The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse is affiliated with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion!
TO CONTACT: THE CLEARINGHOUSE: SELFHELPCLEARINGHOUSE@GMAIL.COM … SUSAN ROGERS: SUSAN.ROGERS.ADVOCACY@GMAIL.COM … JOSEPH ROGERS: JROGERS08034@GMAIL.COM
The Key Update is compiled, written, and edited by Susan Rogers, Director, National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse.
Biden-Harris Transition Team Hosting Webinar for Disability Community on Dec. 21
At 5:30 p.m. ET on December 21, the Biden-Harris Transition Team is hosting a webinar for the disability community to learn more about opportunities in the administration. “The Biden-Harris Transition Team is committed to identifying a significant number of diverse and highly qualified individuals who are ready to serve in the Administration and get to work for the American people. Join us for a webinar for the disability community to learn more about opportunities in the Biden-Harris Administration. There will be three guest speakers—Judy Heumann, Claudia Gordon, and Maria Town—who have all held appointed positions in government and will share some of their experiences. This webinar is open to all within the disability community who are interested in learning more. ASL interpreting and CART captioning will be provided, but if you need any additional accommodations, do not hesitate to reach out to jwertz@jbrpt.org.” To register, click here. (Courtesy of Oryx Cohen)
HHS Proposes Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule; A 60-Day Comment Period Will Follow.
“The Trump administration is proposing sweeping changes to the decades-old rule regulating the privacy of Americans’ sensitive medical information…,” an article in healthcaredive.com reports. “If finalized, it would loosen a number of long-held standards for the privacy of protected health information under the HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] privacy law passed in 1996.” There will be a 60-day public comment period after the publication of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register; at this writing, it has not yet been posted. For the healthcaredive.com article, click here. For a Journal of AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) article, click here. Both articles summarize the proposed HIPAA changes. For the 357-page U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) NPRM, which includes information about how to comment, click here.
The “Medical Model” vs. “Psychosocial Theories” Conflict Is Explored in Three New Publications.
The long-standing conflict between the “medical” and “psychosocial” models in the mental health arena is tackled in three recent publications: two articles by British psychologists, and a book about an American family in which six of the 12 children were diagnosed with schizophrenia. “Conflict, Compromise and Collusion: Dilemmas for Psychosocially Oriented Practitioners in the Mental Health System” confronts the controversy between the “medical model” (considered the “dominant approach”) and “psychosocial theories,” which “highlight the role of the events and circumstances of people’s lives.” “The tension between these two approaches can lead to challenges and dilemmas for psychosocially oriented practitioners,” the authors write. The article covers strategies for how to manage these challenges, including “foregrounding clients’ contexts and understandings” and “engaging in activism outside work.” For the article, click here. (Lead author Anne Cooke is the editor of Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia: Why people sometimes hear voices, believe things that others find strange, or appear out of touch with reality, and what can help, available here.) John Read, Ph.D., also subscribes to the psychosocial model in “Creating a Mental Illness Called Schizophrenia.” For the article, click here. And for a review of Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family, chosen by The New York Times as one of the five best nonfiction books of 2020, click here.
Free Virtual Training on Addressing Workplace Inequity for LGBTQ+ Individuals
On December 18, 2020, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET, Mental Health America of Southeast Florida—with a number of partners—will sponsor a virtual training on “Addressing Workplace Inequity for LGBT+ Individuals.” The organizers write: “This program will provide evidence-based strategies that can be used by any employer, with minimal economic impact, to create safe, secure and equitable environments for all staff. Participants will receive education, resources and first-hand experience from a local business on how they have successfully implemented programs to address this issue.” For more information and to register, click here.
NYAPRS Offers Two Free January Webinars
The New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) is offering two free webinars in January: “Winter Wellness Planning” (1.25 CE hours), on January 8, 2020, from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. ET; and “Understanding Loneliness & Social Isolation: Impacts on People and Society at Large in a Connected World” (1 CE hour) on January 12, 2020, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET. For more information about the January 8 webinar (“Winter Wellness Planning,” presented by Peggy Swarbrick, PhD, FAOTA, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, and Rutgers University) and to register, click here. For more information about the January 12 webinar (“Understanding Loneliness & Social Isolation: Impacts on People and Society at Large in a Connected World,” presented by Robert Statham, BS, CBSP, Training and Technical Assistance Facilitator, NYAPRS), and to register, click here.
“Virtual Reality Helps Measure Vulnerability to Stress.”
“A sudden loud noise or flash of light can elicit different degrees of response from people, which indicates that some of us are more susceptible to the impact of stress than others,” according to a Science News press release. Now, researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have developed a virtual reality test that assesses a person's vulnerability to stress. Unlike most previous studies, it does not rely on self-evaluations; instead, it measures heart-rate variability when exposed to threatening or highly stressful situations, all created virtually. “We expect that our study will help the application of early interventions for those individuals at risk” of developing various physical and mental health issues if exposed to high stress levels, the lead researcher said. For the story, click here.
“Mapping Out Voices on Paper” May Help Voice-Hearers.
This short “Engaging with Voices” video involves a “demonstration about how you can gather information about voices by looking at different questions and writing up thoughts and answers on big pieces of paper.” For the “Mapping Out Voices on Paper” video (under which are listed a number of websites that may be helpful), click here. (Courtesy of Berta Britz) “The Engaging with Voices videos are intended as inspiration and support for people interested in compassionate approaches to voices,” writes Open Minded Online, a website whose tagline is “sharing ideas and resources about holistic approaches to emotional and social wellbeing.” For all 15 of the “Engaging with Voices” videos, click here.
“How to Protect Your Mental Health on Social Media.”
“The latest tweets and posts just aren’t worth it if the price is anxiety, depression and more,” according to faqtoids.com, a website that claims that it provides “the most entertaining and informative content on the web.” The good news? “If social media is affecting your real life, there are simple things you can do to keep yourself sane. Here’s a round-up of ways to protect your mental health while using social media.” Among the 30 topic headings are: don’t sleep with your phone; unfollow people; don’t accept unknown friend requests; check your privacy settings; delete friends who aren’t friends; delay posting; don’t let it replace real interactions; get out of unhealthy groups; and live in the moment. For the article, which includes details under each of the 30 headings, click here.
PsychAlive Offers a Variety of Webinars on Mental Health Topics, Many Free, Others $15
PsychAlive is a free, nonprofit resource created by the Glendon Association, whose mission is “to save lives and enhance mental health by addressing the social problems of suicide, violence, child abuse and troubled interpersonal relationships.” Psychalive.org offers a variety of upcoming and archived webinars, many of which are free, while others are available for $15. Among the myriad topics are “From Anxiety to Action: How to Stay Sane While Fighting Climate Change,” “How to Overcome Insecurity,” “Powerful Tools to Fight Depression,” and “Understanding and Overcoming Adverse Childhood Experiences.” To check out the webinars, click here.
“Regardless of Party, the Next Congress Must Prioritize Disability Issues,” Says a Recent Opinion Writer in The Hill. And Various Disability Rights Organizations Have Submitted Recommendations to the Biden Transition Team.
“It’s time to recognize the political clout of Americans with disabilities,” writes the top Easterseals executive in a November 7, 2020, piece in The Hill urging that Congress “prioritize disability issues.” The article noted that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “61 million American adults—26 percent of the adult population—live with a disability.” For The Hill opinion piece, click here. Among the disability rights organizations that have submitted recommendations to the Biden transition team is a coalition comprising the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors, the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery, the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, the Tennessee Mental Health Consumers’ Association, and the Manhattan Strategy Group. Another organization that has made its voice heard is the ACLU, which published its “Biden Administration’s Disability Rights To-Do List.” It includes the following recommendations: “Ensure that people with disabilities can live in their communities, not in institutions, and support the direct care workforce”; “Stop law enforcement’s disproportionate targeting of people with mental health disabilities, and the entrapment of people with disabilities in the criminal legal system”; and “Ensure that students with disabilities have access to effective and safe education.” For the ACLU’s recommendations, click here.
Prescription for Sorrow Examines the Connection Among Antidepressants, Suicide, and Violence.
“Patrick Hahn’s book, Prescription for Sorrow: Antidepressants, Suicide, and Violence, is a beautifully written page-turner,” writes Irving Kirsch, author of The Emperor’s New Drugs, and associate director of the Program in Placebo Studies at the Harvard Medical School. “Despite being considered an expert on antidepressants, I learned much from it and will certainly be citing it in future work. It should be read by every doctor who prescribes these drugs and by anyone who is considering taking one.” The publisher asks: “So what is the story? Do these drugs drive people to suicide, or do they not? What about homicide? Are they addictive? Do they even help with depression? Author and researcher Patrick D. Hahn has examined the scientific literature and the trial transcripts. He’s listened to doctors and the patients. He’s cross-checked the facts. And now, he has reconstructed the story to tell the truth about how these drugs are made and sold.” For more information, click here. (Courtesy of Jim Gottstein)
“ ‘You Look Fine!’: Ableist Experiences by People With Invisible Disabilities”
“…[T]his study interviewed 14 participants, exploring how people with ‘invisible physical disabilities experience ableism. In addition to multiple examples of microaggressions, emergent themes included the policing of bodies, tension in roles, a desire for justice, and internalized ableism…These findings indicate the need for a more nuanced understanding by social workers of how ableism is experienced by those with invisible disabilities as well as additional research on how to support these members of the community.” For the abstract, click here. (Courtesy of Elizabeth Stone and Jacek Haciak)
“Digital Mental Health Is Trending,” STAT News Reports; But How Can It Be Used Effectively?
A recent STAT News article—"The mental health dilemma: If technology is the problem, can it also be the solution?”—suggests that, to ensure effectiveness, digital mental health companies adopt three “best practices.” These are (1) “…look at patient-reported outcomes. How has the user’s quality of life changed during the course of treatment?” (2) “Replicate the boundaries of traditional therapy in a digital world”; and (3) “Offer practical advice on healthy technology use.” For the STAT News article, which includes links to “evidence-based scales” to diagnose individuals and monitor their improvement, click here. But the article mentions Talkspace, about which The New York Times wrote a recent exposé. For the article—"At Talkspace, Start-Up Culture Collides With Mental Health Concerns: The therapy-by-text company made burner phones available for fake reviews and doesn’t adequately respect client privacy, former employees say”— click here. For “Mental health apps are sharing data without proper disclosure,” published in Engadget, click here. (Note: The Engadget article appeared in the May 2019 edition of the Key Update.)
MHA Publishes 2021 Report on the “State of Mental Health” in the U.S.
The latest report on “The State of Mental Health in America,” recently released by Mental Health America, ranks each state on the basis of 15 measures. The Number One state, based on lower prevalence of mental health conditions and higher rates of access to care, is Vermont; Utah was ranked last. The report also “includes a spotlight on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, using the over 1.5 million people who have taken a screen on MHA Screening from January to September 2020.” Among its findings: “More people are reporting frequent thoughts of suicide and self-harm than have ever been recorded in the MHA Screening program since its launch in 2014.” To download the free report or to read its findings on the MHA website, click here. (See also below.)
In a Related Report (See Above), “76% of Americans Rate Their Mental Health Positively,” Gallup Says; Unfortunately, This Is a Nine-Point Decline from 2019.
Although a Gallup press release notes that “Americans’ latest assessment of their mental health is worse than it has been at any point in the last two decades,” with “a nine-point decline from 2019,” the good news is that “the majority of U.S. adults continue to rate their mental health as excellent (34%) or good (42%), and far fewer say it is only fair (18%) or poor (5%).” However, “the latest excellent ratings are eight points lower than Gallup has measured in any prior year. The latest weakening in positive ratings, from a Nov. 5-19 poll, are undoubtedly influenced by the coronavirus pandemic…but may also reflect views of the election and the state of race relations… Additionally, in April, U.S. adults' life evaluations fell to a low point last seen during the Great Recession.” For the press release, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
Free Manual Offers Guidance about Training, Living with, and Traveling with an Emotional Support Dog.
Betterpet.com, whose tagline is “Advice from a team of actual pet experts,” has published “The Fully Accessible Guide to Training an Emotional Support Dog,” co-authored by a veterinarian, and available online. The website says that the guide provides “[t]he lowdown on emotional support dogs: what they are, how they differ from service dogs, who should get one, and how to certify them; breeds/types of dogs that make the best emotional support dogs; everything you need to know about training your emotional support dog—this includes obedience training, emotional training, and socialization; and advice for flying/traveling with your emotional support dog.” For the guide, click here.
DBSA Offers Peer Education Program About “The Peer Perspective of Challenges, Purpose, and Hope with Continuing Depression.”
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance writes: “Our newest peer education program about continuing depression has just been added on-demand to watch at any time. You can catch up on this video presentation—“The Peer Perspective [on] Challenges, Purpose, and Hope with Continuing Depression”—led by a psychiatrist, primary care provider, and peer advocate on NeuroCareLive. The program is broken up into three sessions: Session 1: Your Role in Treatment Decision Making; Session 2: Tackling Symptoms of Depression; Session 3: Purpose and Hope.” To register and view the training, click here. (Courtesy of Fran Hazam) (Note: The NeuroCareLive title uses the word “Patient” instead of “Peer,” and also references the patients’ “caregivers.”)
REACH VET Works to Identify Veterans at Risk for Suicide.
REACH VET (Recovery Engagement And Coordination for Health—Veterans Enhanced Treatment) uses predictive modeling and medical record data to identify veterans at highest risk for suicide. “Once a veteran is identified, his or her VA mental health specialist or clinician checks on the veteran’s well-being and reviews that person’s treatment plan to determine if enhanced care is needed. The algorithm is built on an analysis of thousands of previous suicides in the V.A.’s database, dating to 2008. The computer mixes and shuffles scores of facts from the medical records—age, marital status, diagnoses, prescriptions—and settles on the factors that together are most strongly associated with suicide risk…Those who score at the very top of the range—the top 0.1 percentage—are flagged as high risk.” The New York Times writes: “The REACH VET group also had a lower mortality rate over that time—although it was an overall rate, including any cause of death. The analysis did not detect a difference in suicides, at least up to that stage.” For the New York Times article, click here. For the Veterans Affairs article, click here.
Man Who Spent 40 Years in Japanese Psychiatric Institutions Sues; At the Same Time, Open Dialogue Gains Traction.
A 69-year-old Japanese man who spent 40 years in psychiatric institutions owing to a diagnosis of schizophrenia when he was a teenager—despite exhibiting clear signs of recovery—is suing the Japanese government for ¥33 million ($318,000); his goal is an overhaul of its policies regarding long-term psychiatric hospitalization. “The lawsuit states that the hospitalizations were, in effect, enforced and violated equal protection under the law and the right to the pursuit of happiness guaranteed by the Constitution,” according to an article in The Japan Times. (He was released in 2012.) “According to health ministry data as of the end of June 2017, there were an estimated 280,000 psychiatric inpatients—about 60% hospitalized for more than one year…and 55,000 for more than 10 years,” The Japan Times reports. However, “[o]ne indication that Japan might now be moving toward community-based care for psychiatric patients and away from long-term hospitalization is an effort to adopt the…Open Dialogue program developed in Finland’s Western Lapland in the 1980s.” For the Japan Times article, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
Some Comic Relief for the Pandemic May Help Kids Cope.
For little kids who may feel stressed by the pandemic (and who doesn’t?), NPR offers a comic that may help. “You've been living through this pandemic for months, and you might be feeling sad, frustrated or upset. But there are lots of different ways to deal with your worries—and make yourself feel better. Here are some tips and advice to help you through,” the article begins. For details and the comic, click here.
The December 2020 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice, Including Ways to Cope During the Pandemic
For “What We Can Learn From Solitude: Contemporary hermits are reaching out to people struggling with isolation. Their message: Go inward, and get outside,” click here. For “The Importance of Dancing Like an Idiot,” click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts) For “How to Deal With Life in Long-Term Isolation: Sure, you’re not floating 250 miles above the ground, but you can still use the same tactics astronauts use to keep going,” click here. For “11 Minutes of Exercise a Day May Help Counter the Effects of Sitting: The sweet spot for physical activity and longevity seemed to arrive at about 35 minutes a day of brisk walking or other moderate activities,” click here. For “Feeling Stuck? Five Tips for Managing Life Transitions,” click here. For “How to Manage Mental Health During COVID-19,” click here.
The December 2020 Digest of Articles about the Criminal Justice System, in Which Many Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Are Incarcerated (and the Key Update continues after this Digest)
For the Council of State Governments Justice Center newsletter (December 14, 2020), with the following stories: “Three Reasons to Become a Law Enforcement-Mental Health Learning Site…apply by January 5, 2021”; “Tracking How Three Counties Are Improving Their System Responses”; and “Jail Populations Dropped after COVID-19. But Not for People with Mental Illnesses,” click here. For “Many in criminal justice system need mental health treatment, but resources are strained,” click here. For “How the Criminal Justice System Fails People with Mental Illness,” click here. For “State prisons failing on mental health, according to federal investigators,” click here. For “No escape: The trauma of witnessing violence in prison. A recent study of recently incarcerated people finds that witnessing violence is a frequent and traumatizing experience in prison,” click here. For “Tennessee Must Fix System Allowing for Execution of Intellectually Disabled Defendant,” click here. For “Studying the state of food in the nation’s prisons–and seeking to transform the experience of eating inside,” click here. For “Cops and No Counselors: How the Lack of School Mental Health Staff Is Harming Students,” click here. For “Jail can make drug addiction worse. Oregon decriminalizing hard drugs can break the cycle. Drugs are often rampant in U.S. prisons. I’ve worked with addicts who get incarcerated for possessing small amounts of meth and leave knowing how to cook it,” click here. For “How 5 women are working to turn a Seattle building into a place of healing for people leaving prison,” click here. For “America Is Letting the Coronavirus Rage Through Prisons: It’s both a moral failure and a public health one,” click here. For “How COVID-19 hurts ‘a second chance at life’ in one of SC’s largest medium-security prisons,” click here. For “Here’s One Issue That Could Actually Break the Partisan Gridlock: Republicans up and down the ballot tried to link Democrats to lawlessness, but lawmakers in both parties are keeping criminal justice reform on the table,” click here. For “L.A. County moves to create new juvenile justice system focused on ‘care,’ not punishment,” click here. For “What Biden’s Win Means for the Future of Criminal Justice: Joe Biden ran on the most progressive criminal justice platform of any major party candidate in generations. So what can he actually do?” click here. For “The Trauma of Women in Prison,” click here. For “States of Women’s Incarceration: The Global Context 2018,” click here. For “Community supervision, once intended to help offenders, contributes more to mass incarceration: Justice officials are recognizing that community supervision can be a tripwire that perpetuates incarceration based on crimeless technical violations,” click here. For “How Trump era executions threaten lawyers and the rule of law amid COVID-19 | Opinion: While the execution of death row inmate Lisa Montgomery has been delayed because her Tennessee-based lawyers contracted the coronavirus, many more are at risk,” click here. For “Nonviolent offenders need help, not jail. That’s what my city is giving them,” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
January 4 Deadline to Apply for SAMHSA Statewide Consumer and Family Network Grants
SAMHSA is accepting applications for its Statewide Consumer Network (SCN) and Statewide Family Network (SFN) grant programs. Applications for both are due on January 4, 2021. SAMHSA plans to issue up to 12 SCN grants of up to $95,000 per year for up to 3 years, and approximately 10 SFN grants of up to $95,000 per year for up to 3 years. For details about both grant opportunities, click here.
Study of “Experiences in Accessing Mental Health Treatment” Seeks Parent/Guardian Participants
Two outpatient therapists at Children’s Friend Inc. have launched an anonymous survey of the experiences of families accessing mental health treatment for their children. “The purpose of this research is to explore the experiences in, and barriers to, accessing mental health services for parents who are caring for children with mental health conditions, medical conditions, and/or rare disease. We intend to compare three groups: caregivers of children with one or more mental health conditions, caregivers of children with mental health conditions and common medical conditions, and caregivers of children with mental health conditions and rare disease.” To be eligible, “you are a parent or guardian of a child under the age of 18, with a mental health condition, a medical condition, and/or a rare disease, and the child lives in your home.” For more information and/or to participate, click here. Questions? Email Kim Hager, LICSW: khager@childrensfriend.org
2021 (Virtual) Global Mental Health Research Without Borders Conference to Be Held April 5-7, 2021
“The National Institute of Mental Health and Grand Challenges Canada are sponsoring the 11th Global Mental Health Research Conference on April 5-7, 2021, which will bring together researchers, innovators, and other stakeholders from around the globe. The [virtual] conference will showcase findings from cutting-edge science and explore new opportunities for groundbreaking research. Stay tuned for details!” (Courtesy of Janet Paleo)
Here's Your Chance to Help Transform Mental Health Services Research in the U.S.!
If you’ve ever served on an advisory board for a research or evaluation project, provided even limited consultation, or partnered as a peer-run organization in such research, you’re eligible to participate in a national survey aimed at better understanding researchers’ and stakeholders’ experiences of participatory research! The anonymous, 10-20 minute survey includes both closed- and open-ended questions about your experiences with such research, perspectives on barriers, and potential targets for policy change and resource development. Findings will be used to inform future projects focused on building stakeholder research capacity and strengthening participatory research in the U.S. All participants will receive a $20 Amazon gift card. This new study is connected to “Building Capacity for Stakeholder Involvement and Leadership in Mental Health Services Research,” included in the August 2020 Key Update, which involved detailed interviews. Principal Investigator Dr. Nev Jones (genevra@usf.edu) writes, “We are still doing interviews ($50 per interview) so feel free to contact me about that too.” The survey IRB ID# is 001319; the project including this survey was developed with the PCORI-funded PathED Collaborative, co-led by Drs. Nev Jones (genevra@usf.edu) and Linda Callejas (callejas@usf.edu). For more information and/or to participate, click here.
National Survey Seeks Input from Certified Peer Specialists
“Routine peer support has shown to increase individuals’ hope, sense of personal control, ability to make positive changes, and decreased psychiatric symptoms,” writes Dr. Karen Fortuna of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. “Despite these benefits, the organizational structure of peer support is not known. Dartmouth College is initiating a national survey of trained Certified Peer Specialists to help us understand the organizational structure of peer support services.” For more information and/or to participate in the 15-minutes survey, click here. (Courtesy of Judene Shelley)
A Service-User-Led Survey of “Experiences of the Intersections of Psychosis, Difficult Events, and Trauma” Seeks Participants with Firsthand Experience
A study developed by researchers at the University of South Florida “aims to better understand the relationships between prior experiences of trauma or adversity and experiences such as hearing voices, unusual beliefs and paranoia, as well as the ways in which these experiences themselves can contribute to trauma or distress.” The researchers, who themselves have lived experience, are seeking respondents “who self-identify as having current or prior experiences that would conventionally be labeled psychosis.” The anonymous survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete; every 10th respondent will be compensated with a $50 gift card, up to five gift cards. Questions? Contact Dr. Nev Jones at genevra@usf.edu. For more information and/or to participate, click here.
“Mapping the Disability Experience: Share Your Stories”
“We invite you to draw a map of your neighborhood or environment to capture how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted (or not) your use and understanding of space,” researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago write. “This can include drawings/images of your home, your neighborhood, your city or beyond. Maps can come in many forms, styles, perspectives, and mediums. We are interested in collecting these maps to capture and better understand the experiences of disability and the environment during the coronavirus pandemic.” Submissions will be accepted through June 30, 2020. For more information or to participate, click here. Questions? Contact Yochai Eisenberg, PhD, yeisen2@uic.edu (Courtesy of Elizabeth Stone)
Hearing Voices Network Is Now Hosting Online Groups
“There are now ONLINE opportunities to connect, share experiences, and find mutual support,” the Hearing Voices Network (HVN) writes. “These groups are accessible via web-based platforms and by phone…Online groups are specifically for those with personal lived experience with hearing voices, seeing visions, and/or negotiating alternative realities. They are voice-hearer facilitated. With further questions and for details on how to access the group[s], please email info@hearingvoicesusa.org.” To read this announcement online and for more information, click here.
Have You Ever Smoked, Drunk, Vaped, or Used Other Drugs? Or Do You Now? New Zealand COVID-19 Study Is Now Open to US Residents
“We want to find out how people are coping [during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown],” writes the New Zealand-based Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking. “We are especially interested in adults aged 18 and over who, before lockdown, regularly drank alcohol, smoked or used other tobacco products, or other drugs. We also want to hear from people who have taken up smoking or drinking or other drugs during this frightening time.” The study has been approved by the US-based independent review board SolutionsIRB and is now open to US residents. “The study website includes helpful Coping in Lockdown tips, tips on Dealing with Cravings, and information on alternatives to smoking tobacco.” To participate or for more information, click here.
Survey Seeks Respondents Who Are in Administrative/Leadership Positions in the Mental Health Field
If you are in an administrative/leadership position in the mental health arena, “the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP) Committee on Psychiatric Administration and Leadership invites you to participate in the International Survey on Administrative Psychiatry. The survey has two purposes: 1. To identify the concerns and needs of mental health professionals/psychiatrists in administrative and leadership positions. 2. To determine training needs in administrative psychiatry. We ask you to complete this brief, [15- to 20-minute] questionnaire to help us in developing recommendations for action. We also want to let you know that, if you fill out this questionnaire, you permit the committee to use your anonymous data for scientific work.” Peer providers are included. For the survey, click here. (Courtesy of Oryx Cohen)
Free Resources for Peer Worker Supervisors Are Posted on the iNAPS Website
The International Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS) has posted an array of resources for supervisors of peer support staff. The sources of the 18 disparate resources include the Transformation Center, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), the Café TA Center, the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), the Carter Center, the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, SAMHSA-HRSA and the Center for Integrated Health Solutions, and other organizations and individual experts. For the peer support supervision resources, click here.
“Experiences with Hospitalization” Survey Seeks Participants
“The purpose of this survey is to help us understand people's lived experience with voluntary and involuntary treatment because of suicidal thoughts. It was created by people with lived experience…We are planning to use this information to facilitate discussions with suicidologists and the suicide prevention community about the impact of the use of these interventions, particularly within marginalized populations. We feel the voice of people with lived experience with these interventions has not had adequate opportunity to be heard, and hope that by completing this survey anonymously, people who have been most impacted can find a safe way to share their experiences. Please note that this is not a research project.” For more information and/or to participate, click here. (Courtesy of Leah Harris)
International Survey on Antipsychotic Medication Withdrawal Seeks Respondents
“Have you taken antipsychotic medication (such as Zyprexa, Seroquel, Abilify, Risperdal, Haldol, Geodon, Stelazine, and others), for any condition or diagnosis, with or without other medications? And did you ever stop taking antipsychotics, or try to stop taking them? Are you 18 years or older? If yes, you can take this survey about antipsychotic withdrawal and attempts to withdraw, including if you stopped taking them completely or if you tried to come off and still take them. The survey aims to improve mental health services by better understanding medication withdrawal. Lead researcher is Will Hall, a therapist and Ph.D. student who has himself taken antipsychotics. Service users/survivors/consumers from around the world also gave input. The study is sponsored by Maastricht University in the Netherlands; co-sponsors include the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal. Questions? Please contact will.hall@maastrichtuniversity.nl.” For more information or to take the survey, click on www.antipsychoticwithdrawalsurvey.com
Virtual Group Is Launched to Advance Peer Research Capacity, Leadership, and Involvement
Nev Jones, Ph.D., and Emily Cutler, a doctoral candidate, have launched a listserv dedicated to building research capacity, leadership, and involvement among peers, survivors, and service users. Dr. Jones, assistant professor, Department of Mental Health Law & Policy, University of South Florida, was part of the team that developed “User/Survivor Leadership & Capacity Building in Research: White Paper on Promoting Engagement Practices in Peer Evaluation/Research (PEPPER),” published by the Lived Experience Research Network. For the white paper, click here. Anyone interested in joining the virtual group can email Nev at nev.inbox@gmail.com.
Do You Supervise Peer Support Workers? Then Researchers Have Some Questions for You
Researchers in the University of South Florida’s Department of Psychiatry and at Magellan Health are investigating the backgrounds, training, and experiences of individuals who currently supervise at least one peer support worker in a behavioral health setting or agency. “To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first comprehensive research study of the landscape of peer support supervision practices in the United States,” writes Dr. Nev Jones, the primary investigator of the study (Protocol Number 00040223). Participants must be at least 18 years old and work in the United States or U.S. territories. An online survey lasting approximately 10 minutes will ask about respondents’ backgrounds, training and preparation for supervision, perspectives and practices, and views on barriers and facilitators to high-quality supervision. There is no monetary compensation. Questions? Contact Dr. Nev Jones (genevra@health.usf.edu) or the co-primary investigator, Dana Foglesong (dfoglesong@magellanhealth.com). To access the survey, click here.
Mad In America Invites You to Submit Your Personal Story (Within Certain Guidelines)
Mad In America writes: “A ‘personal story’ is defined as your story of being in relationship to psychiatry and/or the mental health system, whatever that means to you. It might involve your opinions and analysis of what happened to you, as well. It can be about a specific event, or about your overall journey, provided it fits the length requirements (1,500 to 3,000 words) and has a narrative arc. The piece should be about your personal experiences, not psychiatry or the mental health system in general. Submissions should fall under the theme of rethinking psychiatry and the mental health system, and should be original works not previously published elsewhere. For examples of the types of stories we publish, view our personal stories archive here.” For more information and/or to submit a personal story, click here.
Doors to Wellbeing Offers “State Selfies: A Picture of Peer Services Reported by Peers”
Doors to Wellbeing’s “Peer Album” is a directory of nearly 600 peer-run organizations throughout the U.S. They invite updates and offer instructions for providing them and add, “If your entry has not made this first draft, we encourage you to re-submit.” For the 158-page directory, click here.
Disclaimer: The Clearinghouse does not necessarily endorse the opinions and opportunities included in the Key Update.
About The Key Update
The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse is now affiliated with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion!
The Key Update is the free monthly e-newsletter of the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse. Volume 17, No. 6, December 2020. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH