By Mindy Klowden, Guest Blogger

The horrific event that happened one week ago in Newtown, Connecticut shocked and rocked our nation.  At a time like this, our sadness is mixed with a strong desire to help but many of us feel powerless.  For those of us in the behavioral health field we are, once again, struck by how mental health gets so little attention nationally until there are tragedies like these.  This is particularly striking given how many of us are touched by mental illness.   Consider these sobering statistics, courtesy of the National Institute for Mental Health:

–Over the last year, 26% of Americans have experienced some sort of psychological problem that meets the criteria for a mental disorder.

–Nearly 50% of Americans will at some point in their lives meet those criteria.

–One in 17 Americans will experience “debilitating” mental illness every year.

Recovery is possible and people do get better, yet many do not seek or cannot access treatment due to stigma or lack of resources.  Yes, it is a time for us as a nation, and as a community, to grieve and reflect. But we also we need to have some serious conversations and we need to act now to help prevent future tragedies like Sandy Hook.

First- take care of yourself and your loved ones. A tragic event like this can have a strong emotional impact on many, even though the event was far away from our own community.  For some, it can bring up triggers of previous tragedy in our own community.  Jefferson Center for Mental Health is here to support community members who may be struggling. Our main phone line is 303-425-0300. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are also many resources related to coping with trauma available on line at www.jcmh.org  and at http://www.samhsa.gov/trauma/

Learn how to recognize signs of mental illness and connect people to care. Community members can learn more about how to identify mental health and substance use problems, and ways to help friends and family members by taking a Mental Health First Aid class. These classes are available in many communities in throughout Colorado. For more information, go to www.mhfaco.org The youth version of Mental Health First Aid has just launched, providing a great opportunity for neighbors, teachers, parents, and caring citizens to learn how to help a child or teen in crisis.

Help decrease stigma and promote help-seeking behavior when needed. While we have made some strides in overcoming the stigma associated with mental health issues, we still have a long way to go. In many families mental illness is still a source of shame and embarrassment. We’ve come a long way in the national movement to promote community based mental health services and yet we have so far to go.  We must prevent people who need help from falling through the cracks.  We need to work together to normalize mental health treatment. Just as someone with diabetes or asthma should not be afraid to seek help or be judged for having a chronic disease, someone with symptoms of mental illness should know that recovery is possible and that caring health professionals are available to help them. We must ensure that access to care is within the reach of all in need.

Dispel fear and myths about people who have mental illness.  The vast majority of people who suffer from severe mental or behavioral health problems are NOT dangerous or prone to violence. In fact, they are far more likely to be the victims of violence.  People with severe mental illnesses, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or psychosis, are 2 ½ times more likely to be attacked, raped or mugged than the general population. http://promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov/publications/facts.aspx?printid=1&

Increase access to care by fully implementing the Medicaid expansion and the Colorado Health Benefits Exchange (COHBE). One key goal of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to reduce the number of uninsured Americans by creating a new continuum of coverage options beginning in 2014. A key component of this is expanding Medicaid to persons earning up to 138% of federal poverty, or about $15,000 a year for individuals or $32,000 a year for a family of four. In Colorado that means an estimated 250,000 previously uninsured low income adults will gain access to much needed health care. COHBE’s success is also essential, as the ACA makes coverage through the private insurance market more affordable for households earning 100-400% Federal poverty by offering tax credits when coverage is purchased through the Exchange. Mental health and substance use treatment are one of the ten essential health benefits defined by the federal government that health plans included in the Exchange must offer.

Assure that mental health treatment is a standard part of our health care system by enforcing parity and making screening for mental health and substance use disorders a routine part of primary/preventive care. Just as no doctors visit would be complete without checking your vitals, depression, anxiety and substance use screenings are essential to detecting health needs and easy to administer. We need to advocate with providers to do screenings regularly and promote integrated behavioral and physical health care to ensure timely follow up.

For more information on services at Jefferson Center for Mental Health, or on any of these suggested actions feel free to contact us at – we are here for our community.

Submitted by Mindy Klowden, MNM, Director, Office of Healthcare Transformation at Jefferson Center for Mental Health, mindyk@jcmh.org