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Page 4, October 28, 2024 The Islander
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Matthew J. Permar - Publisher
Elise J. Permar - Publisher 1972-2003
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Health summit
Continued from Page 1
Glynn County Behavioral Health Ad
vocates will hold a Behavioral Health
Summit at the Southeast Georgia
Health System’s Linda Pinson Con
ference Center in Brunswick. These
Advocates include Wright Culpepper,
Diana Fullem, Christine Glover, Nora
Lott Haynes, Jenna Kennedy, and
Shelly Spate.
The hosts are Glynn County Dis
trict 2 Commissioner Cap Fendig, Sen.
Hodges, Libby and Don Hogan (former
representative for District 179), Sher
iff Neal Jump, Rep. Townsend, and
Glynn County Commissioner Walter
Rafolski.
Keynote speakers are Commis
sioner Kevin Tanner, Georgia Depart
ment of Behavioral Health and De
velopmental Disabilities and Georgia
Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike
Boggs.
“A year ago,” Haynes said, “we put a
group of five people together to discuss
the mental health issues in Glynn.”
“Several members of that group
have family members who have been
failed by the system,” she continued.
“One member had a mentally ill son
who died.”
“Three members have sons with se
rious mental illnesses who are in and
out of jail,” she said.
“It is very hard to get proper treat
ment for many of those with mental
illnesses partly because they don’t
think they are mentally ill,” she said.
This condition is called Anosogno-
sia, she said. It’s a condition where a
person’s brain cannot recognize one or
more of his / her health conditions.
Information from the Cleveland
Clinic: “Anosognosia is incredibly
common with certain mental health
conditions. Experts estimate that it
affects between 50% and 98% of peo
ple with schizophrenia, about 40% of
people with bipolar disorder, and more
than 80% of people with Alzheimer’s
disease.”
“People with anosognosia have no
insight into their illness,” Haynes
said. “They have to be forced into
treatment.”
“Part of the problem is that Georgia
doesn’t have the mental health profes
sionals to help these people,” Haynes
said.
“The other part of the problem is
that until two years ago insurance
companies would not cover mental ill
nesses treatment,” she said.
Two years ago House Bill 1013 was
passed with then Rep. Hogan as one of
the sponsors.
HB 1013 overhauled Georgia’s men
tal health system by enforcing compli
ance with federal mental health parity
law. The Act requires health insurers
to provide coverage for mental health
and substance use disorders equitably
with physical health and defines gen
erally accepted standards of care.
Georgia piloted an Assisted Out
patient Treatment Program (AOT)
which is a civil legal procedure in
which a person with severe mental
illness is ordered by a judge to follow
a court-ordered treatment plan in the
community due to being deemed a se
rious risk of harm to self or others.
According to Haynes this program
has worked very well.
Glynn County received an AOT
grant which is worked through Pro
bate Court and Gateway Behavioral
Health Crisis Center.
Empirical evidence exists that
court-ordered treatment works.
New York’s Assisted Outpatient
Treatment Law (commonly known
as “Kendra’s Law”) has been the sub
ject of two empirical investigations:
a 2005 study conducted by the New
York State Office of Mental Health
(“the OMH study”), and a 2009 evalu
ation performed under contract with
New York State, by an independent
research team (“the independent
evaluation”).
Taken together, the two reports
establish that assisted outpatient
treatment (AOT) drastically reduces
hospitalization, homelessness, arrest,
and incarceration among people with
severe psychiatric disorders, while in
creasing adherence to treatment and
overall quality of life.
The independent evaluation fur
ther indicates that the effectiveness of
Kendra’s Law is not simply a product
of systemic service enhancements, but
The First Tuesday Gallery Showcase
in downtown Brunswick and several oth
ers galleries continues on November 5.
Brunswick galleries will showcase their
respective exhibits with opportunities
to meet the artists, enjoy refreshments,
and spend the evening in a relaxed and
inviting atmosphere. The Gallery Show
case takes place from 5 to 7 p.m.
Linda Shannon’s landscapes are on
display at The Brunswick Library. So-
Glo Gallery’s new exhibit is A Child for
All Seasons A Retrospective Exhibition
is in part attributable to the value of
AOT court orders in motivating treat
ment compliance.
Kendra’s Law reduces the most se
vere consequences of lack of treatment.
The Summit, Haynes said, will
bring the stakeholders together to dis
cuss the mental health gaps in Glynn
County.
“We would like to come up with two
to four solutions to start,” she said,
“that are easy to accomplish and see if
we can make progress.”
“Empirical evidence since 2010,”
Haynes continued, “shows there are
four things needed for recovery, ad
equate treatment, safe appropri
ate housing, a meaningful day, and
technology or communication among
agencies.”
It should be noted that Glynn Coun
ty Probate Court works with Gateway
to help those with mental health and
substance abuse problems to adhere
to a treatment plan created for the in
dividual by Gateway doctors.
To attend the Summit or for infor
mation, email: gcbhadvocates@gmail.
com.
of paintings with book signing by artist
Jerry Luke.
The Wilcox Gallery in the Historic
Ritz Theatre continues it’s “The Art of
Brunswick” celebrating the past, pres
ent and future of Brunswick with histor
ic photos and memorabilia and artwork
by local artists.
New this month is Kenny Nobles Pho
tography/Creative Frameworks (1302
Gloucester Street) whose work includes
landscapes, wildlife, and lifestyles of
those living or visiting Coastal Georgia.
To Buy or Sell Land
in Coastal Georgia
Please Call
Fred Freyer, Associate Broker
912-230-0539
fred@fredfreyer.com
fredfreyer.com
associates
4 Real Ijutr Senates
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