No Care for Us

ACCESS DENIED

Non-Medicaid Expansion States Block Uninsured People with Serious Mental Illness from Receiving Affordable, Needed Treatments

Prepared by Joel E. Miller, James K. Finley, Rebecca Gibson and Whitney Meyerhoeffer

A new groundbreaking study from the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) shows that nearly 570,000 people diagnosed with a serious mental health condition, would have received affordable, needed treatments, but were denied access to services because several states refused to participate in the new Medicaid Expansion Program. The federal government would have paid 100 percent of the treatment costs; the monies were already included in the federal budget. The comprehensive study also highlights that 458,000 fewer people would have avoided a depressive disorder mainly by securing health insurance through the Medicaid Expansion Program.

The study, entitled “Access Denied: Non-Medicaid Expansion States Blocked Uninsured People with Serious Mental Illness from Receiving Affordable, Needed Treatments” shows that on a state-by-state basis, thousands of uninsured people who had been diagnosed with a serious mental health condition on January 1, 2014, and residing in the 24 states that did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, were denied affordable, needed care throughout the year.

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Utah has 15,312 uninsured people ages 18-64 with a serious mental health disorder who were projected to access services under Medicaid expansion. 

What Happens in Class, Stays in Class

With the next round of NAMI Utah’s class for teens, Progression, coming up, you may ask yourself – “why should I sign up? Why should I go if my parents aren’t dragging me?” And to that, I say, “Dude, you are missing out!” Progression is a great class where you can learn about dealing with your problems instead of just letting them drag you through life, all while being taught by teachers who have been there, and been there recently. No detention or quizzes here; just real talk from people who have dealt with what you’re dealing with, and people who are honest, open, and unashamed of their experiences. These teachers will give you
the tools to be proactive about your illness instead of just letting it rule your life. Oh, and did I mention we have an opportunity for you to meet other people your age that are dealing with the same problems? There is no judgment in Progression, and everything you tell the class is confidential. I call it “The Vegas Rule” – what’s said in class, stays in class. What could be better than that?

I haven’t yet mentioned my personal favorite part of Progression – they have been coined “Emotional First-Aid Kits” but I personally thought the name could use a change, so every class gets to call it what they want. What is an “Emotional First-Aid Kit”, you might be asking? These Kits are small boxes that you decorate with supplies we provide, and fill with things that make you feel better when you’re down. Love listening to some smooth R&B jams to chill you out? Pop that iPod in the box! Is a bubble bath more your speed? Tuck a few bottles away in the box! Snuggly stuffed animal from your younger days your go-to? Put that little critter in his new home! These Kits, like Progression, are all about you – how your mind works, how to cope, how to communicate, how to just be you. And you, you will find out, are pretty darn rad – illness or not.

To sign up for Progression, call NAMI Utah at (801) 323-9900. Progression, like all of our classes and support groups, is totally FREE! (And totally awesome, I might add.)

Erin is a Whole Health Care Manager and Mentor at NAMI Utah and is a teacher, teacher trainer, and state trainer for Progression, having taught nearly a dozen classes and trained many people both in Utah and Minnesota in the Progression program. She also likes to think she is pretty cool – most days!

Brian Daniel Wynn 1975-2012

A message from Dan and Alice Wynn, who gathered donations for NAMI Utah from friends and family in honor of their son, Brian Daniel Wynn:

With rising recognition and emphasis being placed on mental illness and many related tragedies taking place across our country every day, we have collected donations for NAMI in memory of our son, Brian Daniel Wynn, who passed away unexpectedly on February 13, 2012 due to complications arising from mental illness and addiction. Brian, a very kind and soft spoken spirit, often displayed a sincere concern for other who were struggling or in need. However, in the end, he could not overcome his own trial and demons and was unable to obtain the treatment he needed in a timely manner, which may have saved his life. 

Thank you for your dedication to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. 
Sincerely, 
Dan and Alice Wynn




Dan and Alice, thank you for your donation and most importantly, thank you for your willingness to raise awareness of mental health issues and suicide. We have no doubt that Brian would be proud of the work you are doing! Stay strong, continue to shed light on these issues and take care of yourselves and each other. Remember that you are not alone!
Thank you so much,
NAMI Utah

Alissa's Story

This is a story of recovery from a woman named Alissa who took the NAMI Utah BRIDGES class (a free 12-week education class for individuals living with mental illness). As of this weekend, she is now a certified BRIDGES teacher!! Congratulations Alissa and thank you for sharing your story and teaching others that, "recovery is worth fighting for."

“My recovery is an ongoing project, as I imagine it always will be. That being said, I am healthier today, both physically and mentally, than I have been in over a decade. I have been in what one would call “recovery” for about 6 years now. I take my meds every day, and I follow a strict and healthy diet (low sugars, no caffeine or alcohol). I have even been able to hold down jobs (which is a big deal for me). My outlook on life has changed dramatically over the years. I live my life striving for positivity and optimism each day. Still, I do have a brain disorder, and I understand that it takes a daily effort to monitor myself and keep myself healthy. I have a great “med-manager”, an APRN who keeps an eye on me and works with me to help me feel as balanced as possible. I am very lucky to be where I am today. I know that I could have slipped through the cracks and become a statistic very easily. Without a strong support system of family, friends and medical professionals, I can say I probably would not be the happy and healthy person I am today. I know that I will never be “cured” of my brain disorder, but I have stopped wishing for a cure. I see my “illness” as a blessing. It has given me insight into so many things. Having a chronic illness has given me a level of empathy for others I couldn’t have gained any other way. Most importantly, being diagnosed with Bipolar II has given me something I never knew I had; the spirit of a fighter. I have had to fight to find my recovery. I want to show others that they have that spirit in them as well. Recovery is worth fighting for. It can take years, but ultimately it is so worth it. I am proof.”

For a schedule of FREE classes and support groups in your area click HERE.  

Alissa at the Eiffel Tower. The trip, she says, wouldn't have been possible before her recovery.

Why Should You Give to NAMI Utah?

This Friday, March 22nd, NAMI Utah is participating in the Love UT Give UT 1st Annual Day of Giving across the state of Utah. Over 500 non-profit organizations are participating in this unprecedented day of giving. With so many non-profits needing your funds and requesting a $10 or more donation this Friday, we wanted to give you some reasons to donate to NAMI Utah. One in four of us are affected by a mental health disorder. Whether you live with a mental illness, you have a family member or loved one who lives with a mental illness, or you just stumbled upon this blog, here are some reasons to donate:

1.) NAMI Utah provides FREE support groups and education classes across the state of Utah to individuals living with a mental illness as well as families and loved ones. In order to make these classes free, we rely on donations to print materials, recruit volunteers and train teachers and facilitators.

2.) NAMI Utah is a huge advocate for mental health during the legislative session. NAMI is recognized as the preeminent voice in Utah for all Utahans impacted by mental illness. NAMI advocates have fought for policy changes that raise the bar on mental health treatment and educate our lawmakers on the lived experience of mental illness.

3.) NAMI Utah KNOWS what you're going through. Our mentors answer phone calls Monday- Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. talking to individuals who have a variety of needs such as housing, discounted medications, mental health treatment resources. Our mentors also provide a listening ear for individuals with a current or new diagnosis who don't know where to turn or need some encouragement to get them through the day.

4.) Our classes are taught by individuals with the lived experience of a mental illness. They've been there, they are in recovery and they know what you're going through.

5.) NAMI Utah provides a weekly Social Group where individuals come to have sandwiches and get support from their peers. You can learn more about social group HERE.

6.) NAMI Utah holds the largest mental health awareness event in Utah, the NAMIWalks. Click HERE to watch the video featuring our 2011 Walk.

7.) Early Intervention is crucial! NAMI Utah participates in many early intervention programs including the Family Resource Facilitator project as well as the school-based mental health program called Hope for Tomorrow. This program talks to students about mental health issues, helps erase the stigma of mental illness, and fosters hope among students and their families.

8.) The NAMI Provider Education Program is a 5-week course that presents a penetrating, subjective view of family and consumer experiences with serious mental illness to staff at public and private agencies, who work directly with people experiencing severe and persistent mental illnesses.

9.) We have recently expanded our Diversity Outreach efforts and have classes in Spanish for both family members and individuals! We have a support group for the LGBT community and we recently completed a support group for the refugee community.

10.) If you've taken one of our classes, participated in a support group or any of our other programs, you have been impacted by NAMI and we need your support! So many individuals who take our classes are forever changed by the content discussed and the community that results from sharing stories, and a shared understanding of the journey towards recovery.

These are just 10 reasons to donate to NAMI Utah, we can think of so many more! Have you been impacted by NAMI in some way?! Make sure you share YOUR reason to give with your friends, family,  co-workers, and strangers! If you give on Friday, your donation will be matched, up to $2,000. An even better reason to give! Every $10 donation counts!

HERE is the link to our fundraising page.

Running from Crazy: Film Review

Running From Crazy is a film recently released at the Sundance Film Festival. It documents Mariel Hemingway’s exploration of the mental illness that has plagued her family and the suicide that has claimed seven of their lives. Her personal struggles along with the death of family members including her grandfather, famed writer Ernest Hemingway and sister, supermodel/actress Margaux Hemingway leads Mariel to seek answers. Is her family cursed? Or is there hope?

Spoiler alert, there is hope! Through exploration and understanding of her families’ complex history she is able to find her path to acceptance and recovery. She learns to forgive her family for their imperfections and embrace the positive things they stood for. She talks about how important it is for her to reject alcohol in light of her family history of addiction. She explores the importance of nutrition, exercise, and overall wellness in her life and advocates for the incorporation of wellness in mental health treatment.

Photo from the Running from Crazy Facebook Page

Most importantly she learns how important it is to talk about mental illness and suicide. She talks to her daughters about their family history and the anxiety and fear for their well being. She talks to the community about mental illness and suicide prevention and how important it is to be open and willing to ask questions- the questions that are hard and maybe we don’t want to know the answer to because it might be scary. Scary, but important. Those questions and that support might be the lifeline someone needs. We need to bring mental illness out of the shadows. We need to talk about it.

Here at NAMI Utah, we too understand the importance of talking about mental health and fighting stigma. We advocate for access to effective treatment and equality in all aspects of life. We work to provide information and education about mental illness so we and our loved ones are no longer misunderstood. We work to provide networks of support for those impacted by mental illness. We, along with Mariel Hemingway, know that there is hope. For information on NAMI Utah and to find support in your area, click here.

Did you see Running From Crazy? Share your thoughts!

Scrabble, Songs, and Sandwiches

Today [June 7, 2012] I visited NAMI's Social Group, which used to be called Soup Group, until we quit serving soup and started serving sandwiches, but Sandwich Group didn’t have quite the same ring to it. We recently had to move our office and with the change we decided to hold the group elsewhere while we transition. Jackie, T.J. and Rick have been running Social Group at the North Valley Mental Health facility since our move. Since then, I have had limited interaction with those individuals who benefit from the services NAMI provides. I have been so busy in my own world, the move, our recent Open House, other daily tasks, not to mention everything outside of work! So I have been looking forward to attending Social Group and talking with some of the folks who attend.

 

Recently the number of participants in social group has grown. Between 30 and 40 people have been coming consistently for a few months now. I want to share with you some of the great things I saw from our participants.

*I have changed the names of some of the individuals I spoke with for confidentiality purposes.

Jackie and I arrived at the basement of North Valley around 11:25 a.m. and while group doesn’t start until 11:30 a.m., people were already in line for their sandwich. Jackie introduced me to everyone and while I thought they might be a little skeptical that I was there to “write about them”, I was wrong! Everyone was immediately friendly and welcoming. One man, John, quickly pulled out the Scrabble board and challenged me to a game. I love Scrabble and can never turn down a game, so I was more than happy to comply!

I let John finish his sandwich while I set up the game, and his large bites indicated this might have been his first meal of the day. Jackie told me on the way over that many participants were part of the mental health court system. Social Group is one of the only places they can go for a meal, a welcoming smile, and interactions with people who “get it.” People who have been through similar situations and know what it feels like to go through the “system.”

John and I started our game. We went on a few rounds, before he had to go take his meds. So we took a short break and I went to talk to another gentleman, Leo, who was Native American. Jackie has told him she used to work for the Indian Health Service and he brought some items to share including small figurines that he had carved himself, some corn pollen, and a pipe. He went through each of the items showing me his handy work. The small figurines were intricately carved with various stone and he explained each one to me. I marveled at his handy work!

John came back and we got back in the game. John seemed to be experiencing fixed delusions as his conversation got a little hard to follow. When I asked Jackie later what his diagnosis was she said she didn’t know. She told me that she never asks what someone’s diagnosis is because it doesn’t affect her interaction or relationship with them. “I see them first as people; I don’t see them as their illness,” she explains to me, “They are welcomed in as people just as I would welcome anyone into any social circle of mine.” I couldn’t agree more.

Most of the time we were playing, the gentleman to my right was strumming his mandolin. It was the perfect background noise, and his tunes were amazing. He told me that he had only been playing for a couple of years; he had taken lessons previously but for the most part he was teaching himself. Although he was a little slow in his conversation, he was extremely intelligent, explaining some of the notes for me as I watched in awe.

John kicked my butt in Scrabble, although I did hold my own for a while there. We ended our game as people were slowly filtering out; moving on to the next appointment or meeting. These folks are some of the coolest people I’ve had the opportunity to interact with in quite some time. They come to this group to exercise their social skills and be with people who understand them and don’t ask questions. They get a nice meal of sandwiches purchased from Valley Catering Services and amazing desserts generously donated by Russ Juillerat of World's Finest Chocolate. They know that the group will be there for them. Jackie, T.J. and Rick are on hand to answer any questions that may come up and resources are distributed to the participants. (This week Jackie handed out discounted prescription cards.)

I can’t stress the importance of this group enough. On average 20 individuals who attend social group are in the mental health court system. The mental health court system is designed to help prevent them from re-offending.  Fostering healthy relationships is an important part of preventing relapses.  The Social Group provides an opportunity for everyone to interact in an environment that’s safe and welcoming.

I had an amazing experience at Social Group. I want the community and our supporters to know about this program and to give them a renewed desire to advocate on behalf of those living with a mental illness, because as Jackie said, we're all people, first and foremost.