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Home My WebLink AboutHSAC Forum 091300Human Services Advisory Commission Forum - September 13, 2000 Mental Health - It Affects All Ages The Friday Center Chapel Hill, NC Five Most Important Issues Identified by Each Strategy Group Young Children's (Birth — Eight Years Old) Mental Health Issues Pri_ ority Issue 43 Equity of access to services(poor, working poor, bi- lingual, geographic, communication skills, transportation, insured and uninsured) 43 Ensuring an early collaborative effort between schools, Mental Health, DSS, and Health Dept. 28 Quality, availability and continuum of mental health services 18 Increasing schools capacity to deal w/ mental health issues 16 Automatic mental health treatment services for children involved in domestic violence and child abuse. 15 Seeing affordable, high quality child care with low staff- child ratios as a preventative and supportive service for all children 14 Comprehensive system of personnel training and development regarding mental health needs, services and issues; physicians, other clinicians, child care and public school teachers, para- professionals, students, etc. 13 Increased public awareness regarding the impact of mental health issues primarily involving children 0 -8 years/ availability of services/ stigma/ risk factors/ violence in media, family issues, etc. 6 Parenting classes for Orange County Residents 5 Giving children 0 -3 years a good start 5 Family issues: stress and effect of divorce and parental conflict on children 5 Lack of supervision of children during summer breaks, and other gaps/ need for recreational activities 5 Targeting of mental health resources to neighborhoods w/ high crime and substance abuse 4 Increase capacities of county agencies to serve diverse populations, especially Latinos 2 Mental health services for families and persons in transition 1 Need for broad -based legal advocacy 1 Access to mental health and substance abuse counseling for pregnant women - Lack of constancy of care given high turnover and environment provided for children, especially 0 -3 years - Provision of services to families involved with substance abuse - How do we encourage support and participation of families - Low value placed upon children, child care and general needs of families - Cultural relevance of Mental Health services - Need for more respite care for families - Identify children's abilities within context of family and community life - Lack of access to male role models for children 0 -5 years - Inconsistency in ways cases are handled and services delivered - Housing support and coordinated comprehensive services for victims of domestic violence Page 1 of 5 Human Services Advisory Commission Forum - September 13, 2000 Mental Health - It Affects All Ages The Friday Center Chapel Hill, NC Adolescents' Mental Health Issues • After- school services Coordinating school and agency services to provide after - school services for older students (after - school is defined s all non - school hours, including summer) • Services for youth growing up in violence providing comprehensive services for youth growing up in violence; providing support to children, families and the community regarding family violence • Out -of -home placements expanding options for appropriate out -of -home placements • Crises services providing crises services • Adolescent substance abuse responding to the rate of adolescent substance abuse; providing services for adolescents growing up in homes where their parents are substance abusers • Strong partnerships between schools and mental health services developing strong partnerships between schools and mental health agencies /services; providing mental health services in the schools Other critical mental health issues facing adolescents were identified as: Coordination of services Providers /agencies to develop and Coordination among agencies for develop a common mission to out -of - school activities address adolescents' mental health needs Education Teen pregnancy, sexuality Career education for all levels education Opportunities for alternative Academic support outside the education regular schools stem Preventive Services Positive outlook training for youth Suicide prevention services involved with violence Appropriate summer services Use of school environment for preventive services Treatment Services Expansion of in -home treatment Day treatment services Alternative therapies of mental Prevention, education and health and substance abuse- -e.g., intervention regarding drama, art, Outward Bound -type relationships (e.g., help when Page 2of5 Human Services Advisory Commission Forum - September 13, 2000 Mental Health - It Affects All Ages The Friday Center Chapel Hill, NC experiences, etc. adolescents' relationships are breaking u Community Services and Parent Services Advocating for businesses to Ongoing support and access to provide training and jobs in the community facilities, especially for community adolescents with special needs Education about mental health Lack of parental support; lack of issues and normalization of mental parental responsibility for health issues adolescent's school success Community recognizing and Parent education valuing youth Community empowerment to help Community response to adolescents depression Specific Issues Teen pregnancy Delinquency Lack of insurance Parental consent Young Adults' Mental Health Issues ♦ Need for Affordable Housing (Single Room Occupancy - SRO) ♦ Improvement of flexibility in which County administers services and increase local funding ♦ Support services for mentally -ill young adults who want to live independently ♦ Educate community about what it can do to help ♦ Education and publicity about available services (especially for newcomers to the system) Mid -Life Mental Health Issues ♦ Increase in supportive, safe, and affordable housing, including single room occupancy housing. (Priority issue with 58 points) ♦ Need for an increase in unrestricted funding. (Top five with 25 points) ♦ There should be a full range of mental health services for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors and their children. (Top five with 25 points) ♦ Improve transportation alternatives for the mentally ill. (Top five with 16 points) ♦ Need for developing community crisis teams. (Top five with 16 points) ♦ Adequate support in home or institutions for the mentally ill with due consideration for the family. ♦ Continuum of care for mid -life age range. Page 3of5 Human Services Advisory Commission Forum - September 13, 2000 Mental Health - It Affects All Ages The Friday Center Chapel Hill, NC ♦ Need for a group home transitional place. ♦ People can only function at their highest level if they are provided with their basic needs (housing, food, health care, etc.) ♦ Need for multiple behavioral therapies available for this age group. ♦ Need for agency collaboration to prevent duplication of services. ♦ Need for more individual case managers. ♦ Need for community based services after release from hospitals. ♦ Need for culturally sensitive services for Spanish speaking mental health consumers. ♦ Need for a life skills team who could work on vocational services. ♦ Need for more education for those in substance abuse treatment. Mid -Life Mental Health Issues, continued ♦ More coordination of the services available through case management. ♦ Need for increased access about information describing the available services. ♦ Need for inter county cooperation between commissioners (e.g. regional planning), and need for uniformity of services state -wide. ♦ Easier access to medication because cost is prohibitive. ♦ Better education about the mental health effects of trauma. ♦ Need for more social interaction, social support groups, for this age level. ♦ Need for an increase in mental health and case management services for low income and homeless women and children. ♦ Funding for emergency financial aid services for those who don't qualify in current programs. ♦ Need for interaction between medical and mental health professionals regarding patient care. Elderly Mental Health Issues Top Five Issues: ♦ Sufficiency and accessibility of Mental Health Services Page 4of5 Human Services Advisory Commission Forum - September 13, 2000 Mental Health - It Affects All Ages The Friday Center Chapel Hill, NC ♦ Respite care for the care - givers ♦ Availability of resources that are not "means tested" (need for Universal Coverage) ♦ Fragmentation of services in County Senior Centers, i.e., need to use an interdisciplinary wellness model ♦ Inequality of Orange County Services in the different regions of the County (i.e., Northern Orange v Chapel Hill) All the Issues the Group Presented in Session ♦ Inequality of services in the various parts of Orange County (i.e., Northern Orange County v Chapel Hill) ♦ Need for increase in appropriate housing sources with case management ♦ Education of family members about dementia in their loved one ♦ Availability of resources that are not "means- tested" (Need for "Universal Coverage ") ♦ Correction of the impression that mental illness or depression is a normal part of aging (educating the public that depression is pathological and treatable) ♦ Increase in specialty providers ♦ Enabling access to services ♦ Availability and equal distribution and resourcing of Senior Citizens' Centers County -wide ♦ Consolidation of Services ♦ Continuing education for county personnel regarding mental health in the elderly ♦ Affordable prescription drugs ♦ Transportation ♦ Continuum of services (support for family members) ♦ High staff turnover ♦ Public knowledge of resources ♦ Provision of daily contact for people in danger of isolation (Meals on Wheels model) ♦ Employee incentives ♦ Prevention of isolation (Community Watch model) ♦ Sufficient and accessible mental health services ♦ Negative impact on ADL and IADL when mental illness is not treated properly ♦ Culturally- appropriate services ♦ Under - diagnoses of dementia ♦ Stigma associated with applying for mental health services ♦ Outreach to the more rural parts of the County ♦ Fragmentation of services in County Senior Centers (need to use an interdisciplinary wellness model) ♦ Over - medication ♦ Availability of Spanish- speaking services ♦ Lack of incentives for providing in -home care ♦ Respite care for the care giver ♦ Employment and volunteer opportunities Page 5of5