HEALTH MATTERS Community is banding together to improve mental health

Feb. 04--Nearly 1 in 5 Pennsylvanians has some mental illness, and more than half received no treatment during the latest reporting year, a national organization says.

Mental Health America ranked the state 16th overall in key mental health measures in its 2018 Mental Health in America report.

That's down from ninth in 2016.

Criteria include both access to care and number of patients with some diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional disorder -- excluding developmental and substance use disorders.

The situation led Johnstown-based 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health to identify mental health as one of the region's four public health priorities. Others are drug and alcohol abuse and tobacco use; obesity and physical activity; and diabetes.

Although diabetes has been identified as the organization's primary focus for 2018, mental health plays a role all of the public health issues, center Executive Director Trina Thompson said.

"Mental health affects your overall health and your ability to take care of yourself," Thompson said at the center's headquarters in the Crown American Building downtown.

"You lose interest and become self-effacing," she continued. "You don't believe you can actually get better."

Those working in the mental health field and those struggling with mental health issues have many obstacles to overcome, Conemaugh psychologist Rick Kutz said. The public stigma of mental illness remains, he said.

"What do people know about mental health until they have people in the family?" he asked. "The cultural perception is too often 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.' Remember Nurse Ratched?"

Not only is there a shortage of therapy, but insurance companies are reluctant to pay for it, he noted. Meanwhile, residential programs continue to decline.

"Mental health exacerbates other health crises," Kutz said. "Rather than just trying to deal with a mood disorder, (patients) fall victim to other health conditions: Smoking and self-medication through illicit drugs."

Seeing the importance of the issue, a number of local mental health professionals and advocates came together to form the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health's first work group.

"We've been meeting since August or September," team leader Jesper Nielsen said, adding that monthly attendance ranges from eight to 15 people.

The work groups, recently renamed community engagement teams, provide boots on the ground for the Center for Population Health's overall mission of improving the region's health, said Michelle George, community projects manager.

"These work groups are pulling people together to make a difference," George said. "The groups come up with a project to pursue. Then they see what have other communities done, and what has worked for them.

"We don't want to go and reinvent the wheel."

Other teams include physical activity, healthy meals, health education, tobacco use and worksite wellness.

A behavior support specialist and co-owner of Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates Inc., Nielsen said the mental and spiritual health team has identified three areas to address: advocacy, collaboration and education.

The group, which includes representatives from a number of small and large organizations, is working to improve mental health care and access for those who need it. In addition, goals include reducing the stigma associated with mental illness and help the public see the value of mental health professionals.

"We are looking for solutions that make sense for the individuals we serve," he said at the Croyle-Nielsen office, 336 Bloomfield St., Johnstown.

The team recognizes that a national shortage of psychiatrists has hit this region especially hard. By working together, Nielsen said, the region's providers may be able to attract more professionals.

The community engagement team for mental and spiritual health is also exploring options to provide more training for psychiatric nurses and other behavioral health workers, Nielsen said.

Required continuing education classes are usually held as part of a large conference, which requires professionals to take time and travel out of the area, he explained.

"If we band together as providers, it would be easier to attract some of those programs," he said. "Then we could focus more on the clinical side."

Other community engagement teams are also following collaborative approach to exploring alternatives for public health issues, George said. All of the teams continue to accept new participants.

Professional backgrounds are not required for the grassroots teams, Thompson stressed. Anyone with an interest in improving the health of the community is welcome to join.

Teams meet each month, and members volunteer to complete assignments between gatherings.

Those interested may contact the 1889 Center for Population Health at [email protected].

Randy Griffith is a multimedia reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 532-5057. Follow him on Twitter @PhotoGriffer57.

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