NAMI Beginnings - Spring 2012

Spring 2012 • Issue 20

Yo u t h Vo i c e • A s k t h e D o c t o r • Fam i l y Vo i c e

A Publication Dedicated to the Young Minds of America from the NAMI Child and Adolescent Action Center

Reaching theNext Generation

Cognitive BehaviorTherapy and YoungAdults

Addressing MentalHealth on CollegeCampuses

2 | Nami Beginnings | Issue 20 | Spring 2012

C O N T E N T S

NAMI Beginnings is published quarterlyby NAMI, 3803 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 100,Arlington, VA 22203-1701Ph: (703) 524-7600 Fax: (703) 524-9094

Michael Fitzpatrick, executive directorDarcy E. Gruttadaro, J.D., editor-in-chiefDana C. Markey, managing editorCourtney Reyers, copy editorJoe Barsin, art director

Guest Contributors: Lynda Cutrell, M.B.A.Kenneth J. Dudek, M.S.W.Jonathan E. Goldberg, Ph.D.Martha Monfried Jennifer K. Rothman Shalanda Shaw

Staff Contributors:Darcy Gruttadaro and Dana MarkeyNAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is thenation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedi-cated to building better lives for the millions of Americansaffected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access toservices, treatment, supports and research and is steadfastin its commitment to raising awareness and building acommunity of hope for all those in need.

Stock photos used in this publication are not meant toindicate any particular attitude or opinion on the part ofthose whose images are being used and are not intendedto indicate an endorsement by the subjects.

www.nami.orgTwitter: NAMICommunicateFacebook: www.facebook.com/OfficialNAMI NAMI HelpLine: (800) 950-6264

© 2012 by National Alliance on Mental Illness. All rights reserved.

P O L I C Y A L E R T S

h, it is campaign season.Candidates are working hardto gain our support. Chancesare they are not addressingmental health issues, whether

they are running for president,Congress or state office or in localraces. This is where we come in. Asadvocates, it is our job to raise thenational consciousness about the impactof these serious health conditions.

Now is a great time to raise awareness about mental health issues.Getting a commitment from candidatesallows us to later create “keep thepromise” and similar initiatives basedon the positions taken on the issuesduring the campaign.

Here are just a few of the ways toreach out to candidates:• Visit candidate websites and ask a

question about children’s mentalhealth.

• Attend town hall meetings and public forums to ask questions.

• Call-in to ask questions when candidates are on radio programsand participating in communityevents.

If you are not sure what questions to ask, you can try one of these:• Half of all serious mental illness

begins by age 14 and three-quartersby age 24, yet many youth do nothave access to effective mentalhealth services. What specificallywill you do to improve access toeffective mental health services foryouth and young adults living withmental illness?

• Mental illness does not go away in bad economic times. In fact, morepeople than ever are seeking helpfrom public mental health programs.What specifically will you do tostrengthen public mental healthservices and supports?

• We have not made mental health care a priority in our nation, especially when it comes to children.What will you do to improve themental health care system in ourcommunity, state and/or nation?

There are other ways to raise awareness on issues too, including bycommenting on candidates’ websites,Facebook pages or Twitter accounts.Here are a few examples of 140-charac-ters-or-less statements that you canshare:• More than 50 percent of students

living with mental illness over theage of 14 drop out of school. Earlyintervention can save lives.

• Three-quarters of serious mental illness occurs by age 24. Screeningand early intervention improves livesand helps families.

• Early identification and intervention with effective mental health servicesis cost effective and saves lives.

These questions and statements are just some of the ways you can raiseissues with candidates. Many of youlikely have other excellent ideas. Thekey is to raise these issues. There is nobetter time than now when candidatesare seeking our support.

NAMI recently launched a MentalHealth Care Gets My Vote section of its website at www.nami.org/election. It includes valuable resources, ideas andtools to use in the fast approachingelections. Please visit the site and sharethe link with family and friends.

Act Now! Contact Your CongressionalMembers Today

The Keeping All Students Safe Acthas been introduced in both the House(H.R. 1381) and Senate (S. 2020). Thisfederal legislation will protect studentsfrom the harmful use of restraint and

2 POLICY ALERTSCapitol Hill and State House Watch

3 Engaging Young Adults in Clubhouses

5 Supporting Students: AddressingMental Health on College Campuses

7 FAMILY VOICE

8 YOUTH VOICE

10 ASK THE DOCTOR

13 STATE NEWS

14 AFFILIATE NEWS

15 DVD REVIEW

Capitol Hill andState House Watchby Darcy Gruttadaro, J.D., director, NAMI Child and Adolescent Action Center

A

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Spring 2012 | Issue 20 | Nami Beginnings | 3

seclusion in our nation’s schools. No federal laws currently exist to protect students from the harmful useof restraint and seclusion in schools.Some state laws exist, however, manydo not adequately protect children.

The consequences of not having afederal law to regulate restraint andseclusion in schools are well-documented. Reports issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office(GAO), the National Disabilities RightsNetwork (NDRN) and numerous mediastories from states across the countryhighlight case after case of children suf-fering serious injury, trauma and deathas a result of the use of restraint andseclusion in schools.

Here are some talking points toshare with federal legislators:• The time is long overdue to pass

federal legislation that protects students from the harmful use ofrestraint and seclusion in ournation’s schools. These practices disproportionately impact studentswith disabilities, especially thosewith mental illness. We need yoursupport to pass H.R. 1381 (in theHouse) and S. 2020 (in the Senate).

• A report issued by the U.S. Department of Education in March2012 showed that restraint andseclusion is being used in alarminglyhigh numbers on students receivingspecial education services. Nationaldata shows that students with dis-abilities receiving special educationservices represented 12 percent ofstudents in the data sample, butnearly 70 percent of the studentswho were physically restrained by

adults in their schools. Studentsneed to be protected from the harmful use of restraint and seclusion.

• There are evidence-based approachesto addressing the challenging behav-iors of students, while at the sametime promoting a more positive andsafe school environment for studentsand school staff. These are addressedwithin this vitally important legisla-tion.

Contact your House Representativesand Senators today and ask them tosupport moving this legislation forward.Call them by using the CapitolSwitchboard at (202) 224-3121 andemail them through NAMI’s LegislativeAdvocacy Center at www.nami.org/advocacy.

Engaging Young Adults in Clubhouses by Kenneth J. Dudek, M.S.W., president, Fountain House

ounded in 1948, FountainHouse developed the firstworking community (oftencalled a “clubhouse”) to helpalleviate the social isolation

and stigma that often accompany men-tal illness. Every day, more than 300members—people living with mentalillness—come to Fountain House tocontribute their talents, learn newskills, access opportunities and forgefriendships.

Members and staff work as partnersto operate successful employment, edu-cation, wellness and housing programs,perform all administrative and mainte-nance duties and prepare meals for theFountain House community. Central tothe Fountain House model is a strongculture of acceptance and inclusion aswell as a collective responsibility forthe work of the clubhouse. Our modelhas inspired similar programs in more

than 400 locations in 30 countries and32 states and currently serves morethan 55,000 people living with mentalillness worldwide.

Reaching Young AdultsIn 1997, Fountain House implementeda youth initiative and since then, wehave brought in 40 to 50 new membersunder the age of 25 each year. We created a Young Adult Program toaddress the specific needs of youthtransitioning to adulthood, with thehope that early intervention would significantly enhance these young people’s life trajectories.

The Young Adult Program is multi-generational. Young adults have weeklyplanning meetings and some dedicatedsocial outings. However, for the mostpart, they are integrated throughoutFountain House and work alongsidemembers and staff of various ages.

Creating a vibrant space for youth hasnot meant developing a separate community with different expectations,but rather identifying and strengtheningexisting elements of our communitythat are appealing to young adults.

Engaging youth is a tricky business.We employ our most powerful tool—relationships—from the onset toengage them. Fountain House youngadults take a lead role in our outreachto agencies and programs throughoutNew York City that serve children andadolescents. Potential young adultmembers identify with these presenterswho speak about their life experiencesand how Fountain House supportstheir goals. The advantages of this aretwo-fold: incoming members alreadyknow a few familiar faces and youngadult members are engaged in therespected and confidence-building role

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of ambassador for the organization.What truly attracts and engages youthare authentic relationships—both withother members and with staff.

Supported Education Programs“The work of youth is education” is afamiliar refrain at Fountain House. For young adults, education is age-appropriate. It is what most of theirpeers are doing and what many of ouryoung adults desperately want toachieve. In 2004, with the help of theSidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation, wegreatly expanded our supported education program to complement our

successful supported employment program. Through our Education Unit,we offer assistance with admissions andfinancial aid applications, peer tutors,distance learning courses led by peerteachers and college liaisons whoaccompany students to campuses toconnect them with their DisabilityResource Office or to advocate forthem. Our Supported EducationProgram provides critical ongoing and flexible support for our studentmembers the entire time they are inschool. We are thrilled that 80 percentof our student members complete their courses and last year, 14 FountainHouse members graduated from postsecondary school.

One of our most successful initia-tives has been our micro-grant for educational pursuits. Loosely basedupon the Grameen Bank microloanprogram, we offer scholarships of up to500 dollars for students pursuing GEDor college study. This is a small sum inthe context of financing an education,but it does motivate members to organ-ize their plans for school. Applicants,accompanied by their staff workers,must appear before a committee com-posed of members, staff, board mem-bers and donors to discuss their past

experiences, their full funding plansand their future aspirations. Semesterafter semester, students come back to the committee to talk about theirprogress and to receive advice andencouragement. Last year, FountainHouse awarded over 60,000 dollars in scholarships and we have recentlyadded two larger scholarships for graduate-level education.

Other ActivitiesFountain House recently opened ournewly renovated Lewis WellnessCenter. This large, airy space has abeautiful gym and features program-ming such as meditation, yoga and

therapeutic massage. Other opportuni-ties offered through the WellnessCenter include our CommunitySupported Kitchen, where memberscan prepare nutritious meals in a socialsetting. It also offers smoking cessationservices, organized sports activities andfree memberships to the YMCA andother community wellness organiza-tions.

Young people seem to have a natu-ral affinity for technology and FountainHouse is expanding our multimediaarea to take advantage of that. Youngadults are engaged in filming and edit-ing our weekly in-house news show,videos for our website and submissionsfor our annual film festival. They alsowork with older members who wish toimprove their computer skills.

Lessons LearnedSo, what have we learned in our effortsto appeal to and effectively integrateyoung adults? Young people experienc-ing mental health issues tend to usealcohol, marijuana or other drugs toself-medicate, preferring to be seen as a drug user before being seen as some-one living with mental illness. Inresponse, we have expanded our sub-stance abuse support to include the

traditional Alcohol Anonymousapproach, Double Trouble groups and aharm reduction program. In addition,we have created partnerships withother programs in the community.

Secondly, we have identified housingas a great need for young adults.Whether they are ready to move out of their families’ homes or they areaging out of children’s programs, thereis limited government assistance foryoung adults seeking supportive housing in the community, and formost, maintaining an independentapartment in New York City is cost-prohibitive. We can offer housing tosome of our young adult members, but we want to develop more housingopportunities that respond to theirunique needs.

The third thing we learned is thatproviders are leery to give a diagnosisof schizophrenia or bipolar disorder toyoung adults. Stigma runs deep, evenamong mental health professionals, andproviders often feel that labeling some-one so early in life will do more harmthan good. To be fair, frequently the illnesses are not fully manifested,which makes proper diagnosis difficult.We believe that Fountain House ismost effective for people living withschizophrenia, bipolar disorder andmajor depression. Hence, determiningwhether we are the best option forsome of our young adult applicantswhen they do not have a diagnosis has been challenging.

It is in this vein that we are launch-ing our newest initiative, Understanding,Networking and Integrating TransitionalYouth (UNITY). UNITY is an eight-week targeted youth initiative for acohort of 10 to 15 young people.Participants will meet at FountainHouse three times a week, on eveningswhen our regular program is closed, towork together on one large project andto receive one-on-one mentoring, goalplanning assistance and case manage-ment services. At the end of the pro-gram, UNITY participants may apply formembership to Fountain House or theymay determine that there is another,more appropriate next step.

To learn more about FountainHouse, visit www.fountainhouse.org.


F E A T U R E

continued from page 3

What truly attracts and engages youth areauthentic relationships—both with members and staff.

There has neverbeen a more critical time to address themental healthneeds of collegestudents thannow. Collegesacross the coun-try are reportinglarge increases in enrollment.1

At the same time, college counselingcenters are observing an increase in the prevalence and severity of mentalillness experienced by students.2

Many college students experienceanxiety, depression and other mentalhealth conditions. In an AmericanCollege Health Association reportreleased in 2011, students cited depres-sion and anxiety as among the topimpediments to academic performance,along with stress and sleep distur-bances.3 Of the more than 100,000 students surveyed, 31 percent reportedthey “felt so depressed it was difficultto function” during the past year, 6.4percent reported that they had “seri-ously considered suicide” during theyear and more than 11 percent reportedexperiencing some form of anxietywithin the past school year.

Given these trends, the demand formental health services and supports in colleges is expected to increase inthe coming years. The increase inenrollment alone is justification forexpanding and enhancing mental

health services and supports availableon college campuses and in surround-ing communities. In order for collegesto meet these demands, it is essentialthat they understand the needs of thesestudents and how best to support them.

In an effort to equip colleges withthis important information, NAMIrecently completed a national survey ofyoung adults living with mental illnesscurrently enrolled in school or whowere enrolled in the past five years.The survey results provide significantinsight into the lived experience of students living with mental illness and the services and supports theyvalue most. Some preliminary high-lights from the survey include:• 63.8 percent of survey respondents

who stopped attending college areno longer attending because of mental health related reasons.

• 72.7 percent of college respondents experienced a mental health crisison campus. Yet, 34.2 percent report-ed that their college did not knowabout their crisis.

• A majority of survey respondents did not access accommodationsthrough their college’s disabilityresource center, often citing thatthey were unaware such servicesand supports existed or did notknow how to access them.

• Stigma continues to be the number one barrier to accessing mentalhealth services and supports for college students.

F E A T U R E


Supporting Students:Addressing Mental Health onCollege Campusesby Dana C. Markey, program manager, NAMI Child and Adolescent Action Center

1 U.S. Census Bureau (2011). Statistical Abstract of the United States. Retrieved February 16, 2012 from http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2011/tables/11s0274.pdf.2 Gallagher, R.P. (2009). National Survey of Counseling Center Directors. Retrieved February 16, 2012 from http://www.education.pitt.edu/survey/nsccd/archive/2009/monograph.pdf.3 American College Health Association (2011). National College Health Assessment. Hanover, Md.: American College Health Association.

Dana C. Markey

There has never been

a more critical time to address the mental

health needs of college students than now.

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• Survey respondents emphasized the critical need for the following serv-ices and supports to be available oncampus:• Mental health training for

faculty, staff and students• Suicide prevention programs• Peer-run, student mental

health organizations• Mental health information

during campus tours, orientation, health classes and other campus-wide events

• Walk-in student health centers, 24-hour crisis hotlines, ongoing individual counseling services, screening and evaluation services and comprehensive referrals to off-campus services and supports

These survey results serve as a valuable reminder that the mentalhealth needs of college students havenot yet been met and more must bedone to ensure they are aware of, haveaccess to and benefit from mentalhealth services and supports.

NAMI will use the informationgathered from the national survey todevelop recommended guidelines,activities and resources for colleges touse to address the mental health needsof all students. The data collected willalso be used to develop an advocacyagenda that responds to the needs ofcollege students living with mental illness. NAMI recognizes the impor-tance of increasing national attention to the needs of college students. Welook forward to ensuring all youngadults have a chance at having success-ful, fulfilling and positive college experiences. A full survey report willbe released soon, so stay tuned!


Students living with mental illness can and do succeed in college, especiallywhen they have the right services and supports. Here are some quick tips forensuring a successful college experience.

Tips for a Successful College Experience

1. Do your research. Find out what services and supports are offeredthrough your college’s disabilityresource center and student healthcenter (including accommoda-tions, therapy, medications andcrisis services). Also research off-campus psychological and psychiatric services and hospitals.Oftentimes, colleges only offershort-term care so it is importantto know what is available outsideof campus.

2. Understand policies. Take time to review your college’s policies andprocedures that may impact you,including privacy/confidentialityrules, leave of absence guidelinesand processes for responding topsychiatric crises.

3. Create a support network. There are many opportunities to connectwith others on campus who can provide you with valuablesupport. Look for opportunities to join study groups, clubs, sportsteams, mentoring programs oreven peer-run mental healthorganizations.

4. Set goals. Identify specific goals to achieve during college andfocus on one at a time to avoidgetting overwhelmed. Considerhiring a life coach who can helpyou set and achieve your goalsand develop specific skills.Coaches can often be foundthrough your college’s career cen-ter or by visiting the InternationalCoach Directory website atwww.findacoach.com.

5. Create structure. Establish a routine in college that sets timeaside for homework, exercising,studying and socializing and posi-tive, empowering activities. Keep adaily calendar to keep track ofyour commitments and budgetyour time accordingly.

6. Think about disclosure. Only you can decide whether you wish to tell others about your mentalillness. However, it may be benefi-cial to tell a trusted friend, staffmember, residential advisor orprofessor for support. You mayalso need to disclose your mentalillness to receive accommodationsif you are having trouble in schoolas a result of your mental illness.Understand the pros and cons ofdisclosure before you make thedecision to share informationabout your mental illness.

7. Understand medications. If you are taking medication for yourmental illness, make sure youknow what to do if you miss adose and where you can get a refillquickly. Also, understand theeffects of mixing your medicationwith alcohol and other substancesto avoid dangerous complications.

8. Take care of your health. Between academic responsibilities andsocial events, many students donot get anywhere near enoughsleep. It is important to try andestablish regular sleep patternsthroughout the school year.Equally important is to try and eathealthy and exercise regularly.

For additional resources on thesetips, check out www.StrengthofUs.org,NAMI’s online resource center andsocial networking website for youngadults. The site includes blogs, tip sheets and related media on these topics as well as strategies,advice and support from other college students living with mentalillness.


F A M I L Y V O I C E

An Emergence What I Wish I Knew, What I HopeWill Happen Nextby Lynda Cutrell, M.B.A., NAMI Board of Directors


y story might just beyour story too. I am aparent who faced dramat-ically changing behaviorin my child. Changes

that simply did not make sense. As mydaughter started to enter young adult-hood, things started to go wrong.

I watched as Daniella, my athletic,5"11 daughter, who had always beensurrounded by clusters of friends,began to isolate herself in her room.The charming junior assistant managerof our local bookstore, who woke atthe crack of dawn to unload the morn-ing newspaper deliveries, now needed10 hours of sleep each night. Then 10hours drifted to 14 hours and then tosleeping past noon. She was becomingeasily exhausted and seemed to beignoring routine requests. Her gradesbegan slipping too. It seemed she couldnot concentrate long enough to readassignments, and with that, collegeprospects seemed to be slippingaway.

Her weight began dropping. Routinemedia reporting, which exaggerated thepossibility of toxic ingredients in foods,began to fuel a growing paranoia inher. The impact was clearly observable.At just under 6 feet, she reached a lowof 115 pounds.

I assumed it was just a phase ormaybe aggressive rebelliousness or pos-sibly even drugs. What could it be?

I coaxed her to see our family doc-tor, followed by a social worker, thentwo more. Next was a psychologist. Noone offered any clinical advice aboutwhat might be happening. Finally,Daniella refused any further examina-tion. I got the label “hover mother” byher health care providers.

I could not blame Daniella forrejecting further counseling. I wouldnot want to be subjected to observation

of my mental state either. The frustra-tion was high for both of us. Wherewas help? What was this?

Over the next six months, othersymptoms presented. Daniella attempt-ed self-medication, like so many youngadults trying to find a way to relievethe bizarre and confused thinking asso-ciated with mental illness. She self-medicated with pot and it seemed torelieve her anxiety. With lowered anxi-ety, she reconnected with friends andseemed to be coming out again. Maybeit was a phase? I think every parenthopes things will resolve naturally.

By this time, frustration over notreceiving answers and lack of helpdrove me to do daily research on whatexactly was happening. My fears werelayered by a history of family loss. Ihad lost my father by his own hand. I wondered if family genetics were atplay (how did I not know there was a hereditary component to mental illness)?

I learned about psychiatric emer-gency rooms and the evaluationprocess. How might I get that opportu-nity? The situation presented itselfwithin a few weeks. The police showedup at my door, Daniella had beenstopped for a DUI. She was drivinghigh in a highly agitated state andspeaking paranoid nonsense. Thepolice were young, concerned guys.They seemed to understand and werewilling to offer her a choice: voluntarypsychiatric evaluation or court.

We waited for four hours in theemergency room. She knew that there

was something wrong too, but was tooafraid of ending up in a psychiatricward. After her medical clearance,there were two themes to her interviewquestions. Are you depressed? Andhave you ever heard voices? Daniellaknew what answers would get herreleased so she calmed down enough to answer these questions and wasreleased.

Over the next year, there were threemore trips to the psychiatric emergencyroom. However, Daniella had passedthe age of 18 and I had no authority to seek treatment for her. It did not

matter when I described her deteriorat-ing behaviors—breaking windows,punching holes in walls, breaking furniture, being unable to maintainhygiene—nothing yielded help for her due to the laws that are meant toprotect individuals from involuntarytreatment.

It took three years and for Daniellato reach the point of excessive psy-chosis before we found help. Beyondexhaustion, her father and I found aprivate group in Cambridge, Mass. thatspecialized in helping young peoplewith psychosis. Within a few weeks ofgaining her confidence and gentlyobserving her symptoms, they knewwhat was happening. They shared with us some of the most importantinformation about her illness, schizo-phrenia, including:• It was not her fault• It was fairly common• It could be treated

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It took three years and for Daniella to reach the point of excessive psychosis before wefound help.


Y O U T H V O I C E

Editor’s Note: Shalanda Shaw is a member of the Young Adult ExpertAdvisory Group that advises NAMI onthe enhancement and expansion ofStrengthofUs.org, an online resourcecenter and social networking website foryoung adults. We applaud Shalanda forher tremendous accomplishments and forher contribution to StrengthofUs.org.

aking a difference is anidea of some people, pursued by several andactually done by a few. I want to be among the

few that remembers young adults withmental illness.

My name is Shalanda Shaw and Ihave been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I was unexpectedly given thisnews at the age of 16. My world turnedupside down. However, life was easierand walls were broken down because I was surrounded by understandingcompany during this time.

Yes, I was in the hospital for birth-days and even for holidays. I wasdepressed, suicidal, angry and stub-born. I attempted suicide, “knew betterthan everyone” and I had my own per-sonal rollercoaster. I felt reduced froma straight-A student to a student whocould not memorize five words andtheir definitions. I was silent and

Stigma Must Stopby Shalanda Shaw, age 23

MShalanda Shaw

“Me, Myself and I”Sometimes I have to wonder Why me?What did I do to deserve such a disorder?I have so many mood swings I might as well build my own rollercoaster

Come aboard! I have plenty of words to describe myself Can you read? Can you define them?Here goes! Enjoy the ride!And please do, do have a wonderful time Maybe you will, Maybe you won’t Who knows? Ain’t gonna know until you join the boat!

I am enlightened I am confused

I am on top of the world, feeling the bestI am six feet below the earth, in distress

I have positive dreams of the futureI see a knife, some pills and a sharpened razor

With confidence I am built I feel shame and guilt

I have magical powers to help others suffering I pursue great ideas to kill myself So that others won’t have a burden

I can write good poems to exhilarate I have better suicidal notes that will intimidate

Life is so great It is a wonderful gift I wish I wasn’t born Put me in the ditch

You are going upYou are going down Isn’t this ride profound?Ready to get off?Can’t handle it anymore?I know the feelingIsn’t bipolar disorder appealing?Yet reeling?

Time to exit the rideI won’t torture you anymoreI wish I could do that To my brain, forevermore

I have to say I am jealous Yet joyous and jubilantFor I am a special Yes, special little one


They got through to her and shewillingly entered their residential pro-gram to begin an intensive, 10-monthrecovery and to learn about and treather schizophrenia.

The effort it took to find and gettreatment is not what anyone shouldencounter. A three-year delay in treat-ment would never be tolerated for anyother illness. There were signpostseverywhere, but the attitude was oftento wait and see if she got sufficientlysick and her life became derailed.

Had I known there was such a thing asemerging psychosis or known howcommon this illness is or even knownsome of the warning signs, years of mydaughter’s life could have been saved. If guidance from just a single knowl-edgeable health care provider had beenprovided, we could have intervenedearlier.

All the warning signs that I havenow come to know were there. Yet, noone put it all together. Had I knownthe statistics, had I known somethingabout the “age of onset,” we could havedealt with her illness earlier.

The emotional crash from ourstruggle was like nothing we ever expe-rienced. The only thing that broughtme back was the love and support fromthe NAMI Cape Ann community. Ittook me two meetings before I couldeven speak about the pain.

Something was clear sitting aroundthat little table at the YMCA whereNAMI Cape Ann held its meetings: Iwas not alone. I saw several familiesthat existed in happy, loving environ-ments despite living with this illness.The biggest surprise was to see themlaugh. Was that possible again? I hadjust spent the last six months crying,multiple times a day. I had lost many of my friends who did not know howto help.

I felt safe to talk about what hadhappened. I was joined by dozens ofothers who had shared similar experi-ences. Relief began in a unique com-munity of understanding. I wanted tohelp others too.

That NAMI Cape Ann community ishow I came to my own mission, whichis to assemble the early warning signsof schizophrenia for national publica-tion and distribution. I contacted ahandful of providers in Boston and I asked: How is it possible that thenumber one cause of lifetime disability

in this age group is so hidden and sodifficult to get treatment for? One in 25young adults will experience schizo-phrenia or bipolar disorder onset,would you not agree that an openappreciation for the experience of psy-chosis leads to earlier identificationand treatment? The responses from theproviders were positive and we beganassembling the information.

NAMI’s Child and AdolescentAction Center was the obvious place tolaunch change. We are now looking atwhat it would take to get this informa-tion about the early warning signs ofmental illness into high school curricu-lums. It is a huge undertaking, butwith broad education, we could be anation that graduates a generation offolks that will understand and perhapsbe willing to help someone experienc-ing psychosis and other signs andsymptoms of mental illness.

Daniella is now 24 years old. She isliving independently, is happy, is backto her charming self and is thinkingabout her future.


Had I known the statistics, had I known something about the “age on onset,” we could have dealt with her illness earlier.

F A M I L Y V O I C E

withdrawn and went from someonewho loved using her imagination towatching television all the time. Iwent from sleeping seven hours ormore to not sleeping at all. I wasostracized and called names. I metstigma. It was and still is uncool,vicious and limitless.

Stigma must stop.I faced all of these obstacles and

they were easier to overcome by hear-ing stories from my peers. In peersupport groups, we related to eachother and shared our fears, denials,acceptance and downhill and uphillbattles with all signs of stigma,whether it is from our own family oran acquaintance. The bond, the com-mon ground, was there. It broke usdown to build us up. We also learnednew information about coping andpersevering.

Ages 18 to 24 are a pivotal timefor many youth. They want tochange, make a difference andimprove. Education on ending stigmaand changing the world for the betteris a great way to help these youngadults. Understanding from everyoneon the issues impacting young adultsliving with mental illness and havingpositive thoughts about us is evenbetter.

When I was younger, moodswings took over my life, my kind-ness to others and my drive to takelife in hand and strive. Every hour, Ihad a different mood. I tried to benice but if I was angry, I lashed out. If I was depressed, there was no talk-ing to anyone. If I was manic, I couldnot shut up. So anger, depression andmania were three adjectives thatmade up, “Me, Myself and I.” One ofmy coping skills is to write poems, so I wrote a poem about “Me, Myselfand I.” I hope this poem also helps to increase understanding of mentalillness and helps to stop stigma.


A S K T H E D O C T O R

Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Young Adults: An Interview with a CBT-trained Providerby Jonathan E. Goldberg, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, clinical instructor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

1. What is cognitive behavior therapy?Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is anempirically validated form of therapy.This means it has been scientificallystudied and found to be effective inaddressing various mental illnesses thatindividuals experience. CBT focuses onthe interaction of thoughts, feelingsand behaviors and how these differentcomponents correspond to differentmental illnesses (e.g., anxiety andmood disorders).

With CBT, a provider works with anindividual to understand how automat-ic, negative thoughts can contribute toemotional feelings as well as physicalfeelings and how the individual canengage in positive behaviors that helpto manage these feelings. Behaviors canbe adaptive or maladaptive, meaningbehaviors can lead to healthier levels offunctioning or can lead to detrimentallevels of functioning.

When I talk about CBT, I describe itas a form of coaching. The provider ismore like a coach who helps individu-als practice thinking rationally, manag-ing emotions effectively and developinghealthy ways to cope with symptoms. CBT is a collaborative, two-personmodel so time is spent helping individ-uals feel comfortable talking aboutissues and helping them understandthat these issues will be addressed collaboratively.

CBT is also a strength-based treat-ment so it does not focus on vulnera-bilities or weaknesses but rather itoffers the opportunity to developstrengths. The provider will talk abouthow to use the capacities individualsalready have to address the issues theyare facing.

2. How does CBT differ from traditionalforms of psychotherapy?People often assume, rightly or not,that therapy is about digging into

unconscious conflicts that are responsi-ble for symptoms. This is a very oldway of looking at the therapeutic relationship.

The word I use most to describeCBT is collaborative. It is two individu-als in a room who are working on acommon goal. As a result, CBT-trainedproviders are usually engaging, interac-tive and instructive. They do not justempathetically listen. They are there tohelp problem-solve and address trou-blesome symptoms that are getting inthe way of an individual’s life.

CBT-trained providers focus onidentifying practical strategies andadapting different behaviors to supportrecovery. They may talk about thedynamics behind symptoms, but this isnot where they start. They typicallystart with the individual’s goals.

This is different from whatproviders typically do in traditionalforms of psychotherapies. They usuallydo a lot less talking and teaching andonly focus on the specific mental illness that is present.

3. What mental illnesses does CBTtreat?CBT is used for a variety of illnesses.At first, CBT focused mostly on mooddisorders and anxiety. However, now itis used with lots of different mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, psychotic disorders, substance use disorders and personality disorders.

Once an individual learns about theCBT model, in terms of how thoughts,feelings and behaviors correspond witheach other, it can be used to addressmany different, diagnosable mental illnesses as well as normal changes infeelings and behaviors.

CBT is often manualized, whichmeans protocols are published to helpproviders work with individuals inways that are consistent with the

standards for CBT. The manuals differdepending on what issues are beingaddressed, but the structure of CBTremains pretty similar across all mentalillnesses.

4. What does a typical CBT session looklike? Oftentimes, CBT-trained providers willstart the first session with an assessmentof how well the individual is function-ing and what specific issues he or she isthere to address and how significantthese issues are in his or her life.

There is a lot of initial talk aboutwhat the individual is experiencing andhow his or her symptoms are impact-ing relationships, work, school, etc.Providers also take time to understandthe onset of the issues the individual isexperiencing and their clinical course.For example, they may ask questionslike: When did you first start experi-encing symptoms? How have theychanged throughout your life? Howhave they impacted different areas ofyour life?

Most importantly, CBT-trainedproviders take time in the beginning tounderstand the individual’s treatmentgoals. It is important from the onsetthat they understand what the individ-ual is looking for from treatment.

5. How can young adults get the mostout of CBT?In order to get the most out of treat-ment, coming up with goals is veryimportant. Young adults should have apersonal understanding of what theywould like from treatment. Much morethan other types of psychotherapy, CBTis collaborative, so the provider is look-ing to understand what a young adultis looking to accomplish. This is goingto direct the treatment itself. Theprovider is there to help the youngadult meet his or her goals.



There are homework assignmentswith CBT. These assignments caninclude working on challenging auto-matic, negative thoughts, monitoringsymptoms and finding new ways tocope with symptoms. Homework isimportant to get a sense of the progressbeing made between sessions. Youngadults need to be motivated to workoutside of the treatment sessions.

I tell the young adults I work withthat a lot of the work does not occurduring the 50-minute sessions, but out-side of the sessions. I openly encouragediscussion via email and phone calls toget a sense of how my young adults aredoing when we are not meeting.

I recommend young adults use anotebook to jot down thoughts, partic-ularly automatic, negative thoughts.This helps to get a sense of the anxietyor discomfort these thoughts create andhow these thoughts are triggered in dif-ferent situations (at home, in school,with friends, etc.).

6. How can parents and young adultslocate CBT-trained providers?Luckily, it is easier to locate appropriateproviders now more than ever. Theinternet is a wonderful resource. Youngadults can just go online and GoogleCBT and the state they live in to bringup providers. I had my practice adver-tised over the internet and most of my

colleagues do this too. Psychology Today (www.psychology

today.com) provides a wonderful toolthat allows people to type in a zip codeand a list of providers and their special-ties pop up. Young adults may alsocontact insurance providers. When Ienrolled in BlueCross BlueShield, theyasked me what my specialties were.Young adults can call their insuranceprovider to ask for a list of CBT-trainedproviders that work within their insur-ance network.

7. What questions should parents andyoung adults ask providers to ensurethey are trained in CBT? There are providers who advertise thatthey do CBT but they actually do moretraditional psychotherapy. Here aresome questions parents and youngadults can ask to ensure what aprovider is advertising is CBT:• Can you explain the difference

between CBT and other types ofpsychotherapies? If the provider isnot able to give you a good sense ofhow CBT is different, they probablydo not have a good understandingof CBT.

• What additional training have you received in CBT? I did a lot oftraining in CBT in my post-doctor-ate education so definitely ask whatspecialized training they have

received. • How do you organize your time

within sessions? This will give a sense of how they spend time during sessions and if it sounds like CBT.

• How collaborative is your therapy?How much interaction occursbetween you and your clients?CBT emphasizes collaboration andinteraction much more than tradi-tional psychotherapies so these aregood questions to ask upfront.

Some institutes offer credentials for CBT but it is not common. TheBeck Institute for Cognitive BehaviorTherapy (www.beckinstitute.org) is agreat resource for credentialing.

8. What are some strategies parentscan use to engage young adults intreatment and keep them involved with treatment?Young adults tend to be very self-con-scious and do not like to be different.To get young adults engaged in treat-ment, it is important to normalize whatthey are experiencing so they feel comfortable seeking help. They need toknow that therapy does not meansomething is wrong with them. It isimportant to not identify them as apatient.

continued on page 12

I encourage parents to normalizemental illness by talking about theirown challenges with their children.Everyone experiences fluctuations inmood and anxiety. I tell parents torelate to what their young adult isgoing through. This helps make him orher less self-conscious when asking forhelp. Asking for help is a strength.Make it as easy as possible for youngadults to ask for help.

Part of keeping young adultsinvolved with treatment is workingwith their families to get involved too.My favorite families are the ones whoshow up with the young adult at thefirst session and talk about the familyexperience. It is rare that mental healthissues are happening within a vacuum.Instead, it is happening within a familysystem and therefore, the family shouldbe part of the treatment. Young adultsfeel more comfortable engaging intreatment when they know it is encom-passing all of their experiences, whichincludes their experience within theirfamily.

It is important for parents to beinvolved with treatment by doinghomework exercises with their youngadult, learning about the skills theiryoung adult is learning, asking ques-tions and being open to trying newthings with their young adult, includ-ing doing deep breathing and challeng-ing negative thoughts.

I always tell parents that there is nosubstitute for just listening and under-standing what their young adult isgoing through. It is easy to become dis-connected with what it really feels liketo be a young adult and the stress thatyoung adults are under academically,socially and emotionally. It is importantfor parents to understand these chal-lenges and what their young adult istrying to communicate. Sometimes par-ents think they have all the answersbefore they really understand the ques-tion.

9. Are there any issues you feel areunique to the young adult population?There are three top issues I often see inyoung adults:• Anxiety and mood disorders. There

is a lot of anxiety that comes with

this stage of life. Self-consciousnessand insecurity create intense anxietysymptoms, including panic attacks,obsessionality and compulsivity, inyoung adults. I also often see moodfluctuations. This often looks likeirritability, isolation and withdrawalin young adults.

• Sleep problems. Sleep difficulty is one of the most common presentingsymptoms for young adults. Theirminds are racing at night, whichprevents them from falling asleep. Iwork with them to shut down thesethoughts or challenge thosethoughts so they can sleep.

• Bullying. This is a huge issue and cyber bullying is an increasinglychallenging issue. Social media web-sites are used to pick on youngadults and find ways to reach themoutside of school. This meansyoung adults have no safe havenfrom bullying. They cannot be freefrom negative feedback. Bullying isan issue that needs to be addressedas soon as a young adult starts tofeel isolated.

10. What books, websites or otherresources do you recommend to familiesand young adults who want to learnmore about CBT?I recommend the following resources:

• The Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy at www.beckinstitute.org

• The National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists atwww.nacbt.org

• The Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at www.bu.edu/card

• Psychology Today at www.psychologytoday.com

I always enjoy books by DavidBarlow. Another author, David Burns,does a lot of contemporary work withCBT and has several self-help booksthat include specific strategies peoplecan use to address negative thoughts.

11. What strategies from CBT can youngadults use in their everyday lives toaddress negative thoughts?Strategies I recommend to young adultsinclude:• Keeping a thought notebook. It is

always helpful to log thoughtprocesses throughout the day andweek. It helps to make thoughtsmore concrete. It is also helpful touse a friend or family member toprovide reality testing for thethoughts. They can ask questionsabout negative thoughts, look forevidence to support the negativethoughts and challenge the negativethoughts.

• Thought-stopping techniques. A lot of people do not realize that theycan control their thoughts. Thereare techniques that can be used todo this. When negative thoughtsoccur, try saying “stop” out loud orinternally or picture a stop sign or apolice officer holding up his or herhand. Sometimes individuals wear arubber band around their wrists andsnap it when they have a negativethought. This helps to bring moreawareness to these thoughts, whichthen allows them to challenge theirthoughts. These techniques helpreign in negative thoughts. CBT isdesigned to help people developthese techniques.

• Relaxation techniques. These techniques include deep breathing,progressive muscle relaxation, visualimaging and meditation. Theseapproaches can help young adultsdeal with emotions that can comefrom negative thoughts.




This article continues on NAMI’sChild and Adolescent Action Centerwebsite at www.nami.org/caac.

NAMI NorthCarolina is notas diverse alongthe lifespan aswe would like itto be. We haveso few youngpeople who arereally involvedin NAMI NorthCarolina. Weneed to work

harder in bringing the mission ofNAMI North Carolina to the youngergeneration. Children and adolescentsare being diagnosed with mental illnessearlier and more often than ever before.These illnesses will be with themthrough adulthood. Why wait to reachthem until they are adults?

While we work tirelessly to educateand reach families and those who workwith children and adolescents, we donot want to lose sight of these youth asthey transition into college. This is abig step for any young adult, evenmore so for those living with a mentalillness.

I had just graduated from NorthCarolina State University when I tookthe position of young families programdirector with NAMI North Carolina inMay 2007. My first task was to developNAMI on Campus clubs across thestate, so it seemed that going back tomy stomping grounds was the best betin getting the first NAMI on Campus. Imet with the counseling center at myalma mater, which showed interest, butI did not get a start until I found a fac-ulty member in the Department ofSocial Work. By fall 2007, the firstinterest meeting was held and NAMINorth Carolina State University wasformed.

Currently, the NAMI North CarolinaState University, run by Leslee

Petersen, has close to 30 active mem-bers, including four officers, five per-manent chairs and one temporarychair.

“I have gained so many skills aspresident of NAMI North CarolinaState University and I am in theprocess of creating a stronger leader-ship tree within the group,” Petersensaid.

While most of the club’s membersare psychology and social work students,NAMI North Carolina State Universityis getting ready to implement a peer-ledsupport group on campus to draw in awider variety of students. NAMI NorthCarolina State University holds manyevents every semester but they consis-tently have movie nights, de-stressevents, In Our Own Voice presenta-tions and they have just added anannual suicide prevention vigil. Theyalso try to have one training everysemester. In the fall, they had suicideprevention training and this semester,they hope to have legislative advocacytraining.

Since 2007, NAMI North Carolinahas established NAMI on Campusclubs at eight universities and collegesacross the state. In June 2011, NAMINorth Carolina offered seven minigrants to NAMI Affiliates looking to improve the functioning of theiraffiliate, through the Silber Fund,which is designated for affiliate growthand development. Of these seven minigrantees, two chose to use their fundsto develop NAMI on Campus clubs intheir communities.

One of those affiliates, NAMI PittCounty, hit the ground running anddeveloped NAMI East CarolinaUniversity. This could not have beenpossible without the hard work ofSandy Matthews, a NAMI Pitt member,who got the interest of students at East

Carolina University through theirstomachs and need for money by hold-ing an exhibit on campus in September.She gave away free doughnuts and achance to win a 50-dollar gift card ifthey were present at the first informa-tional meeting!

Currently, NAMI East CarolinaUniversity is going through the processof getting sanctioned as an official EastCarolina University organization. Theyare recruiting members, making con-tacts on campus and forming their con-stitution and bylaws. Their goal is to becompletely “up and running” by thebeginning of the fall semester.

“I would love to see our organiza-tion be the voice for those with mentalillness on campus,” Elana Zipkin, pres-ident, NAMI East Carolina University,said. “My hope is that through workingwith other organizations on campus,faculty and students, we can bringawareness and provide resources tothose in need.”

What are my suggestions for havingsuccessful campus-based clubs? Reachout to professors who have students intheir classes who are interested in men-tal illness. NAMI on Campus is open toall majors, but your best bet would beto start with the psychology and socialwork departments. Once you are ableto find a faculty member, set up aninterest meeting (with free food) andhave your faculty member send infor-mation about the event through his orher distribution lists. Students arealways interested in becoming involvedwith campus activities and clubs. Weall know that these are great resumeboosters!

Once you have a group of motivatedstudents, have them decide how theywant to educate students and facultyabout mental illness. Help them plan


S T A T E N E W S

NAMI North Carolina: Reaching the Next Generation through College CampusesJennifer K. Rothman, young families program director, NAMI North Carolina

Jennifer K. Rothman

continued on page 14

hen you are a young adultrecovering from a psy-chotic event, where doyou hang out with friendswho understand? How do

you cope with having to leave collegebecause your brain is not working rightand you fear you may never be able toreturn and get your degree? How doyou get out of the house when you arebored out of your mind, but your ill-ness has put you back living with yourparents?

One safe place that offers peer sup-port and advice is the NAMI EastsideYoung Adults Support Group, whichhas met for more than two years on thesecond Thursday of every month at theWashington Cathedral Church inRedmond, Wash. Young men andwomen aged 18 to 30 years old alwaysshow up for the group, which wasstarted by Vicky Walls in August 2009.

Teaching NAMI’s Family-to-Familyclass for six years, Walls saw a need forthe Young Adults Support Group fromother parents in the classes who sharedthat their kids were lonely. However,the parents also worried that most ofthem would not come because they donot think anything is wrong with them.

“Young adults need to feel comfort-able about their world,” Walls said.“Those with mental illness have differ-ent social anxieties. They need to findothers who know how they feel. Theycan learn from each other by sharingtheir experiences with psychoticepisodes, hospitalizations and even jail.”

At the support group, the youngadults share their frustrations and telltheir stories in a safe place where theyfind that no one is surprised.

“They have all been there,” Wallssaid. “It makes them feel less alone andit reinforces that to get better they haveto stick with treatment. That is just theway it is.”

Many of the young adults do notwant to take their medicine because “it

does not feel good. You become an out-sider to the world,” Walls said. “Ittakes away their personality, who theyare. At the support group, they realizethat when they are unstable, they arealso outsiders.”

The group had only three youngadults at first. Now it includes as manyas 12 from the communities surround-ing Redmond, including Seattle,Bellevue, Edmonds, Woodinville andKenmore.

Walls lets the young adults run themeeting. “I try not to do too much, justmake the new people feel comfortableand make sure everyone introducesthemselves. They just talk—talk abouttheir problems, fun things, life, howhard it is to live with a mental illness,where they went to school, what med-ication they are on and their frustra-tions about weight gain and side effectsfrom medication. They also all sharethe same story about how they do nothave friends, how they do not have alife, how they sit at home and watchTV and how they are very bored,” shesaid.

The young adults hear about thesupport group from their parents,parole officers, doctors, psychiatrists,psychologists, social workers andcounselors. According to Walls, manycome when they are first out of treat-ment and are still in denial. The olderyoung adults are more regular and giveadvice to and mentor the younger ones.

“At first the young ones do notbelieve it, but after a while they comeback and listen to the older adults whoare very wise and very in touch withtheir issues,” Walls said. “The youngerones say, ‘Yeah, you were right. Whatyou said was exactly true.’”

The older adults are also role mod-els. One, age 30, has become Wall’sassistant. He is well along in his recov-ery and is taking a class at EdmondsCommunity College. Another youngman, age 29, works part time at

Safeway.“It has been a blessing to me,”

Walls said. “I have learned a lot. Theyoung adults are very proud. Theyneed to feel that they are okay. Theyneed friends and companionship. Theywant to feel and act like they are adults.”

To learn more about NAMIEastside’s Young Adults Support Group,contact Martha Monfried at [email protected].


A F F I L I A T E N E W S

NAMI Eastside Young Adults SupportGroup Offers Peer Support and Adviceby Martha Monfried, co-president, NAMI Eastside, Wash.

W

events on campus where there is a lotof student traffic. Offering some fundsto help purchase candy, doughnuts, hotchocolate and other goodies to pass outto students along with mental healthstatistics, information on the nextNAMI on Campus meeting or informa-tion on what supports are available oncampus, is a great way to find mem-bers. As the group grows, the outreachideas start to flow!

NAMI North Carolina has alsooffered a share agreement with NAMIon Campus NAMIWalks teams. EachNAMI on Campus team gets half of thefunds they raise for the NAMIWalksback in order to help fund events andoutreach on their respective campuses.

I have truly enjoyed working withour NAMI Affiliates to develop NAMIon Campus clubs across NorthCarolina. More and more we see youngpeople attending our events and thisserves as a reminder that we alwaysneed to be thinking about the nextgeneration of NAMI North Carolinaand how we are going to continue ourmission of support, education andadvocacy.

To learn more about NAMI North Carolina’s NAMI on Campusclubs, contact Jennifer Rothman at [email protected].



D V D R E V I E W

List Price: $34.95Real Time: 125 Minutes Publisher: Chris A Zeigler DendyConsulting LLC (2011)

ny child, teen or young adultliving with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) will discover thatthey are not alone in the

information-packed DVD, Real LifeADHD: A DVD Survival Guide forChildren and Teens, produced by Chris Dendy and Alex Zeigler.

The DVD opens up with insightfuland humorous comments from AlexZeigler, author and videographer, andhis high school friend, Lewis Alston, apopular Atlanta Radio DJ/VJ. Thesecharismatic young adults show byexample that ADHD does not need tobe a hurdle to living happy, successfullives. They set a fun, positive andhopeful tone that remains throughout

the DVD.The DVD is full of relatable teens

and young adults who share their posi-tive and negative experiences livingwith ADHD and provide helpful advice,recommendations and strategies forovercoming common challenges withADHD, including:• inattention• disorganization• forgetfulness• impulsivity • hyperactivity

Although some parts run a bit long, thepersonal stories and anecdotes providepowerful insights into the lived experi-ence of ADHD and provide hope toothers living with the disorder. The tenkey scientific facts on ADHD and theexpert information on medicationsincluded in the DVD also containimportant information that everyoneliving with ADHD needs to know.

The DVD falls short in providinginformation on the value of behavioralinterventions in addressing ADHD,especially from the expert perspective.Multimodal treatment, the combinationof medication and psychosocial andbehavioral interventions, has beenshown through research to be the mosteffective treatment for ADHD. In addi-tion, the DVD does not sufficiently dis-tinguish between normal adolescentbehavior and symptoms associatedwith ADHD, often focusing on issuesthat every teen experiences, whetherdiagnosed with ADHD or not.

Despite these minor issues, theDVD still provides great role modelsfor youth living with ADHD and help-ful information and, most certainly,viewers of the DVD will feel hopeful,empowered and comforted by the factthat they are not alone.

Real Life ADHD: A DVD SurvivalGuide for Children and Teens

by Chris Dendy and Alex Zeigler

A

The National Technical AssistanceCenter for Children’s Mental Healthat the Georgetown University Centerfor Child and Human Developmentis offering Training Institutes onimproving mental health services for children and adolescents with or at risk for mental illness and theirfamilies.

The 2012 Training Institutes willfocus on innovative approaches andhow lessons learned from systems of care can guide efforts to improvechildren’s mental health servicedelivery in a dramatically changingenvironment.

Participants can attend how-to

training in a variety of sessions,including:

• Institutes, workshops, special forums and poster presentations

• General sessions with prominentfeatured speakers

• Native American services track• Youth leadership track

There are also four optional,intensive pre-institutes training programs taking place on July 24 and 25 on cultural competence, leadership, health reform and effective residential treatment interventions.

The Training Institutes are

designed for state, tribal, territorialand local policy makers, administra-tors, planners, providers, clinicians,care managers, families, youth, advocates, managed care organiza-tions, educators, evaluators, technicalassistance providers and others concerned with improving servicesfor children, youth and young adultswith or at risk for mental illness and their families.

Continuing education credits areavailable for all sessions.

To learn more about the Training Institutes, visit http://gucchd.georgetown.edu.

Save the Date for 2012 Training Institutes on Mental Health

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12. What recommendations do you havefor parents on addressing the mentalhealth needs of their young adult?It is important to understand whattheir needs are and not assume toomuch. Parents often go back to theirown experiences and presume thatyoung adults now are having the sameexperiences that they did. However, itis a different age and a different eranow. Technological advances that havebeen made with social media and thepressures on young adults are not thesame things parents may have experi-enced growing up.

It is also important for parents toget involved in their young adult’s ther-apeutic, academic and social life.Understand who his or her friends areand how social challenges may con-tribute to anxiety and depression andwhat these challenges are. Be open tospending time with the young adult.This seems trite but parents are so busythese days that they often do not havean opportunity to sit down and talkabout their young adult’s experiences.

13. What recommendations do you havefor schools on addressing the mentalhealth needs of young adults?A lot of issues young adults deal withoccur in school. The most importantthing schools can do when there is aproblem is get the young adult’s familyinvolved immediately. Schools shouldbe frank about the challenges they haveobserved the young adult having oncampus. They should work with theyoung adult and his or her family todevelop a plan of support that can beimplemented during school. If need be,the plan should identify appropriateoutside supports, including providerswho can work with the young adult oncampus.

Schools should also help the youngadult and his or her family find servic-es and supports. The young adultshould know who to talk to on campusand that there are places to go to if heor she is having symptoms. It is impor-tant to develop a team approach toaddressing the mental health issues theyoung adult is experiencing. The teamshould check in with the young adultand his or her family to discussprogress and if anything needs to bechanged in the support plan to ensurethe young adult is progressing.

14. Is there anything else you would liketo add about CBT?One thing I love about CBT is it is avery hopeful and optimistic, strength-based treatment. CBT-trained providersare using resources young adultsalready have to address the symptomsthat are interfering with their function-ing. Together, young adults and theirproviders can make a change. Theprovider is a supportive person thatyoung adults can be genuine with andtrust. CBT is all about working togeth-er on common goals.

Also, CBT aims to minimize thepower dynamic so young adults do notfeel like someone is telling them whatto do. Young adults are often turned offby power dynamics so this is impor-tant.

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NAMI Beginnings - Spring 2012