Enhancing Mental Health Services

							Enhancing Mental Health
       Services
  A Foundation’s Perspective
             Introduction
 What I’m going to talk about

• What is Mental Health Promotion ?

• How can a Foundation enhance it?
                 Definition
Mental health promotion is a principle that
 everyone has mental health needs whether or
 not they have a diagnosis of mental illness.

It is essentially any action that enhances the
  mental well-being of individuals, families,
  organizations and communities. Mental health
  promotion is essentially concerned with making
  changes to society that will promote people's
  mental well-being.
I consider mental health as a continuum. Thus, an
   individual's mental health may have many different
   possible values. Mental wellness is generally viewed as
   a positive attribute, such that a person can reach
   enhanced levels of mental health, even if they do not
   have any diagnosable mental illness. This definition of
   mental health highlights emotional well being, the
   capacity to live a full and creative life and the flexibility to
   deal with life's inevitable challenges. (Wikopedia)

Mental health promotion works from the principle that
  everyone has mental health needs, not just people who
  have been diagnosed with a mental illness.
                          Strategies
Enhancing Mental health is a term that covers a variety of strategies. These
strategies can be seen to occur at three levels:
 – Individual - encouragement of individual resources by promotion of interventions
   for self-esteem, coping, assertiveness in areas such as parenting, the workplace
   or personal relationships. Therapeutic treatment interventions with individuals
   and families are important whether they are inpatient, outpatient and anything in
   between.

 – Communities - increasing social inclusion and cohesion, developing support
   structures that promote mental health in workplaces, schools and
   neighborhoods. Improve commununity and place based services as an
   alternative to institutions.

 – Government- reduce socioeconomic barriers to mental health at the
   governmental level by promoting equal access for all and support for vulnerable
   citizens. Ensure quality of care and parity. Encourage cross-system
   collaboration, discussion, research and education. Provide for financial
   arrangements that ensures, not limits the above.
• Payment for mental health services has
  changed over the years to include not just
  the top three: Medicaid, State and Private,
  but the Corrections/Criminal Justice and
  Education systems.
• A big challenge will be how to get all the
  institutions who have a stake in mental
  health to communicate with one and other.
• We need to have consistent stewards of
  mental health who are not just “short-
  timers” like governors or commissioners.
• We need to decide- who pays for what?
What do Foundations Want to Achieve ?

 Improve the quality of life in our
    communities
 Make a Community Investment
 Provide Resources
 Act as conveners
 Have a positive impact
     Foundation Strategies
Foundations support and enhance mental health
by:
– Promote awareness about mental health in the
  community
– Advocate for increasing and improving mental health
  services (within legal limits)
– Support Direct Consumer Care
– Coordinate educational trainings and workshops for
  consumers, family members, and professionals
– Take Financial Risk When Others Cannot
– Support new approaches and research
Staunton Farm Foundations History
   Aunt Daisie
    Her Intent and Will
    The Farm Concept
    Creation of her Foundation
          SFF’s Mission
Geography
Project grants
Initiatives/Priorities
Rural Mental Health
Mental Health Disparities
Criminal Justice
Rural MH Conference
What Staunton Farm won’t fund:
 Capitol Campaigns
 Equipment
 Computers
 Excessive Overhead
    Questions???????
Contact information:

Joni Schwager
Executive Director
Staunton Farm Foundation
650 Smithfield St. Suite 210
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-281-8020
jschwager@stauntonfarm.org