New Clinical Support for Patients and Families

AKFSA and MPI Launch Clinical Support Program

The Andrew Kukes Foundation for Social Anxiety and the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute (MPI) are pleased to announce the launch of a new clinical support program for people suffering from severe anxiety and mood disorders.

AKFSA and MPI understand all too well the feelings of helplessness that both patients and family members experience when an illness has progressed for far too long without any sign of relief or improvement. Andy’s experience is the driving force behind the development of this program, which is poised to help so many in the same position that Andy and the Kukes family found themselves in while looking for help.

The mission of this project is to provide a holistic approach to both diagnosis and comprehensive treatment for patients by experienced psychoanalysts. Using a team approach, experts attempt to understand why treatments haven’t been effective for patients in the past in order to offer new therapy options. We recognize this is not a support program available to all at this time, however, it is our sincere hope that this work will provide the foundation for clinical supports across the country.

This program was also the focus of an in-depth segment on Detroit’s respected National Public Radio station, WDET-FM on The Craig Fahle Show.

If you missed the live interview, you can still listen here to learn more about the new mental-health professional team approach to analysis and treatment during an interview featuring Andrew Kukes Foundation for Social Anxiety co-founder, Jeff Kukes, and Nancy Blieden, PhD, a psychologist with specialization in children and adolescents, representing the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute who is involved in the new partnership.

We encourage sufferers, family members and therapists to contact the clinic to determine if this program is an appropriate resource. Please call the MPI office at (248) 539-2223.

AKF relies upon our Mental Health Advisory Board for review and assistance with accurate and evidenced-based information. However, AKF is also interested in pilot projects aimed at serving sufferers in a different manner. The MPI pilot project was designed to determine if, indeed, this methodology will prove useful in treating certain individuals with severe anxiety and mood disorders that have not found CBT or other methods of support helpful. In fact, many of the potential clients for the demonstration project may be long-time sufferers, have fallen out of treatment numerous times, find themselves not progressing in treatment after many years or are suffering with suicidal ideation.

AKF recognizes and is fully supportive of the most widely identified, evidenced-based approaches to treating social anxiety, among them being cognitive behavioral and behavioral therapies. For the vast majority of individuals that are suffering from social anxiety, these evidenced-based interventions continue to be the best and most effective treatments. Therefore, we want to make clear that at times the foundation may invest in pilot projects that do not have the review of our Mental Health Advisory Board. Typically these projects are limited to one year and must then be reviewed by the Mental Health Advisory Board before any new allocation.