Advocacy

For over 55 years, MHAEC has been at the forefront of the advocacy movement. At the local, state and national levels, staff and volunteers have led a tireless crusade for legislative policies that ensure fair, decent and humane living and working conditions for individuals suffering from severe and persistent mental illnesses. We remain always committed to the principle that our role as a state-funded service provider will never compromise or conflict with staunchly advocating for policies and practices that are in the very best interests of the consumer.

Please see below for other advocacy groups and resources and check back often for updates and new information.

• New Jersey Mental Health Association
• Mental Health America
• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill - New Jersey Chapter
• NEW Counselors, family advocacy group urge N.J. officials to postpone ending home-based therapy
• Former Governor Codey's Mental Health Task Force - Final Report
• GotBlue
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Disaster Strikes: Taking Care of Our—and Our Children's—Mental Health

Disaster Strikes: Taking Care of Our—and Our Children's—Mental Health

For residents of New Jersey this has been a trying week or so. The Davison household was no exception as I awoke early Sunday morning to my daughter screaming, “Oh my God, there is something on fire!” Actually, her language was a bit more colorful, but this is a family blog. Colorful or not she was accurate as downed electrical wires danced and exploded in the street. The bright light and intensity of the electrical fire was both frightening and awe-inspiring. Fortunately due to the great work of West Caldwell’s finest and bravest (the police and fire departments) no one was hurt. We were in the dark for a few days, but thankfully, that turned out to be a minor inconvenience. Many of New Jersey’s residents faced much worse. The recent earthquake seemed preferable to this mayhem!

Naturally, in times of disaster, first things must come first. Those things include; shelter, food, water and medical care. What is often overlooked is the mental health aspect of a natural disaster. This is unfortunate, as to do so may cause preventable trauma.

The fact is our area has been hit by a natural disaster; and you are probably trying to make sense of what happened and deal with the stress of the situation. These events create a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety for those directly and indirectly affected. In the days and weeks following the disaster, you may begin to have some of these common reactions:

• Disbelief and shock
• Fear and anxiety about the future
• Disorientation; difficulty making decisions or concentrating
• Apathy and emotional numbing
• Nightmares and reoccurring thoughts about the event
• Irritability and anger
• Sadness and depression
• Feeling powerless
• Changes in eating patterns; loss of appetite or overeating
• Crying for “no apparent reason”
• Headaches, back pains and stomach problems
• Difficulty sleeping or falling asleep
• Increased use of alcohol and drugs

It is "normal" to have difficulty managing your feelings after major traumatic events. However, if you do not deal with the stress, it can be harmful to your mental and physical health. Here are some tips for coping in these difficult times:

• Talk about it. By talking with others about the event, you can relieve stress and realize that others share your feelings.
• Spend time with friends and family. They can help you through this tough time. If your family lives outside the area, stay in touch by phone. If you have any children, encourage them to share their concerns and feelings about the disaster with you.
• Take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest and exercise, and eat properly.
• Limit exposure to images of the disaster. Watching or reading about the event repeatedly will only increase your stress.
• Find time for activities you enjoy. Read a book, go for a walk, catch a movie or do something else you find enjoyable. These healthy activities can help you get your mind off the disaster and keep the stress in check.
• Take one thing at a time. For people under stress, an ordinary workload can sometimes seem unbearable. Pick one urgent task and work on it. Once you accomplish that task, choose the next one. “Checking off” tasks will give you a sense of accomplishment and make things feel less overwhelming.
• Do something positive. Give blood, prepare “care packages” for people who have lost relatives or their homes, or volunteer in a rebuilding effort. Helping other people can give you a sense of purpose in a situation that feels "out of your control."
• Avoid drugs and excessive drinking. Drugs and alcohol may temporarily seem to remove stress, but in the end, they generally create additional problems that compound the stress you were already feeling.
• Ask for help when you need it. If your feelings do not go away or are so intense that they interfere with your ability to function in daily life, talk with a trusted relative, friend, doctor or spiritual advisor about getting help. Make an appointment with a mental health professional to discuss how well you are coping with the recent events. You could also join a support group. Do not try to cope alone. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.

Being There for our Children:

Children sense the anxiety and tension in adults around them. Moreover, like adults, children experience the same feelings of helplessness and lack of control that disaster-related stress can bring about. Unlike adults, however, children have little experience to help them place their current situation into perspective.

Each child responds differently to a disaster, depending on his or her understanding and maturity, but it’s easy to see how an event like this can create a great deal of anxiety in children of all ages because they will interpret the disaster as a personal danger to themselves and those they care about.

Whatever the child’s age or relationship to the damage caused by the disaster, it is important that you be open about the consequences for your family, and that you encourage him or her to talk about it.

Quick Tips for Parents

• Children need comforting and frequent reassurance that they are safe make sure they get it.
• Be honest and open about the disaster.
• Encourage children to express their feelings through talking, drawing or playing.
• Try to maintain your daily routines as much as possible.

Pre-School Age Children

Behavior such as bed-wetting, thumb sucking, baby talk, or a fear of sleeping alone may intensify in some younger children, or reappear in children who had previously outgrown them. They may complain of very real stomach cramps or headaches, and be reluctant to go to school. It is important to remember that these children are not "being bad" —they are afraid. Here are some suggestions to help them cope with their fears:

• Reassure young children that they are safe. Provide extra comfort and contact by discussing the child’s fears at night, by telephoning during the day and with extra physical comforting.
• Get a better understanding of a child’s feelings about the disaster. Discuss the disaster with them and find out each child’s particular fears and concerns. Answer all questions they may ask and provide them loving comfort and care. You can structure children’s play so that it remains constructive, serving as an outlet for them to express fear or anger.

Grade-School Age Children

Children this age may ask many questions about the disaster, and it is important that you try to answer them in clear and simple language. If a child is concerned about a parent who is distressed, do not tell a child not to worry—doing so will just make him or her worry more.

Here are several important things to remember with school-age children:

• False reassurance does not help this age group. Don’t say a disaster will never affect your family again; children will know this is not true. Instead, say, “You’re safe now and I’ll always try to protect you"—or—"Adults are working very hard to make things safe.” Remind children that disasters are very rare. Children’s fears often get worse around bedtime, so you might want to stick around until the child falls asleep in order to make him or her feel protected.
• Monitor children’s media viewing. Images of the disaster and the damage are extremely frightening to children, so consider limiting the amount of media coverage they see. A good way to do this without calling attention to your own concern is to regularly schedule an activity—story reading, drawing or letter writing, for example—during news shows.
• Allow them to express themselves through play or drawing. As with younger children, school-age children sometimes find comfort in expressing themselves through playing games or drawing scenes of the tragedy. Allowing them to do so, and then talking about it, gives you the chance to "re-tell" the ending of the game or the story they have expressed in pictures with an emphasis on personal safety.
• Do not be afraid to say, "I don’t know." Part of keeping discussion of the disaster open and honest is not being afraid to say you do not know how to answer a child’s question. When such an occasion arises, explain to your child that disasters are extremely rare, and they cause feelings that even adults have trouble dealing with. Temper this by explaining that, even so, adults will always work very hard to keep children safe and secure.

Adolescents

Encourage these youth to work out their concerns about the disaster. Adolescents may try to downplay their worries. It is generally a good idea to talk about these issues, keeping the lines of communication open and remaining honest about the financial, physical and emotional impact of the disaster on your family. When adolescents are frightened, they may express their fear through acting out or regressing to younger habits.

• Children with existing emotional problems, such as depression, may require careful supervision and additional support.
• Monitor their media exposure to the event and information they receive on the Internet.
• Adolescents may turn to their friends for support. Encourage friends and families to get together and discuss the event to allay fears.

I hope you find this short discussion on the mental health impacts of a natural disaster helpful. The good news is that individuals, families and entire communities can thrive in the face of the most challenging of times. To do so we must care for each other and ourselves, including our mental health.

For more information on this or any other mental matter, please contact the Mental Health Association of Essex County, Inc. at 973-509-9777 or reach us on-line at www.mhaessex.org.

 ________________________________________________________________

Counselors, family advocacy group urge N.J. officials to postpone ending home-based therapy

TRENTON — Mental health counselors and a member of a family advocacy group urged state officials today to postpone plans to remove up to 9,000 children from a Medicaid home-based therapy program.

The number is three times higher than what a state Department of Children and Families official cited earlier this month in a Star-Ledger article about scaling back the program. Department spokeswoman Lauren Kidd said late today she could not immediately explain the disparity.

The disclosure came during a hearing of the Assembly Human Services Committee to discuss the plan to discontinue home therapy for less seriously ill children.

Committee Chairwoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) said she also called the hearing to discuss the shortage of treatment and housing services available for children and adults who suffer from both developmental disabilities and mental illness.

The state's home therapy program sends licensed therapists into homes to work with parents and children to address behavioral problems and help families communicate. The state pays agencies $113 an hour for home therapy, compared to the $83 it pays for therapy in a counselor's office.

Brian Hancock, deputy director of the Division of Child Behavioral Health Services said that beginning on Feb. 1, an estimated 7,000 to 9,000 children a year "who do not have a complex set of needs'' will no longer be referred to home therapists.

"Children with significant behavioral and emotional challenges are the focus of these services, and they will continue to have access to these services,'' Hancock said. About 22,400 seriously ill children a year would continue to get home counseling, he said, while 7,000 to 9,000 others would be referred to out-patient therapists.

Peg Kinsell of the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network said she doubted there would be enough counselors to go around.

Cathy Lawson, a licensed social worker and director of the Progressive Family Services practice in Somerset County, agreed.

"There are waiting lists for outpatient services in my counties that can last three to four months," she said.

Bob Davison, executive director of the Essex County Mental Health Association, said he agreed with the decision to limit the program that has been "exploited by some unscrupulous providers.''

"But the time line is too ambitious," he said, referring to the Feb. 1 deadline. "We have to ensure the system of outpatient services is there."

The hearing included emotional testimony from mothers-turned-activists, whose children had been placed in institutions temporarily because so few know how to treat people who "dually diagnosed" with a mental illness and developmental disability.

Cyndy Hayes of Princeton said her son Brandon's bouts of self-injury escalated when he turned 18, but the state's answer was to institutionalize him for two years. "The state of New Jersey was spending $355,000 annually on his care,'' Hayes said. "How much money could have been saved with some quality support services?"

[Back to Top]

CODEY APPLAUDS GOVERNOR'S DECISION ON HAGEDORN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL

Compromise Would Ensure Continuation of Care at Hunterdon County Psychiatric Facility

TRENTON – Senator Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, today applauded the decision by Governor Christie to continue services at Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital in Hunterdon County. The facility, which serves mostly adult patients suffering from dementia, was slated to be shut down in the Governor's original proposed budget:

"I would like to thank Governor Christie, State Senator Mike Doherty, and all of the advocates who fought so hard to make sure that services for the mentally ill would continue at Hagedorn. Even though we're facing one of the toughest budgets on record, with the restoration of the Hagedorn operating funds, we're making a statement that we won't balance our budget without consideration of our most vulnerable residents.

"The compromise to keep Hagedorn open represents a win for the patients, and is a testament to the excellent level of services provided at the hospital."

New Jersey must not turn its back on patients at Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital

By Star-Ledger Guest Columnist –Bob Davison and Mary Zdanowicz

Imagine that you have an elderly family member who suffers from a serious and debilitating mental illness, and that they are currently — and fortunately — receiving the care and treatment that they need in a well-run state psychiatric hospital.

Now imagine how you would react if the state suddenly announced that, as part of its attempts to balance its budget, that same well-run institution would be abruptly shut down and there was no viable plan in place for relocating patients like your loved one.

That is what happened when Gov. Chris Christie announced that Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital, a 310-bed facility that specializes in caring for the aged, would be closed by June 2011. Its patients' families must now consider the harmful repercussions of this decision.

Geriatric-psychiatric care is a very specialized discipline and the services currently being provided at Hagedorn are exemplary. In fact, just weeks ago (as reported in this newspaper) the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare described Hagedorn as "running at an optimal level," calling it possibly "one of the best-run geriatric facilities."

Why, then, would the governor and the state proceed with the ill-advised strategy of closing this facility?

If history is our guide, closing Hagedorn will inevitably lead to overcrowding, overtaxing of already limited staff resources, and a breakdown in order at the remaining state psychiatric hospitals, Ancora, Trenton State and Greystone. This is exactly what happened in the 1990s when the state closed Marlboro Hospital. In fact, the strain became so great at Ancora during that time period that the U.S. Department of Justice recently conducted an investigation into the subsequent deterioration of treatment conditions there.

In a report issued in August, the Justice Department found that patients at Ancora lived in unsafe conditions and "did not receive appropriate treatment and rehabilitation." It further noted that Ancora's patients were subjected to "serious, frequent and recurrent harm" and that their civil rights had been systematically violated.

Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.

In defense of its plan, state officials promise that appropriate services will be provided at the community level for discharged Hagedorn patients. They say this despite the fact that we have recently witnessed the closings of numerous community hospital-based psychiatric units, including Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic and Chilton Hospital in Pompton Plains. The state also cut community psychiatric services last year and is proposing additional, significant cuts this year. Furthermore, support for Medicaid patients in nursing homes is being frozen.

In this financial crisis, can we really believe the state will make the appropriate investment in community services to care for the former Hagedorn patients? Failure by the state to keep this promise would result in an increase in the number of patients at the remaining hospitals, additional homelessness within communities and the victimization of individuals with mental illness.

Our fear is that an appreciation for balance and capacity at state institutions is being replaced by an inappropriate focus on the bottom line, and we remind the state that its primary duty is to protect the vulnerable.

Christie should ask himself a question: Would he allow an elderly relative with mental illness to be uprooted from a stable treatment environment and abruptly transferred to a facility such as Ancora, or alternately left to fend for himself or herself within an already over-extended community mental health system?

Through painful experience we know that proper downsizing of an inpatient system requires a well thought out, multi-year effort where community supports, access to treatment, and housing and/or nursing home care is available. Trying to close a psychiatric hospital in a year or less is not only irresponsible — it is dangerous.

Many of the patients at Hagedorn cannot speak for themselves. Having gone through this before, we can speak out, and we hope the governor will look at the facts and change direction. The patients of Hagedorn deserve his compassion, his consideration and his support.

Robert N. Davison is executive director of the Mental Health Association of Essex County. Mary Zdanowicz is legal guardian for her sister, a patient at Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital.

[Back to Top]