WUMH Update

May is Mental Health Month!
Check our web site later this month for upcoming events and resources for May is Mental Health Month. Do you have an upcoming event where you’d like to see more information about Mental Health and stigma reduction? Visit our website or contact us for more information.

In May, WUMH will be joining the efforts of other organizations for Children’s Mental Health Awareness week activities, including a Press Conference on May 3 and public service announcements/articles. Each week WUMH will feature different content on our web site, starting with Children’s Mental Health, followed by Women’s Mental Health, and then Older Adults. How can you do your part to increase awareness about Mental Health and reducing stigma?

Upcoming *** 2011 WUMH Quarterly Meeting Dates***
The WUMH Advisory Board and the Steering Committee (all partners) meet from 9-11:00 a.m. at the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation in Madison. All dates are the second Friday of the month. Previous minutes will be posted on the WUMH web site. We want to continue to create synergy and change to reduce stigma in WI through our partners’ energy and involvement!

• May 13, 2011 (Featured presenter: Molly Cisco, Director for the Grassroots Empowerment Project)
  
• August 12, 2011
• November 11, 2011

Highlight/Status Report

Improving Employer Mental Health Practices: This grant project through the Wisconsin Partnership Project is now officially underway. Our business partners, The Alliance and the Business Health Care Group, are gathering baseline information about their employer groups’ current practices. The project’s Advisory Committee will be meeting on April 27th.

Joint Finance Committee Hearings: The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee will be holding hearings in Milwaukee and Arcadia.

Monday, April 11 (10am to 6pm) Milwaukee area
Wisconsin State Fair Park: Expo Center, Hall A
8200 W. Greenfield Ave, West Allis WI
(Enter Gate 4 for Parking)

Wednesday, April 13 (10am to 6pm) in Arcadia
Arcadia High School: Auditorium
756 Raider Drive, Arcadia WI

This is an opportunity for citizens to let the budget writing committee know their thoughts on the proposed state budget. To see the budget bills, summaries and related documents go to www.thewheelerreport.com. For additional budget analysis go to the Wisconsin Budget Project


Monthly Feature

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month

What is Dual Diagnosis?
A person who has both an alcohol or drug problem and an emotional/psychiatric problem is said to have a dual diagnosis. To recover fully, the person needs treatment for both problems.

How Common Is Dual Diagnosis?
Dual diagnosis is more common than you might imagine. According to a report published by the Journal of the American Medical Association*:
Thirty-seven percent of alcohol abusers and fifty-three percent of drug abusers also have at least one serious mental illness.
Of all people diagnosed as mentally ill, 29 percent abuse either alcohol or drugs.

If Someone I Know Appears To Have A Substance Abuse Problem And The Symptoms Of A Psychiatric Disorder, How Can I Help?
Encourage the person to acknowledge the problems and seek help for themselves. Suggest a professional evaluation with a licensed physician, preferably at a medical center that’s equipped to treat addiction problems and psychiatric conditions. If the person is reluctant, do the legwork yourself - find the facility, make the appointment, offer to go with the person. A little encouragement may be all it takes. If you talk to the physician first, be honest and candid about the troubling behavior. Your input may give the doctor valuable diagnostic clues.

There Is Hope As a relative or friend, you can play an important role in encouraging a person to seek professional diagnosis and treatment. By learning about dual diagnosis, you can help this person find and stick with an effective recovery program.

The more you know about dual diagnosis, the more you will see how substance abuse can go hand-in-hand with another psychiatric condition. As with any illness, a person with dual diagnosis can improve once proper care is given. By seeking out information, you can learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of dual diagnosis - and help someone live a healthier or more fulfilling life.

Content from Mental Health America: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/index.cfm?objectid=c7df9405-1372-4d20-c89d7bd2cd1ca1b9

Learn more about alcohol abuse issues and additional resources at:
Substance Abuse and Addiction Disorders
Substance Abuse in Children and Adolescence


Other News/Partner Announcements

NAMI Wisconsin Annual Conference: Recovering Together: Growing Our Grassroots
April 15-16, 2011
Hilton Milwaukee City Center.
www.namiwisconsin.org or 800-236-2988

CRAZY: A Father's Search through America's Mental Health Madness
Monday, April 18, 2011
Fine Arts Center Main Theatre in La Crosse, WI
Join with others to listen to Pete Early tell his story about how difficult it is to get help for a family member with mental illness. He will specifically focus on how and why persons, such as his son, often end up in our criminal justice system and why that is wrong and will describe the results of a nine-month investigation that he conducted as a journalist inside the Miami Dade County jail where he followed persons with severe mental illnesses through the criminal justice system and out into the community to observe what services were available to them. Pete Earley was cited by Washingtonian Magazine in a cover story entitled, "Top Journalists: Washington's Media Elite," as one of a handful of journalists in America who "have the power to introduce new ideas and give them currency." He is the author of nine non-fiction books, including three national best-sellers, and three novels. His book, CRAZY: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness, was one of two finalists for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize and has won awards from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health America, the Washington Psychiatric Association, and the American Psychiatric Association. No registration is required and the event is free.

Communities in Action to Prevent Suicide Conference; May 4th, 8am-4:30pm, Ramada Inn, Stevens Point. Brought to you by Prevent Suicide Wisconsin, Mental Health America of Wisconsin and HOPES. For program brochure and registration go to: www.preventsuicidewi.org

Funding Opportunities for Suicide Prevention. Mental Health America of Wisconsin has two funding opportunities for Wisconsin organizations to support local suicide prevention efforts. See details at www.mhawisconsin.org

The Second Annual Wisconsin Women’s Health Policy Summit: Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health. To continue to collectively raise the status of women’s health in Wisconsin.Wednesday, May 11, during National Women’s Health Week. The Monona Terrace in Madison, WI Please visit: http://wihprc.org/resourcecenter/informationclearninghouse/2011wwhps.aspx for more information and registration information.