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| 2008 LeFlore Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Site last updated January 28, 2009. |
| Various professionals, organizational leaders, community activists and others provided comments about the importance of mental health and violence prevention efforts. We are pleased to share their insightful words. ------------------------------------------------ Polly E. Drew M.Ed., LCSW, LMFT, Individual, Couple and Family Psychotherapist; and regular chat host for The Milwaukee Journal- Sentinel's online edition: pollydrew@earthlink.net “During these times of escalated gun violence all over the United States, the children and teens of Milwaukee need to know that their entire community is at their beck and call to help them and their families cope. Mental Health Matters for Violence Prevention is an optimistic attempt to craft real change in an area of modern society that often feels bleak. Hats off to Community Intervention Programs, Inc. and LeFlore Communications, LLC for providing a beacon of hope to our youth. They are our future.” ------------------------------------------------ Stephen P. Adams President of Community Development Management Partnerships: "Congratulations on your leadership and focus on this critical issue for our community. The project offers creative approaches and mechanisms to address and provide solutions in the related areas of mental health and violence." ------------------------------------------------ Gina Haase Licensed Clinical Social Worker, CEAP: “It amazes me that it hasn’t been recognized that since the beginning of time women and children have been the prey of the physically stronger species, males. Women have never been able to count on being safe in their own homes, or out in the world. Men take their safety for granted; women have learned from an early age subtle ways to move about their homes and the world in hopes of staying safe. Despite America being a conscious and developed country we too have yet to identify violence against women as a central issue to women’s well-being, and to our well-being as a whole. Ultimately, what affects one negatively will negatively impact us all. Bottom line is that women are not valued. Most American males support the “war against terror,” but do not recognize or put forth an effort to end the terror experienced by their mothers, daughters, wives, grandmothers, sisters, and aunts. I applaud those women and allied men who are using their power to prioritize and confront the problem. I pray that we will soon do this collectively.” ------------------------------------------------ Jenni Sevenich Chief Executive Officer, Westside Healthcare Association, Inc. "People often talk about needing to take care of the whole self – body, mind and soul. We are encouraged to eat healthy, exercise, and get regular checkups for the body. It is acceptable to attend church, synagogue, or mosque, or just pray or meditate by oneself to take care of the soul. So why is there still a stigma attached to the practices that help us take care of our minds? People seem very concerned about the level of violence in our community and say we need to do something. We can make an effort to take guns off the street, but unless we address the issues that make someone angry enough, depressed enough, or apathetic enough to want to shoot another in the first place, we are spinning our wheels.” ------------------------------------------------ Katherine Washington Minister/Spiritual Counselor KW Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia "It's wonderful when someone will step out with boldness to address things we don’t usually talk about, particularly our mental state. We often take for granted the development and well-being of our mind, which is part of our spiritual foundation. However, our overall health stems from our mind-set. We can try to pretend that how we think doesn’t really affect us or the actions we take, but our spirit can wither away when we don’t deal with our mind-set. To change our actions, we must change negative patterns of thinking and draw from the spiritual sources of inner strength that support positive actions. We all have the ability to become more in tune with this inner strength through awareness, which can lead to personal integrity, and this can help change the environment in which we live." |
| Joseph Henry Member of the Board of Directors of the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa, and Assistant to the Dean of the Graduate College, University of Iowa: “The antecedents of violence and health problems are found not only in the early period of an individual’s life, but also during the developing and formative years of racial/ethnic groups and nations as well. African- Americans in particular endured an extended period of time, during slavery in the U.S., where systemic violence – both physical and psychological -- and related health maladies, often negatively characterized their very existence. Unfortunately, aspects of this legacy continue to undermine life, with too many people remaining unconscious of how the past affects the present. The psychological impact of unfortunate elements of historical experience cannot be underestimated. In order to better understand and change the present, it requires looking at violence with a new level of depth and appropriate context to help individuals, families and communities in the healing processes that will allow people to move on, and forward, with a renewed sense of meaning and integrity. Indeed, the critical information and education provided by the Mental Health Matters for Violence Prevention project lays an indispensable foundation for the survival of a people.” ---------------------------------------------- Stephanie Harrison Executive Director, Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association "For far too long, mental health has been relegated to the back seat of the overall health care delivery system, which only perpetuates the stigma that patients feel when they experience difficulties in life and want to seek out help. More and more, research demonstrates that mental health has a profound impact on a person's overall health, and the health care industry is beginning to take notice. Community Health Centers have long recognized the importance and the value of providing integrated and holistic care to the community. For them, comprehensive primary care includes prevention programs, wellness programs, chronic disease management programs, oral health care, and mental health services. The Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association is pleased that Community Intervention Programs, Inc./LeFlore Communications, LLC is raising awareness of this vital link in our health care delivery chain." ---------------------------------------------- Yvonne Lumsden-Dill Executive Director, Women's Leadership Institute, Mount Mary College http://www.mtmary.edu/leadership_institute. htm "I was as surprised as the next person when I learned several facts about mental health and criminal activity. Many of our communities' criminal problems related to violence can be tracked to mental health problems. Yet, as a society we don't seem to take mental health problems seriously. We say things like. . "ah, he is just crazy, or she is out of her mind." And there is such a stigma related to poor mental health that people don't seek medical treatment for themselves or for loved ones. Until we can come to grips with this huge societal malady, it will be difficult to make a dent in this problem. There are several steps that can be taken to address this problem: • Seek health treatment for those afflicted • Call agencies working on this issue • Gather and share stories so people know they are not alone • Set up visits with elected officials • Circulate a petition • Write a letter to the editor • Talk to your employer and other local business owners • Work with the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation to promote mental health • Send for the National Mental Health Association’s Expanding Mental Health Parity Toolkit • Get involved with other statewide and national mental health advocacy groups that support parity. More information is on the Wisconsin Women Equal Prosperity web site: http://wiwep.org/TAP/HSWMental. |
| Mary Kay Wagner Milwaukee-based Educational Consultant "The impact of violence on our children is devastating. Research shows that the cognitive development of children exposed to violence is delayed. Constant exposure undermines the self- esteem of children and their sense of well-being. Both are key to academic success and social/emotional development. Children exposed to violence have more difficulty concentrating in school and they are more likely to experience mental health problems including depression and disruptive behavior. Violence is more than just the use of force to cause physical harm. Violence can also be psychological and emotional. It is abusive language, taunts, put downs. The most pervasive form of violence in this city is racism. How can we expect children to learn to treat others with respect when the color of their skin results in disdain, rejection, suspicion, and hatred? The root of violence in this city is the racism and until we as a community are willing to admit that, we will experience ever increasing levels of all forms of violence." ---------------------------------------------- Roger M. Pumphrey C.E.O., REACH Inc. Comprehensive Mental Health Clinic,“Fly To Recovery” (Alajuela, Costa Rica) "Our world is experiencing a fundamental crisis: A crisis in global economy, global ecology, and global politics. Hundreds of millions of human beings in our global neighborhood increasingly suffer from war, disease, unemployment, poverty, hunger, lack of education and health care, and the destruction of their families. Hope for a lasting peace among people and nations slips away from us as neighbors. There are tensions between the sexes and generations. Children die, kill and are killed. More and more countries are shaken by corruption in politics and business. We have created a global mental health crisis as a result of our behavior and actions. Here at home in America, a large segment of society is addicted to drugs, violence and hopelessness. We in the helping profession -- counselors, psychotherapists, healers of the soul -- have a special responsibility for the welfare of all humanity. We know the connection of the aforementioned. Our solution lies in prevention." ----------------------------------------------- Dwayne Lee Community Columnist for Milwaukee Journal- Sentinel "Violence prevention is of critical importance to everyone in Milwaukee County. Terror and fear are paralyzing, and lead not only to the stagnation of a society but also to its degeneration to a brutish state. This is unacceptable, and must be resolutely and intelligently resisted at all times." For more, click on Dwayne Lee's column, 10 Steps to a Peaceful Summer. ----------------------------------------------- Sue McKenzie Director of Programs, InHealth Wisconsin, a non- profit health education organization "In my work, I have had the honor of interviewing about 75 people in the Milwaukee area, from teens to the elderly, about their experiences with depression. I have been struck by the sense of extreme frustration described by many, over not being able to "pull themselves up by their boot straps" and engage in life in a positive manner. Their own stigma and lack of knowledge about depression led them to simply increase their expectations of themselves without having the tools or support to deal with their depression. Many mentioned violence (words and/or actions) to self or others being the result of this frustration with how they felt and behaved, and how they thought they should feel and behave. Add to that the stigma and unrealistic expectations put on these people by others, and you understand the growing frustration that explodes into violence. We are hearing more people talking about the idea that violence (their own or a loved one's) may be the result of depression and the stigma that keeps people from self- awareness and reaching out for assistance. It then becomes normalized and even expected from certain groups. I believe we need to help youth and adults name violence as a desperate act of someone who is hurting at some level. Maybe this would lessen the tendency to see violent people as powerful and even someone to idolize. Imagine if teens’ response to a peer who is angry and out of control is to feel concern for their mental health rather than thinking that supporting a violent friend means getting violent with them. Teens want to talk about this issue! They tell us that they see depression in their friends before adults do, and that they really want to know how to be a good friend in such times." |
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