out radiant hope.
You are life giving and life supporting.
I – what am I?
I am doing what all stars do.
I am growing and expanding,
getting brighter, moment by moment.
No stone is left unturned
NO heart left untouched
To find the secret of life
and the passion that brings light to us all.
I think you might sometimes scoff
at my little flicker of light,
Twinkling in the twilight.
Patience is coming to my side
As friendly and gentle as a puff of spring breeze
Giving me the courage to wait.
I’ll keep shining
Keep twinkling
Yes sometimes I do fall and clouds cover me
and keep me from your sight.
And when this happens, a star’s tear I shed.
But one day, I know,when the sun’s light is almost gone
and the earth’s bed is growing cold,
You will look up and see me.
The star you picked out for yourself.
And realize, that you’re loved
and not so alone as you thought.
For at your very reach,
you have the whole universe.
Maybe not as bright at the moon,
or as strong at the star of the North,
But you plucked me from the darkness
and claimed as me as your own.
You are my earth and sun
Giving me a reason to shine and give out radiant hope.
You are life giving and life supporting.
I – what am I?
I am doing what all stars do.
I am growing and expanding,
getting brighter, moment by moment.
No stone is left unturned
NO heart left untouched
To find the secret of life
and the passion that brings light to us all.
I think you might sometimes scoff
at my little flicker of light,
Twinkling in the twilight.
Patience is coming to my side
As friendly and gentle as a puff of spring breeze
Giving me the courage to wait.
I’ll keep shining
Keep twinkling
Yes sometimes I do fall and clouds cover me
and keep me from your sight.
And when this happens, a star’s tear I shed.
But one day, I know,when the sun’s light is almost gone
and the earth’s bed is growing cold,
You will look up and see me.
The star you picked out for yourself.
And realize, that you’re loved
and not so alone as you thought.
For at your very reach,
you have the whole universe.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
A Story Worth Repeating in My Book
My friend, Neil, posted this on Facebook. I like it and thought it was worth posting again.
For those who are unaware: At all military base theaters, the National Anthem is played before the movie begins.This is written by a Chaplain in Iraq:I recently attended a showing of 'Superman 3' here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom at all military bases, we stand to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. One night, all was going well until three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem, the music stopped. Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and yell for the movie to begin. (Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.) Here in Iraq , 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again and the Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. But again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect 1000 Soldiers standing at attention to do ?? Frankly, I expected some laughter, and everyone would eventually sit down and wait for the movie to start. But No!!... You could have heard a pin drop, while every Soldier continued to stand at attention. Suddenly, there was a lone voice from the front of the auditorium, then a dozen voices, and soon the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off: "And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave." It was the most inspiring moment I have had in Iraq and I wanted you to know w hat kind of Soldiers are serving you. Remember them as they fight for us!-
Written by Chaplain Jim HigginsLSA Anaconda is at the Ballad Airport in Iraq , north of Baghdad
For those who are unaware: At all military base theaters, the National Anthem is played before the movie begins.This is written by a Chaplain in Iraq:I recently attended a showing of 'Superman 3' here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom at all military bases, we stand to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. One night, all was going well until three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem, the music stopped. Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and yell for the movie to begin. (Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.) Here in Iraq , 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again and the Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. But again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect 1000 Soldiers standing at attention to do ?? Frankly, I expected some laughter, and everyone would eventually sit down and wait for the movie to start. But No!!... You could have heard a pin drop, while every Soldier continued to stand at attention. Suddenly, there was a lone voice from the front of the auditorium, then a dozen voices, and soon the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off: "And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave." It was the most inspiring moment I have had in Iraq and I wanted you to know w hat kind of Soldiers are serving you. Remember them as they fight for us!-
Written by Chaplain Jim HigginsLSA Anaconda is at the Ballad Airport in Iraq , north of Baghdad
Monday, October 19, 2009
Family Dynamics
I just hung up the phone with after having a conversation with a friend about her grandmother. Nothing unusual about this at all. What struck me though is that I’ve had this same conversation with personal variety added to it about five times in the past week alone. The truth is we are all getting older – my friends and me. And this means that our elders are older. And with age comes changes in our lives and those affected by our lives.
My mom just had a hip replacement. And she is doing great. But she and I both know that this is the marking of time that will eventually bring us to the point that she will no longer live by herself. For us, it’s not a big deal – my mom and I finally get along and have moved into an adult phenomena that is pretty cool. We are more friends than parent and child. I get her. She gets me. And we like what we get. But as I think about her getting older and needing me more, I feel like the child again and this makes me anxious. Because I won’t be just a child but a child in charge. It feels odd.
I know that though my mom holds her head straight and smiles, the idea of giving up some control over her own life has got to make her want to scream and pull her hair. She is very independent. She likes things her way. And I want her to have things her way, but at the same time, I want them my way, too.
When we’re teens, we break away from our family to have things our way, to become our own person and to discover ourselves. I feel like I have just started reaching my stride and now, soon enough, there will be a coming together of the generations again. And now, in a short time, the tide will be flowing back in, bringing the generations together again, but with a twist.
It makes me a bit apprehensive on several counts. First, will I be loosing my freedom that I am just learning to enjoy, now that my own children have fled the nest? Will I make the right decisions for me and my mother both? Will I disappoint her or even find that the hard won friendship we have is being pressured because she feels I have pushed her into dependency? Will I make it easy for her to remain autonomous even though she no longer lives alone? Will I fall easily into the role of being “parent” to my own parent or will I find the skills needed to keep us relating as one adult to another?
So many questions. Answers will be forthcoming. Time will tell. It always does.
My mom just had a hip replacement. And she is doing great. But she and I both know that this is the marking of time that will eventually bring us to the point that she will no longer live by herself. For us, it’s not a big deal – my mom and I finally get along and have moved into an adult phenomena that is pretty cool. We are more friends than parent and child. I get her. She gets me. And we like what we get. But as I think about her getting older and needing me more, I feel like the child again and this makes me anxious. Because I won’t be just a child but a child in charge. It feels odd.
I know that though my mom holds her head straight and smiles, the idea of giving up some control over her own life has got to make her want to scream and pull her hair. She is very independent. She likes things her way. And I want her to have things her way, but at the same time, I want them my way, too.
When we’re teens, we break away from our family to have things our way, to become our own person and to discover ourselves. I feel like I have just started reaching my stride and now, soon enough, there will be a coming together of the generations again. And now, in a short time, the tide will be flowing back in, bringing the generations together again, but with a twist.
It makes me a bit apprehensive on several counts. First, will I be loosing my freedom that I am just learning to enjoy, now that my own children have fled the nest? Will I make the right decisions for me and my mother both? Will I disappoint her or even find that the hard won friendship we have is being pressured because she feels I have pushed her into dependency? Will I make it easy for her to remain autonomous even though she no longer lives alone? Will I fall easily into the role of being “parent” to my own parent or will I find the skills needed to keep us relating as one adult to another?
So many questions. Answers will be forthcoming. Time will tell. It always does.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
I Long
Pictures of Ireland cause me to ache
Like a well known memory
She’s not in my mind
So must be in my blood
And it’s an ache of which I don’t wish to be free
I sit among the hustle and tussle of today
Feeling quite like I don’t belong
While something else tugs on my heart
Nay, even my soul. And closing my eyes –
well it only makes it more strong
Is this something I knew and can’t quite reclaim
Or is it something I’ve yet to see
The ache is nameless and at my core
Is the ache for what I haven’t recalled or
for something that will never be
Your greens and your purples and your blues
and the lilt of your sons call my name
We know each other, and though we’re much apart
Is it because you are my home, my destiny
Where I must go or from where I first came
Like a well known memory
She’s not in my mind
So must be in my blood
And it’s an ache of which I don’t wish to be free
I sit among the hustle and tussle of today
Feeling quite like I don’t belong
While something else tugs on my heart
Nay, even my soul. And closing my eyes –
well it only makes it more strong
Is this something I knew and can’t quite reclaim
Or is it something I’ve yet to see
The ache is nameless and at my core
Is the ache for what I haven’t recalled or
for something that will never be
Your greens and your purples and your blues
and the lilt of your sons call my name
We know each other, and though we’re much apart
Is it because you are my home, my destiny
Where I must go or from where I first came
Friday, October 2, 2009
Are Charity Boards Asleep at the Wheel?
I found this on the charity watch website and it is sound advice that is worth reading again.
Are Charity Boards Asleep at the Wheel? Nonprofit Governance Problems
http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/asleep.html
Boards need to have the power to hire, fire and set the compensation rate of the executive director or chief staff head and other key employees. The 1986 bylaws (most recently available) of Girls and Boys Town, also known as Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home, do not allow for its governing board to select who they want for the two most important officers at the charity: the President, who has the power to chair all board meetings, and the Executive Vice President, who serves as the executive director or CEO and resides over the board in the President’s absence. According to the bylaws, the board must appoint as President whoever is the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha. The bylaws give the President, not the board, the power to choose who will be the CEO of the charity.
More and more boards are agreeing to multiyear contracts with their chief staff head. AIP discourages this practice because it “locks in” a poorly performing executive and takes away the board’s right to find a better successor or obligates a charity to keep paying a former employee. The United Way of the National Capitol Area, which has had a number of serious management and financial problems (see November 2002 AIP Guide), feels that it is contractually obligated to continue to pay its former CEO, Norman O. Taylor, his $225,000 salary through Feb 1, 2004 even though he resigned last February, according to the Washington Post. The American Institute of Cancer Research states in its 2001 audit that it has locked itself into five-year long contracts with key personnel.
Sometimes it appears that the CEO controls the board rather than the other way around. The Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, a struggling hospital system in Philadelphia, awarded in July 2001 its CEO, Martin H. Goldsmith, with a $2.5 million payment, in addition to his $768,000 salary, months before 200 employees were laid off, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. An Einstein spokesperson told the Inquirer that “Goldsmith deserved the bonus because he had engineered 14 years of positive results before 2002’s loss.”
Many board members limit their communications with only the very top-level staff of a charity. This is a mistake because board members have an obligation to have a basic understanding of what is occurring in all levels of an organization and should periodically check-in with a variety of staff. It is also risky for board members to depend solely on the chief staff head (CEO) or his top lieutenants for intelligence on the organization. The CEO may be tempted to hide problems from the board if he knows that the board is too dependent on him for information about what is going on in the organization. Individual staff members should have an open line to communicate with board members on serious and pressing matters that are not being adequately handled by the CEO. The New York Times reported last year that the Markle Foundation, which helped to start the children’s TV program Sesame Street, tells staff to not speak to board members without first speaking with the CEO’s deputy. The Foundation also requires, according to the Times, that if an employee has “inadvertent contact” with a board member outside of the office, the employee must send the CEO an e-mail “describing your encounter.” Peter Kerr, spokesman for the Foundation, said it was true that an email had been sent to staff that instructed employees to inform management of any contact with Board members. But he said the intent was to keep management apprised, not to discourage contact.
In recent years AIP has seen nonprofits increasingly attempt to silence their employees. We believe that nonprofit groups should discontinue employee contracts or severance agreements that contractually disallow employees or former employees to speak to outsiders about serious organizational problems. This serves to stop most employees or potential whistleblowers, who could warn the public of mismanagement or serious ethical breaches that charity executives may be attempting to cover up. At Feed the Children (FTC) employees are required to sign a confidentiality agreement as a condition of employment. The agreement requires that employees not disseminate any information about FTC outside of the charity without prior written approval. Employees who violate this agreement face “disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment and legal action, even if they do not actually benefit from the disclosed information,” according to the agreement. While it is a common practice in the nonprofit field for employees to respect the privacy of donors and clients and not to reveal the trade secrets of any for-profit subsidiaries, FTC’s confidentiality agreement is exceptionally broad, and it may deter the scrutiny that every charity needs.
Year after year many charities sign contracts with professional fundraisers that allow the fundraiser to keep by far most of the contributions collected. Sometimes charities also even allow the fundraiser to keep and control the names of the donors so that the charity is locked into an unfavorable arrangement. AIP believes that the board of directors should be required to approve all fundraising contracts. Hopefully, savvy board members will be able to keep well-intentioned charities from getting taken advantage of and keep them from continuing to violate the intentions of their donors.
AIP encourages the governing boards of all nonprofit organizations to recognize the serious responsibility of serving on a board and awaken to the fact that they are ultimately responsible for safeguarding our charitable contributions and regaining America’s trust in the nonprofit sector.
Are Charity Boards Asleep at the Wheel? Nonprofit Governance Problems
http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/asleep.html
Boards need to have the power to hire, fire and set the compensation rate of the executive director or chief staff head and other key employees. The 1986 bylaws (most recently available) of Girls and Boys Town, also known as Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home, do not allow for its governing board to select who they want for the two most important officers at the charity: the President, who has the power to chair all board meetings, and the Executive Vice President, who serves as the executive director or CEO and resides over the board in the President’s absence. According to the bylaws, the board must appoint as President whoever is the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha. The bylaws give the President, not the board, the power to choose who will be the CEO of the charity.
More and more boards are agreeing to multiyear contracts with their chief staff head. AIP discourages this practice because it “locks in” a poorly performing executive and takes away the board’s right to find a better successor or obligates a charity to keep paying a former employee. The United Way of the National Capitol Area, which has had a number of serious management and financial problems (see November 2002 AIP Guide), feels that it is contractually obligated to continue to pay its former CEO, Norman O. Taylor, his $225,000 salary through Feb 1, 2004 even though he resigned last February, according to the Washington Post. The American Institute of Cancer Research states in its 2001 audit that it has locked itself into five-year long contracts with key personnel.
Sometimes it appears that the CEO controls the board rather than the other way around. The Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, a struggling hospital system in Philadelphia, awarded in July 2001 its CEO, Martin H. Goldsmith, with a $2.5 million payment, in addition to his $768,000 salary, months before 200 employees were laid off, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. An Einstein spokesperson told the Inquirer that “Goldsmith deserved the bonus because he had engineered 14 years of positive results before 2002’s loss.”
Many board members limit their communications with only the very top-level staff of a charity. This is a mistake because board members have an obligation to have a basic understanding of what is occurring in all levels of an organization and should periodically check-in with a variety of staff. It is also risky for board members to depend solely on the chief staff head (CEO) or his top lieutenants for intelligence on the organization. The CEO may be tempted to hide problems from the board if he knows that the board is too dependent on him for information about what is going on in the organization. Individual staff members should have an open line to communicate with board members on serious and pressing matters that are not being adequately handled by the CEO. The New York Times reported last year that the Markle Foundation, which helped to start the children’s TV program Sesame Street, tells staff to not speak to board members without first speaking with the CEO’s deputy. The Foundation also requires, according to the Times, that if an employee has “inadvertent contact” with a board member outside of the office, the employee must send the CEO an e-mail “describing your encounter.” Peter Kerr, spokesman for the Foundation, said it was true that an email had been sent to staff that instructed employees to inform management of any contact with Board members. But he said the intent was to keep management apprised, not to discourage contact.
In recent years AIP has seen nonprofits increasingly attempt to silence their employees. We believe that nonprofit groups should discontinue employee contracts or severance agreements that contractually disallow employees or former employees to speak to outsiders about serious organizational problems. This serves to stop most employees or potential whistleblowers, who could warn the public of mismanagement or serious ethical breaches that charity executives may be attempting to cover up. At Feed the Children (FTC) employees are required to sign a confidentiality agreement as a condition of employment. The agreement requires that employees not disseminate any information about FTC outside of the charity without prior written approval. Employees who violate this agreement face “disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment and legal action, even if they do not actually benefit from the disclosed information,” according to the agreement. While it is a common practice in the nonprofit field for employees to respect the privacy of donors and clients and not to reveal the trade secrets of any for-profit subsidiaries, FTC’s confidentiality agreement is exceptionally broad, and it may deter the scrutiny that every charity needs.
Year after year many charities sign contracts with professional fundraisers that allow the fundraiser to keep by far most of the contributions collected. Sometimes charities also even allow the fundraiser to keep and control the names of the donors so that the charity is locked into an unfavorable arrangement. AIP believes that the board of directors should be required to approve all fundraising contracts. Hopefully, savvy board members will be able to keep well-intentioned charities from getting taken advantage of and keep them from continuing to violate the intentions of their donors.
AIP encourages the governing boards of all nonprofit organizations to recognize the serious responsibility of serving on a board and awaken to the fact that they are ultimately responsible for safeguarding our charitable contributions and regaining America’s trust in the nonprofit sector.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Something fun today - I love language!
THE ABILITY TO MAKE AND UNDERSTAND PUNS IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT!....
Here are the 10 first-place winners in the International Pun Contest:
1. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The flight attendant looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."
2. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says "Dam!
3. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it immediately sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.
4. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says "I've lost my electron" The other says "Are you sure?" The first replies "Yes, I'm positive."
5. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.
6. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent Tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?" they asked as they moved off. "Because," he said, "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."
7. A woman has identical twins and is forced to give them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain ; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're identical twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."
8. A group of friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they didn't close up shop Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that only Hugh can prevent Florist friars.
9. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and, with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him (Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good) a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
10. There was the person who sent ten different puns to friends with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.
Here are the 10 first-place winners in the International Pun Contest:
1. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The flight attendant looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."
2. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says "Dam!
3. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it immediately sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.
4. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says "I've lost my electron" The other says "Are you sure?" The first replies "Yes, I'm positive."
5. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.
6. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent Tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?" they asked as they moved off. "Because," he said, "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."
7. A woman has identical twins and is forced to give them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain ; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're identical twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."
8. A group of friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they didn't close up shop Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that only Hugh can prevent Florist friars.
9. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and, with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him (Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good) a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
10. There was the person who sent ten different puns to friends with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
New Epidemic of Excuses
I’m kind of known for my rants, though I think my rants are few and far between. If I WROTE about what I THOUGHT about, now that would be another story. But this thought keeps cropping up for me so I am compelled to write it.
The newest thing that has caught my interest, or if you will, my “mind’s eye” is the excuse that has become wildly acceptable and is now completely overused. In fact, in my opinion, it is so over used, it is now abused and creating a whole genre of excuses under the guise of “Setting boundaries” OR “Just taking Care of Myself”.
That’s right. People are getting away from all manner of things that need their attention because they are just laying down their boundaries. Example – “No, I can’t cook cupcakes for the PTA. I have too much to do and I have to draw the line somewhere.” Or another example – “I have to take care of myself. So I’m sorry that you are short handed at the raffle (or whatever you want to plug in here..). Yes, I did say I would help if I could, but I just can’t. “
Of course, everyone does over extend themselves from time to time and yes, when that happens, and you are reaching a point of exhaustion, something has to give. That is NOT what I am talking about.
What I am talking about is when they use excuses of boundaries and self care to explain why they aren’t doing the HARD things that need to be handled, giving themselves solace that it is ok for them to walk away from situations that desperately need dealing with.
For example, you are part of a team working on a project to promote a new item at work. One of the team members is taking credit for ideas that another member came up with. The whole team benefits regardless of who came up with the idea and it wasn’t yours. So you tell yourself, “I’m just taking care of me and I can’t fix the world”, and you don’t say anything to your supervisor about who really came up with the great ideas.
Another example would be that you have 4 months left on a contract with a client. It has become grossly apparent that the office manager is derelict in many duties and has done their best to keep this from the boss. You know that if you bring this to the head man’s attention, your contract would be extended but the clean up would be astronomical stress wise, so you say nothing. Hey!!! I’m just taking care of myself – it’s a boundary issue. But is it? When does taking care of myself become the lead item over doing the “right thing”?
These may be extremes as far as examples go, but they do happen and they are actual examples. But on a smaller scale, we see things like this every day. And what is happening to our standards as a community is we are creating a clan of wimps and handing them a sugar coated excuse to be a wimp. There is a fine line of setting a boundary so that you are not taken advantage of or even bullied during a relationship and crossing that line as using “your boundaries” so as not to be held accountable for things you might not be able to do or WANT to do.
People use “boundaries” to avoid difficult conversations, or difficult people. I am considered a “difficult person” by many as I ask a lot of questions and expect answers and many times people don’t want to even think about the questions, much less come up with an answer.
What I am talking here is not about prying or demanding things that are not other people’s business or right to expect. What I am talking about is how people avoid being accountable based upon commitments they have made and then suddenly decide they don’t want to be involved in anymore.
The next time you start a conversation with “I have to take care of myself and this is my boundary”, before you do, ask yourself, “What am I really avoiding here – a headache or a responsibility?”
That word – responsibility. That is another rant for another day.
The newest thing that has caught my interest, or if you will, my “mind’s eye” is the excuse that has become wildly acceptable and is now completely overused. In fact, in my opinion, it is so over used, it is now abused and creating a whole genre of excuses under the guise of “Setting boundaries” OR “Just taking Care of Myself”.
That’s right. People are getting away from all manner of things that need their attention because they are just laying down their boundaries. Example – “No, I can’t cook cupcakes for the PTA. I have too much to do and I have to draw the line somewhere.” Or another example – “I have to take care of myself. So I’m sorry that you are short handed at the raffle (or whatever you want to plug in here..). Yes, I did say I would help if I could, but I just can’t. “
Of course, everyone does over extend themselves from time to time and yes, when that happens, and you are reaching a point of exhaustion, something has to give. That is NOT what I am talking about.
What I am talking about is when they use excuses of boundaries and self care to explain why they aren’t doing the HARD things that need to be handled, giving themselves solace that it is ok for them to walk away from situations that desperately need dealing with.
For example, you are part of a team working on a project to promote a new item at work. One of the team members is taking credit for ideas that another member came up with. The whole team benefits regardless of who came up with the idea and it wasn’t yours. So you tell yourself, “I’m just taking care of me and I can’t fix the world”, and you don’t say anything to your supervisor about who really came up with the great ideas.
Another example would be that you have 4 months left on a contract with a client. It has become grossly apparent that the office manager is derelict in many duties and has done their best to keep this from the boss. You know that if you bring this to the head man’s attention, your contract would be extended but the clean up would be astronomical stress wise, so you say nothing. Hey!!! I’m just taking care of myself – it’s a boundary issue. But is it? When does taking care of myself become the lead item over doing the “right thing”?
These may be extremes as far as examples go, but they do happen and they are actual examples. But on a smaller scale, we see things like this every day. And what is happening to our standards as a community is we are creating a clan of wimps and handing them a sugar coated excuse to be a wimp. There is a fine line of setting a boundary so that you are not taken advantage of or even bullied during a relationship and crossing that line as using “your boundaries” so as not to be held accountable for things you might not be able to do or WANT to do.
People use “boundaries” to avoid difficult conversations, or difficult people. I am considered a “difficult person” by many as I ask a lot of questions and expect answers and many times people don’t want to even think about the questions, much less come up with an answer.
What I am talking here is not about prying or demanding things that are not other people’s business or right to expect. What I am talking about is how people avoid being accountable based upon commitments they have made and then suddenly decide they don’t want to be involved in anymore.
The next time you start a conversation with “I have to take care of myself and this is my boundary”, before you do, ask yourself, “What am I really avoiding here – a headache or a responsibility?”
That word – responsibility. That is another rant for another day.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
What are People Saying about our Teens, Mental Illness and the Justice System? Read on...
August 17, 2009
Letters
Young, Mentally Ill and Behind Bars
To the Editor:
Re “Mentally Ill Offenders Stretch the Limits of Juvenile Justice” (front page, Aug. 10):
Solitary confinement is among the harshest legal punishments that American society inflicts on its adult inmates. To inflict it on children is cruel and immoral.
I studied suicides in New York State’s prisons over a six-year period and found that half occurred in solitary confinement units even though just 7 percent of the population was housed there. In 1890, the United States Supreme Court observed that prisoners in solitary confinement “fell, after even a short confinement, into a semifatuous condition, from which it was next to impossible to arouse them, and others became violently insane.”
If adults are unable to endure the tedium and psychological torture of round-the-clock confinement, imagine what it does to young, developing minds — and what it does to those with mental illness.
Mary Beth PfeifferStone Ridge, N.Y., Aug. 10, 2009
The writer is a journalist and author of “Crazy in America: The Hidden Tragedy of Our Criminalized Mentally Ill.”
•
To the Editor:
In response to rallying cries of “get tough on crime” in the 1980s, many policies were put in place that have led to skyrocketing prison populations. The most troubling, with profound effects, is in the juvenile justice system.
The systematic use of and reliance on the criminal justice system to deal with mental health problems of our youth have been misguided. Not only is this a waste of taxpayer money, but it is also tragic for the youth, families and communities in which they reside. The juveniles who are imprisoned because of mental illness are often without adequate treatment and without hope of recovery. They will be doomed to a life of crime and their victims will suffer. The economic crisis has worsened the situation, as it has resulted in a reduction of support for treatment of mental illness.
Congress should address the policies and revisit laws that result in an extraordinary number of youth with mental health disorders landing in prison. Instead, when possible, home-, family- and community-based care that addresses the underlying disorders should be used.
Greater collaboration is also needed among everyone involved in the lives of youth. Earlier detection of mental health and substance abuse disorders of juveniles in the justice system; increased training for juvenile court, corrections and law enforcement personnel; and expanded services and programs that have been proved to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for juvenile offenders are needed in order to improve the likelihood that juveniles with mental health disorders will get the help they need to become productive members of the community.
As Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. told the American Bar Association during its annual meeting this month in Chicago, while we need to be tough, we also need to be smart on crime.
Carolyn B. LammPresident, American Bar AssociationWashington, Aug. 12, 2009
•
To the Editor:
Your article accurately portrays the devastating consequences of cutting state and community mental health programs. Cutting publicly financed programs does a disservice to the mentally ill, costs more in the long run and worsens human suffering.
A 2004 study showed states with intensive community treatment programs had fewer arrests, jail days and hospitalizations of people with mental illnesses. One state saw an 83 percent reduction in jail days. States and communities that effectively carry out community mental health programs will reduce costs and, more important, help the mentally ill get effective treatment and keep them out of prisons.
Laurence H. MillerChairman, Assembly Committee on Public and Community Psychiatry American Psychiatric AssociationLittle Rock, Ark., Aug. 11, 2009
•
To the Editor:
Research demonstrates that delinquent youth with mental health issues can be far more effectively helped by home-based and community-based treatment than in correctional institutions. That is why in 2007 the Bloomberg administration began the Juvenile Justice Initiative, which provides treatment at home as an alternative to incarceration for juvenile delinquents.
Treatment for these youth, many of whom have been diagnosed with mental illness, is provided by trained clinicians with small caseloads who help families with obtaining appropriate psychiatric services. This reduces recidivism by 30 to 70 percent (far better than the 90 percent re-arrest rate for youth placed in juvenile prisons), and provides treatment for a fraction of the cost, while more successfully addressing antisocial behavior and teaching caregivers for these youth how to manage the symptoms of their children’s mental illness.
By wrapping services around the youths and their families in the community, therapeutic gains can be sustained after treatment ends.
John B. MattinglyCommissioner, New York CityAdministration for Children’s ServicesNew York, Aug. 11, 2009
•
To the Editor:
While thorough in describing the plight of mentally ill youth, your article does not describe emerging innovations.
For example, juvenile mental health courts and legal services lawyers in California have joined together to divert mentally ill youth from detention. These nonadversarial courts offer intensive case management and link youth to community-based mental health services so they can safely return home. The legal services lawyers expand access to critical resources like Medicaid, special education and disability benefits by enforcing existing legal rights to adequate mental health treatment and supports. Providing intensive treatment in the home is cheaper, more effective and more humane than detention.
Juvenile mental health courts are an important innovation to reduce detention of youth with mental illness, but they are not a solution. Only by providing adequate mental health services to every child in America will we end the practice of using juvenile jails to warehouse mentally ill youth.
Patrick GardnerFiza QuraishiOakland, Calif., Aug. 11, 2009
The writers are, respectively, the deputy director and a legal fellow at the National Center for Youth Law.
•
To the Editor:
The crisis in our juvenile corrections system will only worsen unless we reverse course and aggressively put in place early identification, prevention and effective treatment programs for mental health conditions.
We have a strong research base that shows that these programs can reduce antisocial behaviors and help young people succeed. Yet we fail to invest in these proven approaches. The plight of children in these facilities demands that we change course.
The health reform plans now being debated improve access to prevention programs that can avert the current downward spiral. Effective implementation of the 2008 insurance parity act contained in economic bailout legislation will help assure equitable access to mental health services.
We must change policies that permit mental health services to be the first cut. Continuing on our current path is expensive, ineffective and inhumane.
David L. ShernPresident and Chief ExecutiveMental Health AmericaAlexandria, Va., Aug. 11, 2009
******************************************************************
August 20, 2009
Letter
Help Without Confinement
To the Editor: NEW YORK TIMES
“Mentally Ill Offenders Stretch the Limits of Juvenile Justice” (front page, Aug. 10) illustrates the problems with using juvenile justice systems to meet the mental health needs of youth. Fortunately, there are growing efforts to better serve youth while ensuring public safety.
When mental health services are not available, or are poorly coordinated, youth land in the juvenile justice system, which worsens underlying conditions and contributes to re-offending.
Many jurisdictions are breaking with these failed approaches. Eight states participating in the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change, a juvenile justice systems reform initiative, are coordinating with law enforcement, schools and probation officers to divert youth with mental health needs away from juvenile justice placement and toward expanded treatment services.
When more states keep youth from being unnecessarily confined in order to gain access to treatment, everyone benefits. Rather than burdening overstretched systems, we can strengthen them while better providing for youth, families and communities.
Joseph J. CocozzaDirector, National Center for MentalHealth and Juvenile JusticePolicy Research AssociatesDelmar, N.Y., Aug. 11, 2009
********************************************************************
A dangerous label for children
Boston Globe
As a pediatrician who has listened to countless stories from distraught parents, I have no doubt that there are children who, even from infancy, are chronically unhappy. But to label them as having a ‘‘major depressive disorder’’ serves only one purpose: to provide a new market for the pharmaceutical industry.
Claudia Meininger Gold
August 16, 2009
-->
CLAUDIA MEININGER GOLD
A dangerous label for children
By Claudia Meininger Gold August 16, 2009
AS A PEDIATRICIAN who has listened to countless stories from distraught parents, I have no doubt that there are children who, even from infancy, are chronically unhappy. In documenting her struggle with depression in a recent New York Times Magazine article, Daphne Merkin wrote, “It is an affliction that often starts young and goes unheeded - younger than would seem possible, as if exiting the womb I was enveloped in a gray and itchy wool blanket instead of a soft, pastel-colored bunting.’’ My concern, however, with the study in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry describing preschool depression is that by saddling these young children with a major psychiatric diagnosis, our thinking will stop. Under the pressure of the powerful pharmaceutical industry, a direct line from diagnosis to drug will be the path of least resistance.
My sense is that these children process the world differently. One mother described carrying her screaming son for hours until she realized that he didn’t want to be held. Another mother said her daughter was “not cuddly’’ and difficult to feed. As they become toddlers, the issues change. I hear about what I call “sock bump anxiety,’’ where many changes of socks are required to find the one with the right seam in the toes. “Fun’’ family outings to a county fair can end in disaster as kids become overwhelmed by all of the sights and sounds. Intense tantrums and meltdowns are frequent.
When I talk with parents of these young children, I often discover that Mom, or Cousin John, or some other relative was just like this as a child, and now has a diagnosis of depression or bipolar disorder. They fear their child will have the same fate. Certainly I cannot claim to know what the future holds for these children.
However, I do have ideas about how to help these families in the present, ideas that are informed by contemporary research at the interface of developmental psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral genetics. This research shows that a child’s mind grows and develops when the people who are most important to the child are able to think about the child’s experience without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down. A parent’s capacity to “hold a child in mind’’ can help that child learn to manage difficult emotions and may actually change the way his brain handles stress.
To help parents with this task, which is more difficult than is generally acknowledged, I first validate their experience. One mother was beaten down by the constant comparisons to her sister’s angelic, easygoing child. “You are not a bad parent,’’ I tell them. “Life is really more challenging for you and your child.’’ If one parent suffers from depression, the strain of such a child can be particularly intense, and that parent will need help for him- or herself.
The normal stress that a child places on a marriage is significantly magnified. One mother of a 6-month-old felt a transformation in her relationship with her daughter simply because her husband came to the visit with me. He finally appreciated what she was experiencing at home while he went to work. With his support she had more energy to be fully present with her child.
All of the burden need not be on the parents. As these children get older, certain types of activities can be particularly helpful. These include martial arts, music, swimming, and horseback riding. I guide parents in finding what is right for their child. One boy at the age of 6 discovered a love for the stage. I joked with his parents that he might grow up to be a great actor, if they could just survive his childhood!
It is quite possible that if I were to list these children’s symptoms, or administer a standardized assessment tool, as was done in the recent study, they would meet diagnostic criteria for “major depressive disorder.’’ But such an approach is oversimplified and misses the nuances and complexities of human relationships. I would offer the same help with or without the label. In my opinion, labeling these young children serves only one purpose: to provide a new market for the pharmaceutical industry.
Claudia Meininger Gold, MD, is a pediatrician in Great Barrington.
******************************************************************
New Center for Cooperative Parenting Launched! The National Cooperative Parenting Center
Dr. Debra K Carter, Director of the National Cooperative Parenting Center, announced the launching of the center’s new site www.TheNCPC.com and the 2009-2010 training schedule for legal and mental health professionals.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 20, 2009 – Bradenton, Florida — “As the emerging field of Parenting Coordination becomes a growing alternative dispute resolution process in cases of parental separation and divorce being instituted throughout many state Family Law systems, it is important that parents, legal prossionals, and mental health professionals understand the purpose of Parenting Coordination”, notes Dr. Debra K Carter, CEO of the newly launched National Cooperative Parenting Center. Dr. Carter reports, “The National Cooperative Training Center is committed to assisting parents, legal professionals, and mental health professionals in managing the difficult process of separation and divorce, so that those most vulnerable during this time, the children, are provided the objective support and advocacy they need.” The National Cooperative Parenting Center’s main office is located in Bradenton, Florida, although services and trainings provided will reach the national landscape. Dr. Carter is committed to the center’s mission of, “Promoting the welfare of children and the stability of their families”. The center’s staff will accomplish this through providing services and training for parents, mental health professionals, and legal professionals in a number of vital areas associated with parental separation and divorce including: Parenting Coordination, Parenting Plans, Parenting Assessment, Family Law Mediation, Clinical Mentorship, Forensic Consultation and Expert Testimony. For more information on the center’s services and upcoming trainings visit the website at www.TheNCPC.com or any of the following contacts: Toll Free Telephone: 877-571-NCPC (6272) Local Telephone: 1-941-855-0255 e-mail: contact@TheNCPC.com
# # #
About National Cooperative Parenting Center: The National Cooperative Training Center is committed to assisting parents, legal professionals, and mental health professionals in managing the difficult process of separation and divorce so that, those most vulnerable during this time, the children, are provided the objective support and advocacy they need.
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Back-to-School Resource From American Public University For Teachers, Counselors: 'Tips' Cards On ADD/ADHD, Bullying, Child Abuse, Teen Depression
21 Aug 2009 [Click to Print] "Tips for Teachers" cards on key behavioral and student wellness issues are available at no cost to teachers, counselors, principals and other school-based personnel, thanks to a program by American Public University, a member institution of American Public University System, an accredited, online university system that serves more than 50,000 working adults studying worldwide. Laminated, 6" x 8" cards are available featuring information from expert sources on how to recognize and help students who may be suffering from these conditions and/or situations: - Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) - Bullying - Child abuse and neglect - Teen depression and suicide The "Tips for Teachers" cards have many uses, including as a classroom resource, for professional training, as part of "welcome back" teacher packets, as a resource for parents, and as a resource to help satisfy school district- or state-mandated training requirements. Teachers, administrators and schools may order the cards at no cost by visiting studyatapu.com/tips-for-teachers. SourceAmerican Public University
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161358.php
Main News Category: ADHD
Also Appears In: Depression, Mental Health, Psychology / Psychiatry,
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latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-shimizu24-2009aug24,0,1748835.story
latimes.com
Opinion
The trauma of mental illness
One mother shares her fear, anger and anxiety as she fights the disease afflicting her son.
By Julia Robinson Shimizu
August 24, 2009
Aweek ago Sunday, my husband and I spent the day knocking on doors and apologizing to our neighbors. The night before, I had called 911 for an ambulance to transport our schizophrenic son to the hospital. Again. He didn't want to go. Again. He pushed me away from the phone and began raging at the 911 operator as we ran from the house. Almost immediately, there were two police officers on our front lawn. Our son stood in the kitchen, shouting at them to leave. They called for backup; four, then six officers on the front lawn. Patrol cars blocked traffic on the narrow street in front of our North Hollywood home. Our son called 911 again, screaming, shouting: "There are police officers here, make them go away!" I tried to reason with the police: "We just need an ambulance." But by this time, it was out of my hands.Two more officers arrived and ordered me to the edge of my yard, away from the view of the kitchen window. Another pair of officers pulled me aside, asking me what had happened. "I called an ambulance," I said, watching two more officers stride across the brown lawn. One, her dark hair pulled back in a tight bun, carried a shotgun wrapped in what looked like bright green cloth. She paused to smile at me, "Just bean bags, not lethal," and stood at the ready under the mulberry tree. We could see our son pacing back and forth in the kitchen, his long hair flying. By now there were more than a dozen police officers on the front lawn. They asked if there was an entrance in the rear. We directed them to the back patio, warning them not to trip over our elderly dog asleep in the breezeway. We have been through this so many times before. We've heard all the arguments from well-meaning people about how Big Pharma is bad and that we should try diet or therapy or other things. But from here in the mental health trenches, the reality is very simple. When our son takes his prescribed psychotropic medications, no one would ever suspect the depth of his illness. But when he is off his meds, he is unable to eat, sleep, bathe or make sense. He is overtaken by delusions: The Red Hot Chili Peppers have used his name without his permission; sitting on his guitar case is the same as playing the guitar. He regularly becomes violent when we suggest he should resume his medication or stop smoking pot. Oh, yes, pot. Research has shown that marijuana use is toxic to schizophrenics, that it exacerbates psychosis. It was an astounding surprise to me that marijuana could be so dangerous. But it sets our son into a blink-of-an-eye downward spiral that starts with the idea that he should set his prescribed medications aside. He then starts dressing in rags and refusing to bathe. He becomes increasingly incoherent -- responding, as one doctor put it -- to "unseen stimuli." The cycle generally ends with an involuntary hospitalization. His newly minted "medical marijuana" card has complicated everything. As more and more officers arrived, my cellphone rang. Our son. I held the phone away from my ear so my husband and I could both hear it. "How could you do this to me? I hate you! Stop being my mom!" There was still no ambulance, but now officers had pulled the screen from the dining room window and climbed inside. There were shouts, thumping and thrashing as they tackled our son. Four officers carried him down the front steps, howling and spitting. They pulled a hood over his head, handcuffed him, hobbled him with an ankle leash of thick webbed nylon and set him on the curb.Finally the ambulance arrived. Firefighters in yellow reflective coats stood watch as a pair of paramedics struggled to place monitors and a blood pressure cuff on our son."I need help. I need to get to the hospital!" he wailed as they muscled past his resistance to get a pulse. The ambulance pulled away from the curb and a police officer gave us directions to a local hospital emergency room where he was to be evaluated. Our son had his first psychotic break in his freshman year of college, and he has been in and out of hospitals ever since. It is always the same. We follow the ambulance, wait to see him admitted or transferred, worry over him. This is his sixth hospitalization in less than a year and comes just eight days after his previous discharge. At 24, he is no longer covered by our insurance, but this may be to his advantage. We've been told he can now access services through the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, and we're hopeful there may be more options for him now.With severe mental illness, nothing is certain. Except that we owed our neighbors an apology for the disruption. It felt odd, standing on doorsteps of neighbors we hardly know, telling them we were sorry. All those who answered their doors were quick to wave our apology away: "No, no, no problem."For all of them, including those who did not answer, we left a note. We were hesitant to share our story with our neighbors, but giving up the pretense of privacy offers us a chance to be free of the burden and shame of this mystifying illness.By being open, we may even be able to help someone. Our letter to our neighbors included information about NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an all-volunteer grass-roots organization dedicated to helping individuals and families living with mental illness. NAMI has helped us understand we are not alone. Millions of Americans, an estimated one in five families (22%), are living with mental illness. As a matter of fact, two of the responding police officers on Saturday night, including the blond female officer assigned to keep me company, told us that they too had family members with serious mental illness. Our odyssey has taught us many things, but none more important than these: Mental illness is no one's fault. Treatment works. There is hope.Julia Robinson Shimizu serves on the board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, San Fernando Valley. Website: www.nami.org
Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times
Letters
Young, Mentally Ill and Behind Bars
To the Editor:
Re “Mentally Ill Offenders Stretch the Limits of Juvenile Justice” (front page, Aug. 10):
Solitary confinement is among the harshest legal punishments that American society inflicts on its adult inmates. To inflict it on children is cruel and immoral.
I studied suicides in New York State’s prisons over a six-year period and found that half occurred in solitary confinement units even though just 7 percent of the population was housed there. In 1890, the United States Supreme Court observed that prisoners in solitary confinement “fell, after even a short confinement, into a semifatuous condition, from which it was next to impossible to arouse them, and others became violently insane.”
If adults are unable to endure the tedium and psychological torture of round-the-clock confinement, imagine what it does to young, developing minds — and what it does to those with mental illness.
Mary Beth PfeifferStone Ridge, N.Y., Aug. 10, 2009
The writer is a journalist and author of “Crazy in America: The Hidden Tragedy of Our Criminalized Mentally Ill.”
•
To the Editor:
In response to rallying cries of “get tough on crime” in the 1980s, many policies were put in place that have led to skyrocketing prison populations. The most troubling, with profound effects, is in the juvenile justice system.
The systematic use of and reliance on the criminal justice system to deal with mental health problems of our youth have been misguided. Not only is this a waste of taxpayer money, but it is also tragic for the youth, families and communities in which they reside. The juveniles who are imprisoned because of mental illness are often without adequate treatment and without hope of recovery. They will be doomed to a life of crime and their victims will suffer. The economic crisis has worsened the situation, as it has resulted in a reduction of support for treatment of mental illness.
Congress should address the policies and revisit laws that result in an extraordinary number of youth with mental health disorders landing in prison. Instead, when possible, home-, family- and community-based care that addresses the underlying disorders should be used.
Greater collaboration is also needed among everyone involved in the lives of youth. Earlier detection of mental health and substance abuse disorders of juveniles in the justice system; increased training for juvenile court, corrections and law enforcement personnel; and expanded services and programs that have been proved to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for juvenile offenders are needed in order to improve the likelihood that juveniles with mental health disorders will get the help they need to become productive members of the community.
As Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. told the American Bar Association during its annual meeting this month in Chicago, while we need to be tough, we also need to be smart on crime.
Carolyn B. LammPresident, American Bar AssociationWashington, Aug. 12, 2009
•
To the Editor:
Your article accurately portrays the devastating consequences of cutting state and community mental health programs. Cutting publicly financed programs does a disservice to the mentally ill, costs more in the long run and worsens human suffering.
A 2004 study showed states with intensive community treatment programs had fewer arrests, jail days and hospitalizations of people with mental illnesses. One state saw an 83 percent reduction in jail days. States and communities that effectively carry out community mental health programs will reduce costs and, more important, help the mentally ill get effective treatment and keep them out of prisons.
Laurence H. MillerChairman, Assembly Committee on Public and Community Psychiatry American Psychiatric AssociationLittle Rock, Ark., Aug. 11, 2009
•
To the Editor:
Research demonstrates that delinquent youth with mental health issues can be far more effectively helped by home-based and community-based treatment than in correctional institutions. That is why in 2007 the Bloomberg administration began the Juvenile Justice Initiative, which provides treatment at home as an alternative to incarceration for juvenile delinquents.
Treatment for these youth, many of whom have been diagnosed with mental illness, is provided by trained clinicians with small caseloads who help families with obtaining appropriate psychiatric services. This reduces recidivism by 30 to 70 percent (far better than the 90 percent re-arrest rate for youth placed in juvenile prisons), and provides treatment for a fraction of the cost, while more successfully addressing antisocial behavior and teaching caregivers for these youth how to manage the symptoms of their children’s mental illness.
By wrapping services around the youths and their families in the community, therapeutic gains can be sustained after treatment ends.
John B. MattinglyCommissioner, New York CityAdministration for Children’s ServicesNew York, Aug. 11, 2009
•
To the Editor:
While thorough in describing the plight of mentally ill youth, your article does not describe emerging innovations.
For example, juvenile mental health courts and legal services lawyers in California have joined together to divert mentally ill youth from detention. These nonadversarial courts offer intensive case management and link youth to community-based mental health services so they can safely return home. The legal services lawyers expand access to critical resources like Medicaid, special education and disability benefits by enforcing existing legal rights to adequate mental health treatment and supports. Providing intensive treatment in the home is cheaper, more effective and more humane than detention.
Juvenile mental health courts are an important innovation to reduce detention of youth with mental illness, but they are not a solution. Only by providing adequate mental health services to every child in America will we end the practice of using juvenile jails to warehouse mentally ill youth.
Patrick GardnerFiza QuraishiOakland, Calif., Aug. 11, 2009
The writers are, respectively, the deputy director and a legal fellow at the National Center for Youth Law.
•
To the Editor:
The crisis in our juvenile corrections system will only worsen unless we reverse course and aggressively put in place early identification, prevention and effective treatment programs for mental health conditions.
We have a strong research base that shows that these programs can reduce antisocial behaviors and help young people succeed. Yet we fail to invest in these proven approaches. The plight of children in these facilities demands that we change course.
The health reform plans now being debated improve access to prevention programs that can avert the current downward spiral. Effective implementation of the 2008 insurance parity act contained in economic bailout legislation will help assure equitable access to mental health services.
We must change policies that permit mental health services to be the first cut. Continuing on our current path is expensive, ineffective and inhumane.
David L. ShernPresident and Chief ExecutiveMental Health AmericaAlexandria, Va., Aug. 11, 2009
******************************************************************
August 20, 2009
Letter
Help Without Confinement
To the Editor: NEW YORK TIMES
“Mentally Ill Offenders Stretch the Limits of Juvenile Justice” (front page, Aug. 10) illustrates the problems with using juvenile justice systems to meet the mental health needs of youth. Fortunately, there are growing efforts to better serve youth while ensuring public safety.
When mental health services are not available, or are poorly coordinated, youth land in the juvenile justice system, which worsens underlying conditions and contributes to re-offending.
Many jurisdictions are breaking with these failed approaches. Eight states participating in the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change, a juvenile justice systems reform initiative, are coordinating with law enforcement, schools and probation officers to divert youth with mental health needs away from juvenile justice placement and toward expanded treatment services.
When more states keep youth from being unnecessarily confined in order to gain access to treatment, everyone benefits. Rather than burdening overstretched systems, we can strengthen them while better providing for youth, families and communities.
Joseph J. CocozzaDirector, National Center for MentalHealth and Juvenile JusticePolicy Research AssociatesDelmar, N.Y., Aug. 11, 2009
********************************************************************
A dangerous label for children
Boston Globe
As a pediatrician who has listened to countless stories from distraught parents, I have no doubt that there are children who, even from infancy, are chronically unhappy. But to label them as having a ‘‘major depressive disorder’’ serves only one purpose: to provide a new market for the pharmaceutical industry.
Claudia Meininger Gold
August 16, 2009
-->
CLAUDIA MEININGER GOLD
A dangerous label for children
By Claudia Meininger Gold August 16, 2009
AS A PEDIATRICIAN who has listened to countless stories from distraught parents, I have no doubt that there are children who, even from infancy, are chronically unhappy. In documenting her struggle with depression in a recent New York Times Magazine article, Daphne Merkin wrote, “It is an affliction that often starts young and goes unheeded - younger than would seem possible, as if exiting the womb I was enveloped in a gray and itchy wool blanket instead of a soft, pastel-colored bunting.’’ My concern, however, with the study in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry describing preschool depression is that by saddling these young children with a major psychiatric diagnosis, our thinking will stop. Under the pressure of the powerful pharmaceutical industry, a direct line from diagnosis to drug will be the path of least resistance.
My sense is that these children process the world differently. One mother described carrying her screaming son for hours until she realized that he didn’t want to be held. Another mother said her daughter was “not cuddly’’ and difficult to feed. As they become toddlers, the issues change. I hear about what I call “sock bump anxiety,’’ where many changes of socks are required to find the one with the right seam in the toes. “Fun’’ family outings to a county fair can end in disaster as kids become overwhelmed by all of the sights and sounds. Intense tantrums and meltdowns are frequent.
When I talk with parents of these young children, I often discover that Mom, or Cousin John, or some other relative was just like this as a child, and now has a diagnosis of depression or bipolar disorder. They fear their child will have the same fate. Certainly I cannot claim to know what the future holds for these children.
However, I do have ideas about how to help these families in the present, ideas that are informed by contemporary research at the interface of developmental psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral genetics. This research shows that a child’s mind grows and develops when the people who are most important to the child are able to think about the child’s experience without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down. A parent’s capacity to “hold a child in mind’’ can help that child learn to manage difficult emotions and may actually change the way his brain handles stress.
To help parents with this task, which is more difficult than is generally acknowledged, I first validate their experience. One mother was beaten down by the constant comparisons to her sister’s angelic, easygoing child. “You are not a bad parent,’’ I tell them. “Life is really more challenging for you and your child.’’ If one parent suffers from depression, the strain of such a child can be particularly intense, and that parent will need help for him- or herself.
The normal stress that a child places on a marriage is significantly magnified. One mother of a 6-month-old felt a transformation in her relationship with her daughter simply because her husband came to the visit with me. He finally appreciated what she was experiencing at home while he went to work. With his support she had more energy to be fully present with her child.
All of the burden need not be on the parents. As these children get older, certain types of activities can be particularly helpful. These include martial arts, music, swimming, and horseback riding. I guide parents in finding what is right for their child. One boy at the age of 6 discovered a love for the stage. I joked with his parents that he might grow up to be a great actor, if they could just survive his childhood!
It is quite possible that if I were to list these children’s symptoms, or administer a standardized assessment tool, as was done in the recent study, they would meet diagnostic criteria for “major depressive disorder.’’ But such an approach is oversimplified and misses the nuances and complexities of human relationships. I would offer the same help with or without the label. In my opinion, labeling these young children serves only one purpose: to provide a new market for the pharmaceutical industry.
Claudia Meininger Gold, MD, is a pediatrician in Great Barrington.
******************************************************************
New Center for Cooperative Parenting Launched! The National Cooperative Parenting Center
Dr. Debra K Carter, Director of the National Cooperative Parenting Center, announced the launching of the center’s new site www.TheNCPC.com and the 2009-2010 training schedule for legal and mental health professionals.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 20, 2009 – Bradenton, Florida — “As the emerging field of Parenting Coordination becomes a growing alternative dispute resolution process in cases of parental separation and divorce being instituted throughout many state Family Law systems, it is important that parents, legal prossionals, and mental health professionals understand the purpose of Parenting Coordination”, notes Dr. Debra K Carter, CEO of the newly launched National Cooperative Parenting Center. Dr. Carter reports, “The National Cooperative Training Center is committed to assisting parents, legal professionals, and mental health professionals in managing the difficult process of separation and divorce, so that those most vulnerable during this time, the children, are provided the objective support and advocacy they need.” The National Cooperative Parenting Center’s main office is located in Bradenton, Florida, although services and trainings provided will reach the national landscape. Dr. Carter is committed to the center’s mission of, “Promoting the welfare of children and the stability of their families”. The center’s staff will accomplish this through providing services and training for parents, mental health professionals, and legal professionals in a number of vital areas associated with parental separation and divorce including: Parenting Coordination, Parenting Plans, Parenting Assessment, Family Law Mediation, Clinical Mentorship, Forensic Consultation and Expert Testimony. For more information on the center’s services and upcoming trainings visit the website at www.TheNCPC.com or any of the following contacts: Toll Free Telephone: 877-571-NCPC (6272) Local Telephone: 1-941-855-0255 e-mail: contact@TheNCPC.com
# # #
About National Cooperative Parenting Center: The National Cooperative Training Center is committed to assisting parents, legal professionals, and mental health professionals in managing the difficult process of separation and divorce so that, those most vulnerable during this time, the children, are provided the objective support and advocacy they need.
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Back-to-School Resource From American Public University For Teachers, Counselors: 'Tips' Cards On ADD/ADHD, Bullying, Child Abuse, Teen Depression
21 Aug 2009 [Click to Print] "Tips for Teachers" cards on key behavioral and student wellness issues are available at no cost to teachers, counselors, principals and other school-based personnel, thanks to a program by American Public University, a member institution of American Public University System, an accredited, online university system that serves more than 50,000 working adults studying worldwide. Laminated, 6" x 8" cards are available featuring information from expert sources on how to recognize and help students who may be suffering from these conditions and/or situations: - Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) - Bullying - Child abuse and neglect - Teen depression and suicide The "Tips for Teachers" cards have many uses, including as a classroom resource, for professional training, as part of "welcome back" teacher packets, as a resource for parents, and as a resource to help satisfy school district- or state-mandated training requirements. Teachers, administrators and schools may order the cards at no cost by visiting studyatapu.com/tips-for-teachers. SourceAmerican Public University
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161358.php
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Also Appears In: Depression, Mental Health, Psychology / Psychiatry,
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latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-shimizu24-2009aug24,0,1748835.story
latimes.com
Opinion
The trauma of mental illness
One mother shares her fear, anger and anxiety as she fights the disease afflicting her son.
By Julia Robinson Shimizu
August 24, 2009
Aweek ago Sunday, my husband and I spent the day knocking on doors and apologizing to our neighbors. The night before, I had called 911 for an ambulance to transport our schizophrenic son to the hospital. Again. He didn't want to go. Again. He pushed me away from the phone and began raging at the 911 operator as we ran from the house. Almost immediately, there were two police officers on our front lawn. Our son stood in the kitchen, shouting at them to leave. They called for backup; four, then six officers on the front lawn. Patrol cars blocked traffic on the narrow street in front of our North Hollywood home. Our son called 911 again, screaming, shouting: "There are police officers here, make them go away!" I tried to reason with the police: "We just need an ambulance." But by this time, it was out of my hands.Two more officers arrived and ordered me to the edge of my yard, away from the view of the kitchen window. Another pair of officers pulled me aside, asking me what had happened. "I called an ambulance," I said, watching two more officers stride across the brown lawn. One, her dark hair pulled back in a tight bun, carried a shotgun wrapped in what looked like bright green cloth. She paused to smile at me, "Just bean bags, not lethal," and stood at the ready under the mulberry tree. We could see our son pacing back and forth in the kitchen, his long hair flying. By now there were more than a dozen police officers on the front lawn. They asked if there was an entrance in the rear. We directed them to the back patio, warning them not to trip over our elderly dog asleep in the breezeway. We have been through this so many times before. We've heard all the arguments from well-meaning people about how Big Pharma is bad and that we should try diet or therapy or other things. But from here in the mental health trenches, the reality is very simple. When our son takes his prescribed psychotropic medications, no one would ever suspect the depth of his illness. But when he is off his meds, he is unable to eat, sleep, bathe or make sense. He is overtaken by delusions: The Red Hot Chili Peppers have used his name without his permission; sitting on his guitar case is the same as playing the guitar. He regularly becomes violent when we suggest he should resume his medication or stop smoking pot. Oh, yes, pot. Research has shown that marijuana use is toxic to schizophrenics, that it exacerbates psychosis. It was an astounding surprise to me that marijuana could be so dangerous. But it sets our son into a blink-of-an-eye downward spiral that starts with the idea that he should set his prescribed medications aside. He then starts dressing in rags and refusing to bathe. He becomes increasingly incoherent -- responding, as one doctor put it -- to "unseen stimuli." The cycle generally ends with an involuntary hospitalization. His newly minted "medical marijuana" card has complicated everything. As more and more officers arrived, my cellphone rang. Our son. I held the phone away from my ear so my husband and I could both hear it. "How could you do this to me? I hate you! Stop being my mom!" There was still no ambulance, but now officers had pulled the screen from the dining room window and climbed inside. There were shouts, thumping and thrashing as they tackled our son. Four officers carried him down the front steps, howling and spitting. They pulled a hood over his head, handcuffed him, hobbled him with an ankle leash of thick webbed nylon and set him on the curb.Finally the ambulance arrived. Firefighters in yellow reflective coats stood watch as a pair of paramedics struggled to place monitors and a blood pressure cuff on our son."I need help. I need to get to the hospital!" he wailed as they muscled past his resistance to get a pulse. The ambulance pulled away from the curb and a police officer gave us directions to a local hospital emergency room where he was to be evaluated. Our son had his first psychotic break in his freshman year of college, and he has been in and out of hospitals ever since. It is always the same. We follow the ambulance, wait to see him admitted or transferred, worry over him. This is his sixth hospitalization in less than a year and comes just eight days after his previous discharge. At 24, he is no longer covered by our insurance, but this may be to his advantage. We've been told he can now access services through the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, and we're hopeful there may be more options for him now.With severe mental illness, nothing is certain. Except that we owed our neighbors an apology for the disruption. It felt odd, standing on doorsteps of neighbors we hardly know, telling them we were sorry. All those who answered their doors were quick to wave our apology away: "No, no, no problem."For all of them, including those who did not answer, we left a note. We were hesitant to share our story with our neighbors, but giving up the pretense of privacy offers us a chance to be free of the burden and shame of this mystifying illness.By being open, we may even be able to help someone. Our letter to our neighbors included information about NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an all-volunteer grass-roots organization dedicated to helping individuals and families living with mental illness. NAMI has helped us understand we are not alone. Millions of Americans, an estimated one in five families (22%), are living with mental illness. As a matter of fact, two of the responding police officers on Saturday night, including the blond female officer assigned to keep me company, told us that they too had family members with serious mental illness. Our odyssey has taught us many things, but none more important than these: Mental illness is no one's fault. Treatment works. There is hope.Julia Robinson Shimizu serves on the board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, San Fernando Valley. Website: www.nami.org
Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times
There is parity and then there is parity...
Mind, as Well as Body
A new law will require many health plans to improve their coverage for mental-health care
By JANE ZHANG
Mental-health care may soon cost less for many working Americans.
Starting in January, a new law will require that group health plans put mental-health care and treatment of substance-use disorders on par with physical illnesses.
The Journal Report
See the complete Your Money Matters report.
The law, which will apply to most employers with 50 or more workers, will end currently common limits on mental-health coverage such as 30-day hospital stays and 35 visits a year to a mental-health professional, if a company's plan doesn't apply similar limits to its coverage for physical maladies.
For each plan, co-payments, deductibles and reimbursement rates for doctor visits and hospital stays will have to be the same for both kinds of care. Similarly, if a plan offers out-of-network coverage for physical illnesses, it will have to offer similar out-of-network coverage for mental-health care.
Easing Stigma
These steps will help to ease the stigma of mental illness and to make it easier for patients to get care. "It will reduce the level of formal discrimination," says David Shern, president and chief executive of Mental Health America, an advocacy group in Alexandria, Va., that pushed for nearly two decades, with other groups, to get the law passed in Congress.
The changes will likely lead to lower out-of-pocket costs for workers and family members seeking treatments for mental health and substance use, especially for long-term care. Edward Kaplan, leader of the national-health practice at Segal Co., a human-resources consulting firm in New York, estimates that currently 10% to 15% of all claims for outpatient mental-health therapy go beyond what employers cover.
Wendy Lowe Besmann, of Oak Ridge, Tenn., says the limitations of her family's mental-health insurance forced them to take out a second mortgage five years ago to help pay for her son's treatments, which ended up costing $125,000.
Her 18-year-old son, David, who has bipolar disorder and Asperger's, a developmental disorder, needed at least three months' care in a residential facility back then, far more than the 21 hospital stays covered by the managed-care company. Even now, she says, the family tries to be careful not to use up the 35 visits to psychiatrists and therapists that the plan allows every year. If her insurer removes those limits and makes mental-health insurance more like physical coverage, Ms. Besmann says, "it would make a big difference to us."
Buyer Beware
There are some caveats. The requirements for equal health-care coverage don't extend to insurance plans sold to individuals. Employers that don't provide any health care aren't required to provide mental-health coverage either.
Employers and insurers can choose which disorders to cover, just as they generally do for physical ailments. Experts say that they expect companies to cover schizophrenia, substance-use disorders and other major illnesses, but that some may choose not to cover autism, attention-deficit disorder and some others.
Insurers also are likely to cover only care that is deemed "medically necessary," just as they do for surgeries and other medical procedures. "People will still be told 'you don't need to go see a psychiatrist for a year if it's not medically necessary,' " says Pamela Greenberg, president and chief executive of the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, a trade association based in Washington, D.C., that represents managed-care companies specializing in behavioral health.
By law, insurers are required to tell workers, upon request, what criteria they use to deny coverage for any mental illnesses or substance-use disorders. Mental Health America's Dr. Shern says he hopes companies will consider the seriousness of illnesses and patients' rehabilitation needs. But that could also make adjusted plans more costly to employers.
Analysts expect the cost of meeting the new requirements to be low for both employers and insurers. Mr. Kaplan says behavioral-health treatments on average make up just 5% of employment-based health plans, though it varies from plan to plan. In June, when Segal Co. surveyed 18 major insurers representing 80% of the group-insurance market, all but two said the law would increase costs 1% or less, Mr. Kaplan says.
It's unclear how employers will handle the cost increase. Some may choose to absorb any small increases. But several surveys show some are considering passing it on to employees through higher premiums—for both physical and mental health—or lower wage increases.
The government still has lots of details to iron out, too. Some 400 comments from interest groups have been received, says Mary Kahn, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, one of the federal bodies shaping the regulation, along with the departments of Labor and Treasury. A deadline of Oct. 3 has been set.
That might be too late for some companies rushing to finalize their health plans in time for the open-enrollment season, which typically starts in October or November, says Kathryn Wilber, senior counsel for health policy at the American Benefits Council in Washington, D.C. The group represents large employers that offer benefits to more than one million people.
Because the schedule is tight, employees may want to be extra careful about choosing plans this year.
"If you are a patient, you want to read plan documents, look at the description of the plans, what the coverage is, what your obligations are," Ms. Wilber says.
It remains to be seen, for example, how plans will define equal treatment of mental and physical maladies. For example, will there be two annual deductibles in equal amounts: one for physical care and the other for mental health and treatment for substance use? Or will there be one, general-purpose deductible? The details in the federal regulation may clarify that.
Patient advocates want there to be one deductible that covers both mental and physical care. But many insurers want two deductibles, and if plans aren't allowed to have two, Ms. Greenberg says, insurers would likely increase the amount of the single deductible anyway.
Some employers have already made changes to their plans without waiting for the federal regulation to come out. AstraZeneca PLC, for example, started treating mental and physical health the same as of January this year, says Kathy Brooke, the company's director of North America benefits.
That process started in 2007, when the company lowered mental-health co-payments and deductibles to make them equal to those for physical illnesses. Ms. Brooke says the company hasn't seen a big uptake for the use of mental-health care, even though the recession has led to a greater need for employees to use it. "We look at it as an investment for our employees," she says.
The change, Ms. Brooke says, led to a shift to "holistic" and efficient care for the nearly 34,000 people AstraZeneca's health plan covers. "Our insurance company is treating both health and mental health together, so you don't have to use different cards, different deductibles," she says.
It also makes it easier for the management of diseases, especially 30% of the covered lives who have chronic conditions and who are more likely to have depression and other mental-health conditions, Ms. Brooke says.
--Ms. Zhang is a Wall Street Journal staff reporter in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at jane.zhang@wsj.com.
A new law will require many health plans to improve their coverage for mental-health care
By JANE ZHANG
Mental-health care may soon cost less for many working Americans.
Starting in January, a new law will require that group health plans put mental-health care and treatment of substance-use disorders on par with physical illnesses.
The Journal Report
See the complete Your Money Matters report.
The law, which will apply to most employers with 50 or more workers, will end currently common limits on mental-health coverage such as 30-day hospital stays and 35 visits a year to a mental-health professional, if a company's plan doesn't apply similar limits to its coverage for physical maladies.
For each plan, co-payments, deductibles and reimbursement rates for doctor visits and hospital stays will have to be the same for both kinds of care. Similarly, if a plan offers out-of-network coverage for physical illnesses, it will have to offer similar out-of-network coverage for mental-health care.
Easing Stigma
These steps will help to ease the stigma of mental illness and to make it easier for patients to get care. "It will reduce the level of formal discrimination," says David Shern, president and chief executive of Mental Health America, an advocacy group in Alexandria, Va., that pushed for nearly two decades, with other groups, to get the law passed in Congress.
The changes will likely lead to lower out-of-pocket costs for workers and family members seeking treatments for mental health and substance use, especially for long-term care. Edward Kaplan, leader of the national-health practice at Segal Co., a human-resources consulting firm in New York, estimates that currently 10% to 15% of all claims for outpatient mental-health therapy go beyond what employers cover.
Wendy Lowe Besmann, of Oak Ridge, Tenn., says the limitations of her family's mental-health insurance forced them to take out a second mortgage five years ago to help pay for her son's treatments, which ended up costing $125,000.
Her 18-year-old son, David, who has bipolar disorder and Asperger's, a developmental disorder, needed at least three months' care in a residential facility back then, far more than the 21 hospital stays covered by the managed-care company. Even now, she says, the family tries to be careful not to use up the 35 visits to psychiatrists and therapists that the plan allows every year. If her insurer removes those limits and makes mental-health insurance more like physical coverage, Ms. Besmann says, "it would make a big difference to us."
Buyer Beware
There are some caveats. The requirements for equal health-care coverage don't extend to insurance plans sold to individuals. Employers that don't provide any health care aren't required to provide mental-health coverage either.
Employers and insurers can choose which disorders to cover, just as they generally do for physical ailments. Experts say that they expect companies to cover schizophrenia, substance-use disorders and other major illnesses, but that some may choose not to cover autism, attention-deficit disorder and some others.
Insurers also are likely to cover only care that is deemed "medically necessary," just as they do for surgeries and other medical procedures. "People will still be told 'you don't need to go see a psychiatrist for a year if it's not medically necessary,' " says Pamela Greenberg, president and chief executive of the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, a trade association based in Washington, D.C., that represents managed-care companies specializing in behavioral health.
By law, insurers are required to tell workers, upon request, what criteria they use to deny coverage for any mental illnesses or substance-use disorders. Mental Health America's Dr. Shern says he hopes companies will consider the seriousness of illnesses and patients' rehabilitation needs. But that could also make adjusted plans more costly to employers.
Analysts expect the cost of meeting the new requirements to be low for both employers and insurers. Mr. Kaplan says behavioral-health treatments on average make up just 5% of employment-based health plans, though it varies from plan to plan. In June, when Segal Co. surveyed 18 major insurers representing 80% of the group-insurance market, all but two said the law would increase costs 1% or less, Mr. Kaplan says.
It's unclear how employers will handle the cost increase. Some may choose to absorb any small increases. But several surveys show some are considering passing it on to employees through higher premiums—for both physical and mental health—or lower wage increases.
The government still has lots of details to iron out, too. Some 400 comments from interest groups have been received, says Mary Kahn, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, one of the federal bodies shaping the regulation, along with the departments of Labor and Treasury. A deadline of Oct. 3 has been set.
That might be too late for some companies rushing to finalize their health plans in time for the open-enrollment season, which typically starts in October or November, says Kathryn Wilber, senior counsel for health policy at the American Benefits Council in Washington, D.C. The group represents large employers that offer benefits to more than one million people.
Because the schedule is tight, employees may want to be extra careful about choosing plans this year.
"If you are a patient, you want to read plan documents, look at the description of the plans, what the coverage is, what your obligations are," Ms. Wilber says.
It remains to be seen, for example, how plans will define equal treatment of mental and physical maladies. For example, will there be two annual deductibles in equal amounts: one for physical care and the other for mental health and treatment for substance use? Or will there be one, general-purpose deductible? The details in the federal regulation may clarify that.
Patient advocates want there to be one deductible that covers both mental and physical care. But many insurers want two deductibles, and if plans aren't allowed to have two, Ms. Greenberg says, insurers would likely increase the amount of the single deductible anyway.
Some employers have already made changes to their plans without waiting for the federal regulation to come out. AstraZeneca PLC, for example, started treating mental and physical health the same as of January this year, says Kathy Brooke, the company's director of North America benefits.
That process started in 2007, when the company lowered mental-health co-payments and deductibles to make them equal to those for physical illnesses. Ms. Brooke says the company hasn't seen a big uptake for the use of mental-health care, even though the recession has led to a greater need for employees to use it. "We look at it as an investment for our employees," she says.
The change, Ms. Brooke says, led to a shift to "holistic" and efficient care for the nearly 34,000 people AstraZeneca's health plan covers. "Our insurance company is treating both health and mental health together, so you don't have to use different cards, different deductibles," she says.
It also makes it easier for the management of diseases, especially 30% of the covered lives who have chronic conditions and who are more likely to have depression and other mental-health conditions, Ms. Brooke says.
--Ms. Zhang is a Wall Street Journal staff reporter in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at jane.zhang@wsj.com.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
From the ED of NAMI
Senator Ted Kennedy: A Member of the NAMI Family
Statement of Michael J. Fitzpatrick
Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness
NAMI mourns the passing of U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a true champion for individuals and families affected by serious mental illness. This is a profound loss for the NAMI family.
We do not have to struggle to remember what Senator Kennedy accomplished in seeking to improve the lives of millions of Americans. The real challenge would be to try to recall what he didn’t do. His idealism moved the country. His pragmatism and ability to work with liberals and conservatives alike, enacted legislation.
.
A year ago, along with his son Patrick, Senator Kennedy was a driving force in the enactment of the mental health insurance parity law. The parity law is one of the most significant victories of the past 10 years for people who live with mental illness. The full list is longer. It includes:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Family & Medical Leave Act
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), supporting state programs to provide health insurance to uninsured children in low-income families.
Family Opportunity Act, providing states the option to allow low and middle- income families with special needs children to purchase health care through Medicaid
Recognition of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as a biomedical research institute and increased funding for research.
Early Intervention, Treatment and Prevention Act, providing for a range of education and training and community-based prevention and diversion services.
Civil Rights for Institutionalized Person Act (CRIPA)
Fair Housing Act expansion to include people with disabilities
“Ticket to work” provisions under Social Security disability programs
Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA), including restrictions on insurance limitations for pre-existing conditions
Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act
“Wounded Warrior” act to improve access to mental health services for National Guard and Reserve forces
For more than three decades, Senator Kennedy has been a voice for universal health care coverage and reform.
His voice, perspective and wisdom will be greatly missed in the critical health care debate that is now before the nation.
Congress could do no greater honor than to pass meaningful health care reform this year—building on his legacy.
Statement of Michael J. Fitzpatrick
Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness
NAMI mourns the passing of U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a true champion for individuals and families affected by serious mental illness. This is a profound loss for the NAMI family.
We do not have to struggle to remember what Senator Kennedy accomplished in seeking to improve the lives of millions of Americans. The real challenge would be to try to recall what he didn’t do. His idealism moved the country. His pragmatism and ability to work with liberals and conservatives alike, enacted legislation.
.
A year ago, along with his son Patrick, Senator Kennedy was a driving force in the enactment of the mental health insurance parity law. The parity law is one of the most significant victories of the past 10 years for people who live with mental illness. The full list is longer. It includes:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Family & Medical Leave Act
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), supporting state programs to provide health insurance to uninsured children in low-income families.
Family Opportunity Act, providing states the option to allow low and middle- income families with special needs children to purchase health care through Medicaid
Recognition of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as a biomedical research institute and increased funding for research.
Early Intervention, Treatment and Prevention Act, providing for a range of education and training and community-based prevention and diversion services.
Civil Rights for Institutionalized Person Act (CRIPA)
Fair Housing Act expansion to include people with disabilities
“Ticket to work” provisions under Social Security disability programs
Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA), including restrictions on insurance limitations for pre-existing conditions
Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act
“Wounded Warrior” act to improve access to mental health services for National Guard and Reserve forces
For more than three decades, Senator Kennedy has been a voice for universal health care coverage and reform.
His voice, perspective and wisdom will be greatly missed in the critical health care debate that is now before the nation.
Congress could do no greater honor than to pass meaningful health care reform this year—building on his legacy.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Backpack Likely Saved Life of Denver PI Who Was Shot on Surveillance Assignment
DENVER, CO. – A worker’s compensation surveillance operative who was shot four times by someone he was watching last week likely survived only because he was wearing a backpack, according to a police affidavit.
The shooter told police he thought he was firing at a bear. The surveillance operative said he’d been "yelled at" by the shooter minutes before the shooting. The shooter is facing a charge of attempted first degree murder.
In the affidavit, a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy wrote that he’d been dispatched at 6 pm on August 4 to a road in the foothills southwest of Denver on a report of someone claiming he’d been shot by someone firing a shotgun.
The operative – whose name is withheld here for his safety - told officers he was conducting an investigation regarding possible insurance fraud. Court records indicate he was working for Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s largest worker’s compensation insurance provider. It regularly retains private investigators to watch employees who have submitted worker’s compensation claims, to try to obtain video documenting that the employee is not injured, not injured as severely as they claim, or not hampered by the injury in the way they claim.
The operative told sheriff’s deputies he’d been watching Marshall Lawson’s residence from about 100 yards away. Somehow Lawson became aware of the operative’s presence about three hours after the operative initiated surveillance. The operative says Lawson “yelled at” him, telling him he was going to get a gun.
The surveillance operative said that soon thereafter he saw Lawson return with a gun and aim it at him. He says he heard two shots. He says he then started running up a hill away from Lawson, and heard two more shots.
The operative told sheriff’s deputies he couldn’t get a signal on his cell phone, so he walked to his car, drove toward town, and called 911 as soon as his cell phone was in a coverage area. When he placed the call, he didn’t think he’d been hit by any bullets. But while he was waiting for police to respond, he found two bullet holes in the backpack he’d been wearing, according to the affidavit.
Sheriff’s deputies went to Marshall’s residence and found three spent .22 caliber casings in the driveway, about 10 feet from the road. A fourth was found in a .22 caliber rifle recovered at the residence of one of Marshall’s grandfathers, who lives next door.
According to the affidavit, Marshall acknowledged firing a rifle, but he denied knowing there was a man on the hill when he fired. He told a sheriff’s deputy he thought he was shooting a “black object that he presumed to be a bear.”
The twenty-seven-year-old Marshall is facing charges of attempted first degree murder and attempted first degree assault. He’s being held on $150,000 bond. A judge ordered that in the event he posts bond, he’s not to have any contact with Pinnacol Assurance.
The shooter told police he thought he was firing at a bear. The surveillance operative said he’d been "yelled at" by the shooter minutes before the shooting. The shooter is facing a charge of attempted first degree murder.
In the affidavit, a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy wrote that he’d been dispatched at 6 pm on August 4 to a road in the foothills southwest of Denver on a report of someone claiming he’d been shot by someone firing a shotgun.
The operative – whose name is withheld here for his safety - told officers he was conducting an investigation regarding possible insurance fraud. Court records indicate he was working for Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s largest worker’s compensation insurance provider. It regularly retains private investigators to watch employees who have submitted worker’s compensation claims, to try to obtain video documenting that the employee is not injured, not injured as severely as they claim, or not hampered by the injury in the way they claim.
The operative told sheriff’s deputies he’d been watching Marshall Lawson’s residence from about 100 yards away. Somehow Lawson became aware of the operative’s presence about three hours after the operative initiated surveillance. The operative says Lawson “yelled at” him, telling him he was going to get a gun.
The surveillance operative said that soon thereafter he saw Lawson return with a gun and aim it at him. He says he heard two shots. He says he then started running up a hill away from Lawson, and heard two more shots.
The operative told sheriff’s deputies he couldn’t get a signal on his cell phone, so he walked to his car, drove toward town, and called 911 as soon as his cell phone was in a coverage area. When he placed the call, he didn’t think he’d been hit by any bullets. But while he was waiting for police to respond, he found two bullet holes in the backpack he’d been wearing, according to the affidavit.
Sheriff’s deputies went to Marshall’s residence and found three spent .22 caliber casings in the driveway, about 10 feet from the road. A fourth was found in a .22 caliber rifle recovered at the residence of one of Marshall’s grandfathers, who lives next door.
According to the affidavit, Marshall acknowledged firing a rifle, but he denied knowing there was a man on the hill when he fired. He told a sheriff’s deputy he thought he was shooting a “black object that he presumed to be a bear.”
The twenty-seven-year-old Marshall is facing charges of attempted first degree murder and attempted first degree assault. He’s being held on $150,000 bond. A judge ordered that in the event he posts bond, he’s not to have any contact with Pinnacol Assurance.
Nonprofits - Pay Attention!!!!
No one owes you a gift, as this "inside a donor's mind" report makes clear.------
Dianna Huff wrote a note about her experiences with two local charities.
Dianna is a gifted, results-driven sales copywriter; a "getting you noticed on the web" specialist; a terrific mom (judging by James, her wise and intriguing young son); a budding marathoner. Today, though, meet her as (1) delighted donor and (2) disgusted donor. Her note (reproduced below and only slightly tweaked to disguise the guilty) is a tale of two charities: one thriving, one dying.The thriving charity thinks carefully about warming its donors' hearts. The dying charity takes donations utterly for granted.
Seven Reasons Why I Love Giving Money to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA)
1. They send out a well-written, full color newsletter giving me real stories about animals that have been rescued/saved by them.
2. I can go to the Nevins Farm facility a few towns over from where I live and see their rescue efforts in action. I also can see where the money is going because Nevins is a new state-of-the-art facility. I was also the benefactor of the MSPCA's "Pet Care Fund" when Simon [Dianna's dog] needed his operation.
3. They send me thank you notes each time I give money. They sent James a personalized note when he cleaned out his piggy bank and gave them $10 in rolled quarters.
4. They send me well written letters that tell me why they need my money.
5. In their letters they include little notes that read, "Your generosity already in 2009 is greatly appreciated. Thank you for continuing to help animals in need." This shows me that 1) I'm not an anonymous donor; 2) that they know I've given before; and 3) that they appreciate my previous gifts.
6. In one of their letters I received a "Certificate of Kindness" and was told to "post it with pride." Cheesy? Yes. Effective? Yes. Made me give more? Yes.
7. I feel valued for my contributions. And it shows, every time I receive a piece of information from them.
Seven Reasons Why I Refuse to Give Money to My Son's Day School
1. They send out Friday notices to the parents (donors and potential donors) that say things like: "We are very disappointed in the parents who did not participate in the Yankee Candle Fundraiser. The parent handbook states, 'All parents must fundraise.'" This ticked me off. As a donor, it is my prerogative to give when and how I want. The $300 I had earmarked for them is now going elsewhere.
2. They don't tell me where the money is going.
3. I can't see where the money is going. The facility is run down and families are leaving the school in droves.
4. As a business person, I can't in good conscience give money to a non-profit that appears to be ill managed.
5. They don't use real stories about the children at the school in any of their materials.
6. They don't address the real reason why people aren't coming to the school. They cast blame on "parents who make the wrong choice" but the problem is really the school and the people who run it.
7. I don't feel valued for my contributions. Takeaway: Donors owe us nothing, not even a hearing. We owe them something, though: as many moments of joy as we can cram into a year. Making a contribution, being a benefactor, feels good, neuroscience tells us.
There's a pleasure center in your brain that fires up when you make a gift. When a charity enhances that joy by celebrating the contribution, one-time donors tend to become many-time donors.When a charity ignores the joy, donors find someone else to play with. Charities that think they "deserve" support (as Dianna's day school did) are deeply ignorant of the basic emotional underpinnings behind lasting philanthropy.
Dianna Huff wrote a note about her experiences with two local charities.
Dianna is a gifted, results-driven sales copywriter; a "getting you noticed on the web" specialist; a terrific mom (judging by James, her wise and intriguing young son); a budding marathoner. Today, though, meet her as (1) delighted donor and (2) disgusted donor. Her note (reproduced below and only slightly tweaked to disguise the guilty) is a tale of two charities: one thriving, one dying.The thriving charity thinks carefully about warming its donors' hearts. The dying charity takes donations utterly for granted.
Seven Reasons Why I Love Giving Money to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA)
1. They send out a well-written, full color newsletter giving me real stories about animals that have been rescued/saved by them.
2. I can go to the Nevins Farm facility a few towns over from where I live and see their rescue efforts in action. I also can see where the money is going because Nevins is a new state-of-the-art facility. I was also the benefactor of the MSPCA's "Pet Care Fund" when Simon [Dianna's dog] needed his operation.
3. They send me thank you notes each time I give money. They sent James a personalized note when he cleaned out his piggy bank and gave them $10 in rolled quarters.
4. They send me well written letters that tell me why they need my money.
5. In their letters they include little notes that read, "Your generosity already in 2009 is greatly appreciated. Thank you for continuing to help animals in need." This shows me that 1) I'm not an anonymous donor; 2) that they know I've given before; and 3) that they appreciate my previous gifts.
6. In one of their letters I received a "Certificate of Kindness" and was told to "post it with pride." Cheesy? Yes. Effective? Yes. Made me give more? Yes.
7. I feel valued for my contributions. And it shows, every time I receive a piece of information from them.
Seven Reasons Why I Refuse to Give Money to My Son's Day School
1. They send out Friday notices to the parents (donors and potential donors) that say things like: "We are very disappointed in the parents who did not participate in the Yankee Candle Fundraiser. The parent handbook states, 'All parents must fundraise.'" This ticked me off. As a donor, it is my prerogative to give when and how I want. The $300 I had earmarked for them is now going elsewhere.
2. They don't tell me where the money is going.
3. I can't see where the money is going. The facility is run down and families are leaving the school in droves.
4. As a business person, I can't in good conscience give money to a non-profit that appears to be ill managed.
5. They don't use real stories about the children at the school in any of their materials.
6. They don't address the real reason why people aren't coming to the school. They cast blame on "parents who make the wrong choice" but the problem is really the school and the people who run it.
7. I don't feel valued for my contributions. Takeaway: Donors owe us nothing, not even a hearing. We owe them something, though: as many moments of joy as we can cram into a year. Making a contribution, being a benefactor, feels good, neuroscience tells us.
There's a pleasure center in your brain that fires up when you make a gift. When a charity enhances that joy by celebrating the contribution, one-time donors tend to become many-time donors.When a charity ignores the joy, donors find someone else to play with. Charities that think they "deserve" support (as Dianna's day school did) are deeply ignorant of the basic emotional underpinnings behind lasting philanthropy.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Your thoughts? Psychologists Reject Gay ‘Therapy’
I had thought this was old news - any comments or commentary?
Psychologists Reject Gay ‘Therapy’
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 5, 200
The American Psychological Association declared Wednesday that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments.
In a resolution adopted by the association’s governing council, and in an accompanying report, the association issued its most comprehensive repudiation of so-called reparative therapy, a concept espoused by a small but persistent group of therapists, often allied with religious conservatives, who maintain that gay men and lesbians can change.
No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the resolution, adopted by a 125-to-4 vote. The association said some research suggested that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies.
Instead of seeking such change, the association urged therapists to consider multiple options, which could include celibacy and switching churches, for helping clients live spiritually rewarding lives in instances where their sexual orientation and religious faith conflict.
The association has criticized reparative therapy in the past, but a six-member panel added weight to that position by examining 83 studies on sexual orientation change conducted since 1960. Its report was endorsed by the association’s governing council in Toronto, where the association’s annual meeting is being held this weekend.
The report breaks ground in its detailed and nuanced assessment of how therapists should deal with gay clients struggling to remain loyal to a religious faith that disapproves of homosexuality.
Judith Glassgold, a psychologist in Highland Park, N.J., who led the panel, said she hoped the document could help calm the polarized debate between religious conservatives who believe in the possibility of changing sexual orientation and the many mental health professionals who reject that option.
“Both sides have to educate themselves better," Ms. Glassgold said. “The religious psychotherapists have to open up their eyes to the potential positive aspects of being gay or lesbian. Secular therapists have to recognize that some people will choose their faith over their sexuality.”
One of the largest organizations promoting the possibility of changing sexual orientation is Exodus International, a network of ministries whose core message is “freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ.”
Its president, Alan Chambers, describes himself as someone who “overcame unwanted same-sex attraction.” Mr. Chambers and other evangelicals met with association representatives after the panel was formed in 2007, and he expressed satisfaction with parts of the report that emerged.
In a resolution adopted by the association’s governing council, and in an accompanying report, the association issued its most comprehensive repudiation of so-called reparative therapy, a concept espoused by a small but persistent group of therapists, often allied with religious conservatives, who maintain that gay men and lesbians can change.
No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the resolution, adopted by a 125-to-4 vote. The association said some research suggested that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies.
Instead of seeking such change, the association urged therapists to consider multiple options, which could include celibacy and switching churches, for helping clients live spiritually rewarding lives in instances where their sexual orientation and religious faith conflict.
The association has criticized reparative therapy in the past, but a six-member panel added weight to that position by examining 83 studies on sexual orientation change conducted since 1960. Its report was endorsed by the association’s governing council in Toronto, where the association’s annual meeting is being held this weekend.
The report breaks ground in its detailed and nuanced assessment of how therapists should deal with gay clients struggling to remain loyal to a religious faith that disapproves of homosexuality.
Judith Glassgold, a psychologist in Highland Park, N.J., who led the panel, said she hoped the document could help calm the polarized debate between religious conservatives who believe in the possibility of changing sexual orientation and the many mental health professionals who reject that option.
“Both sides have to educate themselves better," Ms. Glassgold said. “The religious psychotherapists have to open up their eyes to the potential positive aspects of being gay or lesbian. Secular therapists have to recognize that some people will choose their faith over their sexuality.”
One of the largest organizations promoting the possibility of changing sexual orientation is Exodus International, a network of ministries whose core message is “freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ.”
Its president, Alan Chambers, describes himself as someone who “overcame unwanted same-sex attraction.” Mr. Chambers and other evangelicals met with association representatives after the panel was formed in 2007, and he expressed satisfaction with parts of the report that emerged.
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