Doing Better,
and Finding
Solutions
What is Mental Illness?
Mental illness is a term used for a group of disorders causing severe disturbances in thinking, feeling and relating. They result in a substantially diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. Mental illness can affect persons of any age - children, adolescents, adults and the elderly - and they can occur in any family. Several million people in this country suffer from a serious long term mental illness.
Mental illness is not the same as mental retardation. People with mental illness are usually of normal intelligence although they may have difficulty performing at their normal level. Mental illness is caused by physical disorders, chemical imbalances and neurological illness. Heredity is a factor. Drugs and stress can contribute to the onset, but are not likely to be the single cause.
Serious Mental Illness is treatable. An expanding range of medications is available at this time. While they do not cure these illnesses, they reduce symptoms markedly for most people. In addition, most persons can profit from a community program to help them build self confidence and learn independent living skills. With support and well developed programs, some clients recover substantially, hold a good job and achieve a satisfactory life. Others may need some support for all or most of their lives. The goal is to help people achieve the highest degree of independence and productivity possible. Community awareness, acceptance and support are essential.
Overview of KYC services for people with serious mental illness:
CRISIS:
Following an acute psychiatric episode, people need immediate intervention to assess their condition, stabilize their symptoms and link them to the most appropriate ongoing treatment options. KYC offers adults stabilization and extended assessment services: Care management includes education, advocacy and support services to help them work within networks of care - services from doctors, hospitals, community resources and entitlement programs. Medication management, supportive counseling and group activities also help to ready clients to move to the next level of care, which might be general treatment or psychiatric rehabilitation at KYC, or referral to an appropriate outside provider. A preadmission screening process for state-operated facilities and nursing homes diverts unnecessary placement. For those adults who are admitted, KYC workers provide in-hospital monitoring, case coordination, linkage and follow-up.
For children with serious emotional problems who are at risk of psychiatric hospitalization, SASS (Screening, Assessment and Support Services) staff intervenes to stabilize crisis situations and coordinate a range of services for these children and their families so they can remain in the community.
ONGOING SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS:
For clients who struggle with ongoing serious mental illness, KYC's Community Support Program offers a continuum of services to help them understand their illnesses, build their self-confidence and develop the adaptive life skills they need to live productively in the community.
Psychosocial rehabilitation services include daily group activities and skills training in symptom and medication management, socialization, self-care, personal development and responsibility.
Clients are helped to find meaningful work experiences through a community employment service that teaches job seeking skills, helps with job placement, and supports people as they cope with challenges in their work roles.
Individual and family psychotherapy and case management services encourage, support and coordinate the treatment efforts of the multidisciplinary Community Support Program team. Residential services, volunteer companionship and social-recreational activities round out the resources provided, as clients reclaim their independence and move toward recovery.
Psychiatric Services are provided by physicians who evaluate and monitor psychiatric medications for clients and coordinate services with staff to ensure balanced treatment. KYC psychiatrists are trained and Board Certified in the areas of child and adolescent, adult and geriatric care. Supervised by KYC's Medical Director, they are available to staff across all program areas and levels of care.
