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
“Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health” Is Everyone’s Right, Says New UN Report
“…[D]espite promising trends, there remains a global failure of the status quo to address human rights violations in mental health-care systems,” according to the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur for Health, Dainius Pūras. “This frozen status quo reinforces a vicious cycle of discrimination, disempowerment, coercion, social exclusion and injustice.” He urges moving “far beyond a biomedical understanding of mental health” and engaging in “[g]lobal, regional and national conversations…and actions [that] must be rights-based, holistic and rooted in the lived experience of those left furthest behind by harmful sociopolitical systems, institutions and practices. The Special Rapporteur makes a number of recommendations for States, for organizations representing the psychiatric profession and for the World Health Organization.” To download the free 20-page report, click here. (Courtesy of Janet Paleo)
Strategies for “Keeping Connected While Staying Apart” Are Suggested by TU Collaborative
“During this time of physical distancing, we will be sharing strategies”—both those that use technology and those that are low-tech or no-tech—“to connect with your community and with others,” writes the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion. “We hope that these will be helpful for you personally, for those of you who may still be supporting individuals in residential facilities, and for those of you who may be supporting individuals through telehealth.” The suggestions include “Resources for Remote Community Participation,” “Connect with a Virtual Spiritual Group,” “Enjoy a Virtual Theater Performance [via @theatrewithouttheater on Instagram],” “Discover a Massive Online Open Course,” “Learn About Astronomy,” “Play a Board Game,” “Join a Community of Readers,” “Learn a Language with Duolingo,” and others. To learn more, click here.
NYAPRS Offers Free July Webinar Series with CEUs
This month, NYAPRS is hosting three free 75-minute webinars, all of which offer CEUs—and all of which will be archived in case you miss them! The first—already past—is “Addressing Health Disparities for Latino and African Americans Living with Major Mental Health Conditions,” based on a project that linked the University of Illinois at Chicago and the National Association of Peer Supporters. The second webinar, on “The Long-Term Epidemic of Isolation and Loneliness in America,” presented by Patrick Hendry of Mental Health America, is on July 21 at 12 p.m. ET. And on July 30 at 12 p.m. ET, “Standing on the Shoulders: Stories of our Movement” will feature Joseph Rogers, founder and executive director, National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse; Sally Zinman, executive director, California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations; and Celia Brown, regional advocacy specialist, New York State Office of Mental Health. For details of all three webinars and links to register for each, click here.
NDI Launches Text Campaign for People with Disabilities and Chronic Health Conditions
The National Disability Institute (NDI) has launched #ResilientPwD—a text campaign for people with disabilities & chronic health conditions. Subscribers will get texts to help manage anxiety, build new behaviors and promote financial wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more, click here. (Courtesy of Mark Karmatz)
TU Collaborative to Host Next Story Slam on July 23 at 3 p.m. ET
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion will host its next virtual Story Slam on July 23 at 3 p.m. ET. The theme is “Raincheck!” The TU Collaborative writes: “Our virtual StorySlams are focused on how we are finding ways to connect with each other and participate in our communities while taking care of each other by practicing physical distancing…” Questions? Contact kyra.baker@temple.edu. For more information and/or to register as a listener or Storyteller, click here.
July Is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month; MHA Calls It BIPOC Mental Health Month and Offers a Free Toolkit
“Despite advances in health equity, disparities in mental health care persist,” according to the Office of Minority Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reports that racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S. are less likely to have access to mental health services, less likely to use community mental health services, more likely to use emergency departments, and more likely to receive lower quality care.” For more information, click here. At the same time, Mental Health America writes: “People and language evolve, and Mental Health America (MHA) has chosen to remove the word ‘minority’ from our toolkit and will be phasing it out on our materials. Instead, we are using a different designation—BIPOC—that we believe more fairly honors and distinguishes the experiences of Blacks, Indigenous People, and People of Color.” To download the free toolkit, click here.
Free BRSS TACS Event: “Supporting Families of Adults Who Experience SMI and/or SUD”
On July 23, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, SAMHSA’s BRSS TACS (Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy) will host a one-hour free virtual event on “Supporting Families of Adults Who Experience SMI and/or SUD.” BRSS TACS writes: “…Many family members provide emotional, social, and instrumental supports [to their loved ones with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders], including help with money, housing, child care, and transportation. Family members often help their loved ones to access and navigate services, and face unique challenges as they do so. Increasingly, organizations are recognizing that supporting families is an important part of supporting individuals in or seeking recovery.” For more information and to register, click here.
iNAPS Launches a Peer Worker Supervision Learning Collaborative
The National Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS), in partnership with Optum, is launching a series of webinars and smaller group collaborative sessions to improve the supervision of peer workers. “This Learning Collaborative is open to supervisors of peer workers who want to learn, strengthen, and apply core competencies related to peer support and to their position as a supervisor,” iNAPS writes. “Participants will learn from plenary sessions led by national leaders in the field of peer support services and participate in online smaller group discussions with supervisors from across the country.” The Learning Collaborative will meet virtually (via Zoom) October 2020 through March 2021. The 90-minute webinars are scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on October 5, November 9, and December 7, 2020, and February 1 and March 1, 2021. All webinars will be recorded and available for later viewing. The Learning Collaborative team will host the virtual smaller group discussion sessions, between the webinars. To apply, click here to complete the online application by 8 p.m. ET on August 14, 2020. Successful applicants will learn of their acceptance no later than August 28, 2020. Questions? Please email info@inaops.org. (Note: Free resources for peer supervisors are posted on the iNAPS website. For the peer support supervision resources, click here.
NY Times Invites Readers to Share Their Stories of Disability; and “Noonday Demon” Author Asks, “What Happens When You’re Disabled but Nobody Can Tell”
“Help Shape Our Reporting on Disability and Accessibility in America: Our journalists want to hear your questions about and experiences with disability and accessibility in the U.S.” This is the headline on a July 10, 2020, article in The New York Times. “This is your opportunity to help shape and inform our reporting by sharing your questions and experiences. We are especially interested in hearing from other people with disabilities or individuals with chronic illnesses. How do you share your story with friends, colleagues or strangers? What words do you use to describe your disability and what words would you educate others to stop using?” For the article—timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act—which includes a survey form at the bottom, click here. For “What Happens When You’re Disabled but Nobody Can Tell: The author and clinical psychologist Andrew Solomon examines the disabilities that ramps and reserved parking spots don’t address,” click here.
Free Course Offered by MIA: “A Rights-Based Approach to Global Mental Health”
Mad In America Continuing Education is offering “A Rights-Based Approach to Global Mental Health: Time for a Paradigm Change” for free. “At the conclusion…participants will be able to critique current global approaches to mental health; describe a ‘rights-based’ approach to global mental health; identify steps for moving toward rights-based mental health care; explain efforts to expand the conversation around definitions of mental health that include viewpoints of non-physician clinicians and patients; analyze the role of community, culture, and social determinants of mental health; and list key protections for people with psychosocial disabilities embodied in the ‘Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.’” The presenter is Lisa Cosgrove, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she teaches courses on psychiatric diagnosis and psychopharmacology. To enroll for free, click here. Questions? Contact Shira Collings: scollings@madinamerica.com. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
New Survey of Behavioral Health Crisis Service Providers During COVID-19 Is Available for Free
A new survey of behavioral health crisis service providers during the pandemic has just been released and is available for free download. “2020 COVID-19 Impact Survey: Behavioral Health Crisis [Service] Providers” is the second such survey from TBD Solutions, which partnered with the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), the Crisis Residential Association (CRA), and the National Association of Crisis Organization Directors (NASCOD) in distributing the survey. “While the initial survey revealed the greatest concerns around health care and a lack of critical supplies, this survey found issues with care coordination and supervisor concerns about the health and safety of their staff as the most pressing matters,” according to the press release. Results are summarized by provider type (i.e., Mobile Crisis, Crisis Residential Programs, Crisis Call Centers) and by geographic region of the United States. The first report was based on a survey administered April 1-6; the new report covers a survey administered June 1-11. For the press release, click here. To download both free documents, click here, then click on the cover of the surveys (at the top left), and provide your name, email address and ZIP code. (Note: The documents may not arrive in your “In” box; if you don’t receive them, check “Promotions” or another folder.)
“Structural Racism Is Why I’m Leaving Organized Psychiatry,” Writes Ruth S. Shim, MD, MPH
“The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many others are leading many Americans to reflect on structural racism in society and resolve to do things differently,” writes Dr. Ruth Shim in STAT. “They have led me to make the difficult decision to end my membership with organized psychiatry, specifically the American Psychiatric Association. After years of committing myself to the APA and believing that organized psychiatry was an effective vehicle by which progress could be made, racism is driving me and other Black physician leaders out of organized psychiatry, just as it has pushed Black physician leaders out of academic medicine.” For the article, in STAT, click here. For an article on the social determinants of mental health—“How committed are we to improving our nation’s mental health?”—by Dr. Shim in The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2016, click here.
Combining Online and Offline Peer Support Groups Is a “Promising Concept for Facilitating Recovery-Oriented Care,” Researchers Say
A study published in the open-access International Journal of Mental Health Systems—“Combining online and offline peer support groups in community mental health care settings: a qualitative study of service users’ experiences”— “suggests that online and offline peer support groups complement each other, and that combining them is mainly described as beneficial by service users…Moderation by a trained service user consultant appeared essential for both formats…” The researchers conclude that the practice “warrants continued research.” For the study, click here. (Courtesy of Elizabeth Stone)
“Vogue Sparks Fury with Cover of 'Madness Issue,'” the Daily Mail Reports.
The cover of Vogue Portugal’s July/August 2020 “Madness Issue”—which showed a naked woman having water poured over her by nurses in a “stereotypical” image of a psychiatric institution—has sparked outrage, the Daily Mail reports. The magazine is accused of contributing to the prejudice and discrimination associated with mental health conditions. For the story, click here. (Note: For a story about the evildoings that may take place in psychiatric institutions, see below.)
Psychiatric Treatments Amounted to Assault and Battery, Judges Rule
“The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has found two psychiatrists had committed assault and battery and caused long-term harm to mental health patients for experimental treatments, which included solitary confinement, forced nudity and hallucinogenic drugs,” the Law Times reports. In one program, people were put in restraints and given high doses of mind-altering drugs. In another, groups of people “were placed nude in a windowless isolation cell with one shared toilet and no access to showers and subjected to a strictly liquid diet and hallucinogenic drug encounters.” And in the third, people were put into solitary confinement and forced to sit motionless for hours at a time. The decision called the treatments “unethical, medically meritless, flagrant and outrageous.” And an “expert witness for the defendants even conceded that the programs may be considered inhumane and degrading.” For the story, click here.
Do You Want to Be Happy? Here’s One Easy Way, Neuroscientists Say
“Neuroscience Says Doing This 1 Thing Makes You Just as Happy as Eating 2,000 Chocolate Bars. It also gives you the same neurological boost as receiving $25,000.” This is the (over-the-top?) headline on a story about something that scientists have said can make you “feel good even if you're not feeling good in the moment,” help you live longer, and even help you have a more fulfilling marriage. It’s smiling! According to an article in Pocket, “If you're down, smiling actually prompts your brain to produce feel-good hormones…” Also, a study involving Major League Baseball cards from 1952 found that players with big smiles lived seven years longer than unsmiling players. And a 30-year study that checked out the smiles of students in an old UC Berkeley yearbook found that the students with the biggest smiles ended up with the happiest lives, including the best marriages! For the article, click here. (Courtesy of Surviving Spirit Newsletter, via Michael Skinner)
“Mindful Minute Videos” May Help Increase Mindfulness
Open Minded Online writes: “We are creating a series of one-minute films showing a range of ways you can be mindful. The aim is also to show how there are things you can do in spare moments throughout the day. Although they are called mindful minutes, if you enjoy the exercises you can do them for a longer period of time… For people who find focusing on the breath difficult, mindful movement exercises might be worth trying first.” For the article, which includes links to two free mindfulness websites as well as links to the videos, click here.
The July 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 “‘She’s breaking down’: Inmates at Bucks County jail decry treatment of suicidal woman with severe mental illness: Kim Stringer went to jail in April. Her parents haven't heard from her since,” click here. For “There’s overwhelming evidence that the criminal justice system is racist. Here’s the proof,” click here. For “Radical Reckoning: The US needs a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a New Constitution & More,” click here. For “ ‘You’re almost in this place that doesn’t exist’: The Impact of College in Prison as Understood by Formerly Incarcerated Students from the Northeastern United States,” click here. For “Keeping Released Prisoners Safe and Sane,” click here. For “You Can Get Kicked Out of a Jury Pool for Supporting Black Lives Matter: But is it legal? A California appeals court is going to decide,” click here. For “Behind Bars, but Still Posting on TikTok: The lives of incarcerated people are usually hidden from society. On prison TikTok, they’re going viral,” click here. For “As debates over police reform rage, it’s time to end solitary confinement: Opinion,” click here. For “The Coronavirus Crisis Inside Prisons Won’t Stay Behind Bars: Federal officials recognized the danger of the spread of coronavirus in prisons early, but have dragged their feet releasing at-risk inmates,” click here. For “New York City Plans to End Solitary Confinement in Jails,” click here. For “To Save Black Lives, and the Soul of Our Nation, Congress Must Act Boldly: We cannot settle on an inadequate middle ground that will simply nibble around the edges instead of making real change,” click here. For “How to Make Defunding the Police a Reality: For the past half-century, American cities have spent more on policing each year. All of a sudden, nationwide protests have put divestment on the table,” click here. For “Together We Lift the Sky—If You’re New to Abolition: Study Group Guide,” click here. For “What Are Cops Really Thinking When Routine Arrests Turn Violent? ‘You have to use a lot of force, or you are going to die,’” click here. For “The Hidden Constitutional Costs of the Carceral System: America’s courts have placed little value on the rights of black people,” click here. For “6 reasons why it’s time to defund the police,” click here. For “A Growing Number of State Courts Are Confronting Unconscious Racism In Jury Selection: ‘A judge who deals with prosecutors every day is not going to say, “You intentionally discriminated on the basis of race, and you lied about it with pretextual reasons,”’ click here. For “Youth Are Flipping an Abandoned North Carolina Prison into a Sustainable Farm: By transforming a decaying prison into a flourishing farm, these young men are avoiding the criminal justice system—and creating a model to share,” click here. For “‘Defund the police’ is a call to imagine a safer America. We should answer it,” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
For Your Safety in the COVID-19 Era, Register to Vote by Mail!
In these uncertain times, with predictions of a “second wave” of COVID-19 this fall, it makes sense to vote by mail! You still have time to register before the presidential election, on November 3! For a Brennan Center for Justice article about the importance of voting by mail, click here. For the U.S. government website providing voter registration deadlines in every state and territory, click here. Have you registered yet?
“How to Stay Mentally Healthy During the Coronavirus Pandemic”
“There’s a lot of advice being offered right now about how to keep yourself physically healthy during the coronavirus pandemic, such as washing your hands and practicing social distancing. But managing mental health during this time is just as vital to your overall well-being…Fortunately, there are steps you can take to improve your mental health right now even if you’re social distancing,” writes VeryWellMind.com. “Despite [the] ongoing uncertainty of the situation, take small steps every day to address your emotional needs.” For the article, published on March 20, 2020, which includes many links to additional information, click here. And for a related article, “10 Ways to Ease Your Coronavirus Anxiety,” click here.
CDC and BBC Offer Advice on Stress and Coping During the Coronavirus Pandemic
“Coronavirus has plunged the world into uncertainty and the constant news about the pandemic can feel relentless,” the BBC writes. “All of this is taking its toll on people's mental health, particularly those already living with conditions like anxiety and OCD. So how can we protect our mental health?” To read more, click here. The CDC writes: “The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.” For the CDC advice on managing stress and anxiety during this difficult time, click here.
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. For the HVN’s recorded discussion on how to bring groups online, click here (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
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)
TU Collaborative Hosts Free Storytelling Workshops
The Temple University (TU) Collaborative on Community Inclusion is hosting free storytelling workshops every Tuesday (2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET) and Thursday (2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET). For workshop information, email Kyra at kyra.baker@temple.edu. In a related initiative, the TU Collaborative wants to hear your story! For the link, click here.
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.
If You Have Experienced Psychosis, “Psychosis Beyond the Box” Wants to Hear From You.
“Psychosis Beyond the Box” seeks to gather anonymous descriptions of “aspects of psychosis that are often neglected, such as felt presences, visual or quasi-visual experiences, and alterations of space, time or distance,” as well as strategies to help with any distressing or challenging aspects of the experiences. The narratives will be compiled and shared in early psychosis programs and other service settings across the U.S. A major aim of the project—which is not a research project—is “to validate the diverse range of things people with psychosis experience, and help people, especially young adults experiencing psychosis for the first time, feel less alone and isolated (in these experiences).” For more information about the project, based at the University of South Florida, or to share your story, click here. Questions? Write to Nev Jones (genevra@usf.edu) or ShannonPagdon@gmail.com.
“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
NIMH Launches Study of How COVID-19 Stressors Affect Mental Health Over Time
“Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are conducting an online research study to learn about how stressors related to the COVID-19 virus affect mental health over time,” NIMH writes. “We hope to better understand the experiences of participants during this difficult time. Participation involves completing online questionnaires every two weeks, for six months. The questionnaires take about 20 minutes to complete. You must be at least 18 years old to participate. Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time. Compensation is not provided.” Questions? Call 240.665.0697 or email NIMHResearchVolunteer@nihg.gov. For more information and/or to begin participating, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
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 new 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. 11, July 2020. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH