JMHC extends our sincere appreciation and gratitude to our donors, event participants, and our volunteers for making the event a success.

The event, which included a gourmet German feast, live entertainment, and both live and silent auctions, was staged at Full Compass on April 27.

Themed in 1900-1920’s era old Milwaukee, 240 event goers were immersed in the sights, sounds and tastes reflecting European ethnicity and traditions that made Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin famous. Music was provided by Wisconsin’s number one rated polka band, “The Squeezettes.”

William Greer, CEO, Journey Mental Health Center, speaks to event participants at the organization’s annual fundraiser, “A Night In Old World Milwaukee” on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at Full Compass.

“Good evening and welcome my fellow Milwaukeeans!  We are gathered in this great hall this evening to celebrate our good fortune to be residents of one of America’s great cities.  We are, indeed, blessed with a strong industrial base, a large and energetic workforce, a robust educational system and an abundance of natural resources. As we stand astride the 19^th century and look ahead, our future looks bright and our prospects unlimited.”

Any Milwaukee civic leader or politician could have delivered that speech in the latter part of the 19^th century.  It reflects the enthusiasm and optimism of the time and we can imagine that a cross section of the city’s native-born and immigrant populations shared these emotions. We hope that for the next few hours we can envelop you in those positive thoughts and feelings from the past and that you will take them with you tonight and into tomorrow and the days ahead.  We are sorely in need of such hope and confidence as we face the challenges of our own time.

At Journey Mental Health Center, the challenges we face are endemic to our health care system.  Although we served roughly 14,000 people last year, I still see lines out the door at our daily “Open Access” Clinic.  Although we are located in nine sites around our community, there are still many individuals for whom the main barrier to treatment is distance.  And although we provide comprehensive mental health and substance abuse services to individuals across the life span, we still see an unacceptable number of our consumers succumbing to the devastating combination of physical and mental illness.

Lack of access to services and fragmented health care serve to rob our clients of hope and to render their dreams null and void.  One of my favorite poets, Edgar Allen Poe, wrote these lines,

Yet if hope has flown away

In a night or in a day

In a vision or in none

Is it therefore the less gone?

All that we see or seem

Is but a dream within a dream

At Journey, our dream is of holistic health care.  It is nested within the dream of affordable health care for the vast majority of Americans.  For the first time in my life, these dreams are not just possible but probable.  We are in avid pursuit of these dreams because our mission and vision require us to be. And because, as helping professionals, we are tired of watching the premature decline and demise of our consumers due to the consequences of birth and trauma, the crush of stigma and the loss of hope and purpose.

We have transformed our dreams into goals by developing action plans with time lines and measurable outcomes.  In the near term we will have integrated primary and behavioral health care at Journey.  In the near term we will have a state of the art electronic health record.  And in the near term we will extend our services to people who have been unable to access them before.

You have supported us so far on our journey.  And for that; on behalf of our staff, volunteers and consumers; I thank you.  If you choose to continue your support on the next passage, I promise you that the best is yet to come.  Thank you and enjoy your evening.

The Supreme Court will decide sometime this year whether to strike down all or part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  I hope that this Court is as courageous as the Warren Court was in striking down the “separate but equal” policy that allowed Jim Crow laws to flourish and disenfranchise African Americans in the first half of the 20^th century.  Make no mistake, this is not a moral issue or a states rights issue.  It is, quite simply, a civil rights issue. The American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973. The American Psychological Association Council of Representatives followed suit in 1975.^[3] The majority of Americans support same sex marriage. It is now legal in nine states plus the District of Columbia.  Time and justice have overcome ignorance and prejudice in the hearts and minds of most of us.  We cannot allow misguided notions from the past to continue to defer the legitimate claim of our LGBT family members, friends and neighbors to the American birthright of “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

As an African American I know what it feels like to be marginalized by mainstream society.  The stress of combating racism has physical and psychological burdens attached.  The same is true of combating sexism, mental health stigma and homophobia.  A healthy society does not tolerate or condone these behaviors.  My desire for my granddaughter is that she comes of age in a society where each person is valued and appreciated for the characteristics with which they are born.  In order for that tomorrow to happen, I must speak out today.

In the movie Casablanca, a character named Sam sings a song that contains the line, “The fundamental things apply as time goes by.”  This caused me to ask myself, “What are the fundamental things that nurture a satisfying life?”

I would submit to you that they include 1) decent, affordable healthcare, 2) decent, affordable housing, 3) a good education, 4) strong, stable relationships and 5) meaningful work.  Those of us who have these things may take them for granted but those who do not realize how really precious they are.

Journey Mental Health Center is in the business of helping people to achieve and hold on to the fundamental things of life.  Whether we are working with a family struggling to rally around a child with a mental illness, an adult diagnosed with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders or a senior who is coping with both physical and mental health problems as well as a declining support system, our goal is to illuminate and share the path from hope to recovery.

Last year we served a record number of people at Journey and this year we are on a pace to shatter that record. Despite these results, the demand for our services continues to exceed the supply.  That is where you come in.  Your financial and in-kind contributions enable us to continue to provide evidenced based, culturally competent, recovery oriented services to those who come to our doors regardless of their ability to pay.

About a week ago I had a lengthy conversation with a mom whose child is challenged with both mental and physical health problems. Just before we hung up, she said “Thank you for being there.” Regarded one way, this is a very low standard to meet but regarded another way, it may be the highest standard of all.  So, on behalf of the consumers, staff, volunteers and board members of Journey Mental Health Center, I want to say, “Thank you for being there” and to assure you that neither our commitment nor our gratitude will diminish as time goes by.

A highlight of the evening was the honoring of Madison African American “history makers.” That group included Fabu Phillips Mogaka, Madison’s first black poet laureate; Addrena Matthews Squires (“Super Gram”) who is still a prolific volunteer in her 80’s; Dr. Alex Gee, founder of the Nehemiah Leadership Development Corporation and Pastor of Fountain of Life Family Worship Center and Richard Scott, retired East High School Minority Affairs Coordinator, actor, playwright and founder of the Kojo Drill Team. These pioneers helped forge a place for African Americans from every walk of life in Madison and Dane County. The young people present gave respect and affection to these elders and that was heartening to see.

Being a part of this celebration of accomplishment, perseverance and faith was a blessing for me. It reminded me of the value that has sustained the African American people from their origins in Africa to their subsequent migration worldwide. It is a sense of community, the tie that binds us through good times and bad. Like our history, it provides us with a sense of identity. It reaches across age, gender and class. It also reaches across time to bind us to our ancestors and the yet unborn. When we break bread, sing songs and tell stories, we are engaging in a tradition as venerable as the Baobab tree. Milele Chikasa Anana, another honoree and editor of Umoja magazine, has described Madison as a village. It is indeed our village and we need, from time to time, to celebrate “how we got over.”

William Greer
C.E.O.

The United States is facing an “epidemic” of illicit drug use.  Consider the following grim statistics:

• In 2010 there was an estimated 22.6 million Americans over the age of 12 that were current or former illicit drug users within the last month of when the survey was given; this equates to about 8.9 percent of the population aged 12 or older.
• The drug marijuana was the most commonly used illegal substance. There were about 17.4 million individuals who used it in the past month from when the survey was taken. From 2007 and 2010, those numbers increased to 6.9 percent, up from 5.8 or 14.4 million to 17.4 million users.
• Individuals 50 to 59 years of age, their rate of past drug use went up from 2.7 percent to 5.8 percent from 2002 to 2010
• An estimated 10.0 million individual 12 to 20 years of age that admitted to being drinkers; 6.5 million were binge drinkers and 2.0 million heavy drinkers.
• Over six million children in America live with at least one parent who has a drug addiction.
• Since 1980, the number of deaths related to drug overdoses has risen over 540 percent.
• The most commonly abused drug (other than alcohol) in the United States by individuals over the age of 12 is Marijuana, followed by prescription painkillers, cocaine and hallucinogens.
• Each year, drug abuse and drug addiction cost employers over 122 billion dollar in lost productivity time and another 15 billion dollars in health insurance costs.
• Baltimore, Maryland has more per capita individuals living with heroin addiction than any other state in the U.S.
• Since 1990, the number of individuals who take prescription drugs illegally is believed to have risen by over 500 percent.

Source: 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

In 2007 the cost of illicit drug use in The U.S. was estimated at  $193 billion by the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC).  These costs are concentrated in three principle areas: crime, health and lost productivity. Far too often the benefits of drug treatment are unavailable to those who need it.  This drives up crime related costs and costs related to lost productivity.  At JMHC we see these costs reflected daily in the lives of the people we serve.  Our community is currently facing a sharp upswing in heroin abuse. This strains the resources of both law enforcement and healthcare.  A solution lies in a collaborative approach between these two entities.  We are fortunate at JMHC to have long standing partnerships with the Madison Police Department and the Dane County Sheriff’s Department.  We are currently working with both departments to address this looming crisis.

The third leg of the prevention/intervention tripod has to be an informed and involved citizenry.  I urge citizens from all walks of life to join with law enforcement and helping professionals in seeking formal and informal ways to secure our homes, our schools and our businesses from the depredations of the thief that steals all.

William Greer

C.E.O.

While it is easy to generate a list of things that will help you to be healthier; getting yourself to do them is hard.  Many people with serious mental illness also have serious medical problems.  Many people are overweight, do not exercise enough, and smoke.  Some medications increase the risk of medical problems including obesity and diabetes.  Many people with serious mental illness are poor, which adds an entire layer of health risk.  And as a result, people with major mental illness dies 25 years younger than the rest of the population.

On the other hand, you can get healthier, you can take better care of yourself, and you can feel better.

Exercise: Anything that gets your heart rate up for 30 minutes at a time, three or four times a week will help you feel better both emotionally and physically.  You can take a walk, ride a bike, follow a Pilates routine on a DVD or dance, as long as you keep it up for 30 minutes and doing it regularly.  Keep a calendar of which days you exercise so you can keep track and try to get better at exercising more regularly.  Find a friend to exercise with.

Diet: If we eat the right amount of the right stuff we will feel better.  This does not mean giving up all chocolates or all dessert.  It does mean thinking about what you eat.  If you are eating frozen dinners, you can find some that are healthier with less fat and fewer calories.  If you eat in fast food restaurants you can skip the “super size” and pick out a lower calorie option.  If you cook, you can learn to make foods that are healthier.  This does not have to take longer or cost more, but it does require some thought.

Sleep: Regular sleep helps.   If possible, sleep in a dark, quiet room.  Get in the habit of allowing yourself the time to get enough sleep.  Some people already sleep enough or even too much, but for those people who do not sleep enough, this can really help.

Regular physician checkups: Many people with mental illness avoid going to the doctor, either because of insurance or embarrassment or just because they do not like seeing doctors.  A regular checkup is important for all of us, but especially if you are taking psychiatric medication that can increase your cholesterol or increase your risk of diabetes.

Stop Smoking: Smoking is bad for your lungs and your heart, makes all other illness worse, and is expensive.  It is also very hard to quit smoking.  Join a local stop smoking group, use nicotine patches or nicotine inhalers, ask your doctor if there are medications that might help you to quit.  Think of all of the things you would like to do with the money you would save.  Try to find a friend to quit with.

“It Takes a Village”

Recent headlines about alleged child sexual abuse in the sporting world have captured the nation’s attention. Sexual abuse is one of the most traumatic experiences a child can endure. Trauma is the hidden precursor to many mental health and substance abuse problems. One in four children will experience a serious traumatic event by their 16^th birthday. The impacts of such experiences include increased depression and anxiety, increased substance abuse, lower GPA’s, truancy and increased risk of criminal justice involvement. For these reasons, early detection and treatment of trauma is both humane and cost effective.

The Journey Mental Health Center has been strategically engaged in child and adolescent trauma treatment since 2004 through an evidenced based program entitled Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in the Schools (CBITS).  Journey Mental Health Center leads a coalition that includes the school districts of Madison, Sun Prairie, Middleton-Cross Plains, and Oregon, Project Face-Kids (a five agency cooperative effort for the behavioral treatment of children in the schools) and the United Way of Dane County that brought CBITS to Dane County, resulting in over 8,000 children being screened for serious trauma to date.

Elementary and Middle school students, their parents and teachers participate in the manualized 10- session program. The successful program has produced the following results:

• Increased awareness by parents and teachers of trauma and its effects

• Improved connections with “hard to reach” children and parents

• Teachers reframing some children’s “bad” behavior as traumatic stress responses and

• Increased awareness among CBITS participants of the traumatic effects of witnessing violence in the home and at school

The students who completed the CBITS program experienced measurable improvement in their mental health and academic performance. During the last eight years, Journey Mental Health clinicians have trained hundreds of schoolteachers, social workers and psychologists in the CBITS method, thereby expanding the professional trauma network.

The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” is true. By directing the combined vigilance, wisdom and compassion of the adults in our community toward the growth and well being of our children, we ensure their safe and healthy arrival at adulthood. There is no greater gift we can give them.

William Greer
CEO

Life opportunities for some individuals in our community (such as those who have a mental illness) are undermined by stigmatizing attitudes and discriminating behaviors. Research suggests that people who are viewed to be personally responsible for their mental illness are likely to be viewed negatively and are unlikely to receive help from others. Conversely, we extend compassion and assistance when we view people as not responsible for their mental illness. For those we perceive as being “dangerous,” and thus feared, we recommend community avoidance or segregation.

Dr. David Satcher, past Surgeon General, wrote extensively about the effects of stigma in his 1999 report on Mental Illness. “Even more than other areas of health and medicine, the mental health field is plagued by disparities in the availability of and access to its services. These disparities are viewed readily through the lenses of racial and cultural diversity, age, and gender. A key disparity often hinges on a person’s financial status.”

He also speaks to the “subtle” and “overt” forms of stigma. “It appears as prejudice and discrimination, fear, distrust, and stereotyping. It prompts many people to avoid working, socializing, and living with people who have a mental disorder. It reduces access to resources and opportunities, e.g. housing, jobs and leads to low self-esteem, isolation, and hopelessness. It deters the public from seeking, and wanting to pay for care. It gives insurers in the public sector as well as the private sector permission to restrict coverage for mental health services in ways that would not be tolerated for other illnesses.”

In his report to the country, the Surgeon General came to the following conclusion – “Stigma results in outright discrimination and abuse. More tragically, it deprives people of their dignity and interferes with their full participation in society.”

While Dr. Satcher was focusing on the stigma that challenges those who experience mental illness, his sobering statements can be extended to others in our community; particularly those who are dependent on alcohol/drugs, live in poverty, have experienced trauma, or are homeless.

The fact remains that these individuals/families are our neighbors, relatives, co-workers, and friends. Investing in ALL of our citizens strengthens us as a community.

William Greer