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TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
V O L U M E 1 1 , N O . 5 / 6 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 6
TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
TDMHDD and Magellan Health Services in partnershipwith NAMI Tennessee, Tennessee Association of MentalHealth Organizations (TAMHO), Tennessee Voices forChildren, and the Tennessee Mental Health Consumers
Association sponsored a symposium to focus on mental healthrecovery and resiliency.
The vision and outcome of the symposium involved a commonunderstanding that recovery and resiliency are real, possible andachievable through a shared commitment to transform the public mental health system to promote and support resiliency for all
persons and recovery for persons with mental illness oremotional disturbance.
Over 300 key Tennessee mental health policy makers, includingmental health providers, family members, and consumers aswell as state officials, and representatives from community andgovernment organizations, attended the symposium. Theseindividuals are important to the development of mental heathpolicy and practice and are key players in building thefoundation for system change toward a mental health systembased on principles of recovery and resiliency.
“As we move forward we must keep in mind that resilience isnecessary and recovery is possible. Both require a system ofscreening; timely, quality, clinical intervals; and appropriate
Commissioner Betts welcomes Keynote Speaker, Charles G. Curie, formeradministrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health ServicesAdministration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices.
Mental Health Community
Comes Together At Symposium
on Recovery & Resiliency
cont. page 5
John Butts, Jr., a consumerfrom Reconnect
Clarksville, provided theartwork used as a
backdrop for conferencesignage and printed
materials. Butts is also oneof the featured artists
whose work will hang atThe Parthenon’s “CreativeExpression and Recovery”
exhibit in 2007.
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In Tennessee, an estimated 750 men,women, and children die by suicideeach year—more than the number
who die from homicide, AIDS, or drunkdriving. The Tennessee Department ofMental Health and DevelopmentalDisabilities (TDMHDD), along with theTennessee Suicide Prevention Network,is working to increase suicide preventionawareness during September, NationalSuicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Suicide is the third leading cause ofdeath among youth and young adultsages 15-24 in Tennessee and throughoutthe entire nation. The rate of suicide inTennessee is 13.4 per 100,000individuals, higher than the nationalaverage of 10.8 per 100,000 individuals.Unfortunately, Tennessee’s suicide rateranks 19th in the nation.
As a result of these negative statistics,Tennessee has become a national leaderin suicide prevention efforts. The stateincreases awareness in schools byproviding school based curriculumsthrough the Jason Foundation.Tennessee is also one of the staterecipients for a federal youth suicideprevention initiative entitled TennesseeLives Count which provides GateKeeper Training to 14,000 adults whowork with high risk youth. These
individuals are trained to recognizedepression, as well as signs andsymptoms of suicide. In 2000,Tennessee implemented The NationalStrategies for Suicide Prevention whichbrought about the coordination of eightregional groups that meet throughout thestate on this issue.
“In 90 percent of instances, suicide isthe result of unrecognized, untreated, orpoorly treated mental illness and can besaid to be the terminal outcome ofunhealed mental illness,” statedTennessee Mental Health andDevelopmental DisabilitiesCommissioner Virginia Trotter Betts.“Suicide is the leading cause of violentdeaths worldwide, above homicide anddeath due to natural disasters.Frequently, suicide can be prevented, butTennesseans need to keep educatingthemselves about mental health andmental illness in order to seek neededhelp for themselves or their loved ones.”
Scott Ridgway, Executive Director ofthe Tennessee Suicide PreventionNetwork, echoes her concerns. “Weneed to help these individuals getthrough their times of need and to letthem know that people do care abouttheir situation. We need to be proactive,not reactive,” he said.
Suicide does not discriminate by gender,economic status, race, or ethnicity.More suicides occur among theworkforce than any other demographic,and the majority of those who die bysuicide have seen their primary caredoctor in the month prior to their death.Overall, one out of every twelveTennesseans has been affected bysuicide in the last five years.
A series of important activities wereheld throughout September to promotesuicide prevention and connectindividuals and communities with theproper information and resources.TDMHDD joined the Tennessee SuicidePrevention Network on Wednesday,September 13, 2006 in a ceremony forthe presentation of the Governor’sSuicide Prevention Awareness Monthproclamation as well as theannouncement of TSPN award winners.
Please visit www.tspn.org forinformation on suicide and suicideprevention. �
Recognize Suicide Prevention Month
Members of the Tennessee SuicidePrevention Network from across thestate pose for a group photo with theGovernor’s Suicide PreventionAwareness Month proclamation.
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Receive SAMHSA Grant to Prevent Methamphetamine Abuse
“HEROES” HONOREDfor Achievements in Mental Health
The Mental Health Association ofTennessee, along with Members of the
Tennessee Coalition for Mental Health andSubstance Abuse Services, hosted Heroesin the Fight, a program to honorTennesseans who exemplify the dedicatedcare and support provided by so manymental health professionals and advocates
each and every day in the fight againstsevere and persistent mental illness.
An awards dinner at The MillenniumMaxwell House in Nashville on November15, 2006 honored those who have devotedtheir lives to working along side patientsand families in their fight for better
outcomes and to achieve victories, large andsmall. Heroes in the Fight awards weregiven by the community for achievements inthe following categories:
Treatment TeamTennessee Department of Mental Health &Developmental Disabilities,
Virginia Trotter Betts,Commissioner
Individual PsychiatristDr. Elizabeth Baxter
Individual MediaProfessionalAnita Wadhwani
Individual CommunitySupporterNancy LawheadScott Ridgway, M.S.
Individual AlliedHealthcare ProfessionalMargaret Ellen FinleyElizabeth Haren
The Substance Abuse and MentalHealth Services Administration(SAMSHA) recently awarded 10grants, totaling over $10.1 million overthree years, to help local communitiesexpand evidence-based substanceabuse prevention programs andsystems to stop abuse ofmethamphetamine.
Centerstone Community Mental HealthCenters, Inc. in Nashville has beenawarded $350,000 in the first year to
provide a culturally sensitive,community-based prevention programof outreach and education to adults andyouth at risk for methamphetamineabuse in a rural Appalachian area inwhich methamphetamine production,trafficking, and abuse have beenoutpacing law enforcement capacityand endangering the health of areainhabitants.
Ridgeview Psychiatric Hospital in OakRidge has been awarded $320,000 in
first-year funding for the Meth P.I.Program (Prevention & Intervention)to implement alternative school-basedprevention programs focused onadolescents at high risk formethamphetamine use, employingProject SUCCESS, a school-basedmodel from SAMSHA’s NationalRegistry of Evidence-based Programsand Practices, modified for particularemphasis on prevention ofmethamphetamine use.
Ridgeview and Centerstone
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—— H A P P E N I N G S ——
• TDMHDD Employee of the YearAnnounced Nurse Practitioner FromMiddle Tennessee Mental HealthInstitute Honored
Commissioner Betts is pleased to announce Donna Finto-Burks as2005 TDMHDD Employee of Year.
Ms. Finto-Burks has been employed at Middle Tennessee MentalHealth Institute (MTMHI) as a nurse practitioner since 1996 and isresponsible for the medical care of the adolescent unit as well asmanaging MTMHI employee health duties.
Finto-Burks has dedicated almost 30 years of her life to helping others.Fluent in German and Spanish, her experience ranges from being adirect care nurse in Tennessee to a clinic administrator in the jungles ofGuatemala. Finto-Burks received an AD in nursing from UT Nashvillein 1975, a BS in Psychology from UT Nashville in 1977, and a MSNfrom Vanderbilt School of Nursing in 1986.
“As a fellow nurse, I am especially pleased to be honoring an advancedpractice nurse as TDMHDD Employee of the Year,” statedCommissioner Betts. “Her experience and expertise in the field ofmental health is excellent, and her dedication to improving the lives ofadolescents with mental illness is illustrated every day at MTMHI.”
“People care about Donna Finto-Burks because she genuinely caresabout people. Her caring and compassion shine through in the way sheinteracts with her patients and with her coworkers,” commented LynnMcDonald, MTMHI Chief Officer. “It is especially meaningful to haveher selected for the TDMHDD Employee of the Year, because she is agreat example of the many excellent staff employed by this hospitaland this department.” �
Lynn McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of MTMHI (left) andCommissioner Virginia Betts (right) congratulate Donna Finto-Burkson her departmental award as 2005 Employee of the Year.
• Memphis Mental Health InstituteNurse Retires After 40 Years ofService
Carolyn Adams, serving Tennessee as a registered nurse for40 years, retired in October from the Memphis MentalHealth Institute (MMHI). Her coworkers celebrated hercareer at MMHI with a week of activities, including “AWhale of a Breakfast” highlighting Adam’s love of whalesand her plans to take a cruise to see them. Among herretirement gifts was a steppingstone to honor hercontributions to the new facility currently underconstruction. The stone will be part of a walkway for thenew hospital.
Adams also served as the former nurse manager for theMMHI Sequoyah Center for Children and Adolescents, andin 2000, won the Memphis/Shelby County “Health HeroAward.” It was noted then that her role as liaison betweenthe hospital and nursing agencies, her consistentcommitment that staffing patterns were met, and her innateknowledge made her a valuable resource and consultant forthe agency and the community. Adams’ career began in pre-nursing training at the Memphis State University, and shereceived her diploma in nursing from the Baptist School ofNursing in Memphis.
“Her unselfish devotion to her profession and patients willbe sorely missed,” remarked Commissioner Betts. “Carolynembodies the best in the nursing profession, and she hascontinued to be a hero model for years to come.” �
Deputy Commissioner Joe Carobene reads a Certificate ofAppreciation from the department to Carolyn Adams as the MMHIstaff gathers during her retirement party.
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—— H A P P E N I N G S ——
• New EmployeesHeather Gundersen joins TDMHDD’sDivision of Administrative Services asthe new IT director. A Manchesternative, Gundersen has a B.S. inPsychology from Christian BrothersUniversity in Memphis. She previouslymanaged elections technology for the
Associated Press in Washington, D.C., aswell as developed software to projectelection results, leading to increasedspeed and accuracy in calling racesnationwide. Contact Gundersen at (615) 532-6603 [email protected].
Linda Parker is the new Director of
Program Support in the Division ofPolicy and Legislation. Primarily, Lindawill be responsible for communityservice contracts. She comes toTDMHDD from the Department ofHealth where she has provided contractmanagement for a number of years.Contact Parker at (615) 532-6741 [email protected]. �
COMMISSIONER’S CORNER
NAMI Memphis and NAMI Knoxville recently held theirannual walks to “Stomp Out Stigma.” CommissionerBetts, along with members of the TDMHDD staff,showed their support by participating in each event.
On the morning of Saturday, September 23, the walk inMemphis kicked-off on the campus of Memphis MentalHealth Institute (MMHI). Participants walked around thenew MMHI building that is currently under constructionand scheduled to be complete in the fall of 2007.Walkers in Knoxville gathered at Lakeshore MentalHealth Institute on Saturday, October 7, the final day of
Mental Illness Awareness Week. The three-mile routethrough the grounds of Lakeshore Park attractedindividuals from throughout East Tennessee.
“I am so pleased to have been a part of these events thattruly illustrate the dedication of many Tennesseans inraising community support to eradicate the stigma ofmental illness,” state Commissioner Betts. “NAMITennessee is an extraordinary voice for persons withsevere and persistent mental illness, and I am grateful tohave the opportunity work with such passionateadvocates and volunteers.” �
Mental Health Symposium…cont.
Delegates networked between seminars at the conferencemarketplace, sharing ideas, promotional items, andliterature.
social supports,” stated TDMHDDCommissioner Virginia TrotterBetts.
“I am grateful that this symposiumcreates a venue for the mentalhealth community to collaboratewith multiple interested parties andstakeholders and vision togetherthe achievement of the commongoal of a Tennessee mental healthsystem based on these two keyfactors.”
"It is a pleasure to sponsor thissymposium, which brings togetherconsumer and family members,advocates and providers to
continue the transformation of thebehavioral health system." saidRussell Petrella, Ph.D., chiefoperating officer for Magellan'sPublic Sector Solutions team.“Like our colleagues, MagellanHealth Services believesindividuals with mental illnessesand substance abuse can and dorecover. We are committed toempowering individuals through anintegrated approach that combinessupport, education and self-determination in all aspects of theirdaily lives so individuals can movetoward recovery and enjoyproductive, high-quality lives intheir communities.” �
NAMI Walks Raise Awareness in East and West Tennessee
TDMHDD UpdateTennessee Department of Mental Health
& Developmental DisabilitiesVolume 11, Number 5/6
October/November/December 2006 Issue
Newsletter StaffJill M. Hudson, Director
Lorene Lambert, Publications Editor
Prepared and distributed by the Office of Public Information & Education (OPIE)
5th Floor, Cordell Hull Building425 Fifth Avenue North
Nashville, Tennessee 37243615.253.4812
Available online athttp://www.tennessee.gov/mental/index.html
Please send queries, suggestions and address changes to:[email protected] or [email protected]
Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s policy of nondiscrimination,the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilitiesdoes not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color,national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service in itspolicies, or in the admission to, or treatment or employment in, itsprograms, services or activities.
Contact the department’s EEO/AA Coordinator at 615-532-5680,the Title VI Coordinator or the ADA Coordinator at 615-532-6700 or1-800-560-5767 for inquiries, complaints or further information.Persons with hearing impairments should call 615-532-6612
Published bi-monthly by the Tennessee Department ofMental Health & Developmental Disabilities. PeriodicalsPostage Pair at Nashville, Tennessee. Postmaster: sendaddress changes to TDMHDD/OPIE, 5th Fl. Cordell HullBldg., 425 Fifth Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37243
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and DevelopmentalDisabilities online newsletter. Copies are filed with statedepositories and archives as directed by State RecordsManagement rules and regulations for publication authorization.
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October/November/December 2006Department of Mental Health andDevelopmental DisabilitiesOffice of Public Information & EducationFifth Floor, Cordell Hull Building425 5th Avenue NorthNashville, Tennessee 37243
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(SAMHSA) held the 6th Annual Training Institute Workshop for state mentalhealth Olmstead Coordinators in September. Among the presenters wereMarie Williams, L.C.S.W., Executive Director of Recovery Services andPlanning for TDMHDD, and Larry Lambert, Ed.D., Mental HealthCounselor in Mississippi.
Williams and Lambert’s “Workshop: Out of Poverty (OPP)” showcased theirco-authored interactive and results oriented program designed to provide aroadmap for people diagnosed with mental illness who need to move frompoverty to prosperity.
“The OPP’s curriculum is an educational exercise, and it is designed for usewith a comprehensive program of client social services,” stated Williams.“The specific focus of OPP is transforming the acquired mindset of clientswhich interferes with their efforts to escape the conditions of poverty theyare experiencing.”
Williams also served on a panel as a presenter to discuss the first six years ofthe New Freedom Initiative and its impact related to the Olmstead activities;its mental health transformations in Tennessee; and the department’s intent
for the project in the next five years. �
Staff Presents at NationalOlmstead Workshop
