MHA News
July 2010
Welcome to Mental Health Association of Montgomery County's (MHA) first ever electronic newsletter. MHA is so very pleased to make this transition because it affords us the opportunity to provide you with valuable information more frequently, helps support MHA's 'green' efforts, AND it helps save valuable budget dollars!
Each e-newsletter will focus on one of MHA's 11 direct services programs, include information about upcoming community and professional education events, and provide information about MHA as a whole. You can help keep others informed too by forwarding this email to those you think would like to know more about MHA and mental health. Just copy the URL from your browser and paste it into an email to send to those who you think would like to see this month’s issue. And to sign up to get the MHA E-NEWS, please send an email to CommunityOutreach@mhamc.org from the email address to use with “Email Me” in the subject line.
This first issue of MHA E-NEWS focuses on the HOPES (Hotline, Outreach and Programming for Emotional Support) program...
What is HOPES? What does it do? Who Does it Help?
HOPES is one of MHA's 11 direct service programs. This program seeks to increase community awareness and opportunities to make a difference in the lives of people touched by mental illness. Services include:
- The Montgomery County Hotline which is a free, confidential 24-hour hotline offering crisis & suicide intervention/prevention and postvention, information and referral and supportive listening;
- "Red Flags" which is a depression and suicide awareness education program that serves all of the public middle and high schools throughout the county;
- Mental Health First Aid which is a 12-hour training course that educates the community on accessing services for someone experiencing a mental health issue; and;
- Specialized Information and Referral Services which currently focuses on providing information and referrals to veterans, active military and their family members as well as the offering of educational sessions or trainings about mental health and the military.
For more information about MHA's HOPES program, Click Here or call (301) 424-0656, ext. 516. NOTE that this is NOT the HOPES Hotline number.
A Closer Look: Who do you think calls the HOPES Hotlines? And why?
What do you think the answers are to these questions:
Q. Do more women or men call?
A. According to the statistics gathered by HOPES for April through June of 2010, more women call the Hotlines. 60% of callers during that period were women.
Q. What are the ages of most callers?
A. According to the statistics gathered by HOPES for April through June of 2010, 44% of callers were between the ages of 40-59, just 3% were between the ages of 13-24 and 5% between the ages of 80-89.
Q. What are the racial demographics of the callers?
A. According to the statistics gathered by HOPES for April through June of 2010, a majority of callers (69%) are Caucasian/Non-Hispanic.
Q. Why are people calling the HOPES Hotlines?
A. According to the statistics gathered by HOPES for April through June of 2010, the number one issue raised by callers is “General Stressors” (34%) which includes: ‘social or personal relationships’, ‘loneliness’, ‘financial stress’, ‘employment concerns’, and ‘self esteem’ as the most frequently noted general stressors (in this order).
PLEASE NOTE: The data provided is reflective of a three month period and may not reflect the demographics from other periods. Also, as noted with each chart, this data is based on available information and may not reflect the demographics of some callers.
One startling change in calls is the significant rise in suicide assessments being performed by the HOPES Hotlines. As seen by the chart below, a comparison of each quarter to the same quarter of the successive years shows a consistent increase starting from as far back as the fall of 2008. No direct link has been established between the downturn in the economy and this data, but the timing does imply a correlation.
To reach the HOPES Hotlines, please call:
- Montgomery County Hotline (301) 738-2255
- Montgomery County Youth Crisis Line (301) 738-9697
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1(800) 273-TALK (8255)
MHA's Educational Offerings: CEUs for Mental Health Providers
Mental Health First Aid for Social Workers - 12 CEUs*
September 13, 14, 20 & 21 from 6pm - 9pm*
MHA's Offices - 1000 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville
Space is limited; preregistration is REQUIRED!
Click here for more details and a registration form
MHA runs Mental Health First Aid sessions for all members of the community (with continuing education offerings for human resources professionals and early childhood professionals). For information on scheduling MHFA for your organization or community, please send us an email. Once scheduled, information about community-wide presentations will be included in MHA E-NEWS and on this website.
October Ethics Seminars on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010
Ethics and Mental Health Professionals
Includes an explanation of ethical values across disciplines as well as how these are impacted by social & agency norms
8:00 - 8:30am Check-in and Continental Breakfast
8:30 - 11:30am Program
3.0* CEUs
*Click here to register online
Ethics and Trauma Services
Identifies core values in delivery of trauma services and addresses ethics self-evaluation
12:30 - 1:00pm Check in and Light Refreshments
1:00 - 4:00pm Program
3.0* CEUs
*Click here to register online
Board of Directors Installs New Officers to Compliment Experienced Ones
As with most nonprofit organizations, Members of the MHA Board of Directors change. Experienced and longstanding members may step down, while other community members take on this vital role. Each June, with the ending of one fiscal year and the beginning of the next, MHA's Board also engages in a nomination and installation of its officers. As is often the case, MHA's Board of Directors voted to make just a few changes to its leadership. MHA's Officers of the Board of Directors for this year are:
President: |
Joy Paul, LCSW-C Clinical Social Worker |
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| Vice President: |
Carla Satinsky “Montgomery Week in Review” |
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Vice President |
Debra Dillon Community Volunteer |
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Secretary |
Kathleen McCallum, MBA Ronald D. Paul Cos., Inc. |
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Treasurer |
Stephen J. Spano, P.E. Consultant |
Click here for a full list of the current members of MHA's Board of Directors.
Next issue, learn more about MHA's Friendly Visitor Program!