Program Highlights | Staff Updates | Board of Directors Updates
MHA Program Highlights from 2011
Information and Assistance
- Provided assistance to 1,407 callers.
- Offered an online mental health and substance use screening tool which 2,812 individuals completed.
- Distributed 7,000 resource guides to individuals, schools, police and fire departments, churches, social workers, treatment providers, and social service agencies.
- Distributed a variety of information to 950 e-newsletter subscribers, 301 Facebook followers and 190 followers on Twitter.
- Provided information on our web site to an average of 9,000 visitors per month. Of those surveyed, 90% reported they found the information they were looking for and 95% reported they would use the information they received from MHA either personally or professionally.
Strong Families Healthy Homes
- Reunified 85% of the families that were involved in child welfare and received services from MHA.
- Decreased the need for psychiatric hospitalization for 100% of the parents receiving services from MHA. 84% of the parents who previously required psychiatric hospitalizations did not require hospitalization while involved with SFHH.
- Completed surveys from our parents show that:
- 89% feel their life is better than before they attended MHA
- 88% are better able to function at school or work
- 89% report their relationships are better than they were before
- 92% feel they are better able to identify the stressors in their life
- 87% report they learned skills to cope with their stress
Suicide Prevention
- Educated 10,000 people throughout the state on QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention gatekeeper training
- Trained 100 people to teach the QPR program and thus further disseminate science-based information to all corners of the state.
- Held first annual Suicide Prevention Conference with over 100 attendees.
- Helped with the formation and continual support, and continues to provide technical assistance to, suicide prevention coalitions in 35 Wisconsin counties.
Advocacy/Public Policy
- Provided leadership, through the Wisconsin Council on Mental Health, in responding to mental health issues in the 2011-2013 state budget and to bills introduced into the legislature.
- Played a key role in maintaining dialogue with the Walker Administration through a very tumultuous year and, in doing so, was successful in keeping some mental health priorities, such as the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Infrastructure Study and Medical Homes for persons with serious mental illness, moving forward.
- Through participation in the Intervention and Treatment Committee of the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse has worked to better integrate policy and planning across the mental health and substance abuse systems.
Education and Outreach
- Provided mental health education for over 140 supervisors and managers at 3 large companies in the Milwaukee and Madison area
- Took the lead on scripting Mental Health @ Work: A Practical Guide for Managers, Supervisors and Leaders; a well-received DVD aimed at creating mentally-healthy workplaces.
- Educated 358 people throughout the state on mental illness through resource fairs, workshops and training seminars
- Started a third survivors of suicide support group in the Greater Milwaukee area
Staff Updates
New Employee- Christye Johnson
Christye has been working in the community as a Peer Specialist for the past 2 years. Christye brings a wealth of knowledge around community-based resources for both adults and children and is a strong advocate for families. We are so excited for her to join the MHA team.
Karissa Vogel promoted Lead Family Advocate, effective 1/9/12
Karissa brings supervisory and fundraising experience, as well as her experience as a Family Advocate, to this position. She has been amazing during her transition to this role going above and beyond for the families in the Strong Families Healthy Homes programs.
Welcome our NEW Board of Directors members
Furman Avery Jr.
Furman brings to MHA his passion and commitment to play a role in an organization that works and helps those with any form of mental illness. Furman is a Certified Peer Specialist and has is committed to volunteerism as shown by his current involvement as a Board Member Officer at Grassroots Empowerment Project, an Information Technology Consultant with NAMI of Greater Milwaukee and a volunteer at IndependenceFirst.
Michelle M. Cornette, Ph.D.
Michelle brings to MHA a passion for suicide prevention. Michelle has been serving the Milwaukee area since 2003, as both a clinical psychologist at the Zablocki VA and a faculty member at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Areas of expertise include depression and suicide, veteran mental health issues, and barriers to mental health treatment-seeking.
James M. Hill
Jim Hill brings diverse experiences to MHA's board including positions in the legislative and executive branches of federal, state, city and county government. Most recently, prior to his move to MCFI, Jim had been with the Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services since 1996, where he held the positions of Director of the County's Behavioral Health system, and Director of Housing, among others.
Mary Neubauer
For the past twenty eight years, Mary has been an advocate for persons affected by mental illness and addiction. Mary is a person living with mental illness whom has had formal training in the peer specialist model of mental health supports for adults. In this role, she uses her unique set of recovery experiences in combination with solid skills training to support other living with mental illness and substance abuse issues.
Barbara J. Sorensen
Barbee brings twenty years of experience in the medical field to MHA. She currently works at IndependenceFirst as a Consumer Services Rep/Intake Specialist and has been in her own mental health recovery for the last ten years along with being a parent of a child with a mental health diagnosis. She brings along years of personal experiences along with being involved professionally on a local, state and national level.
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