Mental Health Association of Greater Dallas

Services and Programs

ADOLESCENT SYMPOSIUM The annual Adolescent Symposium is a training event that is planned and implemented by representatives from a collaborative group of youth-serving agencies in the Greater Dallas area. Experts in the behavioral healthcare field present current issues and treatment techniques with a goal to enhance the quality of services received by youth and their families. Participants are professionals who work with adolescents in agencies and organizations that include juvenile justice, schools social services, residential care facilities, mental health and other related services.

AGING AND MENTAL HEALTH provides education and awareness programs on aging and mental health to persons in Dallas County. Specialized programs are presented to diverse community groups, social service personnel, senior center staff, nursing home personnel and other professionals in the geriatric field. Additionally, educational programs are provided for mental health service providers about healthy aging and aging services. It also assists individuals who request information about aging and mental health and how to navigate the systems of care. MHA sponsors the Aging and Mental Coalition, made up of mental health and aging services professionals to identify and address key mental health issues affecting older adults.

CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND AWARENESS PROGRAM provides educational and awareness activities on children's mental health issues. Provides resource referral and systems advocacy for individual child and adolescent cases. MHA sponsors the ADOLESCENT SYMPOSIA each year providing professionals in the field of children's mental health with information and education on mental health at a one day symposia. MHA also sponsors the Children's Mental Health Committee, made up of children's mental health professionals who identify and address community mental health needs.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND EDUCATION efforts to increase the community's knowledge about mental illnesses and mental health issues. A variety of approaches are utilized including: community educational forums, a Speakers Bureau, brown-bag lunch seminars, health fairs, newsletters, brochures, national mental health awareness days and screenings and media events.

CONSUMER PROGRAMS supports mental health consumers through education, advocacy and support groups. MHA provides staff support and leadership to the Consumer Council, a coordinating and planning group made up of mental health consumers organized to improve mental health services, provide mutual support, and educate the community about mental illnesses. MHA also sponsors the TIMA program, a multi- course program on the importance of medication and treatment adherence, the Consumer Financial Literacy program teaching basic money skills to consumers and the Depressive Support Group, a support group that meets every Thursday afternoon from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. to lend peer support and education to individuals coping with depression.

OPERATION HEALTHY REUNIONS is a program funded through the TRIAD Fund of the Dallas Foundation. The program is designed to assist Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF) war veterans and/or their families who are having difficulties transitioning back into civilian life due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or related mental health difficulties. This project will assist them in acquiring appropriate mental health and social services in 12 different counties (Dallas, Denton, Collin, Rockwall, Kaufman, Hunt, Delta, Hopkins, Rains, Van Zandt, Ellis, and Navarro). These veterans and their families will receive appropriate services during and after deployment. Operation Healthy Reunions works in collaboration with the American Red Cross.

PRISM Each year, Mental Health America of Greater Dallas honors individuals and organizations who have made a significant contribution toward promoting mental health awareness and improving the quality of care for persons living with mental illnesses. The Prism Awards Luncheon also serves as MHA's Annual Meeting and major fundraising event. Past speakers include: Mike Wallace, William and Rose Styron and Harold Koplewicz, M.D. of New York University Child Study Center.

PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAM works to change policies and to increase services, facilities and funding by educating public policy makers and elected officials at all levels of government. Includes MHAs Criminal Justice Initiative which focuses on establishing a system to provide mental health services to individuals with mental illnesses who are incarcerated, establish services and systems to divert individuals from incarceration into community based services and provide training on mental health to law enforcement and judicial personnel. MHA sponsors the Coalition on Mental Illness, COMI, a community based coalition made up of mental health advocates, elected officials, stakeholders, treatment providers and consumers which addresses issues affecting mental health treatment.

SPEAKERS' BUREAU draws on the expertise of volunteer mental health professionals who present free workshops on an assortment of topics to businesses, professional associations, schools and clubs.

WHO® (We Help Ourselves) is an educational/prevention program that teaches problem-solving techniques and communication skills to keep children and adolescents from becoming victims of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Children learn to recognize inappropriate and dangerous behaviors, to develop a plan of action to avoid being victimized, and finally, to learn what to say and whom to tell when victimization occurs. Age-appropriate curriculum is provided for pre-school through high school.