First mental health fair deemed a success

 

June 6, 2018

There was something for all ages at the first mental health fair held on May 30 in Chinook. Public Health staffers helped youngsters at the fair make "stress relief bottles" during the fair. The kids made bottles for everyone, including adults, who wanted one. The bottles provide a way for users to move their focus from stressors to the colorful bottles filled with glitter, liquid and cooking oil.

Organizers of the recent mental health fair in Chinook were pleased with the number of locals who came to the event held on May 30. A number of local groups shared information about the mental health services they offer. The first ever mental health fair for Chinook was coordinated by the Local Advisory Council (LAC) on Mental Health in Blaine County. Plans are to make it an annual event each May during Mental Health Awareness Month.

The focus was on "integrated health care"

The focus of the fair was to showcase local efforts to provide integrated health care-an approach to health care that recognizes the connection between mental and physical health. Several of the table top displays, manned by local representatives, explained programs either currently available or soon to be launched in the county.

Sweet Medical Center will soon have a new "mental health care provider" joining its staff. That person will be in the same building as patients' regular health care providers. This arrangement will help patients more easily connect with a mental health resource when needed. Patients needing mental health support are currently referred to other locations, making it harder for clients to receive needed services. Having both mental and physical health providers in the same immediate area is a major component of an integrated health care program.

Both the county mental health and MSU-Extension Service shared information about programs they offer to help assess and improve mental health. The Blaine County Health Department has been offering its "Living Life Well" program already. The six session program is designed to "help participants best manage their chronic pain and overall mental health." A couple of people who have done the program were at the fair and shared that the program "works because instead of saying 'you should exercise to feel better' Living Life Well offers a way to begin exercising using "baby-steps." That allows people to ease in to an exercise program."

Students are also working on ways to improve their mental health environment at school. For at least two years Meadowlark Elementary has been using the Montana Behavior Initiative (MBI) to help students achieve emotional success, a critical part of academic success. School counselor Jordan Heilig showed examples of how teachers use positive reinforcement when they see students "doing the right thing." Jackson Nordboe, a sixth grader last year, was a part of the student leadership team that helped identify and deal with negative behavior situations. He shared examples of how the student leaders were able to reduce 'rude behavior' (often bullying) using the techniques they learned from MBI participation.

Dinner and the movie

After guests had a chance to visit with representatives from the participating agencies and learn about available mental health services, a 'burger and dog' barbeque was served. Then a movie, "Resilience: the biology of stress and the science of hope," was shown. The 2016 release, directed by James Redford (actor Robert Redford's son) is based on a body of research first made public about 20 years ago.

Researchers discovered in a study involving 17,000 members of a national health maintenance organization (HMO) there was a connection between a person's "adverse childhood experiences" (ACE's) and health problems as adults. Without belaboring the specifics, one part of the study showed that people with a certain number of adverse childhood experiences (parents who fought in front of children, parent or relative in prison, bad living conditions, lack of enough to eat, alcoholism among adult family members, as examples) significantly increased risk of heart disease and other debilitating diseases. The movie showed several examples of how health care providers are using knowledge about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to treat adult health issues and intervene with children to avoid health problems as adults.

Drs. Curtis Smeby and Darlene Sellers, both faculty members in the College of Education at MSU-Northern, facilitated a discussion after the movie. They are strong advocates of integrated health care systems and believe the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a major health concern. They are consulting with Sweet Medical Center to identify ways the local clinic can offer more integrated health care services. The two professors have also

Meadowlark school counselor Jordan Heilig explained how teachers use positive reinforcement when they see students "doing the right thing." Recognition by teachers for appropriate student behavior is one several tools used in the Montana Behavior Initiative (MBI), a program to help students achieve emotional success, a critical part of academic success. Meadowlark school has been using the MBI program for two years.

presented many programs for teachers to help them understand how negative experiences children experience may be predictive of future adult health problems.

First Blaine County award for promoting mental health awareness presented to Big Flat couple

Jana McPherson-Hauer, Blaine County Public Health Nurse, is also chair of the LAC, the coordinating organization for the mental health fair. During closing remarks she announced that an annual award for efforts to promote mental health awareness in Blaine County would be given each year. Adam and Shawna Billmayer were the first recipients of the annual award "for their continued efforts to promote suicide awareness." The Billmayers have organized and backed a number of suicide awareness events to honor the memory of their son, Tristan, who died in May, 2015.

McPherson-Hauer said, "As chair of the Local Advisory Committee (LAC) I am very happy with the turnout for this first mental health fair and appreciate everyone who made the time to be here. The agency tables, the movie and dinner were all wonderful." The LAC meets monthly, every third Wednesday, at the courthouse. Meetings are open to anyone interested in mental health issues in the county.

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024