Working on an inpatient Behavior Health Unit at Columbia-St.Mary’s, we as a staff frequently discuss how frustrating it can be, due the lack of patient compliance and outreach programs to support the chronically mentally ill population.

Behaviorial health is not considered a “product line” and therefore, less money is put into this important area. Emotional well-being is the basis for the quality of life – it is necessary to cope with all of life’s changes and essential to all health care.

I decided to invite Sandy Pasch, our Wisconsin State Assembly person, to meet with us. Sandy had been a resource to us in the past, while she was an instructor at Columbia-Mt. Mary College of Nursing. Being a mental health advocate I knew she would have some thoughts and ideas.

A variety of professionals attended this grassroots event: Deborah Rosen, director Pathways to Wellness, Jewish Family Services; Melanie Hersch, Older Adult Services/Linkage Coordinator (JFS); Linda Marker, APNP, Medical College of Wisconsin, practicing at Froedert; Barb Redding, recreational therapist, Columbia-St. Mary’s; Terry Depies, occupational therapist, CSM; Rev. Vicki Watkins, Chaplain, CSM; Karen Peterson, social worker, CSM; Emily Grabowski, discharge planner, CSM; Caryl Zaar, director department of psychiatry, CSM; and Sister Ann Katherine Veierstahler, community advocate.

We discussed the fact that mental illness can be chronic. Chronic illness is defined as a long term or permanent illness that may limit activity and requires ongoing care, including multiple hospitalizations. It takes education, encouragement, support and time to get out of this cycle of chronicity. As a staff person we need to offer continuous education, active listening, understanding and patience to help them develop better problem solving skills and make better decisions for themselves. They need simple and focused discharge plans.

We did discuss the value of more CBRF’s (Community Based Residential Facilities) where the chronically mentally ill can receive meals, medications, a safe place to sleep and be offered some meaningful activity. The answer was no one wants these facilities in their areas.

We discussed the value of using a peer support program. The use of peer support may be considered a cornerstone in recovering from mental illness. People who are mentally ill or who have recovered from mental illness can inspire others and this may help in the recovery process. Peer support may increase the utilization of community resources. We plan on having a staff in-service on the Peer Support Program so we can be better-informed advocates.

We will try and send patients home with the medications versus multiple pages of prescriptions and a simple medication schedule for them to follow. This may help with medication compliance. I will tour “Our Space” so we can inform our clients of its resources. Our Space is a drop-in center that assists adults with mental health issues. We will also attend the meetings of the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force, which is held in our community. The Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force provides a forum where different sectors of the mental health delivery system come together to address and resolve issues related to those affected by mental illness. The task force is committed to being a leader in identifying issues, facilitating improvements in mental health services and giving consumers and families a strong voice.

We as a staff want to get connected to our community, learning more about the available resources and what they have to offer. By becoming advocates for our patients, we can be excited about giving them references which can help them improve their quality of life and improve patient outcomes. The journey to recovery can be difficult but the goal is to help those with chronic mental illness reach their full potential and offer hope.