Behind the Laughter

Aug 13, 2014

As the world absorbs the devastating loss of funny-man Robin Williams, we are reminded once again of the seriousness of mental illness and the indiscriminate way it impacts society. It is reported that Williams suffered from severe depression and had attended rehab more than once for substance abuse problems. Nearly 14.8 million Americans suffer from depression and over 38,000 people end their lives by suicide each year.

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“A New State of Mind: Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness”

Aug 06, 2014

I recently viewed the documentary “A New State of Mind: Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness,” and found it incredibly interesting. Narrated by mental health advocate, Glenn Close, the documentary interviews several inspiring individuals with various mental illnesses. Among those interviewed includes retired politician, Patrick Kennedy and Olympic diver, Greg Louganis.

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New Beginnings

Jul 30, 2014

It’s hard to believe summer is more than half way over. With this week ushering in August, back to school is at the front of many of our minds and new beginnings are abundant. This is such an exciting time for so many youth, but also a very stressful time for many others and their families. Changes in schedules and environments, new faces of peers and teachers, and new lessons that may prove to be a difficult subject matter for some, can all be causes of anxiety for a number of youth. We want every youth to feel like they can put their best foot forward to have a successful school year without these anxieties or other concerns getting in their way. This, among many other reasons, is why we have supported school-based therapy and clinics throughout the Omaha Metropolitan area in the past two years of grant funding.

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Program Spotlight: Daybreak

Jul 23, 2014

The sounds of busy little voices fill every room inside of Daybreak. With a mission to provide valuable behavioral and mental health treatment services to empower and enhance the lives of children, individuals and their families, Daybreak is the area’s newest mental and behavioral health service.

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Program Spotlight: OMNI Behavior Health

Jul 21, 2014

The Kim Foundation visited OMNI Behavioral Health last month and had the opportunity to meet with Megan Riebe, the Director of Outpatient Services. OMNI was established in 1993, is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), and is designed to provide community-based behavioral health and child welfare services.

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Iowa Reorganizes Mental Health Regions

Jul 09, 2014

Iowa has reorganized its mental health services into 15 regional authorities. Prior to July 1st, Iowa’s 99 counties were previously responsible for their own mental health system. The state’s leaders no longer want an individual’s address to determine the type of mental health care available to them. This change is also focused on keeping people’s mental health from worsening to the point where they wind up in jail or hospitalized because of behaviors related to their illness. This month, Des Moines is opening a new Crisis Observation Center, which will serve as an alternative for people who need help with mental health crises and are in immediate danger of harming themselves or others. Without the additional $6 million in annual funding that Polk County is receiving from the state after the redesign, the center would not have been possible.

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Homicide and the Adolescent Brain

Jul 02, 2014

What would you say if I told you that by conducting an MRI, a doctor would be able to know whether or not someone was at a higher risk of committing murder?
Researchers at The Mind Research Network in Albuquerque, New Mexico conducted a study using high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and voxel-based morphometry, to scan the brains of 20 male youth who have committed homicide and 135 youth delinquents who had not committed homicide. All subjects were between the ages of 12-18, and were incarnated in a maximum-security facility. Researchers also analyzed the brains of two control groups that did not have any criminal backgrounds.

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Community Resources

Jun 25, 2014

Here at The Kim Foundation we strive to pursue our mission to be a supportive resource and compassionate voice for lives touched by mental illness. We continue to find new avenues to better fulfill this mission and to better serve the mental health community, while staying true to our long-time goal of connecting people with needed resources. Fighting the stigma that is too often associated with mental illness and building awareness in the community about this extremely important topic remain top priorities for the foundation.

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Program Highlight: Youth Emergency Services (YES)

Jun 19, 2014

I had the humbling experience to participate in Youth Emergency Service’s “Day in the Life Tour,” last week. It all began in 1974 when a group of older adults were inviting homeless children on the streets of downtown Omaha to sleep in their homes. After waking up to their kitchen cabinets painted green, they decided it was time to open up a separate facility where these youth could come for food, shelter, and rest. YES now has grown to serving over 1,000 Omaha kids each year. Their services include a Drop In Center, Youth Street Outreach, an Emergency Shelter, a Transitional Living Program, and a Maternity Group home.

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