TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

V O L U M E 1 1 , N O . 2 M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 0 6

TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Art forAwarenessCelebrating the Works of Tennesseans in Recovery

An exhibit of more than 50 pieces of artdisplayed at the Tennessee LegislativePlaza on March 10 - 31, 2006, Art forAwareness represents the talent ofTennesseans living with mental illness andsubstance abuse disorders who are on theroad to recovery. The works represent abroad spectrum of art media and containpieces by several nationally known artists,such as Anne Ambrose of Nashville andDaniel Hepburn of Crossville.

The Art for Awareness collectionwas originally assembled forMental Illness Awareness Week inOctober of 2005. The LegislativePlaza exhibit is sponsored by theMiddle Tennessee Mental Healthand Substance Abuse Coalition,the Tennessee Department ofMental Health and DevelopmentalDisabilities (TDMHDD), the Tennessee Arts Commission (withsupport from the NationalEndowment for the Arts) and theMetropolitan Arts Commission. Manyof the works have been exhibitedacross Tennessee in libraries, privateart galleries, and mental healthagencies such as the Mental HealthCooperative of Nashville.

Recently TDMHDD staff kicked-offthe Creating Jobs Initiative (CJI)in seven cities throughout

Tennessee.

CJI is a strategic goal of TDMHDD,Division of Recovery Services, topartner with local Tennesseecommunities to increase the numberof persons with mental illnessemployed statewide, resulting in2,010 persons with mental illnessemployed by the year 2010.

This initiative includes a targetedgrassroots effort with localcommunities to create multi-agencycollaboratives in each of the sevenstatewide mental health planningregions. The CJI vision is “for every

Tennesseean with a mental illnessand substance abuse, who wantsto work, to have the opportunity tochoose, obtain, keep, and advancein a job.”

“There was an overwhelmingresponse to the CJI roll-out event ineach region, and the communitiesstated clearly that they are ready toaddress the employment issuesfaced by persons living with mentalillness and co-occurring disorders,”stated Scott Wyatt, Director ofEmployment Planning andDevelopment at TDMHDD. “Sincethe roll-out event, a second meetingwas held in each region, andTennessee’s communities have reallyshown their willingness to come to

the table and collaborate.”

CJI is modeled after the success ofthe nationally recognized CreatingHomes Initiative (CHI) which hascreated or improved 4,468 housingoptions since August of 2002, farexceeding CHI’s initial goal of 2,005housing options by 2005.

For more information on the CreatingJobs Initiative please contact ScottWyatt at (615) 532-9439 orscott.wyatt@state.tn.us. �

CJICJICreative Jobs Initiative Kicks-Off Across the State

cont. page 4Anne Ambrose’s Angel of Hope

The Middle Tennessee Mental Healthand Substance Abuse Coalition’sCreative Arts Project was supportedin 2005 by funding from Centerstone,a Middle Tennessee mental healthagency, through the Tennessee ArtsCommission (with support from theNational Endowment for the Arts), theMetropolitan Arts Commission ofNashville and TDMHDD’sDivision of RecoveryServices. Gregory Fisherand Marie Williams servedas the department’sproject coordinators, andMichael’s retail storeassisted in the project byproviding discounts on artmaterials.

On January 20, 2006, TheMental Health Cooperativeof Nashville held an openhouse for artists at itsMetro Center location.Commissioner VirginiaTrotter Betts spoke at theevent and talked with the artistsabout their works. Several exhibitorshave won national competitions,including one for design on nationalname-brand blue jeans. The openhouse was a positive event forconsumers, as well as their familiesand friends. Recovery from mentalillness and substance abusedisorders requires an array of

medical and socialservices, and manyconsumers find art andcreative activities are animportant part of recovery.Project artists sharedstatements on how art helpsthem:

“It helps me to calm down,forget about problems andstay more focused.”

“It takes me out of myself. I can feel free.”

“Having my work on display mademe feel respectedand gave meconfidence in myself.”

The state andmetropolitan artscommissions requiredmatching funds fromnon-governmentalsources be used to payfor the project, requiringthe Mental HealthCoalition to raise an

additional $5,000 for theJuly 2005 – June 2006fiscal year.

A joint project betweenTDMHDD and coalitionpartners, including NAMINashville, Park Center,and Centerstone, is thedevelopment of an

exhibit for 2007 at the Parthenon inNashville’s Centennial Park. Theproject is currently in committee withthe Parthenon’s curator andrepresentatives for exhibitdevelopment, planning andpromotional dialogue with the sharedvision of opening a major exhibit April17-July 8, 2007. To assist theCreative Arts Project by providingexhibit locations throughout theMiddle Tennessee community and formore information contact Jane Baxterof NAMI Nashville at (615) 665-2914or by email atjanebaxter@comcast.net. �

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Focus on Recovery through Art to Continue through 2007

Allen Beech uses watercolors, penciland ink to express his inner feelings.This was Mr. Beech’s first time toexhibit his works.

Leslie Marable describes her creationsas the works of a self-taught artist inlove with big cats.

Penni Hunter produces dimensionalworks with a mix of materials,sometimes from her kitchen.

Mental Health

Cooperative of

Nashville

Holds Open

House for

Artists

TDMHDD’s Nurse leader’s trip to Haiti Callsattention to people in need

They walk for miles once a year inJanuary, down the mountainsidesfrom their tiny villages, and line up

along the sidewalk for several days to seea doctor or nurse in an outdoor clinic. Inthe island nation of Haiti, a lack ofresources and social services andgovernment corruption creates a nation inpoverty with some of the most medicallyneedy people in the world.

Every year, various churches of theCatholic Diocese of Middle Tennesseesponsor free medical clinics in Haiti in theParish Twining Program. For CandaceGilligan, RN, MSN and executive directorfor the TDMHDD Office of Managed

Care, the trip to Haiti is an exciting andrewarding opportunity to do hands-onnursing. Through St. Stephen CatholicChurch in Old Hickory, Tennessee,Gilligan traveled to the Notre Dame ofthe Assumption Catholic Church inPetit-Guave Parish, Haiti, 50 miles fromPort-au-Prince. Once there, Gilliganjoined a small army of nurses, dentists,dental hygienists, laypersons trained toconduct eye exams, and a pharmacist,all of whom would treat patients for abroad spectrum of illnesses. KarenMertins, RN, and director ofIntervention Services for SummitHospital in Nashville, served as clinicleader and head nurse; Shana Bush,Ph.D, served as the clinic pharmacist.

Four components of the free clinic’sservices included:

• eye exams and dispensing of readingand sunglasses furnished by theLions Club

• well child checkups and adultphysicals

• acute care and immediateintervention with medications andIVs

• adult and pediatric dental exams andcare

The clinic ran for five full days, treating1,700 Haitians. People with seriousillnesses were sent to the hospital; basicillnesses, malnutrition and wounds weretreated on the spot. Children were usuallythe ones who were malnourished or hadworms. Women were predominant amongthe patients with a variety of problems,but men came, too, with injuries anddisease concerns.

Haitian descendants of African slavesbrought to the New World during times ofSpanish conquest, have lived in povertyfor generations. Their culture is acombination of African, Island Native,French and Spanish heritage andtraditions.

“The clinic did not directly treat anyonefor mental illness, but I saw depressionetched on their faces when their guardwas down, and I saw several people whohad clinical symptoms of mental illness,”Gilligan stated. “Yet, their generalcheerfulness and friendliness is somethingunique to Haitians and keeps everyone

going in spite of their poverty, but clinicpatients were not the poorest of the poor,”

The poorest citizens lived at the localpoorhouse, subsidized by the CatholicChurch. Since they could not travel, theclinic came to them. Many of thepoorhouse residents have no family andnowhere else to live. There are no respiteor rehabilitation services. One patient wasa woman over 100 years old who haslived in the poorhouse for 20 years.Another woman in her 40s had suffered astroke that left her so crippled she couldonly get around by crawling. The clinicstaff found several HIV victims andarranged for those individuals to transferto a Sister of Charity facility.

“It’s a real person-to-personexperience in the Haitianclinic,” Gilligan remarked.“For a brief time you wonderif you are making adifference; then you see thesmiles, and you see healthyindividuals you helped inprevious years return for acheckup.”

The St. Stephen Haitianmedical clinic began in 2003.This is Gilligan’s second trip,but she says it will probablynot be her last. �

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One family: grandmother, daughters andgrandchildren represent the overwhelmingneeds of women in the Haitian community.Although living in poverty and worrying dailyover the lack of good food and fresh water,each mother takes particular pride in herchildren and their physical appearance.

A mother with the youngest of herown half dozen children. Thebaby is healthy as long as he isbreastfed. His sister, five years oldand weighing less than 20 lbs., issuffering from protein deficiencyand worms, and is generallymalnourished—her gown hidingan extended abdomen. Pollutionhas destroyed shoreline fishing,so the clinic distributes jars ofpeanut butter to provide proteinto children. Medicine does therest, but the threat of starvation isalways near.

Candace Gilligan (seated center) sees patientsin the five-day outdoor medical clinic.Registered Nurse Flora Pattawi (to her right)also serves as a nurse while clinic interpreter,Davidson (seated to the left of Gilligan)facilitates the Creole-English dialoguebetween patients and caregivers.

“It is important and specialthat these organizationshave come together insupport of this exhibit. I amso pleased that these worksare on display for the publicto enjoy.” stated TDMHDDCommissioner VirginiaTrotter Betts. “Many peopledo not realize that several ofhistory’s greatest artists suchas Vincent Van Gogh,Jackson Pollock and GeorgiaO’Keeffe experienced frommental illness.”

In addition to works ondisplay in the central hallwayof the Tennessee LegislativePlaza, Governor Bredesen, Commissioner Betts, andseveral members of theTennessee General

Assembly will select works todisplay in their officesthrough the end of May,which is nationallyrecognized as Mental HealthMonth.

According to Jane Baxter,co-chair for the MiddleTennessee Mental Healthand Substance AbuseCoalition, “The creation andappreciation of art issomething all people have incommon. For these artists, itis truly uplifting to have theirtalent recognized. The prideand self respect that comesfrom this exhibition istremendous and willencourage the artists in spiteof a brain disorder tocontinue on their journey torecovery.” �

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Katrina UpdateMaking A Difference, One Person At A Time

According to Pam Womack, the executivedirector of the Mental Health Cooperativeof Nashville, nurse practitioner FrankieHopkins in Crisis Services recently met avery sick consumer who could notidentify his home or family.

“Basically all we knew, and all he couldtell us initially, was he made his way upfrom Louisiana, possibly after HurricaneKatrina. Frankie gave him medicationsand had him transferred to respite at ourIntensive Intervention Center [IIC],”Womack recalled.

Then, while Colleen Erickson, an intakeassessment worker, was visiting thefollowing week, she suggested that IIClook at the website for Missing KatrinaVictims. Amy Hampton, director of IIC,found the patient’s name on a list andcontacted the person looking for him. As

soon as Amy said the man’s name, thewoman on the line replied, "That’s myson!" Within hours, she was on her wayto Nashville to pick him up and take himhome.

TDMHDD Commissioner Virginia TrotterBetts said, “The staff of the MentalHealth Cooperative deserve a big pat onthe back. To everyone involved in crisis,clinic, IIC, and intake —You Made aDifference!” �

COMMISSIONER’S CORNERCommissioner Betts

Kicks-off OvercomingSSttiiggmmaa Campaign

in Columbia

Commissioner Betts recently rolledout her much anticipated overcomingstigma campaign at the ColumbiaRotary Meeting on March 9th. In2006, the focus of the campaign is onTennessee community businessleaders and the importance ofunderstanding mental health andmental illness in the workplace. Shewill be traveling across the state in thecoming months speaking to differentbusiness groups and encouragingthem to learn more about the value ofmental health and to join her efforts toovercome the stigma of mental illness.If you know of a significant group ofleaders that should hear about mentalhealth, please contact Jill Hudson at(615) 532-6597 orjill.m.hudson@state.tn.us.

Helen Ross McNabb CenterReceives Generous Gift to

Benefit Mental HealthServices for Children

Clayton Homes and the Clayton Foundation recently gavethe Helen Ross McNabb Center a gift of $400,000 for

two programs in Blount County that will improve mentalhealth services for children—Child Net and Bridges.

Child Net provides mental health services for children ages2-12 who experience trauma, mental illness, or behavioralproblems. Bridges offers individual, group, and familycounseling services inside school classrooms. Bothprograms focus on prevention and provide services,regardless of a family’s financial situation.

Clayton Homes President and CEO Kevin Clayton alsoplans to implement a $1.5 million fund-raisingcampaign to sustain the programs for the next sevenyears, and he hopes to have this goal met by the end ofMay. �

AArrtt ffoorr AAwwaarreenneessss…cont.

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• Commissioner Betts JoinsMMHI Staff to CelebrateResolution of DOJ Lawsuit

On December 21, 2005, a fifteen yearfederal civil rights lawsuit and settlementagainst Memphis Mental Health Institutewas dismissed based on a Joint Motionand Stipulation filed by the U.S.

Department of Justice and the TennesseeAttorney General earlier this year. Theparties agreed that MMHI madesignificant advancements in the care ofpatients at the facility, and that it wasmost appropriate to terminate the court’sjurisdiction.

On February 24, 2006, CommissionerBetts, along with Deputy CommissionerJoe Carobene and key TDMHDDhospital services staff, joined the staff ofMMHI, past and present, to celebrate and

recognize this great accomplishment.

“This achievement was accomplished bya highly motivated staff, both current andpast, who have worked tirelessly formany years to improve patient care atMMHI,” stated Tennessee Department ofMental Health and DevelopmentalDisabilities’ (TDMHDD) CommissionerVirginia Trotter Betts. “I congratulatethe senior leadership and every singlestaff member of MMHI for this crucialmilestone in the history of this importanthospital.”

The original Consent Decree was enteredin 1996 and called for changes instaffing, treatment planning, dischargeplanning, and non-psychiatric medicalcare. Since then, MMHI hasimplemented major changes including anaction oriented, centralized Treatment

Mall. The Treatment Mall assures thatall patients, each day, attend severaltherapy sessions designed to meet theirindividual treatment needs. The hospitalhas also improved staffing ratios, qualityof nursing and psychiatric care, andtreatment planning processes, (includingdischarge planning). MMHI’s treatmentplanning process involves all levels ofstaff, including psychiatrists, registerednurses, social workers, psychologists,nurse practitioners, and psychiatrictechnicians, working together with thepatient to identify treatment needs,objectives, and related interventions.

The order entered by The HonorableBernice B. Donald on June 21, 2005,dismisses the fifteen-year-old court caseand resolves all U.S. Department ofJustice issues with MMHI and theDepartment of Mental Health andDevelopment Disabilities.

• TDMHDD Licenses NewFacility for Children withAutism

The Center for Autism is a new andstate-of-the-art branch campus of TheKing's Daughters' School (KDS) inColumbia. As a highly-structured, co-educational campus, the Center forAutism provides individual attention to

—— H A P P E N I N G S ——

Larry Ventura, MMHI Superintendent,Commissioner Betts, Major Sam Cochran,MMHI Board of Trustees Member, and DeputyCommissioner Carobene gather to commendMMHI staff efforts.

Commissioner Betts and Becki Poling,TDMHDD Director of Hospital Services,brought pizza to the third shift of MMHI inrecognition of their efforts at 1:00 a.m. onFriday, February 24th . They are picturedhere with security guard Franklin Leake, Sr. cont. next page

• TDMHDD StaffAdditions To Assist inLegislation and Justice

Aaron Campbell joins TDMHDD as alegislative liaison. A native Knoxvillian,Campbell graduated from MTSU with aB.A. in social work. Campbell internedat Nashville Cares and the Governor’sOffice and served at TennCare asLegislative Outreach Coordinator,working in the Legislature andcontinuing the Governor’s TennCareconstituent work. To contact AaronCampbell, call (615) 741-4588 and e-mail Aaron.Campbell@state.tn.us.

Katie O’Brien has also joinedTDMHDD as a legislative liaison.Following graduation from UNC ChapelHill with a B.A. in political science,O’Brien worked in Florida’s StateLegislature. After coming to Nashville,O’Brien began her work with the state ofTennessee focusing on education.Contact O’Brien at (615) 532-6509 orKatie.Obrien@state.tn.us.

Jonathan Stephens is a staff attorney inthe TDMHDD Office of Legal Counsel.Previously, he was assistant generalcounsel for the state Department ofHealth, prosecuting licensure cases

before the health related boards. He is agraduate of the Nashville School of Lawand received his undergraduate degreefrom UTK where he taught technicaltheatre for ten years. Contact Stephensat (615) 532-6520 or e-mailJonathan.Stephens@state.tn.us.

Dan Gianotti joins the Office of LegalCounsel after working as a TennCarehearing officer for DHS. He is agraduate of Middle Tennessee StateUniversity and Roger WilliamsUniversity Law School. Contact Gionattiat (615) 741-7673 orDaniel.gianotti@state.tn.us.

facilitate children ages 7-22 tolearn to communicate and masterself-help skills. The Center serveschildren from across the UnitedStates and internationally whohave significant communication,sensory, social, daily living, and/orbehavioral challenges.

Students at the Center for Autismbenefit from a small student-teacher ratio (2.5 to 1, or lower forchildren who need more intensivesupports) and a small capacity(just 20 students residentially anda small number of day students).This allows teachers and staff tofocus on each child as anindividual and tailor their teachingstrategies to meet each child’sneeds and abilities.

The Center for Autism campusincludes disability-specificclassrooms, amultipurpose/recreation room, aclinic, and a cafeteria, as well ascheerful living areas, such aslarge, handicap-accessiblerestrooms, brightly decorateddouble bedrooms, relaxingcommunity rooms, and aplayground. Students at the Centeralso have access to all other KDSfacilities: indoor and outdoorpools; a park with a running track

and basketball and tennis courts,and an eight-acre rustic camp.

The licensing process for KDSwas unique. The school holdsseveral licenses for mentalretardation residential, day, andpreschool services. However, theSchool's administration wanted toserve children who are seriouslyemotionally disturbed (SED)which includes children with

autism. These individuals requiretraining and services differentfrom KDS usual role of services topersons with mental retardation. Inorder to serve children with SEDthe school had to obtain a licenseto operate a mental healthresidential treatment facility forchildren and youth. In December2005 the agency met therequirements and was issued alicense by TDMHDD.

For more information on the KDSCenter for Autism, please visitwww.tkds.org or call (931) 388-3810. �

Happenings…cont.TDMHDD Update

Tennessee Department of Mental Health& Developmental Disabilities

Volume 11, Number 2March/April 2006 Issue

Newsletter StaffJill M. Hudson, Director

Lorene Lambert, Publications Editor

Prepared and distributed by the Office of Public Information & Education

5th Floor, Cordell Hull Bldg.425 Fifth Avenue NorthNashville, TN 37243

615.253.4812Available online at

http://www.tennessee.gov/mental/index.html

Please send queries, suggestions and address changes to:lorene.lambert@state.tn.us or jill.m.hudson@state.tn.us

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s policy of nondiscrimination,the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilitiesdoes not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color,national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service in itspolicies, or in the admission to, or treatment or employment in, itsprograms, services or activities.

Contact the department’s EEO/AA Coordinator at 615-532-5680,the Title VI Coordinator or the ADA Coordinator at 615-532-6700 or1-800-560-5767 for inquiries, complaints or further information.Persons with hearing impairments should call 615-532-6612

Published bi-monthly by the Tennessee Department ofMental Health & Developmental Disabilities. PeriodicalsPostage Pair at Nashville, Tennessee. Postmaster: sendaddress changes to TDMHDD/OPIE, 5th Fl. Cordell HullBldg., 425 Fifth Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37243

Tennessee Department of Mental Health and DevelopmentalDisabilities online newsletter. Copies are filed with statedepositories and archives as directed by State RecordsManagment rules and regulations for publication authorization.

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Department of Mental Health andDevelopmental DisabilitiesOffice of Public Information & EducationFifth Floor, Cordell Hull Building425 5th Ave. NorthNashville, TN 37243