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Police officers often are criticized for the way they respond to people with serious mental illness. A police department in Florida is addressing this issue by hiring a licensed clinical psychologist and making her available to officers on a 24/7 basis, an ABC-TV affiliate reported. “The goal is they come in, they work on what they need to; we get them right, we get them good so that they can go back out and do what they need to do – and then they check in as needed,” Brandy Benson, PsyD, said in the report. The meetings take place in her office and not the police station, which allows officers to maintain confidentiality. Each officer is allotted a set number of free sessions for each issue that is fueling their distress. Issues can range from depression to anxiety to marital problems. The aim is prevention – not reaction to whatever has happened. Getting at the root cause can prevent spillover on the job, which in turn, can prove disastrous for officers, the people they serve, and their families. “It’s okay to go through those emotions, but you don’t want to tie those emotions up because sooner or later it’s going to pop and we want to make sure we address that issue before it goes ‘pop,’ ” said St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway. WFTS-TV, Tampa Bay, Fla.
Two women have embarked on their self-described “joy tour” to raise awareness about suicide prevention. Shontice McKenzie and Cedrica Mitchell are on the road with the intention of visiting every state, according to an article on thefix.com, a website that focuses on addiction and recovery. The tour is the brainchild of Ms. McKenzie and is funded by her nonprofit H.U.M.A.N.I.T.Y. 360. During their month-long extended stops in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and a just-completed stay in Alabama, the women are speaking and providing positive outlets to those in turmoil and contemplating suicide, thefix reported, based on a post on al.com. The choice of Alabama as one of the first stops on the planned nationwide tour was deliberate. The suicide rate in the state has been higher than the national average for nearly 3 decades – 16.2/100,000, compared with 13.9/100,000 nationally. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death of those aged 10-14 years in Alabama. Ms. McKenzie and Ms. Mitchell want to see the stigma surrounding mental illness removed. “We have met so many families who are still in denial about a family member who completed the act of suicide because they don’t want the backlash from the public,” Ms. McKenzie said. “They should have received more support around the topic. Then we can prevent suicides. That’s what the Joy Tour is about.” The end of each state visit includes what the two call a “joy jam” – a free event where people can eat, get information on mental health resources in their area, and learn how to incorporate mental health care into their everyday lives. The tour is slated to wrap up in 2023 in Hawaii. Thefix.com.
An editorial in the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal has backed a recently introduced bill in the state legislature that would open the door for mental health screenings for public school students. “This legislation is a worthwhile step in tackling the problem of school shootings as well as other problems that can arise among our children. It should work well in conjunction with other efforts, such as increased school security and gun-law reform,” the paper’s editorial board wrote. The bill would trigger a study by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to come up with a screening system that would identify school children at risk of harming themselves or others. The idea is that all students would be screened initially. “We have nothing that determines if a child has a mental health concern ... to the point they could be contemplating harming themselves or others,” said state Rep. John Torbett, the bill’s main sponsor. “This bill would bring smart people together for determining the appropriate criteria.” One of the bill’s cosponsors, Rep. Debra Forsyth, said school counselors tell her that most of their time is spent dealing with students with emotional and mental issues. “When we were studying the impact of [math and reading standards] a few years back, many parents complained about emotional stress in very young children, so issues can obviously arise at an early age,” Ms. Forsyth said in the article. “Our children are facing pressures from all sides – increased testing, peer pressure, and economic difficulties. They’re not receiving the best resources we could provide. It’s about time they received a helping hand.” Winston-Salem Journal.
A mental health facility has opened in southeast Fresno, Calif., that seeks to provide a bridge for people experiencing a mental health crisis and need a place to live, according to a report by ABC affiliate KFSN. The $5 million, 12,000-square-foot, 16-bed facility is an alternative to hospitalization, said Gerardo Puga-Cervantes, an administrator at the facility. “A facility like this creates a stepping-stone that’s closer to the ones before and after, so when a person is making that pathway toward recovery, it’s not a Grand Canyon they have to leap to get that recovery. It’s really a clear pathway,” said Fresno County Behavioral Health Director Dawan Utecht. The facility, called the Fresno Crisis Residential Treatment Center, will provide psychiatric support to residents and will aim to serve hundreds of people each year. To get into the center, patients must be referred by the county’s behavioral health department. Next, the department hopes to provide residential housing for those who leave the facility. ABC30 Action News/KFSN-TV.
A former dairy farm reincarnated as a school called Green Chimneys in Putnam County, N.Y., is helping children with special needs find solace, the New York Times reported. Aside from usual pigs and goats, the farm’s denizens include more exotic critters, such as camels, an emu, peacocks, miniature horses and donkeys, owls, falcons, and a condor. “Green Chimneys’ approach focuses on an awareness of how trauma impacts human and animal lives, that a healing setting can benefit both, and that there is a broader parallel between human, animal, environmental, and societal well-being,” according to the school’s website. The article describes the experience of 8-year-old Xander DeLeon, who was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia, and experienced rages and absences while attending a charter school in Manhattan. Now he is pulling down As and Bs. “The school staff tell him that he won’t be able to work on the farm if he doesn’t continue to do well in school,” said Leslie DeLeon, Xander’s mother. The philosophy is that caring for animals can be a means to confidence and social skills for emotionally challenged children. The day and residential facility now has two campuses in Brewster and Carmel, N.Y., more than 240 students, and about the same number of animals. “There has been a lot of research on pets at home and how healthy it is in the past 10 years,” said Steven Klee, PhD, director of clinical and medical services at Green Chimneys. Yet, as he first became aware of the use of animal intervention for special-needs children, even he was skeptical. “When you have traditional training as a psychologist, you never think about doing anything outside of the office,” Dr. Klee said. But Dr. Klee was converted. “Animals in a sense are purer, more consistent, more accepting. You are kind to the animals; they show their appreciation.” New York Times.
Police officers often are criticized for the way they respond to people with serious mental illness. A police department in Florida is addressing this issue by hiring a licensed clinical psychologist and making her available to officers on a 24/7 basis, an ABC-TV affiliate reported. “The goal is they come in, they work on what they need to; we get them right, we get them good so that they can go back out and do what they need to do – and then they check in as needed,” Brandy Benson, PsyD, said in the report. The meetings take place in her office and not the police station, which allows officers to maintain confidentiality. Each officer is allotted a set number of free sessions for each issue that is fueling their distress. Issues can range from depression to anxiety to marital problems. The aim is prevention – not reaction to whatever has happened. Getting at the root cause can prevent spillover on the job, which in turn, can prove disastrous for officers, the people they serve, and their families. “It’s okay to go through those emotions, but you don’t want to tie those emotions up because sooner or later it’s going to pop and we want to make sure we address that issue before it goes ‘pop,’ ” said St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway. WFTS-TV, Tampa Bay, Fla.
Two women have embarked on their self-described “joy tour” to raise awareness about suicide prevention. Shontice McKenzie and Cedrica Mitchell are on the road with the intention of visiting every state, according to an article on thefix.com, a website that focuses on addiction and recovery. The tour is the brainchild of Ms. McKenzie and is funded by her nonprofit H.U.M.A.N.I.T.Y. 360. During their month-long extended stops in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and a just-completed stay in Alabama, the women are speaking and providing positive outlets to those in turmoil and contemplating suicide, thefix reported, based on a post on al.com. The choice of Alabama as one of the first stops on the planned nationwide tour was deliberate. The suicide rate in the state has been higher than the national average for nearly 3 decades – 16.2/100,000, compared with 13.9/100,000 nationally. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death of those aged 10-14 years in Alabama. Ms. McKenzie and Ms. Mitchell want to see the stigma surrounding mental illness removed. “We have met so many families who are still in denial about a family member who completed the act of suicide because they don’t want the backlash from the public,” Ms. McKenzie said. “They should have received more support around the topic. Then we can prevent suicides. That’s what the Joy Tour is about.” The end of each state visit includes what the two call a “joy jam” – a free event where people can eat, get information on mental health resources in their area, and learn how to incorporate mental health care into their everyday lives. The tour is slated to wrap up in 2023 in Hawaii. Thefix.com.
An editorial in the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal has backed a recently introduced bill in the state legislature that would open the door for mental health screenings for public school students. “This legislation is a worthwhile step in tackling the problem of school shootings as well as other problems that can arise among our children. It should work well in conjunction with other efforts, such as increased school security and gun-law reform,” the paper’s editorial board wrote. The bill would trigger a study by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to come up with a screening system that would identify school children at risk of harming themselves or others. The idea is that all students would be screened initially. “We have nothing that determines if a child has a mental health concern ... to the point they could be contemplating harming themselves or others,” said state Rep. John Torbett, the bill’s main sponsor. “This bill would bring smart people together for determining the appropriate criteria.” One of the bill’s cosponsors, Rep. Debra Forsyth, said school counselors tell her that most of their time is spent dealing with students with emotional and mental issues. “When we were studying the impact of [math and reading standards] a few years back, many parents complained about emotional stress in very young children, so issues can obviously arise at an early age,” Ms. Forsyth said in the article. “Our children are facing pressures from all sides – increased testing, peer pressure, and economic difficulties. They’re not receiving the best resources we could provide. It’s about time they received a helping hand.” Winston-Salem Journal.
A mental health facility has opened in southeast Fresno, Calif., that seeks to provide a bridge for people experiencing a mental health crisis and need a place to live, according to a report by ABC affiliate KFSN. The $5 million, 12,000-square-foot, 16-bed facility is an alternative to hospitalization, said Gerardo Puga-Cervantes, an administrator at the facility. “A facility like this creates a stepping-stone that’s closer to the ones before and after, so when a person is making that pathway toward recovery, it’s not a Grand Canyon they have to leap to get that recovery. It’s really a clear pathway,” said Fresno County Behavioral Health Director Dawan Utecht. The facility, called the Fresno Crisis Residential Treatment Center, will provide psychiatric support to residents and will aim to serve hundreds of people each year. To get into the center, patients must be referred by the county’s behavioral health department. Next, the department hopes to provide residential housing for those who leave the facility. ABC30 Action News/KFSN-TV.
A former dairy farm reincarnated as a school called Green Chimneys in Putnam County, N.Y., is helping children with special needs find solace, the New York Times reported. Aside from usual pigs and goats, the farm’s denizens include more exotic critters, such as camels, an emu, peacocks, miniature horses and donkeys, owls, falcons, and a condor. “Green Chimneys’ approach focuses on an awareness of how trauma impacts human and animal lives, that a healing setting can benefit both, and that there is a broader parallel between human, animal, environmental, and societal well-being,” according to the school’s website. The article describes the experience of 8-year-old Xander DeLeon, who was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia, and experienced rages and absences while attending a charter school in Manhattan. Now he is pulling down As and Bs. “The school staff tell him that he won’t be able to work on the farm if he doesn’t continue to do well in school,” said Leslie DeLeon, Xander’s mother. The philosophy is that caring for animals can be a means to confidence and social skills for emotionally challenged children. The day and residential facility now has two campuses in Brewster and Carmel, N.Y., more than 240 students, and about the same number of animals. “There has been a lot of research on pets at home and how healthy it is in the past 10 years,” said Steven Klee, PhD, director of clinical and medical services at Green Chimneys. Yet, as he first became aware of the use of animal intervention for special-needs children, even he was skeptical. “When you have traditional training as a psychologist, you never think about doing anything outside of the office,” Dr. Klee said. But Dr. Klee was converted. “Animals in a sense are purer, more consistent, more accepting. You are kind to the animals; they show their appreciation.” New York Times.
Police officers often are criticized for the way they respond to people with serious mental illness. A police department in Florida is addressing this issue by hiring a licensed clinical psychologist and making her available to officers on a 24/7 basis, an ABC-TV affiliate reported. “The goal is they come in, they work on what they need to; we get them right, we get them good so that they can go back out and do what they need to do – and then they check in as needed,” Brandy Benson, PsyD, said in the report. The meetings take place in her office and not the police station, which allows officers to maintain confidentiality. Each officer is allotted a set number of free sessions for each issue that is fueling their distress. Issues can range from depression to anxiety to marital problems. The aim is prevention – not reaction to whatever has happened. Getting at the root cause can prevent spillover on the job, which in turn, can prove disastrous for officers, the people they serve, and their families. “It’s okay to go through those emotions, but you don’t want to tie those emotions up because sooner or later it’s going to pop and we want to make sure we address that issue before it goes ‘pop,’ ” said St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway. WFTS-TV, Tampa Bay, Fla.
Two women have embarked on their self-described “joy tour” to raise awareness about suicide prevention. Shontice McKenzie and Cedrica Mitchell are on the road with the intention of visiting every state, according to an article on thefix.com, a website that focuses on addiction and recovery. The tour is the brainchild of Ms. McKenzie and is funded by her nonprofit H.U.M.A.N.I.T.Y. 360. During their month-long extended stops in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and a just-completed stay in Alabama, the women are speaking and providing positive outlets to those in turmoil and contemplating suicide, thefix reported, based on a post on al.com. The choice of Alabama as one of the first stops on the planned nationwide tour was deliberate. The suicide rate in the state has been higher than the national average for nearly 3 decades – 16.2/100,000, compared with 13.9/100,000 nationally. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death of those aged 10-14 years in Alabama. Ms. McKenzie and Ms. Mitchell want to see the stigma surrounding mental illness removed. “We have met so many families who are still in denial about a family member who completed the act of suicide because they don’t want the backlash from the public,” Ms. McKenzie said. “They should have received more support around the topic. Then we can prevent suicides. That’s what the Joy Tour is about.” The end of each state visit includes what the two call a “joy jam” – a free event where people can eat, get information on mental health resources in their area, and learn how to incorporate mental health care into their everyday lives. The tour is slated to wrap up in 2023 in Hawaii. Thefix.com.
An editorial in the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal has backed a recently introduced bill in the state legislature that would open the door for mental health screenings for public school students. “This legislation is a worthwhile step in tackling the problem of school shootings as well as other problems that can arise among our children. It should work well in conjunction with other efforts, such as increased school security and gun-law reform,” the paper’s editorial board wrote. The bill would trigger a study by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to come up with a screening system that would identify school children at risk of harming themselves or others. The idea is that all students would be screened initially. “We have nothing that determines if a child has a mental health concern ... to the point they could be contemplating harming themselves or others,” said state Rep. John Torbett, the bill’s main sponsor. “This bill would bring smart people together for determining the appropriate criteria.” One of the bill’s cosponsors, Rep. Debra Forsyth, said school counselors tell her that most of their time is spent dealing with students with emotional and mental issues. “When we were studying the impact of [math and reading standards] a few years back, many parents complained about emotional stress in very young children, so issues can obviously arise at an early age,” Ms. Forsyth said in the article. “Our children are facing pressures from all sides – increased testing, peer pressure, and economic difficulties. They’re not receiving the best resources we could provide. It’s about time they received a helping hand.” Winston-Salem Journal.
A mental health facility has opened in southeast Fresno, Calif., that seeks to provide a bridge for people experiencing a mental health crisis and need a place to live, according to a report by ABC affiliate KFSN. The $5 million, 12,000-square-foot, 16-bed facility is an alternative to hospitalization, said Gerardo Puga-Cervantes, an administrator at the facility. “A facility like this creates a stepping-stone that’s closer to the ones before and after, so when a person is making that pathway toward recovery, it’s not a Grand Canyon they have to leap to get that recovery. It’s really a clear pathway,” said Fresno County Behavioral Health Director Dawan Utecht. The facility, called the Fresno Crisis Residential Treatment Center, will provide psychiatric support to residents and will aim to serve hundreds of people each year. To get into the center, patients must be referred by the county’s behavioral health department. Next, the department hopes to provide residential housing for those who leave the facility. ABC30 Action News/KFSN-TV.
A former dairy farm reincarnated as a school called Green Chimneys in Putnam County, N.Y., is helping children with special needs find solace, the New York Times reported. Aside from usual pigs and goats, the farm’s denizens include more exotic critters, such as camels, an emu, peacocks, miniature horses and donkeys, owls, falcons, and a condor. “Green Chimneys’ approach focuses on an awareness of how trauma impacts human and animal lives, that a healing setting can benefit both, and that there is a broader parallel between human, animal, environmental, and societal well-being,” according to the school’s website. The article describes the experience of 8-year-old Xander DeLeon, who was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia, and experienced rages and absences while attending a charter school in Manhattan. Now he is pulling down As and Bs. “The school staff tell him that he won’t be able to work on the farm if he doesn’t continue to do well in school,” said Leslie DeLeon, Xander’s mother. The philosophy is that caring for animals can be a means to confidence and social skills for emotionally challenged children. The day and residential facility now has two campuses in Brewster and Carmel, N.Y., more than 240 students, and about the same number of animals. “There has been a lot of research on pets at home and how healthy it is in the past 10 years,” said Steven Klee, PhD, director of clinical and medical services at Green Chimneys. Yet, as he first became aware of the use of animal intervention for special-needs children, even he was skeptical. “When you have traditional training as a psychologist, you never think about doing anything outside of the office,” Dr. Klee said. But Dr. Klee was converted. “Animals in a sense are purer, more consistent, more accepting. You are kind to the animals; they show their appreciation.” New York Times.