Lead Editor: Nathaniel Hall, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team Peer Support Specialist

Bill Newcomb is the peer specialist for Integral Care’s Judge Guy Herman Center for Mental Health Crisis Care. Nathaniel Hall interviewed him.

Nathaniel: Part of a peer specialist’s job is mentoring. What does that include?

Bill: Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person.
Sometimes peer specialists can look like teachers or coaches or sponsors depending on what we’re doing. Peer specialists are experts in recovery and resilience. We’ve managed to get our life back on track after suffering a major disruption. Sharing our recovery story and what we’ve learned along the way is a major qualification for our job.

Nathaniel: Where do peer specialists get their expertise?

Bill: Life. My expertise comes from having lived with mental illness and all the associated challenges it presents. Peer specialists have all had major life disruptions due to mental illness and have survived and overcome. We use ourselves as examples, proof that people can, and do recover.
Recovery to me isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. One of my favorite quotes relating to peer support is “The first to help you up are the ones who know how it feels to fall down.”

Nathaniel: What does a peer specialist focus more on – recovery and wellness or illness and disease?

Bill: Recovery and wellness without a doubt. One of the most important jobs a peer specialist has is to tell our recovery story. This is very different from a “war story” in that the focus is on how we got through the tough times. How we survived. What helped us get better and what didn’t. This doesn’t mean we shy away from talking about the bad stuff, the illness and its impact. It’s the difference between just remembering the hard times and learning from the past.

One thing I’ve seen over the years is that people who struggle with mental illness often have a hard time having hope. Spending too much time focusing on problems can make them seem worse and lead people to a sense of hopelessness or powerlessness. Focusing on positive actions people can take gives them more of a sense of control and empowers them. Having ways of “fighting back” help people to not feel like helpless victims.

One of the things I do a lot of groups on is coping skills. The number one way to take a break for me is “pet a furry creature.”

Nathaniel: What does “peer advocacy” mean?

Bill: It’s frequently the case that people dealing with mental health challenges are told what their recovery should look like by family, friends or medical professionals. Peer specialists can help people define what they want their recovery to look like and help them to advocate for treatment that supports their goals.
Recovery means different things to different people. I define my own recovery as being able to live a happy and productive life, but I can’t impose my definition on anyone else. For some people, it might just mean staying out of psychiatric hospitals. That was my main goal when I was newly diagnosed. Promoting self-determination is literally the first principle in the certified peer specialist code of ethics.
Another way peer specialists help advocate for our clients is navigating the mental health system itself. Sometimes this can mean translating the language used by specialists, for example “doctor speak.” Sometimes it can mean aiding someone in finding help or resources.

The Herman Center offers adults emergency mental health care in a safe overnight facility. Staff help adults who are in crisis by providing medical support, emotional support, medicine and connection to ongoing services. The Herman Center does not accept walk-ins. Referrals come from law enforcement and healthcare providers, like local emergency departments.

By Karen Ranus of NAMI Central Texas and Ellen Richards of Integral Care

 

Being Superwomen – juggling family, career, relationships, community service and aging parents – puts us at risk. Trying to do it ALL, women often forget to put themselves on the “to do” list. Neglecting to take care of ourselves can and does impact our mental health.

 

Research shows that women are twice as likely as men to experience depression, anxiety and PTSD, and twice as likely to attempt suicide. Yet, few of us recognize mental health is just as important as physical health. One in five people – women, men and children – experience a mental health issue in their lifetime. Mental illness is actually far more common than cancer. It is a brain-based disorder, deserving the same care, treatment and respect as a physical illness. But we still have work to do when it comes to bringing mental illness out of the shadows.

 

Mental Health Month and National Women’s Health Week are recognized in May, creating an opportunity to raise awareness and share resources. If you or a female relative, friend or colleague experiences a mental health issue, here are things you can do:

 

1. Seek help from a professional. Help is available and recovery is possible. Integral Care has a 24/7 Helpline (512-472-HELP/4357) for anyone who needs immediate emotional support – even if you’re just having a bad day. Mental health professionals are available around the clock to offer help without judgement and connection to services like integrated mental and primary health care and counseling.
2. Take a free class or join a support group with NAMI Central Texas. NAMI supports individuals who experience a mental illness and their family members as they move toward recovery. People come together to connect, learn and share resources. Learn more at NAMICentralTX.org.
3. Share your story. When women share their stories, we have the power to shift the conversation around mental health, create change in our healthcare system and improve mental health care for everyone. Being open about our own struggles empowers our community to recognize and talk about mental health without shame or stigma.
4. Be compassionate and offer support. Just as you would reach out to someone diagnosed with cancer, reach out to someone experiencing a mental health issue. Share food, send a card, drive them to an appointment. Take Integral Care’s free Mental Health First Aid class to learn how to help someone experiencing a mental health issue or crisis. Register at integralcare.org/MHFA.

 

As we are told before taking off for a flight, “put on your oxygen mask first before assisting others.” Protecting our health and well-being are essential for women to continue to thrive. Women strengthen our community when we take care of ourselves just as we take care of others. Tending to our mental health is as important as our physical health. With access to quality mental health care and connection to a strong support network, we build health and well-being and become a more resilient community.

 

Karen Ranus is the Executive Director of NAMI Central Texas, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Learn more at NAMICentralTX.org.
Ellen Richards is the Chief Strategy Officer of Integral Care, the Local Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority for Travis County. Learn more at IntegralCare.org.

If you missed our Community Forum: A Home is More Than Four Walls, check out the recap on our podcast This Is Integral. Darilynn Cardona-Beiler, our Director of Adult Behavioral Health Services, Chris Laguna, our Practice Administrator for Housing and Homeless Services, and Anne Nagelkirk, our Director of Communications and Engagement share some of their favorite moments from the forum and talk about Integral Care’s work in homelessness and housing.

 

I am pleased to announce that Integral Care’s Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) Annual Report is now available. I invite you to learn about the work we did in 2018 to support adults and children living with mental illness, substance use disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

 

As I reflect on last year, the word integration comes to mind. Integral Care believes in serving the whole person through integrated care. We believe that community systems and partners must collaborate at all levels, integrating their expertise, to advance the whole health of our community. In FY18, Integral Care partnered with the City of Austin, Travis County and Central Health, criminal justice, first responders, school districts, non-profit community-based organizations and healthcare providers to strengthen our local systems, improve access to care, and raise awareness around issues of mental health, substance use disorder and IDD.

 

Together, we are helping Travis County thrive and are moving closer to our vision of Healthy Living for Everyone.

 

David Evans

Chief Executive Officer

Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression. Twice as likely to attempt suicide. The differences in how women experience mental health are real. Research identifies disparities between men and women in terms of risk, prevalence, presentation and treatment sought and received. For this month’s Transparencies, our Chief Strategy Officer, Ellen Richards and NAMI Austin’s Executive Director, Karen Ranus, talk about women’s mental health and how our community is addressing mental health issues.

Read more in our monthly newsletter, Transparencies.

“Home is where one starts from.”
TS Eliot

 

Terrace at Oak Springs is Integral Care’s newest permanent supportive housing community. 50 individuals who are experiencing homelessness will have a safe place to call home, helping them on the road to recovery.

 

Many of the future residents have been living on the streets with nothing but what fits in a backpack.  You can provide household essential items exclusively for Terrace at Oak Springs – kitchen tools, bathroom supplies, linens and more — to help make the apartments feel like homes.

 

We have partnered with COCObundle, a local social enterprise that has curated the registry of household goods. Once a bundle is purchased, COCObundle handles the rest—from stocking the products to creating welcome packages for each of the 50 residents to delivering the items to Terrace. When new residents arrive on move-in day, they already will have welcome packages in their unit.

 

To donate a bundle for a future resident, simply visit the Integral Care campaign on the COCObundle website and select your preferred bundle.

 

In lieu of a bundle, you can also make a donation to support the future residents of Terrace at Oak Springs.

A report from the Children’s Mental Health Crisis Task Force recommends that to improve care for children the community needs to remove the stigma associated with mental illness, offer more crisis intervention options and better coordinate care.

Read the report here.

Last week, Integral Care hosted a Community Forum on Rebuilding Health and Well-Being After Trauma. It was an impactful event featuring Dr. Elisa Borah of UT’s Steve Hicks School of Social Work, Seanna Crosbie of Austin Child Guidance Center and Dr. Valerie Rosen of UT’s Dell Medical School. The panel also included someone with lived experience who courageously shared her story. Our experts shared information about direct and indirect trauma and resources that support recovery.

 

 

To build upon the information shared at the forum, we recapped the event in our new podcast – This is Integral, which explores topics that are integral to the health and well-being of our community. Please join Integral Care’s Dr. Kathleen Casey, Director of Clinical Innovation and Development, and David West, LCSW, LCDC, Integrated Care Clinic Practice Manager, as they discuss key takeaways from the forum. They’ll share favorite moments from the panel and talk about Integral Care’s approach to supporting individuals impacted by trauma.

 

Please find resources from our panelists below.

 

Austin Child Guidance Center

Seton Behavioral Health Care Restore Program

Trauma-Informed Care Consortium of Central Texas

Veteran Couples Connect Program

Veteran Spouse Resiliency Group Program

 

We look forward to seeing you at our next Community Forum in the spring.

Integral Care recently launched a collaboration with Crisis Text Line, a national organization that provides free, 24/7 crisis support via text, increasing access to crisis care for people in our community who prefer texting to talking. Since 75% of texters are under 25, the text line is an additional tool that helps youth and young adults who may be struggling. Here’s how it works:

 

• An individual texts TX to 741741.
• A trained Crisis Text Line counselor receives the text and responds quickly – within 5 minutes.
• The Crisis Text Line counselor helps the individual stay safe and healthy using active listening and suggested referrals – all through text message, using a secure platform.

 

Crisis Text Line counselors are volunteers who go through rigorous training. A paid professional with an advanced degree in counseling, psychology or social work closely supervises them, monitoring every conversation. Additionally, supervisors have experience in crisis intervention.

 

Crisis Text Line is an anonymous service, which means they don’t know the location of the person reaching out for help. However, if a texter is at imminent risk of suicide, including ideation, plans, means or timing within 24 hours, a Crisis Text Line supervisor can activate emergency response and identify the location of the individual. Crisis Text Line will contact local law enforcement or EMS to perform a safety check on the individual. In this situation, local law enforcement or EMS might refer to Integral Care or involve our Mobile Crisis Outreach Team. Nationally, Crisis Text Line contacts law enforcement or EMS an average of 20 times per day.

 

Integral Care continues to provide immediate crisis support over the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through our 24/7 Crisis Helpline at 512-472-HELP (4357). We are proud to partner with the Text Line, so that people who prefer not to pick up the phone have access to the support they need, when they need it.

Tables and Sponsorships are still on sale.

 

Join us this year as we honor Dr. Clay Johnston and highlight the partnership between Dell Medical School and Integral Care.

 

Funds raised this year will go to provide the latest evidence-based best practices that are the critical tools for building recovery for persons with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who are experiencing a mental health crisis.

 

New Milestones Foundation raises funds to support Integral Care in meeting the needs of adults, families, and children in our community with mental illness, substance abuse disorders and intellectual and developmental disabilities. We accomplish this by bridging the gaps between what government funds and what enhances Integral Care programs and services and between what we have today in practice and what might be promising practices for the future.

 

Tickets to event