In 2011 in Washtenaw County, more than 3,000 children and their parents were homeless. Rates of homelessness among families increased at a faster pace than any other homeless sector. Local minimum wage jobs are harder to find, family incomes are decreasing, and rental prices are increasing.

Join service and housing providers from across the community as they discuss the current state of homelessness in Washtenaw County, the innovative partnerships that have been created to address the need, and the next steps needed to end homelessness in our community.

Panelists include: Nicole Adelman, Interfaith Hospitality Network @ Alpha House; Carole McCabe, Avalon Housing; Greg Pratt, Michigan Itinerant Shelter System Interdependent Out of Necessity (M.I.S.S.I.O.N.); Tenetia Pulliam, Housing Access of Washtenaw County (HAWC); and Ellen Schulmeister, Shelter Association of Washtenaw County.

There has been a great deal of discussion recently concerning the computer roll-out of the Affordable Care Act. However, less attention has been paid to the actual details of the ACA, especially relating to changes in coverage for mental illness. How exactly will these changes affect individual coverage and access to services, and on a broader level, how will the ACA impact a national mental health system that is already struggling to adequately serve the number of individuals seeking care?

To learn more about the Affordable Care Act and its impact on mental health coverage and access, the AADL and the U-M Depression Center present this discussion, featuring Marianne Udow-Phillips, MHSA, Director of the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation, and member of the U-M Depression Center National Advisory Board. She gives a brief overview of the Affordable Care Act, focusing on the changes that will impact mental health care coverage and what this will mean on a practical level for individuals seeking care for themselves and/or their family members.

This is followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with medical experts, including Gregory Dalack, MD, Chair, U-M Dept. of Psychiatry; Kara Zivin, PhD, Assoc. Professor, U-M Dept. of Psychiatry, and School of Public Health Faculty Associate, Institute for Social Research; and Dr. Duane DiFranco, MD, Senior Medical Director, Blue Care Network of Michigan.

For more information on the Depression Center, visit their website at www.depressioncenter.org, or contact Trish Meyer, 763-7495, or meyerpa@umich.edu.

An inability to focus, impulsiveness, misbehavior, frequent daydreaming, and a predisposal to addiction are frequently referenced traits of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). But what about the gifts of ADHD?

In the groundbreaking book Movers, Dreamers, and Risk Takers internationally-known ADHD coach Kevin Roberts takes a fresh approach to this much-written-about topic to help those with ADHD—their parents, teachers, and friends—to tap the hidden strengths and actual advantages inherent in the ADHD personality. He combines the latest research with personal stories, as well as insights born from his work with those with ADHD, showing readers how to get past the stigma of this condition to eventually turn what have been seen as “symptoms” into character strengths and creative ways to make life richer and more interesting for themselves and the people around them.

Kevin Roberts is a teacher and ADHD coach, international speaker, author and stand-up comedian with a master's degree in ADHD studies. Born in Detroit, he graduated from the University of Michigan and has a Master's Degree in ADHD studies from Antioch University. This event, co-sponsored by AADL and CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder) of Washtenaw County, will include a book signing and books will be for sale.

In this episode, John Hathaway talks about the Staebler family and some of the early businesses in Ann Arbor; John Feiner recalls his grandfather's start as a cobbler; former council member, H. C. Curry, recalls his experience in the Carpenter's Union and on the Human Rights Commission; and former city administrator, Guy Larcom, talks about city planning, historic buildings, and the importance of city improvements.

Written and produced by Steve Fenwick
Directed by Ray Lukasavitz
Exec producer: Catherine Anderson
Sponsored by the Ann Arbor Public Library, with help from the Ann Arbor Sesquicentennial Commission and the University of Michigan Speech Department.

In this episode, host Ted Trost profiles two of Ann Arbor's largest ethnic communities, the Greeks and Germans. Trost talks with U-M German professor Frederick Wahr about Ann Arbor's German history; and Edith and Paul Kempf, about their personal memories and the importance of music in their family. Ted also interviews Frank Kokenakes, his sister, Helen Kokales, and Anthony Preketes about Greek history and culture in Ann Arbor.

Written and directed by: Catherine Anderson
Executive Producer : Catherine Anderson
Graphic Artist: Eric Anderson
Sponsored by the Ann Arbor Public Library, with help from the Ann Arbor Sesquicentennial Commission and the University of Michigan Speech Department.

Author and journalist James Mitchell celebrates the release of The Walrus and the Elephants: John Lennon’s Years of Revolution with a reading and discussion on John Lennon’s special relationship with Ann Arbor.

The opening chapter of the book takes place in Ann Arbor and details the historic benefit concert that Lennon headlined that was held for poet-activist John Sinclair to challenge his ten year prison sentence for possessing two joints.

Based entirely on new interviews and research, "The Walrus and the Elephants" is the first book about John Lennon to show how his emergence as a solo artist, his embrace of radical politics and feminism, and his love affair with New York City coincided. From controversial television appearances, to benefit concerts, to his new, post-Beatlemania band, the book is Lennon’s story told by a cast of close friends and fellow activists who got to know the man behind the legend.

James Mitchell is the author of "But for the Grace: Profiles in Peace from a Nation at War," the story of an orphanage in Sri Lanka's war-torn northeast, rock biography "It Was All Right: Mitch Ryder's Life in Music," and tales from a rural newspaper, "Applegate: Freedom of the Press in a Small Town." A reporter and editor for more than twenty years, his writing has appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The Humanist, and Starlog.

For more on John Lennon's visit to Ann Arbor, visit the library's freeingjohnsinclair.aadl.org, which includes an audio recording of John and Yoko's intention of coming to Ann Arbor.

Do you have a child who has a disability? Are your aware of their legal rights?

Laura Athens discusses the legal rights of students with disabilities from preschool through high school. Protections under the Individuals with Disability Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act will be reviewed and educational options and dispute resolution options will also be discussed.

This event is cosponsored by the UM Council for Disability Concerns as part of the Council's Investing in Ability Week.

For decades, family, twin and adoption studies have pointed to the involvement of heritable factors in psychiatric disorders. Research has shown, however, that the genetic basis of autism, depression, schizophrenia, and manic depression (bipolar disorder) is quite complex. Genetic changes can be found in cases with autism, schizophrenia and other developmental disorders that were not present in the parents

This complicated genetic architecture poses many challenges both for individuals and families who are struggling to understand and manage their disease, and for their clinicians. To provide greater understanding of our current state of knowledge on the links between genetics, autism and psychiatric disorders, the U-M Depression Center and AADL present this Bright Nights community forum.

Margit Burmeister, Ph.D., Research Professor in Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, Professor of Human Genetics and Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School and Beverly M. Yashar, MS, CGC, PhD, Director, Genetic Counseling Graduate Training Program, and Associate Clinical Professor, Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, provide an overview presentation to explore scenarios in which this testing is “prime time,” and those where it has limited utility. The talk is followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with expert panelists, including Mohammad Ghaziuddin, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinic, U-M Medical School, and Donna M. Martin, M.D., Ph.D., the Donita B. Sullivan Research Professor in Pediatrics, and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Human Genetics, U-M Medical School.

For more information on the Depression Center, visit their website at www.depressioncenter.org, or contact Trish Meyer, 763-7495, or meyerpa@umich.edu.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was once thought to be limited to only to childhood. Symptoms, however, frequently persist into adulthood. For some people, adult ADHD can cause significant problems and lead to unstable relationships, poor work or school performance, and low self-esteem.

Learn more at about adult ADHD at this event, co-sponsored by the Michigan Institute For Clinical Health Research and the U-M Department of Psychiatry. Featuring Chandra Sripada, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan, the session will highlight new research in this area, and attendees will also learn more about clinical and health research opportunities available through UMClinicalStudies.org.

Chandra Sripada, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. He uses neuroimaging and other brain-based methods to study the neural mechanisms that enable people to exert control over attention and motivation. Dr. Sripada is an Adult ADHD specialist and the former director of the U-M Adult ADHD Clinic.

November 18, 2011 marked the 40th anniversary of the University of Michigan’s Spectrum Center, making it the oldest LGBT student organization in the country. AADL spoke with Jackie Simpson, the director of the Spectrum Center, and Jim Toy, one of the two people who founded the organization in 1971. Jackie and Jim talked about the beginning of the organization, its history and ongoing development, and the challenges and joys of the center today.