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Changing Perspectives- Creating a Culture that
Values the Inclusion of Those with Mental Illness
March 7, 2010
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Changing Perspectives- Creating a Culture that
Values the Inclusion of Those with Mental Illness
March 7, 2010
We will begin shortly! Please feel free to say hello to test your
audio or type in the text box below.
Speakers
Chaz Gross- MA, CAGS
Executive Director, NAMI Rhode Island
Penny Ferrara- BA
Inside Mental Illness Educational Coordinator
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness
• Providing Support, Education, Advocacy, Research
www.namirhodeisland.org www.nami.org
“Recovery occurs when people with mental illnesses discover, or rediscover, their strengths and abilities for pursuing personal goals and develop a sense of identity that allows them to grow beyond their mental illness.”
Changing Perspectives
Recent, national spotlight on the topic of mental health•Generated significant public discussion, questions
•Media messages, Public Service Announcements, etc. work to inform about mental illness, clarify information, dispel myths
Questions raised in the national service community •How to include members or volunteers with mental illness
•How to provide accommodations if needed
Overview
• General discussion of mental illnesses
• Legal considerations and accommodations
• Inclusion in National Service
• Tips for promoting positive interactions
Discussion of Mental Illnesses
What is Mental Illness?
• A biological disorder that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning.
• A medical condition that often results in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.
Big Unanswered Question: Why Do People Have Mental Illnesses?
Environmental Factors
Biological Susceptibility ill
well
Types of Serious Mental Illness• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar Disorder
• Major Depression
• Anxiety Disorders– Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder and Panic Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Co-Occurring Disorders
Signs of Mental Illness• Marked personality change over time
• Confused thinking; strange or grandiose ideas
• Prolonged severe feelings of depression and anxiety
• Feelings of extreme highs and lows
• Heightened anxieties, fears, anger or suspicion; blaming others
Potential Changes While Serving• Consistent late arrivals or frequent absences• Low morale• Lack of cooperation or a general inability to work with
colleagues• Decreased productivity• Increased accidents or safety problems• Frequent complaints of fatigue or unexpected pains• Problems concentrating, making decisions, or
remembering things• Making excuses for missed deadlines or poor work
Treatment Works• Serious mental illnesses are biological conditions of
the brain and they respond positively to treatment
• While serious mental illness cannot be cured, recovery is possible
• Recovery requires treatment by both a psychiatrist and a therapist
• NAMI offers education courses for individuals affected by serious mental illness and their families
Legal Considerations
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Ensures non-discrimination against people with disabilities
• Ensures equal access and opportunity
Applies to:• Program or activity• Federal Financial Assistance• Beneficiary
Confidentiality• CNCS policy/Section 504 specifically prohibits disclosing
medical information about disabilities to other service members without their consent
• If members ask about it, you can tell them that the issue is personal and therefore covered by privacy laws
• Managers may also find it helpful to provide all members with general information regarding laws that require organizations to meet legal requirements
(e.g. ADA, CNCS policy, Section 504)
Most Common Functional Limitations• Interacting with others
– Interviewing for a service position, describing strengths and weaknesses, clarifying instructions, asking for help, starting conversations with service members and volunteers
• Learning the job – Remembering the routine, following instructions, learning new
tasks
• Maintaining work pace/stamina – Working three hours without breaks, standing for long periods,
taking scheduled breaks, completing tasks in allotted times, managing time
• Managing symptoms/tolerating stress– Relaxing, recognizing stressors, managing negative feelings,
managing internal distractions
Types of Accommodations• Restructuring jobs
– Reassign printing duties to other service members• Adjusting work schedules
– Time off for therapy appointments– Later starting time because of morning drowsiness
caused by medications• Flexible leave
– Leave time for compelling personal circumstance• Specialized equipment and assistive devices
– Use of e-mail to deliver daily instructions
Accommodations (cont.)• Modifying service sites
– Install wall partitions around workstation to minimize distractions
• Providing special transportation– Assign parking space closer to building to manage panic
condition• Providing human assistance
– Job coach or mentor can accommodate someone with a serious mental illness in the same manner that readers or interpreters can accommodate other disabilities
What Accommodations Are Not Reasonable
• A service or volunteer manager does not have to eliminate primary responsibilities of the position
• Managers are not required to lower production standards that are applied to all members, though they may have to provide a reasonable accommodation to enable members with disabilities to meet them
• A service member or volunteer does not have to provide personal use items
• A manager never has to excuse a violation of a uniformly applied conduct rule in the position or organization
Inclusion and Mental Illness in National Service
Changing Perspectives
• Creating a Culture that Values Diversity
• Supervising Individuals with a Lived Experience of Mental Illness
• Dare to Tell: The Impact of Workplace Disclosure
Penny Ferrara Inside Mental Illness Coordinator
Cultivating Inclusion
• Service recruitment, management, and retention• Supports as value-added to the area of service• Encourage self-advocacy• Team awareness of mental health issues• Addressing uncertainty• Disclosure, privacy, and confidentiality to be
determined carefully
Various Methods To HelpAddressing mental health issues in service:
1. Promote Awareness and Sensitivitya. Campaign for administrators and staff to receive ongoing
training and support resources
2. Encourage Collection of as Much Information as Possiblea. It's better to refer someone before problems arise than to
wait until negative behaviors and conflicts have been established
Various Methods To Help (cont.)
3. Be familiar with the signs and symptoms of mental health issues
4. Recognize the importance of an the involvement of other support resources
5. Promote communication, team work
Document the accommodations implemented
Promoting Positive Interaction
Helpful Interaction Techniques• Key to successful management of encounter is
communication• Remain calm, manage your own emotions• Be helpful, respectful, and professional• Indicate a willingness to understand and help• Speak simply and briefly• Move slowly• Stay positive• Be aware of your body language• Be honest with the person• Obtain emergency aid when necessary
The Strengths Model1. Mental illness is not anyone’s fault
2. See the person, not the illness- which is only one part of the person’s being
3. Transitions are difficult
4. Seven Resiliencies
-1. Insight 2. Independence 3. Relationships 4. Initiative 5. Creativity
6. Humor 7. Morality
5) Act As Mirrors Reflecting Worth, Strengths, Capacity
6) Allow Personal Control
7) Hope, Purpose. Achievement, Cheerleader
8) See Possibilities Rather Than Problems
9) Community As Primary Place Of Opportunities
10) Assist In Identifying, Securing, Sustaining Range Of Resources Both Environmental And Personal
11) Focus on What Has Been Achieved. Explore And Focus On Strengths
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