On September 7th, Mr. Neal Cash, CEO and President of Community Partnership of Southern Arizona, will be recognized for his tireless efforts in promoting mental health recovery with the Daniel Moreno Advocate Award.

In the words of Greg Taylor, who nominated Mr. Cash:

Neal’s vision, leadership and advocacy as president/CEO of CPSA have resulted in creation of the most comprehensive, integrated behavioral health crisis-services network in the country. The system’s centerpiece, the Crisis Response Center, opened in August 2011, just after state budget cuts stripped many people with serious mental illness of ongoing support and treatment. 

n 2005, Neal recognized that Pima County’s fast-growing population and the increased enrollment in CPSA’s care system demanded development of an enhanced, fully integrated crisis network. Neal and community stakeholders including law enforcement and county officials identified the need for an “urgent care” center to address mental-health crises that do not involve medical complications or more acute problems. Neal tirelessly advocated for bonds to build the CRC, which were approved unanimously by the county’s Board of Supervisors and by 63% of voters in 2006.

The new facility also provided the opportunity to create a comprehensive, integrated network of crisis services, with a phone-based “command and control” center at the CRC. The resulting network has drawn national attention from publications such as Behavioral Healthcare magazine, which predicted that the CRC is “destined to change the practice of behavioral healthcare,” and Mental Health Weekly, which noted that the CRC “has fast become a magnet of attention for officials elsewhere who grapple with how to keep jails and hospital emergency rooms from essentially becoming a community’s mental health centers.”

Mr. Cash has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and administration from the University of Arizona. He has been involved with the behavioral health industry in Tucson for over 35 years.

Mr. Cash also presents and provides consultative services nationwide in the area of mental health and substance use treatment.   He serves on task forces, expert panels, and Boards of Directors on  local, state and national levels,  including the board of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.

For more information about the event, please visit www.planetaurora.org

or visit the Facebook page for Daniel Moreno Awards:

https://www.facebook.com/TheDanielMorenoAwards?ref=hl

The Daniel Moreno Awards Dinner and Silent Auction is scheduled for September 7, 2012 at Skyline Country Club. The Awards are given to individuals and/or organizations in the area that promote through their actions the advancement of mental health recovery. In past years individuals were recognized with the Daniel Moreno Recovery Award for being a person that signifies the reality and promise of mental health recovery. This year, the family of Daniel Moreno, who died much too early after being diagnosed with schizophrenia decided to expand the awards and additionally recognize a person or organization that represents the other categories of advocacy, education and direct service provider in the behavioral health community.

In addition to the silent auction and dinner, the evening will include a presentation ceremony and keynote speech from Dr. Jose Apud, Clinical Director of the Schizophrenia Research Program at the National Institutes of Mental Health.  Dr. Nicholas Breitborde will also provide an update on the new Epicenter (Early Psychosis Intervention Center) at the UPH South Campus.

The event was founded in 2007 in an effort by the Daniel Moreno Family to increase awareness about mental health recovery and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.  Ten local individuals have previously been selected to receive the Daniel Moreno Recovery Award.  The 2012 Recovery Award will be presented to Sarah Martin, the Advocate Award will be presented to Neal Cash, CPSA CEO/President, the Educator Award to Peter Likins, President Emeritus of the University of Arizona and Adreinne Sainz, LMSW, Clinician at La Frontera will receive the Direct Service Provider. More information about the recipients will be provided over the next month on this blog.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Aurora Foundation, a local non-profit dedicated to advancing disability justice and the newly formed Southern Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition.  For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit the website at: www.planetaurora.org

I was glad to see the editorial in the Arizona Daily Star this morning;Tucson’s MentalHealth System Needs Shoring Up.

http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_a1372367-3bd9-5f49-8ea7-91fb0d25e4df.html

Local pyschiatric beds are commonly filled, but I wasn’t aware that psychiatric beds in our prison system are also filled.  Hummmmmm, I wonder what’s going on? Is it possible that we’re starting to see the results of continued budget slashes to mental health care in our state?  Or, is it because more people are becoming mentally ill? I think it’s the former.

Let’s look at some statistics.  One in four families are effected by mental illness in a given year and at least 10% of the population lives with a serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder.  If Tucson’s population is one million, then that’s 100,000 people right here in the Old Pueblo.  Some are being successfully treated and some are not.  Many are in denial about their illnesses and don’t know about the high success rates of treatment – sometimes as high as 90%  do achieve mental health recovery.  But, not without proper treatment that can include medication, therapy and a strong support system.

Last time I checked there weren’t that many psychiatric beds in Tucson.  Even with the new psychiatric crisis hospital opening soon there won’t be new beds as it will only replace the currently existing beds at UPH.  Without more funding I don’t see any growth for new tratment facilites, but unfortuanately I do see growth in the prison facilities.  It seems like that’s one of the few areas of growth in our state.  Some legislators in Phoenix have stated that it’s time for families and loved ones to “step up” and take care of those struggling with menta illness. I wish it were that simple.

But, I’m glad to see that the Arizona Daily Star is initiating this dialogue.  Hopefully some inovative solutions will come about…….and they won’t cost anything!