TMHCA Signs Contract with AmeriChoice To Provide Peer Support In Middle Tennessee

Anthony Fox, Executive Director for the Tennessee Mental Health Consumers' Association (TMHCA), signs a contract between his organization and AmeriChoice to provide peer support, illness management and recovery, and supported employment services for persons diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness. AmeriChoice has worked extensively with TMHCA to become a consumer-run provider in Middle Tennessee.

Present for the signing are (front row, left to right; Lea Haynie, Vice President of Behavioral Health Services; Fox; Gregory Fisher, Recovery/Resiliency Specialist; (back row, left to right; Mary Gormley, Provider Relations Manager; and Connie Levenhagen, TMHCA Associate Director.

"We are delighted that TMCHA has answered the call to develop consumer-run psychiatric rehabilitation services," Haynie said. "Our goal is to work with providers who have a clear understanding of and practices the principles of recovery and resiliency in their service delivery. Who better than TMHCA, the states premier consumer advocacy group, to believe that mental health consumers can and will recovery when supported, respected and given the appropriate tools."

"AmeriChoice has helped us to make the next step to becoming a service provider more easily," Fox said. "This is a natural progression for our organization. And as AmeriChoice has asked, we intend to deliver the right service for the right person at the right time and in the right place. Our mission and the goals of recovery are perfectly aligned. AmeriChoice has encouraged us every step of the way."

2008 TMHCA Mental Health Issues for Capitol Hill Day

Recovery from Mental Illness: Barriers faced by the Consumers/Survivors in Tennessee

Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) is a designation used to describe a discrete group of adults who have been diagnosed with one or more significant mental illnesses. SPMI is not a diagnosis in itself but rather refers to the presence of mental illness that is so severe as to disable an individual temporarily, periodically, or chronically. In Tennessee, SPMI are commonly known as Mental Health Consumers/Survivors.

The Tennessee Mental Health Consumers' Association (TMHCA) consults face-to-face with over 2000 mental health consumers annually in Tennessee to identify issues that impact or obstruct mental health recovery. In 2002, According to the mission of the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, the Commission was charged with conducting a comprehensive study of the United States mental health service delivery system and to advise the President on methods of improving the system.

The Commission's goal was to recommend improvements to enable adults with serious persistent mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. To live, work, learn, and participate fully in our community closely resembles the consumer/survivors definition of mental health recovery.

During meetings with mental health consumers/survivors this year the following issues were continually identified and need to be immediately addressed to strengthen the current mental health system to address the Commission’s charge and support mental health recovery.

Access and Availability to Mental Health Services – An overwhelming number of mental health consumers report there is a serious lack of access and availability of mental health services. Lack of access can range from health care plans whose criteria make it nearly impossible to have adequate mental health treatment, lack of insurance, the scarcity of qualified mental health professionals, the serious need for decent, accountable transportation to services and lack of services specific to race, ethnicity, and seniors.

Recommendation: There is a need for a comprehensive and coordinated system of mental health services so that people can access services in a timely manner in their communities. Public education about mental health services is needed as well.

Additional Community and Fiscal Support of Consumer-Operated Programs – Tennessee has approximately 50 full and/or part-time mental health consumer-operated programs (known as Peer Support Centers) throughout the state that serve an estimated 10,000 individuals annually. The consumer staff provide peer counseling, link consumers to valuable services in the community and teach skills that help people in daily recovery. They are some of the most cost effective programs in the state, yet often go unrecognized for their role in providing rehabilitation and recovery to persons with mental illness and face stigma associated with mental illness in the communities where they operate.  

Recommendation: Consumer-Operated Programs should be promoted and identified as a resource of rehabilitation and mental health recovery. Funding for Consumer-Operated Programs should be preserved with increased funding allocated annually by the Tennessee General Assembly that equals at a minimum the average cost of living increase in Tennessee to enhance program development.

Additional Recommendations

• Make eye and dental care a reimbursable TennCare service
• Develop new standards and monitoring practices for group homes that house consumer/survivors
• Fund and develop mental health training for police officers using Memphis Crisis Intervention Team model
• Fund agencies to develop safe and affordable housing that support mental health recovery
• Provide non-traditional services that foster recovery (legal, educational, job training, personal assistance, etc.)