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What: People diagnosed with mental health problems have significantly shorter life spans and are more likely   to have serious but preventable health conditions—including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension—compared to people who do not have mental health problems. Traditionally, the mental health field has focused primarily on a person’s psychiatric stabilization rather than taking a broader, holistic approach that looks at the wellness of the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Recent preventive and holistic approaches along with complementary and alternative  medicines (CAMs) have shown success in improving the overall health of individuals with mental health problems which contributes to their ability to live a more full and satisfying life in the community. The SAMHSA 10x10 Wellness Campaign invites you to a free training teleconference titled “Prevention and Holistic Approaches to Wellness: A Fresh Perspective on Mental Health Recovery.” This teleconference will educate diverse stakeholders about both peer-delivered and community mental health provider-delivered alternatives to wellness that focus on building resiliency and supporting individuals to establish healthier lifestyles. It also will address how to create educational campaigns and outreach to disseminate information about complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science.   When: Tuesday, December 7, 2010 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Mountain

Online registration coming soon! What and When:Please Save the Date for the Children Come First Conference and Youth Mental Health Summit in Milwaukee on May 3rd and 4th. See the details below and attached!  You won't want to miss this exciting event and the opportunity for developing action plans to improve youth mental health in Wisconsin!May 3rd:A Day Spent with Dr. Ross Greene, Associate Professor at Harvard University and acclaimed author of The Explosive Child and Lost At School. The day's conversation: Change Starts with Youth. For youth (ages 14-24) led by youth. May 4th (8:00 am - 12:00 pm):From Input to Action, adults and youth ages 14-24 join together to design action plans to improve youth mental health in Wisconsin. Sponsored by Wisconsin Family Ties, Youth Mental Health Connections, Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force.Where:American Serb Hall5101 W. Oklahoma Ave. Milwaukee, WI  Contact:Wisconsin Family TiesPhone: (608) 267-6888 or 800-422-7145 (parents only please)Fax: (608) 267-6801E-mail:  info@wifamilyties.org

Webinar Recording: Linking and Integrating with Primary Care: Medical Home Model for Children's Mental Health Hosted by the National Technical Assistance Center in Children's Mental Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), February 17, 2011 Watch this webinar to learn about the role of primary care in linking social, emotional, mental and behavioral health services to children. The webinar involves an examination of the opportunities to enhance collaboration between primary care and the medical home model for children's mental health.

Each year the Annie E. Casey Foundation funds a national survey of child well-being. The new report was recently released. Montana is again ranked 28th, same as last year.The data is analyzed in four different categories: education, economic well-being, family and community and health.Montana was above average in three of the four categories, but finished 50th in child health.The report shows that Montana improved in economic well-being, up to 15th from 20th last year. We held steady on education at 13th. We declined a bit on family and community, down to 14th from 13th.But it’s the child health numbers that seem to be the greatest cause for concern.If you dig into the health numbers, Montana did improve over last year’s report in having fewer uninsured kids — down to 12 percent — and fewer teens abusing alcohol and drugs — down to 10 percent. However, we have increased our percentage of children with low birth weights — 7.5 percent — and increased the number of child and teen deaths per 100,000 — 45.How do we make sense of this data? It’s hard because for many of us these kinds of statistics don’t mean a lot when you pull them apart. As a state, Montana’s 28th place ranking is the lowest in the region. North Dakota ranks sixth, Wyoming ranks 15th, South Dakota ranks 18th, and Idaho ranks 20th.What the report tells us about child health is we have more work to do. It may seem like 88 percent of children being covered by health insurance is pretty good, but we’re average for the region. Similar to Idaho and Wyoming, but lower than both Dakotas.For teen death rates, we’re highest in the region at 45 per 100,000. Idaho is at 28, Wyoming at 32, North Dakota at 34 and South Dakota 39.In general what this means is in Montana we can do a better job, in this areas, of improving the health of our kids. The good news is that health continues to be a priority of the Gov. Steve Bullock’s administration, which launched an initiative last week called “A Healthier Montana: A Plan to Improve the Health of Montanans.”Bullock’s plan focuses on six areas: Preventing, identifying and managing chronic diseases; promoting the health of mothers, infants and children; preventing, identifying and controlling communicable disease, preventing injuries and reducing exposure to environmental health hazards; improving mental health and reducing substance abuse; and, strengthening Montana’s public health and health care system.Reports like Kids Count, are one of many analyzing different aspects of health in Montana and around the country, said Jon Ebelt, spokesman for the Montana Department of Health and Human Services. Typically, those reports only tell part of the story. And though the state takes the Kids Count report seriously, it fit into the broader look of health in Montana now outlined in Bullock’s initiative.“We’ve done a lot of work the last year to set the priorities on where we can make the most difference,” Ebelt said.At Lewis and Clark County, county health officer Melanie Reynolds is also focused on local work.The county has been working for a number of months on their community health improvement plan and is looking to unveil soon.So while the news from Kids Count was mixed, we’re pleased the state and local governments are continuing their efforts to support better health for Montanans. We anticipate these efforts will show themselves with an improved report next year.

Mental health issues like depression, anxiety and substance abuse often start in adolescence, then peak in young adulthood. But for young people who don't have steady jobs or stable paychecks, getting help can be tough. A popular provision of the Affordable Care Act that took effect in 2010 aimed to make it easier for young adults to get access to health care, by allowing them to stay on their parents' insurance until they turn 26. So, are more young adults getting help with mental health issues because of the provision? Maybe, suggests a study published in the September issue of Health Affairs.

Click here to register!What:The focus of this year's conference is to explore school mental health work within a 3-tiered context; we will take a strategic look at how our work can be understood as a multi-tiered system of support.  We will examine how existing support structures such as High-Fidelity Wraparound, Montana Behavioral Initiative (MBI), Montana School Counseling Program, and Comprehensive School and Community Treatment, framed within the three tiers, could provide a continuum of academic and positive behavior supports.  Nationally recognized speakers Dr. Lucille Eber and Dr. John VanDenBerg will share their expertise.If you are interested in sharing your good work at the state conference, please apply to present!  Three 75-minute presentations will be selected and showcased during the second day of the conference.  We are looking for presentations that address the mental health needs of students within the 3-tiers and/or focuses on meeting student need within one specific tier.Click here if you are interested in presenting!Whether you can attend the conference or not, we ask you to contribute to this work by taking this brief survey about the provision of mental health services in your school.  This survey has been given each year and we use the data to inform statewide planning concerning school mental health.  Your perspective is critical, so please take this survey and pass it on to others in your school community who may offer additional insights.  Thank you for taking this survey today. Click here to take the survey!When:March 1-2, 2012Where:Red Lion Colonial Hotel Helena, MTContact:Susan Bailey-AndersonPhone: 406-444-2046Email: sbanderson@mt.govWebsite: www.opi.mt.gov

In a move aimed at boosting mental health treatment, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Friday announced new rules that will put teeth in a 2008 mental health equity law. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, signed by President George W. Bush, requires doctors and insurers to treat mental illness the same as physical illness.

Reynaldo Thompson stood before a large crowd of public officials, mental-health workers and mental-health clients under the vaulted, heavy-beamed ceiling of Bozeman’s newest mental-health facility Tuesday afternoon and thanked those in attendance.

The crowd -- which included a state senator and representative, city and county commissioners, a District Court judge, attorneys, public-safety officials and mental-health workers -- had gathered to celebrate the opening of the Hope House and the Dorothy Eck House.“I am totally blessed today,” Thompson, a client of Gallatin Mental Health Center, said.

“I came from a place where I thought Warm Springs would be my home,” he said, referring to the state psychiatric hospital. “But now I’ll be living independently.”

What: Pediatricians recognize the importance of improving teen mental health and their pivotal role in identifying adolescents that may need care.  The American Academy of Pediatrics has made adolescent mental health care a priority and the US Preventive Services Task Force has identified annual adolescent depression screening as the standard of care. How can primary care providers meet the needs of their adolescent patients while navigating real-world practice challenges -- including payment? Our January 27 Webinar with three members of the AAP’s Task Force on Mental Health, will explore practical strategies that can maximize payment for screening, consulting, and treatment of adolescent mental health care. When: January 27, 2011 1 p.m. 12:00 p.m. Mountain Registration: Click here to register or copy and paste the link below: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=274493&s=1&k=D41E04BC8A8A2C114887DDD77F849E86