HOPE AND HEALING DIDI HIRSCH COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER | SPRING 2007

2007 ERASING THE STIGMA LEADERSHIP AWARDS Didi Hirsch Honors Suicide Prevention Advocates and Inaugurates Beatrice Stern Media Award

With a program that culminated in a powerful performance by Tony Award- winning actress Jennifer Holliday, Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center’s eleventh annual Erasing the Stigma Leadership Awards brought out hundreds in support of suicide prevention. Held on Friday April 27 at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons, the Awards honored Suicide Prevention Center founders Drs. Norman Farberow and Edwin Shneidman, and singer and advo- cate Jennifer Holliday. The event also inaugurated the Beatrice Stern Erasing the Stigma Media Award, Dr. Norman Farberow Dr. Edwin Shneidman which honors a member of the media for their advocacy and support of mental health services. Chris Rose, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, was the first recipient of the Media Award. Comedienne Julianne Grossman, whose one woman show “From Bonkers to Botox” chronicled her own battle with depression and suicide, emceed the program. Dynamic and vibrant, Julianne filled the program with laughter, inspiration, hope, and most of all, a sense of community. Dr. Kita Curry, Didi Hirsch’s President/CEO, amazed at the number of supporters in attendance,

Jennifer Holliday Chris Rose commented “Who knew mental health could sell out a room?”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

HELPING FSP CLIENTS WITH MEDICATIONS Creative Thinking and Therapeutic Alliances Get Full Service Partnership Clients on the Road to Healing By Duane E. McWaine, M.D. As a result of hard work by our clinical and develop- of the list of things to be accomplished is forming ment departments, Didi Hirsch successfully competed a relationship – a therapeutic alliance. This is a priority for grant money from Proposition 63, the Mental Health when dealing with any of our potential clients, but takes Services Act. Through our new Full Service Partnership on added import with the FSP clients. Often it is the (FSP) programs, we have expanded our reach into the “relationship” that is cited by clients as the healing populations that are most chronically ill and have had force in their care. Families will often rely on that the most difficultly in obtaining and maintaining relationship when the client has somehow lost his treatment. Whether by virtue of the nature and severity way. They turn to us, and we respond. But the of their illnesses, trouble finding stable housing or other challenges for our medical staff have to do with transportation, or even personality issues, these are choosing the appropriate medication intervention. the clients that are more underserved than even our Many clients in these programs have a long history of traditionally poorly served populations. The challenges not taking their prescribed medication. Our staff must abound. assess this, seek to understand the reasons why they For our clinical staff, these programs represent do not comply, and then intervene. challenges in identifying, finding, contacting and, Perceived lack of effectiveness is the most common most of all, engaging those clients who have been reason people stop taking their medications, followed by traditionally difficult to reach. For our medical staff the perceived side effects. Thus, it is incumbent upon the challenges are somewhat different. Always at the top CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center is a United Way-supported agency, funded in part by the Los Angeles County Departments of Mental Health, Health Services, Probation, and Children and Family Services; State of California Department of Rehabilitation; and United Hostesses’ Charities. Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 2007 BOARD NEW BOARD MEMBER OF DIRECTORS Janine Lichstein Uses Extensive Volunteer Experience to Help Didi Hirsch

CHAIR A Julliard-trained dancer, world traveler, art lover, new Andrew E Rubin grandmother, and volunteer extraordinaire, Janine B. Lichstein joined Didi Hirsch’s Board of Directors this past EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIR year. Janine, who has volunteered extensively with Stanley D. Lelewer organizations such as the United Way and the Junior VICE CHAIRS League, first became involved with Didi Hirsch through Sharon M. Kopman fellow survivor and Board member Stan Lelewer. Janine, Beatrice S. Stern like Stan, lost a son to suicide and became dedicated to Michael C. Wierwille educating our community about suicide’s devastating impact. TREASURER Martin J. Frank “Perhaps my entire life was preparation for being on Didi Hirsch’s Board of Directors. All the fundraising, board memberships, and jobs have prepared SECRETARY me to help the organization do what it does best,” said Janine. “Add to Howard M. Loeb that the loss of a son to suicide, and you have a person ready to go.”

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Janine’s older son, Daniel, took his life in 1991. After participating in Didi Cheri Renfroe Yousem Hirsch’s Survivors After Suicide program, which helps those who have lost a loved one to suicide through eight-week bereavement support groups and BOARD MEMBERS monthly drop-in meetings, Janine went on to volunteer as a phone counselor Jonathan Cowan for recent survivors who had not yet had a chance to participate in the eight- Rudolph I. Estrada week program. Charlotte W. Fletcher, Ph.D. Frances Franco-Valdez Shortly after joining the Board, Janine decided to honor Daniel’s memory and Nathaniel Jackson, Ph.D. to celebrate a milestone birthday by asking friends and loved ones to support Vera Jashni, Ed.D. Didi Hirsch’s Alive & Running for Suicide Prevention 5K/10K. Jeffrey Khteian, C.I.D. Lee Leibman “I used Alive & Running as a vehicle to not only involve friends in the run, Janine B. Lichstein but also to honor our son. The response was terrific and I look forward to Laura Ornest serving in the years to come by introducing more people to Didi Hirsch.” Todd M. Rubin EMERITUS BOARD We welcome Janine to the Didi Hirsch family! Her passion, creativity and Kent Burton dedication are sure to be valuable assets to the agency and to all those Katherine Kolodziejski, Ph.D. committed to suicide prevention and mental health care. Jan Mennig, Ph.D.

RECENT GRANT AWARDS

Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center would like to thank the corporations and philanthropic organizations that have awarded us grants since the Fall 2006 Newsletter.  Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke provided funds to enhance security at our S. Mark Taper Foundation Center, whose programs serve hundreds of families in the South Los Angeles and Inglewood communities.  Support from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program and the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program helps Excelsior House and Jump Street, our crisis residential facilities, provide critical services to adults who suffer from acute problems due to severe and chronic mental illness and who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless.  A grant from the B.C. McCabe Foundation allows Didi Hirsch to continue to provide support to those who have lost a loved one to suicide through our Survivors After Suicide program.  Funding from the Northrop Grumman Corporation allows us to update the telephone system used by our 24-hour suicide prevention crisis line in order to better serve callers. We are grateful for the support that these foundations and organizations have shown us. Because of their generosity, we are able to provide the very best of care to the people of Los Angeles County.

2. HELPING FSP CLIENTS WITH MEDICATIONS Continued from page 1 physician or nurse practitioner to give a clear decanoate. These can be given in injectible form explanation of the expectations for the medication. on a bi-weekly (Prolixin) or monthly (Haldol) basis. This includes common side effects, less common The latest entrant is Risperdal (risperidone) Consta. but troubling side effects, and when and how we Though it needs to be given every two weeks, it is might expect improvement. What bad things am I the only “atypical” or second-generation antipsychotic most likely to notice? How debilitating might these medication available currently. bad things be? When would we expect them to pass? What would cause us to stop this medication? What For some of our clients, disorganized thinking is a side effects should cause me to call or come in sooner reason for their continually not taking medications. than our next scheduled appointment? When should For them, we may arrange weekly pill boxes, which I expect improvement? How will I know if I’m getting our nursing staff fill with the clients’ daily medications. better? Without a clear message from us, clients may Clients come in on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and have unrealistic expectations, leading to disillusionment pick up these weekly boxes and bring in their empty and premature, unnecessary discontinuation. ones, thus giving us a chance to assess their adher- ence. For these clients, it is sometimes important to recommend medications that are likely to have We also have some “friend” pharmacies that can make early, positive effects, medications that are simple blister packs for our clients, again taking some of the to take, and medications that are “forgiving” – uncertainty out of the medication regimen for the i.e., not sensitive to an occasional missed dose. clients. This preparation puts each dose of the medica- tion in its own ‘blister’, so no counting of medications In the antidepressant realm, Prozac (fluoxetine) is an is needed and, as with the weekly pill boxes, a quick example of that last point. It has a super-long half-life look at the pack lets the client know whether he did or (a measure of the amount of time it takes to leave the did not take his medications that day. body). Thus, blood levels of that medication change slowly in the case of a missed dose, so the client’s These are just a few of the ways our medical staff use mood is less likely to suffer. creative, adaptive thinking in our effort to reach more clients more effectively. We’re proud of our medical In the antipsychotics realm we have three medications staff, most of whom have been with us more than five that can be given in depot, or long-acting injectible, years. We’ll continue to work in new ways to improve form. The two oldest members of that class are Haldol the lives of our clients. (haloperidol) decanoate and Prolixin (fluphenazine)

FULL SERVICE PARTNERSHIPS Proposition 63 Monies Fund New Full Service Partnerships at Didi Hirsch

After being awarded a significant grant from the Mental Health Services Act, Didi Hirsch’s Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs are now in full swing. Our FSP programs address intensive mental health needs of adults, older adults (60+), and transitional age youth (16-25) suffering from serious mental illnesses that have led to frequent hospitalizations, incarceration, or homelessness.

FSP clients, who are the chronically mentally ill, receive services that are much more intensive than that of a traditional outpatient program. The program provides wraparound services wherever and whenever needed by a multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists and other medical personnel, a care coordinator, program coordinator, consumers, and therapists. Staff members work with clients in community settings such as work, home, hospitals, and court to help them significantly reduce their symptoms and live full and healthy lives. Also, to ensure that clients receive individualized attention, staff members have small caseloads and see clients daily, if needed. Services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Moreover, the programs not only help Didi Hirsch’s most severely ill clients, but also reach out to other individuals who have not yet received services. In fact, one of the programs’ first successes has been with an individual who has been homeless for more than two CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

3. SUICIDE IN THE U.S. FIFTY YEARS,  Each year, emergency rooms treat about 240,000 survivors of suicide attempts

 Twice as many Americans die of suicide THOUSANDS as AIDS

 Prior attempts increase the risk of death by suicide OF LIVES

 Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year-olds By Kita S. Curry, Ph.D., President/CEO and Andrew E Rubin, Chair, Board of Directors  Overall, the risk of suicide rises with age

 Almost all individuals who take their lives What do you say to parents after a child’s suicide? More than have treatable brain disorders, e.g., 50 years ago, Dr. Edwin Shneidman faced this dilemma. A GI depression, , mania, , receiving treatment at the Brentwood VA took his life, and Dr. alcoholism, etc. Shneidman’s supervisor asked him to write a letter to the veteran’s family.

Hoping to find an explanation for the soldier’s desperation, Dr. RESOURCES Shneidman asked Dr. Norman Farberow to join him in what became a lifetime calling for each of them. They went to the  Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center morgue, where they found a suicide note written by the GI— 24-hour Crisis Line and hundreds written by others who had taken their lives. 1-877-7CRISIS What light might these very personal good-byes shed on the dark subject of suicide? This and other studies led the two Survivors’ Program/Community Outreach to create the first 24-hour Suicide Prevention (310) 751-5370 Center in the nation and a new discipline, the study of suicide.  National Suicide Prevention Crisis Lines 1-800-273-TALK Soon joined by Dr. Robert Litman, Sam Heilig, and David 1-800-SUICIDE Klugman, over the years the pioneers at the Suicide Prevention Center created a vast body of knowledge that has relieved  American Association of suffering and saved countless lives. Concluding that most www.suicidology.org people take their lives in moments of unbearable emotional pain, in 1958 they established a 24-hour crisis line to help  American Foundation for Suicide callers through their darkest hours. It didn’t take long for Prevention the call volume to exceed their small group’s capacity, www.afsp.org which prompted them to develop a volunteer counselor training program which has been replicated throughout the  National Institute of Mental Health world. www.nimh.nih.gov Studying suicide also put them in touch with bereaved friends  National Mental Health Awareness and family (“survivors”). Already traumatized and devastated, Campaign stigma isolated survivors from common supports and exacer- www.nostigma.org bated their pain. The Suicide Prevention Center staff provided individual therapy to help survivors regain their will to live, but  Suicide Prevention Resource Center along the way they discovered that survivors farther along in www.sprc.org the grief process were uniquely able to provide comfort and hope. This led to the creation of specialized suicide bereave- ment groups, co-led by a survivor and a trained professional.

Now part of Didi Hirsch rather than a stand-alone endeavor, the Suicide Prevention Center remains committed to the vision of these extraordinary pioneers. In fact, many of them remain

4. WARNING SIGNS

 Withdrawal from normal activities

 Giving away possessions

 Talking about death or suicide

 Comments like “you’d be better off without me”

 Changes in sleep, mood or behavior

 Despair or anxiety over losses or failures

 Neglecting one’s appearance and hygiene involved, particularly Farberow, Heilig and Litman, who donate their time training volunteers, educating international visitors  Destructive or reckless behavior and serving as consultants.  Feeling worthless and/or hopeless Each year, our nationally accredited crisis line receives almost 20,000 desperate calls. Our prevention efforts also include community outreach, which teaches youth and adults how to identify and respond to the warning signs of suicide, with WHAT YOU CAN DO special outreach to minority communities and older adults— groups that are at great risk because stigma inhibits them from  Listen without criticizing or scolding seeking help.  Show that you care and want to help Our bereavement services help avert severe and lasting trauma after the loss of a loved one to suicide, including an  Ask if person is thinking about hurting or increased risk of suicide. We offer 20 bereavement groups killing him/herself a year throughout the County. In addition, we recently partnered with Our House to develop a specialized suicide  Ask if s/he has a plan, and, if so, what is it support group for grieving adolescents. Last, but not least, because it takes some people many years to learn about our  Remove access to means of suicide bereavement services, in 2004 we created a Suicide Response Team that works in tandem with the Mayor’s Crisis Response  Inform friends and family members Team and the LAPD. With commitment and compassion, our 20 Suicide Response Team volunteers travel to the scene of a  Help him/her get to a professional or a suicide, any hour of the day or night. hospital We have come so far in the last 50 years. The suicide rate  Give him/her a crisis line number in Los Angeles has decreased dramatically since then, while increasing in many other communities. In fact, Los Angeles  Call a crisis line for guidance has a lower rate than both California and the entire United States. But, we still have so much to learn and do. As part of a national network of crisis lines, we are participating in studies that will expand our understanding of the many faces of suicide and further increase our success at saving lives.

We proudly carry on the legacy of Drs. Farberow and Shneidman. No one should die of despair.

5. ERASING THE STIGMA Continued from page 1 Kevin Hines, a spokesperson for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign, presented Leadership Awards to Drs. Farberow and Shneidman. Having survived a suicide attempt by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge after struggling with bipolar disorder, Mr. Hines is a living proof of the importance of Dr. 1. Farberow and Shneidman’s work. Though Dr. Shneidman was not able to accept his Leadership Award in person, his videotaped acceptance speech resonated with the audience, many of whom had lost a loved one to suicide. Dr. Shneidman remarked upon the importance of recognizing and addressing “psych-ache” (emotional pain) to prevent the needless loss of life to suicide. “Pain is what suicide is all about - there is no suicide without a great deal of psychological pain,” emphasized 7. 2. Dr. Shneidman.

Upon accepting his Leadership Award, Dr. Farberow graciously accepted it not only for himself but also on behalf of the entire Suicide Prevention Center and all of its current and past staff and volunteers. Though great strides have been made to break the silence about suicide, Dr. Farberow stated, “What has been missing has been the public’s voice.” Referring to the personal 6. 3. significance of the Award, Dr. Farberow went on to say, “To me, it represents our collective voices demanding that the ‘cry for help’ be heard and answered.”

Mental health advocate Tipper Gore, who received the first Leadership Award in 1997, was on hand to inaugurate the Beatrice Stern Erasing the Stigma Media Award and to present the Media Award to Chris Rose. Though Mr. Rose was unable to accept in person, Mrs. Gore gave her perspective on Mr. Rose’s 5. 4. importance to the post-Katrina efforts and read remarks from Mr. 1. Dr. Kita S. Curry, Kevin Hines, Tipper Gore, Jennifer Rose’s editor and longtime friend, James O’Byrne. Holliday, Julianne Grossman, Dr. Norman Farberow 2. Jon Stern, Beatrice Stern, Jeffrey Stern 3. Dr. Norman “For more than a year, Chris chronicled the rolling waves of Farberow, Dr. Robert Litman 4. Julianne Grossman, emotion, from hope to despair, to determination and to anger, Jennifer Holliday, Nancy Hirsch Rubin 5. Fox 11 News Anchor Christine Devine, L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca that characterized life in New Orleans,” said Mrs. Gore. “His 6. California Council of Community Mental Health story of struggle became all of our stories and his ability to Agencies Executive Director Rusty Selix, Dr. Kita S. articulate the thousand simultaneous emotions he was feeling Curry, State of California Department of Mental Health Director Dr. Stephen Mayberg 7. Jennifer Holliday sings at the same time spoke to everyone.” “For Chris, for myself, for my struggling co-workers of my struggling city, we thank you for honoring Chris. It is a deserved recognition for his courage and for his impact. It is also a vital reminder to us in New Orleans that we are not forgotten, and that means the world to us,” said Mrs. Gore, reading Mr. O’Byrne’s words.

Last but not least, Jennifer Holliday’s acceptance of her Leadership Award was raw and honest. During her heartfelt speech, she shared what it means to her to be deemed an advocate, especially as she continues to cope with her own illness. She punctuated her speech with a commanding performance to close the program. Ms. Holliday sang “There’s A Dream Out There With Your Name On It,” a song that she says, “I sing for others but I have had to sing for myself almost every day just to hold on to the hope that I can make it even with this constant sadness.” In addition to educating our community by honoring outstanding mental health advocates, the Awards raised funds to provide services to disadvantaged clients. We thank our 2007 sponsors, Julianne Grossman for her humor, Kevin Hines for serving as a presenter, and Tipper Gore for inaugurating the Beatrice Stern Erasing the Stigma Media Award. We also thank our Event Chairs Beatrice Stern and Andrew E. Rubin, the Awards Committee, and most of all Drs. Farberow and Shneidman, Ms. Holliday, and Mr. Rose for their extraordinary dedication to break- ing the silence about suicide and mental illness.

6. NEW FULL SERVICE PARTNERSHIPS Continued from page 3 decades and has never before received mental health The programs also offer age-specific services. For services. Now a Didi Hirsch client, this individual has instance, staff members help transitional age youth begun to see a psychiatrist regularly and is currently in successfully navigate their way from the youth social the process of obtaining housing. service system to the adult social service system to avoid an interruption in services. We also help our “This is a huge success for us,” said Sandy Escobar, transitional age clients find housing and take advantage new Program Director of the FSP programs. “This is of educational and employment opportunities as they exactly what the Mental Health Services Act was begin to move toward independence. The older intended to do – allow agencies like us do whatever it adult component focuses on help with transportation, takes to help the most underserved or unserved people mobile- and home-based services, and help with primary in our community.” health care. Often, older adults become socially isolated, and thus the program includes elements To reach out to those who are most in need, we are that help keep them active and connected with the conducting outreach in the community and have made community, such as our psychosocial clubhouse. the process of obtaining care as simple as possible by opening our new Drop-in Centers, which are open to The programs also provide counseling and psychothera- anyone. At our Drop-in Centers, housed at our head- py, individualized case management, help obtaining quarters in Culver City and our Inglewood site, individu- medication, financial and health benefits assistance, als can receive a mental health assessment, help with and substance abuse treatment to all FSP clients. access to services, group counseling, prepared lunches, peer support, and more. We have also partnered with Wellness is key to the FSP programs. The programs the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) - Urban are designed to address the overall needs of individuals Los Angeles, which provides peer advocates onsite at suffering from acute mental illness, whether it is their our Drop-In Centers to give guidance to clients. Peer mental or physical health, housing needs, or social advocates aid clients with issues large and small, from opportunities. We will continue to provide crucial filling out forms, to giving them peer-to-peer feedback care to this highly underserved and unserved population on a range of concerns. They also serve as mentors to to promote recovery and mental wellbeing in our clients, having themselves successfully managed their community. mental illnesses.

SAVE THE DATE 2007 Alive & Running for Suicide Prevention 5K/10K

Sunday, September 30, 2007 at Westchester Parkway, Los Angeles For information, call (310) 390-6612 or visit www.didihirsch.org

7. CLIPS & BYTES DIDI HIRSCH IN THE NEWS Just some of the places that have Highlights of our recent media coverage asked us to weigh in on issues important to our community KPCC 89.3 FM report by Rachel Myrow | April 26, 2007 Myrow covers press conference held at Didi Hirsch E! Entertainment Special Investigation “When people think about mental illness, they tend not to think December 2006 about people like [Jennifer] Holliday, but of gun-toting killers, www.eentertainment.com even though they are anything but typical, so says Dr. Kita Dr. Kita Curry comments on the Curry, President/CEO of Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health devastating impact of “cyber-bullying” Center.” on teens “ ‘When you only cover mental illness when a tragedy occurs, ESPN Radio 710 AM you imply that the only people that have mental illness are the December 2006 homeless or people who are so disturbed that they go out there www.espnradio.espn.go.com and commit crimes, and that’s just not true.’ ” Dr. Kita Curry speaks about suicide and coping with the stress of the holidays Fox 11 website, www.myfoxla.com | March 16, 2007 Christine Devine writes on her blog about Richard Jeni’s suicide The Actors’ Fund Marquee and Didi Hirsch’s role as a resource for the community December 2006 www.actorsfund.org “God Bless Kita Curry and the folks at the Didi Hirsch Mental Program Director Nancy Wileman writes Health Center. I'm co-chairing this upcoming luncheon, and an article for their newsletter about have emceed the start of their Suicide Prevention 5k 10k runs. what to do when facing the “holiday One year, my group ran on behalf of my late friend Matt.” blues” JOBS Magazine, published by the L.A. Times | March 15, 2007 The Rolonda Show Full page article about Mary Gayman and her 17-year volunteer November 2006 work on Didi Hirsch’s 24-hour suicide prevention Crisis Line www.greenstonemedia.net Dr. Kita Curry interviews with Rolanda “Gayman says that working on the crisis line puts her life into Watts about depression, focusing on perspective. She may walk into the Center rattled after a bad how it affects men day at work, but when she finishes her shift, she sees the world differently.”

GIVE & TAKE Help Our Crisis Residential Clients Feel At Home

Jump Street and Excelsior House, Didi Hirsch’s 28-day crisis residential care facilities, need your help to welcome new clients into the program. Many of our crisis residential clients suffer from severe mental illness and as a result, experience serious problems that may result in homelessness. They often arrive at Jump Street and Excelsior House with just the clothes on their backs. Additionally, with new sets of clients entering the program monthly, the necessities of each of the houses, such as bedding, linens, and toiletries, are quickly depleted or worn. Your generosity will help us welcome our clients into a house that really feels like a home. Our clients would appreciate:

New bath towels, blankets and bed sheets (twin size) New clothing and shoes for both men and women New underwear and socks for both men and women New personal care items such as combs/brushes, deodorant, shaving cream, razors, shampoo, conditioner, etc.

If you would like to help our crisis residential program clients, please contact the Development Department at (310) 751-5426 or [email protected].

8. DR. CURRY SPEAKS AT SUPERVISOR BURKE’S PRESS CONFERENCE

On May 8, 2007, in observance of Mental Health Awareness Month as well as Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Burke hosted a press conference at which Kita S. Curry, Ph.D., Didi Hirsch’s President/CEO spoke about the importance of educating people about the warning signs of suicide, especially in communities in 1. which suicide is particularly stigmatized. The press conference, held at the steps of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, preceded a Board of Supervisors meeting at which Supervisor Burke presented a proclamation to Dr. Marvin Southard, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, along with Dr. Curry and other leaders from mental health organizations.

1. Dr. Curry gives her remarks 2. Kedren Community Mental Health Center Chief Operations Officer of Program Planning, Development, Monitoring and Evaluation Dr. Berta Ortiz; Pacific Asian Counseling Services Executive Director Mariko Khan; Dr. Kita S. Curry; Nami Urban Los Angeles Preident Nancy Carter; Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic Executive Director Betsy Pfromm; Special Services for Groups Executive Director Dr. Herbert Hatanaka; Los Angeles 2. Country Department of Mental Health Director Dr. Marvin Southard; Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Burke

LEARNING FROM THE BEST SERVICES South Korean army chaplains, challenged by record suicides in their ranks, received training with Didi Hirsch’s Suicide Prevention Center last fall Mental Health Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment 24-Hour Suicide Prevention Crisis Line

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Crisis Residential Care Community Outreach and Education Counseling and Intensive Case Management VISITING THE POLICE ACADEMY Family Reunification Welcomed by Chief Bill Bratton (center), Clubhouse members toured LAPD Psychosocial Clubhouse Police Academy campus and participated in a Q&A with detectives Older Adult Services Parenting Education Psychiatric Medication Management Residential Substance Abuse Treatment School-based Services Training

9. CONTRIBUTIONS September 1, 2006 to April 30, 2007 In memory of... Andrea Montes, from Angelita and Jennifer and Lee Leibman Shirlee Amos, from Shawn Amos Frank Montes David Armstrong, from Jennifer and Michael Answorth, from Ray Donna Neil, from Terry Neil Lee Leibman Ramirez Aiko Nobori, from Colleen and Frank Rich Arons, from Jennifer and Lee Mary Kay Bergman, from Richard Mattoon, Jr. Leibman Schroder Mark Norman's father, from Susann Rich Baron, from Jennifer and Lee Andrew Brian Bravman, from Lonnie Bauman, Ph.D. and Stephen Leibman and Michael Bravman Bauman, Esq. Rose and Gail Berz from Donna Danielle Efron, from Josh Zuboff Shelton Thomas Pearson, from Mary Garber William E. Estrada, from Irene and J. Pearson Dylan Clark, from Jennifer and Lee Rudolph Estrada Judy Phillips, from Sylvia and Martin Leibman Belle Falk, from Ellen and Andrew Popok, M.D. John Crye, from Jennifer and Lee Frank Deborah Purport, from Marilyn Leibman Gerald Geismar, from Kate Z. Peppin Kita Curry, from Pamela Johnson Geismar and Joseph M. Ostrow Sidney Rosin, M.D. from Barbara J. and Thomas Bonvenuto, and Olga Goldstein, from Linda and Hornichter Jacqueline and Arnold Stern Martin J. Frank Phyllis Rubin, from Suzet and Josef Angela Thomas Eilers, from Chy and Alicia Hayes, from Becky and David Acar, Kita S. Curry, Ph.D. and Mr. Marcus Lewis Jordan Peter Curry, Marjorie and Robert Patrice and Barney Feinstein, from Didi and King Hirsch, from Miriam Emden, Jeffrey Khteian, C.I.D., Joy Midman and Howard Landres Mary and Stanley D. Lelewer, Charlotte Fletcher, from Betsy and Preston Iverson, from Bob Iverson, Susan and Howard M. Loeb, Ray Braun, Leslie and Steven M.D. and Marilyn Iverson, M.A., Greg Richardson, and Jacqueline Carlson, Acra and Robert Kluttz, M.F.C.C. Traeger-Rado Karen and Tom Miller, Dr. Mary Bradley Wells Jackson, from Judy G. Katrina Schibig, from Lisa Provost Sherman and Mr. Jeff Sherman, Jackson and Douglas H. Gaither Linda Shahinian's father, from Julie and Ellen and John Wardlaw, Jr. Derek Jackson, from Thomas W. Lugo Cerra Marty Frank, from Emily and Scott Jackson and Vicki Jackson Reba A. Shapiro, from Miriam and Kalt Ray Jacobs, from Tanya Jacobs Henry Shapiro Julianne Grossman, from Roger Mary Dell Jamison, from Harriet Miriam Silas, from Rose Leibman and Krost Potik Marcia Oshman Barbara Hornichter, from Carol and Tina Rachel Kaminsky, from Ellen Eric Spencer, from Bobbie Mathers Jerome Muchin, and Helen Rosin and Marvin Kaminsky Doug Sweet, from Joan and Doug Vera Jashni, Ed.D., from Jolie and Carolyn Kanno, from Sue and John Carter Jon J. Jashni Kanno Meng Hoa Tang, from Kiem Tang Spike Jones, Jr., from Jennifer and Warren Kolodny, from Janine and Ann Thomas, from Melissa Thomas Lee Leibman Henry Lichstein and John W. Spiegel Nancy Kirshberg, from Richard D. Sean Saxon Kowsky, from Kim Henry Thomas, from Karen Thomas Kirshberg Kowsky and Sheldon Cohn Robert Vogt, Jr., from Eileen J. Vogt Marcy Landres, from Barbara Zacky Stephen Lelewer, from Miriam Baer Bessie Weinstein, from Susann Janice Lazarof, from Edith Metzner, and Arthur Hoyle, and Suzanne Bauman, Ph.D. and Stephen and Dvora Ezralow and William Schwartz Bauman, Esq. Stan Lelewer from Nadine Asin, Sarah Loring, from Susan and Matthew Werber, from Katharine Susan and Lawrence Halpern, Jonathan Loring Werber Suzan Levin, Jan Lipschutz, John Lynch, from Katrina and Robert Mrs. Bob Willard, from Susann Wendy and Jonathan Resin, Fusco, the L.A. Leggers, Theo Bauman, Ph.D. and Stephen Ramona Ripston, Judy and Allan Lacy, the English Department at Bauman, Esq. Sher, Susie and Ralph Treiman, Marymount High School, Paul Dr. Paul K. Woodrow, from Nina Audrey and Charles Warren, Jeri Mendonca, Thomas Morphopoulos Woodrow Weiss and Walter S. Baer, Jerry and Ana K. Nogen, Eileen Ogilvie Mona Young's sister, from Bernice Williamson, M.D. and Pauline and the Kairos Team Members, and James McCombie Chusid, M.D., and Helen B. Wu Renee Opell, Pamela Rector, Dinah Barry Joel Zuboff, from Josh Zuboff Stan Lelewer's birthday, from Kita Rowley, and Aileen Wong Curry, Ph.D. and Mr. Peter Curry, Mary M. MacKinnon, from Ranald In honor of... and Ruth and Don Salk MacKinnon the staff of Didi Hirsch from Linda Howard Loeb from Richard Marcus David Miles, III, from Candace Shahinian Merle and Peter Mullin, from Gaddy Tony and Mariana Amatullo, from Gail Buchalter

10. INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS SUBSTANCE ABUSE Headquarters EXPERTS VISIT VIA 4760 South Sepulveda Boulevard Culver City, CA 90230 AVANTA (310) 390-6612

This past December, substance abuse experts Diah Setia-Utami, Culver-Palms Center M.D. of Indonesia and Imisioluwa O. Ibikunle, M.Sc. of Nigeria 11133 Washington Boulevard visited Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center’s Via Avanta Culver City, CA 90232 facility to gain insight on women’s substance abuse treatment. (310) 895-2300 Dr. Setia-Utami and Ms. Ibikunle were participants in a training Excelsior House presented by UCLA’s Integrated Substance Abuse Program and the 1007 Myrtle Avenue Los Angeles County Department of Public Health – Alcohol and Inglewood, CA 90301 Drug Program Administration. The training prepared participants to (310) 412-4191 return to their home nations and, in turn, teach other health care Inglewood Center workers about the best substance abuse treatment methods. 111 North La Brea Avenue 5th and 7th Floors Via Avanta, Didi Hirsch’s residential treatment facility specifically for Inglewood, CA 90301 addicted women and their children, is unique in that free standing (310) 677-7808 womens substance abuse treatment is rare and underfunded in California. Holly McCravey, Program Director for Via Avanta, was Jump Street happy to lend her expertise to help provide the best treatment for 1233 South La Cienega Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90035 women in Nigeria and Indonesia. (310) 855-0031

“Though substance abuse crosses socioeconomic, cultural and Mar Vista Center ethnic lines, our gender-specific treatment helps women recover 12420 Venice Boulevard with greater and longer-term success. This approach may be the Suite 200 most effective for women around the world,” said Ms. McCravey. Los Angeles, CA 90066 (310) 751-1200 Upon visiting, both Dr. Setia-Utami and Ms. Ibikunle were impressed by Via Avanta’s innovative treatment program. Metro Center 672 South La Fayette Park Place Dr. Setia-Utami stated, “It was wonderful visit for me because Suite 6 we don't have special services for women in my country. I was sur- Los Angeles, CA 90057 (213) 381-3626 prised that this center carried both clients and their children together in the program in such a good facility.” S. Mark Taper Foundation Center 1328 West Manchester Avenue Said Ms. Ibikunle, “I am really impressed by the set up. The staff Los Angeles, CA 90044 are wonderful, caring and dedicated. The babies are well taken care (323) 778-9593 of, the toddlers are given enough attention. I believe in my heart that they are not missing anything at all. I believe with this facility, Via Avanta Pacoima, CA the clients will do well.” (818) 897-2609

CONTRIBUTIONS Continued from page 10 In honor of... Merwyn Anesetti, and Amy Roger Wilcox, from Diane Kubrin and Nicki and Tom Rankin, from Dr. Bolker-Stabler Karen Weiss Mary Ann Kaczmarski, and Booh Schut, from Jennifer and Lee Cheri Yousem from Nancy Kipper JoAnne and Jim Rankin Leibman and Sheryl Weissberg Andrew Rubin, from Shanna O'Brien Lois and Nat Sherman, from Cheri Joe Yousem, from Cheri Renfroe Nancy and Miles Rubin, from Kim Renfroe Yousem Yousem Rubin and Jim Kaye, and Amy Edwin Shneidman, from Roz Bessen Eileen and Robert Zigman, from Schulhof and Lee Helman Bea Stern, from Madeline and Carol Hyman, M.D. Andrew Rubin's birthday, from Kita Eugene Goodwin, and Jacqueline *This listing excludes contributions Curry, Ph.D. and Mr. Peter Curry and Arnold Stern specifically made in support of Jilliene Schenkel, from Evan B. Tom Tataranowicz, from Jennifer our suicide prevention programs. Schenkel, Esq., and Fran Shagan and Lee Leibman Those gifts are acknowledged in our Schenkel Dennis Venizelos, from Jennifer and Survivors After Suicide newsletter. Jilliene and Evan Schenkel and Lee Leibman family, from Patricia and Paul Werren, from Deborah Rothman

11. STAN LELEWER RECEIVES Contributors Editing and Design: Joanne Uy VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD Contributors: Jennifer Ball, Lorraine Stan Lelewer, Didi Hirsch Board of Directors Executive Vice Chair, Lyou received the County of Los Angeles Volunteer of the Year Award Photos: Thomas Neerken, Joanne Uy on April 30, 2007. At a ceremony honoring 79 volunteers countywide, Stan was recognized for his more than ten years Reprinting of service to Didi Hirsch. You are welcome to reprint material from our newsletter if you are a Congratulations Stan! non-profit organization that produces periodicals. We do require that the Photo left: Stan receives his award from Los Angeles County reprinted article includes the Supervisor Mike Antonovich following:

Photo right (left to right): David Ryu, Deputy to Supervisor Yvonne “Reprinted with permission from Didi Burke, Mary Lelewer, Stan Lelewer, and Kita S. Curry, Ph.D. Hirsch Community Mental Health Center, 4760 South Sepulveda Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90230”

Our Mailings If you would like to be added or removed from our mailing list, please contact the Development Department at (310) 751-5426.

Non-Profit DIDI HIRSCH Organization Community Mental Health Center U.S. Postage PAID 4760 South Sepulveda Boulevard | Culver City CA 90230 Permit No. 509 Tel (310) 390-6612 | Fax (310) 398-5690 | www.didihirsch.org Los Angeles, CA