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
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The Key Update is compiled, written, and edited by Susan Rogers, Director, National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse.
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NOTE: THE "FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!" DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE MONTHLY CRIMINAL LEGAL 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!
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A Great Opportunity! FDA Issues Request for Nominations for Individuals and Consumer Organizations for Advisory Committees! Deadline: August 15
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is soliciting nominations for its advisory committees! You can nominate yourself or be nominated by a peer-run organization. “FDA seeks to include the views of individuals on its advisory committees regardless of their gender identification, religious affiliation, racial and ethnic identification, or disability status and, therefore, encourages nominations of appropriately qualified candidates from all groups.” Deadline: August 15, 2022. For details and instructions, click here. (Courtesy of Ann Marshall)
Your Input Is Sought for SAMHSA’s August 2022 Office of Recovery Planning Meeting
In mid-August 2022, some 150 invited representatives from around the U.S. and from across the field will gather in Maryland at a meeting convened by SAMHSA’s Office of Recovery, which was launched last year to evaluate and initiate policy, programs, and services with a recovery focus, and to ensure that voices of individuals in recovery are represented. The goal is to develop a road map for the future. To provide input in advance of the meeting, choose one of these two remaining one-hour Zoom meetings. (The meetings will be recorded, and you must register in advance.) To register for the July 31 meeting (at 8 p.m. ET), click here. To register for the August 2 meeting (at 3 p.m. ET), click here. You can also send written comments by August 4 to peer representative Ann Kasper (ann@kasperconnects.com); she will share your input with SAMHSA. SAMHSA’s plan is to review the recovery definition, dimensions, and guiding principles to ensure use across programs and services; discuss successes, challenges, and innovations of the last 10 years to improve recovery-oriented systems of care; and generate ideas and strategies to inform development of the Office of Recovery. (Ann writes: “Please note that I am providing Zoom information meetings to you as a volunteer and not fiscally sponsored by any organization.”)
Informational Webinar for “Emerging Adults” (18-30) on ConnectionsRx: August 1
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion will host an informational webinar on August 1 at 11 a.m. ET about “ConnectionsRx, an intervention program designed to support emerging adults (18-30) with mental health conditions to participate in the community. The program consists of 1-1 supports and a peer support group facilitated through Discord…[T]he program is designed to support social relationships, resilience, and competence.” To register, click here. Can’t make it? Contact Marcus.Robinson@temple.edu for eligibility information and benefits of participation in this research opportunity.
A Free, Two-Part SAMHSA-Sponsored Webinar on Youth Mental Wellness on August 3 and 4
On August 3 and August 4, 2022, SAMHSA will sponsor a two-part TA Coalition webinar series on “Social Connectedness–A Key Component to Youth Mental Wellness, Including Youth with Serious Mental Illness or Emotional Disturbances,” presented on behalf of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). Participants in the 90-minute August 3 webinar, beginning at 2 p.m. ET, can register for Part Two–a 60-minute intimate dialogue with the presenters–Linda Hall, director, Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health, and Kini-Ana Tinkham, executive director, Maine Resilience Building Network–on August 4 at 2 p.m. ET. For details and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Judene Shelley)
MindFreedom International’s Next Judi's Room to Be Held on August 3
On August 3, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. PT, MindFreedom International will host its next monthly Judi’s Room. For more information stay tuned here! To register for free, click here.
There Is "No Evidence Low Serotonin Causes Depression"
As has been reported in numerous publications recently, "After decades of public misperception, a major review finally lays the chemical imbalance theory of depression to rest." For the Mad in America article, which includes links to additional information, click here.
Past Alternatives Conference Attendees: Your Input Is Sought as NCMHR Plans Alternatives 2022!
“We are excited to announce that planning is under way for a virtual Alternatives 2022 for the beginning of November,” the Alternatives 2022 Planning Committee writes. “We would very much like to have your input as you attended the Alternatives conference at least once in the last few years. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at this link (click here). We will be sending additional details about the conference based on the input your give. Thank you for your time! We look forward to seeing you at Alternatives 2022! For this announcement, click here.
Two SAMHSA-sponsored Webinars Will Highlight NASMHPD’s Racial Equity Guidance
NASMHPD’s racial equity guidance for state behavioral health offices will be the focus of a SAMHSA-sponsored, two-part webinar series entitled “Guidance, Actionable Steps, and Examples to Begin to Address Behavioral Health Care Disparities & Bring Racial Equity within the Behavioral Health Care System.” Part One, a 90-minute webinar, will take place on August 11, 2022, at 2:30 pm. ET. Part Two, on August 12, is a 60-minute roundtable discussion. For the 12-page document, click here. For details and to register, click here. Questions? Contact kelle.masten@nasmhpd.org (Courtesy of Judene Shelley)
MHA Is Accepting Applications for Its Young Mental Health Leaders Council
Mental Health America is accepting applications for its 2022-2023 Young Mental Health Leaders Council. “YMHLC identifies young adults (ages 18-25) who have created programs and initiatives that fill gaps in mental health resources in their communities...Selected applicants participate in a six-month cohort to connect and share ideas with other leaders from across the U.S.” Applications are due by August 19. For more information and to apply, 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. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
South Southwest MHTTC Publishes “Hotline Peer Specialist Integration: Preliminary Considerations for Equity and Sustainability”
“Authors Kirill Staklo (he/him) and Nze Okoronta (they/them) provide an overview of the necessary information for the integration of peer specialists in hotline programming for equity and sustainability. Topics include Intro to the Peer Role; Medical trauma and minority stress; Hotline work: How is it different?; Informed consent and harm reduction; Best practices in service establishment and training; and further resources.” For the 26-page document, published by the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network, click here. (Courtesy of Jessi Davis)
Free Webinar: "Returning to Our Roots: Remembering Why the Work Is Important and Why We Love It"
NYAPRS will host a free webinar on August 10, 2022, at 12 p.m. ET entitled "Returning to Our Roots: Remembering Why the Work Is Important and Why We Love It.” NYAPRS writes: "Reconnecting with our personal ‘why’ is important. Being connected to our convictions, our purpose, and our personal mission motivates us to be focused on our impact, to reflect and to recalibrate. Join NYAPRS Training Collective team member Robert Statham in a conversation to take a closer look at your own ‘why.’” To register, click here.
New Study Explores Employment Outcomes of Certified Peer Specialists
A recent three-year, four-state study of employment outcomes of certified peer specialists (CPSs) by Live & Learn Inc. has found that “[w]orkers with a CPS credential had higher employment rates, compared with [other] adults with psychiatric disabilities, and the quality of peer specialist jobs was equal to or higher than the quality of other jobs held by study participants.” For the abstract, published in Psychiatric Services, click here. (Live & Learn is purchasing open access; in the meantime, contact@livelearninc.net and they will send a PDF copy.)
HALI’s Next Academy of Peer Services Learning Collaborative Will Begin on August 22
Hands Across Long Island will begin its next Academy of Peer Services Learning Collaborative on August 22, 2022. The free one-hour Zoom sessions will be held every Monday (Tuesdays on holiday weekends) at 3 p.m. ET through November 14, 2022. Although some of the information will be New York State-specific, most of it will be applicable across the U.S. Participants are urged, although not required, to log in (for free) to the Academy of Peer Services website (click here) and look over the identified module prior to each week's session. For the HALI calendar of events, which includes the Zoom link and a New York State phone number, click here. For more information, and for phone numbers outside New York State, contact Em Wasserman: ewasserman@hali88.org
Building Culturally & Linguistically Specific Recovery Community Organizations for Latinos
On August 30, 2022, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will host the latest in its monthly webinar series: “Building Culturally & Linguistically Specific Recovery Community Organizations for Latinos.” The presentation will cover what its founders call “the first, and still only one of its kind, culturally and linguistically specific Recovery Community Organization for Latinos in Oregon.” Founded in 2021, the Recovery Drop-in Center quickly became a hub for the local Latino recovery community. The presenter writes: “This presentation will talk about how we did what we did, what we learned about launching this project, and what we think can help others launch similar projects.” For more information and to register, click here.
Learning Collaborative Webinar Series Offers Several Archived Presentations
The Doors to Wellbeing website offers a number of webinars that you may find of interest: “The Importance of Policies and Procedures in Peer-run Organizations”; “Building Partnerships to Enhance the Peer Workforce,” by Kyneta Lee, Tim Saubers, and Todd Noack; “Handing Over the Keys: Leadership Succession Planning in Non-Profit Organizations,” by Elise Padilla and Maxine Henry; “How to Embed Strategic Planning into the Culture of Your Organization,” by Oryx Cohen; “Fundraising and Sustainability: Building your Organization by Telling the Right Story to the Right Audience”; “Developing a Board of Directors for Mental Health Organizations,” by Amey Dettmer and Matthew Federici; and “Conflict Management in Peer-Run Organizations: Tools for Effective Conversations.” Certificates of attendance are not available for any of these presentations. For more information and to register for any or all of them, click here.
AD4E 2022 Virtual Conference to Take Place September 16
The 3rd annual A Disorder for Everyone (AD4E) festival, to take place on September 16, 2022, “will bring you a whole day of change-making talks, presentations, conversations, poetry from far and wide,” the organizers write. The conference will begin at 9:00 BST (British Summer Time). For a time conversion table, click here. For more information and to buy a ticket, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
ISEPP’s 2021 Conference Is Available to View Online
The 2021 conference of the International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry can be viewed online. The theme of the conference, convened October 9-10, 2021, was “The Destructive Propaganda of the Mental Health Industry: How Did We Get Here? Where Are We Going?” It was dedicated to the life and memory of Paula J. Caplan, Ph.D. To buy a ticket to watch the full conference recording for $22.85, click here.
APA to Host Mental Health Services Conference October 13-14 in Washington, DC
The American Psychiatric Association writes: “The 2022 Mental Health Services Conference will bring psychiatrists and other mental health professionals together to collaborate on practical advice to influence systems-level change for their patients. Join us in-person in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton Hotel, October 13-14, as we work together to develop practical solutions to solve real-world issues.” Sessions include “988 and Crisis Care: What Happens After the Call?”; “Mental Health Professionals’ Role in Reclaiming Community Members from the Justice System”; and “The Overturning of Roe vs Wade: Implications for Women’s Health and the Practice of Medicine.” For more information, 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; R. Buckminster Fuller; Robert Louis Stevenson; and Ron Bassman, executive director of MindFreedom International. To browse the free compendium, click here.
The August 2022 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For “Having a ‘Life Purpose’ Is Linked with Better Brain Health, Study Shows,” click here. For “The Power of Talking to Yourself: ‘External self-talk,’ as it’s clinically known, gets a bad rap. But it can be great for pushing through all sorts of obstacles,” click here. For “Text Your Friends. It Matters More Than You Think. New research says most of us underestimate the power of the casual check-in,” click here. For “Women are more likely to live past 90 if they’re optimistic, according to a new study,” click here.
The August 2022 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 “Why Was Joshua Held for More Than Two Years for Someone Else’s Crimes? Honolulu incarcerated the wrong man for more than two years—a miscarriage of justice that shows the cruel inadequacy of America’s approach to mental health,” click here. For “Ardella’s House brings new form of dignity for formerly incarcerated women,” click here. For “Secret Solitary: A prisoner with a life sentence investigates a solitary confinement cover-up in Texas prisons,” click here. For “Experts Say We Have the Tools to Fight Addiction. So Why Are More Americans Overdosing Than Ever?” click here. For “The Supreme Court’s Unusual Move on the Death Penalty,” click here. For “Death Penalty Census Database,” click here. For “On 20th Anniversary of Atkins v. Virginia, Supreme Court Denies Petition to Review Procedural Loophole Permitting Execution of Intellectually Disabled Prisoners,” click here. For “Federal Judge Rules Gruesome Medical Neglect in Arizona Prisons Violates Eighth Amendment: ‘No legitimate humane system would operate in this manner,’ the judge concluded,” click here. For “DPIC Analysis Finds Prosecutorial Misconduct Implicated in More than 550 Death Penalty Reversals or Exonerations,” click here. For “She ‘fell’ out of a patrol car and died, police say. Her family wants answers,” click here. For “Op-Ed: An L.A. program helps people get mental health care instead of jail time. Why not expand it?” click here. For “Missouri’s top mental health official balked at new homeless law. The governor signed it anyway,” click here. For “Column: ‘No treatment until tragedy’ is our mental health system. CARE Court could change that,” click here. For “ 28 Years, 160 Arrests: What One Man’s Record Reveals About San Diego’s Broken Justice System. What do you do with people who are repeatedly failed by social services and the legal system?” click here. For ‘You Shouldn’t Have Used the D-Word’: Saying ‘I’m depressed’ to jail staff landed Nicholas Brooks in solitary. But with his peers, he has found a way to speak freely,” click here. For “Alabama Department of Corrections picks new medical, mental health care provider,” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
“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
CONFERENCES
National Latino Behavioral Health Conference to Be Held in Las Vegas September 15-16, 2022
“The National Hispanic and Latino Addiction Technology Transfer Center (NHL-ATTC) and the National Hispanic and Latino Prevention Technology Transfer Center (NHL-PTTC) invite you to join us for the 2022 National Latino Behavioral Health Conference: Latino Behavioral Health Equity ¡Juntos Podemos! [Together We Can!] on September 15-16, 2022 at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The purpose of the 2022 National Latino Behavioral Health Conference is to highlight the latest and most relevant data around Prevention, Treatment, Recovery, Policy, and Research focusing on the Hispanic and Latino communities.” For more information and to register, click here.
NARPA Announces Exciting Keynoters to Speak at Its 2022 Annual Rights Conference, October 26-29
The National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA) will hold its 2022 Annual Rights Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Newark Airport October 26-29. The four inspiring keynote speakers will be Rob Wipond, an activist, investigative journalist, and author of the upcoming “Your Consent Is Not Required: The Rise in Forced Detentions, Forced Treatment, And Abusive Guardianships; Ruth Lowenkron, Director, Disability Justice Program, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, who has filed lawsuits against the New York Police Department about their responses to mental health crisis calls; Vesper Moore, an indigenous political activist, leader, author, trainer and educator in the psychiatric survivor and disability rights movements; Deborah Dorfman, Executive Director, Disability Rights Connecticut, who is active in individual, class action, and systemic reform litigation for disability rights around the nation; and Robert Dinerstein, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law, who will speak about recent developments in mental health law. Visit www.narpa.org for registration form and updates.
National Association for Rural Mental Health Conference to Be Held November 2-4, 2022
The 47th Annual National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH) conference will be held at the Embassy Suites in Boulder, Colorado, November 2-4, 2022. The theme is “Beyond the Pandemic—Building on Rural Resiliency.” The early-bird registration fee is $500; for people who are retired or students, it’s $250. For more information as it becomes available, click here.
The International Conference on Trauma and Mental Health will take place November 3-4, 2022, in San Francisco. For more information, click here.
ISPS-US (Hybrid) 2022 Conference to Be Held November 4-6
The 2022 ISPS-US (International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis—U.S. Chapter) conference will be held November 4-6 in Sacramento, California, as well as online. The conference theme is Opportunity Through Experience: Psychosis, Extreme States, and Possibilities for Transformation. ISPS-US writes: “People with lived experience, family members, clinicians, and researchers are all invited to propose presentations that promote mutual collaboration and respect, and can allow us to offer each other both greater understanding and more light. We especially welcome proposals from members of marginalized groups whose experiences have included systemic as well as relational traumas and challengesFor more information, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
PETITIONS AND OPEN LETTERS
ISEPP Invites Mental Health Practitioners and Academicians to Sign Its Open Letter to the Major U.S. Mental Health Professional Organizations
The Coalition Against Medicalized Psychology & Psychiatry (CAMPP)—the action committee of the International Society for Ethical Psychology & Psychiatry (ISEPP)—asks mental health practitioners and academicians worldwide “to join us in signing an open letter to the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, National Association of Social Workers, and American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy to provide evidence for framing emotional distress and troublesome behaviors as illnesses or defects in a person’s biology—and, if they can't, to publicly reject the medical model of mental disorder. With this we hope to raise awareness of the harmful effects of that model. Send me your name, credentials, profession, position, city, state, and country to be appended to the letter. Pass this email on to others in your network and ask them to sign too. Our plan is to share the above organizations' responses (or lack of responses) with The Washington Post and The New York Times science and/or health editors.” For the letter, click here. (Courtesy of Elizabeth R. Stone) (For another ISEPP petition, see below.)
ISEPP Circulates Petition to Support Human Rights in Psychiatric Treatment
ISEPP seeks signatures on a petition to "[m]ake a strong statement that any psychiatric or psychotherapeutic interventions without full and honest informed consent are unethical and inhumane." For the petition, click here. (Courtesy of Amy Smith)
Please Sign a Petition to Help Save a Public Mental Health Model in Italy
"Trieste is recognized by the World Health Organization as the model of global best practice in mental health care," according to a change.org petition highlighted in a recent NPR article. "It has inspired dozens of programs throughout the world to create an integrated network of community services focused upon the whole-person needs of its users; maintaining their dignity as citizens; and minimizing the coercive practices of old fashioned institutional settings...Trieste has shown us how community inclusion improves people’s lives. But this great achievement is now threatened by a new right-wing regional government that, on poorly informed and ideological grounds, is fast and impulsively dismantling Trieste's wonderful system of community care...As a Friend of Trieste and all that it stands for, please sign this petition and distribute it widely. For updates on this situation, please consult www.accoglienza.us." For the NPR article, "A public mental health model in Italy earns global praise. Now it faces its demise," click here. For the petition, click here. (Courtesy of Laura Van Tosh)
“Mental Health System: Open Letter to the Media” Seeks Signatures
“Everyone who believes that the problematic aspects of the mental health system are not adequately represented in the media is invited to sign this letter,” writes Yulia Mikhailova, who launched this initiative to educate the media. The letter begins: “We, a group of people with first-hand experience of the mental health system, write to express our concern about what we see as one-sided coverage of this system in the media and to draw the attention of civil rights organizations to the systemic discrimination that we witnessed and experienced. We, our loved ones, or inmates in the facilities where we worked, were exploited for monetary gain and victimized in various other ways. We saw how abuse, corruption, and exploitation were covered up, while victims and critics of the system were silenced and marginalized.” For a short version of the letter, which includes a link to a longer version, click here. Questions? Contact Yulia Mikhailova at yuliamikh@gmail.com.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
Rutgers Releases W-TLC Virtual Toolbox and Training/Learning Collaborative Series
“The Rutgers Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies has announced the release of the Wellness Training Learning Collaborative (W-TLC) virtual toolbox and Training/Learning Collaborative series…This toolkit provides peer support, individual, and organizational approaches to support the wellbeing of the critical health care workforce.” For descriptions of the 12 upcoming sessions—including two in July (July 7 and July 28), with the remaining sessions to be held August 2022 through January 2023—and to register for them, click here. For the “Journey to Wellness Guide,” click here. (Note: Information about the Journey to Wellness Guide was included in the April 2022 Key Update.)
“Would You Like to Share Your Experiences to Help Others Who Are Trying to Find Freedom, Healing & Hope Beyond Psychiatry?”
“I am currently working on a book about life beyond psychiatric services and would love to include the wisdom and expertise of as many survivors as possible!,” Jacqui Dillon, a person with lived experience in the UK, posted on Facebook. “I am looking for submissions between 500 and 2,000 words. I am aiming to cover a range of issues and experiences which many of us have had to engage with, which will be useful for people currently trying to navigate their way out of the system. Please feel free to focus on whichever areas interest you most. You are free to use your own name, or a pseudonym, whichever feels most comfortable to you. Please contact me here for further information, or send your submissions here: beyondthemadhouse@gmail.com. Submissions are required by mid-September.” For the Facebook post, click here. (Courtesy of Philip Benjamin via Jacek Haciak)
Lancet Offers Stakeholders New Opportunities
Check out these opportunities for stakeholder involvement! (1) The Lancet Psychiatry Commission's "Lived Experience Hub" invites stakeholders to contribute blogposts to convey criticisms, concerns and/or ideas relevant to the work of the Commission. For details, click here. To submit a blog, email lancetcommissionpsychosis@gmail.com. (2) The Lancet Psychiatry Commission's "lived experience research group" is a new listserv focused on lived experience advocacy and activism on participatory psychosis research and related policy and practice. In part, this will serve as a sounding board for Lancet Commission work and a place to engage in dialogue about what needs to change. To join, email lancetcommissionpsychosis@gmail.com. (Courtesy of Dr. Nev Jones)
Peer Advocates Over 50 Years Old Are Invited to a Weekly Empowering Support Group
"People over 50 who are mental health lived-experience advocates, change makers, visionaries, and current status quo challengers" are invited to join "a weekly, open, upbeat, peer-support empowering environment for seasoned peers with lived experience who are active, and were active, as advocates for positive change," the WiseCrackers write. The goal of the recently launched group is "to support mental health advocates over 50 years of age with pure peer support practices based on natural curiosity, acceptance, humor, and positive networking." The free, 90-minute Zoom meetings are held on Mondays at 7 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CT, 5 p.m. MT, and 4 p.m. PT. The meetings are currently co-facilitated by "East and West Coast Peers" and sponsored by the Community for Positive Aging. To register and to review the WiseCracker Principles of support, click here. Questions? Contact info@choiceheals.com or 503.208.0065.
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)
Poetry Coalition to Launch "Poetry & Disability Justice" Initiative
"This year, the 25+ organizations nationwide that comprise the Poetry Coalition will launch 'The future lives in our bodies: Poetry & Disability Justice,' the coalition’s sixth annual programming initiative...Poetry Coalition members aim to demonstrate how poetry can inspire questions in their communities about disability justice and spark increased engagement with this important theme. Member organizations are committed to offering programming that is accessible and that includes disabled, neurodivergent, and d/Deaf poets and those of diverse racial, ethnic, and gender identities, backgrounds, and communities. All organizations and others interested are invited to create programs on this theme in 2022 and share their efforts using the hashtags #DisabilityJustice and #PoetryCoalition. For some additional resources to assist with programming, particularly in creating accessible programming, click here.
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.
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.
National Safety Council Offers a Free Webinar Series Focusing on Mental Health in the Workplace
"The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will affect employees well beyond the initial crisis," the National Safety Council writes. "Employers have a unique ability and responsibility to address the mental health and wellbeing of their workers, which is a true organization-wide effort. This free Mental Health Webinar Series led by the National Safety Council, and first presented in August 2020, speaks to a variety of positions within an organization and how each one can address stress and mental health." Four of the five webinars are titled: "Supporting Employee Mental Health" and respectively subtitled "Resources for Employees," "Actions for Leadership," "Actions for Supervisors," and "Actions for HR Professionals." To view the free, archived webinars, 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)
Lived Experience Leadership Features 12 Years of Research Studies...
"Lived Experience Leadership features 12 years of research studies focused on this workforce in a range of settings, to foster a better of understanding and respect for Lived Experience as a distinct discipline and build clarity on what makes this work unique and valuable. Importantly, this body of research was led by Lived Experience researchers. Lived Experience Leadership provides clear and simple to read research summaries to allow community members and people employed within various industries the opportunity to easily understand and apply strategies within their own workplace. This website also includes easy to download definitions, audio/visual resources, and key work by other Australian and International sources. The website will continue to grow to include larger collections of our research as well as other key work. For the Lived Experience Leadership website, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
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 19, No. 2, August 2022. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH