INTERVIEW WITH JERRI CLARK OF THE TREATMENT ADVOCACY CENTER (TAC) FOR MAY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
Welcome to our 3rd May episode of “Caregiving Club On Air” podcast (S6, Ep 70) hosted by Sherri Snelling, corporate gerontologist, author and CEO of the Caregiving Club.
On this episode we are highlighting May’s Mental Health Awareness Month with Jerri Clark, Resource and Advocacy Manager for the Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC) helping those with severe mental illness (SMI) and their families.
Sherri talks to Jerri about the 23.4% of the U.S. adults living with mental illness – up from 3-5% prevalence from the 1960s. We may be better at diagnosing, and we may have removed some of the stigma of these brain diseases and neurodivergence, but the solutions and support for these individuals and their family caregivers is still woefully lacking. TAC takes on this support and advocacy role for those with severe mental illness (SMI) – such as the schizoid spectrum and bi-polar disorder – and Jerri explains how the challenges for these individuals and their families can be daunting. We discuss:
- What to do if a loved one has anosognosia
- How many physicians give family caregivers “HIPAA handcuffs” once a loved one with SMI becomes an adult – and where various states have different ages of health information consent
- The effect of cannabis on teens and mental health
- How a holistic treatment approach is needed – including a team of neurologists, psychologists or psychiatrists, nutritionists and other experts to explore different solutions that work better than our current state: incarceration, homelessness, 24/7 family caregiving duties
- We also discuss Jerri’s book, “Gone Before Gone – When Mental Illness Steals Someone You Love” – not just a personal memoir but a guide for other parents and family members of those with SMI
“Caregiving Club On Air” Podcast Hits #3
As we kick off our 6th season of the “Caregiving Club On Air” podcast, we are thrilled to share that we reached #3 of to Top 80 caregiving podcasts according to ranking firm, Feedspot.
We want to thank our listeners and subscribers to our listening channels at Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Sirius XM, iHeart Radio, etc.
You can also subscribe to our Caregiving Club YouTube channel to watch the podcasts and be alerted to new episodes as well as get other great video and educational content. Just click the subscribe button here!
Read the press release about our ranking here
Our Caregiver News is Now on YouTube
For our podcast listeners who are familiar with our Caregiver Wellness News and Well Home Design News as well as what is happening in the workplace for employees who are also caregiving as part of the Sandwich Generation – we are moving those news segments to our new “Caregiving Club News” program on YouTube.
You can catch all the same news, including the latest research news, resources and pop culture we have previously done on our podcast on our news channel premiering in late January– and it’s all free!
All we ask is that you subscribe to us on YouTube as well so you get the bi-weekly news updates and all of our other education caregiving content.
RESOURCE LINKS
Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC)
“Gone Before Gone – When Mental Illness Steals Someone You Love”
“Elder Care Locator – eldercare.gov or call 1-800-677-1116 (help finding local resources)
“Self-Care in 7 Minutes” Wellness Hack Video Series
Click here to find out where to buy Sherri’s Me Time Monday book and learn more about the workshops
Sherri’s Me Time Monday book GoodReads page
Sherri’s articles related to this episode
Caregiver Wellness
Finding Happiness As a Caregiver (Forbes)
Happiness article (Spanish translation for Univision)
Lessons From The World’s Longest Study On Happiness (PBS Next Avenue)
9 Ways Caregivers Can Get a Free Respite Break (PBS Next Avenue)
How Mondays Can Help Caregivers to Overcome Loneliness and Improve Health (Epoch Times)
How family caregivers can use a Monday routine to reset self-care (Considerable)
Brain Health
Sept 11th 15 Years Later – New Health Crisis (Forbes)
Caring for those heroes with invisible wounds (Huffington Post)
Boomer Parents Caring for a Veteran Son with TBI (PBS Next Avenue)
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