Helping Youth with Serious Mental Illnesses Find a Life in the Community

    WASHINGTON, DC, August 31, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- As a mental health advocate, the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (National Council) has selected Southwest Counseling Solutions in Detroit, Michigan to participate in a first-of-its-kind Transition Age Youth Project to help young people with serious mental illnesses integrate into their communities and lead productive lives as they transition to adulthood.

The Transition Age Youth Project is a three-year initiative funded by a $731,000 grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to implement effective and financially sustainable approaches that help young people with serious mental illnesses to become independent adults. Advocating community mental health, the National Council and MTM Services, the behavioral health consulting group engaged to lead the project, will support Southwest Counseling in designing and financing a cohesive package of services and supports for youth and in measuring project outcomes.

"As an organization committed to building a healthier community, we are thrilled to be selected for the National Council's Transition Age Youth Project," said Executive Director of Southwest Counseling Solutions Joseph Tardella. "We recognize that transitioning to adulthood is a daunting task for young people who have a mental illness or participate in addictions treatment. Southwest looks forward to collaborating with other agencies in our community to build a meaningful future for these young people," he added.

"Community-based services that help young people living with mental illness achieve their aspirations of acquiring job skills and work are a proven key to recovery," said Patricia Doykos, Director, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. "This innovative partnership will allow a model of care and support to be rigorously tested in a real-world setting and subsequently, for implementation and operational lessons to be shared with others."

A 2008 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office outlines the many challenges faced by approximately 2.4 million young people, aged 18 to 26, with serious mental illnesses who are transitioning from child to adult systems of care. The youth face significant hurdles in obtaining housing, health and mental health treatment, and employment. These young people are far less likely than their peers to graduate from high school (64% versus 83%) or to enter college (32% versus 51%). The report also notes the failure of adult programs to address the unique needs of young adults.

"For young people living with serious mental illnesses to succeed in the adult world, they need more than treatment. These youth need to be truly integrated into their communities. They need jobs that offer skills, dignity, independence, and peers. They need a responsible and caring older adult who can help them to make better choices, learn from their mistakes, and applaud their successes, no matter how small.
National Council members, as community providers, can create these opportunities and Southwest will lead the way," said Linda Rosenberg, president and CEO of the National Council.

The National Council will help Southwest Counseling provide appropriate clinical services and develop integrated mentoring and coaching staff roles and services to improve youth's access to supported employment, vocational training, tutoring services, and other educational support services as well as interpersonal relationships and social skills training and support.

"We know that youth with mental health needs have different challenges than children or adults," said Christopher Loftis, PhD, Director of Practice Improvement for the National Council. "Young people's services must be sensitive to the rapidly evolving changes in their lives. Our project with Southwest will develop youth-oriented services that promote successful transition to adulthood and minimize dependence on adult disability services."

For more information, visit www.thenationalcouncil.org.

About The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) association of 1,600 behavioral healthcare organizations that provide treatment and rehabilitation for mental illnesses and addictions 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.

Southwest Counseling Solutions encompasses a broad range of programs for children, youth, adults and families in Detroit, MI. All these programs provide services that enable and empower individuals and families to change their lives toward a healthier and more hopeful future. In each of its four Centers of Excellence - Adult Counseling Services, Family Literacy, Supportive Housing, and Child, Youth and Family Services - Southwest Counseling Solutions is recognized as an experienced leader, delivering proven and effective results.

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation works to help reduce health disparities by strengthening community-based health care worker capacity, integrating medical care and community-based supportive services, and mobilizing communities in the fight against serious disease. Funding and program support is focused on addressing HIV/AIDS in Africa, hepatitis B and C in Asia, cancer in Central and Eastern Europe and serious mental illness in the U.S.

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