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Mental Health Systems takes a proactive approach in communicating to the community about mental health issues, services and successes. Follow along with us as we promote healthy community practices through print, broadcast and social media. Please let us know if you see an item that would be of interest to others in the MHS community. Submit it here.

 

Women say rehabilitative center turned their lives around

Markesia Huey spent 13 years in and out of prison. She said she walked the streets as a prostitute and used drugs. She didn't want to deal with the difficulties of just making a living, and felt relief when she was sent back to prison because life was easier to handle behind bars. But then she went to Casa Aurora, the Female Rehabilitative Community Correctional Center in east Bakersfield that offers treatment services, counseling and more than 30 classes a week.

Integration Gets Boost Under Health Law

The Wall Street Journal -- The integration of mental health and general health will get a boost under the new health reform law through the funding of medical homes that coordinate care. Programs that integrate care have been shown to reduce emergency room visits and psychiatric-hospital admissions, and to increase employees' productivity at work. A growing number of primary care providers are coordinating care of depressed patients with behavioral-health specialists.

Supporting at-risk youth and their families with Therapeutic Behavioral Services

“Mom, can I play video games?” asked the ten-year-old boy. “It’s time for your homework now, but after you finish that you can play,” his mother answered. Hair tousled and eyes clear, he took his mother’s words in stride. She remembered the days, only months before, when a simple refusal or request could send him into a rage, screaming and throwing anything in arms distance. When she and her son first came to Mental Health Systems’ (MHS) Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) she had no idea how to handle his outbursts.

Accepting Parents Boost Mental Health of LGBT Teens

CNN - A new study finds that a supportive family environment can have a positive impact on the general and mental health of gay, lesbian and bisexual children. Researchers were able to define specific behaviors by parents and family that were perceived as being either accepting or rejecting of teens' sexual orientation, and to connect these behaviors to mental and general health outcomes in children. They found that teens from families who supported their sexual orientation were less likely to abuse drugs, experience depression or attempt suicide than those in less accepting families.

Mental Health Systems and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Open New Program

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and Mental Health Systems, Inc. (MHS) hosted an open-house for a groundbreaking program to rehabilitate female offenders on Tuesday, December 7. CDCR and MHS collaboratively operate the program, known as Casa Aurora located in Bakersfield. It is the only Female Rehabilitation Community Correctional Center (FRCCC) in California, and is the first program of its type in the nation.

December 2010 Wellness Blast

The holidays are approaching and for many Americans that means adding unwanted pounds to their waistlines. From the office holiday party to Aunt Margaret's famous eggnog, it can be a challenge to not indulge in things you only get once a year. However, there are things that you can do to stay well and still have fun.

Find some tips and healthy new recipes at this month's Wellness Blast. You can click here to download this issue.

Americans Continue to Live with High Levels of Stress: Survey

Time -- The majority of Americans continue to live with moderate to high levels of stress, the annual Stress in America survey by the American Psychological Association finds. While people know it isn’t healthy, the find it difficult to manage or reduce stress. Worries about money are rising among Americans. The online survey found that 76 percent of adults cited money as a cause of stress. In last year’s survey, 71 percent reported it as a cause. The survey also found children pick up on their parents’ stress.

Health Law's New Patient-Centered Outcomes Board Takes Shape; More Insurance Waiver Requests Expected

Kaiser Health News' Daily Report -- The Washington Post reports on a new entity: the Board of Governors of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. "If you're not familiar with the board, you're not alone. Created by the health-care overhaul law, it's one of the newest and least known panels in government. But the work of its 21 members, if successful, could increase the public's knowledge of medical treatments for everything from attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder to cancer.

It’s Up to Us Campaign Launched

County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency -- The It's Up to Us campaign is designed to empower San Diegans to talk openly about mental illness, recognize symptoms, utilize local resources and seek help. One in four adult San Diegans suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder and nearly one out of every five children experience some degree of an emotional or behavioral difficulty. Mental health challenges are just as important to address as physical illness.

Register for Mental Health Wellness Week

Mental Health Wellness Week will take place from November 14-20, 2010. Mental Health Wellness Week provides national guidance and centralized resources to help organizations and individuals build awareness and implement programs in their own communities. Organizations and individuals can use the Mental Health Wellness materials in existing communications - such as newsletters, web sites and media outreach - encouraging employees/members/clients to participate.