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NAMED A PROMISING PRACTICE BY THE COMMONWEALTH FUND

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities’ (TDMHDD) Creating Homes Initiative was recently recognized nationally by the Commonwealth Fund in a report entitled State Behavioral Health Innovations: Disseminating Promising Practices. The report identifies 17 innovations in behavioral health care being implemented by states, built on the foundation laid by the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and the Institute of Medicine.

LEADS TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS TO ASSESS PROGRESS MADE SINCE 2005 HURRICANE

NASHVILLE — Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Commissioner (TDMHDD) Virginia Trotter Betts lead a team of Tennessee representatives to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMSHA) National Summit to address the nation’s disaster behavioral health preparedness and response building on the lessons learned from the 2005 hurricanes.

NASHVILLE — May is recognized nationwide as Mental Health Month, and in Tennessee, a special event for persons in recovery was held on Monday at the State Capitol. Sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (TDMHDD) and the Middle Tennessee Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition, Art for Awareness Day featured the works of 40 mental health consumer artists.

NASHVILLE — May is recognized nationwide as Mental Health Month, and in Tennessee, a special event for persons in recovery was held on Monday at the State Capitol. Sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (TDMHDD) and the Middle Tennessee Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition, Art for Awareness Day featured the works of 40 mental health consumer artists.

NASHVILLE—Dr. Freida Hopkins Outlaw, Chief Nurse and Executive Director of Special Populations and Minority Services at the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (TDMHDD), was recently selected to join the Steering Committee for the National Quality Forum (NQF) project, evidence-based practices to treat substance-abuse disorders.

Nashville, TN – In the aftermath of Katrina, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the all too frequent occurrence of tornadoes, many Tennesseans are finding their lives changed in ways never before experienced. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an emotional and psychological response to trauma. Recurrent memories and nightmares of a specific traumatic incident last for more than just a few days, and physical symptoms such as headache and nausea continue to get worse instead of better. Feelings of sadness, guilt and anxiety may now be a part of everyday life. These are all symptoms of PTSD.

By: Staff Report
Tennessee Tribune
Originally posted 3/1/2006
Reprinted with Permission

African-Americans Benefit From RIP

“I’m glad I’m here, I want everybody to know about [RIP]”; “It’s an excellent program”; “My son has improved so much.” While these parents were initially skeptical about the benefits of RIP for an African American family, they all agreed with another parent who said, “I was glad to know a program like [RIP] exists.” These are just a few of the positive comments African- American parents made during several focus groups about the Regional Intervention Program (RIP).

NASHVILLE—The January 2006 issue of the American Journal of Nursing, the official journal of the American Nurses Association, recognizes the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (TDMHDD) Commissioner Virginia Trotter Betts along with three members of her professional nurse staff, as leaders in the mental health field.

100 PERCENT OF MANAGED CARE NETWORK NOW AT RISK

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – TennCare Bureau Director, Dr. J.D. Hickey announced today that the TennCare Behavioral Health Organizations (BHOs) have accepted new risk-bearing contracts thus moving the Bureau’s entire medical and behavorial managed care network into financial risk agreements.

The winter season may bring about cold temperatures, dreary days and feelings of depression for many Tennesseans. These feelings may be caused by a condition known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which tends to occur more often in the winter months, especially January and February.