Mental Health Conference Summary

I valued the participants, with a mental illness, sharing their perspective and experiences of living with a mental health diagnosis. As social workers, it is beneficial to understand a clients experience and environment to the best of our ability. I will take away the stigmas faced by individuals with a mental illness and consider how this impacts their psycho, social, and emotional

These two men set out on a campaign with the theme “fix the broken promise” which referred to Ronald Regan’s promise to use the funding that came from the closing of many mental hospitals for the care of the discharged patients (Peck 2005). The campaign put together “pilot programs” like the programs that are offered today in the actual act (Peck 2005). There was an overwhelming positive reaction with a “56% reduction in hospital stays, a 72% reduction in jail stays, and a 65% increase in people with full-time jobs” (Peck 2005). With law enforcement on their side (having seen what these programs would do to decrease the mentally ill population), they gained a tremendous amount of supporters for their cause. Darrell Stein dedicated a year of his life for this cause and helped raise close to $4.6 million for the campaign (Peck 2009).

According to NAMI, The National Alliance of Mental Illness 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health condition yearly. 1 in 20 people live with a serious mental illness like, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Not only does the person who is directly experiencing a mental illness suffer, but the family, and friends are also highly affected. NAMI states that 50% of mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% of mental illnesses develop by age 24. Each year, 1 in 5 children from the ages 13-18 experiences a mental illness reported by NAMI. That’s a large amount of our young generation. Three out of four people with a mental illness report that they have experienced stigma, a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart according to the

Dementia refers to a syndrome which results in deterioration in thinking, memory, behavior, and ability to execute everyday activities and duties. Despite the fact that the syndrome is mainly associated with the older people, it is not a normal aspect or part of ageing. One of the major causes of dementia is the aspect of Alzheimer's disease. This disease contributes to about 60 to 70 percent of the cases of dementia. Dementia possesses psychological, physical, economic, and social impacts in relation to the family, caregivers, and the entire society. Dementia affects each individual in a diverse or different way with reference to the impact of the disease and personality following the development of the syndrome (Gao et al, 2013 p. 447).

Senate (S.) 689 is the Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act of 2013, which resanctions and increases critical behavioral health programs through superior federal education and healthcare programs related to awareness, early identification, and prevention of mental illness (The Library of Congress, 2013). United States Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) pioneered S. 689 on April 9, 2013 (The Library of Congress, 2013). There are 23 co-sponsors of the Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act of 2013, including 14

Dementia is an extremely common disease among the elderly, with 4 million Americans currently suffering from the Alzheimer’s type alone. Figures show that 3% of people between the ages of 65-74 suffer from the disease, rapidly increasing to 19% for the 75-84 age bracket, and as high as 47% for the over 85s. Therefore, it is easy to see why Dementia is such a large part of many people’s lives, whether they are suffering from the condition themselves, or have an elderly relative who requires full time care just to undertake simple day to day tasks. The disease can be extremely traumatic for the patient and their families, as the person, who may have been extremely lively and bright throughout their

In 1990 men between the ages of 28-36 made up more than 25% of the population of male adults in homeless shelters (New York Times). Interestingly, a decade later the age group jumped a decade to ages 37-45, reflecting that arguably the same group of individuals or those with similar circumstances, such as those born in the baby boomers era, are being affected by the homeless epidemic in California. In no way is homelessness only affecting the elderly community. Homelessness and the hardships that insufficient housing causes for people across the nation are widespread. It affects men, women, and children of all ethnicities as well as the geriatric population. In 2013 more than 610,000 persons were homeless, many of them families (American Family Physician). The question is not whether homelessness on a grand scale is truly an issue for American social services agencies and governments, but how health care professionals can be invaluable assets to change when it comes to waging a war on homelessness in the geriatric population specifically, and providing their neighbors with the best standard of living, at all stages of

The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI, 2015) estimates 1 in 5- 48.8- million adults in the United States are diagnosed with a mental illness each year. Amongst adolescents and children, it is estimated 1 in 5 youth ages 13-18-(21.4%) have, or will have a serious mental illness every year (NAMI, 2015). For children ages 8-15 the prevalence of experiencing a serious mental illness at one point in their life is 13% (NAMI, 2015). Although, children and adolescents are most commonly diagnosed with mood, conduct and anxiety disorders, there are those who occasionally experience psychotic disorders such as early onset schizophrenia.

Specific Purpose: Persuade my audience to take steps to realize the truth behind mental illnesses instead of listening to the stigmas.

My informative speech was on what factors influence access to mental health care facilities in the United States. I spoke on how government access, mental health stigma, and public awareness all affect how people can get proper treatment in mental health care facilities. I described how mental health care facilities include school, hospitals, as well as outpatient centers across the nation. I explained why physical and mental health should be treated equally; not with one type of health having more power over the other. My passion for this topic was driven by my desire to be a therapist in the future. I plan on going to graduate school to earn a master's degree so I can help make a difference in people’s lives as a counselor. In my speech,

Bryden, C. (2014). Dementia and Alzheimers Awareness, Education and Research. Retrieved from Christine Bryden: http://www.christinebryden.com/

The concept of this course was to provide an introduction to psychopharmacology. At the time of this course, my position at the University of Minnesota Masonic gave me the terminology, however understanding each medication and the effects each medication can produce on an individual.

Learning about the rights of patients with psychological disorders was really interesting. I was unaware that a patient can refuse treatment and it is still confidential information even if it means worsening health for the patient. Patients who perform work in mental institutions, especially private ones, are promised minimum wage and most likely a place to live (Comer, 2013, pg. 515). Not having known anything about the rights of these patients, the fact that these rights are so heavily debated was a surprise, why would we not want to help those in need? It’s sad to learn about the rights of these patients not being protected. Some patients have been overmedicated and receiving improper treatments (Comer, 2013, pg. 516).

This paper will be discussing Alzheimer’s in three different states South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska (SIN). Evaluating the distribution and frequency, natural history, causative and/or risk factors, and lastly, the treatments and preventive strategies of the disease. By reviewing the research one will understand why mental health has become an important issue. CG

I chose to take the Cognitive Dysfunction in Older Adults course in the RIGEC Geriatric Education Center through URI. The overall theme of this course is to better understand how dementia and other mental illnesses impact older adults, provides statistics and information about new therapies, and how to plan for the end of life. To do this, I viewed four modules related to this topic taught by various professionals from the New England area. First, I completed “Diseases that Lead to Dementia: A Review with an Update on Potential New Therapies,” which focused on the biological aspects of dementia and some of the new ways to treat it. Next, the course titled “Early Stage Alzheimer’s Disease: Assessment and Staging” gave lots of valuable information on the different types of memory and how they change as we age, particularly what is considered “normal” vs. what could be early onset. “Assessment and Treatment of Depression and