News Room

Cadillac News – by Jeff Broddle http://www.cadillacnews.com/news_story/?story_id=1808818&year=2013&issue=20130502 When a loved one commits suicide, there is pain for survivors and, understandably, a need for privacy. But suicide also is a public health issue. For Americans between the ages of 25 and 34, suicide is the second-leading cause of death. It's the third-leading cause for those between [...]

http://www.grbj.com/articles/76708-inmates-not-always-treated-for-addiction-mental-illness LANSING — Unpredictable behavior, irrationality, confusion, loss of control: all are symptoms of mental illness and signs of drug abuse. Although the two can be similar, problems of addiction and mental health have long been dealt with separately in county jails, Michigan Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Terrence Jungel said. Mentally ill inmates with drug [...]

Local entries to the statewide “Creative Minds Changing Minds,” art show will be featured at the AuSable Artisan Village Gallery in Grayling on March 1-3. The art entries are by people who receive services at Northern Lakes Community Mental Health and who use art as a means to reduce stress and enrich their lives. One [...]

http://www.crawfordcountyavalanche.com/articles/2013/02/13/news/doc511bb728806dd964758138.txt by Dan Sanderson-Staff Writer, Crawford County Avalanche Health officials are poised to step up efforts to help people with mental illness maintain healthier lifestyles as they are on their path to recovery with a new building and renovation project in Grayling. The Northern Lakes Community Mental Health offices in Grayling, located at 204 Meadows [...]

BY GLENN PUIT gpuit@record-eagle.com Sue Orchard received a paranoid schizophrenia diagnosis nearly 30 years ago, but she doesn't let that stop her from pursuing a normal, productive life. Almost every day, Orchard, 53, heads to work at The Traverse House Clubhouse at 105 Hall Street in downtown Traverse City. She labors in the kitchen to [...]

By Rick Charmoli, Cadillac News Chances are, you know someone with a mental health problem. According to Northern Lake Community Mental Health, one in four Americans are dealing with some sort of mental health issue. That means it could be you, a family member, friend or co-worker. With budgets at the state and national level [...]

Northern Lakes CMH offers deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, and the entire community of Newtown, Connecticut. Such unthinkable tragedies — especially those involving our children —take an immeasurable emotional toll. Our thoughts and prayers are with the parents and citizens of Newtown as they [...]

Traverse City Record Eagle. November 16, 2012 by Marta Hepler Drahos.  Kory Stevens loved to draw and paint before the accident that changed his life. Now he's using art to help in his recovery. "If you can't express what you feel (in words) you can do it through art," said Stevens, of Thompsonville, one of [...]

What a beautiful show! The 6th annual Art of Recovery: The Human Journey show has almost 100 pieces representing realism, abstract, impressionist, three-dimension… a wide variety of styles, genres, colors, from a wide variety of people. The show reflects just what this event is all about – that we all recover from something at some [...]

Anyone who is recovering or has recovered from anything may submit art to the 6th Annual Northern Lakes CMH Art Of Recovery: The Human Journey show. The deadline is October 19, 2012. Click on the title above to access this post – then, here are the 2012 submission form/rules.

Northern Lakes Community Mental Health is accepting applications for individuals who would like to become a member on the Recipient Rights Advisory and Appeals Committee. The applicant must have received or is receiving services from a community mental health services program or services from the private sector to those equivalent offered by the public mental [...]

The International Center for Clubhouse Development (ICCD) recently granted first-time accreditation for Traverse House Clubhouse, a program under the auspices of Northern Lakes Community Mental Health (CMH), where people who have had mental illness come to rebuild their lives. Over 300 Clubhouses are accredited by ICCD worldwide. “It is our understanding that we are presently [...]

Northern Lakes Community Mental Health (NLCMH) and the Crawford County Department of Human Services (DHS) are teaming up to provide a training workshop for foster parents and relative caregivers on caring for children who have experienced trauma. The workshop will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the [...]

Cadillac News, May 5, 2011, by Rick Charmoli. Katie Griffin is like many other 15 year olds. She likes watching movies, loves animals, hanging out with her family and playing on her Nintendo DS. Read the full article.

By Krista Tacey, krista.tacey@houghtonlakeresorter.com In the time frame of two weeks 1 in 20 people will think about committing suicide and, in most cases, that one person will reach out to another to stop them. There are now 16 people in the area who can say they will be able to notice the warning signs of [...]

Opinion Editorial by Gregory D. Paffhouse, NLCMH CEO  in Grand Traverse Insider http://www.morningstarpublishing.com/articles/2011/02/14/grand_traverse_insider/opinion/doc4d596fbb2a160057249230.txt January was a month of much public sadness and tragedy. The Tucson shooting and Traverse City murder-suicide are but two events that angered, shocked and saddened us and left us wondering why these things happen and what could have been done to [...]

MACMHB Winter 2011 Connections by Ernie Reynolds, Certified Peer Support Specialist, Northern Lakes CMH Authority, and Gregory Paffhouse, CEO, Northern Lakes CMH Authority Connections is extremely pleased that Ernie and Greg have provided us with a vision of a system that is framed by the characteristics and principles of recovery. These are consumer driven qualities. Acquiring this wisdom [...]

by Melissa Smith, http://www.upnorthlive.com/news/story.aspx?list=~\home\lists\search&id=574980 People recovering from a mental illness in some northern Michigan communities can now apply for grants. That's because Northern Lakes Community Mental Health is now offering mini-grants.  The plan is to help transform the public mental health system to one based on recovery principles by strengthening consumer choice and enhancing personal recovery. Funding [...]

Amy Hubbell, http://leelanaunews.com/drupal/index.php?q=node/26441 As a child, Brittany’s eyes sparkled with hope of a great future. Today her eyes are darkened, tired from night after night of couch surfing—wondering which way to go next. The former Leelanau County woman left home after her 18th birthday and has been in Traverse City for more than a year. [...]

By  Amy Hubbell, http://leelanaunews.com/drupal/node/26440 How and where mentally ill people are treated has changed dramatically during the past generation. County commissioner David Marshall of Glen Arbor is one of two people representing Leelanau County on a 16-member board that sets policy for the Northern Lakes Community Mental Health (NLCMH) agency. “In my past life, in [...]

TV 9 & 10: http://www.9and10news.com/Category/Story/?id=279074&cID=1 (See Pat Hess interview) A federal grant will soon offer affordable and independent living for some in Traverse City. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently awarded a $60,000 grant to the city housing commission. It will be used to offer about 10 vouchers to the non-elderly within 50 [...]

By Kristine Morris, Contributing Writer – The 4th Annual “Art of Recovery: The Human Journey” exhibit, sponsored by Northern Lakes Community Mental Health (NLCMH), and hosted by the Inside Out Gallery, will once again provide a powerful demonstration of how artistic expression can aid in the recovery process. The exhibit had its opening reception last [...]

By Kristine Morris, Contributing Writer – To reveal what it can be like to live with mental illness and highlight area resources for the mentally ill, NLCMH and The Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay are sponsoring a free showing of the movie, “Proof,” starring award-winning actors Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins and Jake Gyllenhaal, followed by [...]

Oftentimes a suicide attempt by a loved one or friend surprises everyone surrounding that person. “We never knew …” seems to be the most often uttered phrase. However, according to area medical professionals and counselors, small but vibrant signals will emerge before any attempt at suicide is made. Click the title of this post and [...]

By Linda Stephan To listen to the interview with Ernie Reynolds, click here. In Traverse City on September 27, the State Theatre will show a thought-provoking blockbuster from 2008 you may have already seen: The Soloist, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jaime Foxx. With the showing tonight, there's a chance to see the movie through the [...]

Read the full article here. Next Monday evening Ernie Reynolds will join mental health and human service professionals on a panel convened after a free showing of the movie "The Soloist" at the Traverse City State Theatre. The feature-length drama stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx relating a true story that raises issues of [...]

By Rick Charmoli and Mardi Suhs  Full Article Here Forty-four people have died by suicide in Wexford and Missaukee counties since 2004, including four during this current year, according to Wexford County Medical Examiner Dr. Fred Wreford. The highest years were 2004 and 2006 each with 11, and according to Northern Lake Community Mental Health [...]

Businesses and agencies located along Meadows Drive held their second annual Block Party on Thursday, August 26. Huntington Bank, District Health Department #10, Mercy Home Care/Hospice, Northern Lakes Community Mental Health, and the Grayling Nursing and Rehabilitation Community took part in the block party.

BY VANESSA MCCRAY, TRAVERSE CITY — A film chronicling a local agency's efforts to shatter stigmas associated with mental illness received out-of-state attention. "To See What I See: The Stigma of Mental Illness" details the Stigma Busters project of Northern Lakes Community Mental Health. The film was shown Sunday at the 6th Annual New York City [...]

TRAVERSE CITY — Shirley Brasseur Harris wheeled agilely around her small apartment, decorated in cheerful pink and purple accents.

From her living room window at Riverview Terrace Apartments, she can see the Boardman River as it winds through downtown Traverse City. This apartment signifies independence for Harris.

Whether it’s an addiction of alcohol, drugs, food, sex, gambling, work or relationships, everybody knows someone with an addiction problem, according to Jane Rosemeier, lead counselor and certified addictions counselor at Catholic Human Services in Cadillac.

CADILLAC – Various human service agencies in Wexford and Missaukee counties will be key in finding out poverty conditions and needs for the two counties.

Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Community Collaborative Coordinator Ken Nydam said the survey and the results will be used by the Coalition for Poverty Reduction to formulate a report.

Twenty years ago this month, the State of Michigan locked the doors of the Traverse City Regional Psychiatric Hospital.
At any one time, the State Hospital was home to thousands of patients and steady work for hundreds of employees.
On the next Points North here on Interlochen Public Radio, we'll take a tour of the building with some former employees.

Budget talks continued in Lansing Tuesday, but it's not real clear how much progress is being made.
Among the many areas likely to see cuts is the department that supports the state's mental health services.

Local, state and federal legislative candidates have been invited to a series of forums in October to discuss their views on key issues. The public is invited to attend. The forum is sponsored by Northern Lakes Community Mental Health (NLCMH) and its Consumer Advocacy Council. The forum will focus on affordable housing, employment, public transportation, and health care. Candidates attending will have the opportunity to address these issues and to respond to audience questions.

Jodi Hathaway and photojournalist Joel Deaner have more on how patients might be affected – includes a video interview with Greg Paffhouse, NLCMH Chief Executive Officer.

Flowers are blooming, the sun is shining and summer is finally here. That brightness, however, doesn’t diminish the emotional distress and struggles that many Michigan residents are dealing with in the midst of this difficult economy.

Economic turmoil can cause a whole array of negative health effects, both physical and mental. Everyone deals with economic struggles differently. Dealing with these troubles can add tremendous stress, which increases the risk for developing depression, substance abuse, anxiety or compulsive behaviors such as over-eating and excessive gambling or spending.

Creating art — without praise or criticism. That’s exactly what happens at a series of classes that take place at Northern Lakes Community Mental Health. Vic McCarty visited one of the classes, and brings us the story.

From the moment the night begins, the chatter starts. People are animated and the energy level is high. People are greeting each other, catching up on news, sharing summer plans, complimenting each other on their hair ribbons and pretty jewelry, one person's newly shaved moustache, another person's nice new shirt.

Don’t judge a book by what it looks like during high school. Marcia Wieringa admits she "went to high school for fun."

Dawn McConnell wonders what her son William should do when his high school years end a year from now.

William can graduate with a special education diploma, or put his diploma on hold and go on for job training through the intermediate school district until age 26.

For the past 15 years, Chris Davis has felt alone.

Davis, who lives in Grayling, has a 15-year-old son with severe emotional disorder (SED); since he was young, his mother has felt judged and criticized as a parent; people didn’t understand that her son has SED, a neurological disorder, which causes him to act out.

Take a deep breath and a sigh of relief. Today, winter officially ends.

While yesterday, snow fell from the skies one last time as winter said good-bye, a corner has been turned and not long from now, birds will be singing and flowers will be blooming. Believe it or not, spring has arrived.

Jeff Miller has a unique perspective on financial stability.

He doesn’t use the traditional markers – how many material items he has or assets bought and traded on the stock exchange – to determine whether he has financial stability. Instead, the 36-year-old uses a much simpler way to come to that conclusion – are all the bills paid and are all the basic needs of his family met?

Lynn Fuller won’t be afraid to speak up the next time she thinks someone is depressed or might be considering suicide.

Unfortunately, Fuller learned that lesson the hard way. Last October, Fuller’s brother died by suicide. Fuller said it was no secret that her brother was depressed, and he even was in therapy to help him deal with his depression. Despite knowing all of this, Fuller said when she got the phone call that her brother had died, it was unexpected.

Dr. Frank Tosiello of Traverse City recently donated a painting to Northern Lakes Community Mental Health (CMH) to be auctioned with proceeds to benefit the organization’s free recovery art groups.

The painting was sold to anonymous donors who then donated the painting back to the mental health organization for permanent display. Dr. Tosiello’s gift raised $510, which will be used to purchase paint, paper and other supplies to support people learning to use art as a means to live a healthier, less stressful life.

TRAVERSE CITY — Dr. Frank Tosiello found a way to combine his passion for painting and his commitment to the mental health community by offering one of his paintings for sale to benefit Northern Lakes Community Mental Health.

The painting, a replica of Rembrandt's "A Woman Bathing in a Stream," was sold to an anonymous purchaser for $510, who then donated the painting back to the mental health organization for permanent display. Proceeds raised from the sale will be used for art supplies for free-to-the-community art groups.

It’s late winter and we’re living in a depressed economy, but that doesn’t mean your emotional well-being has to suffer.

Val Bishop, chief operating officer at Northern Lakes Community Mental Health for six regional counties, offers simple ways to enhance your happiness while living in a bad economy:

by Jeff Broddle NOTE: A recent telephone survey of adults in Northern Lakes CMH’s service area indicates overwhelming support for insurance parity. 93% of those surveyed strongly or somewhat agree that health insurance plans should be required to provide equal coverage for people with mental illness and for those with physical illness. Imagine your doctor [...]

Taken from the Michigan Association of CMH Boards publication, Connections:

The CMH BOARD BLOG is the place that we post articles and links to information too lengthy for publication in Connections. It’s also the online forum where you can post comments about the articles, or just do a little free writing of your own.