| |
|
|
|
6th Annual
California Memorial Project
Remembrance Day
Monday, September 15, 2008
2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
East Lawn Andrews and Greilich Mortuary
3939 Fruitridge Road
Sacramento, CA 95820
The California Memorial Project (CMP) was organized in 2001 as a result of legislation sponsored by Senator Wes Chesbro. That legislation directed multiple State agencies to cooperate with *collaborative client communities in the restoration of dignity to individuals that lived and died in State institutions.
See Flyer for more details WORD/PDF
|
 |
Next Family to Family class: -Enroll December 2008 for Spring 2009
|
For a complete look at mental health events for 2008 check out 
|
back to the top |
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Economy affects mental health; stress prompts calls for therapy By MARILYN ELIAS • USA TODAY • July 24, 2008;
The economic downturn is hurting many Americans’ mental health: Anxiety, depression, sleep problems and money-rooted marital conflicts are growing, say experts around the U.S. Requests for therapists increased 15 percent to 20 percent in the last three months, “primarily driven by concerns about the financial situation,” says Richard Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of Chicago-based ComPsych, the nation’s largest employee-assistance mental health program with more than 24 million members.
There’s been a surge in people online talking about how economic woes are triggering stress, says John Grohol, a psychologist and publisher of PsychCentral.com. “It’s rare to see one topic so infiltrating the concerns of people who otherwise seem to have nothing in common,” he says. more....
|
|
Vet Suicide Prevention Hotline Saves Lives (MSNBC.com/The Associated Press, 7/27/08)
More than 22,000 veterans have called a suicide prevention hotline since it was launched a year ago, and 1,221 suicides have been prevented, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The department runs the hotline with SAMHSA through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-TALK). The hotline, on which the department has spent $2.9 million so far, receives 250 calls a day evenly divided between veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam. more...
Mental health groups join forces for troops By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, May 20, 2008
WASHINGTON — A coalition of mental health groups announced plans Monday to establish a nationwide network of psychiatrists, psychologists and other experts to provide free counseling to combat veterans and their families. more..
Mitchell takes on the stigma of vets' mental-health issues by E.J. Montini - Jul. 22, 2008 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic-Late last year at a congressional hearing in Washington, Rep. Harry Mitchell listened to a couple named Mike and Kim Bowman tell the story of their 23-year-old son, Tim, a soldier who had returned safely from his yearlong deployment in Iraq only to commit suicide at home."We already were hearing that suicide among veterans who were between 20 and 24 years old was 2½ times higher than non-veterans," Mitchell told me. "And I remember thinking to myself: 'We can't do this again.' this article goes on to say, "As a subcommittee chairman on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Mitchell, a Democrat, working with Republican colleagues, began asking the VA some tough questions about how much effort it put into reaching veterans at risk of suicide or other mental-health problems connected with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury." more.... |
 |
|
 |
*DID YOU KNOW?
Having depression appears to place older adults at a nearly three-fold increased risk for having a first stroke…. More |
|
- may 27-Adults With ADHD Lose 3 Weeks Worth of Work Annually Inability to concentrate leads to excess days off, poor-quality output, study finds-by Alan Moses HealthDay reporter-US News Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) miss, on average, more than three weeks a year in workplace productivity, according to a new global reckoning of the problem.
Altogether, between 3 percent and 4 percent of adults worldwide have ADHD, according to survey data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Researchers say the condition can cause a serious loss of concentration at work due to chronic hyperactivity, forgetfulness and impulsiveness.
But many adult workers with ADHD may not know they have a problem, the team noted. find out more...
- may 15-
New Nationwide Report Estimates One in Every 12 Adolescents Experienced Major Depression in the Past Year -SAMHSA news release Survey reveals adolescent females are twice as likely as adolescent males to suffer a major depressive episode. About 2.1 million teens aged 12 to 17 experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, according to a new nationwide report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. For almost half of the teens, depression drastically reduced their abilities to deal with aspects of their daily lives, the report said. find out more....
- may 14-Depression and Anger can plague recent university graduates - A new University of Alberta study of almost 600 of its graduates (ages 20-29 years old) tracked mental health symptoms in participants for seven years post-graduation and looked at how key events like leaving home and becoming a parent were related to depression and anger. Graduates showed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms over the seven years. find out more...
- may 9-New Link to Schizophrenia Discovered, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (2008, May 9). New Link To Schizophrenia Discovered. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 20, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/05/080508122517.htm; Neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered that mice lacking an enzyme that contributes to Alzheimer disease exhibit a number of schizophrenia-like behaviors. find out more....
- apr 29-Half of Americans Struggle to stay happy Associate press WASHINGTON - Staying healthy and happy is a struggle for about half of Americans, according to a massive survey that attempts to measure the nation’s general welfare, much like the Dow Jones Industrial Average portrays the health of the stock market.
find out more...
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
- Agreement is in Place on Mental Illness Insurance Parity August 7, 2008 Agreement is in Place on Mental Illness Insurance Parity Before leaving Washington for the August recess, sponsors of parity legislation reached an agreement on a final bill to require equitable coverage in health plans for mental illness treatment. Now all that is remaining is to find a “budget offset” and resolve how the bill will be sent to the President. Separate mental health insurance parity bills have passed the Senate (on September 18, 2007) and the House (on March 5, 2008) by wide bipartisan margins. more...
- A recently passed Medicare bill is being hailed by advocates and patients living with mental illness, and the providers who treat them, as an historic milestone in the Medicare program. "This bill is a major step forward in eliminating discriminatory barriers that limit access to mental health care, with often tragic results," said David Shern, president and CEO of Mental Health America. Inside CMS, “Medicare law ushers in Mental Health Parity by 2014,” July 24, 2008
- Support Reauthorization of Critical Homeless Programs July 30, 2008 This week the House Financial Services Committee will take up legislation reauthorizing programs under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This includes a range of critical resources that meet the needs of individuals with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse disorders that experience chronic homelessness. This includes permanent supportive housing programs such as Shelter Plus Care that have been extremely effective in stabilizing the lives of homeless individuals with mental illness. more....
- Congressional Resolution Recognizes Prevention of Mental Illness Among Youth Should be Public Health Priority; ALEXANDRIA, VA. (May 22, 2008)-A resolution introduced in the House of Representatives on Wednesday calls attention to the need to make prevention of mental disorders and substance abuse among young people and the promotion of their mental health and wellness a public health priority. Find out more...
- Senators Strike Deal On Genetic Nondiscrimination Measure; Wed. Apr. 23, 2008; A genetic nondiscrimination bill that has been languishing in Congress for over a decade could be on its way to the White House before the week is out.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., lifted his objections to the measure Tuesday after several last-minute changes were made, such as language prohibiting victims from suing their employer and their insurer for the same violation. The bill is expected to pass the Senate on a voice vote today, and House leaders are working on scheduling a vote as soon as possible. find out more...
- LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Health care companies said on Monday they had sued to stop some $1.3 billion in California cuts to state medical and dental programs. find out more...
- Bipolar Disorder and the Americans With Disabilities Act Part 1: Coverage Under the ADA By Kimberly Read & Marcia Purse, About.com Updated: May 5, 2008; ... The ADA is administered by the EEOC. Bipolar disorder is one of the many conditions covered by the Act. ("Disability," in this context, is not related to Social Security Disability.) The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is designed to protect people with disabilities from discrimination in hiring, job assignments, promotions, pay, firing, benefits, layoffs and all other employment-related activities.
In addition, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) states that, "The Act also makes it unlawful to discriminate against an applicant or employee, whether disabled or not, because of the individual's family, business, social or other relationship or association with an individual with a disability. Find out more...
- NAMI
California Bill Updates
back to top
|
 |
| |
Seat and Member Name |
District |
Contact Information |
|
State of California Governor (R)
Schwarzenegger, Arnold
|
|
State Capitol Bldg.
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 445-4633
E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov
 |
|
Senate (D)
Steinberg, Darrell
http://www.sen.ca.gov/steinberg |
District 06
Senate President Pro Tem |
1020 N Street
State Capitol Suite 578 Room 4035
Sacramento, CA 95814
Sacramento, CA (916) 324-4937
94248-0001
(916) 651-4006
5722 Watt Avenue North Highlands, CA 95660 (916)338-6577 |
|
Assembly (D)
Jones, Dave
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/legmem.asp?district=9 |
District 09 |
915 L Street
State Capitol Suite 110 Room 3146
Sacramento, CA 95814
Sacramento, Ca (916) 324-4676
94249-0009 (916) 319-2009 |
|
Assembly (R)
Niello, Roger
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/legmem.asp?district=5 |
District (05) |
4811 Chippendale Drive
State Capitol Suite 501 Room 6027
Sacramento, CA 95841
Sacramento, Ca (916) 349-1995
94249-0005 (916) 319-2005 |
|
Senate (R)
Cox, Dave
http://www.sen.ca.gov/cox |
District 01 |
2140 Professional Drive
State Capitol Suite 140 Room 2068
Roseville 95661
Sacramento, CA (916) 783-8232
94248-0001 (916) 651-4001
33C Broadway Jackson CA 95642
(209)223-9140
1020 N St. Rm 568 Sacramento, CA 95814
(916)327-9034 2094
East Main Street Quincy CA, 95971 (530) 283-3437 |
|
Find out who your Yolo representatives are here
|
http://www.namiyolo.org/statelegislators.html |
|
 |
Smoking interferes with treatment for bipolar mania By Andrew Czyzewski 01 August 2008
MedWire News: Cigarette smoking is associated with worse treatment outcomes in acutely manic patients with bipolar disorder, research shows.
Investigator Felicity Ng (University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) and colleagues comment: "Rather than allowing the passive acceptance of smoking as a prevalent lifestyle habit among patients with mental illness to continue, clinicians could adopt an alternative stance that views smoking as a comorbid condition requiring active intervention." more... |
-
First Generic Versions of Depakote Approved To treat seizures, migraines, and bipolar disorder HealthDay Scott Roberts Tuesday, July 29, 2008 (HealthDay News) -- The first generic versions of Depakote (divalproex sodium) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat epileptic seizures, migraine headaches and bipolar disorder, the agency said Tuesday.Eight firms were granted license to produce generic versions of the brand-name drug made by Abbott Laboratories. The generics will have the same label warnings as the brand-name medication, including cautions about increased risk of severe liver damage, inflamed pancreas, and neural tube birth defects."Generic drugs undergo a rigorous scientific review to ensure that they will provide the patient with the same amount of high quality, safe and effective drug as the name brand product," Gary Buehler, director of the FDA's Office of Generic Drugs, said in an agency news release. more...
-
Geodon (Ziprasidone) - - Antipsychotic Medication by Marcia Purse About.com; The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the antipsychotic medication Geodon (ziprasidone) in early 2001 for the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. In 2004, the FDA extended its approval to include Geodon as a monotherapy in the treatment of acute manic or mixed episodes in bipolar I disorder, with or without psychotic features. As per the Pediatric Research Equity Act, Pzifer (the drug's maker) is required to present their pediatric studies for ages 10 to 17 regarding the viable use of this medication by June 30, 2008. The most exciting aspect of adding this medication to the schizophrenia / bipolar arsenal is that, unlike earlier antipsychotics, Geodon is not associated with weight gain. find out more...
-
Omega-3 Benefits for Bipolar Disorder Remain Unclear Review finds patients had less severe depression but no change in mania symptoms
FRIDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- There's not enough scientific evidence to determine whether omega-3 fatty acid supplements can help treat people with bipolar disorder, say researchers at the University of Oxford in England.
People with bipolar disorder can shift between mania (elevated mood and energy) and depression. However, the use of omega-3 supplements to treat bipolar disorder is worthy of further study, since they seem to have no serious side effects, and many experts recommend them for people with heart disease and some immune disorders, said study authors Paul Montgomery and Alex Richardson.
They reviewed five studies that examined the use of omega-3 supplements for bipolar disorder, but only one study of 75 patients had enough data on results for Montgomery and Richardson to analyze.
Patients in that study had less severe depression symptoms while taking the supplements, but there was no change in their mania symptoms. find out more...
-
|
Antidepressants May Prevent Depression After Stroke Problem-solving therapy could also make a difference, study shows TUESDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) --The report is published in the May 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Stroke victims often succumb to depression in the months following their attack, but taking an antidepressant may reduce that risk, a new study finds. To a lesser degree, problem-solving therapy also lowers the chances of depression among stroke victims.More than half of the 700,000 people who will have a stroke in the United States this year will develop depression. Depression after stroke is associated with difficulty in recovering the activities of daily life and with an increased risk of death, University of Iowa researchers said in their report. "The study highlights post-stroke depression, an important clinical problem," said Dr. Larry B. Goldstein, director of the Duke Center for Cerebrovascular Disease at Duke University Medical Center. find out more...
|
|
 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE from the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance: CONTACT: Gloria Pope
(312) 988-1164
gpope@DBSAlliance.org;
Karen Kraft
(312) 988-1178
kraft@DBSAlliance.org;
Celebrities and Bipolar Disorder
Helpful Information for Everyone (CHICAGO, January 7, 2008) – Speculation about bipolar disorder in celebrities has been
in the news lately. While DBSA does not support speculation about anyone’s diagnosis,
believing that this is a matter best discussed in the privacy of a doctor–patient
relationship, the following information and resources may be helpful in understanding
more about this common medical condition.
Bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) is a treatable illness marked by
extreme changes in mood, thought, energy and behavior. It is not a character flaw or a
sign of personal weakness. Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depression because a
person’s mood can alternate between the "poles" of mania (highs) and depression (lows).
These changes in mood, or "mood swings," can last for hours, days, weeks or months.
About 5.7 million American adults, or about 2.6 percent of the population age 18 and
older in any given year,* have bipolar disorder. The illness typically develops in late
adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during
childhood, while others develop them late in life. It is often not recognized as an illness,
and people may suffer for years before receiving a proper diagnosis and treatment. Like
diabetes or heart disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully
managed throughout a person’s life.
Celebrities who have spoken openly about their diagnoses include Maurice Benard, Patty
Duke, Carrie Fisher, Linda Hamilton and Margot Kidder.
For a list of symptoms of bipolar disorder’s depressive and manic phases, visit
www.DBSAlliance.org/about_bipolar_overview.
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
