Know Your Rights: Fair Insurance Coverage for Mental Health

Federal
law is clear that health insurance companies cannot discriminate against people
seeking care for mental illness or addiction. But how do you know if your insurance
company is not complying with the law? What can you do if you suspect a
violation?

The
American Psychiatric Association (APA) created a tool to help answer these
questions. The poster titled, “Fair Insurance Coverage: It’s the Law”
(Spanish-language version), clearly and
simply explains the law and the steps to take if you suspect a violation.

The
poster is intended to help enforce federal law and end discrimination.  Print it out and share the link (www.psychiatry.org/parity).

By
understanding your rights and taking action you can help ensure fair coverage
for yourself and your family, and you can help others by holding insurance
companies accountable.

What Federal Law Requires

The Mental Health
Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires any group health plan that covers more
than 50 employees and offers mental health and/or substance use disorders
coverage to provide that coverage with no greater financial requirements (such
as co-pays, deductibles, annual or life-time dollar limits) or treatment
limitations than the requirements the plan applies to medical / surgical
benefits. 

Also,
under the Affordable Care Act, new individual and small group plans in and
outside of the mandated health
insurance exchanges are required to offer mental and substance use
disorder coverage similar to medical/surgical benefits.

In addition to federal law, 49 states
and D.C. currently have laws relating to insurance coverage for mental health
and substance use.  More information,
including a summary table of state laws, is available from the National Conference of State Legislators.

By Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association

...elada Eestis

First things first - I’ve been working with people involved in the field of memory loss this last two weeks. Some are part of Dementia & Imagination and others inhabit similar places. I am quite staggered by your ideas and vision. From the O.T’s, to the students - the artists, to the researchers - you are inspiring. Thank you. The very short film above, is something I created for a workshop, that I hope says something about possibility, desires and yet again, imagination. It doesn’t matter what your label is, or even worse, your ‘prognosis’ - we all have potential - let’s explore it.

CALLING ALL FREE THINKERS of ARTS & HEALTH
Here we present our latest ramblings and ruminations following Chaos & Comfort and preceding the near magical date of the 7th October, in which we will congregate, share and debate our ever-expanding field of practice and research. To whet your appetite, here is 2020+ (above)and I am indebted to Kamila Kasperowicz for her help with this. 

But just what is this 7th October all about? Well, aside from more chaos & comfort, (which seem the key ingredients of our get-togetherness) this date offers you some grand opportunities, and I can confirm guests from Japan will be attending and presenting. From Lithuania, friends and allies at Socialiniai Meno Projektai will be sharing research and practice. More international travellers will be wending their way to the Manchester School of Art. So it will be an event to share practice and research - to ferment new ideas and relationships - to incubate our hybrid dreams and let loose into this world - our Exquisite Corpse of ideas and dreams. Keep watching.

The Recoverist Manifesto in an ‘...age of dislocation’
I am thrilled that people want to hear about this ongoing work and I have shared the Recoverist Manifesto in various locations around the UK, in Italy, Turkey, Lithuania and Australia and like some fly-in-fly-out, dayglow jacket wearing recoverist, I am sharing in the beautiful Estonia,(where I'm blogging from) Dublin and Holland all over a few days.

You’ll know by now that the manifesto developed as part of my work with people affected by substance misuse and Portraits of Recovery, and I’m pleased to say that emerging iterations of it are developing and that the UK Recovery Federation are embracing the notion of Recoverism and have asked me to share the work at their annual conference in Manchester in September. I am honoured to. In the meantime, designer of the Recoverist Manifesto, and masters student here at the Manchester School of Art, Nick Young, has responded to the work as part of his ongoing studies. Whilst the MA show isn’t until October, here’s a taste of what he’s up to. Click on Nick's work to find out more about the UK Recovery Federation's September event.

DANCE LABORATORY...
Socialiniai Meno Projektai (SMP) is one of the first organisations in Lithuania that works in the space between cultural, social and health sectors. The organisation aims to extend the availability of the arts and address issues around social exclusion. Since SMP formed in 2013, they are striving to expand wider public understanding of the importance of the arts to individual and communal health. They are implementing teaching programs, educational and creative workshops and research into the influence of the arts on health. Dance Laboratory is a new project being launched in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas for people with disabilities from the “Workshops of Light” community.You can find out more or support this specific Dance Laboratory project, by clicking on the dance image by Irutė Jarusevičiūtė below.

IMPACT: Generate and Demonstrate

Conference: 16th July, 9.30am-4pm, Manchester Metropolitan University, Hulme

Organised by Cartwheel Arts, this conference aims to explore the building, evidencing and communicating the impact of creative projects on mental wellbeing. Health professionals and Third Sector organisations will share creative solutions to generate positive mental wellbeing. Exploring tools and methods, to capture evidence and effectively communicate impact. To register and for more details, click on the image below.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation 
New UK Grants Strategy

One of the UK’s largest independent grant-making foundations has launched its new strategic plan which will run from 2015 to 2021 and increased its funding by £5 million per year. The Foundation which closed to applications last October has reopened with a new strategy which focuses on six new priorities relating to the changes it wishes to see in the UK. The Foundation's work in the UK (it also works in India) will focus on achieving the following six strategic priorities:

• Supporting imaginative people to nurture exciting ideas.
• Widening access and participation in the arts.
• Improving people's education and learning through the arts.
• Showing that the arts make a difference to people's lives.
• Supporting the development and growth of organisations investing in young people and positive change.
• Improving support for young people who migrate, and strengthen integration so that communities can live well together.

OUTSIDE IN...
...are currently looking for submissions to their next national exhibition in collaboration with Craftspace. The exhibition will focus on craft-based pieces, and the works selected from the call out will be displayed alongside work by renowned historical and contemporary ‘outsider artists.’ The exhibition will open at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester in March 2016 before touring to further venues around the UK.

As they work with artists facing barriers to the art world, they know that many of those who would like to submit work might need some extra support. To overcome this, they are holding a series of Surgery Days across the country, which consist of free one hour one-to-one sessions where the Outside In team will support artists to create an online gallery on our website and submit work to the exhibition. Please find some text below – we would be really grateful if you are able to pass this on to any artists you know, or advertise on any of your platforms.

The deadline for submissions is 5pm Friday 30 October 2015, and artists are also able to submit on their own directly through our website. More information can be found here: http://outsidein.org.uk/news_and_events?item_id0=16111 

Surgery Day sessions are one-to-one and last for an hour, and are taking place all over the UK - from Hastings to Perth, and from Cardiff to Ipswich. To find out if there's a Surgery Day near you, and for information on how to book a slot, please follow this link: http://outsidein.org.uk/news_and_events?item_id0=16154

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Racism, Discrimination, and Microaggressions: Effects on Mental Health

We know from extensive research that racism can cause significant harmful effects to the victim’s physical and mental health. In 2006, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) established a formal position against racism and discrimination, which partly states that the APA “recognizes that racism and racial discrimination adversely affect mental health by diminishing the victim’s self-image, confidence and optimal mental functioning…. APA believes that attempts should be made to eliminate racism and racial discrimination by fostering a respectful appreciation of multiculturalism and diversity.”

However, racism—prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on a belief that one’s own race is superior—is not a mental disorder (it is not included in APA’s diagnostic manual*).

Racism may not appear in the form of clear and obvious acts, it may be in the form of less obvious, “every day” racism.  These acts, termed “microaggressions,” by psychiatrist Chester Pierce, M.D. in 1970, are subtle, often automatic, and nonverbal exchanges with negative overtones. Originally the concept referred to put-downs of blacks by whites in the post-Civil Rights era, but it has since evolved to include people with many differences.  

These subtle and even unintentional acts, can none-the-less be harmful. The effects of this on children are especially pronounced. Victims of racism often display signs of physical and emotional stress. Some victims even start behaving in self-destructive ways that conform to the negative stereotypes they are facing.

Even perceived discrimination can affect health and mental health in several ways, according to an analysis of more than 130 medical studies.** For example, the stress of ongoing perceived discrimination can lead to an increase in unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking or drinking, and decrease in healthy behaviors, such as exercising and healthy eating. If a person has a sense of hopelessness, and low self-esteem, they may be more likely to engage in risky behaviors.  

So how can people protect themselves?  Research suggests several ways to help protect yourself, including having a supportive network of friends and family you can talk to about problems; taking action to address a situation of discrimination, rather than ignoring or avoiding it; and having strong ties to the group(s) with which you identify.

We can all be more mindful of the existence and impact of even subtle and unintentional racism and racial discrimination in the lives of patients and their families and in their everyday practice.

Read more on the Microaggressions Project blog which provides many examples of everyday microaggressions from people across the country.

By Ranna Parekh, M.D.

Director, Division of Diversity and Health Equity\

American Psychiatric Association

References:

*American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) 2013. Washington, DC:  Author.

**Pascoe EA, Richman LS. (2009). Perceived Discrimination and Health:  A Meta-Analytic Review. Pscyhol Bull; 135(4):531-554.

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The Connected Communities, Dementia & Imagination event was great - my big thanks to all of you who came and contributed and in particular - Kat, Sam, Chris, Teri and Penny. More about that soon. Read reflections on creativity based interventions by occupational therapist, Alison Stefan, here. 

Last week I shared the most excellent job opportunity at the Dukes in Lancaster. I thought that was the bees knees, but good grief! Here's one of the best jobs in the UK at the moment at the superb LEVEL. Following the death of the wonderful Peter Shelton last September, this is one of those rare opportunities to be part of something significant. 

Director at LEVEL (Derbyshire)
Salary £35-42K depending on skills and experience. For 25 years LEVEL (formerly known as First Movement) has pioneered in the power of arts and creativity to change the lives of people with learning disabilities. Based in Derbyshire, the charity’s work has a growing national and international impact. In 2008 we opened the doors of the stunning £1.8million purpose-built LEVEL Centre at Rowsley, where we attract over 5000 attendances per year from people with a learning disability.

A successful NPO bid has secured funding for the 2015-18 period and confirmed the Arts Council’s continued confidence in LEVEL’s past achievements and future aspirations. At this exciting time, we seek an inspirational Director to lead LEVEL’s development as an innovative provider of high quality arts experiences with and for the learning disabled community. Further information and application details can be found at http://levelcentre.com/about/opportunities/ 
or alternatively contact Alison Foote to find out more alison@levelcentre.com or call on 01629 734848 or 07702829985. Closing date for applications is 3pm on 13th July 2015. Interviews are on 24th July 2015.



Singing the Blues Project Officer
The Royal College of Music provides specialised musical education and professional training at the highest international level for performers and composers. The post-holder will be responsible for coordinating the running of the ‘Singing the Blues’ research project, which will investigate the impact of music on postnatal depression. Key tasks will include setting up and managing research interventions for new mothers and their babies, developing marketing strategies to recruit new mothers, supporting the team in collecting and managing research data, and liaising with key project partners.For details, click on the photo below.

There's a new Chair for the Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee at Westminster, so let's keep a watchful eye on Jesse Norman, MP, who has been elected Chairman of this Committee, a post previously held by current Culture Minister John Whittingdale. He is a Trustee of the Roundhouse, a director of the Hay Festival and a Patron of the Music Pool, and has called for a redistribution of arts funding away from London and to the regions, recognising that “two-thirds of the country lives outside the readily affordable range of ‘national’ cultural organisations”. Norman said that he was “absolutely delighted” to have been elected, and was looking forward to fulfilling his new role by “holding government departments and other public bodies to account”. The election of the other members of the Committee is to follow in due course, with a seat allocation per party. Read more by clicking on the chair below!

Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship
Every year I encourage people to apply for this wonderful opportunity. Do you practice or support those working in Heritage Crafts? Would you benefit from travelling overseas to meet other people with the same specialism as you, in order to share ideas, innovation and skills, and to reinvigorate your work? Click on the Boeing 314 for more details.

Feminist Review Trust Grants (UK/International)
The Feminist Review Trust has announced that the next round of its 2015 grants programme is now open for applications. The Feminist Review Trust gives grants of up to £15,000 to projects in the UK and internationally that support women. The Trust will prioritise applications for:

• Hard to fund projects that have no other obvious sources of funding
• Pump priming activities to help start a project in the hope that it will then be able attract sufficient funding to continue
• Interventionist projects that support feminist values
• Training and development projects
• One off events
• Dissemination of relevant material
• Core funding for groups that struggle to raise it elsewhere.

Other projects outside of these above categories may be funded but potential applicants should contact the Trust to discuss eligibility before submitting an application. The deadline for applications is 30th September 2015. Read more by clicking on the classic Spare Rib.

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Corporate wellness is making me sick...

I took part in an excellent and interesting event at the beautiful V&A on Friday. The Sackler Conference 2015: Art, Design and New Technology for Health, was great and it was good to hear people from different sectors getting together, instead of the usual suspects. Chairing a session on interactive and digital art in healthcare environments, was - to a degree - outside my comfort zone. But it was great to share the stage with people from design, curation and the health sector and in fact, it got me thinking again (sorry to drone on) about our work, language and the cult of individual 'wellness'. 

Looking at the wretched Hedonometer Project website today, I notice from their 'research' that people were pretty happy around christmas and valentines day, but (strange, this one) were less happy after the terrorist attack at Charlie Hebdo in Paris and even more unhappy after the arrest of Justin Bieber! Oh yes, and this reliable data was gathered from twitter. That’s accurate then.

So in a fit of pique and primed to write just a few slanderous lines on our burgeoning obsession with quantifying the self through every App (and orifice) conceivable, it is with some relief that I read in one of today's papers, Wellcome Trust Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London, Mark Honigsbaum has similar concerns, describing far more eloquently than I could, that: ‘In this brave new world of human-technological assemblages, the “digitally engaged patient”, or epatient, becomes the new ideal and a marketer’s wet dream.”

Whilst Honigsbaum focuses on the data, eluding to its storage and usage in a post-Snowden world, for my part I still see a narcissistic consumerism that’s well marketed and which taps into the age-old delusion of defeating death.

Of course, technological advances in health improvement are to be encouraged, it’s just, as Honigsbaum comments, this new technology, ‘...is the thin end of a very long wedge, one that may see us sprinting towards a post-human future in which some people enjoy markedly better health styles and promotion prospects than others.’

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
The 7th of October 2015 
The Republic of Arts & Health offers up a free international one-day event at The Manchester School of Art. 

We are Local- We are International 

  LIFE IS MESSY 
    LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL 
        LET US SHARE OUR FAILURES  
            & OUR GLORIOUS SUCCESSES

(More details soon, but the date is fixed) 

…now here's a lovely job!

Inclusive Film and Theatre Officer 
Lancaster theatre and Cinema, the Dukes, works with many marginalised and excluded communities. They are now expanding their film and arts programme for people living with dementia – A Life More Ordinary – both in Lancaster and to other partner venues. They wish to appoint an Inclusive Film and Theatre Officer on a salary scale: £20,000-£23,000 depending on experience.The closing date for completed applications: 5pm Tues 7th July.

http://dukes-lancaster.org/about-us/work-with-us/ 

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For the love of - well - for the love of love, actually...

The sun has scorched the earth this week - well, on my own patch of land at least. I’m reminded of some Flaming Lips lyrics: ‘...the sun doesn’t go down, it’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning round.’ A lovely song and apologies for the always-dubious Lips video below. Lovely messages came in about Mike White this week and it was heartening to hear from so many people who had been in some small way, affected by him and his vision of equal, healthy and flourishing communities. A mutual friend of ours had a baby this week and there’s something so bloody good and right and natural about this, it just reminds me - everything continues.

I’ve mentioned it before, but I do like the word amateur. It’s so easy to fall into jargon around ‘professionalism’ when we talk about the arts. Refreshing then, to read about the actor Jim Broadbent and his carvings of wooden people, on which he comments: “This is a hobby, I’m sure it’s therapeutic. It stimulates me, gets me up in the morning so it’s a passion as well,” he said. “I’m keen to get back to it, quite keen to see which way he/she is going to develop. I love getting better at it.”

“They are people, and people depend on love and give love and need love and maybe these people love each other.” His People are on display at the Southbank Centre’s, Festival of Love.

I was asked by Arts + Health over in Ireland to write a short perspective on the creation of the Manifesto for Arts & Health and if you have the inclination to read my thoughts on this process, click on the photograph below. It’s called A Love-Filled Slap, and I’ve been told if you google it, you’re more likely to end up in the the world of S&M - you have been warned!

There are just 10 free tickets left for the Dementia & Imagination event on the 25th June. Click on Bette or Joan to find out more.

I'll be at the Art, Design and New Technology for Health: Sackler Conference at the V&A this Friday 19 June. If you are coming to the event, do say hello. The conference will explore the role of interactive and digital art in healthcare environments. It will reflect on the principles of design in health and consider the potential of digital innovations to empower individuals and revolutionise healthcare experiences. Programme available by clicking HERE. 

The always compelling NOUS magazine is out. The PANIC edition is to be found in all good Manchester outlets, including my all-time favourite The Koffee Pot. Well done Lisa Lorenz and all the contributors! Great to see the cover by Lithuanian artist, Eglė Gudonytė and new poetic work by Viltautė Krupickaitė.

Whilst our dear old Chancellor has announced his £4.5billion cost-cutting measures within a month of the general election, we should keep a wary eye on the £30m cut to the DCMS’s annual budget of £1.2bn. At the moment, the Arts Council has been asked to cut just 0.3% from its budget as its new Chief Executive calls on the government to back culture while promising a funding shift outside of London. Let’s keep our eyes on all this eh? ACE have announced a number of new funding streams, including investing £35.2 million in helping organisations produce high quality and spectacular events and works of art, particularly outside London. The fund will develop talent and leadership in organisations as well as supporting individual creative projects. There’s now an opportunity for existing Creative people and places consortia to apply for funds to help more people experience and be inspired by the arts. £5 million is available in this round, with a further £5 million in April 2017. Read more by clicking on the £4million Notting Hill home of the chancellor, that according to The Mirror is rented out for around £2,640 per week, as he sleeps in his rent free Downing Street abode. 

An International Conference on Music in Healthcare Settings, hosted by OPUS Music CIC in partnership with air Arts for Health and Royal Derby Hospital and supported using public funding by Arts Council England. This will be taking placed from 9.30am to 4.30pm on Thursday 16th July in the Education Centre at the Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, UK.
Anyone with an interest in music-making within healthcare settings is invited to join us for a stimulating, discussion-filled day on this ever-growing practice. Click HERE.

A short and cracking film of No More Heroes that The Stanglers are taking oh, so seriously

IMPACT: Generate and Demonstrate
16th July 2015, 9.30-4pm
Cartwheel Arts are organising a conference exploring arts and impact. This event is part of their project Art for Wellbeing, which focuses on creative projects to support positive mental wellbeing. Health professionals and Third Sector organisations will share creative solutions to generate positive mental wellbeing. Through creative tools and methodologies, a newly commissioned exhibition and film showcase, they will explore how to capture evidence to effectively communicate impact. Manchester Metropolitan University, Birley Buildings, Hulme, M15 6GX
Please click HERE to purchase tickets. Please note that this event is not organised by Arts for Health, but by Cartwheel Arts.

Idlewild Trust 
The Idlewild Trust has announced that the next closing date for applications to its grant making programme is the 23rd September 2015. The Idlewild Trust is a grant making trust that supports registered charities concerned with the encouragement of the performing and fine arts and crafts, the advancement of education within the arts and the preservation for the benefit of the public of lands, buildings and other objects of beauty or historic interest in the United Kingdom. The Trust awards around £120,000 each year in grants and makes grants of up to £5,000. 
http://www.idlewildtrust.org.uk

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Nutrition and Mental Health: Dr. Ramsey’s 5 Rules for Eating for Happiness

Dr. Drew Ramsey

A growing body of research is confirming the relationship between a good, quality diet and better mental health outcomes. Poor diet (generally defined as greater consumption of saturated fats and refined and processed foods and lower consumption of fruits, vegetables, fish and nutrient-dense foods) has been associated with depression, anxiety and ADHD. A recent review of studies focused on children and adolescents found a consistent trend in the relationship between a healthy diet and better mental health.(1)


So how do you go about improving your diet and your mental health without overly complicated or restrictive regimes? Drew Ramsey, M.D., psychiatrist, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, and author, has identified a simple set of 5 rules to eat for happiness—advice he gives to patients and others who want to simplify meal choices and maximize brain health.



1. Skip the processed foods. Processed foods are filled with empty calories; whole grains, lentils, nuts, leafy greens, and seafood contain brain-healthy nutrients.



2. Don’t fear fats. “Good fats,” omega-3 fats DHA and EPA found in whole foods like fish, , dairy products and pasture-raised eggs, are great for your brain. Trans fats, however, are among the unhealthiest substances and are still found in many packaged baked goods.



3. Mind your meat. While a plant-based diet is important, the right meat is an important source of protein, zinc and vitamin B12. “Grass-fed” or “pasture-raised” beef and chicken and “farm fresh” eggs are more nutritionally beneficial.

4. Go organic. Organic choices, increasingly available at most supermarkets, avoid the potential risks of insecticides and pesticides. And summer is great time to check out your local farmers’ market.



5. Make friends with farmers. Shopping at your local farmers’ market can give you added motivation to stay away from a pre-packaged processed-food diet. Getting to know the people who grow your food also offers you the opportunity to gain a better understanding of what you’re eating.



As Dr. Ramsey notes: “The goal is not to become a food snob, but to make that vital connection between your fork and your feelings and choose foods that support your emotional well-being and enhance your sense of vitality.”




Follow Dr. Ramsey @DrewRamseyMD.





By Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association


(1) O’Neil A, Quirk S, Housden S, et al. 2014. Relationship between Diet and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Public Health, 104:10, e31-41. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4167107/