A former star NFL running back, a Texas state representative, and HBO will be recognized by Eli Lilly for their contributions in the fight against mental illness on Nov. 4 in Washington.

Calvin Hill, the former Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins great, will be honored for helping the Dallas Cowboys set up a program that responds to needs of football players with mental illness. Linemen Dimitrius Underwood has credited the program will saving his life. Other NFL programs are now implementing similar programs. Hill works as a consultant to the Mental Health Management, Inc. of McLean, Virginia, a company specializing in the treatment of psychiatric problems and chemical abuse.

Texas State Representative Garnet Coleman of Houston, who has spoken openly about his personal struggle with bipolar disorder, has authored a bill to require all Texas law enforcement officers to receive crisis-intervention training for dealing with persons with mental illness. He has also introduced legislation to establish a program to ensure that individuals with mental illness in the criminal justice system have access to mental health treatment.

In addition to raising awareness of mental illness through innovative programming, New York-based HBO has worked behind-the-scenes to provide employment opportunities to individuals living with mental illness. Since 1990, the media company has served as a transitional employment partner with Fountain House, providing entry-level positions and on-the-job support to individuals with mental illness reintegrating into the workforce. Accepting the award on behalf of HBO is Eames Yates, producer of award-winning HBO original documentaries on mental illness including: Suicide, Dead Blue: Surviving Depression and Panic. Yates, who lost his own brother tsuicide, is passionate about shedding light on issues of mental illness that have, for too long, been kept in the dark.

In recognition of their achievements, Hill, Coleman and HBO will receive a Reintegration Award. Now in its ninth year, the Reintegration Awards, sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company, honors the mental health community’s achievements in the fight against serious mental illness while honoring the significant contributions made by individuals battling mental illness as they progress toward the goal of reintegration.

Ralph Aquila, M.D., announced the awards. Dr. Aquila is the director of Residential Community Services at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City, and is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. He also serves as the chairman of the Lilly Reintegration Scholarship and the Lilly Reintegration Awards programs.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 26 Oct 2005
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