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.
NOTE: THE "FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!" DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE MONTHLY CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM DIGEST, INCLUDES ITEMS THAT HAD BEEN POSTED "ABOVE THE FOLD" IN EARLIER EDITIONS BUT ARE STILL RELEVANT. THESE INCLUDE ONGOING RESEARCH STUDIES THAT ARE STILL SEEKING PARTICIPANTS, AS WELL AS UPCOMING WEBINARS AND CONFERENCES, AND OTHER ITEMS OF CONTINUED INTEREST. DON'T MISS IT!
NEWS
“Cause for Concern: The Stripping Away of Patients' Rights”
“There's a problematic trend toward binding arbitration agreements,” MedPage Today reports. “An investigation by The Markup and STAT found that dozens of direct-to-consumer telehealth companies ‘were leaking sensitive medical information they collect to the world's largest advertising platforms.’...[and] 46 of the 50 companies (92%) required that disputes be resolved via arbitration…When patients sign a binding arbitration agreement or realize in retrospect that they implicitly agreed to these terms, they understandably assume it is enforceable and that they've already given up their rights” even if these agreements may not be enforceable under state law. For the article, click here.
MHA Publishes “2022: The State of Mental Health in America”
In “2022: The State of Mental Health in America,” Mental Health America ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 15 measures. To download the free, 45-page report and to see additional statistics, click here.
“Performing Acts of Kindness Is a Powerful Tool to Fight Depression and Anxiety, Study Finds”
“According to a study from researchers at Ohio State University published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, performing acts of kindness may even result in greater social well-being than techniques used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat depression and anxiety. 'Social connection seems to be one of the most powerful ingredients for flourishing in life,' David Cregg, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and co-author of the study, told TODAY in a segment that aired Jan. 20." For an article about the study, click here. (Courtesy of Peggy Swarbrick)
CONFERENCES AND OTHER EVENTS
NDRN (Virtual) Conference to Be Held February 27-March 2
The (virtual) 2023 conference of the National Disability Rights Network (#NDRN2023) will take place February 27-March 2. “Members of the public may register at a cost of $40 per session. Attendees seeking CLEs at an eligible session pay an additional $35 per session.” For details (including the presentation topics on each day) and to register, click here.
Peerpocalypse 2023 Scholarships Applications Are Due February 28!
Scholarship applications for Peerpocalypse (May 8-11 in Seaside, Oregon) are due Saturday, February 28th, 2023 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. For the scholarship application and more information about the conference, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
Call for Applications: Emerge July 2023 Hybrid Disability Studies Workshop. Deadline: February 28!
“The Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University proudly announces Emerge, a three-year initiative made possible thanks to a generous $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation. This support will allow the Longmore Institute to lead a month-long July workshop for 10 emerging Disability Studies scholar-activists, held three consecutive summers at San Francisco State University with an option for hybrid participation.” The deadline for the Call for Applications for “disabled activists, artists, cultural producers, filmmakers, and academics” is February 28, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT. For details and to apply, click here. (Courtesy of Bevin Croft and Nev Jones)
Deadline to Apply for Mad Camp 2023 Is March 1!
The deadline to apply for Mad Camp (July 20-24 2023) is March 1! Will Hall writes: “Mad people gathering for community and connection in the forested mountains of Northern California. Wow! We are now launching ticket applications. (We raised more than $4,400 in scholarship funds and counting!) Deadline to apply is March 1! Space is limited so if you are planning on coming, please fill out the application form! Check www.madcamp.net for information, including the Frequent Questions page. Go HERE to fill out the ticket application form!” For the Facebook event page you can share, click here.
ABCT Issues Call for Proposals for Its 2023 Conference, November 16-19 in Seattle. Deadline: March 14
The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) has issued a call for proposals for its 2023 conference, to be held November 16-19 in Seattle. Its theme is “Cultivating Joy with CBT [Cognitive Behavioral Therapy].” For more information about the conference, click here. For details about submitting proposals, due by March 14 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, click here. (Courtesy of Yulia Mikhailova)
Call for Proposals: “Too Mad to Be True II—The Promises and Perils of the First-Person Perspective.” Deadline: March 15
March 15 is the deadline to submit a proposal for “Too mad to be true II—The promises and perils of the first-person perspective” (May 26-28, 2023), hosted by the University of Ghent and the Foundation for Psychiatry and Philosophy. For details, click here. Meanwhile, Dr. Nev Jones, a researcher and assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh who has lived experience of psychosis, and who was a keynote speaker at the first conference, discusses some of the events at the conference and responses to her keynote in a second presentation. In that presentation, Mad In America (MIA) reports, she takes issue with the individualizing, pathologizing focus of the “phenomenology of psychosis” literature, “argu[ing] that psychosis ‘could never be divorced from the structural vectors of poverty, incarceration and various neoliberal welfare schemes, but has always been intimately bound up with them.’” For the MIA article, click here. To see "To Do Justice to Madness: Orienting to the Politics of Phenomenological Psychopathology," click here.
Registration Is Open for the ADA Virtual Mini-Con, March 28, 2023
The theme of the ADA Virtual Mini-Con, to be held on March 28, 2023 (9 a.m.-4 p.m. ET), is “Emerging Issues in the ADA and Criminal Justice.” Registration ends on March 24, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Space is limited to the first 500 registrants who pay the $50 fee. For details and to register, click here.
SHARE!’s Free, Virtual Peer Workforce Conference Will Take Place on April 26; Deadline to Submit Proposals Is April 5
SHARE! will host its free, virtual 2023 Peer Workforce Conference–”Bridging Research and Practice”–on April 26. For more information and to register, click here. To submit a proposal by April 5, click here.
Active Minds Mental Health Conference July 7-8, 2023, in Washington, D.C.
Calling its conference “the nation’s leading mental health conference for young adults,” Active Minds will host its 2023 conference in Washington, D.C., July 7-8. Early bird registration is available until May 15 at 5:30 p.m. ET ($110 for students, $175 for general). For more information and to register, click here.
FREE WEBINARS AND OTHER EVENTS
CoE-IHS Webinar: “Peers Part 1–Leveraging the Untapped Potential of Peer Services in Integrated Care”
On February 28, 2023, at 12 p.m. ET, The Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions (CoE-IHS) will present a free, one-hour webinar entitled “Leveraging the Untapped Potential of Peer Services in Integrated Care.” CoE-IHS writes: “Join us…to learn more about the critical role that peer support plays in integrated care settings, aiding in the healing and recovery of individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders.” For more information and to register, click here.
“What is Peer Support and How Do I Supervise A Peer Support Specialist?”
On February 28, 2023, 2 p.m.-3 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will present the latest in its monthly webinar series: “What is Peer Support and How Do I Supervise A Peer Support Specialist?” Doors to Wellbeing writes: “This webinar will address the questions: What is it Peer Support Specialists do that is so different from other mental health professionals? And how do supervisors provide guidance and support to the Peer Support Specialists they manage?” For details and to register, click here.
“Community-Driven Crisis Response: A Workbook for Coordinators” to Be Launched on February 28
On February 28, 2023, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET, the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance will launch “Community-Driven Crisis Response: A Workbook for Coordinators.” “This new resource was designed specifically for planning team coordinators who have been tasked with developing and implementing community-led responses to behavioral health crisis calls.” For more information and to register, click here.
The Next Judi’s Room Will Celebrate the Life of Celia Brown
On March 1, 2023, at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT), I Love You, Lead On and MindFreedom International will host a free Judi’s Room event, via Zoom, celebrating the life of beloved mental health advocate Celia Brown (1952-2022). “After our remembrances of Celia, there will be time for general networking,” the organizers write. Everyone is welcome. “Meeting ID: 856 1185 8093. ASL will be provided if requested one week in advance.” To pre-register and get a passcode, click here.
PENTAC Will Host the Next Presentation in Its National Entrepreneur Speaker Series on March 2
On March 2 (12 p.m.-1 p.m. ET), you can view the “National Entrepreneur Speaker Series, featuring Darian Elmendorf, co-founder and CEO of Compass Peer Services in Delaware. To register, click here.
"Our Disability Roadmap” Webinar on March 10
On March 10, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET, “join Samuel Habib as he speaks with disability justice pioneer Bob Williams in the fifth of [Communication First’s] year-long, FREE series of webinars: ‘Our Disability Roadmap.’ Bob and Samuel will discuss a wide range of issues…including career pathways, higher education, independent living, AAC [Augmentative and Alternative Communication], advocacy, and much more.” For more information and to register, click here.
NCMHR Invites You Its Next Advocacy Call, on March 13
The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR) is inviting you to participate in a series of advocacy calls that will take place the second Monday of each month through December 2023. The first meeting was on February 13 at 2 p.m. ET. (Meeting times will alternate between midday and evenings; the time on March 13 is 5 p.m. ET.) You do not need to have attended Alternatives 2022 in order to participate in these calls. For details and the Zoom link, click here.
The 3rd “Trauma in the Workplace” Webinar Is Coming Up
The Academy of Peer Services (APS) Virtual Learning Community is presenting the third 90-minute webinar in its “Trauma in the Workplace” series at 10 a.m. ET on March 16, 2023. A recording of the first webinar is available; the second webinar will also be archived. For details and to register, click here.
“Exclusionary Sanism: A Critical Dialogue” on March 21
On March 21, 2023, at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT), Nev Jones, Nika Mavrody, Aerik Woodams, and David Mordecai will engage in a panel discussion on “Exclusionary Sanism: A Critical Dialogue.” The discussion is connected to the Critical Psychiatry Conference.To register for the panel discussion, click here.
RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
WPA Invites Responses to Its Survey on “Implementing Alternatives to Coercion as a Key Component to Improving Mental Health Care”
March 15, 2023, is the World Psychiatric Association’s deadline for responding to its survey on alternatives to coercion. WPA writes: “We want to incorporate the voices of persons with lived experience of mental health conditions and their families and caregivers into our work. Therefore we have prepared this survey to gather ideas from a range of perspectives…[W]e thank you very much for sharing your important insights…If you have any questions or difficulties with GoogleForms please contact WPAConsultation22@gmail.com.” For the survey and additional information, click here. (Courtesy of Shira Collings)
Request for Information (RFI): Gaps and Opportunities in Global Mental Health Research
“Respond to NIMH’s request for information (RFI) to identify research gaps and opportunities that will advance our understanding and role in supporting basic, translational, and services-oriented global mental health research. All responses must be submitted electronically by May 5, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Please use this submission web form or email NIMHGlobalMentalHealthRFI@nih.gov. Please use the subject line GMH RFI Response.”
“Stigma Toward Peer Specialists on Inpatient Units”
“Being a peer specialist on an inpatient unit has been a powerful experience. I have seen great care provided, and I have been a part of many transformative conversations. However, the work culture of the unit I work on and other units I have been to does not include staff treating patients and peer specialists as equals. A major shift in the culture of these units is definitely needed.” So begins a personal account of “Stigma Toward Peer Specialists on Inpatient Units,” in Psychiatric Services. For the story, click here. (Courtesy of Nev Jones)
Call for Book Chapter Proposals for “Beyond Accommodations: ‘Cripping’ Possibilities in Higher Education”
“What would it look like to re-imagine academia as a place of acceptance, belonging, and flourishing of disabled faculty, staff, and students?...[T]his edited book invites contributions from disabled, chronically ill, mad, and neurodivergent people across the globe to (desire and) share how they are ‘cripping’ and transforming the classroom, the university, and academia more broadly.” “Please submit a 250-word abstract with tentative chapter title and short bio to Dr. Alan Martino, alan.martino@ucalgary.ca. Deadline for abstracts: March 31, 2023.” (Courtesy of Konstantina (Dina) Poursanidou)
EPICC Works to Help Parents with Mental Health Conditions Connect with Their Kids
Engaging Parents and Increasing Connections with Children (EPICC) is a 10-week program created by the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion that is focused on helping parents with serious mental health conditions connect with their children through meaningful activities. For details and to apply, click here.
The March 2023 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For “9 Tips to Help Stop Ruminating: Ruminating over the past, present, or future can be challenging, but there are strategies to manage it. Here are a few tips that can help,” click here. For “How to Tell If Your Brain Needs a Break,” click here. For “PFAS expert tips: How to reduce your exposure to harmful ‘forever chemicals,’” click here. For “Many Personal Care Products Contain Harmful Chemicals. Here’s What to Do About It,” click here. For “12 Chemicals in Personal Care Products You Should Avoid: The Dirty Dozen,” click here. For “Want to live a longer life? Try eating like a centenarian: You can’t change your genes, but improving your diet will make you healthier and could make a difference in life expectancy,” click here. For “These everyday items endanger the environment. Here’s how to handle them. How to safely dispose of paint, batteries, light bulbs and other potentially risky products cluttering up your cabinets,” click here. For “The Secret to a Better Workout Is Probably Already in Your Kitchen,” click here.
The March 2023 Digest of Articles about the Criminal Legal System, in Which Many Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Are Incarcerated (and the Key Update continues after this Digest)
For “Is It Forensics or Is It Junk Science?” click here. For “How ‘Cruel and Not Unusual’ Conditions Persist in Many Lockups: Insight from a discussion with journalists, formerly incarcerated people and experts,” click here. For “Prosecuting the unthinkable: Experts question handling of cases where mothers are accused of killing their children,” click here. For “Addressing Trauma in Women’s Prisons,” click here. For “Giving Incarcerated People What They Want—Better News Access: The Marshall Project explains its decision to offer free news to incarcerated people on tablets that otherwise charge users,” click here. For “Texans with mental illnesses are dying in Houston-area jails. They didn’t need to be there,” click here. For “The Marshall Project and Vice News to Launch Inside Story Show: Developed by formerly incarcerated people, the video series brings news, interviews and profiles into U.S. prisons and jails,” click here. For “Defending Attica: How Radical Lawyers Played a Key Role Standing Up for Survivors of the Attica Uprising,” click here. For “How the Department of Justice is Failing Victims of Sexual Assault in Prison,” click here. For “The U.S. Probation System Has Become a Quagmire: What was originally intended as an alternative to incarceration has become a system for mass state control,” click here. For “‘You Ain’t No Big Man’: Videos Show Disparities in Cleveland Police Response to Kids in Crisis: Body cam footage reveals that officers don’t always follow department guidelines or training,” click here. For “When Law Enforcement Alone Can’t Stop the Violence: Amid a murder crisis in America, community-based solutions have received a flood of funding. How effective are they?,” click here. For “‘America’s dirty little secret’: Thousands of misdemeanor defendants don’t get attorneys,” click here. For “Prison, jail staff rarely face legal consequences after sex abuse of inmates, report finds,” click here. For “Bouie: Memphis proves the police cannot be a law unto themselves: Institution of American policing lies outside of any meaningful democratic control,” click here. For ‘Unconstitutional’ public defense systems upend lives, freedom across West,” click here. For “9th Circuit upholds California prison reforms, citing abuse of inmates with disabilities,” click here. For “When You’re Sentenced for a Crime That Even a Jury Agrees You Didn’t Commit: The Supreme Court might end an infuriatingly unjust practice in criminal sentencing,” click here. For “First sweeping federal gun crime report in 20 years released,” click here. For “Sending Help Instead of the Police in Albuquerque: A novel community-safety department has been taking calls off the hands of a force with the country’s second-highest fatal-shooting rate. Has it improved public safety?,” click here. For “The Killing of Tyre Nichols Reaffirms the Urgent Need for Police Accountability,” click here. For “The Culture and Practices of Policing That Killed Tyre Nichols (and So Many Others),” click here. For “The Lawfare Podcast: How the Police Became Untouchable,” click here. For “Mapping the Legacy of Prison Hunger Strikes in Texas: ‘I'm willing to die for the cause, because I can't live,’" click here. For “Criminalizing Survival: The Criminal Legal System Heaps More Violence on Victims of Gender-based Violence. Ending These Structures Is the Only Way to Protect Them,” click here. For “Spiritual Advisors Offering Final Comfort in Execution Rooms,” click here. For “Originalism Is Going to Get Women Killed: A federal court has ruled that a law barring domestic-violence offenders from owning firearms is unconstitutional,” click here. For “A Cop Sexually Assaulted Their Son. Then Child Protective Services Retaliated. How a family in Missouri almost lost their kid, and couldn’t fight back thanks to qualified immunity laws,” click here. For “One State’s Effort to Keep Some Police Encounters From Turning Deadly,” click here. For “What Can Federal Courts Do About Extreme, Outdated Sentences?,” click here. For “From Freddie Gray to Tyre Nichols, early police claims often misleading. An examination of seven prominent deadly cases where initial statements by authorities turned out to be false or incomplete,” click here. For “Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas’ attorneys apply for clemency, citing mental illness. At issue is whether Thomas, who gouged out his eyes after confessing to the 2004 murders of his estranged wife, their son and her daughter, is competent to be executed in April,” click here. For “Using State Constitutional Protections to Improve Life Behind Bars: Rulings in Oregon and Utah offer a road map for other state courts,” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
CONFERENCES, WEBINARS, AND TRAININGS
MHTTC Publishes Calendar of Events from Now Until September 19, 2023
The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC) has published a calendar of its events from now through September 19. The calendar covers the 10 U.S.-based regional MHTTCs as well as the two national MHTTCs. The MHTTC is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. For the calendar, click here. (Courtesy of NYAPRS E-News)
NAADAC Hosts Free “Peer Recovery Support” Webinar Series, Issues Call for Proposals for Its Annual Conference, and Will Present Third Annual Virtual Summit on “Engagement in the Black Community”
First, the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC)—now known as the Association for Addiction Professionals—will launch its free, 10-part “Peer Recovery Support” webinar series on January 26, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. ET. For details, click here. Second, NAADAC members and non-members are invited to submit presentation proposals for 1.5-hour breakout sessions at its 2023 Annual Conference, to be held in Denver October 6-11. Submission deadline: January 31. For details and to submit a proposal, click here. Third, NADAAC will present its third annual virtual summit on “Engagement in the Black Community” on February 9-10, 2023, 12 p.m.-5 p.m. ET. For details and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Jessi Davis)
APS Learning Community Offers a Free, Three-Part Webinar Series on “Trauma in the Workplace” and Hosts a Weekly Networking Meeting. Check Out Its Website for Upcoming Events.
The Academy of Peer Services (APS) Virtual Learning Community will continue its free, three-part “Trauma in the Workplace” webinar series on February 16, 2023, at 10 a.m. ET, with the second webinar in the series. For details and to register, click here. The third of the 90-minute webinars will take place on March 16 at 10 a.m. ET; for details and to register, click here. The first webinar in the series, presented on January 19, is available for free viewing, along with other archived APS Learning Community webinars (click here). In addition, the APS Networking Meeting for Peer Specialists is every Tuesday from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET. Its purpose is to share ideas, experiences, and opportunities with others in the field of peer support, as well as to give and receive support to each other. To register, click here. For the Virtual Learning Community website, which includes a calendar of upcoming events, resources, and more, click here.
MHTTC Offers Free Online Behavioral Health Courses
The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC) “currently offers 20 online courses available through Healtheknowledge.org. HealtheKnowledge.org offers high-quality, on-demand, and instructor-led courses that are open to the public. Courses are free for a certificate of completion, and yearly membership options are available for purchase to gain access to other HealtheKnowledge resources and earn unlimited CE credits. View our course listings here. View our how-to guide to set up your HealtheKnowledge account.” MHTTC is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
ISSTD to Host 40th Annual Conference in Louisville April 13-17, 2023
The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) will host its 40th annual conference in Louisville; the pre-conference will be held April 13-14 and the conference April 15-17. The theme is “Shifting the Societal Denial of Dissociation.” A virtual option (details of which are explained at the conference link, here) will also be available. Early Bird registration is available through February 15.
BHN/OMH to Host a Free, Four-Part (Virtual) Series on Understanding and Reducing Stigma This Winter
“Mental Health Stigma: What Is It? Who Does It Impact? How Do We Reduce It?” Behavioral Health News and the New York State Office of Mental Health will offer a four-part (virtual) roundtable series to discuss these questions, featuring people with lived experience, advocates, policy makers, mental health providers, community leaders, researchers, and media figures. The four 90-minute roundtables, each of which will begin at 2 p.m. ET, are “Understanding the Experience of Mental Health Stigma” (January 12); “The Experience of Mental Health Stigma among Diverse Groups” (January 26); “The Role of the Media in Reducing Stigma” (February 9); and “Paths to Reduce Stigma and Promote Positive Attitudes” (March 2). For details and to register for any or all of the free roundtables, click here.
“So You’re Ready to Work; Now What?”
Rebel Leadership Group LLC and CAFE TAC has launched a new, 12-part interactive employment training series! “This series will be recovery-centered and strengths-based, examining the process of finding, applying for, and succeeding in a job through the lens of recovery, helping attendees to identify strengths and skills, align the job-seeking and employment experience with their personal recovery path, and providing opportunity for discussion in a peer-centered space…Registering for any of the 12 sessions will automatically register you for all future sessions.” For details and to register, click here.
“The Role of Peer Specialists in Promoting Health Equity”: A 5-Part Series
On January 19, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET, PENTAC will present the first 90-minute webinar in a five-part series; the topic will be “Understanding the Drivers of Health Inequities.” The rest of the series is scheduled for January 26 (“Racial Justice and the Mental Health Recovery Movement”), February 9 (“Helpers, Healers, and Jailers–Understanding the Difference”), February 16 (“Implementing a Framework for Culturally Relevant Peer Support Services”), and March 2 (“Putting All the Pieces Together: An Action Plan for Promoting Health Equity”). All of the 90-minute sessions will begin at 1 p.m. ET. To register for the first webinar (which will enroll you in all of the sessions), click here.
OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
New TU Collaborative Study on Bringing Activity into (or Back into) Your Life
“The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion, in collaboration with the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery, is conducting research on a new online peer group workshop called REACH (Resilience, Education, Action, Community, Health). Participation (for adults 18-65 who have “significant mental health concerns”) involves a 12-session (on Mondays) “peer-delivered online intervention by the Copeland Center to explore meaningful activities.” For more information or to volunteer to participate, contact TUCollab@temple.edu.
Young Adults with Psychiatric Diagnoses Are Sought for Study on Community Participation
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion is recruiting young adults (ages 18-30) with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression to take part in ConnectionsRx, designed to support engagement in meaningful community activities. Participants will be enrolled in the peer-led study for six months, and receive support to help meet community participation goals. Interviews (approximately 60 minutes each) will take place on Zoom. Participants will receive a $15 Amazon gift card (to a maximum of $45) for each survey completed. For the website, click here. Questions? Write to ConnectionsRx@temple.edu.
South Southwest MHTTC Launches Youth and Young Adult Peer Supporters Survey
“Are you a peer specialist who provides peer support to other people under the age of 30? We want to hear from you! Please fill out the survey to assist the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (South Southwest MHTTC) in learning more about youth peer support across the country! The intent is to be able to include these peer supporters in research, training, and technical assistance activities surrounding youth peer support. The form should take 5-10 minutes to fill out, and can be done from a phone or a computer browser. To take the survey, click here.” Questions? Write to southsouthwest@mhttcnetwork.org.
Are You Interested in Pursuing Graduate School and/or a Research Career? Read Below.
Stephania Hayes (UC Davis), Shannon Pagdon (Columbia/NYS Psychiatric Institute/University of Pittsburgh), and Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh) write: “We are gathering information from people with lived experience in the Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) or early psychosis space (including peer specialists, current/former CSC participants, and CSC youth coordinators) who are potentially interested in pursuing graduate school and/or a research career. All of us identify as having lived experience, work in CSC, and are invested in supporting the next generation of scholars who also have lived experience. We would like to create a discussion group and/or other supports for people interested in this career path. The link below leads to a very brief survey that will help us understand the level of interest in such supports, as well as areas of career interest. (Please note that this is not a research study.)” To participate in the anonymous survey, click here.
“Help Us Map the Landscape of Lived Experience and Family Involvement in 988 Policy and Related Crisis Response System Planning!”
“As 988 implementation rolls out alongside additional efforts to strengthen crisis response systems throughout the U.S., it's important to gauge the extent to which direct stakeholders (i.e., individuals who use or have used mental health crisis services and their families) have been involved in related policy, implementation and evaluation at the local, regional, state or federal levels. To map out involvement nationally, Mental Health America (lead: Kelly Davis), Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh) and Keris Myrick (National Association of Peer Supporters) have developed a survey aimed at documenting the extent of stakeholder involvement, the forms this involvement has taken, and, where available, what concerns stakeholders have raised. Any individual with knowledge of lived experience and family involvement is eligible to participate; individuals completing the survey do not have to have lived experience themselves.” For more information and to access the survey, click here.
Survey Seeks Respondents Who Have Taken Mental Health Courses Involving Their Own Diagnoses
Have you taken a mental health course that covers a diagnosis you have? If so, you are invited to participate in a brief, anonymous, online survey--designed by a University of Pittsburgh MSW student--about what it's like for students with lived experience to study their own diagnoses in a classroom. The survey covers students' experiences of studying such subjects as "abnormal psychology," "psychopathology," and diagnosis and assessment when their own diagnoses are covered. "The goal of the project is to better understand what it feels like to take courses in which someone’s diagnosis is being taught/defined/discussed. There is currently no literature or reporting on the experiences of students in the above circumstances, or the associated impact." Interested? Please click here. Questions? Please email the project lead, Charlie Clement, at cjc204@pitt.edu
Peer Support in Higher Education Survey Seeks Respondents
“Peer support programs are growing on college campuses across the U.S. Mental Health America, Doors to Wellbeing, and the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion want to better understand the availability of peer support in higher education as well as the experiences and needs of students accessing peer support programs…We hope to use this research to support the expansion of peer support in higher education, including developing a national database of peer support programs in higher education and documenting pressing issues in campus programs…You may also indicate if you are interested in having your school’s peer support program listed in a national database of peer support programs in higher education.” For more information and to complete the survey, click here.
BU Seeks Peer Support Specialists for a Research Study
The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University is developing and testing the effectiveness of a coaching service called Coaching and Advancement for Peer Providers (CAPP) “to increase organizational commitment and job satisfaction and decrease turnover among mental health peer providers.” BU CPR writes: “We need Peer Support Specialists (PSS) to participate in our study. Who can participate? People who are in a paid job as a Peer Support Specialist providing support to other people with mental health challenges, who are employed at least 10 hours per week, who have worked for the past six months in a mental health program, and who are experiencing stress because of challenges in the workplace. The study involves 16 one-hour sessions of coaching over a four-month period designed to help you with your job, meeting online (through Zoom, for example) with your coach, and filling out surveys one time before coaching starts and three additional times. You will have a 50/50 chance of getting a coach or having a one-time meeting to give you information about challenges at work. Benefits? You may learn strategies to help make work less stressful.” For more information, click here. For questions, contact Principal Investigator E. Sally Rogers, Sc.D., at erogers@bu.edu or 617-353-3549.
Supported Education Survey Needs Your Help
Do you operate a program that provides dedicated supported education services for individuals with psychiatric disabilities/mental health conditions? If so, you are invited to complete the survey at the link below. The primary goal of the survey is to help create a National Supported Education Database (NSEdD) that will be "a searchable listing of diverse supported education programs and services for individuals experiencing psychiatric disabilities and/or mental health challenges...across the US and its territories." The NSEdD project is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and co-administered by the five SAMHSA-funded national consumer and consumer-supporter technical assistance centers, in collaboration with research partners Drs. Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh) and Mark Salzer (Temple University). For a link to the survey, which includes a definition of supported education, click here. For a flyer with information about the survey, click here.
National Survey on Student Rights, Discrimination, and Accommodations in Higher Education Seeks Respondents
"Have you experienced psychiatric disability-based discrimination or the denial of an accommodation in a postsecondary institution in the United States? Interested in informing national advocacy focus on psych disability rights in higher ed? Mental Health America (lead: Kelly Davis) and collaborators Dr. Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh), Stefanie Kaufman-Mthimkhulu (Project LETS) and Brit Vanneman Esq. (Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law) have developed "a survey aimed at providing a more comprehensive understanding of student experiences of campus-based discrimination, mandated leaves of absence, and/or denial of academic, administrative and/or student-work accommodations in the U.S. Data will be used to inform national advocacy efforts and future projects, and in reports, presentations and publications." For eligibility and to access the survey, click here.
If You've Had, or Been Labeled with, "Negative Symptoms" in the Context of Psychosis...
"If you have experienced or been labeled with 'negative symptoms' in the context of psychosis, please consider contributing an anonymous account of your views and experiences," Dr. Nev Jones writes. "Currently, there is nowhere one can go to find lived experience perspectives/accounts on this topic—even though 'negative symptoms' regularly feature in research and clinical trials. Help us change this!" This survey is a companion to Psychosis Outside the Box; for that survey, click here. For more information and/or to share your story about "negative symptoms," click here.
“Are You Between the Ages of 21 and 60 and Drink Alcohol?”
"Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are seeking adults--[both smokers and non-smokers]--to study whether a gene and smoking may affect drinking alcohol. Volunteers should be healthy and drug-free, and not seeking treatment for alcohol-related problems. Research participation includes three outpatient visits at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD; alcohol consumption; brain scans (MRI), blood draws, and filling out questionnaires. There is no cost to participate and compensation may be provided." For more information, click here. (Courtesy of Fran Hazam)
TU Collaborative Seeks Participants for Its Parenting Through Leisure Project; See Also the TU Collaborative's Parenting Resources, Including Information on Custody Issues
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion is seeking parents with lived experience of a mental health condition to participate in a paid research study. The TU Collaborative writes: "Our program, Parenting Through Leisure, focuses on helping parents with a serious mental illness participate in leisure activities with their child. We are looking for individuals who are 18 and older; are an adult parent with a diagnosis of schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, or depression; have a child who is 7 to 15 years old and is interested in participating in family leisure with you; have legal visitation rights, joint custody or full custody of the child, with at least weekly contact; and have a desire to engage in more leisure activities with their child." For details about the study and the remuneration as well as other benefits to eligible participants, and a link to sign up, click here. Questions? Please contact TUCollab@temple.edu. And for the TU Collaborative's Parenting web page--which includes links to many resources for parents with lived experience, including information about custody laws and a model family reunification statute--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)
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
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
Nominations Are Open for Six Mental Health America Awards
“Nominations are now open for six MHA awards that recognize peers, individuals, journalists, advocates, and MHA affiliates making a difference in mental health,” Mental Health America writes. “These awards will be given out during formal ceremonies at the 2023 Mental Health America Conference, held June 8-10, 2023 in Washington, D.C.” The deadline to nominate yourself or others is March 1, 2023, at 5 p.m. ET. For information about the six awards, and to submit one or more nominations, click here.
TU Collaborative Wants to Hear Your Story!
“We are working on a project to better understand social connections among adults with significant mental health challenges,” the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion writes. “We are seeking your stories on your social connections generally” and “what those connections mean to you.” The TU Collaborative will compile these stories based on a series of brief surveys. For details and to share your story, click here.
Call for Papers: “Recovery at 30: Emancipation, cooptation, or the end of an era?”
“The year 2023 marks exactly three decades since the publication of Bill Anthony’s seminal “Recovery from mental illness: the guiding vision of the mental health service system in the 1990s" (click here)...”In this special issue of Community Mental Health Journal,” the editors write, “we are soliciting both concept pieces (commentaries, critical reviews) and empirical work (qualitative, quantitative, ethnographic or mixed methods) that explore the question of whether recovery policy remains relevant and emancipatory today or whether the psy-fields are instead in need of fresh thinking and new, more diverse values-based frameworks.” The submission deadline is September 1, 2023. For more information, click here.
Common Threads: Stories of Survival & Recovery from Mental Illness
Common Threads: Stories of Survival & Recovery from Mental Illness, a 108-page compendium, includes “tales of survival and recovery” by a number of Floridians. To quote from the Introduction, “Many of the people in these stories have lived significant portions of their lives in psychiatric institutions, and only through their strengths have they found their way back to the community…In these tales, we hear about the importance of education and peer support…” To download the free document, click here.
“Crisis Now” Offers a “Roadmap to Safe, Effective Crisis Care”
The goal of Crisis Now: Transforming Crisis Services—led by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and developed with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and RI International—is “to provide all communities a roadmap to safe, effective crisis care that diverts people in distress from the emergency department and jail by developing a continuum of crisis care services that match people’s clinical needs.” Among the resources offered on the website are SAMHSA’s 80-page “National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care Best Practice Toolkit” (2020), an “Overview of Crisis Funding Sources Available to States and Localities” (last updated March 2, 2022), and assessment tools, such as “How Does Your Crisis System Rate?” The Crisis Now partners write: “Are you interested in adding your organization to the list supporting Crisis Now, or do you have questions? Reach out to us at info@crisisnow.com. For the website, click here.
“What Is the Meaning of Life?” This Free Online Collection Offers Answers
Excellence Reporter offers more than “1,200 articles-interviews on ‘What Is the Meaning of Life?’ written by renowned spiritual leaders, mindfulness experts, great thinkers and authors, elders, artists, musicians, CEOs, etc.” The contributors include such renowned figures as Bertrand Russell; Carl Jung; the Dalai Lama; Eleanor Roosevelt; Epicurus; Erich Fromm; Kahlil Gibran; Buckminster Fuller; Robert Louis Stevenson; and Ron Bassman, executive director of MindFreedom International. To browse the free compendium, click here.
The UIC Center’s Solutions Suite for Health & Recovery Offers Free Tools
"The UIC Center offers tools, curricula, and implementation manuals for free use in community-based programs, peer-run programs, or one's own life. You can introduce the entire complement of products to foster improved health, wellness, and mental health recovery. Or, you can choose the ones that will work best for your program or your life. The Suite was developed in collaboration with Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey. The UIC Center is funded by NIDILRR (National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research). For the UIC Solutions Suite for Health & Recovery, click here. (Courtesy of Peggy Swarbrick via Jacek Haciak)
U.S. Surgeon General Creates Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation
"The U.S. Surgeon General’s Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation, developed in collaboration with the HHS Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES), provides specific guidance and resources for health care providers, educators, librarians, faith leaders, and trusted community members to understand, identify, and stop the spread of health misinformation in their communities." For information about the toolkit (a 22-page overview of health misinformation, and resources to stop it), and links to a “Talk to Your Community About Health Misinformation” Infographic, a “Health Misinformation Checklist” Infographic, and the Surgeon General's press release, click here.
"Psychiatrist with Philosophical Interests" leads "Conversations in Critical Psychiatry," a Psychiatric Times Series
Awais Aftab, who describes himself as a "psychiatrist with philosophical interests" in his Twitter bio, leads "Conversations in Critical Psychiatry," which, he says, "explores critical and philosophical perspectives in psychiatry and engages with prominent commentators within and outside the profession who have made meaningful criticisms of the status quo." Among those interviewed are Allen Frances, M.D., author of Saving Normal; Sandra Steingard, M.D., and G. Scott Waterman, M.D., on "Integrating Academic Inquiry and Reformist Activism in Psychiatry"; Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, on "50 Shades of Misdiagnosis"; Kathy Flaherty, J.D., executive director of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc., on "Reconsidering Care and Coercion in Psychiatry"; Nev Jones, Ph.D., on "Phenomenology, Power, Polarization, and the Discourse on Psychosis"; Dainius Puras, M.D., on "Global Psychiatry's Crisis of Values"; and many others. For the archived interviews, click here.
CNN Offers “A Guide to Helping and Getting Help During the Coronavirus Crisis”
CNN writes: “The coronavirus pandemic is overwhelming, and one of the most excruciating parts for many people is the feeling of utter helplessness in the face of widespread suffering and hardship. CNN’s Impact Your World has compiled a list of donation opportunities and tips to help those affected by the crisis. Click on a category or scroll down to browse a list of organizations, resources and ideas. Need help? Most categories also include resources for financial, emotional or social support.” For the free guide, click here.
U.S. DOL Releases Guidance on FMLA Leave and Mental Health
The U.S. Department of Labor’s newly issued Fact Sheet #280 about the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) explains when eligible employees may take FMLA leave to address mental health conditions, and new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) offers additional information. (Although the FMLA covers public and private employers nationwide, only those private employers who have 50 or more employees for at least 20 workweeks in a year are required to provide their eligible employees with FMLA leave.) For details, click here.
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.
Virtual Group Works to Advance Peer Research Capacity, Leadership, and Involvement
Nev Jones, PhD—a strong advocate for building research capacity, leadership, and involvement among peers, survivors, and service users—leads a virtual group dedicated to this effort. Dr. Jones—assistant professor, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh—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.
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.
Seven Ways to Keep a Digital Copy of Your Vaccination Card on Your Smartphone
“You'll need proof of vaccination to go back to work or enter many restaurants, gyms and event venues, so keep your COVID-19 card handy.” This is the advice of CNET.com, a tech support website. Besides the obvious—taking a photo of the card to store on your phone—there are six other suggestions. For details, click here. (Courtesy of Yvonne Smith)
ISPS-US Offers an Array of Archived Webinars—Free but Donations Are Welcomed
The ISPS-US (The International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis-US Chapter) is offering a whole raft of archived webinars, which are free (although donations are welcomed). Among the webinars are "Cognitive Behavioral & Related Therapies for Psychosis: Diverse Approaches to Supporting Recovery," "How Can the Uncontainable Be Contained? Paradoxes of Madness & Philosophy," "Robert Whitaker: The Rising Non-Pharmaceutical Paradigm for 'Psychosis,'" "Life with Voices: A Guide for Harmony," "COPE Project: Non-Pharmaceutical Research on Influencing Voices and Visions," "What Hurts and What Helps In Treatment For 'Psychosis': Insider Perspectives," and many others. For more information and to access the webinars, click here.
“Where DNA and Medications Meet”
Not all drugs are effective for all people; therapeutic response rates for many drugs are only 50%-75%. “OneOme, co-founded by [the] Mayo Clinic, provides evidence-based pharmacogenomic solutions that help improve patient outcomes and reduce costs through more personalized medication decisions.” OneOme’s RightMed Test is “a doctor-ordered pharmacogenomic (PGx) test that analyzes your DNA and provides your doctors with genetic information to help them determine how you may respond to certain medications. The results may help your doctors reduce medication trial and error, minimize risk of side effects, save you time and money, and make more informed prescribing decisions. Because your DNA doesn’t change over time, your doctors can use your test results to make more personalized medication decisions for you over the course of your lifetime.” For more information, click here. (Courtesy of Robin Osborne)
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 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 19, No. 9, March 2023. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH