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Mental Health Association of Greater St.
Louis |
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Street Talk |
A MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER FOR
LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS
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Eastern Missouri January-March , 2007 |
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Mental Health Association of Greater St.
Louis |
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In this issue . . .
Cover Story: Many Facets of Grief and Loss
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By Margaret G. Tyler, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at the Florissant Valley campus of St. Louis Community College. |
With this edition, Street Talk begins a new cover story series. This new series will focus on aspects of grief related to death and non-death losses, as well as the impact of grief on an officer’s professional and personal life. Part 1 will provide a general overview of grief. Part 2 will examine circumstances in which you may professionally interact with persons experiencing grief due to being a victim, suspect or family member, as well as grief in persons during trial and parole processes. Part 3 will discuss issues of grief and loss as they might affect an officer’s personal life: divorce and custody concerns; diminished or compromised health status and impact on professional life; repeated exposure to exploited populations (children, elderly, etc.).
The experience of grief is a natural response to loss such as death of a loved one. However, grief can result from divorce, loss of a job or loss of one’s home. Natural disasters, e.g., earthquakes, and man-made catastrophes, e.g., terrorism, can also cause strong reactions of grief in the survivors.
Grief affects a person physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. Physical symptoms associated with grief include disruptions in appetite and sleep patterns, fatigue and decreased libido. Emotional symptoms can include depressed mood, anxiety, irritability, an inability to concentrate, and feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Socially, the person may withdraw from family and friends. Spiritually, the person may question his/her faith.
There are some myths about grief. One is that there are set stages that a person goes through. This stage theory of grief was first proposed by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in 1969. Kubler-Ross believed the bereaved would experience denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, ultimately, acceptance…in that order. But recent research has suggested these stages don’t apply to everyone. In fact, the timeline and amount of grief varies widely from person to person. How one responds to grief is a function of the person’s relationship to the deceased, the age of the person grieving, his/her personality and coping style and the amount of support one has from family and friends.
Another myth is that grieving should last only a few months. In Western culture from the 20th century to the present, grief has been treated as a troublesome interruption in one’s routine which should be overcome as soon as possible. Yet, research has shown that many people report the second year after a loss as more difficult than the first. This may be due to the withdrawal of support from family and friends so prevalent in the first few months after the loss. “Flare-ups” of brief, intense grief can occur even years after the initial loss.
“Complicated grief” is often observed when a young person has died, a death was violent and unexpected, e.g., suicide or homicide, or a man-made catastrophe has occurred, e.g., terrorism. In complicated grief there is persistent disbelief about the loss, unrelenting anger and guilt, frequent and intrusive thoughts of the loss or deceased and avoidance of any reminders of the loss. In fact, some people with complicated grief will go on to develop PTSD.
Some suggestions to help those confronting a serious loss
| Street Talk
Survey: Tell Us What You Think Your response to a brief on-line survey will help make Street Talk more useful to officers. Please take a minute or two to complete an opinion survey. Visit www.mhagstl.org/STSurvey.htm to tell us what you think. What would make Street Talk more helpful for you? Your opinion is valuable to us, and we hope you’ll participate in the on-line survey. If you want to talk to us in person about your ideas, call LaDonna at the Mental Health Association at 314-773-1399. |
CIT Corner: CIT at Work
| By Sgt. Barry Armfield, a St. Louis County Police Officer for 32 years, with assignments in all patrol divisions including Tactical Operations. He currently serves as the CIT Police Liaison Coordinator for the St. Louis County CIT Program. |
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CIT Corner appears regularly in Street Talk. CIT-trained officers will contribute articles to the column for the purpose of sharing information about the successes and expansion of CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) in the metropolitan area.
The Second Annual Crisis Intervention Team Conference was held in Orlando, FL, September 25 to 27, 2006. The theme of the conference was, “CIT and Beyond: Community Collaborations Making a Difference for People with Mental Illness.” The conference was very well attended by law enforcement officers nation wide. It was a pleasure talking to other representatives from police departments and discussing topics that are common to all crisis situations regardless of their place of residence. In comparing our program, I must say I believe we are very advanced for the short time we have been a program. We have very good cooperation between law enforcement agencies, mental health providers, Mental Health Court, and consumers and their supporters. It is through these collaborations that effective programs and initiatives are being developed and implemented for improved response and intervention to people living with mental illnesses, including co-occurring substance abuse disorders. Our program is successful because of the effort put forth by all involved.
The St. Louis Area CIT Council submitted five proposals for topics for workshops and to our complete surprise, all five were accepted. We also had two council members receive national awards at the conference, Coordinator of the Year and Behavioral Health Practitioner of the Year. Next year, the National CIT Conference will be held in Memphis, TN., dates to be announced. Officer Ken Easler (Frontenac) and Sgt. Perri Johnson (St. Louis) attended the conference for the first time and believe they have a better idea what CIT is all about. Both tested a product, “Hearing Voices” from the National Empowerment Center which uses a CD player and earphones to give an officer the feeling of what it is like to have a mental illness where voices are heard. Simple tasks are given to the person to while playing the CD. Both said even simple tasks were very difficult to accomplish. We purchased this product for training from money received by the CIT Dinner Committee. I strongly suggest making plans and budgeting for next year’s convention in Memphis. It should be very educational. The Memphis Police Department started the CIT concept in 1988 and most CIT programs are based on the Memphis Model.
If I can be of any assistance, please contact me at barmfield@stlouisco.com or call at 314-628-5509. For information on CIT in St. Louis, visit the CIT web site at www.stlouisco.com/police/cit/index.html. The web site includes participating agencies, a General Order for CIT, and a description of what CIT is all about.
St. Louis City Graduates
St. Louis County and Municipalities Graduates
Family and Consumer Panel members (L-R) Linda
Preus, Nick Costanzo,
Janet Ward, and Jim Pace
With courses offered in November and December, the Crisis Intervention Team of Greater St. Louis trained over 90 new CIT officers. Additionally, representatives from Columbia, MO, attended the training to become more familiar with CIT so their community can work toward implementing its own program. Congratulations to the newest CIT officers!
Bellefontaine NeighborsJeremy
Johnson ChesterfieldWillie
McConico Clayton
Demetrius Easley Des PeresMartin
Meyer Federal Reserve PoliceErik
Kambarian FlorissantJarrod
Coder KirkwoodThomas
Ballman Lambert St. Louis Intl. Airport
Charlene Cheney
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ManchesterDavid
Ebert Maryland HeightsSteve Walton NorthwoodsMark
Mack Brendan
Buehre St. JohnTimothy Heimann St. Louis CountyWilliam
Belcher
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St. Louis CityLori
Anderhalter Sunset HillsKristine Bushong Town and CountryShannon
Dion University of Missouri – St. LouisMarisa Smith Washington UniversityNicole
Ruhland |
In the Limelight: Officers Michael Mainieri and Tara Edsall
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This edition’s In the Limelight column recognizes two CIT officers who received Awards of Excellence at the 3rd Annual CIT Dinner in October, 2006. |
In April, 2006 Officer Michael Mainieri was on patrol and observed a woman standing next to her car parked on the deck of the I-64 Missouri River bridge. Initially, the woman indicated everything was OK, and Officer Mainieri talked the woman into re-entering her car and leaving the bridge area. But as the woman drove away, Mainieri felt the woman was still acting strangely, so he pulled her over again and continued his conversation with her. He asked her if she was considering suicide and she finally confessed, “Well yeah, I was thinking about jumping.” Officer Mainieri then got the woman to discuss her depression, obtained information about her insurance, and convinced the woman to receive psychiatric care. An ambulance responded to the scene and transported the woman to a hospital where she was admitted. Officer Mainieri then met with the woman again at the hospital, explained some of the services of the CIT program that might benefit her, and gave his business card to her, encouraging her to contact him in the future.
In September, 2006 Officer Tara Edsall was dispatched to the residence of a woman who she learned was suffering from bipolar disorder. The woman was delusional, highly agitated, and had forced her two children to take several pills to “cure” them. The first responding officers had secured the scene, gotten the children to safety, and were having the children transported to an emergency room. But the mother was still in the home, screaming, delusional. Officer Edsall entered the home, calmed the woman, and got her to agree to be transported to the hospital. She accompanied the woman in the ambulance, kept her calm despite continuing psychosis, and obtained valuable information about precipitating factors of the incident that helped emergency room staff administer care to the woman and her children.
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Officers Edsall and
Mainieri (with plaques) are joined by Chief Jerry Lee (left), |
For these acts of exemplary response to a mental health crisis, the St. Louis Area CIT Coordinating Council is pleased to recognize Police Officer Michael Mainieri of the Chesterfield Police Department and Police Officer Tara Edsall of the St. Louis County Police Department with the CIT Officer Award of Excellence.
As an officer, you may come into contact with persons with mental illness who either need a Representative Payee or want to change to a different one. You might encounter family members who could benefit from knowing how a Representative Payee can improve familial conflicts over Social Security benefits by eliminating their need to act as a Payee for an ill relative. Read on to learn what a Representative Payee is, whom they assist, the services they provide, and how you can put individuals and families in contact with this service.
Who needs a payee?
A person of any age or either gender might be required to have a Representative Payee because of an inability to manage one’s finances. Typically, persons who need a payee have a mental illness, mental retardation, head injury, or a combination of conditions. A history of alcohol or drug abuse may or may not be present. If a person is identified by the Social Security Administration as needing a payee, he/she will not receive any monetary benefits until a payee is put into place.
What is a Representative Payee?
A Representative Payee can be a person, organization or institution that is assigned to receive the monthly benefit check of a disabled person. The Representative Payee is responsible for paying bills (rent, utilities, etc.) and any other monthly expenses for that person, limited to the person’s income. The Representative Payee is also the direct source of spending money for that individual.
What is the source of these benefit checks?
Social Security provides two types of disability benefits: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI). SSI is for those individuals who have not worked enough over the years to receive a Social Security Disability Income check. Individuals who receive an SSDI check have worked enough in their life to now receive this type of income to support them.
In both cases, the individual is disabled so severely that he/she can no longer work to support him/herself. In some cases, the Social Security Administration (SSA) office, through the assessment of a psychiatrist, determines the individual must have a Representative Payee to manage the person’s monetary benefits.
How can the Representative Payee Program at the Mental Health Association help?
In the initial stage, we provide information to a potential client or family member about eligibility, the intake process, and standard procedures to participate in our Representative Payee Program. In our program, all clients must have a psychiatric disorder. Although the Social Security office refers most of our clients to us, we consider referrals from individuals, family members, social service agencies, mental health professionals, etc.
Monetary and budgetary concerns are a source of anxiety and stress for all of us. However, effective money management may be even more difficult for a person with severe mental illness and who probably has a very limited income. Additionally, a variety of problems can arise if a friend or family member acts as the payee. Quite often, when this responsibility is handed over to a third party, relationships improve between the ill person and the former payee. These improved relationships can be crucial to the overall well-being of the person who can now interact with the friend or family member without the conflict of finances.
Not only does the Representative Payee Program make sure essential bills are paid, thus creating stable housing, food, clothing, etc., but a monthly budget for other items is agreed upon, and the client receives a weekly allowance. Money management skills are taught, and in the end, some of our clients reach a point where they are put back in charge of their finances and no longer need our services.
Is there a cost for this program?
Currently, the Mental Health Association charges $33.00 per month for this service, as allowed under Federal law. An individual’s fee might be less, depending on the amount of his/her monthly benefits.
How can persons learn more about this service?
If
you come into contact with an individual or family who needs a Representative
Payee, have them contact Darren Stotler, Associate Program Director at
the Mental Health Association. He can be reached at 314-773-1399.
As a police officer responding to a mental health crisis, you might encounter families across the metropolitan area who ask questions about the many issues related to their loved one’s mental illness. In those cases when you do not have the answer, one of the resources you can tell them about is an educational program specifically for family members and significant others.
Metropolitan St. Louis Psychiatric Center (MPC) has a series of free Family Education classes available to the community. The classes are held on the first three Tuesday evenings of each month from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
The Family Education series begins Week 1 with the overall topic of Diagnosis and Management of Mental Disorders. This topic is presented by the Medical Director of Metropolitan St. Louis Psychiatric Center, Dr. Rakhshanda Hassan, and the Director of the MPC Pharmacy, Mr. Bob Kozlowski, RPH. They discuss such issues as:
Week 2 is presented by a member of MPC’s Social Work Department. The focus is on providing family members with information about a variety of non-clinical concerns they might typically face when dealing with a loved one’s chronic and persistent mental illness. Specific issues covered are diverse topics such as Dealing with Non-Compliance with Treatment, Civil Commitment Law, Obtaining Guardianship, and Community Resources available to help families and consumers in the community.
The presentation on Week 3 relates to Caring for the Caregiver. This is presented by a member of the Psychology Department at MPC and a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-St. Louis). Presenters discuss the need for support groups and how to take care of yourself if you have a family member or friend with a mental illness.
These classes, which are free and open to the public, are sponsored by NAMI-St. Louis and the Social Work Department at Metropolitan St. Louis Psychiatric Center, located at 5351 Delmar, St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, call Vickie Leahart at 314-877-0546.
Open Mind is a column produced by the Mental Health Association, which appears weekly in many Suburban Journals. Click here for the reprint above and access to the entire Open Mind Archive on this website.
We have archived past issues of Street Talk on this website. All back issues also include a Mental Health Directory and a link to a relevant Open Mind column.
McAtee Award recipients
Stress Relief (Sgt. Dan Fitzgerald)
Management Looks at Officer Burnout (Lt. Mike Laws)
A Look at Mental Health Courts (Officer Jim Rudden)
Signs of Officer Burnout
In the Limelight: Sgt. Paul Ferber
At Your Service: Self-Help Groups as a Resource
Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)
Q&A: What is Schizophrenia
In Their Own Words
Following is a dated index of previous articles that have appeared in Street Talk. To get a copy of any article or a previous issue, please call LaDonna Haley at 314-773-1399.
January 2001
"It Worked for Me" (Officer Gorman)
Holiday blues vs. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
What should I know about Bipolar Disorder?
"When it finally hit home – part 1" (FBI agent Burt Jensen)
Public policy, mental health, your work
Liability issues for officers and departments
In the Limelight: Hazelwood PD
At Your Service: St. Patrick Center
April 2001
I’d like you to know (helpful hints)
Dealing with frequent callers
"When it finally hit home – part 2" (FBI agent Burt Jensen)
July 2001
Officer and Department of the year awards
At Your Service: Provident Counseling
Q&A: All about EAP’s
Know your mental health options
What does confidentiality really mean?
October 2001
Rethinking our strategies (John Bozarth)
Anger management
Helping peers in distress
In the Limelight: Ballwin and Hazelwood PD’s
January 2002
Who Can You Trust?
Staying in the Cooktent
Top 10 Myths & Facts about Mental Illness
The Terrorist: Sane or Mentally Ill?
At Your Service: American Red Cross
Department of Mental Health Administrative Agents
| BJC Behavioral Health (St. Louis County and South St. Louis City) | 314-729-4004 |
| Comtrea (Jefferson County) | 636-931-2700 |
| Crider Center for Mental Health (Franklin, Lincoln, St. Chas, Warren Co.) | 636-332-6000 |
| Hopewell Center (north St. Louis City) | 314-531-1770 |
| Community Mental Health Resources | |
| BHR (Behavioral Health Response) 24-Hour Crisis Hotline | 1-800-811-4760 |
| Life Crisis Services, Inc. 24-Hour crisis Hotline | 314-647-HELP |
| Mental Health Association (Education, Information, Referral) | 314-773-1399 |
| NAMI-St. Louis (Education and Support for Families) | 314-966-4670 |
Visit These Websites For FACT SHEETS & Other Mental Health Resource Information:
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Advisory Board Chair Vice Chair Sgt. Barry Armfield Cindy Daugherty Officer Barb Kaighin Sgt. Perri Johnson Marcia Perry
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Street Talk Editor Print Version Graphic Layout/Design Web Version Layout/Design Publishers Published quarterly by Behavioral Health Response and Mental Health Association of Greater St. Louis, a United Way Agency, to provide mental health and mental illness information to law enforcement professionals. Contents copyright © 2007 Behavioral Health Response and Mental Health Association of Greater St. Louis, a United Way Agency. All rights reserved. Written permission must be obtained from Mental Health Association of Greater St. Louis for reprints and duplication in any form. For Further Information Contact: Mental Health Association
of Greater St. Louis Behavioral Health Response,
Inc. Articles and comments from law enforcement professionals are welcomed and encouraged. |
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This website is designed and maintained by Barry Schapiro at Business Resource Group. Please address any technical issues via e-mail to: bjschapiro@aol.com
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