Becky Otteman, MA  has recently been named the new CEO/ Executive Director of Southeast Mental Health Services based in La Junta, CO and serving the entire southeast corner of the state. She holds a master’s degree in Administration and was the former principal of La Junta Middle School.  She is currently pursuing national certification in healthcare administration.

Becky serves on the SyCare Board of Managers, Integrated Community Health Partners Board of Managers, Mountain View Housing Board, Colorado Health Partnerships “A” Board and the Colorado Behavioral Health Council’s Legislative, Mental Health Center, Integration, and Board of Directors Committees.
“The board of directors has complete confidence in Becky’s ability to implement the strategic plan, knowing that she worked in lock-step with Bob for nearly a decade,” remarked Tom Marmon, board president.

Congratulations to Becky and best wishes for continued success as the leader at Southeast!

Contact Brian Turner at bturner@cbhc.org to learn more about this program and how you get get involved.

Click here to listen or to read the transcript from Morning Edition!

Americans have heard about a slew of public health crises so far this year. Michelle Obama cited childhood obesity. The FDA warned about tainted food and drugs, while the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy applied the term to prescription drug abuse. Without a doubt, anyone who saw the movie “Contagion” would label infectious diseases a pressing public health crisis.

While all of these issues may indeed be legitimate crises, none are as widespread or contribute as much to the burden of illness in the U.S. as do mental illnesses. With October 2-8 being Mental Illness Awareness Week, it’s an ideal time to break the silence and stigma that often surround the topic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) find that about half of U.S. adults will develop a mental illness during their lifetime. One in four adults experiences a mental disorder in any given year, and one in 17 lives with a serious mental illness like schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder. By 2020, mental and substance use disorders will surpass all physical diseases worldwide as major causes of disability.

Perhaps it is natural that most people associate public health crises with physical illnesses. Yet here again, a CDC report released in September found that cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases are associated with mental illness. The report found that treatment of the mental illness also can reduce the effect of
chronic diseases.

Sadly, almost 40 percent of people with mental and substance use disorders never get treated. Those who seek treatment typically do so after a decade or more of delays, during which time they are likely to develop additional problems. A survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that of the 2.5 million adults with mental and substance use disorders, only slightly more than 11 percent received treatment for both disorders.

The good news is that treatment works. According to the National Advisory Mental Health Council, the treatment success rate for bipolar disorder is a remarkable 80 percent.
The recovery rates for other serious mental illnesses follow suit: major depression (65?80 percent), schizophrenia (60 percent) and addiction (70 percent).

Effective mental health and addiction treatments also reduce costs. A Surgeon General’s report finds that $1.00 invested in substance use treatment has a return of $7.00 in cost savings on crime and criminal justice costs alone. After all, people in recovery work, pay taxes, buy homes and contribute positively to society. Without adequate treatment, people with mental illness often end up in emergency rooms, homeless or in jail, all of which end up costing taxpayers more money in the long run.

Yet even in a year starting with the tragedy in Tucson and followed six months later by the shooting rampage in Grand Rapids, MI, states continue to make severe budget cuts that threaten mental health services nationwide. In fiscal year 2011, 24 states slashed provider reimbursement rates for Medicaid — the most important source of funding of
public mental health services. The nation’s governors have proposed further cuts to Medicaid spending in 2012, even as they predict an increase in people enrolling in mental health services.

Mental Illness Awareness Week is an opportunity to stop the whispering and speak up about mental illness to our friends, co-workers and legislators. We cannot afford to wait for the next national tragedy to recognize that mental illness is a public health crisis that deserves our nation’s attention and support.

Congratulations to 2011 CBHC Golden Light Bulb winner: Aurora Mental Health Center Aurora Youth Options Program.

CLICK HERE! To view all the nominees.

Washington, DC (July 8, 2011) — Carl Clark, MD, assumes leadership of the board of directors National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (National Council) as the association advances an aggressive agenda to protect and expand safety net mental health and addictions treatment services. Clark will lead a board committed to recovery and a life in the community for persons with mental illnesses and addiction disorders.

Clark, a practicing psychiatrist and CEO of the Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD) in Denver, Colorado has been a passionate behavioral health advocate for more than three decades. He leads MHCD in its mission of enriching lives and minds by focusing on strengths and recovery and is widely known as an expert in improving community mental health care. Clark has been NAMI’s Exemplary Psychiatrist of the Year and the Colorado Business Council’s Professional Man of the Year. He is Assistant Clinical Professor at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

“It’s a privilege to have been elected chair of the National Council’s board at a time when healthcare reform and parity are about to greatly expand access to behavioral healthcare and our community is being asked to step up to the plate to help. I am humbled and energized by the opportunity to help millions of adults, children, and families with mental and addictions disorders get better and get their lives together,” said Clark.

Other newly elected National Council board officers are Jeffrey Walter, President-CEO, Rushford Center Inc., Meriden, CT (first vice chair); David M. Ptaszek, CEO, Pennyroyal Center, Hopkinsville, KY (second vice chair); and Susan Blue, CEO, Community Services Group, Mountville, PA (secretary/treasurer). The board’s Public Policy Committee has as its new chair, Tim Swinfard, President and CEO of the Missouri Coalition of Community Mental Health Centers, and vice chair Rich Leclerc, President and CEO of Gateway Healthcare in Pawtucket, RI, is the new vice-chair of the board’s Public Policy Committee. Vic DiGravio, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Association for Behavioral Healthcare, is the new chair of the National Council association executives group.

“The strength of the board cannot be overstated; each member brings to the table an understanding of community and a vision of National Council member organizations as change makers. Carl Clark leads a board determined to take us from strength to significance and I’m honored to be part of the effort,” said Linda Rosenberg, President and CEO of the National Council.

New regional directors elected or re-elected to the National Council board are

• Katherine Wilson, President and CEO, Behavioral Health Network, Inc., Springfield, MA

• Peter Campanelli, PsyD, President and CEO, Institute for Community Living New York, NY

• Joanne Sheldon, CEO, Lifeways Community Mental Health Authority, Jackson, MI

• William Brown, JD, Board Member, MHMR of Tarrant County, Mansfield, TX

• David Covington, Chief of Adult Services, Magellan Health Services of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ

• Richard Van Horn, MDiv, President Emeritus, Mental Health Association of Los Angeles, Long Beach, CA

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The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) association of 1,950 behavioral healthcare organizations that provide treatment and rehabilitation for mental illnesses and addiction disorders to nearly six million adults, children and families in communities across the country. The National Council and its members bear testimony to the fact that medical, social, psychological and rehabilitation services offered in community settings help people with mental illnesses and addiction disorders recover and lead productive lives. Learn more at www.TheNationalCouncil.org.

Robert E. Whaley, executive director of Southeast Mental Health Services, passed away August 5.

He was a member of the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council and served on several committees. He was loved by many and will be truly missed.

For information on the memorial service:  Click Here

To read more about him and the impact he made in his community: Click Here

  The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (National Council) has chosen five community behavioral health organizations to participate in a Depression Care Collaborative to improve the quality of treatment for persons with depression. This year-long project seeks to measure patient responses to depression treatment to guide improvements in care.  Click here to download the entire PDF: National Council Press Release 7-5-11 

Transforming Healthcare, to paraphrase Cynthia James, calls us to carry an inspired vision for ourselves, our communities and the people we love; to make a commitment to transforming lives with that vision; and to build community in which tosustain our vision. The work, at times, seems daunting.

Click here to download the entire PDF: Summer 2011 Integration News