September 5th, 2017
A diverse group of professionals gathered at the Department of Mental Health Central Office recently for a two-day training on trauma-informed care in the criminal justice system. The training was conducted by Chan Noether, director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrationai??i??s (SAMHSA) GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation and Joel […]
August 31st, 2017
Young people at risk for involvement in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems are the focus of a grant the Department of Mental Health recently received that will allow expansion of the current System of Care (SOC) programs in two jurisdictions served by Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources and Weems Community Mental Health. Current […]
August 31st, 2017
Governor Phil Bryant recently signed a proclamation declaring September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, drawing awareness to a public health issue that affects people of all ages and backgrounds. He was joined by not just representatives from the Department of Mental Health (DMH), but his wife, First Lady Deborah Bryant, who has worked with DMH […]
August 30th, 2017
The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) has begun the implementation of conflict-free case management services for the Intellectual Disabilities/Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) Waiver. Conflict-free case management is required for all states by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, and will result in the transfer of a number of DMH employees to other community providers […]
August 28th, 2017
Dr. Thomas Recore, Dr. Amanda Gugliano, and Dr. Reb McMichael from Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) Forensic Services, along with hospital director James Chastain, attended a meeting of the Mississippi Association of Community Mental Health Centers on Aug. 9 to share information about two new programs impacting services statewide. MSH, the Department of Mental Health (DMH) […]
August 3rd, 2017
The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) is partnering with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) to provide naloxone, a life-saving medication that blocks or reverses effects of opioid overdoses, to all sworn personnel of DPS. This effort was funded by the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grant, as part of the […]
July 28th, 2017
Mississippi recently added 29 more individuals to the growing list of Mental Health First Aid Instructors in the state through a training offered by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health and NAMI Mississippi. This is the first time in Mississippi that in addition to the Mental Health First Aid course, participants also received supplemental training […]
July 28th, 2017
The Department of Mental Health announced in July a consolidation of various aspects of its programs in an effort to reduce administrative overhead while continuing to deliver quality services to Mississippians in need. The department’s six programs for mental health services will be consolidated under the umbrellas of two of its current programs, Mississippi State […]
July 26th, 2017
The 2017 Trauma Informed Care Conference will be September 26-29 at the Jackson Convention Center. Titled “Standing in the Eye of the Storm,” the conference brings together mental health professionals from throughout the state to build skills, knowledge, and awareness so they can effectively respond to various aspects of child, adolescent, and adult trauma. The […]
July 24th, 2017
A one-day symposium on September 19 aims to address suicide prevention across all age groups in Mississippi – children and youth, adults, and elder adults who may be at risk. The symposium will be at the Jackson Medical Mall, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on September 19, and will include a number of speakers, including […]
July 24th, 2017
Robert Landrum of Ellisville has been named Chair of the Board of Mental Health for the year beginning July 1, 2017. Mr. Landrum has served for the previous year as Vice Chair of the Board, and has been a board member since 1993. He became involved in mental health in the early 1980s, after his […]
July 24th, 2017
Dr. Manda Griffin of Houlka has been named the Vice Chair of the Board of Mental Health for the year beginning July 1, 2017. Dr. Griffin has extensive experience in the medical field. She is a registered respiratory therapist, a licensed social worker, and a board certified family nurse practitioner. She received her bachelor’s degree […]
July 24th, 2017
The Board of Mental Health recently passed a resolution honoring Mr. George Harrison, of Coffeeville, whose term that ended June 30 brings an end to more than 20 years of service to Mississippi’s mental health system. Mr. Harrison was appointed in 1996 by Gov. Kirk Fordice and was reappointed two subsequent times, once by Gov. […]
July 24th, 2017
Stewart Rutledge of Oxford has been appointed to the Mississippi Board of Mental Health by Governor Phil Bryant. Mr. Rutledge is a real estate developer who will serve as the citizen representative for the First Congressional District for a seven-year term beginning July 1. Mr. Rutledge earned a bachelora’s degree in physics, summa cum laude, […]
July 21st, 2017
The Mississippi Suicide Prevention Plan Workgroup was formed in April 2016 to finalize the state’s efforts in developing a formal plan to help combat a public health issue that affects people of all ages, races, and gender – suicide. Mississippi’s State Suicide Prevention Plan was released in September 2016. The three-year plan was divided into […]
July 12th, 2017
July 12, 2017 (Jackson, Miss.) – A town hall meeting in Tupelo on July 18 will address the growing impact of opioids in communities across the state. The meeting is hosted in a partnership with the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Public Safety, the Bureau of Narcotics, the Board of Pharmacy, and the Mississippi […]
July 10th, 2017
More than 700 people registered for the 2017 Heroin and Opioid Mississippi Drug Summit, a partnership between multiple health and public safety agencies and organizations with one single goal – to educate about the growing opioid epidemic that is affecting communities throughout the country, including right here in Mississippi. Journalist and author Sam Quinones was […]
June 22nd, 2017
Recent media coverage related to the release of the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) report regarding children’s mental health services in the state has focused on the fact the report was sealed by a judge for more than two years. There is an important aspect to its release that has been overlooked – the TAC report […]
June 16th, 2017
June 16, 2017 (Jackson, Miss.) – A town hall meeting in Hattiesburg on June 27 will address the growing impact of opioids in communities across the state. The meeting is hosted in a partnership with the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Public Safety, the Bureau of Narcotics, the Board of Pharmacy, and the Mississippi […]
May 31st, 2017
Education. Training. Collaboration. Saving lives. These are the goals of the 2017 Mississippi Opioid and Heroin Summit – an opportunity for all of us to face the epidemic that touches our families, friends and loved ones. The 2.5 day summit will be July 11-13, 2017, at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison. It will bring together 3 […]
