Check out NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania’s Weekly Roundup, a list of interesting blog posts and online content relating to mental illness and mental health, picked by our staff.
The articles and blogs included on this list do not necessarily represent the views of NAMI.
Local Feature
“Woodland Hills considering resources to help students cope with trauma” by Jamie Martines for Triblive (Link)
The Woodland Hills School District is taking measures to help their students cope with trauma after a number of violent incidents and student deaths. The board is looking to partner with community organizations to provide mental health screenings and services, grief counseling, mentoring, and discussion-based events for students – hoping to provide additional support and resources for their students.
Around the Web
“Mental health and substance-use disorders are growing problems in Colorado. Pairing police with mental health professionals could help.” by Christopher N. Osher for The Denver Post (Link)
The Colorado Department of Human Services is planning to distribute $16 million over the next three years for new approaches to handling cases involving mental illness or drug addiction, including a program that pairs mental health professionals with officers on routine patrols and 911 calls. Officials hope that these programs will deescalate crisis situations and help people affected by mental illness or substance use disorders receive treatment rather than jail time.
“Saving Lives in Our Rural Communities” by Mary Giliberti for Huffpost (Link)
Mary Giliberti, CEO of NAMI, wrote this article about the growing disparity between suicide rates in rural and urban communities. Mental health service access is a huge issue, since more than half of rural counties have no licensed behavioral practitioners. Ms. Giliberti discusses addressing this shortage through primary care physicians – giving these doctors the training and tools to properly diagnose and treat mental illness.
Podcast Feature
“Talking with Suicide Documentary Director Lisa Klein” on The Psych Central Show (Link)
On Thursday’s episode of The Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent Wales talk with Lisa Klein about her documentary on suicide, The S Word. Lisa discusses her personal experience as a suicide loss survivor and why she was motivated to create this film. One standout topic in the discussion – the fact that even suicide prevention advocates have bad days – and that these days are when coping skills and treatment come into play to help deal with recurring thoughts of suicide.
