This month marks the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s pledge to bring Americans to the moon within the end of that decade. The goal was met. Now his nephew, former Representative Patrick Kennedy (D., R.I.) is using one of what was arguably his uncle’s greatest achievements as a metaphor in fighting mental illness, […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.Piers Morgan hosted the Axelrods who eloquently and movingly diagnosed the sorry state of epilepsy research in the United States and their 29-year-old daughter’s battle (along with her family) against this condition. Epilepsy is a so-called orphaned disease in the United States. (Two new anticonvulsants are currently available in Canada, finally set for FDA approval […]
By: Evander LomkeRearing a child with autism brings challenges too many to mention. A particular sadness, recurring frequently, is the inability to travel with your child due to difficulties that occur in boarding airplanes. Many citizen without autism now avoid the flight lines and procedures, and drive, take the train, or just stay home. For young people […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.I was fortunate to be at the Boat Basin on Saturday morning May 7, 2011, when Evander Lomke, executive director of AMHF, presented Suicide Prevention International (SPI) with only the second Stefan de Schill Award. We were celebrating this at the West Side Boat Basin in Riverside Park. At least one-hundred enthusiastic persons, young and […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.Judi Chamberlin, international activist for people with mental illnesses, died sixteen months ago at age 65. Chamberlin was a board member of MindFreedom International, and in the 1970s she established the then-fashionably named Mental Patients’ Liberation Front. She helped found the Ruby Rogers Advocacy and Drop-In Center, which is staffed by people who have had […]
By: Evander Lomke“We are happy to join 54,000 other Americans in pledging to end the use of the R-word at www.r-word.org….including pending legislation in Congress to remove the R-word from federal law.”…I do not attribute this quote since there is no need. Does such “removal” of “a derogatory word” in any way help individuals that truly need […]
By: Evander LomkeFrom New York Able Newspaper May 2011: Manhattan’s first Mental Health Court, which recently opened at 100 Centre Street, is dedicated to keeping defendants with mental illness from engaging in further criminal behavior. This special court will handle nonviolent cases of defendants with serious and continuing mental illness. It is part of the New York […]
By: Evander LomkeOn a clear, virtually cloudless May 7, 2011, morning, AMHF granted the second Stefan de Schill Award to a most worthy nonprofit, Suicide Prevention Initiatives (formerly Suicide Prevention International) as prelude to the “Walk For Life” in Riverside Park, New York City. What appeared to be at least one-hundred walkers were on hand. In all, […]
By: Evander LomkeAll the flowers in bloom and their reflections made the Hudson River Valley look like a giant impressionist painting Friday and Saturday April 29 and 30. AMHF, along with Marist College School of Management, sponsored the Conference “Small Family Business, Big Family Stress” at the Dutchess Country Club in Poughkeepsie, New York. On Friday night […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.A reminder, time is running out for every small-family business owner and partner in the New York State Hudson Valley to sign up for the AMHF all-day workshop Small Family Business: Big Family Stress, beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 30 (with introduction on Friday, April 29, at 6 p.m.). The speakers and subjects […]
By: Evander Lomke
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