MHMRA of Harris County - Annual Report FY 2012 2012 | Page 6

Investing in Healthy Minds and a Healthy Community

Investing in Well-Being

F

or Brian Palmer, one of
the most meaningful
parts of MHMRA’s
Crisis Residential Unit’s (CRU)
alumni program is the constant
reminder of how far he has
come.
The CRU is a short-term
residential alternative for
people experiencing a mental
health crisis who are ready to
step-down from the hospital
but are not quite ready to reenter the community. A typical
stay lasts between one and two
weeks, and during that stay,
a person receives appropriate
medication, psychotherapy,
intensive psychosocial
rehabilitation and other
services.
The alumni program, which
is 1,800 members strong,
provides a “safe harbor” for
graduates of the CRU, said
Mende Snodgress, assistant
deputy director of MHMRA’s

crisis division. If the alumni
did not have this, they might
return to the old influences
and triggers that first caused
them to experience a crisis. At
the CRU, alumni can attend
support groups and therapy
sessions, access the computer
lab and enjoy occasional meals.
Participation in the alumni
program has helped members
reduce their rate of recidivism
to hospitals and jail.
Brian visits the CRU three days
a week. “When you come back
and see people coming behind
you [into the program], it
reminds you where you come
from,” he said. “This place
helps you because it keeps you
connected. I see people come
back [to visit], and they’re still
stable, and that gives me hope.”
Brian battled depression for
over 20 years but refused
to seek help. A string of
bad events – going to jail

This place helps you because it keeps you
connected. I see people come back [to visit],
and they’re still stable, and that gives me
hope.
repeatedly, losing his home
twice and falling into drug
addiction – brought him to
a point where he felt isolated
and deeply depressed. For two
or three weeks, he cut off all
contact with his family. One
day, it became too much, and
he checked into MHMRA’s
Psychiatric Emergency
Services. There, he was
evaluated, diagnosed, began to
be stabilized and later referred
to the CRU.
Once at the CRU, “I got a lot
of information about myself,”
Brian said. He learned how
to take his medication as
prescribed, and he also learned
about his diagnosis, coping
skills and how he could prevent
a relapse.

If you met Brian now, you
wouldn’t guess that he once
struggled so much. He lives
independently, attends
church and has rekindled a
relationship with his family.
He receives ongoing mental
health care through MHMRA’s
Northwest Adult Mental
Health Outpatient Clinic.
On Wednesday evenings, he
facilitates a support group at
the CRU for people who are
overcoming substance abuse,
and he recently took a job as a
residential care technician at
Lord of the Streets. Staff from
the CRU provided him the
references he needed.
“I’m living a life I never
thought I would live,” he said.

Sustaining Recovery
Brian’s story is an excellent example of recovery-oriented mental
health care in action. The best treatment encompasses more
than just psychotropic medication. While medication is usually
necessary, it is, by itself, often insufficient in getting patients
to their highest level of functioning, given the severity of their
illness. Severe mental illness can take a toll on one’s ability to
communicate and engage in meaningful social activity. It can
also diminish a person’s ability to think clearly, solve problems
or overcome the stressors of everyday living.
Programs such as the CRU meet patients where they are in
their illness and provide them with a variety of services. These
services include medication, psychotherapy, nursing care, case
management and referrals to community resources that can help
them address their medical, employment and housing needs.
The residential component of the CRU program affords patients
an immediate opportunity to gain strength by taking part in
a therapeutic community of fellow patients and staff. When
6| 2012 Annual Report| MHMRA of Harris County

patients graduate from the CRU, they are offered enrollment in
one of MHMRA’s mental health outpatient clinics and a lifelong
membership in the alumni program. The alumni program
provides a forum in which participants can continue to grow, be
encouraged when undergoing challenges, develop friendships
and offer support to those who are just beginning their recovery
journey. The alumni program operates on the principal that
recovery does not happen in a moment, and it