Info

 
 Austin Mental Health Resources 
 

I haven't had time to properly interlink these pages; to 
navigate, use back browser or return (go to if not initially
there)  the main index page of this section of mmy site. 



 Depression and Manic depression support groups 

 Austin Depressives and Manic Depressives Association 
837-1800, 452-0361, 478-2286
990-8230. 
251-0679, 835-0142
The above numbers all refer you to Gary Manford below.
Gary Manford  472-5550 garymanford@hotmail.com
e-mail Ronda or Hal rjcrow@mindspring.com, halwilso@mailio.com
ncrow@mindspring.com
Meetings program Shoal Creek Hospital, 7-9 PM 2nd Mon ea month
support group meetins every Mon but 2nd Mon 7-9 PM Charter
Behavioral Systems, Charter Lane Hospital, 8402 Cross Park Drive
BEginning February 6, it will meet at St. DAvid's Pavilion 
because Charter is closing.  
Medical Advisor:  Dr. David Brown, psychiatrist DMDA Advisor.
Also, see Helen Littledale, and Helen Batchell.
Diane Batcheldor and Melva Jean Cain testified at Senate hearing
on HB1173 in spring 1997. 
Diane Batcheldor president Texas chapter DMDA 835-0142.
Also, 478-2286?

It appears that a number of area hospitals and such offer
support groups. Some of them look like they may be good.

"Georgetown Area Support Groups", Georgetown Health Care Systems
943-3000 ext 115 includes
Bi-Polar Disorder Support Group
may meet on 1st Sat 10-2 Louis West #258 call back after 2:30.

Georgetown DMDA support group Anita Smith 863-5560

Seton Good Health 324-4450 Call for a listing of free support
groups They just had ones in teh area.

St. DAvid's Medical Center 482-4100 Call for a listing of free
support groups. Pavillion, 476-5800 David; they don't have
any support groups.   

Bethany Health Care Ministries


MHMR Medication Support Service 476-7263 MHMR (the state 
hospital and its clinics) has a free med service; I don't
know if this is it or a support service or group for people
with medication related problems, which is nearly everyone
with serious mental illness at some point.  

Good Chemistry (DUal Diagnosis support group) 441-2018

SHAC - Self Help and Advocacy Center South 1st Street
Was MHMR Drop-In center for a long time.  Closed for a long
time.  Now it is run by Texas Mental Health Consumers and
MHMR, and Texas Mental Health Consumers appear to be the
listed tenants.  To reopen in late February.  3205 S. 1st St.
2/24 from 2 to 6.  (Was run by Office of Travis County MHMR)

Capital Areal Mental Health Center 302-1000

Peoples' Community Clinic 478-8942

The Drop-In Center 441-2018, 441-1968 I'm not clear on if this
place still exists - first phone number doesn't work, Travis
Co MHMR Info and Referral line guy couldn't find it listed - 
though I don't know if that particular person could have found
his own name if it was listed.  

Another Office of Travis County MHMR office where I found
actual intelligent life (rare in that organization) was at
Family Support, 451-0315.  The guy I talked to sounded 
knowledgeable in the area of advocacy far beyond family support.


Community Clinical Research 323-2622 Research drugs to treat
mental illness. Dr. DAvid Brown Noone answering phones in his
office. They are advertising a research program that includes
free treatment and reimbursement for treatment - for depression.
Too bad noone answers the phone!  Dr. David Brown also is
"medical advisor" for Austin DMDA.

Area Hospitals;   Charter Austin, 8402 Cross Drive, is
closing.

Seton Shoal Creek Hospital owned by Seton which is next
door, may be closing.

St. DAvid's Pavilion.  Also has financial problems.  

  Office of Travis County MHMR  This is not the state MHMR
center on N. Lamar and N. Guadeloupe; it goes alternatively by the name
Austin Travis County MHMR. A private organization funded by
grants from Travis County, State of TExas, and elsewhere. Runs
most "MHMR" services for the mentally ill and for mentally
retarded in Travis County/ Austin area.  I have so far found
most people who work for them not very bright.  For instance,
the one administrator in the central administrative office
couldn't figure out what a community center is, and the guy
at their info-referral line could neither understand community
center (read me every neighborhood center in Travis County)
nor drop-in center (like SHAC).  He couldn't find a single
drop-in center.  The web site looks as if a six-year old wrote
it; it is a simple long list of the services the office 
provides and how to contact them, but without knowing that,
I couldn't make any sense of the page at all.  Part of it is in
all-caps! Uses frames, but no background or background color.
Headings are smaller than the text which is poorly set off (I 
mean new meaning to poorly, I'm not usually critical of how
people design their web sites).  

Office of Travis County INfo Referral line; 472-4357. The guy
there knew nothing about anything.  I wouldn't expect to get
much info or referrals from them.  The private psychiatric
hospitals maintain referral lists, atleast one of them is
extremely good.  


There is also a state psychiatric hospital with associated
services on North Lamar and North Guadeloupe streets near where
the two streets diverge; they are reputed to provide extremely
poor care and poor service, and I myself have no intention of
utilizing the place.  This place also goes by the name MHMR
(Texas Mental Health and Mentally Retarded).    
 


 Other Resources 

AUstin NAMI has a support group for people with schizophrenia and
schizo-affective disorder starting. 
NAMI CARE Consumer Support Group - Consumers Advocating
Recovery through Empowerment 
Contact NAMI hotline.

ATCMH/MR Family Support Group 451-0315

Austin NAMI (See above) has a number of "Family Support Groups"
at a variety of locations.  One of them meets second Monday,
7 PM, Austin TRavis Co MHMR 1430 Collier St.

NAMI has Journey of Hope Support Group 3rd Monday 7 PM 
Seton Shoal Creek Hospital 3501 Mills Ave.
  

PLAN of Central Texas - Liftime Assistance Network - a peace of
mind service for older people with adult mentally ill children.
Social workers look in on people with mental illness, assist and
advocate as needed.  NAMI Austin would have more info

 Advocateweb and Kevin Gourley 
This is a complete set of resources for anyone who has been
sexually exploited by a mental health professional.
Advocate Web P.O. Box 202961 Austin TX  78720
Kevin Gourley, President.
249-1217


A Center for ATttitudinal Healing exists - and anyone who wants
to can find them on their own.  I'm not advertising for people
who think mental illness is an attitude problem and one way and
another block people who need medical treatment from getting it.  

Codependents Anonymous 454-7463 for listings - for people who have
family members addicted to drugs or alcohol.  

Emotions Anonymous 459-3407 (Mike) I don't know anything
about this group - if this chapter helps people cope with
mood disorders or teaches that mental illness is a  psychological
problem.
Also Elizabeth Crana 458-9525.

Post Partum Support Group 397-4226

Once-A-Month Support Group 397-4226. (pre-menstrual) Warning; current research
and my own experience indicate that PMS is most often a 
symptom of depression - especially when it kicks up the entire
second half of every menstrual cycle! Remember, depression is
a physical disease that affects multiple body systems, and not
a psychological or "woman's" problem.  Research is finding that
depression due to PMS is more often
successfully treated with antidepressant medication than with
birth control pills, though some women's experience has been the
opposite.  I tried the pill in case the problem was hormonal 
and instantly had severe depression.  Antidepressant medication,
on the other hand, eliminated the premenstrual emotional symptoms,
the premenstrual fluid buildup, and the premenstrual acne, and
my periods became more normal.   

 Alot exists for people with anxiety disorders: 

Agoraphobia (ABLE) 257-7964

Anxiety/ Panic Disorder Support Group 263-4103

NIMH Hotline for Depression and Panic Disorder 800-421-4211
may not be local.

Obsessive/Compulsive Support Group 305-4548 (Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder).  

Panic Hotline 800-64-PANIC may not be local

Recovery, Inc. 892-2433 @ St. Catherine's. This may also be
for people with depression, and it may be either a way for
people to learn to cope with their disorder, or apply the view
that mental illness is a psychological problem.  

Social Phobia Support Group 349-5422

Histrionic Personality Disorder Support Group
there are personality disorders and they appear to have
atleast in part a biological underpinning and to be closely
linked to certain forms of mental illness; but I'm  really 
feeling suspicious of this one - and I  won't  steer
people to groups that primarily either treat mental illness
as a psychological problem or focus on neuroses and people who
like being unhappy.  

 For teens, the Mental Health Association's community referral
booklet lists the following, which probably is not all of
the mental health resources in this community available to teens.

Alateen, 441-8591 for teens with family members with drug or
alcohol problems.

Outyouth Austin 708-1234

Pathways Community Counseling 327-8018

Teen Helpline 441-5423

 
 Some Psychiatrists who MIGHT be good 

These so far are only people I've heard about.

Someone (I lost her e-mail) at I THINK Shoal Creek Hospital who is
supposed to be quite good - but expensive.  I think my
informant first met him when she was an inpatient.

Wanda Holias (probably not spelled right) at MHMR. Also, I think
this is a man.  Someone at NAMI told me this was the first
doctor at MHMR (not noted for real great care) who took enough
of an interest in him and his problems to make an accurate 
diagnosis and find the right meds! 

Dr. Munion - from DMDA.  

Chris Masi  

Dr. Lauri Senieredis (also probably not spelled right) bought
and used NARSAD greeting and note cards at Christmas. NARSAD
is one of the largest national funding resources for research
on the biology and treatment of mental illness.  NAMI does fund
raising on their behalf.