Mental Health Part II: Continuing the Discussion Anne Arundel Women Giving Together supports initiatives that improve the quality of life for women and families in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Goal: Identify the needs of Anne Arundel County’s mental health service network that might be filled by philanthropic efforts.

A mental illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning.

Anxiety Disorder Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Autism Spectrum Disorders Bipolar Disorder Borderline Personality Disorder Depression Dissociative Disorders Dual Diagnosis: Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Eating Disorders Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Panic Disorder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Schizophrenia Seasonal Affective Disorder

About 1 in 5 youth ages experience severe mental disorders in a given year.

Anne Arundel County Quick Facts AA County has similar rates of mental illness by age groups Inpatient psychiatric beds are scarce Some experts recommend 50 public inpatient psychiatric beds per 100,000 population AA County has 14 beds for 550,000 people (should have 275) Legal constraints make involuntary commitment difficult Many untreated persons end up homeless or in jail 14 suicides among those 18 or younger between 2008 and 2012; 602 known failed attempts; increasing annually AA County Health Department reports seeing the need for mental health intervention in younger children than in the past Capital Gazette, AA County Health Department, The Treatment Advocacy Center

The Good News Most mental illnesses are treatable. Persons with mental illness are no more violent than the general public. Early diagnosis improves treatment success. New diagnostic tools are being developed like the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) test. The Affordable Care Act requires mental health coverage and allows children to stay on their parents’ insurance up to age 26. Anne Arundel County has many resources both public and private who work together to form a network of services.

Some of Anne Arundel County Mental Health Resources Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities Arundel Lodge – Edgewater MD Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene (AA County) National Alliance on Mental Illness – Anne Arundel NAMI/AA Oasis: the Center for Mental Health - Annapolis Omni House – Glen Burnie On Our Own – Annapolis Pathways Substance & Co-Occurring Disorders – Annapolis People Encouraging People – Glen Burnie Private practitioners Youth Suicide Awareness Action Team Veteran Center of Annapolis Psychiatric Hospital Services Anne Arundel Medical Center – Annapolis – outpatient clinic Baltimore Washington Medical Center - Glen Burnie – 14 beds

Anne Arundel County Mental Health Resources Internet addresses and phone numbers Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency Anne Arundel County Dept. of Aging and Disabilities Arundel Lodge – Edgewater MD Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene AA County dhmh.maryland.gov/bhd dhmh.maryland.gov/bhd NAMI/AAC - Arnold Network of Care – Anne Arundel – online resource guide Oasis – Annapolis Omni House – Glen Burnie On Our Own – Annapolis continued

Anne Arundel County Mental Health Resources Internet addresses and phone numbers Continued Pathways Substance & Co-Occurring Disorders–Annapolis People Encouraging People – Glen Burnie Youth Suicide Awareness Action Team – various hotlines at website Veteran Center of Annapolis – Psychiatric Hospital Services Anne Arundel Medical Center – Annapolis no inpatient beds AAMG Mental Health Specialists – walk-in clinic Baltimore Washington Medical Center - Glen Burnie, , – 14 inpatient beds

Stories

Barriers to getting help for mental illness:

1.Stigma a)How does knowledge and understanding of mental illness and treatment affect the community’s attitude? b)How does the community’s attitudes toward mental illness affect the mentally ill and their family? c)How does the media help or hinder the stigma of mental illness? 2.Knowledge a)Does the community know what mental illness is and that it is treatable? b)Do people with a mental illness know they need and can get help? c)Does the community know about existing services and how to access them? 3.Access a)Are there services within communities and in the patient’s/family’s spoken language? b)Are there enough professionals available to treat illnesses? c)What are the legal issues that impede care? d)Are the costs of health insurance, medication, continued care prohibitive? 15

Work in groups focusing on one of the identified barriers with guidance of a facilitator and local expert. Each group will discuss these questions and others: 1.Did you recognize any examples of stigma, knowledge or access (barriers) in the stories we heard? 2.How could this barrier have been eliminated or circumvented by one of our current services? 3.What kinds of new programs could be encouraged or created to help eliminate this barrier? (partnerships, collaboration, resources) 4.What entity (government, philanthropy, other) could address these barriers? Can philanthropy play a role? How? REPORT BACK: One idea to enhance the current services and help eliminate the barrier. All notes will be posted on the AAWGT website following the meeting.

What’s missing in Anne Arundel County? The Poverty Amidst Plenty Report by the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County highlights the lack of mental health providers, lack of psychiatrists willing to accept Medicaid or MCHIP low numbers of bilingual providers lack of services for early childhood population lack of psychiatric beds. What some professionals have told us is needed: One point of entry to coordinated services in a community Dedicated mobile crisis team for schools School-based services for children and families Transportation for clients to appointments Temporary housing for treatment or families Training for mental health professionals Peer-to-peer support groups and facilitators Police crisis training Public education about stigma, causes and solutions

What can you do next?  Sign up for 1.Mental Health First Aid provided by the NAMI/AAC through AAWGT – Tuesday, Oct. 28 and Wednesday, Oct. 29; Severna Park, Cost $82 per person 2.Question Persuade Refer Training provided by Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency: Youth Suicide Awareness program – no date scheduled as yet  Get involved with one of the resources in Anne Arundel County that provide assistance and care  Join local or national organizations who work in the area of Mental Health  Talk to your family and friends about Mental Health issues