You are here: Home / Archives for North Carolina

‘What can we do?’ – The Carrboro Citizen

September 17, 2010

Unfortunately, in this career as in many other public service-oriented fields, we often come into contact with people who are experiencing a crisis or in need of specialized services.

Recently, three co-workers and I attended a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program in Hillsborough. Coordinated by the OPC Area Program, CIT is a collaboration of law-enforcement agencies, advocacy organizations (the Mental Health Association in Orange County and NAMI), treatment providers (such as Freedom House Recovery Program) and OPC.

Story continues here ➤

FayObserver.com –
Dad says tackling stigma key to suicide prevention

September 12, 2010

Mark and Carol Graham knew their son was depressed in 2003.

But they thought that just meant Kevin was sad. He’d snap out of it.

“We didn’t know much about depression,” said Mark Graham, now a two-star Army general. “We didn’t know you could die from it.”

Kevin, 21, was studying to be an Army doctor at the University of Kentucky on an ROTC scholarship. Like his brother, Jeff, he was following his dad’s footsteps into the Army.

On June 21, 2003, Kevin killed himself

Story continues here ➤

Doctor to mentally ill: Take charge of your lives – CharlotteObserver.com

May 9, 2010

Fuller, who now works as a practicing psychiatrist, is a living example of the message he preaches: Many can recover.

Suffering from bipolar depression, Michael Fuller spent most of his high school years in an old-fashioned mental hospital.

He’d undergone shock therapy dozens of times, to little avail. He was just shy of his 18th birthday in 1972 when a doctor told his mother he would spend much of his life in psychiatric hospitals.

Story continues here ➤

PBH discusses mental health impact of health care bill | The-Dispatch.com

April 16, 2010

A regional mental health organization held a briefing in Davidson County to discuss changes to the health care system and how it will impact patients, providers and overall mental health service.

With recent national healthcare reform signed in to law last month by President Barack Obama, an additional 32 million Americans are expected to be covered under the law.

PBH, (formerly Piedmont Behavioral Healthcare) presented information to concerned residents about what that means for the mental health system on a local and state level.

Story continues here ➤

Mental health changes move forward « The Carrboro Citizen

April 16, 2010

It’s pretty much a given that when the federal government approves a new designation of mental health care provider proposed by the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) there will be fewer agencies providing services in North Carolina. The question raised by mental health care consumer advocates is whether fewer agencies providing a more comprehensive suite of services will better serve those with mental illness. And smaller agencies, a great many of which are minority owned, are concerned that they’re going to be driven out of business in this move to consolidate.

Story continues here ➤

Health care provider saving money for county taxpayers | Asheville Citizen-Times

April 12, 2010

Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Inc. assumed responsibility for all uninsured and underinsured primary care for adults and children in Buncombe County. Prior to Jan, 1, many of these individuals were cared for by the Buncombe County Health Department in Asheville.

The transition from BCHD to WNCCHS was mostly an attempt to save the County over $1 million a year in tax money. WNCCHS provides integrated primary adult and child care as well as behavioral and mental health care.

Story continues here ➤

Next Page »