Volume II | November 2016Volume II | November 2016

THE STIGMA FREE ZONE NEWSTHE STIGMA FREE ZONE NEWSof NEW JERSEYof NEW JERSEY

Bringing the mental health conversation to BergenBringing the mental health conversation to BergenCountyCounty

Register Here: Free 2nd Annual County-Wide StigmaRegister Here: Free 2nd Annual County-Wide StigmaFree Symposium December 2 , 2016Free Symposium December 2 , 2016

NJ MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AREAT RISK: ADVOCATES GATHER ATLEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST. October19, 2016

Bergen CountyExecutive Jim Tedescoaddressed an overflow crowd of 300advocates, senators and assemblymenwith aplea to increase, and not cut,mental health funding via the switch tofee for service reimbursements.

Moderator and Care Plus Trustee, JohnMitchell, opened by reminding all thatproviding good mental healthcarealways saves the taxpayer money.

All listenedattentively as Bob Sheehanfrom the Michigan Association ofCommunity Mental HealthBoards drew ascary picture of his state’s errors infunding mental health.He spoke to yearsof assault on funding M.I. mental healthservices and the major chaos and

service gaps that ensued.

Service careproviders from Essex,Atlantic, Monmouth and Ocean Countyalso spoke, mirroringthe concernsexpressed by local experts. The heroinepidemicwas credited for increasingpressure on mental healthcare, ERs, emergency servicesand lawenforcement state-wide.

Tom Rosamilia, V.P. of Behavioral Healthat BRMC, the state hospital for theuninsured located here in BergenCounty, reported people sleeping inwaiting room chairs for days thissummer, hoping for beds to open.

Stigma Free Zone member CynthiaChazen advocated for funding earlyintervention through new first episodepsychosis programs as a way to lessenthe tax burden and most importantly,stop lost human potential due to illness.She stated building a regionalpsychiatric ER for insured residentsmight be a productive use of funding.

Irene Maury from the ParamusDepartment ofHuman Services, relatedchilling real-life stories of people withmental illness andaddiction fallingthrough the current existing gaps inBergen’s Safety Net.

The Stigma Free News asked Ms. Maurywhat message legislators need to hear.She stated, "They need to understandthat community treatment for thementally ill is 2-3 times less expensivethan hospitalizing someone after crisis.The goal of mental healthcare is to keeppeople out of the hospital. Fundingcommunity mental health centers is extremely cost effective."

6000 or more Bergen County clientsdoing well in recovery and currentlyreceivingservices may lose out,according to Vantage Health SystemCEO, Vicki Sidrow. Medicationmanagement, the cornerstone ofmentalhealth recovery, is feared most atrisk.

Watch Video 23:56

John Mitchell summed up the generalconsensus stating “When the mentalhealth system fails, the community isleft to pick up thepieces”.

Email Your Senator Now

QUICKLINKS TO MENTAL HEALTH NEWS

MHA: Time is running out for Mental Health Reform S2680Call Your Senator at 202-224-3121, Press 1 and enter zip code.Tell them to pass S2680.

PBS NewsHour Video 6:45 :Why insured Americans struggle to get mental healthcare..

NJ Star Ledger Editorial: Christie plan could endangerthe seriously mentally ill.

Partnership for a Drug-Free NJ: Opiate Prevention Breakfast

Register here for November 18, 2016 in Sayerville.

2017 Training Sessions and Groups now forming at Care Plus.

The Bergen County Mental Health Board Schedule of OpenPublic Meetings for 2017 is set for the 3rd Monday of month,from 6-8 p.m. at One Bergen County Plaza, Hackensack, NJ.

NJ SpotLight: How Garden State can achieveintegrated physical and mental healthcare.

Bogota celebrates their new StigmaFree Zone on Saturday, Nov. 19 witha public walk. Scroll down forinformation!!

Register for Walk With The Mayor10-12 in Olsen Park.

INTERFAITHROUND TABLE TALKSISSUES, CONCLUDE CLERGY ARECOMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH FIRSTRESPONDERS. October 5, 2016

At Central Unitarian Church in Paramus,over 100 members of local mosques,templesand churches spent the day defining theirrole in mental health andleading by examplein the fight against stigma.

They were joined byrepresentatives from allof Bergen County’s major hospitals andprivate mentalhealthcare providers andorganizations from across the state.Theinterfaithpanel, below, focused on two keyquestions about how clergy and lay leaderscaninspire openness and create change.

“What’s the biggest mental illness issueyour congregation faces right now?”

“What steps are you taking to educate aboutmental illness?”

SusanGreenbaum, Executive Director ofJewish Family Services,Teaneck,responded “Fear. JFS aims to empowerpeople so they know they havecontrol overmental illness.” She pointed out the need forsociety to define the spectrumof mentalillness; from mild and treatable to chronicand disabling.

Greenbaum said “AtJFS, mental healthservices are available for all faiths” and shedescribed available therapies and self-helpgroups sponsored bythe organization.

Imam M. Charaf of the El ZahraIslamicCenter, Midland Park, noted Muslims’mental health problemsare the same as anyother community, but in Islam, many believeit’s their fault or even a divine punishment,so they work hard to hide it. He findsitdifficult to convince people to seektreatment, and said folks come to himbeforethey seek medical help. He responds byknowing the local health resources so hecan make appropriate referrals. Hespokepassionately of wanting to do more.

Peg Whelahan, Mental Health Ministry,Church of the Presentation, Upper SaddleRiver, expressed concern over lack ofhousing, indicating families of the severely mentally ill fear where their adultchildren will live when they are gone. Her ministry has fought the isolation of mentalillness and provided years of familyeducation through a long-standingpartnership with NAMI (National Alliance onMental Illness). They also provide supportgroups for parishioners and the public.

LouisKnaub, Board President, ChristChurch, Hackensack, also defined housingfor the severely ill as a big issue. He seespeople with hoarding issues lose homesandstay homeless because they don’t want togive up their belongings. Hischurch,winner of the 2016 Governor’s Award forFighting Stigma, is working onmental healthpolicy issues on both the parish anddiocesan levels to create safe,non-judgmental spaces for worship andfellowship and to give clergy thetools theyneed to minister in this area.

ReverendJim Bushoven, Pastor atHawthorne Gospel Church, Wyckoff, citedanxiety fueled by social andeconomicpressures as “through the roof.” Hisparishioners experience a highcost ofliving, college debt and a lack of belief thatthe future will beas bright as they oncehoped. “People are over-expectant,overwhelmed and overinvolved, even withinthe church,” he said, adding that when itcomes to mentalillness, most clergy aren’tproperly trained to respond.

HGC hosts 12-steprecovery programs,raises funds for suicide programs and offersMHFA (MentalHealth First Aid Training) forchurch members. He is reaching out toother clergy to encourage them to do thesame.

ReverendDavid Horst, Central UnitarianChurch, Paramus, summed up the daystating “Clergy and … lay leaders are oftenthe first respondersfor mental health issuesin their community.” CUC, also a 2016Governor’s Awardwinner, passed aresolution to join the Stigma Free Zone.

CUC founded a mental health education taskforce, trained a MHFA Ambassador for thechurch, hosted a NAMI group, createdsupport groups for families and delivered asermonand events like the Interfaith RoundTable to educate the wider community.

Reverend Horst concluded the panel saying“People still seem to need permission to talkabout mental illness."

Round Tables reaffirmed that housing,isolation andlack of services are the bigissues affecting BergenCounty. Attendeesspun big dreams for better services andearlierintervention and agreed everyonewith faith must work toward the life-affirminggoal of better mental health foreveryone.

Imam Charafconcluded, “We must start byeducating ourselves, so we can bettereducate others.”

Dr. Bharati Palkhiwala of BRMC and the JainSociety, Mahwah, closed the day with animpassioned call to action to fight stigma.

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