By NAMI Mercer / www.namimercer.org
NAMI Mercer was pleased to be able to interview these distinguished public figures about their experience, as well as questions of public policy in New Jersey. December 2009.
Senator Richard Codey
1. How did you support your wife during her first bout with post-partum depression? Were community resources available?
First and foremost, I took her seriously. I made sure to always lend a supportive ear and stress the fact that this was not her fault or a shortcoming on her part. In doing so, I was able to recognize that this was not simply a case of the “baby blues” and that she required serious help. Once we recognized that, I did everything in my power to get her the treatment she needed to overcome the battle.
2. In 1987, you went undercover to investigate the poor conditions at the Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital. How has the environment improved since then? What problems persist?
Since my stint at Marlboro, we have improved conditions at state psychiatric hospitals by leaps and bounds, moving our system out of the 19th century and into the 21st. Hiring and patient safety standards have improved, and we’ve placed a greater emphasis on recovery. This is evident in new facilities like Greystone Psychiatric Hospital.
However, problems still persist, particularly when it comes to improving training for care providers. Right now I have three bills working their way through the legislature that would increase training and education for employees and provide drug testing requirements to ensure that those on the frontline represent the very best in care for our most vulnerable.
3. Looking back over your many years in the legislature, what do you consider your most significant contributions to improving the lives of people affected by mental illness?
Without a doubt, the accomplishments that resulted from the Mental Health Taskforce that I convened when I was Governor have yielded some of our most significant results. With a sizeable increase in funding for mental health services, we were able to create a lot of changes on the ground level, increasing access to mental health treatment within our communities.
We also created a $200 million Special Needs Housing Trust Fund for people with mental illness and created a tuition reimbursement program to attract the best and the brightest to the social services field. Another significant achievement that was born out of the Taskforce was the creation of the Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma, which still lives on today. One of the greatest barriers to getting people into treatment is helping them overcome the stigma attached to mental illness and making them realize that it is a disease just like cancer or diabetes and not a personal shortcoming.
Finally, one of the more recent accomplishments that has had a significant impact is the law I sponsored that requires doctors to screen all new mothers for postpartum depression to help ensure that anyone suffering from the disease gets the help they need.
4. During your year as acting governor, you made mental health a top priority. How can the executive branch exert its authority to bring about positive change for people with mental illness and their families?
Funding is always the key issue. Given the fiscal crisis we are faced with, this will be a particularly tricky issue for the new administration. However, they must be mindful of the fact that mental health needs increase as the economy suffers. So I think the key will be to find creative solutions to address the problem particularly on the front end, rather than on the back end. Finding new ways to provide “mobile” services is one way of increasing access to treatment and enabling people to get the help they need while remaining in their communities and with their families.
5. Do you think that new Governor Christie will work toward this goal?
He certainly has his plate full, but I’m hopeful that he will put together a strong team that will be mindful of the short and long term ramifications of cutting funding for vital mental health services.
6. You recently sponsored a bill to create an involuntary outpatient commitment program in New Jersey. What positive outcomes do you anticipate from the passage of the new law?
I’m hopeful that this new law will help close a sizeable gap in our mental health services by making help more readily available to people that need it. I also hope it will bring peace of mind to the many families that struggle to get their loved ones into treatment.
7. NAMI’s “Grading the States Report” for 2009 rated New Jersey with a “C.” Do you agree with the grade and why?
I respectfully disagree. Just look at how far we’ve come. We’ve done our homework and studied the areas that were greatly in need of improvement and then acted on them. My Mental Health Taskforce, alone, was able to accomplish 90 percent of its goals in just 14 months. Granted, there is always room for improvement, and hopefully some of the bills I have working their way through the legislature right now will provide significant improvements in treatment for people at state psychiatric hospitals.
8. The Grading the States Report praises NJ for closing Greystone Psychiatric Hospital and replacing it with a state-of-the-art facility. Are there plans to modernize other state facilities?
I would love it if we could modernize every facility, but this is a decision that will likely be made by the new administration and staff at the state Department of Human Services and will of course be dictated by budget constraints.
9. What do you consider the most urgent mental health issues in the state today? What are the next steps for addressing these issues?
I think our biggest challenge is to provide greater outreach into homes and communities so that people are aware of the services available to them. Many of the people suffering from mental illness live in isolation, often times with drug or alcohol problems. Eventually they end up in jail, on the street or in mental hospitals. We need to be more proactive in getting them treatment so they can avoid these drastic scenarios. Increasing transportation and mentoring programs would help us bring them into the fold before their illnesses are exacerbated. We also need to find new ways to provide support to families so they too can help their loved ones deal with mental illness.
10. Can you suggest some effective ways for NAMI members to advocate for change?
The most effective approach right now would be to think outside the box and help identify creative solutions to maximize services without maximizing budget line items.
Mary Jo Codey
1. After so many years of hiding your struggle with Post-Partum Depression from family and friends, what led you to go public?
Actually, it hasn’t been so many years hiding my struggle with Postpartum Depression. I went public with my story in 1993. However, it didn’t receive the proper attention until my husband became governor in 2004.
What led me to go public was the recognition that a couple could want a baby with their whole heart and soul and then so quickly after his birth I became so mentally ill. I knew it had to be a disease and other women could relate.
2. Please comment on your husband’s reaction during your first bout of PPD. What was the impact of his support or lack of support?
My husband’s reaction with my first bout of Postpartum Depression was of disbelief. I think he thought that I didn’t love him anymore because I didn’t have any interest in him or the baby. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
His support was phenomenal. I was in such despair and desolation that, I gave him permission to acquire a new wife because I couldn’t find myself anymore. He never did. He came to see me in the hospital everyday and never waivered in his love and support for me.
3. Describe your experience with ECT. Do you believe that misconceptions about this form of treatment still exist?
ECT itself is not painful. They put you under anesthesia for a few minutes until the procedure is completed and you may have mild to severe memory loss which can reoccur in time. The most difficult part of ECT is feeling that it is such a drastic measure and that you are such a hopeless case. The emotional shame I felt having to have ECT far outweighed the physical pain.
The misconceptions about this form of treatment still exist. People still think that the procedure is barbaric. It can be a real lifesaver for those people who do not respond well to anti-depressants.
4. What is the status of the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act?
After passing unanimously in Congress, I’m proud to say that, The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, now sits in the U.S Senate H.E.L.P Committee. Where hopefully it will receive the 60 votes needed to implement this bill.
5. In your testimony before the House Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee on May 1, 2007, you said “not even breast cancer can compare [to PPD].” Please elaborate.
Breast cancer can’t compare with Postpartum Depression. I wanted to live when I discovered that I had breast cancer and fight the disease. Postpartum Depression took away my will to live.
6. You also said that PPD is not a women’s illness but rather a family illness. Please explain.
Any form of depression affects the entire family. It’s more profound when a mother is suffering with depression because, the ENTIRE family can become depressed, disheartened and filled with anxiety.
7. How can NAMI Mercer help to erase the stigma of PPD and promote early diagnosis and treatment?
The best way to erase the stigma of Postpartum Depression is to have laws whereby women don’t feel ashamed to seek help and know that there is way to get help.
8. Do you believe that similar efforts should be made to raise awareness about Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and mood disorders of menopause?
No, because I don’t believe that they are as severe as Postpartum Depression. Women suffering with Postpartum Depression can develop intrusive and dangerous thoughts that can put the mother and child in harms way.
9. Do you believe that calling public attention to disorders such as PPD and PMDD will reinforce the belief that women should not hold positions of power?
No. I believe the only way of eradicating Postpartum Depression and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder is by calling public attention to it. It is only then that we can erase the stigma and shame associated with these illnesses. It will also help raise much needed awareness on issues that not only affect women but affect the entire family.