Mental Health Association of Nebraska

Very Favorable Comments on Keya House

Two comments have been posted in response to Nancy Hick's article (LJS 12/29/09) and the TV news cast available on KOLN/KGIN TV website. 

In the Lincoln Journal Star, John writes: 

"Wonderful service. Not only does it seem to be a more appropriate setting for those in need, but I would think it being more of a preventative service would save money in the long run by making more intensive and costly services unneeded."  

On KOLN/KGIN, from England, Graham writes:  

"Just touring around the Internet and came across the article featuring the opening of your new establishment. I had a friend who suffered from depression, and we, his many friends, always watched over him, and whilst everything turned out alright in the end, I would imagine that sufferers of Mental Health conditions could often be extremely isolated. Therefore, your new venture should prove invaluable, as are the staff who run it, often selflessly and without the credit that's due to them. It's unfortunate that many people are ignorant of Mental Health conditions, some even choose to be, but maybe this feature will enlighten a few. We can always live in hope! Congratulations, good luck, and very best wishes to your staff and users now and always. Oh, and Happy New Year too. Graham, England U.K."

Lincoln's Keya House a refuge for guests

Lincoln Journal Star’s Nancy Hicks writes a nice introduction for the Keya House (LJS 12/29/09), describing the program as “a refuge, not a clinic.” MHA-NE's Keya House, 2817 S. 14th St., is a peer-run program for adults at least 19 years old with behavioral health diagnoses, who are not in severe crisis and who live in Southeast Nebraska. Click here to read her article.

New AHRQ Publication Highlights Recent Mental Health Research Findings

Mental Health Research Findings Nearly 7 percent of U.S. adults suffer from major depression each year. The impact of depression on work, school, quality of life, and overall health is enormous. In 2006, nearly $58 billion was spent on mental disorders, making it one of the five most costly conditions in the United States.

A new publication released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) of the Department of Health and Human Services looks at a number of studies addressing the challenges of diagnosing and treating mental health in America.  To read more, visit:

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/mentalhth.htm

HOPE Program Receives Three-Year Accreditation From CARF International

In June, 2009, MHA-NE’s HOPE Program was awarded a three-year accreditation by CARF International.

This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards.  An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable, and accountable.

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.