The feelings and behaviors associated with depression can be overwhelming - hopelessness, self-loathing, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, etc. - but it is important to understand that help is available. There are a variety of treatments associated with depression, and many people benefit from a...

It is completely normal for everyone to feel "down in the dumps" at some point. Feeling sad is a natural reaction to some of the disappointments and heartbreaks that life sends our way. However, if one's sadness has developed into an overwhelming feeling of despair...

Much has been done recently to advance the standards of care for people living with schizophrenia. An initiative is taking place at 10 community behavioral health organizations nationwide and is designed to improve the daily functioning of people with schizophrenia and raise expectations for what...

I am sure that most of us have had our fill of pundits offering opinions about why the elections went the way that they did, and what this means about the mood of the American people.  You will not find any of that in this...

The establishment of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention needs to continue to be commended, as there has been no better time than now to see such a project take shape. When announced by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Department of...

Some people view our country's jails and penitentiaries as this century's new "mental asylums." This is because, rather than treating the mental illnesses and addiction disorders, we remand convicted mental health patients to prisons and penitentiaries for their crimes. Often times these crimes are the...

Patients with severe mental illnesses are dying prematurely, compared with the rest of the population, mostly due to co-occurring health conditions that go untreated. Person-centered mental health homes aim to provide better care management, so that mental illness patients have access to the simple treatment...

Homelessness and health care are deeply connected. We know that poor health - both physical and mental - is a cause and a result of homelessness. We cannot effectively address issues of homelessness without addressing access to health care for homeless persons. That is why...

There are many complexities associated with the financial and structural barriers to integration in mental and behavioral healthcare. For example, there has been considerable discussion about whether behavioral healthcare should be "carved-in" or "carved-out" when states or other purchasers make purchasing decisions. Some "carve-out" models...

"Joseph" was removed from his biological family at age 5 after claims of abuse against him were substantiated. He was adopted a short time later, but his recovery was only temporary. Unfortunately, Joseph suffered the loss of his adoptive mother at age 11. Life continued...

Transitioning to adulthood is a daunting task for most young people -- it can include striving to graduate from high school; finding a full-time job or entering college; living independently; forming long-term relationships and becoming a parent. Although their goals and desires may be the...

For the past 20 years, especially since the introduction of system-of-care philosophy and practices, there have been tensions between community-based and residential treatment providers that serve children, youths, and families in need of mental health care. Community-based mental health providers have voiced concern that their...

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan no longer dominate the evening news or the public's consciousness. According to a recent poll, only 16 percent of Americans name the Iraq war as the story that first comes to mind when asked what has been in the...

It's being able actually to live like a human being again. That is what Irene Kaplan said about her new life in a supported apartment after 16 years of living in one of New York City's largest state-funded adult homes for people with mental illnesses....

Housing for people with mental illness is as much a place as it is an ongoing process to engage and promote their recovery. Helping consumers easily access and maintain stable housing must remain at the heart of any service system. The suitability of certain types...

Concurrent Documentation is strategy that can be learned and applied in a relatively short period of time. Essentially, concurrent documentation means that provider staff work with the clients during assessment, service planning and intervention sessions to complete as much related documentation as possible and appropriate....

Background - One aspect of the mental health Access and Retention Initiative involves using transaction data to identify non-engaged patients. These patients may be defined as those having diagnoses including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bi-polar disorder and who, during the pre-pilot period missed 30% or...

People with severe and relentless mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder also bear a greater physical burden; they are at increased risk for obesity and chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and nicotine dependence. Serious mental illness is an important risk factor...

Juan was a delivery driver, but his health problems were putting him at risk of losing his job. His diabetes was poorly controlled and had caused foot ulcers that made it difficult for him to walk. He also had bipolar disorder, which was not being...

When taking into account the complex nature of mental illnesses and the multiplicity of treatments and services that are needed by people in search of recovery, continuity of care and the coordination of treatment and services are important factors in assuring quality of mental healthcare....