talkitupmichiana

An Oaklawn publication for professionals
Summer 2014 Volume 36 Number 4
#talkitupmichiana
Introducing Mental Illness Awareness Week
October 2014
Oaklawn celebrates Mental Illness Awareness Week
with events in St. Joe County, anti-stigma campaign
Sixty million people. That’s how many Americans face a mental health
disorder each year. That’s 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 5 children, according to
statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Yet for as many people as it affects, most remain silent.
“Despite all the progress we’ve made and all the research we have,
people are afraid to talk about it,” said Matt Lentsch, executive director
of the Oaklawn Foundation. “That has to end. We have to break down
the stigma.”
will speak at a professional luncheon and a
community support forum on October 6 and 8,
respectively.
The events are the first of their kind in St.
Joseph County, where Oaklawn expanded in
2010.
To that end, Oaklawn will host three events during Mental Illness
Awareness Week, October 5-11, as well as lead a community-wide
anti-stigma campaign, #talkitupmichiana.
In the weeks leading up to Mental Illness
Awareness Week, Oaklawn will blanket the
community with messages about the prevalence of mental illness,
using #talkitupmichiana to engage community members in the
conversation through social media.
The Oaklawn events will feature two nationally renowned guest
speakers.
Oaklawn employees will also be encouraged to take part in promoting
education about mental illness in their own circle of family and friends.
Pete Earley, author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated book “Crazy:
A Father’s Search through America’s Mental
Health Madness,” will speak at a luncheon
and fundraiser on October 7. Earley will share
his personal experience with his bipolar son,
who was charged with a felony after breaking
into someone’s home during a manic episode.
What Earley learned about the mental
health and legal systems in the months and
years that followed has made him a leading
advocate for reform.
“We are so excited to spark a conversation about mental health in our
community and help break down the stigma associated with mental
health disorders,” Lentsch said. “Mental illness affects all of us, and it’s
time we talk it up.”
Dr. Michael Sherbun, a 25-year veteran of the healthcare field and
author of “Caring for the Caregiver; 8 Truths to Prolong Your Career,”
In this issue:
•
•
Read more about Pete Earley’s journey with his mentally ill
son and why he’s inspired to fight for change
Oaklawn brings Mental Health First Aid to St. Joe County
Join us for Mental
Illness Awareness
Week 2014
Monday, Oct. 6:
“Caring for the Caregiver:
A Guide to Survive and
Thrive,” featuring Dr.
Michael Sherbun. This
professional education
luncheon will be held
from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
at Saint Joseph Regional
Medical Center. Cost
is $25 and includes a
buffet lunch and 1 CEU.
Tuesday, Oct. 7:
“Crazy: A Father’s Search
Through America’s
Mental Health Madness,”
featuring author and
advocate Pete Earley.
This luncheon and
fundraiser will be held
from noon to 1:30 p.m.
at Palais Royale in South
Bend. Cost is $50 per
person.
Wednesday, Oct. 8:
“Healthy Me, Healthy
Community,” featuring
Dr. Michael Sherbun.
This discussion and
support forum for family
caregivers will be held
from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at
Oaklawn’s South Bend
campus. It includes light
refreshments and is
open to the community.
No registration required.
Registration for the
two lunch events
can be found at
www.oaklawn.org/miaw.
#talkitupmichiana
Earley: ‘I had no idea what it was
like to be on the inside looking out’
Pete Earley watched helplessly
as his son, Mike, lost touch with
reality.
It had happened before. Mike,
who was diagnosed with bipolar
disorder, had experienced
psychotic episodes requiring
hospitalization.
“At least, this time I’ve gotten
him to a hospital before he was
too far gone,” Earley recalls in
his Pulitzer Prize-nominated
book “Crazy: A Father’s Search
Through America’s Mental
Health Madness.”
Author Pete Earley (right) and his son, Mike.
him to jail, and you don’t want
that to happen.”
Despite his obvious break from
reality — Mike told the doctor
that he was an indestructible
messenger from God — the
doctor could not treat him.
Before this, Earley thought he
understood America’s legal
system. He was a journalist with
The Washington Post. He had
reported on hundreds of legal
cases. He had even published
several crime thrillers.
“Virginia law is very specific,”
the doctor told Earley. “Unless a
patient is in imminent danger to
himself or others, I cannot treat
him unless he voluntarily agrees
to be treated.”
“But I was always on the outside
looking in,” he wrote. “I had no
idea what it was like to be on
the inside looking out.”
So Earley did the best he could
to help his son. He took him
home and kept him under
constant surveillance. He even
tried hiding Mike’s medication in
his food. One day, Mike caught
him. Furious, he ran.
Mike broke into a stranger’s
house, setting off the security
alarm. Police responded, and it
took five officers and a police
dog to subdue him for arrest.
Early on, police officers gave
Earley some friendly advice:
“Unless you tell the medical
personnel ... that he’s threatened
to kill you, they aren’t going to
treat him. We’ll end up taking
He discovered frustration,
inconsistencies, Catch 22s and
legal roadblocks at nearly every
turn. The system was crazy, he
learned. Absolute madness.
He also knew that if this could
happen to his family, it could
happen to anyone. So Earley
did what he knows best:
investigated.
Earley spent a year following
mentally ill inmates at the
Miami-Dade County jail.
His book weaves together his
personal experience, as well
as stories of the people he
met during the course of his
reporting.
What he found is that all too
often, prisons are becoming
modern-day asylums where
the mentally ill don’t receive the
treatment they need. He is now
a leading advocate for reform,
including commitment and
forced treatment under certain
conditions.
In an interview with the online
news site Salon.com, Earley
explained his position:
I had to come at this as a parent.
And I’ve got to tell you, it’s almost
impossible to describe what it’s
like to have a sick child and not
be able to get them help. And
to watch them go further and
further and further into this abyss
and not be able to pull them out.
... Yes, I want [my son’s] civil rights
protected — but when everyone
in the room knows he has a
serious mental illness but lets a
person walk out the door and get
into trouble, how does that help
them?
Earley will share his experience
and insight at a luncheon and
fundraiser for Oaklawn at noon
on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the Palais
Royale in South Bend. For more
information about the event,
visit www.oaklawn.org/MIAW.
Oaklawn brings Mental Health First Aid to St. Joe
As part of its work to improve the mental
health of our community, Oaklawn will host St.
Joseph County’s first public Mental Health First
Aid training this fall.
Mental Health First Aid is a course developed
by the National Council for Behavioral Health
and aims to teach everyday people about
common mental health issues, as well as
where they can turn for help.
“It’s about recognizing the signs and symptoms
of possible mental health issues in people you
know over time,” said Darrin Miller, Oaklawn’s
director of risk and residential services, who
is certified by the National Council to teach
the class. “It’s about creating a community of
people who are aware and want to help.”
About Mental Health First Aid
The 8-hour training covers specific mental
health disorders, such as depression, anxiety,
addiction, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
It teaches risk factors, dispels myths and
provides people with practical steps they can
use to help others.
Bobbie Newberry, lead receptionist for
Oaklawn, took the class about a year ago
during an internal training Miller taught.
Newberry and her team answer about 800
calls per day, some from people in distress.
“Before the class, I would try to be polite and
caring in the tone of my voice, but I did not
address what they were calling for directly,”
Newberry said. “Now I’m very comfortable
saying, ‘I’m sorry you’re feeling that way, I can
connect you to someone who can help.’ ”
Newberry’s class incorporated role-playing,
where participants met in a small group, with
one person pretending to have a problem
and the others offering their response.
Afterwards, the group met to discuss what
they would have done and what would be
most appropriate to the situation.
“There’s a lot of practical takeaways,” Miller
said. “People feel more prepared, they feel
like they have some real tangible things they
could do if they encountered a situation
where someone needed help.”
Photo courtesy / National Council for Behavioral Health
Participants role-play during a Mental Health First Aid training. Role-playing is one way
attendees learn practical ways to help someone facing a mental health issue.
Newberry’s new-found confidence was put to
use just weeks after she completed the class.
She received an early-morning phone call
from someone who said he wanted to
end his life. With no one else in the office,
Newberry knew she had to get the man’s
name and phone number so Oaklawn’s oncall clinician could call him back.
“I said, ‘Tell me what’s happening. Why do
you think you want to die?’ And it was almost
like you could hear him think, ‘Oh, this person
wants to help,’ and he gave me his name and
number,” Newberry said.
The class is designed for people like
Newberry, who don’t have a professional
background in mental health. Some targeted
audiences, according to the National Council,
include employers and business leaders,
clergymen, school or university staff, law
enforcement, public officials and anyone
who works in social services.
“From my perspective, it’s for anyone who has
concern for others,” Miller said.
Oaklawn and MHFA
Mental Health First Aid was introduced in
the United States in 2008, according to the
National Council’s website. Since then, more
than 140,000 people across the U.S. have
taken the class.
The trainings have been offered in nearby
locales, including Elkhart, for several years, but
never in St. Joseph County.
“It’s a needed thing,” Miller said. He was
certified about a year ago, through grant
funding from a partner organization.
Miller sees the class as a great outreach for
Oaklawn, partly because as people learn
about mental health, it helps end the stigma.
That’s a key goal for Oaklawn, and something
everyone — mental health professionals and
laypeople alike — can and should work to
achieve.
Since his certification, he has offered multiple
trainings to Oaklawn’s non-clinical staff, but
is looking forward to offering it communitywide.
“Part of our mission is to join with individuals,
families, and our community on the journey
toward health and wholeness, and that has to
be a community effort,” said Miller. “We have
to work to advance a positive message about
recovery and hope, and Mental Health First
Aid does that.”
The class will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
Wednesday, Sept. 10 at Oaklawn’s South Bend
campus, 415 E. Madison St. The cost is $50.
More information, including how to register,
can be found at www.oaklawn.org/events.
Oaklawn is partnering with CAPS to
provide Goal-Driven Parenting Training for
Professionals this fall. This training will help
equip front-line professionals in Elkhart
County to better help families who are
struggling with parenting issues.
Oaklawn South Bend campus: September 23
Oaklawn Elkhart campus: November 11
The training will be hosted from 8:15 a.m.12:30 p.m. on six Fridays from September
26-November 14 at CAPS, 100 W. Hively
Ave., Elkhart.
Trauma-Focused Therapy
Registration
Learn more about practical, trauma-informed
therapies that Oaklawn is offering and will
soon introduce. John Horsley, MBA, LSW,
LCAC, will present on Eye Movement
Desensitization and Reprocessing; Robin
Ebright Zehr, MSW, LCSW, on Seeking
Safety, and Shin Yee Tan on Trauma-Focused
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Oaklawn mental health breakfasts are free
seminars offered by Oaklawn professionals
for those in the mental health community,
including mental health providers, staff of
schools, probation and Department of Child
Services. Registration is required.
Schedule:
7:30—8 a.m. - Registration and breakfast
8–9:30 a.m. - Presentation
9:30-10 a.m. - Questions & answers
Find full event details and registration online
at www.oaklawn.org/events
Oaklawn Elkhart campus: October 14
Oaklawn South Bend campus: November 4
The training costs $100 per participant and
24 CEUs are available for an additional $100.
Space is limited to the first 30 participants.
For more information or to register, contact
Gina Stone at gstone@capselkhart.org or at
574-295-2277.
P.O. Box 809
330 Lakeview Drive
Goshen, Indiana 46527
Oaklawn Mental Health Breakfasts:
Goal-Driven Parenting Training
Explore assessments, safety plans, where
to turn for services and the challenges
surrounding bed space with Amy Rosen,
director of Oaklawn’s Access Center, as well
as a representative from either Epworth and
Elkhart Behavioral.
Address service requested
Oaklawn
Educational
Events
How to Access Hospital Services
New Oaklawn professionals
Nick Kramer, MD
Amanda Rhoades
Cyrus Solhkhah, MD
Gurvinda Arora, MD
Sadeq Al-Sarraf, MD
Priscilla Perez
Sara Keel
Heather Gorball
Thomas Walters
Jessica Haines
Nicole Ploehn
Catina Groves
Dr. Nick Kramer is a psychiatrist in the adult
medical clinic at Oaklawn’s Goshen campus.
He holds an MD from the Indiana University
School of Medicine, and completed his
residency at the University of Louisville
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences.
Dr. Sadeq Al-Sarraf is a psychiatrist in
the child and adolescent medical clinic in
Elkhart. He received his medical degree
from the University of Baghdad College of
Medicine. He completed his residency in
psychiatry at New Jersey Medical School.
He was previously a fellow in child and
adolescent psychiatry at the University of
Illinois at Chicago.
Dr. Cyrus Solhkhah is a child and adolescent
psychiatrist in South Bend. He has been with
Oaklawn as a locum tenens, but officially
joined as an employee on August 11. He has
an MD from St. George’s University School
of Medicine, and a JD from the Loyola
University Chicago School of Law. He was
previously the medical director for Singer
Mental Health Center in Illinois.
Dr. Gurvinder Arora is a psychiatrist in the
child and adolescent medical clinic in South
Bend. He received his medical degree from
Dayanand Medical College and Hospital
in India. He completed his residency in
psychiatry at New Jersey Medical School. He
was previously a fellow in child psychiatry at
the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Alma Perez is a social worker with South
Bend Child & Adolescent Clinical Services.
She has a master of social work from
Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI.
She was previously employed as an ESL
interventionist with Benton Harbor Area
Schools, Benton Harbor, MI.
Amanda Rhoades is a social worker with
Oaklawn, The Children’s Campus. She
has a master of social work from Indiana
University South Bend. She was previously
employed as a home based therapist with
Riverwood Center, Benton Harbor, MI.
Thomas Walters is a therapist with Oaklawn,
The Children’s Campus. He has a master
of science in education counseling from
Indiana University South Bend. He was
previously employed as a therapist with Live
Life Counseling, South Bend.
Heather Gorball is a social worker with
Goshen Addiction Services. She has a master
of social work from Indiana University South
Bend. She was previously employed as a
youth development specialist with Youth
Services Bureau, South Bend.
Sara Keel is a social worker with South Bend
Adult Clinical Services. She has a master
of social work from Western Michigan
University, Kalamazoo, MI. She was
previously employed as an intake access
and crisis clinician/outpatient therapist with
Woodlands Behavioral Healthcare Network,
Cassopolis, MI.
Jessica Haines is a social worker with Bashor.
She has a master of social work from
Indiana University, South Bend. She was
previously employed as a Young Adolescent
Group Leader with Alcohol and Addictions
Resource Center, South Bend.
Nicole Ploehn is a social worker with Elkhart
County Child & Adolescent Clinical Services.
She has a master of social work from the
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She was
previously employed as an adult inpatient
psychiatric social worker with Oaklawn
Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI.
Catina Groves is a social worker with South
Bend Addiction Services. She has a master
of social work from Indiana University
South Bend. She was previously employed
as a family development consultant/special
project coordinator with Real Services,
South Bend.
Oaklawn helps Katrina evacuees move home
Raymond Compton Sr. left everything he
owned in a flooded home west of New
Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated
the area. He trudged through rising waters
with his wife and four children, carrying
his youngest son, who was only 3, on his
shoulders.
Nearly nine years later, he’s doing something
he never thought he would — going back.
The Road Here
Compton remembers the storm vividly.
Though his town of Kenner had been
evacuated, the Comptons were “strong
fighters, and we thought we could box that
on out,” he said.
So the family stayed through the storm. The
next morning, they saw their home had been
nearly ripped in two. The next morning, when
Compton awoke, he stepped out of his bed
into rising Gulf waters.
“That’s when we knew it was time to leave,”
Compton said. “We got outside and you
couldn’t go down the street. There was a big
swamp boat in the middle of the street.”
Compton’s adult daughter came to get the
family and took them 200 miles north to
a small shelter in Alexandria. It was there a
woman from South Bend came with a bus
and asked if anyone was willing to relocate.
Compton’s wife, Jackie, immediately said yes.
“I said, ‘You don’t know where we’re going,’
and she said, ‘I don’t care where we going, we
can’t stay here.’ ”
So the Comptons came to South Bend. They
made a new life here and planned to stay —
but Jackie died unexpectedly two years ago
at the age of 36. Compton, now 67, was left
to care for his four children — ages 12 to 19 —
alone. But his health is also failing.
That’s when he, and his support team, led by
Oaklawn wraparound facilitator Derrick Perry,
decided the family’s best supports would be
back home in Louisiana, where Compton’s
grown children live.
Raymond Compton Sr. holds a picture of him and his late wife, Jackie, during a vow renewal
ceremony shortly after they moved to South Bend. The couple came here nearly nine years
ago in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Raymond, now 67, is moving back to Louisiana so
he and his young children will be close to his adult children.
“They’ve got to be safe,” Compton says of his
kids. “I ain’t no spring chicken.”
The Road Home
On a sunny day in early August, Compton sits
on his front porch as the last of his belongings
are packed into boxes. His youngest son,
Master, now 12, is looking forward to the move
to Louisiana. South Bend is the only home he
has ever known, but “I’m looking forward to
[the move],” he says.
The day is the culmination of two months
of planning by Perry and a team of others
who have helped Compton and his children
throughout the years, including Compton’s
grown daughter, a police officer in Louisiana,
who will help the family when they arrive.
Perry ensured that when they get to
Louisiana, they have a place to stay until they
find a new home. He also arranged for the
family to enroll in Louisiana Medicaid. The
children have contacts at their new schools,
and a binder full of information their new
supports will need to provide a smooth
transition of care.
“Our goal was to keep the family together,
and they’ve got the best shot at that where
they have more family support,” Perry said.
“It really took everybody working together to
make this happen.”
Even as Compton waited for the last of his
things to be packed, Perry was with him,
helping to celebrate this next chapter of his
life and ensuring their move went smoothly.
Compton said he’s grateful for the people he
has met at Oaklawn, people like Perry: “They
have been so good to us,” he said.
Oakleaves is published three times a year and is designed
to address timely mental health and addictions clinical
issues as well as inform professionals of Oaklawn’s
services and educational events.
Send changes of address, letters, and requests for free
subscriptions to:
Kari Tarman, manager of marketing, communications
and volunteer services
Oakleaves
P.O. Box 1109
Goshen, IN 46527
Phone: (574) 533-1234, info@oaklawn.org, oaklawn.org
Laurie Nafziger, president
Daniel Kinsey, MD, medical director