News Release

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct 29, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced on Friday the recipients of the 2007 Lilly Reintegration Awards. The awards, which Lilly established 11 years ago, recognize mental health professionals and individuals battling severe mental illness for their exceptional contributions and achievements. Specifically, the awards honor treatment teams, programs and services that assist those with severe mental illness as they re-enter the community, as well as individuals with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia who provide hope and support to their peers.

"Each year we are delighted to recognize the Lilly Reintegration Award honorees as they play an integral part in assisting those with severe mental illness achieve their goals," said Deirdre Connelly, president, U.S. Operations, Eli Lilly and Company.

Ralph Aquila, M.D., chairperson of the Awards committee agrees. "Practically speaking, without these professionals who work tirelessly to create opportunities and resources for the mentally ill, reintegration into society would not be an option for most patients," Dr. Aquila said.

Dr. Aquila oversees the judging panel comprised of mental health professionals. The panel reviews the pool of applications and selects the honorees based on the scope and reach of programs, services and achievements. The recipients in each category receive grants to their particular programs to advance their success. First place recipients receive a $5,000 grant and second place recipients receive a $2,500 grant. The following is a complete list of the 2007 Lilly Reintegration Awards winners.

    Treatment Team Awards

    Advocacy

    1st place -- National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)
    Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1979, NAMI is the nation's voice on mental illness. It is the largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness and their families. Every state in the union has a NAMI chapter and they are in more than 1,000 local communities; these affiliates join as one in pursuit of the NAMI goals of advocacy, research, support, and education.

2nd place -- Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition (MCC)

Waltham, Massachusetts

The MCC's National Employment Expansion Project is dedicated to expanding employment opportunities for people battling mental illness and to dispelling the stigma that often serves as a barrier. In March 2007, this MCC initiative hosted the first National Employment Celebration on Capitol Hill. The event was a powerful forum for people with mental illness, employers and federal legislators to speak about the important role that work plays in recovery, and an opportunity to honor employers who strongly support reintegration.

    Clinical Medicine

    1st place -- San Luis Valley Mental Health Center (MHC)
    San Luis, Colorado

Providing counseling and education to adults, adolescents, children, families and seniors, the San Luis Valley MHC serves residents throughout six counties in southern Colorado. The staff is committed to understanding and improving the mental and emotional health of the people they serve through caring, confidential, high-quality and cost-effective services.

2nd place -- The Mental Health Cooperative

Nashville, Tennessee

The Mental Health Cooperative is an agency that incorporates intensive case management, clinic services and 24-hour emergency psychiatric services into an integrated system of care. The center assists children and adults with serious mental illnesses through their journey to lead successful, satisfying lives and recover from the devastating effects of mental illness.

    Education

    1st place -- Public Psychiatry Fellowship of Columbia University
    New York, New York

The Public Psychiatry Fellowship of New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons was initiated in 1981 with funds from the New York State Office of Mental Health. The goal of the program is to facilitate recruitment and retention of high-caliber psychiatrists in the public sector. Ten one-year Fellowships are awarded to young psychiatrists seeking a career in public psychiatry. Fellows spend three days a week working in a community- or hospital-based public mental health service organization and two days a week in seminars and in consultation with the Fellowship faculty.

2nd place -- National Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)

Memphis, Tennessee

Founded by the Memphis Tennessee Police Department and now implemented in cities across America, the CIT program is a community partnership working with mental health consumers and family members. The program's goal is to set a high standard of excellence for police officers with respect to treatment of individuals with mental illness. By establishing individual responsibility for each event and overall accountability for the results, the program's success has been unmatched. Officers are provided with the highest quality training, enabling them to give consumers a sense of dignity. This dignity generates a new respect and outlook on the police and the mental health systems.

    Employment

    1st place -- Consumers as Providers Training Program (CAP)
    Lawrence, Kansas

CAP is a qualified Certified Peer Specialist Training Program at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. The program provides opportunities to individuals recovering from a severe psychiatric disability. Specifically, it allows people with a psychiatric disability to increase their skills and knowledge in order to facilitate meaningful employment. Individuals in the program are also encouraged to pursue post-secondary education and build their knowledge base about mental health services, in order to enhance their personal journey of recovery.

2nd place -- Center for Vocational Alternatives for Mental Health, Inc.

(COVA)

Columbus, Ohio

COVA's Benefits Consulting and Financial Services assists persons with mental illnesses in the community to reintegrate by focusing on economic planning and security. By providing accurate information based on a comprehensive analysis of income and benefits, COVA empowers people with mental illnesses to make decisions regarding their career development plan that maximize incentives to return to work. COVA focuses on benefits consulting as an overall part of psychiatric rehabilitation to better serve the whole person and increase the likelihood of long-term workplace success and recovery.

    Social Support

    1st place -- John Eachon Re-entry Program (JERP)
    Wheat Ridge, Colorado

The John Eachon Re-entry Program (JERP) is a collaborative project to increase public safety and reduce criminal recidivism by providing wrap-around services to parolees in Jefferson County who suffer from serious and persistent mental illnesses. The program provides transitional housing, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and correctional supervision services. Approximately 30 to 45 inmates are served each year. A multidisciplinary team consisting of a case manager, parole officer, two mental health professionals and medical staff provides assessment, evaluation and services to program participants.

2nd place -- The Meeting Place

San Diego, California

The Meeting Place is California's first ICCD-certified Clubhouse that offers its members social and vocational rehabilitation. Members and staff work side by side to develop work-related interests and skills, participate in meaningful social experiences, expand their education, link with other community resources, and contribute their individual talents and gifts. The Clubhouse offers those with mental illness a place where the focus is on ability, not disability. Members help themselves by helping the clubhouse operate, and in these working relationships they experience themselves as valued contributors who are wanted, needed and appreciated.

    Consumer Awards

    Achievement

    1st place -- Julie Fast
    Portland, Oregon

Julie Fast has devoted her life to helping people with mood disorders, with particular focus on advocating for those who, like herself, battle bipolar disorder. Despite the struggles Ms. Fast has faced while managing the illness, she has created a popular Web site for persons with bipolar disorder and their families. In addition, she has written six books addressing mental health issues, and writes a regular column for Bipolar magazine

2nd place (Tied)-- Garreth Fenley

Augusta, Georgia

As a Certified Peer Specialist at Medical College of Georgia, Garreth Fenley draws on her own experience as a consumer in order to help others. Ms. Fenley educates psychiatrists and psychologists in the recovery approach and provides peer services to inpatients and outpatients. She also is president of the Augusta affiliate of NAMI, and this past August she presented her work at the International Conference on Patient- and Family-Centered Care.

2nd place (Tied)-- Una Dixon

Bismarck, North Dakota

Una Dixon graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in general studies, and summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in classical studies. As a result of Ms. Dixon's desire to continue her educational career, she became an Occupational Therapist. She seeks to encourage others to reach their goals and to know that their diagnosis of schizophrenia does not have to define and confine them.

    Mentorship

    1st place -- Serge Blasberg
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

As a member of Milwaukee's clubhouse community Grand Avenue Club, Serge Blasberg serves on the Membership Team, the Speakers' Bureau, and the Committee to Organize the 14th International Clubhouse Seminar, held earlier this month. Mr. Blasberg is also an active member of the Jewish Community Mental Health Education Project and has presented his story of bipolar recovery in area synagogues. He is now a certified Peer Support Specialist and is employed at Social Rehabilitation and Residential Resources. Most recently, Mr. Blasberg was appointed the co-chair of the 2007 Statewide Mental Health Recovery Task Force Subcommittee on Evidence-Based Practices.

2nd place -- Chris Hill

Wheat Ridge, Colorado

Chris Hill is dedicated to strengthening the consumer community and speaks as an advocate for persons facing both substance abuse issues and mental illness. Mr. Hill is a Board Member of Summit Center Clubhouse and has traveled throughout the world to provide assistance and certification to other clubhouses. In his commitment to sobriety, he is a leader in Alcoholics Anonymous and a sponsor for others wanting to stay on the sobriety path.

    Honorary Awards

    Government

    Ken Thompson, M.D., Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
    Administration
    Rockville, Maryland

Dr. Thompson was one of the earliest advocates of the recovery model. He was strongly focused on the recovery model, consumer recovery and re-entry into the community, long before his colleagues in community psychiatry began moving in that direction. Dr. Thompson has brought to light such issues as employment, education, housing and the importance of the human bond as they relate to severe and persistent mental illness. He has been a harbinger of hope for both colleagues and consumers alike.

    Media

    Joe Greco, Independent Film Director of "Canvas"
    Los Angeles, California

In his new movie, "Canvas," Mr. Greco harkens back to his own childhood when his mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The film tells the story of a family stretched by the challenges of mental illness. While the mother battles schizophrenia, the father struggles to find the proper care and treatment for her and does his best to hold the family together. Eventually, the father's attention turns to building a sailboat -- a process that transports him to an earlier, more carefree time in his life. In working with his son to build the boat, the father is able to impart an understanding and acceptance of the family's current challenges, while also providing his son with hope for the future.

    Public Eye

    Pete Earley, author of Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental
    Health Madness
    Fairfax, Virginia

A veteran journalist, Pete Earley provides an honest account and rational investigation of the vast issues facing our nation's mental health system in his book, Crazy. When his son is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Mr. Earley is pulled into the frustrating vortex that many parents face when searching for the proper care and services to help their child. On his journey he explores the role of jails and prisons in warehousing the mentally ill, and he interviews police, correctional officers, public defenders, judges, mental health professionals, families and policymakers.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation is developing a growing portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers -- through medicines and information -- for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.

C-LLY

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO )

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company

Copyright (C) 2007 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

News Provided by COMTEX