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Local mental health system earns national honors

Contributed by: gary chandler on 11/6/2007

Jefferson Center for Mental Health has been a leader in Colorado's healthcare arena for decades, but it continues to emerge as a national leader because of two innovative programs.

Jefferson Center, which serves more than 6,000 individuals across three counties, earned the Reintegration Award from Eli Lilly, the international pharmaceutical company.

Jefferson Center earned its award for helping inmates with mental illness return to the community and avoid the costly corrections system in the future. It helps prison inmates who have serious and persistent mental illness, after they are released back into the community.

The program is called the John Eachon Reintegration Project (JERP-also known as the Jefferson County Integrated Parole Treatment Demonstration Project). It is a collaborative effort between the Colorado Department of Corrections, Jefferson County Justice Services, and Intervention Community Corrections Services. The pilot program was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. Now it is funded through the Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado Department of Public Safety.

"The JERP program demonstrates that intensive, multi-disciplinary services to this high need population can have great societal and financial impact," said Harriet Hall, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer at Jefferson Center for Mental Health. "We are honored to receive this national recognition and hope that it leads to increased collaboration between the community mental health and corrections systems across the state and nation."

Former winners of the Eli Lilly Reintegration Award include Senator Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico), former Surgeon General David Satcher, and former First Lady Rosalyn Carter.

Chris Hill, a former Jefferson Center board member and mental health advocate, also was selected for a Second Place Mentorship Award in the individual category. This award recognizes individuals who live well with their illness and share their skills and experience with others. This award includes a $2,500 grant to the organization of Hill's choice.

The Eli Lilly Reintegration Award is a national initiative that honors treatment teams, programs and services offering care and support to people with severe mental illness who are a source of hope and inspiration to their peers. An independent panel of individuals and healthcare professionals evaluated the hundreds of nominations submitted. The award includes a $5,000 grant.

"For those battling mental illness, reintegration is about the journey to wellness," said Ralph Aquila, M.D., chairperson of the Lilly Awards Committee. "These award recipients are the people and programs who foster this journey and provide the tools to regaining a sense of control - they are the ones on the frontlines who are helping to make reintegration a reality."

In addition, a creative outreach and intervention program for senior citizens earned Jefferson Center for Mental Health and The Mental Health Center Serving Boulder and Broomfield Counties the statewide Golden Light Bulb Award from the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council. The two systems joined forces to create the Senior Reach program-a collaborative community education, referral and assertive outreach/treatment program to assist older adults with case management and mental health concerns. Early intervention is provided to those in distress who might otherwise fall through the cracks, while it also includes engagement/training of community members about how to recognize concerns and refer their friends, family, and neighbors who may need assistance.

"These award-winning programs are just a few examples of the cutting-edge work that is taking place in our communities across the state," said George DelGrosso, Executive Director of the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council. "We salute the hardworking program managers and case workers across the state who are working the miracles of recovery every day in thousands of lives."

Colorado's first lady, Jeannie Ritter, was on hand for the statewide award ceremony in Breckenridge and delivered the keynote address.

"I am so proud to have aligned myself with the extraordinary people in this room," Mrs. Ritter said. "My learning curve on behavioral health issues has been very steep, and I am grateful to everyone here for keeping me on it, and for your endless patience with all of my questions and calls. As I travel around Colorado, I am inspired to hear the word 'recovery' everywhere I go. That's what this is ultimately about: helping people recover and live their lives. And people are doing that thanks to you."

Serious mental health issues affect more than 60 million Americans, including one out of every four families in Colorado. It will impact about half of us during our lifetimes. In addition:
• Mental illness is more common than cancer and diabetes.
• Mental illness costs the U.S. economy more than $80 billion annually.
• People with serious mental illness lose 25 years of life expectancy and the loss is due primarily to cardio vascular disease.
• There are nearly 54 million people around the world with severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder (manic-depressive illness). In addition, 154 million people suffer from depression.
• About 25% of all hospital admissions involve a mental-health or substance- abuse issue.
• About 90% of those treated with a combination of medication and therapy experience a partial to full recovery.

Celebrating its 50th year, Jefferson Center for Mental Health serves individuals and families who are impacted by mental illness in Jefferson, Gilpin and Clear Creek Counties. The Center provides comprehensive, community-based mental health services to more than 6,000 people each year.

Jefferson Center serves the people throughout its three-county area with 300 staff in 20 locations. It offers a variety of programs including: outpatient counseling, vocational services, and employee assistance programs. The Center provides mental health services and hope to people of all ages to foster recovery and resilience for individuals who have mental health problems, promoting a better quality of life and a healthy community. Its staff has expertise in numerous areas, including children and family issues, adults with serious mental illness, suicide prevention, early intervention, juvenile justice, and trauma treatment. For more information, visit www.jcmh.org.

Jefferson Center is a member of the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council (CBHC). CBHC is a nonprofit membership organization that represents Colorado's statewide network of community behavioral healthcare providers, including 17 community mental health centers, two specialty clinics, and five behavioral health organizations. CBHC members contract with the State of Colorado and work together to provide comprehensive, community-based behavioral and psychiatric services to more than 83,000 people across the state. For more information, visit www.cbhc.org




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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

gary chandler

lakewood , CO

gary chandler has posted 95 stories and 0 comments since joining on 4/26/2006. gary chandler 's average story rating is 5.
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