newsline oct-dec 2015

namiccns.org NAMI NEWSLINE 1

Thanks to the Khoving Company for their donation of porta johns.

Thank you to all the volunteers, NAMI CCNS staff and board members and all the donors who supported us either in per-son or online!

Thank you to the Washington School for letting us use their school grounds, the village of Park Ridge, and the wonderful Park Ridge police.

Thanks to all and see you next year!

namiccns.orgNAMI NEWSLINE1

In This Issue

3 Illinois Care Grant Signed into Law

4 ECT for Bipolar Disorder

5 Legislative Update

8 Mental Health Treatment and HIPAA

8 Family to Family Refresher Course

11 GeneSight® Improves Adherence and Saves Money

NAMI CCNS Walk Run 2015 a Huge Success

Our Walk/Run this year will earn over $175,000, a record amount, to

reduce stigma and to support all we do at NAMI CCNS.

A special thank you to The Maine East alumni team that walked in honor of Dr. Steve and Karen Arkin’s son who lost his battle with his illness. This team has raised a record $85,000 to support NAMI CCNS and help erase the stigma.

Another special thank you to Chicago Blackhawk, Daniel Carcillo and his new founda-tion, Chapter Five, that will help with the mental and physical challenges that face players in the NHL.

And thanks to Love Fur Dogs and NAMI CCNS Board mem-ber, Jennifer Bishop Jenkins for providing our dog scarves and prizes for our pet contest, Gregg Sackrider, our 5K Race chair, and Angelo Milazzo, Board Member and our 5K Walk chair.

The following sponsors:Arlington Auto Group`AetnaBornquist,Inc.Chicago Behavioral HospitalCommunity Savings BankCompass Health CenterDick PondGlenview State BankKopczyk and Scott CPALillyMedline FoundationMcKenzie ManagementNew Foundation Center

And in kind donors:Walgreens – Park RidgeStarbucks – Park RidgeSubway – Park RidgeWendy’s – Park RidgeRoti – NorthbrookMiddy Mags – Glenview Whole Foods – Park Ridge

OCTOBER • NOvEMBER • DECEMBER 2015

NEWSLINENational Alliance on Mental Illness . Cook County North Suburban

DeDicateD to improving the lives of inDiviDuals anD families affecteD by mental illness

No Shame on UNorthshore University

HealthSystemOtsukaRemke IndustriesTakeda LundbeckThe Next Level Planning

GroupToyota Dealer Match ProgramTrilogy Behavioral HealthcareTurning PointWhitted, Takiff + Hansen LLC

Dolcetti Patisserie & CaféH & J Liquidators & CloseoutsTrader Joe’s – GlenviewDunkin Donuts-NilesMaggiano’s-SkokieRegina High School

Co-President’s Letter

2 NAMI NEWSLINE namiccns.org

Engaging a Support System

We all need support systems from time to time. Whether it be family, friends or professionals, it is best when the support system is sympathetic enough to know when

to come into action and what level of support is appropriate. Sympathetic support systems require development and nurturing, something that won’t happen unless both parties, the helper and the helped, reach out beforehand and establish a mutual level of understanding.

The basis for building the mutual trust and understanding involves:n Learning about the issue, such as mental illnessn Willing to get a personal understanding of the person’s needs and desiresn Knowing what to do and that it will be welcome even if not specifically requested

Over the past months in newsletters and at the National Convention, NAMI has talked about “stigma”, and the desire to end the stigma associated with mental illness. Stigma creates a wall between the potential support systems and the person needing help or understanding. As long as stigma exists, the ability of supporters and those supported to reach a sympathetic and helpful understanding is encumbered.

What does this suggest? Invest in a dialogue with a family member or friend on their illness. Ask how their illness affects them, how they deal with it, what you can do to help under various situations. When they are in a good place, you might get them to write down what they would like for you to do and sign it — it doesn’t have to be formal, but it can be useful in crisis situations. Periodically, ask how they are doing so that you can learn to spot symptoms. If you do these things you will be much more prepared to help when the time of need arises.

John Schladweiler, Co-President, NAMI CCNS

NAMI CCNS8324 Skokie Blvd.Skokie, IL 60077

847-716-2252www.namiccns.org

Email: [email protected]

Board of DirectorsCo-Presidents

John Schladweiler and Pat Rodbro

Vice PresidentJennifer Bishop-Jenkins

Executive DirectorNancy Carstedt, Ex officio

Recording SecretaryLaura Cooper

TreasurerJim Jorgensen

Immediate Past PresidentSandra Shovers

Frieda AnkinLaura Cooper Chris DeeMaun DeeNathaniel EkmanAnn GeorgeJudy Graff

Sustainers BoardJames BrodnickiSteve ColtonJoan DeCleeneBrenda Jordan

Advisory BoardJay FormanDan GreenbergerFred Miller, M.D.Micki Moran, J.D.

Associate BoardMatt DeFanoSabrina AuerJessica BridgewaterPatricia Caine Giacomo CirincioneKevin CrystalRichard DuncanNathaniel EkmanSteven GalanisMelissa Gustafson

NAMI CCNS StaffNancy Carstedt – Executive Director

Fay Anderson – Office Manager & Resource SpecialistNancy Sussman – Program Director

Susan Ockerlund – Development DirectorTracy Sommer – Business Manager

Brian Rootberg – Peer Program Coor.Julie Daraska – Grant Writer

Kathy McNair – FaithNet CoordinatorKip Russell – Social Media & Marketing

Robert Sklar – IT CorrdinatorMoira Melendez, Admin. Asst.

Newsline EditorMarjorie S. Kemp

[email protected]

Web Management by compfriend.com

New Connection Recovery Support at TrilogyThe CONNECTION Recovery Support Group, is an amazing, support group for individu-als dealing with mental illness, and provides the opportunity to be with others who are coping with mental illness as well. Recently, a new NAMI Connection group was started at Trilogy in Rogers Park through NAMI CCNS.

Besides there being a veteran working as a facilitator for the group, there is also an individual from Trilogy who brings in a whole new, positive background to make things even more fulfilling. In addition, they are both individuals who deal with mental illness in their own lives.

Not only is the group being led by a strong team, it provides a time for people deal-ing with mental illness to be with others who not only understand what they are going through, but have often been there themselves in some way, shape, or form at one time or another. It provides an atmosphere of support and comfort which can be very hard to find. The group meets in the Beacon Drop-in Center at Trilogy, 1400 W. Greenleaf, Chicago, on the first and third Wednesday of each month, 10:00 – 11:30 am. Even though the group takes place at Trilogy, it is open to everyone. For more information contact Brian Rootberg at NAMI CCNS, 847-716-2252.

Candice HughesAngelo MilazzoTina NelsonStan RothbardtJulie SavastioSteven Sommer-feld, DDS

Seemin Kahn, MDSusan KuhnSally Mannvi Orr

Ray Savastio, R.Ph.Susan ShimonRobert Shulman, M.D.

Hanna GreyJosh KaplanDanielle Kestenbaum Gia LenziJosh MarkowitzChristina Rinozzi Kip Patrick Russell Lindsay Wagner CJ Walton


Yesterday Governor Rauner signed HB4096 into law, which will greatly improve a central mental health treatment program for kids called the Individual Care

Grant (ICG) Program.

Thresholds applauds the passage of this legislation, which was championed by Representative Sara Feigenholtz and hun-dreds of advocates. This bill was a central part of our advo-cacy strategy this year, and we couldn’t have done it without all of you. Thank you for sending letters, making calls, and spreading the word.

Why the Bill was NeededDue to significant cuts to mental health treatment services for children over several years, the ICG program was so deci-mated that many desperate parents were turning to the De-partment of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the child welfare agency, for residential treatment when all other av-enues of care for their child were closed. Because the mission of DCFS is to provide care to kids who have been abused or neglected, when parents with a complete absence of abuse or neglect came to them seeking only mental health treatment for their child, they were forced to relinquish custody to the state. This would trigger an abuse and neglect investigation into the family, a painful and unnecessary process that only served to further fray families grappling with the challenges

Illinois’ Individual Care Grant Signed Into Law

of early onset mental illness.

HB4096 Will En-able Children to Receive the Right Mental Health Treatment under the Right State AgencyHB4096 addresses some of the major challenges with the ICG Program and will go a long way toward improving timely access to vital health care services for children with a serious mental illness. Getting treatment means helping these kids manage their serious illness and break the devastating cycle of repeated preventable psychiatric hospitalizations, thus enabling them to complete school, pursue future career ambitions, and grow up to become productive members of their communities and society.

A big thank you to Representative Feigenholtz, Senator Steans, the Rauner Administration, the legislators that supported this bill – and most of all to you, the advocates whose tireless efforts to improve the mental health care system in Illinois are irre-placeable. We can and do make a difference when we join our voices together!

Sincerely,Heather O’DonnellThresholds vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy

21st Century Cures Act (HR6)On Thursday, May 21, The House Committee on Energy and Commerce unanimously passed the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R.6). This bipartisan legislation advances the development of new treatments for a broad range of illnesses – including mental illness.

The 21st Century Cures Act is important to NAMI’s long-standing goals of investment in research and development of newer, more effective treatments for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and other mental illnesses. The Act will:n Invest $8.7 billion in new funding for biomedical research

at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – including the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) over the next five years.

n Promote patient-focused medication development.n Streamline clinical trials and speed up development of

new treatments – including treatments for conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Investing in research holds great promise in building better lives for the millions impacted by mental illness.

Mental Health Reform Act of 2015 (S1945) The Mental Reform Act of 2015 (S1945) legislation was intro-duced by Bill Cassidy (R-La) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn) to comprehensively overhaul and strengthen America’s mental health care system.

National Legislation Update

S1945 includes a proposal to establish an Assistant Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to oversee grants and promote best practices in early diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

Mental Health and Safe Communities ActThe Mental Health and Safe Communities Act – introduced this week by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has not yet been assigned a number. The focus of the bill is on preventing unnecessary incarceration of people with mental illness and enhanced treatment and services for individuals with mental illess while incarcerated and following release. The bill specifies that federal resources should be used to expand programs with proven ef-fectiveness such as:n Pre-trial screening and jail diversion programsn Mental Health Courts and veterans Treatment Courtsn Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) programs for law enforce-

ment and other first respondersn Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) programs,

and others, evidence-based. The bill also directs federal resources to be used for improving mental health and sub-stance abuse for people who are incarcerated, and services for people with mental illness reentering communities

Contact U.S. IL Senators: Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk for support


Girl Scouts Explore Mental Health Issues

From the Chicago Tribune, August 16, 2015

Girl Scouts can now choose to earn a badge for mental health awareness, thanks to a program developed by the International Bipolar Foundation.

Individual troops can opt in to the curriculum, which teaches Scouts about the brain’s role in mental health, and tackles the stigmas and explores the role mental health plays in bullying and drug use.

“With older girls, some might be struggling with these is-sues themselves,” Heather Zupin, content manager for the Foundation, told me. “For them, our goal is that they won’t be afraid to ask for help if they need it and that they know how to get that help. For younger girls, it’s more about learn-ing how to treat everyone and reinforcing that you don’t know what people are dealing with, so you should be nice to everyone.”

All levels of Scouts, from Daisies to Ambassadors, are eligible to earn the badge, and the curriculum is tailored according to age group.

Troops can access a packet of information about the patch on the foundation’s website, complete the activities and mail them back to the San Diego-based nonprofit to receive their free patches.

Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Disorder Responds to ECT

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for treatment-resistant bipolar disorder appears to be more effective than an algorithm-based pharmacologic treatment in terms of

symptom improvement, says the report “Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Electro-convulsive Therapy versus Algorithm-Based Pharmacological Treatment” in the January American Journal of Psychiatry.

But remission rates did not differ between the two groups and remained modest regardless of treatment choice for this chal-lenging clinical condition.

Norwegian researchers randomly assigned 73 bipolar disorder patients with treatment-resistant depression to receive either ECT or pharmacological treatment. ECT included three ses-sions per week for up to six weeks, right unilateral placement of stimulus electrodes, and brief pulse stimulation. The phar-macologic treatment was based on an algorithm published in 2007 by Jamison and Goodwin. Patients who had experi-enced no effect or intolerable side effects while taking one of

Participants can learn to build a neuron, mold a brain out of clay and take a quiz about mental health facts and myths. There’s a social awareness part of the packet that is especially compelling.

“To list some of the differences among our close friends and family would be a challenging task,” it reads. “It would be even harder to list the differences among those we don’t know. It is important to think about what we all have in common. At the top of the list is: Everyone likes to be treated with respect and kindness.”

In that way, the badge is a fitting extension on the Girl Scouts Law, which I love:

“I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and respon-sible for what I say and do. And to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a bet-ter place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.”

Last year at this time, we were reeling from the suicide of Robin Williams. His death, we told ourselves, would finally shine a light on the importance of mental health awareness. And for a little while it did.

Maybe the Girl Scouts can pick up where we left off.

the medications listed in the algorithm could be switched to the next treatment option according to the algorithm.

ECT treatment was significantly more effective than the pharmacological treatment. The mean scores at the end of the treatment period were lower for the ECT group by 6.6 points on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, 9.4 points on the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology–Clinician-Rated, and 0.7 points on the Clinical Global Impression for Bipolar Disorder. The remission rate, however, did not differ between the groups (34.8 percent versus 30.0 percent).

In an editorial accompanying, Mauricio Tohen, M.D., Dr.P.H., and Christopher Abbott, M.D., M.S., noted that a possible limitation of the study is whether the patients truly represent treatment-resistance; additionally, they said, the duration of each pharmacologic treatment is not provided. “In spite of the above limitations, this report adds major value to the evidence-based data on the use of ECT as a treatment option for bipolar depression,” they said.


By Hugh Brady

Illinois has been without a state budget since the new fiscal year began July 1. Our continuing budget impasse is threaten-ing serious harm to mental health programs and other vital human services. The facts are simple:n On January first of this year the Illinois income tax rolled

back from 5% to 3.75%, a cut of 1.25% percentage points, or to put it another way, a 25% cut in the income tax rate.

n This has resulted in a $4 billion loss of revenue for the state.

n In order to balance the budget, as the Illinois Constitution requires, the legislature and the Governor will either have to restore the income tax to its earlier rate, find $4 billion in state programs to cut, or some combination of the two.

Unfortunately, the governor and the legislature are at loggerheads.n The Democrats, who have large majorities in both the state

House and Senate, are unwilling to cut vital human service programs but are also unwilling to pass the tax increase necessary to fund them without Republican votes, lest the tax increase be blamed on them.

n The Governor, on the other hand, has proposed a budget with severe cuts to mental health and other human service programs and, so far at least, is unwilling to provide Repub-lican votes for any tax increase to prevent those cuts unless the legislature also passes his state “reform agenda.”

n But that reform agenda includes several items which are anathema to most Democrats – things like cuts to work-mans compensation benefits, measures allowing the state and local governments to pay lower wages, and a reduction in collective bargaining rights for union members.

Because there is no state budget yet, the state is without legal authority to spend money – at least in theory. But, even though there is no budget, the state, as one mental health advocate put it, “is being forced to pay providers for consent decree services and for all Medicaid services. However, because mental health providers rely on state funding to make up the shortfall for many Medicaid services and [because] many ser-vices essential to recovery are non-Medicaid services, provid-ers are not receiving the funding necessary” to provide a full range of mental health services.

In anticipation of future cuts, Thresholds, one of Illinois’s larg-est non-profit mental health service providers, for example, has had to terminate several programs “that diverted people from unnecessary hospitalizations.” In order to get through the impasse, Thresholds has tapped a line of credit. But not all providers have that ability. Many will terminate services and some may fail. There are already reports that the state has suspended CIT training for police officers and that there are growing wait lists for supported employment services.

We need lawmakers and the Governor to step to the plate and pass a budget that will prevent these and future cuts.

A recent e-mail from the head of the Mental Health Summit put it this way:

“Illinois needs a budget right away. But the budget must in-clude tax increases. When people are communicating to their state senators and state reps and the governor they must include this. If they get push back, they should ask these folks how they are going to find $4 billion in cuts without huge cuts to mental health services. Since the budget must be bal-anced, we have to find $4 billion somewhere—either cuts or taxes.”

So what can NAMI members do to help fix this bud-get mess?First, stay informed: NAMI Illinois, Mental Health America Illinois, and the Mental Health Summit send out regular advo-cacy alerts. Subscribe to these, act on them and forward them to as many people as possible.

In addition Individual NAMI members and their family mem-bers must call, write and even better visit their state Repre-sentatives and Senators. They must also call and write to the Governor’s office – he has one in Chicago. http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactus/Pages/default.aspx (312-814-2121)

NAMI chapters and other organizations can pass resolutions calling on both Republicans and Democrats to yield on things that are important to them, in other words, to compromise. Share the resolution with the press and local legislators.

Your message can be simple:n If you are talking with Republican legislators, tell them

they must tell their Democratic colleagues that they are willing to vote for the additional revenue needed to pass a budget that is balanced and which protects mental health and other vital human services.

n If you are talking with Democratic legislators, tell them they must tell their Republican colleagues that they are willing to give the Governor some of what his reform agen-da calls for, perhaps modifications to workmans compensa-tion benefits or additional limits on collective bargaining rights.

But whatever you do, do it soon – today would be best.In Springfield, it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, so time to start squeaking! There are approximately 600,000 people with serious mental illness in Illinois. If they and their families, if all of us, squeak together, we can create a roar that will force the Governor and the legislature to pass a budget that provides enough revenue to fund mental health and other vital human service programs.

If you’re not sure of who your legislators are, you can find their names and contact information through this website: http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficial-SearchByAddress.aspx

Legislative Update: Illinois’s Budget – Status Still Critical!


Parent Support Groups for parents of children and adolescents (preschool through high school) with mental health issues. Free, no registration.

n Every 2nd Thursday, 7:00–8:30 p.m. at Highland Park Hospital, (main entrance) Room 1B, 777 Park Avenue West. Free parking in front of the hospital.

October 8 • November 12 • December 10

n Please Note: The Wilmette Group has been discontinued

For Support Group in SPANISH, see next page

Balance for Success Support GroupTo balance recovery from mental illness with life at college or work. For college age up to any age individual seeking to get back into school or career.

n First and 3rd Tuesday from 7:00–8:30 p.m. at the Winnetka Congregational Church, 725 Pine St. Park in church lot on Prospect and use that building entrance.

October 6 & 20 • November 3 & 17 • December 1 & 15

Connection Recovery Support Groups Weekly recovery support group for adults with mental ill-nesses, all diagnoses. Share experiences, coping strategies, encouragement, and support with one another. Free, confi-dential, no registration.

Two groups, both meet at

n Every Monday, 4:00–5:30 p. m. at Beth Emet Synagogue, 1224 Dempster, Evanston, just west of Ridge at Asbury. Enter the Education Building, next to the parking lot. Please ring the bell outside for entry. Meeting is in Room 103, first floor, second room on the right.

October 12, 19, 26, off Oct 5, Shemini AtzeretNovember 2, 9, 16, 23, 30December 7, 14, 21, 28

n Every Saturday, 4:00–5:30 p. m. at Lutheran General Hospital, 1775 Dempster St., Park Ridge, 10th Floor, Room 1055, Special Functions Dining Room. Take the East “B” elevators.

October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31November 7, 14, 21, off Nov 28, Thanksgiving weekendDecember 5, 12, 19, off Dec 26, Christmas weekend

n First and third Wednesdays at Trilogy, 10:00–11:30 am, Beacon Drop-In Center, 1400 W. Greenleaf, Chicago.

October 7 & 21 November 4 & 18December 2 & 16

New program for Graduates of F2F and Basics

Family Refresher Class — four week only sessions review Empathy, Communication, Resources, Self-Care, Problem Solving and more.

n Tuesday evenings – Oct 6–Oct 27, or Nov 3–Dec 1 (off Nov 24) 7:00–9:30 p.m. at New Trier Northfield High School, 7 Happ Rd. Call 847-716-2252 for info, or to register.

See article on page 9.

Basics for Parents is a six week class for parents/caregivers of school age children, age 18 and under, with mental health issues. Learn about the biology of mental illness, getting an accurate diagnosis, treatment options, handling challenging behaviors, crisis preparation, dealing with schools and juvenile justice.

n Saturday mornings, 9:00–11:30 a.m., for six weeks, Oct 10 –Nov 21, Evanston Civic Center. Teachers are Cecilia Lindstrom and Susan Harris.

If you are interested in being contacted about the next class, please call Fay at 847-716-2252

CLASSES: Family to Family & Basics for Parents – Fall 2015

Support Groups and Meetings: October, November and December 2015

CALL 847-716-2252 TO REGISTER FOR ALL CLASSES Commitment to attend the entire course is required..


Support Groups and Meetings, continued

MEETINGS & EVENTS:

NAMI CCNS Board Meetings Members and visitors are welcome. NAMI CCNS office, 8324 Skokie Blvd, Skokien October 7 — Wednesday, at 7:00 p.m., NAMI officen November 4 — Wednesday, at 7:00 p.m., NAMI officen December — No meeting

Public Education Meetingsn “How Do You Recognize When It’s

Mental Illness?” Meet Maxim A. Chasanov, M.D., who has been the Medical Director of Alexian Center for Mental Health since 2003. He is Board Certified in Psychiatry and specializes in patients suffering with thought disorders. Dr. Chasanov is a recipient of the Psychiatrist of the Year Award presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – Illinois.

Monday, November 9, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Maine East High School Auditorium, 2601 Dempster St, Park Ridge, 60068. Call 847-716-2252 for more info and directions.

Family Support Groups for family members and friends of adults coping with mental illness. Share problems you are facing and hear ideas that can help you take care of yourself and your family. Free, confidential, no registration.

Please note — The Des Plaines Holy Family Group has been discontinued.

n Skokie Hospital, Medical Office Bldg, Room B700, 9669 Kenton Ave., Skokie. Additional day and now the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month, 7–8:30 p.m.


n Lutheran General Campus, Center for Advanced Care building, 1700 Luther Ln, Park Ridge, Conference Center Room 1220. Reception Desk can guide you. Free parking in the adjoining West Garage. Additional day — 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, 7:00–8:30 pm


n Highland Park Hospital, (main entrance) 777 Park Avenue West, Meeting Room 1A, Free parking in front of hospital. 2nd Thursday of each month, 7:00–8:30 p.m.

October 8 • November 12 • December 10

n St. Francis Hospital, 355 Ridge Ave., Glass House room in the Cafeteria, Evanston, 2nd and 4th Saturday mornings of each month, 9:00–10:30 a.m. .


n IN SPANISH — both Family & Parent Support, 7020 Lawndale Ave, Lincolnwood, 1st & 3rd Tuesday evenings of each month, 7–8:30 p.m.


Sundays at One is a social group for young adults and adults who are young at heart, who live with mental illness—to mingle in a safe and positive environment. Basic expenses covered.

October 25 – Didier Farms Pumpkin FestNovember 22 – Pizza & Games at Roberta’sDecember – Holiday Lunch

Call Chris 847-220-0199, or our office, 847-716-2252 for information and to RSvP.

NAMIReads Event October 14

Meet Anna Berry, author of the book Unhinged: A Memoir of Enduring, Surviving, and Over-

coming Family Mental Illness.

Anna Berry will discuss her book and facing mental illness, her own and that of her family. Berry describes the experi-ence of mental illness and her struggle

to break the cycle in her family. Her story is candid, poi-gnant, difficult, and illustrates that mental illness does not have to be ruinous.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015, 7:00 p.m.Mount Prospect Public Library

10 South Emerson Street Mount Prospect, IL

For information, call NAMI: 847-716-2252Co-sponsored by NAMI CCNS and

Mount Prospect Public Library

Save the Date NAMI CCNS Gala

April 16, 2016

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Is Information about Mental Health Treated Differently Under HIPAA?written consent for this purpose, but it may be part of the health care facility’s procedures.

What if I Have a Problem Getting Medical Information? Talk with the social worker, patient representative, or privacy officer if you are the family caregiver and have trouble getting your patient’s medical information.

Even if the health care providers cannot share information with you, they can listen. You may have valuable information about your family member’s condition, history, other health care providers, and lifestyle that can make a big difference in your family member’s care.

The next time your family member is a patient in the hospi-tal or Emergency Room, tell the doctor or nurse that you are the person’s family caregiver. The best care happens when the doctor or nurse then says, “Let’s talk about the treatment your family member needs and how we all can help.”

Ways to Learn More about HIPAA n The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for

Civil Rights is responsible for HIPAA enforcement. Their website is www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa

n Additional information regarding HIPAA and mental health: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/special/mhguidance.html

n Health Privacy Project: www.healthprivacy.org

From www.nextstepincare.orgHIPAA applies to all information, including mental health information, with the exception of psychotherapy notes, which receive special protections because of the sensitive na-ture of the content. In February 2014, recognizing the special issues that may come up when a patient is being treated for a mental illness, the Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights, which monitors compliance with HIPAA, issued an 11-page guidance (http://bit.ly/mhguidance) about sharing information related to mental health.

The guidance reaffirms the patient’s control of personal health information but recognizes circumstances in which sharing the information may be permissible without the pa-tient’s consent “if the provider has a good faith belief that the patient poses a threat to the health or safety of the patient or others, and the family member is reasonably able to prevent or lessen that threat.” The guidance also states that even if the patient doesn’t consent, “HIPAA in no way prevents health care providers from listening to family members or other caregivers who may have concerns about the health and well-being of the patients, so the health care provider can factor that information into the patient’s care.”

Does the Patient Have to Sign Any Papers to Give Permission?Some hospitals or other health care facilities ask patients to sign written consent forms before doctors discuss medical information with family caregivers. HIPAA does not require

New Family-to-Family Refresher Course

Calling all NAMI Family to Family & Basics Alumni! MORE TO LEARN…REVISIT your valuable NAMI Educational Experience! NAMI

CCNS is proud to announce a new educational program to refresh one’s knowledge from our already informative and empowering classes. For the first time, CCNS will offer a 4-week refresher of our 12-week Family to Family signature class. The class will review Crisis, Empathy, Problem Solving, Communication, and Recovery.

We invite Basics alumni, as well, as the Basics 6-week experi-ence offers similar information, that would be reviewed in this Refresher class. While this 4-week recap is no substitute for the regularly scheduled 6- and 12-week classes, it will offer strength and support, and remind us of some important lessons at perhaps a different time in our journey of caring for our family member living with mental illness.

Call today to register for one of the two fall classes (see schedule below). There is no charge for this class yet regis-tration is required. Please call 847-716-2252 to register. Commitment to attend all 4 classes is required.

Come one, come all… reconnect with NAMI overall!!

Our fall Family to Family Refresher Course schedule is as follows. Choose one of the following 2 classes:

Class OneLocation: New Trier West High School- NorthfieldDates: Tuesday evenings, Oct 6–Oct 27, 7:00–9:30 pm

Class TwoLocation: New Trier West High School – NorthfieldDates: Tuesday evenings, Nov 3–Dec 1 (off Nov 24),

7:00–9:30 pm

Please Note: If you are not an alumni, and are interested in the Family to Family or the Basics parenting class, please contact the NAMI CCNS office at 847-716-2252 for more information.


Thanks to Our Donors This is a listing of dona-tions received through September 1. All donors will be listed, unless you specify otherwise. We apologize for any donors inadvertently omitted. There are many ways to support the work of NAMI CCNS. Monetary and in-kind donations are ap-preciated. To learn more, to volunteer or renew your membership, call our office at 847-716- 2252. Also, you may make a donation or renew your membership now on the website at namiccns.org. Thank You!

ORGANIZATIONS & FOUNDATIONSCity of Des PlainesNew Trier TownshipNiles Township Corporate

FundT and B Smith Family Fund

GENERALSamuel Chernawsky,

In Support of Sundays at OneTodd CohenCynthia DoucetCaroline DrewsJohn FranceTwana GibsonMartha HellanderJulie Katz

Kim NathansonMichael J. O’ConnellMary Ann RussellJudith & Ernest SimonBarbara & Matthew SmithSue & Steve Ulrey

IN MEMORY OF DR. MICHAEL RODBRO Carol & Carl Tocco

IN MEMORY OF ALICE GIBBERMANNancy Carstedt

IN MEMORY OF REBECCA MACkLERJoanne Meyers

IN MEMORY OF JENNIFER COHENSherron BrickFrancis BuchalterHolly Falk-KrezinskiPhyllis & Steve GoldSusan & Herbert GoldingBlossom GreenspanJudith Korones

Bonnie & Leon LindenbaumWilliam LittmannMichael MellenRobyn MooreLucy & Richard Port Mildred SchwartzJudy & Leon SteinRabbi Stephen Hart,

Temple Chai

from The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, August 26, 2015

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), an affordable

and portable way to stimu-late the brain, can help in-duce normal neural activity and make thought processes more flexible in people with

schizophrenia, according to a study published online June 29th in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study suggests a drug-free and safe way of treating debili-tating cognitive problems, for which antipsychotics are not completely effective.

Among these cognitive impairments are problems with learn-ing from mistakes and adapting to changing conditions. In lab tests, people with schizophrenia may stick with wrong answers or strategies even if the outcome is not successful. They do not tend to slow down to reconsider their responses after making a mistake. These difficulties can interfere with learning at all levels.

“In order to optimally interact with our complicated en-vironment, we constantly adjust our behavior,” explained 2012 NARSAD Distinguished Investigator, Sohee Park, Ph.D., who led the study with Geoffrey Woodman, Ph.D., both at vanderbilt University. “Normally we do it automatically,” she said, “but people with schizophrenia have difficulty adjusting ongoing behavior. This results in inflexibility of actions and thoughts. Importantly, they may not even notice their errors when they make them.”

Twenty minutes of low-voltage tDCS applied to the scalp over the medial prefrontal cortex improved error-monitoring and accuracy in a test of adaptive control in people with schizo-phrenia. In addition, after stimulation, specific brain waves measured by scalp electrodes were observed to “normalize,” by showing greater synchrony, in this way more resembling patterns seen in healthy controls.

In a commentary accompanying the paper, NARSAD Distin-guished Investigator Cameron Carter, M.D., of the University of California in Davis, wrote that “these findings reinforce our growing understanding that the disordered brain is not locked away inside the skull as we once thought, but is in-deed within our reach and accessible for neuromodulation.”

Non-Invasive Stimulation Reworks Brain Waves, Improves CognitionSohee Park, Ph.D.

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New Treatment for Severe Depression with Far Fewer Side Effects

Published: Wednesday, July 22, 2015 by Medical News Today.com

Electroconvulsive therapy remains one of the most effec-tive treatments for severe depression, but new University of New South Wales research shows ultra-brief pulse

stimulation is almost as effective as standard ECT, with far fewer cognitive side effects.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, is the first systematic review to examine the effectiveness and

Tree of Life is a Giving OpportunityThe NAMI Cook County North Sub-

urban Tree of Life offers a unique and thoughtful gift in honor or

in memory of a loved one this holiday season. If you have additional questions, please contact Sue Ockerlund either

at (847)716-2252 or [email protected]. If

the Tree of Life does not meet your individual giving needs, we would welcome

your donation in any amount to this year’s annual appeal.

Thanks in advance for your year end gift in whatever form or amount.

Tree of Life Leaves:Gold – $500 • Silver – $250 • Copper – $125

Leaf inscriptions are limited to 3 lines, 23 characters/spaces per line.

In addition donors interested in making a larger donation can purchase boulders that will be placed by the tree.

Boulders:Large – $5,000 • Medium – $2,500 • Small – $1,000

Please contact Sue Ockerlund at (847) 716-2252 or [email protected]

cognitive effects of standard ECT treatment, brief pulse stimu-lation, versus the newer treatment, known as ultra-brief pulse right unilateral (RUL) ECT.

It comes after previous trials had shown conflicting results. The latest study reviewed six international ECT studies comprising 689 patients with a median age of 50 years old. It found while standard ECT was slightly more effective for treating depression and required one less treatment, this came at a cost with significantly more cognitive side effects.

“This new treatment, which is slowly coming into clinical practice in Australia, is one of the most significant develop-ments in the clinical treatment of severe depression in the past two decades,” according to UNSW Professor of Psychiatry Colleen Loo.

“Our analysis of the existing trial data showed that ultra-brief stimulation significantly lessened the potential for the destruction of memories formed prior to ECT, reduced the difficulty of recalling and learning new information after ECT and was almost as effective as the standard ECT treatment,” Professor Loo said.

ECT delivers a finely controlled electric current to the brain’s prefrontal cortex, an area that is underactive in people with depression. The current is delivered via electrodes on a patient’s scalp while the patient is under general anesthesia. Ultra-brief stimulation delivers staccato pulses of electricity, with each pulse on for only a very short time. As the pulses are so short, the stimulation of brain tissue is reduced by a third.

Professor Loo, who is also director of ECT at Sydney’s Wesley Hospital and a researcher with the Black Dog Institute, said she hopes the study will result in an improved uptake of the new treatment for people with severe depression. “We are still working hard to change the broader medical profession’s and general public’s perception of ECT, which has struggled to shake off the tarnished image given to it by popular movies such as the 1975 film ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’,” Professor Loo said.

While the benefits of ultra-brief stimulation are significant, the study authors concluded that standard ECT treatment should still be considered over the new treatment, where urgency of response was paramount. The study only analyzed the short-term effectiveness and side effects of ultra-brief stimulation. Studies into the long-term effects of ECT are ongoing. The study was conducted in partnership with the Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.

Adapted by MNT from original media release APA University of New South Wales. (2015, July 22). “New treatment for severe de-pression with far fewer side effects .” Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/297110.php.

NAMI CCNS is Participating in Giving Tuesday 2015Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. It’s a simple idea. Giving Tuesday www.givingtuesday.org


Park Ridge Church Offers Series on Mental Illness

Park Ridge Community Church is offering a three part educational series to support and encourage those affected by mental illness. NAMI’s own FaithNet

Coordinator Rev. Kathy Dale McNair will present general information on issues surrounding those affected by mental illness and her personal story about living with and achieving recovery from mental illness. Her presentations will be Tues-day September 29 at noon and Wednesday evening October 7 at 7 p.m. both in the basement of the church.

Two additional sessions will be offered. Wednesday, October 21 will be a presentation by Rogers Behavioral Health on Anxiety Disorders and Wednesday, November 4 will focus on the challenges and impact of those affected by depres-sion and suicide. All evening sessions will be held at the Park Ridge Community Church, 100 Courtland Ave, in the base-ment Parlor beginning at 7 p.m. For more information, please contact the church office at (847) 823-3164.

Liz Swanson Director of Pastoral Services Park Ridge Community Church

tional prescribing methods; Annual savings were substantial, regardless of whether patients were treated by psychiatrists, physicians in primary care practices, or other healthcare professionals; Neuropsychiatric combinatorial pharma-cogenomic (CPGx) testing improved patients’ adherence to the prescribed treatment by 17 percent; Polypharmacy was reduced with one out of five patients being prescribed fewer medications after receiving GeneSight testing.

The study compared pharmacy claims over a one year period between a patient group whose treatment was guided by GeneSight and a propensity-matched control group whose treatment was decided using traditional prescribing methods. “The results of this analysis reinforce the existing clinical evidence that using the GeneSight Psychotropic test to guide treatment decisions saves significant money,” said lead author Dr. Joel Winner, president of Winner Psychiatry in Boulder, Colorado, and medical director of Assurex Health.

GeneSight is the only neuropsychiatric pharmacogenomic test covered by Medicare and available through the U.S. Depart-ment of veterans Affairs, and proven in multiple peer-reviewed, published clinical studies to result in better patient outcomes at lower cost through enhanced medication selection.

Health, A. (2015, August 13). “New study finds GeneSight CPGx precision medicine test provides significant health care cost sav-ings.” Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medical-newstoday.com/releases/298099.php.

Combinatorial approach improves medication adher-ence and reduces polypharmacy in patients treated with antidepressants and antipsychotics

A new study published in Current Medical Research and Opinion demonstrated $1,036 in annual prescription savings per patient when healthcare providers used the GeneSight® combinatorial pharmacogenomic (CPGx™) test results to guide treatment decisions compared with usual trial-and-error prescribing. CPGx is the evaluation of multiple genetic factors that influence an individual’s response to medications.

Unlike other tests, GeneSight measures multiple clinically important genomic variants for each patient and weights them together – rather than one at a time – to provide com-prehensive genetically driven recommendations for each medication for each patient. This is important in evaluating medication response given that most psychiatric medications work through multiple genetic pathways, both metabolically and at their point of response. GeneSight is the only neuro-psychiatric pharmacogenomic test available that is based on proprietary and patented combinatorial technology.

The study, based on data from more than 13,000 patients being treated for behavioral health issues, analyzed whether CPGx improves adherence and leads to cost savings. The study found that:

Patients receiving a GeneSight test averaged savings of $1,036 per year in pharmacy costs alone compared to tradi-

GeneSight CPGx precision medicine test provides cost savings

Why a Blue Christmas?

For people affected by mental illness, the short days and long dark nights

of December can make it hard to get through the winter. And the rush of the holiday season can put pressure on what is already a challenging time. Not everyone feels like

celebrating. The holiday season is not a joy for all.

Some faith communities offer “Blue Christmas” or “Longest Night” services. Many people feel blue or sad during the holi-days. Some may be grieving a loss. Others may have feelings of loneliness or despair. These services invite people to come and acknowledge their difficult feelings that can come up during this high pressure time of the year.

If you or your faith community is interested in having such a service, go to the NAMI FaithNet page (www.nami.org/faithnet) and search for “Blue Christmas.” You will find the content for a full service and liturgy ready to use.

For further information, contact: Rev. Kathy Dale McNair, FaithNet coordinator for NAMI CCNS, [email protected], 847-989-1989.


NAMI CCNS8324 Skokie BlvdSkokie, IL 60077

NAMI educational classes and programs. All are free. *Registration required. Call 847-716-2252 for information.

*Family to Family A 12-week class for family members/close friends of adults with mental illnesses. Schizophrenia, depres-sion, bipolar disorder are addressed, also borderline personality disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, co-occurring addictive disorders, medications, coping skills, and advocacy.

Family Support Group Family members and close friends of adults coping with mental illness. (See calendar for five locations and dates.)

*Basics A 6-week course for parents of children/adolescents with mental disorders. Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxi-ety disorders, eating disorders, ADHD, as well as brain biology, treatments, medications, communication, and coping skills are addressed.

Parent Support Group for parents of school-age children and adolescents with mental health issues. (See Calendar for dates.)

Connection Recovery Support Group A weekly recovery support group for adults with mental illness, all diagnoses. Led by trained individuals also in recovery. Mondays at Beth Emet Synagogue, Evanston. Saturdays at Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge. Both 4–5:30 pm. Call NAMI CCNS at 847-716-2252 and ask for Brian.

Balance for Success Support Group to balance recovery from mental illness with life at college or work. For college age up to any age individual seeking to get back into school or career. 1st and 3rd Tuesday, 7–8:30 pm. (See Calendar for location and dates.)

NAMI CCNS EDUCATION CLASSES, SUPPORT GROUPS AND OTHER SERVICES

Sundays at One A social meeting group for adults, ages 20 and up, coping with mental disorders. Call Chris at 847-220-0199 for information. (See Calendar for dates)

Public Education Program Topical presentations by speakers with expertise in the mental health field. (See Calendar)

Response Team A “warm line” (not a crisis hot line) for resources, referrals, or support about dealing with mental disorders. Call the NAMI CCNS office and leave a message at 847-716-2252.

OTHER ORGANIZATIONSADHD — Chicago North Shore CHADD, See website for meeting info. www.nsadhd.org. www.nsadhd.org

Balanced Mind Foundation (children with mood disorders) is now part of the Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance. See below.

Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance of Greater Chicago Meet with groups in Evanston, Kenilworth, northern Chicago, Gurnee, Arlington Hts. Call 773-465-3280 or www.dbsa-gc.org.

Beyond OCD For info and to find a support group for obsessive compulsive disorder, go to www.beyondocd.org or 773-661-9530.

New Foundation Center A local provider of psychosocial ser-vices: recovery programs, supportive housing, supported employ-ment; www.newfoundationcenter.org or 847-386-3060.

Recovery, Inc. Self-help group for people with mental disorders. Places and times: www.recoveryinternational.org or 312-337-5661.

Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Out-patient mental health center in Skokie, psychosocial services, drop-in center. For info call 847-933-0051 or go to Website www.tpoint.org.

newsline oct-dec 2015

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