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Frequently Asked Questions
Prepared by NAMI PA, Main Line  - September, 2011
(available at www.NAMI.org/sites/NAMIPaMainLine)

The answers to these questions provide general information, as well as specific resources for people in the Philadelphiaregion.  For additional information, e-mail us at info@NAMIPAMainLine.org or contact your local NAMI affiliate (www.NAMI.org).  Please scroll down to find the corresponding answers.

★What help is available for children and adolescents with mental illness and their families?

★How can an adult with mental illness get government services such as health insurance, mental health treatment, and income support?

★How can I find a mental health provider?

★How can an adult with mental illness find housing?

★How can an adult with mental illness find social opportunities or a support group?

★How can a family member of someone with mental illness find information, resources, help and/or support?

★What can I do if my loved one with mental illness refuses treatment?

★What can I do if my loved one with mental illness has been arrested or is behaving in ways which may result in arrest?

For additional FAQ in video format, see Namipedia.

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★What help is available for children and adolescents with mental illness and their families?

Mental illness in children and adolescents can have somewhat different symptoms and require different treatment than mental illness in adults, so you will want to find providers who have expertise with children and adolescents.  The following resources can help you with this and also provide resources for other services such as education that will meet the needs of a child with mental illness.

For a useful introduction to mental illnesses in childhood and adolescents and helpful advice about working with schools, we recommend "Parents and Teachers As Allies" (available for $1 here).  For information about treatment and services for children and adolescents with mental illness, as well as discussion groups, click here.  Many affiliates of NAMI offer Basics, an education and support program for parents of children and adolescents with mental illness or serious behavioral issues (Montgomery County NAMI; Basics).  Information about resources in the Philadelphia area, including behavioral health providers, schooling, and relevant organizations is available here.  For resources in Philadelphia, click here or here. 

★How can an adult with mental illness get government services such as health insurance, mental health treatment, and income support?

Many individuals with severe mental illness will find it necessary, or at least helpful, to apply for some or all of the following publicly supported services:
·         disability income from the Social Security Administration
·         Medicaid and/or Medicare health insurance which is available to disabled individuals
·         community mental health services provided by each county, including case management which can provide access to housing and many other services.

For information about eligibility and application procedures for these programs, click here.

★How can I find a mental health provider?

"Choosing the Right Mental Health Professional" provides general advice about choosing and working with a mental health provider, as well as links for national organizations (available here).  A Free and Low Cost Health Service Locator and information about assistance in paying for prescriptions are available here.  Information about behavioral health providers in the Philadelphia area is available in the Behavioral Health Services section of our Resource Guide and here or here.  For additional information, contact your local NAMI affiliate (www.NAMI.org) and/or your County Office of Behavioral Health or Mental Health/Mental Retardation. 

★How can an adult with mental illness find housing?

Options for housing include supervised apartments, personal-care boarding homes, community residential rehabilitation (CRR), residential treatment centers (RTC), and federal subsidies for rent, each of which is explained in "Housing Opportunities" available here. Unfortunately, housing for low-income individuals with mental illness is in very short supply and waiting lists can be very long, so it is helpful to apply as early as possible.  Information about specific housing options in the Philadelphiaarea is available here.

★How can an adult with mental illness find social opportunities or a support group?

Social opportunities for people with mental illness include one-on-one socializing with volunteers or mental health workers, group social events, drop-in centers (which offer activities as well as a social setting), clubhouses (which offer structured rehabilitation programs and may require a referral), and online support groups, discussion groups and chat rooms.  For information about the social opportunities and support groups available in the Philadelphiaarea, click here.  This link also provides information about online support.

★How can a family member of someone with mental illness find information, resources, help and/or support?

The Family-to-Family Education Program provides the opportunity to learn about the major mental illnesses from trained family members.  This free 12-week program discusses the treatment of these illnesses and teaches the knowledge and skills that family members need to cope more effectively.  The Basics Education Program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illness is a free six-session course which provides the fundamentals a caregiver needs for themselves, their family, and their child who is living with a mental illness.  For additional information, click here.    

NAMI affiliates provide information and referrals to relevant resources in response to inquiries, and most also offer support groups for family members.  To find an affiliate near you, go to www.NAMI.org.  For information on support groups offered by NAMI and other organizations in the Philadelphia area, click here and scroll down to support groups-families. This link also provides information about one-on-one support for family members.

★What can I do if my loved one with mental illness refuses treatment?

Many individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or some other types of mental illness suffer from anosognosia (the inability to perceive their illness and need for treatment). One approach that is often effective is LEAP, which stands for Listen (understand what the other person is trying to convey; reflect back what you have heard, without your opinions and ideas; listen for common ground); Empathize (empathize with how they feel about their symptoms and what has happened to them, without necessarily agreeing with everything they say); Agree (find areas of agreement, including goals you both want, e.g. to stay out of the hospital), and Partner: (collaborate to work toward agreed upon goals). LEAP is described in the book “I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!” By Xavier Amador and is summarized here. 

In some circumstances, when an individual is involved in a serious and potentially life-threatening psychiatric emergency or severe behavioral health crisis and is unwilling or unable to consent to treatment, state law authorizes court-ordered inpatient or outpatient mental health treatment without the individual’s consent.  For inpatient treatment, this process is known as involuntary commitment or civil commitment, and for outpatient treatment, the term assisted outpatient treatment is often used.  Criteria and procedures vary in different jurisdictions.  For more information on the involuntary commitment process in Pennsylvania, go to Allegheny County.

★What can I do if my loved one with mental illness has been arrested or is behaving in ways which may result in arrest?

If someone is having a mental health crisis, you may need to call 911 (e.g. if there is immediate danger of physical harm).  However, if it is safe to do so, you may reduce the risk that a mental health crisis will result in an arrest by calling a crisis line with staff who are specifically trained for dealing with mental health crises.  Someone is available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week to assess the situation, arrange for an in-person evaluation, and/or make referrals as needed.  Phone numbers for crisis lines in the Philadelphiaarea are available here.  If you are outside the Philadelphiaarea, you can call a national hotline (800-273-8255) to be referred to the closest crisis center.

Additional suggestions for preventing arrest and information on criminal justice system procedures and advice relating to individuals with mental illness, as well as specific resources for people in the Philadelphia area, are available here.

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