California HealthCare Foundation ... - Mental Health for US



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 13, 2020Contact: Sarah Sonies,?sarah.sonies@?Phone: 703-439-0397Los Angeles Event Unites Advocates, Policymakers, Students in Urging 2020 Presidential Candidates to Address Mental Health and AddictionLos Angeles?–?Tonight, Mental Health for US is hosting the Unite for Change Forum: California featuring NBC News’ Kate Snow, actress, singer-songwriter, and mental health advocate Kiana Ledé, and former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy. The event, taking place at the University of Southern California’s (USC) Bovard Auditorium, will unite national policymakers, students, and experts to put a spotlight on mental health and addiction recovery, policy, and reform.The event, hosted by the 90-member Mental Health for US initiative, the Institute for Addiction Science at USC, and 19 California-based organizations, is a partnership effort to elevate mental health and addiction in policy conversations during the 2020 presidential election cycle. Advocates and policy experts will discuss the state of these issues in California, a state hit especially hard by challenges to accessing mental health and addiction care. “In California and nationwide, we are in the midst of a mental health crisis—as evidenced by spikes in suicide rates, particularly in young adults, and historically high rates of overdose deaths. The impact is compounded by severe mental health workforce shortages that make receiving adequate care difficult, if not impossible, for millions of people,” said Rep. Kennedy, Mental Health for US co-chair and founder of The Kennedy Forum. “Candidates and policymakers must make eliminating barriers to mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery supports a top priority.”Kate Snow, Emmy Award-winning anchor of “NBC Nightly News” Sunday edition and NBC Senior National Correspondent, will moderate a discussion on improving state and national mental health and addiction policy outcomes with experts from the medical, academic, and legal fields. The panel will feature Norm Ornstein, political scientist, fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and founder of the Matthew Harris Ornstein Memorial Foundation; USC professor Ricky Bluthenthal; and Elyn Saks, USC Gould School of Law professor, author of The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness, and person living with schizophrenia. Steven Siegel, M.D., Ph.D., Franz Alexander Chair in Psychiatry, chair of psychiatry and behavioral health, and professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC will emcee the event. The forum will also feature conversations and performances emphasizing empowerment and creating supportive environments for those with lived experience. Kiana Ledé, actress and singer-songwriter who starred in MTV’s “Scream” and Netflix’s “All About the Washingtons,” will join the event to share the experiences that led to her powerful EP, “Myself.” Ledé, who released her debut album last year, will perform her critically acclaimed single, “Heavy.” Advocates will highlight programs that support students along the road to recovery and will discuss how universities and communities can replicate these programs throughout the country. “With sizable gaps in income and behavioral health equity, California faces problems that in many ways mirror what is happening in states across the nation,” said Adam Leventhal, Ph.D., the founding director of the Institute for Addiction Science at USC and professor at USC’s Keck School of Medicine and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. “It’s important for us to highlight addiction and mental health research to policymakers and candidates to truly have a scalable and lasting impact.” The Unite for Change Forum: California is the third and final in a series of Mental Health for US grassroots events aimed at getting 2020 presidential candidates on the record about their plans for mental health and addiction. Leading candidates have been invited to participate in the forum, but none have agreed to participate at this time. The event will be open to the media and livestreamed on the?Mental Health for US?Facebook page. Interviews are available with all speakers. # # # Summary:?What:?Mental Health for US?Unite for Change Forum: California??Where:?Bovard Auditorium at the University of Southern California? ? ? ?? 3551 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089?When:?Monday, January 13, 2020? ? ? ? 5:30-7:30 pm PSTMedia Registration: 3:30 pm PSTContact: Sarah Sonies,?sarah.sonies@?Phone: 703-439-0397?Who:?Kate Snow,?Anchor, “NBC Nightly News” Sunday edition and NBC Senior National Correspondent Kiana Ledé, actress, singer-songwriter, and mental health advocateFormer U.S. Rep. Patrick J. KennedyNational and local policymakers and advocates?Tickets: usc.edu/uniteforchange About the Event Partners:?Mental Health for US?is a nonpartisan, educational initiative focused on elevating mental health and addiction to national policy conversations by empowering grassroots advocates and improving candidate and policymaker health literacy. The?Mental Health for US?coalition is comprised of more than 90 stakeholder groups from around the country dedicated to uniting the American people to make systemic, long-term change with civic engagement tools and resources.?To learn more and get involved, please visit .?The?Institute for Addiction Science (IAS) at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) cultivates new addiction science collaborations that cross disciplines and produce innovative, high-impact, and adaptable scientific evidence to disseminate to practitioners, policymakers, and the general public. IAS is comprised of 55 faculty members across seven schools and 16 departments at USC, creating a unique environment to unify and transform the field of addiction science to ultimately improve the lives of those touched by addiction. If you would like to learn more, please contact the IAS Director of Operations, Kristin Dahlquist at?kdahlqui@usc.edu.?Speakers Former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy Former U.S. Representative (D-Rhode Island) Founder of the Kennedy ForumThe Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the nation’s leading political voice on mental illness, addiction, and other brain diseases. During his 16-year career representing Rhode Island in Congress, he fought a national battle to end medical and societal discrimination against these illnesses, highlighted by his lead sponsorship of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 – and his brave openness about his own health challenges.The son of Sen. Edward “Ted” Kennedy, he decided to leave Congress not long after his father’s death to devote his career to advocacy for brain diseases and to create a new, healthier life and start a family. Rep. Kennedy has since founded the Kennedy Forum, an organization that unites the mental health community, and co-founded One Mind for Research, a global leader in open science collaboration in brain research. He is also the co-author of “A Common Struggle,” which outlines a bold plan for the future of mental health and addiction in America. Kiana?Ledé,Actress, singer-songwriter, mental health advocate They say pressure creates diamonds. Under the heat, tension, and force of the world, the truest and realest artists are born. Long before Kiana Ledé?emerged as a new kind of multi-hyphenate—singer, multi-instrumentalist, and actress—she underwent the kind of pressure that makes or breaks even the toughest among us. Born to a Mexican and Native American self-raised mother, and an African American and Native American father raised by the tough streets of Philadelphia, ?the Arizona native shuffled in and out of tense situations, with little to no money throughout her formative years, developing a strong sense of identity that fuels her art to this day.“Growing up as a mixed-race girl, I’m able to pull from so many influences,” she exclaims. “I see it as a super-power, really. I am not one thing, so my music doesn’t have to be one thing either. It also allows different types of people to relate to it and to my story. Those firsthand experiences aren’t just about me either, but also about what my father and mother went through. I only write about my experiences. I think actually going through real experiences makes me be able to give more depth and life to my songs.”Music immediately called to Kiana.?She started singing right after learning the ABC’s at 15 months old. Distracted at school, songs would play in her head all day as she spent countless hours honing her voice while learning guitar and piano. After her mother entered the budding talent into an online competition, she landed her first deal at age 15. Despite making her television debut on “The Today Show”?and performing during the 2012 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the deal eventually fizzled out, leaving her heartbroken.She didn’t stop though. Instead, she moved to Los Angeles by herself and fought hard to keep that career going.“Moving to L.A. at such a young age meant I had to grow up really fast,” she goes on. “I had a nine-to-five and was in two sessions a day, grabbing any extra music gig I could to be able to afford to live. I went through adult hardship with the coping skills of a sixteen-year-old. I was a very trusting kid, so I learned pretty quickly that a lot of people are out for themselves, even if they tell you they’re on your team. I had to get street-wise and build my business.”She did so by nimbly breaking down walls, acting and making music.?Taking the reins, she launched the YouTube series #SoulFoodSessions in 2016, acoustically serving up covers of popular singles and generating more than 50 million views in addition to a storm of coverage. Around the same time, she joined the cast of MTV’s “Scream”?for season two in the role of Zoe Vaughn. Republic Records Co-Founder and Chief Executive Monte Lipman personally signed Kiana. Joining the roster, she contributed “Big Spender” to the chart-dominating Official Soundtrack for “Fifty Shades Freed”?and released the 2018 debut EP, “Selfless.” Kiana’s sense of empathy grants her the latitude to communicate stories on screen. In 2018, she held a starring role on Netflix’s “All About the Washingtons”?alongside the legendary Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons and Justine Simmons. She released her critically acclaimed debut album, “Myself,” in 2019. In the end, Kiana makes a lasting connection with audiences by holding nothing back.“I?hope people feel the vulnerability and truth in my music and see it as something strong,” she leaves off. “I hope they find self-awareness and self-worth in my music. I hope they hear my story and my struggles and find something to take away from it that makes them feel powerful.? I want women to know that you can be vulnerable and?strong—that you can be in control and?not be taken advantage of. Perhaps most importantly, I want everyone who hears my music to know that I am no victim. I am in control of my own destiny and path and I embrace all the flaws and mistakes I have made because they make up who I am.”Kate SnowAnchor, “NBC Nightly News” Sunday editionNBC Senior National CorrespondentKate Snow is the anchor of "NBC Nightly News" Sunday and an award-winning Senior National Correspondent for NBC News. Her reporting appears across all platforms of NBC News and MSNBC. She currently contributes regularly to "Nightly News with Lester Holt," "TODAY," and "Dateline NBC."She also hosts NBC News' “The Drink,” an online series where she speaks with innovators and influencers and dives into their success stories. From 2015-2017, Snow also anchored a weekday news program on MSNBC, which featured newsmakers and fast-paced political coverage.Snow is perhaps best known for insightful stories that make an impact, including her reporting on mental health, which she was recently honored for by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In 2018, Snow sat down exclusively with Andrea Constand, who broke her 13-year silence about the case that led to Bill Cosby's conviction. That Dateline hour followed Snow's 2015 Dateline special with 27 Bill Cosby accusers in one room, which won both Emmy and duPont awards. Her 2015 series about transgender children was called a "phenomenon," as millions of people watched a video about 5-year-old Jacob that went viral on social media, and millions more watched stories on Nightly News and TODAY. Her Emmy-winning 2014 series, “Hooked: America's Heroin Epidemic,” put a human face on a public health crisis, prompted congressional hearings and legislative action, and was praised by drug policy organizations.Snow has also covered politics throughout her career, including five presidential elections, the White House and Congress. She has interviewed a wide range of newsmakers, from President Obama to Bono; Jeff Bezos to Ringo Starr. She pointedly questioned President Bill Clinton in his first interview after his wife lost the 2008 nomination. But she can just as easily sing a tune with Rick Springfield.Prior to joining NBC News in 2010, Snow was the anchor of the weekend edition of ABC's "Good Morning America" for six years. Previously, she was a White House correspondent for ABC News and a Congressional Correspondent for CNN.Snow is the wife of radio host Chris Bro and proud mom of Zack and Abby. She is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Master's degree in international affairs from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. She works closely with many charitable organizations and serves on the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC, recently receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the national organization. Snow is on Facebook and Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat at @tvkatesnow.Ricky Bluthenthal, Ph.D. Associate Dean for Social Justice and Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine at the USC Keck School of Medicine Since 1991, Dr. Bluthenthal has conducted research on health promotion among people who inject drugs (PWID), men who have sex with men, and other disadvantaged populations. His key scientific contributions have established the negative impacts of law enforcement on PWID and syringe exchange programs, the health benefits of more generous syringe dispensing policies, the inadequacy of syringe exchange program implementation in California, and the utility of providing preventive services to PWID through syringe exchange programs. His current research includes a randomized controlled trial of an intervention to reduce uptake of injection drug use, an observational cohort study on the substitution of cannabis for opioids among people who inject drugs, and qualitative life histories of opioid use among substance using men who have sex with men.Dr. Bluthenthal has published 140 manuscripts in peer-reviewed scientific journals including the American Journal of Public Health, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, and Social Science and Medicine among others. He is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Drug Policy and Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Dr. Bluthenthal has led studies funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation among others. He has served as a standing member on three NIH study sections (Community Influences on Health Behavior [CIHB], Health Disparities and Equity Promotion [HDEP], and Behavioral and Social Science Approaches to Preventing HIV/AIDS [BSPH]) and served as chair of HDEP for three years. He has also been a regular member of the human subjects protection committees at the RAND Corporation and at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. As a graduate student, Dr. Bluthenthal co-founded the syringe exchange program in Oakland, California and was a founding board member of the Harm Reduction Coalition, the largest drug user focused training and advocacy organization in the United States. Dr. Bluthenthal received his BA in History and Sociology from the University of California Santa Cruz, and his MA and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California Berkeley.Ryan HamptonAuthor, recovery advocate, person in recovery from a substance use disorderRyan Hampton is an author, American political activist, and person in recovery from opioid addiction. Over three years into recovery from a decade-long opioid addiction, Ryan Hampton has been rocketed to the center of America’s rising recovery advocacy movement. He is now a prominent, leading face and voice of addiction recovery and is changing the national dialog about addiction through social media. With content that reaches over 1 million people a week, Ryan is breaking down cultural barriers that have kept people suffering in silence and is inspiring a digital revolution of people recovering out loud through his #VoicesProject. He's also advocating for solutions and holding public policy makers accountable. He was part of the core team that released the first-ever U.S. Surgeon General’s report on addiction and was singled out by Forbes as a top social media entrepreneur in the recovery movement. Ryan connects a vast network of people who are passionate about ending the drug epidemic in America. His writing on recovery and addiction related issues regularly go viral in online journals such as HuffPo and The Hill. He also serves as an outreach lead and recovery activist for Facing Addiction, America's leading non-profit dedicated to ending the addiction crisis in the United States. In 2016, Ryan created the web series Facing Addiction Across America, documenting his 30 day, 28 state, 8,000 mile cross-country trip visiting areas hit hardest by the addiction crisis. He is the author of "American Fix: Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis - and How to End It" published by St. Martin's Press.Adam Leventhal, Ph.D.Founding director, Institute for Addiction Science at USCProfessor, USC Keck School of Medicine and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer CenterAdam Leventhal, Ph.D., Professor of Preventive Medicine and Psychology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, is an addiction psychologist and public health scientist. Dr. Leventhal is the Founding Director of the USC Health, Emotion, & Addiction Laboratory (USC-HEAL), a group of six faculty investigators and 30 staff and trainees who study the causes, consequences, treatment, and prevention of addiction and mental illness across the lifespan. Dr. Leventhal is also the Founding Director of the USC Institute for Addiction Science (USC-IAS), a university-wide initiative that supports transdisciplinary science and education for a network of 40+ faculty addiction experts across 5 schools and colleges at USC.Dr. Leventhal has authored over 200 peer-reviewed scientific articles, including publications in JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, and other journals. His work has been covered by the Associated Press, NBC Nightly News, New York Times, and other media outlets. Dr. Leventhal is active in policy arenas, having served on expert panels on the health effects of e-cigarettes and tobacco products for the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the US Surgeon General. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Health Behavior and American Psychological Association and recipient of awards for early and mid-career contributions to science and mentoring. His personal interests include running, playing guitar, watching football, and spending time with friends and family.Christina Miller, Ph.D.President & CEO Mental Health America of Los AngelesChristina Miller, Ph.D., is President and CEO of Mental Health America of Los Angeles, one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive mental health services, training and advocacy organizations. A licensed psychologist with more than 25 years of leadership experience in social service, behavioral health and medical care settings, she has held positions at UCLA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, OPCC and Didi Hirsch Mental Health Center.?Her?greatest area of focus has been the development of ways to provide integrated, comprehensive care to individuals with mental illness, physical health problems and substance addiction, and on the development of effective teams and agencies to provide that care. She developed UCLA’s Ashe Behavioral Medicine Program, which integrated medical and behavioral healthcare for 38,000 consumers.?She has trained numerous physicians, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals in the behavioral health aspects of healthcare. She also developed a skills-based “Wellness Model” which received special commendation from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services?Administration (SAMHSA)?as a model program.??Dr. Miller has a history of community service and advocacy. She is past Chair of the Board of Directors of LA County’s Westside Coalition, a collaboration of over 40 social services agencies, government agencies and faith communities. She has served on numerous boards and committees, including serving as a Representative to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Coordinating Council. Dr. Miller also worked as a columnist and contributor for national publications and a radio talk show host.? Norman “Norm” OrnsteinResident Scholar, American Enterprise InstituteNorman “Norm” J. Ornstein is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he studies politics, elections, and the U.S. Congress. He is a cohost of AEI’s Election Watch series, a contributing editor and columnist for National Journal and The Atlantic, a BBC News election analyst, and the chairman of the Campaign Legal Center. Norm is the founder of the Matthew Harris Ornstein Memorial Foundation. Sophie PyneNational Director of University Relations, The Haven at CollegeSophie is a person in long-term recovery and National Director of University Relations for The Haven at College. A former resident of The Haven herself, Sophie got into recovery in her senior year at USC. She joined the Haven team shortly after graduation and has not only become a vital asset to the team but has supported Haven students in balancing their recovery and academics by sharing her own recovery experience and compassion for helping others. She received her BA in Psychology and an MSW from USC and has served as a case manager and group facilitator at the Haven Outpatient Center. Sophie now works closely with university administrators across the country to develop programs in alignment with The Haven's mission to disrupt addiction on college campuses.Anthony RodriguezAdvocateSanta Barbara Response NetworkAmerican Foundation for Suicide PreventionAnthony Rodriguez makes it his mission to be there when trouble strikes. A survivor of sexual abuse and suicide, he currently runs a program out of the Our Lady of Guadalupe?Church in Santa Barbara?—??where he volunteers as an educational outreach worker??—??teaching kids how to protect themselves against sexual abuse and teaching parents how to pay attention.In addition, he is the motor force behind the Santa Barbara Response Network, which provides psychological first aid to families of suicide and homicide victims. For those without the means to bury their loved one, Rodriguez helps organize the car washes and T-shirt sales to raise the funds needed. And he helps first responders take care of themselves, teaching self-help techniques to those who have to clean up afterward, like ServiceMaster employees.To let off steam, Rodriguez works with fire departments throughout the county, teaching civilians the art of emergency response in case of natural disasters. Rodriguez pushed hard to expand into Spanish-speaking communities and takes pride that he’s trained more-than 100 Spanish-speaking volunteers in how to respond when the sky falls or the ground shakes. Because of his success, the county’s program recently won special recognition by former California Gov. Jerry Brown. Elyn Saks Orrin B. Evans Distinguished Professor of Law, and Professor of Law, Psychology, and Psychiatry and the Behavioral SciencesElyn Saks is Orrin B. Evans Distinguished Professor of Law, Professor of Psychology, and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the USC Gould School of Law; Director of the Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics; Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the UC San Diego, School of Medicine; and Faculty at the New Center for Psychoanalysis. She served as USC Gould's associate dean for research from 2005-2010 and also teaches at the Keck School of Medicine. Saks received her JD from Yale Law School, and a Ph.D. in Psychoanalytic Science from the New Center for Psychoanalysis. She was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree (LLD, Hon) from Pepperdine University.Saks writes extensively in the area of law and mental health, having published five books and more than fifty articles and book chapters. Her research has included the ethical dimensions of psychiatric research and forced treatment of people with mental illness. Her memoir, The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness, describes her struggles with schizophrenia and her managing to craft a good life for herself in the face of a dire prognosis. She has won numerous honors, including a 2009 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship (the so-called “Genius Grant”).In fall 2010, she announced she was using funds from the MacArthur Fellowship to create the Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics at USC, a think tank that studies issues at the intersection of law, mental health, and ethics. The Institute spotlights one important mental health issue per academic year and is a collaborative effort that has included faculty and graduate students from several USC departments: law, psychiatry, psychology, social work, philosophy, neuroscience, gerontology, and engineering.In addition to The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness (Hyperion, 2007), other books include Informed Consent to Psychoanalysis: The Law, the Theory, and the Data (Fordham University Press, 2013), Refusing Care: Forced Treatment and the Rights of the Mentally Ill (University of Chicago Press, 2002), Interpreting Interpretation: The Limits of Hermeneutic Psychoanalysis (Yale University Press, 1999), and Jekyll on Trial: Multiple Personality Disorder and Criminal Law (New York University Press, 1997).Before joining the USC Gould faculty in 1989, Saks was an attorney in Connecticut and instructor at the University of Bridgeport School of Law. She graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University before earning her master of letters from Oxford University and her JD from Yale, where she edited the Yale Law Journal. Saks is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 2013, she was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to a three-year term on the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) National Advisory Council. She also serves as a board member of Mental Health Advocacy Services, Bring Change 2 Mind, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and the Burton Blatt Institute. In 2004, she won both the Associate’s Award for Creativity in Research and Scholarship and the Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Recognition Award.John Sherin, M.D., Ph.D.Director of Mental Health, Los Angeles County Dr. Jonathan Sherin is a longtime wellbeing advocate who has worked tirelessly throughout his career on behalf of vulnerable populations. In his current role as Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), he oversees the largest public mental health system in the United States with an annual budget approaching $3 billion.Prior to joining LACDMH, Dr. Sherin served for over a decade at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) where he held a variety of posts, most recently as chief of mental health for the Miami VA Healthcare System. He has also held a variety of academic posts, formerly as vice-chairman for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at University of Miami, and currently as volunteer clinical professor at both UCLA and USC.In addition to his leadership in the health and human services sector, Dr. Sherin has made significant contributions to the field of neuroscience, which include seminal sleep research studies, published in Science magazine, and a conceptual model of the psychotic process for which he received the prestigious Kempf Award from the American Psychiatric Association.Dr. Sherin completed his undergraduate work at Brown University, his graduate studies at the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School, and his residency in psychiatry at UCLA.Ross SzaboWellness DirectorGeffen Academy at UCLARoss Szabo is a social innovator who pioneered the youth mental health movement. He is the Wellness Director at Geffen Academy at UCLA, a school that is focused on changing the way mental health is taught to middle school and high school students. Ross is also an award-winning speaker, author and the CEO of Human Power Project, a company that designs mental health curriculum.Ross has spoken to more than two-million people about the importance of mental health and provided a positive example to empower them to seek help. During his eight years as Director of Outreach for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign, he created the first national youth mental health speakers’ bureau in the country that is now a part of Active Minds. He has trained over 50 mental health advocates who have spoken to millions of people.He is the author of?Behind Happy Faces; Taking Charge of Your Mental Health,?A Kid's Book About Anxiety?and a blogger for The Huffington Post. His tremendous efforts in the mental health field have led to him receiving the 2010 Didi Hirsch Erasing the Stigma Leadership Award and a 2012 Changing Minds Award and his advocacy work was entered into the Congressional Record by Congressman Patrick Kennedy.Ross is the CEO of the Human Power Project, a curriculum program that creates practical preventative mental health curriculum and crisis response models for high schools, colleges, Greek Life and corporations. The program’s first curriculum module titled is currently utilized by over 200,000 students. The curriculum received the 2016 Excellence in Education Award from the Association of Fraternity and Sorority Advisors. It is used at numerous colleges including; Cornell University, M.I.T., the University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, UC Irvine, and has a partnership with the NCAA. Behind Happy Faces is also used at top private schools, public school districts and was featured at the Born This Way Foundation’s recent retreat.Lianna TreitlerUSC student and addiction prevention advocateLianna Treitler is a busy teen.?A college freshman, when she’s not on Instagram, or Snapchatting and FaceTiming her friends, she’s diligently studying, playing soccer, giving a speech, debating an argument, or traveling.?In her spare time, she volunteers for local charities and raises money for Rady Children’s Hospital.?In fact, she loves kids so much she wants to be a pediatrician.?But whatever she’s doing, she’s doing it with headphones on, listening to her favorite playlist. The author of several books on substance abuse that she authored with her father, Lianna is a requested speaker at a number of organizations including the Grandparents Raising Grandkids Symposium sponsored by the San Diego Department of Health and Human Services. Despite being kept busy by college life, Lianna continues working with her family to educate middle grade and middle school kids about the dangers of substance abuse and the importance of keeping the lines of communication between parents and young adults. Event EmceeSteven Siegel, M.D., Ph.D.Franz Alexander Chair in PsychiatryChair of psychiatry and behavioral health and professor, Keck School of Medicine of USC Dr. Steven Siegel is a physician-scientist who specializes in the treatment of people who have schizophrenia and psychosis, and through his research has contributed to understanding the basic neurobiology of major health problems in people with schizophrenia, autism, drug abuse and nicotine dependence. As chair of the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School since July 2016, Siegel has doubled the size of the department and expanded and improved the availability and quality of mental health services across Keck Medicine of USC, Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He also led the incorporation of student mental health services under the Keck School and Keck Medicine, and serves as co-director of the KL2 Mentored Career Development Program in Clinical and Translational Science, which supports early-career researchers.Fast Facts: Mental Health and Addiction in CaliforniaNearly 1 in 6 California adults have a mental health need. Approximately 1 in 20 individuals across the state suffers from a serious mental illness that makes it difficult to carry out major life activities1 in 13 children suffers from a mental illness that limits participation in daily activities.Substance use disorders are more prevalent among young adults 18 to 25, occurring at nearly twice the states average rate. The number of heroin-related emergency department visits in California more than tripled between 2006 and 2017. Suicides rates have increased dramatically throughout the state, reflecting a national trend. More than 4,300 Californians died by suicide in 2017, a 52 percent increase from 2001. The problem was particularly pronounced for the young: Suicides among adolescents aged 15 to 19 increased 63 percent. Fast Facts: Mental Health and Addiction in the United StatesPrevalence One in five American adults will experience a mental health or substance use disorder in any given year.The prevalence of any mental illness is higher among women (22.3%) than men (15.1%).Adults reporting two or more races had the highest prevalence of any mental illness (28.6%) followed by White adults (20.4%), Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander adults (19.4%), American Indian/Alaskan Native adults (18.9%), Black adults (16.2%), Hispanic adults (15.2%). The lowest prevalence was among Asian adults (14.5%).More than one in four adults living with a serious mental illness also have a substance use disorder. The rate of youth experiencing a mental illness continues to rise.46% of homeless adults within the U.S. live with severe mental illness and/or substance use disorders.2Access and InterventionLess than half of Americans with a mental illness receive treatment.In 2017, among the 46.6 million adults with mental illness, only 19.8 million (42.6%) received mental health services in the past year.162% of youth with major depressive episodes received no treatment.Despite recent efforts, there is a shortage in the mental health workforce. In states with the lowest workforce ratio, there are almost four times the number of individuals in need to only one mental health provider.3Human and Financial Cost47,173 people died by suicide in 2017, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.Untreated mental illness costs the country at least $444 billion per year.In 2017, over 70,000 people died of overdose.Cost and lack of access to care are the main reasons that Americans with mental health and substance use disorders do not get treatment—42% of the population saw cost and poor insurance coverage as the top barriers for accessing mental health care.Talking About Mental Health and AddictionMental Health for US is working to change the conversation around mental health and addiction by using language that focuses on the person, rather than a diagnosis. This avoids placing blame or accusations on a person for their mental illness or addiction.Examples of person-centered language: Instead of “schizophrenic,” say “person living with schizophrenia”Instead of “addict” or “former addict,” say “person living with addiction” or “person in recovery from addiction” or “addiction survivor”Instead of “she’s an anorexic,” say “she has anorexia nervosa”When discussing suicide, say “died by suicide” rather than “committed suicide.” The word committed implies criminality, whereas suicide is a component of a condition. For additional tips, please see this resource from the Hogg Foundation.Social Media Facebook: @MentalHealthUSTwitter: @MHforUSInstagram: @mhforusBe sure to use our hashtag: #MentalHealthforUSLivestream LinkWatch here: Unite for Change Forum: CaliforniaAbout Mental Health for USMental Health for US?is a nonpartisan educational initiative focused on elevating mental health and addiction in national policy conversations by empowering grassroots advocates and improving candidate and policymaker health literacy. The?Mental Health for US?coalition is comprised of more than 83 stakeholder groups from around the country dedicated to uniting the American people to make systemic, long-term change with civic engagement tools and resources. For more information, visit: . ................
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