MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS
for Violence Prevention Project

2007 Conference Presentation PDF

Research Paper by Fannie LeFlore and Dr. Michael Bell, in publication from
Hamilton Fish Institute 2007 Conference

MHMVP 4-pg. Publication

Press Release - June 1, 2007

MHMPoster.June

News Release -- June 18, 2007

MHMPoster.July

Commentary June 24, 2007

MHMPoster.August

Local Resources for Healthcare/Behavioral
Health Assessment and Counseling Services:  
www.impactinc.org  (You can also Dial 2-1-1 or the toll-free number 1-866-211-3380 for standard information, referral services and resources).
       
Milwaukee County Healthcare Resources   Publication produced by Community Advocates

Milwaukee's Community Health Centers      Brochure from Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association

Behavioral Health Workshops:
Content overview of Writing and Personal Growth workshops offered by LeFlore Communications for youth and adults, to schools and social service organizations.

Articles/Presentations/PDFs on Mental Health, AODA and Violence Prevention Topics:

Mental Health/AODA Overview  

Crisis Intervention Overview

Dealing with Trauma Overview

The Impact of Violence and Trauma by Michael Bell, M.D. & Kimberly Goins, MA, LPC.
     
Fall 2006 Wisconsin Psychiatrist (pgs. 11-13)  and  Winter 2006-07 Wisconsin Psychiatrist (pgs. 12-14) MH/Violence prevention: by Dr. Michael Bell and Fannie
LeFlore.

Self-Care Solutions(healing from stressors) by Michael Bell, M.D., Psychiatrist and Kimberly Goins, MA, LPC, Psychotherapist

Reports:
Hamilton Fish Institute, 2007 Conference Publication -- Proceedings of Persistently Safe Schools, with published papers from diverse presenters including Fannie LeFlore and Dr. Michael Bell: www.hamfish.org

SAMHSA Reporton Importance of Mental Health -- Nov. 2007.

National Drug Abuse Report
Info on National Institute on Drug Abuse Research-based guide.

NIDA Release  
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To Learn about Parity in Insurance Coverage for Mental Health and AODA Treatment: The Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.

Learn more about the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation's efforts to promote mental health. More information is available on Wisconsin Women Equal
Prosperity website.

Other website links on insurance parity issue:

http://www.dearshrink.com/mhparity.htm

http://info.insure.com/health/mentalstate.html
(info on state parity laws)

http://www.wellstone.org/

http://www.mhlg.org/

Evidence-based Resources: Among current research and intervention efforts that identify violence prevention and mental health as national health priorities are Healthy People
2010; the National Education Goals (1997), which call for safe and drug-free schools; and the American Academy of Pediatrics' Health (AAP) Status Goals for 1997-1998, which
call for a reduction in domestic, community, media, and entertainment violence, and various evidence-based resources available through the Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence.

Disclaimer: As consumers of health and counseling services, individuals must be responsible for doing appropriate
research to determine the credentials of professionals who provide services, and which agencies can best meet their needs. LeFlore Communications is providing these
resources for informational purposes only.

Sobering Statistics  
In the United States, thousands of lives are lost each year, and billions of dollars in medical care and direct and indirect losses are attributed to violence, according to data compiled for the national ERIC Digest, which is funded by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of
Education.

Whether it involves child abuse or other domestic conflict, assaults, gang aggression, gunshots that result in death, disability or injury, aggression and
crime affects individuals, families and communities in multiple ways.  (Report by Marilyn S. Massey for the ERIC Digest, which focuses on research and resources for reducing and preventing violence).

"Mind Your Health"
Resources for Mental Health and Violence Prevention -- Mental Health Month is celebrated each year in May to raise awareness about mental illnesses and the importance of mental wellness for all.

From the American Mental Health Counselors Association(AMHCA): According to AMHCA's past president Gary Gintner, Ph.D., Americans need to recognize the difference between the lack of Mental Health and the process of creating Mental Health Awareness.
Cultivating this awareness will help people avoid the consequences of untreated anxiety, untreated depression and physical deterioration. The clearer a person’s thought process is, the more opportunity he or she has to deal with and grow beyond the stressors. This will HELP to PREVENT the occurrence of domestic violence, child abuse and family instability. For more information: www.amhca.org

Websites and Other Information

www.whatadifference.org: Resources for yourself and how you can be supportive of friends and loved ones affected by mental illness.

For access to educational materials, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) can be reached at:  nimhinfo@nih.gov
Phone numbers: 1-866-615-6464 (toll-free) 1-866-415-8051 (TTY toll-free)

Mental Health America offers free documents/PDFs on several topics including managing life's challenges,
checklist of signs of depression and helping children grow up healthy in mind and body: mentalhealthamerica.net

Network of Care for Mental Health -- an interactive website for consumers, community-based organizations and others to access comprehensive
information about mental health resources, to improve access to mental health services.
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CRISIS SITUATIONS: The NIMH recommends that if you or someone you know is thinking about doing
harm to self, seek help immediately:

Tell someone who can help by calling your doctor's office; calling 911 for emergency services; going to the nearest hospital emergency room; or calling the toll-free, 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to be connected to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you. 

Children and Adolescents Mental Health

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): samhsa.gov

National Institute of Mental Health: www.nimh.nih.gov.
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Anxiety and Depression -- Freedom From Fear, a national non-profit advocacy organization: freedomfromfear.org
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Schizophrenia -- National Schizophrenia Foundation: nsfoundation.org
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National Crime Victims' Rights:The NCVRW Resource Guide is a ready-made guide containing materials such
as posters, model speeches, press releases, public service announcements, camera-ready artwork, and crime victimization statistical overviews for use when planning for local NCVRW events across the nation, and to help communities promote awareness of crime victim issues throughout the year. Visit the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) at
www.ncjrs.gov  or  www.ovc.gov/ncvrw.
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month: As Mary Beth Buchanan, Acting Director of the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), reminds us, "Domestic violence is not only a personal tragedy, it is a serious crime that negatively afects women, men, children, neighborhoods and communities. We must join together to address the causes of this crime so that
each and every home can be a place of peace and safety."

OVW has a national information campaign on its website Enditnow.gov, a comprehensive online resource for victims of domestic abuse. For further
information and additional resources to assist victims of domestic violence, visit http://www.enditnow.gov.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233

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Influence of Media and Culture

Various experts interviewed for a recent (2006) A&E TV documentary titled “Copycat Crimes,” acknowledge that popular culture and media can negatively influence the
thinking and behavior of many. The National Association for the Education of Young children (NAEYC), in a publication titled, “Media Violence & Children: A Guide for Parents (1998)” cited the following relevant problems:

1) Children are more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others when they see violence as a normal and acceptable means of resolving conflict;  

2) Viewing violence stimulates children to view other people as “enemies,” and children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, as well as show less remorse about their own aggressive behavior;  

3) Children may become more fearful of the world round them, and exposure to media violence may compound some children’s natural anxieties;

4) Violent programming presents limited models of language development when the development of language is critically important;  

5) Media that regularly depict violence promote toys that encourage children to imitate the actual behaviors seen on TV or in movies and

6) When children are glued to a screen, they are not interacting actively and positively with the environment or absorbing the foundations they need
for learning in school.