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400 Mercy Lane
Aurora, IL 60506

or email it to: info@namidkk.org 

Medical science usually advances slowly and incrementally, with occasional, if not frequent missteps. So it would be premature to get too excited about a recent study reported in Nature magazine, "Schizophrenia in a dish."

Still, the possibilities are fascinating.

The article describes experiments in which neuroscientists were able to turn skin cells donated by four individuals living with schizophrenia into brain cells-neurons-to in order to explore potential causes of the disease. Following the transformation, the new cells showed fewer connections-synapses-than brain cells from people without the disease. However, tests still showed that the cells would conduct electrical impulses as well as the others.

A Fox News report on the study points to advances which might result from the research: the ability to isolate biological factors from environmental "triggers" in seeking to identify the causes of schizophrenia and "individualized medicine" in which drugs could be tested first for their effect on a particular person without the person having to try it out direct. The "lab dish" method might also be issued for other mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder.

According to one scientist, Nature reported, most antipsychotic drugs used today for schizophrenia all target the same dopamine receptor. Speculatively, the experiments might lead to new or broader approaches in biological treatment.

But there's a major caveat: The differences between the brain cells derived from people living with schizophrenia and those without the disease could be the result of the cell transformation itself-rather than the illness. For the moment, the study represents only a starting point.

Classes will be held on Saturdays

September 17^th - October 22^nd 2011. 

9:00 a.m - 11:30 a.m.

in the Buckley Room at Provena Mercy Medical Center

1325 N. Highland Avenue in Aurora

Registration is required.

To register email Carol at: caklopp@sbcglobal.net

NAMI Dekalb, Kane South & Kendall Counties

400 Mercy Lane, Aurora, IL 60506

630-896-6264

   

Identity is the place where people living with mental illness find the strength to start again-to believe that they deserve to recover and take the first steps to this end. An article in last month's issue followed the concept of identity through the narratives of individuals living with conditions from schizophrenia to cancer. When we asked the NAMI community to share their experiences related to identity, nearly 700 people responded to the thirteen-question survey tracing the changes their self-image has undergone in relationship to variables such as support systems, the media and their mental illness. Since science has traditionally had an easier time describing disorder than well-being, the survey results offer important insight into the way people living with mental illness conceptualize-and actualize-recovery.

Read more about the results of the survey

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CIT helps police, consumers, community

Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) is a pre-booking jail diversion program designed to improve the outcomes of police interactions with people with mental illnesses. CIT has three key components:  

♦ Community collaboration between mental health providers, law enforcement, and family and consumer advocates. Due to critical shortages in community mental health services, police officers have become first line responders to people with serious mental illness who are in a psychiatric crisis. When these crises occur, officers often have no options other than to arrest the individual. By creating relationships between law enforcement and mental health services, CIT can facilitate agreements that get people quickly transferred to mental health treatment, while reducing the burden on police and corrections.

♦ 40 hour training program for law enforcement officers that includes basic information about mental illnesses and how to recognize them; information about the local mental health system and local laws; learning first-hand from consumers and family members about their experiences; verbal deescalation training, and role-plays. Officers learn how to deescalate a crisis - avoiding officer injuries, consumer deaths and tragedy for the community. In addition, CIT officers learn how to link people with treatment, which has a positive impact on fostering recovery and reducing recidivism.  

♦ Consumer and family involvement in planning training sessions, and leading training sessions.

Kane County has now gone through two CIT training sessions. The last one took place last fall. The goal is to run two training sessions a year for law enforcement across the county.  

CIT Works - for law enforcement, for consumers, and for the community.  

♦ CIT helps keep people with mental illnesses out of jail, and gets them into treatment.

♦ Studies show that police-based diversions, and CIT especially, significantly reduce arrests of people with serious mental illnesses. Pre-booking diversion, including CIT, also reduced the number of re-arrests by 58%.  

♦ In a one-year study of pre-booking jail diversion, including CIT, participants in jail diversion programs spent on average two more months in the community than non-diverted individuals.

♦ CIT training reduces officer stigma and prejudice toward people with mental illness  

♦ CIT officers do a good job of identifying individuals who need psychiatric care and are 25% more likely to transport an individual to a psychiatric treatment facility than other officers.  

♦ CIT reduces officer injuries, SWAT team emergencies, and the amount of time officers spend on the disposition of mental disturbance calls.

When actress Catherine Zeta-Jones revealed that she lives with bipolar II disorder and received mental health treatment for her illness, the Academy Award-winner suddenly became the focus and discussion of many Americans. As a result, many people began asking questions about mental illness and bipolar disorder specifically.

On NAMI's Facebook page, in discussion groups and through the media, we found ourselves participating in a larger discussion about what it means when a public figure is suddenly in the mental health spotlight.

By being honest and transparent about getting help, Zeta-Jones makes us confront the social stereotypes we consciously, or subconsciously, carry about mental illness and individuals. It also helps enlighten America's understanding of an illness that is prevalent and often so misunderstood.

NAMI received several calls from the media seeking a response. What did we think about this news? Did we see this as an opportunity? Did we have any concerns? The response to this was an easy one. True to the essence of NAMI as both an organization and a movement is the story of each individual and each family. Through the sharing of our stories, we are able to change the hearts and minds of the American public, to offer help and hope to those in need. Whenever anyone-a neighbor, co-worker or a celebrity-shares his or her experience and models self-care, mental illness becomes like any other human condition. Some are invited to challenge their previous misconceptions, others are encouraged to seek help for their own conditions and families are encouraged to heal what, for some, are hidden wounds of shame that may have been unfairly imposed upon them by an community that is unable to understand.

The latest research suggests that less than one-half of people living with bipolar disorder receive mental health treatment. By graciously sharing her openness about taking care of herself, Zeta-Jones serves as an example for others and inspires many to step out of the shadows, confronting their own barriers to treatment and seeking both help and understanding.