Key Update, December 2020, Volume 17, Number 6

December 14, 2020 Susan Rogers

The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse is affiliated with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion!

TO CONTACT: THE CLEARINGHOUSE: SELFHELPCLEARINGHOUSE@GMAIL.COM … SUSAN ROGERS: SUSAN.ROGERS.ADVOCACY@GMAIL.COM … JOSEPH ROGERS: JROGERS08034@GMAIL.COM

The Key Update is compiled, written, and edited by Susan Rogers, Director, National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse.

Biden-Harris Transition Team Hosting Webinar for Disability Community on Dec. 21

At 5:30 p.m. ET on December 21, the Biden-Harris Transition Team is hosting a webinar for the disability community to learn more about opportunities in the administration. “The Biden-Harris Transition Team is committed to identifying a significant number of diverse and highly qualified individuals who are ready to serve in the Administration and get to work for the American people. Join us for a webinar for the disability community to learn more about opportunities in the Biden-Harris Administration. There will be three guest speakers—Judy Heumann, Claudia Gordon, and Maria Town—who have all held appointed positions in government and will share some of their experiences. This webinar is open to all within the disability community who are interested in learning more. ASL interpreting and CART captioning will be provided, but if you need any additional accommodations, do not hesitate to reach out to jwertz@jbrpt.org.” To register, click here. (Courtesy of Oryx Cohen)

HHS Proposes Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule; A 60-Day Comment Period Will Follow.

“The Trump administration is proposing sweeping changes to the decades-old rule regulating the privacy of Americans’ sensitive medical information…,” an article in healthcaredive.com reports. “If finalized, it would loosen a number of long-held standards for the privacy of protected health information under the HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] privacy law passed in 1996.” There will be a 60-day public comment period after the publication of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register; at this writing, it has not yet been posted. For the healthcaredive.com article, click here. For a Journal of AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) article, click here. Both articles summarize the proposed HIPAA changes. For the 357-page U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) NPRM, which includes information about how to comment, click here.

The “Medical Model” vs. “Psychosocial Theories” Conflict Is Explored in Three New Publications.

The long-standing conflict between the “medical” and “psychosocial” models in the mental health arena is tackled in three recent publications: two articles by British psychologists, and a book about an American family in which six of the 12 children were diagnosed with schizophrenia. “Conflict, Compromise and Collusion: Dilemmas for Psychosocially Oriented Practitioners in the Mental Health System” confronts the controversy between the “medical model” (considered the “dominant approach”) and “psychosocial theories,” which “highlight the role of the events and circumstances of people’s lives.” “The tension between these two approaches can lead to challenges and dilemmas for psychosocially oriented practitioners,” the authors write. The article covers strategies for how to manage these challenges, including “foregrounding clients’ contexts and understandings” and “engaging in activism outside work.” For the article, click here. (Lead author Anne Cooke is the editor of Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia: Why people sometimes hear voices, believe things that others find strange, or appear out of touch with reality, and what can help, available here.) John Read, Ph.D., also subscribes to the psychosocial model in “Creating a Mental Illness Called Schizophrenia.” For the article, click here. And for a review of Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family, chosen by The New York Times as one of the five best nonfiction books of 2020, click here.

Free Virtual Training on Addressing Workplace Inequity for LGBTQ+ Individuals

On December 18, 2020, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET, Mental Health America of Southeast Florida—with a number of partners—will sponsor a virtual training on “Addressing Workplace Inequity for LGBT+ Individuals.” The organizers write: “This program will provide evidence-based strategies that can be used by any employer, with minimal economic impact, to create safe, secure and equitable environments for all staff. Participants will receive education, resources and first-hand experience from a local business on how they have successfully implemented programs to address this issue.” For more information and to register, click here.

NYAPRS Offers Two Free January Webinars

The New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) is offering two free webinars in January: “Winter Wellness Planning” (1.25 CE hours), on January 8, 2020, from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. ET; and “Understanding Loneliness & Social Isolation: Impacts on People and Society at Large in a Connected World” (1 CE hour) on January 12, 2020, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET. For more information about the January 8 webinar (“Winter Wellness Planning,” presented by Peggy Swarbrick, PhD, FAOTA, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, and Rutgers University) and to register, click here. For more information about the January 12 webinar (“Understanding Loneliness & Social Isolation: Impacts on People and Society at Large in a Connected World,” presented by Robert Statham, BS, CBSP, Training and Technical Assistance Facilitator, NYAPRS), and to register, click here.

“Virtual Reality Helps Measure Vulnerability to Stress.”

“A sudden loud noise or flash of light can elicit different degrees of response from people, which indicates that some of us are more susceptible to the impact of stress than others,” according to a Science News press release. Now, researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have developed a virtual reality test that assesses a person's vulnerability to stress. Unlike most previous studies, it does not rely on self-evaluations; instead, it measures heart-rate variability when exposed to threatening or highly stressful situations, all created virtually. “We expect that our study will help the application of early interventions for those individuals at risk” of developing various physical and mental health issues if exposed to high stress levels, the lead researcher said. For the story, click here.

“Mapping Out Voices on Paper” May Help Voice-Hearers.

This short “Engaging with Voices” video involves a “demonstration about how you can gather information about voices by looking at different questions and writing up thoughts and answers on big pieces of paper.” For the “Mapping Out Voices on Paper” video (under which are listed a number of websites that may be helpful), click here. (Courtesy of Berta Britz) “The Engaging with Voices videos are intended as inspiration and support for people interested in compassionate approaches to voices,” writes Open Minded Online, a website whose tagline is “sharing ideas and resources about holistic approaches to emotional and social wellbeing.” For all 15 of the “Engaging with Voices” videos, click here.

“How to Protect Your Mental Health on Social Media.”

“The latest tweets and posts just aren’t worth it if the price is anxiety, depression and more,” according to faqtoids.com, a website that claims that it provides “the most entertaining and informative content on the web.” The good news? “If social media is affecting your real life, there are simple things you can do to keep yourself sane. Here’s a round-up of ways to protect your mental health while using social media.” Among the 30 topic headings are: don’t sleep with your phone; unfollow people; don’t accept unknown friend requests; check your privacy settings; delete friends who aren’t friends; delay posting; don’t let it replace real interactions; get out of unhealthy groups; and live in the moment. For the article, which includes details under each of the 30 headings, click here.

PsychAlive Offers a Variety of Webinars on Mental Health Topics, Many Free, Others $15

PsychAlive is a free, nonprofit resource created by the Glendon Association, whose mission is “to save lives and enhance mental health by addressing the social problems of suicide, violence, child abuse and troubled interpersonal relationships.” Psychalive.org offers a variety of upcoming and archived webinars, many of which are free, while others are available for $15. Among the myriad topics are “From Anxiety to Action: How to Stay Sane While Fighting Climate Change,” “How to Overcome Insecurity,” “Powerful Tools to Fight Depression,” and “Understanding and Overcoming Adverse Childhood Experiences.” To check out the webinars, click here.

“Regardless of Party, the Next Congress Must Prioritize Disability Issues,” Says a Recent Opinion Writer in The Hill. And Various Disability Rights Organizations Have Submitted Recommendations to the Biden Transition Team.

“It’s time to recognize the political clout of Americans with disabilities,” writes the top Easterseals executive in a November 7, 2020, piece in The Hill urging that Congress “prioritize disability issues.” The article noted that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “61 million American adults—26 percent of the adult population—live with a disability.” For The Hill opinion piece, click here. Among the disability rights organizations that have submitted recommendations to the Biden transition team is a coalition comprising the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors, the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery, the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, the Tennessee Mental Health Consumers’ Association, and the Manhattan Strategy Group. Another organization that has made its voice heard is the ACLU, which published its “Biden Administration’s Disability Rights To-Do List.” It includes the following recommendations: “Ensure that people with disabilities can live in their communities, not in institutions, and support the direct care workforce”; “Stop law enforcement’s disproportionate targeting of people with mental health disabilities, and the entrapment of people with disabilities in the criminal legal system”; and “Ensure that students with disabilities have access to effective and safe education.” For the ACLU’s recommendations, click here.

Prescription for Sorrow Examines the Connection Among Antidepressants, Suicide, and Violence.

“Patrick Hahn’s book, Prescription for Sorrow: Antidepressants, Suicide, and Violence, is a beautifully written page-turner,” writes Irving Kirsch, author of The Emperor’s New Drugs, and associate director of the Program in Placebo Studies at the Harvard Medical School. “Despite being considered an expert on antidepressants, I learned much from it and will certainly be citing it in future work. It should be read by every doctor who prescribes these drugs and by anyone who is considering taking one.” The publisher asks: “So what is the story? Do these drugs drive people to suicide, or do they not? What about homicide? Are they addictive? Do they even help with depression? Author and researcher Patrick D. Hahn has examined the scientific literature and the trial transcripts. He’s listened to doctors and the patients. He’s cross-checked the facts. And now, he has reconstructed the story to tell the truth about how these drugs are made and sold.” For more information, click here. (Courtesy of Jim Gottstein)

“ ‘You Look Fine!’: Ableist Experiences by People With Invisible Disabilities”

“…[T]his study interviewed 14 participants, exploring how people with ‘invisible physical disabilities experience ableism. In addition to multiple examples of microaggressions, emergent themes included the policing of bodies, tension in roles, a desire for justice, and internalized ableism…These findings indicate the need for a more nuanced understanding by social workers of how ableism is experienced by those with invisible disabilities as well as additional research on how to support these members of the community.” For the abstract, click here. (Courtesy of Elizabeth Stone and Jacek Haciak)

“Digital Mental Health Is Trending,” STAT News Reports; But How Can It Be Used Effectively?

A recent STAT News article—"The mental health dilemma: If technology is the problem, can it also be the solution?”—suggests that, to ensure effectiveness, digital mental health companies adopt three “best practices.” These are (1) “…look at patient-reported outcomes. How has the user’s quality of life changed during the course of treatment?” (2) “Replicate the boundaries of traditional therapy in a digital world”; and (3) “Offer practical advice on healthy technology use.” For the STAT News article, which includes links to “evidence-based scales” to diagnose individuals and monitor their improvement, click here. But the article mentions Talkspace, about which The New York Times wrote a recent exposé. For the article—"At Talkspace, Start-Up Culture Collides With Mental Health Concerns: The therapy-by-text company made burner phones available for fake reviews and doesn’t adequately respect client privacy, former employees say”— click here. For “Mental health apps are sharing data without proper disclosure,” published in Engadget, click here. (Note: The Engadget article appeared in the May 2019 edition of the Key Update.)

MHA Publishes 2021 Report on the “State of Mental Health” in the U.S.

The latest report on “The State of Mental Health in America,” recently released by Mental Health America, ranks each state on the basis of 15 measures. The Number One state, based on lower prevalence of mental health conditions and higher rates of access to care, is Vermont; Utah was ranked last. The report also “includes a spotlight on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, using the over 1.5 million people who have taken a screen on MHA Screening from January to September 2020.” Among its findings: “More people are reporting frequent thoughts of suicide and self-harm than have ever been recorded in the MHA Screening program since its launch in 2014.” To download the free report or to read its findings on the MHA website, click here. (See also below.)

In a Related Report (See Above), “76% of Americans Rate Their Mental Health Positively,” Gallup Says; Unfortunately, This Is a Nine-Point Decline from 2019.

Although a Gallup press release notes that “Americans’ latest assessment of their mental health is worse than it has been at any point in the last two decades,” with “a nine-point decline from 2019,” the good news is that “the majority of U.S. adults continue to rate their mental health as excellent (34%) or good (42%), and far fewer say it is only fair (18%) or poor (5%).” However, “the latest excellent ratings are eight points lower than Gallup has measured in any prior year. The latest weakening in positive ratings, from a Nov. 5-19 poll, are undoubtedly influenced by the coronavirus pandemic…but may also reflect views of the election and the state of race relations… Additionally, in April, U.S. adults' life evaluations fell to a low point last seen during the Great Recession.” For the press release, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)

Free Manual Offers Guidance about Training, Living with, and Traveling with an Emotional Support Dog.

Betterpet.com, whose tagline is “Advice from a team of actual pet experts,” has published “The Fully Accessible Guide to Training an Emotional Support Dog,” co-authored by a veterinarian, and available online. The website says that the guide provides “[t]he lowdown on emotional support dogs: what they are, how they differ from service dogs, who should get one, and how to certify them; breeds/types of dogs that make the best emotional support dogs; everything you need to know about training your emotional support dog—this includes obedience training, emotional training, and socialization; and advice for flying/traveling with your emotional support dog.” For the guide, click here.

DBSA Offers Peer Education Program About “The Peer Perspective of Challenges, Purpose, and Hope with Continuing Depression.”

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance writes: “Our newest peer education program about continuing depression has just been added on-demand to watch at any time. You can catch up on this video presentation—“The Peer Perspective [on] Challenges, Purpose, and Hope with Continuing Depression”—led by a psychiatrist, primary care provider, and peer advocate on NeuroCareLive. The program is broken up into three sessions: Session 1: Your Role in Treatment Decision Making; Session 2: Tackling Symptoms of Depression; Session 3: Purpose and Hope.” To register and view the training, click here. (Courtesy of Fran Hazam) (Note: The NeuroCareLive title uses the word “Patient” instead of “Peer,” and also references the patients’ “caregivers.”)

REACH VET Works to Identify Veterans at Risk for Suicide.

REACH VET (Recovery Engagement And Coordination for Health—Veterans Enhanced Treatment) uses predictive modeling and medical record data to identify veterans at highest risk for suicide. “Once a veteran is identified, his or her VA mental health specialist or clinician checks on the veteran’s well-being and reviews that person’s treatment plan to determine if enhanced care is needed. The algorithm is built on an analysis of thousands of previous suicides in the V.A.’s database, dating to 2008. The computer mixes and shuffles scores of facts from the medical records—age, marital status, diagnoses, prescriptions—and settles on the factors that together are most strongly associated with suicide risk…Those who score at the very top of the range—the top 0.1 percentage—are flagged as high risk.” The New York Times writes: “The REACH VET group also had a lower mortality rate over that time—although it was an overall rate, including any cause of death. The analysis did not detect a difference in suicides, at least up to that stage.” For the New York Times article, click here. For the Veterans Affairs article, click here.

Man Who Spent 40 Years in Japanese Psychiatric Institutions Sues; At the Same Time, Open Dialogue Gains Traction.

A 69-year-old Japanese man who spent 40 years in psychiatric institutions owing to a diagnosis of schizophrenia when he was a teenager—despite exhibiting clear signs of recovery—is suing the Japanese government for ¥33 million ($318,000); his goal is an overhaul of its policies regarding long-term psychiatric hospitalization. “The lawsuit states that the hospitalizations were, in effect, enforced and violated equal protection under the law and the right to the pursuit of happiness guaranteed by the Constitution,” according to an article in The Japan Times. (He was released in 2012.) “According to health ministry data as of the end of June 2017, there were an estimated 280,000 psychiatric inpatients—about 60% hospitalized for more than one year…and 55,000 for more than 10 years,” The Japan Times reports. However, “[o]ne indication that Japan might now be moving toward community-based care for psychiatric patients and away from long-term hospitalization is an effort to adopt the…Open Dialogue program developed in Finland’s Western Lapland in the 1980s.” For the Japan Times article, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)

Some Comic Relief for the Pandemic May Help Kids Cope.

For little kids who may feel stressed by the pandemic (and who doesn’t?), NPR offers a comic that may help. “You've been living through this pandemic for months, and you might be feeling sad, frustrated or upset. But there are lots of different ways to deal with your worries—and make yourself feel better. Here are some tips and advice to help you through,” the article begins. For details and the comic, click here.

The December 2020 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice, Including Ways to Cope During the Pandemic

For “What We Can Learn From Solitude: Contemporary hermits are reaching out to people struggling with isolation. Their message: Go inward, and get outside,” click here. For “The Importance of Dancing Like an Idiot,” click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts) For “How to Deal With Life in Long-Term Isolation: Sure, you’re not floating 250 miles above the ground, but you can still use the same tactics astronauts use to keep going,” click here. For “11 Minutes of Exercise a Day May Help Counter the Effects of Sitting: The sweet spot for physical activity and longevity seemed to arrive at about 35 minutes a day of brisk walking or other moderate activities,” click here. For “Feeling Stuck? Five Tips for Managing Life Transitions,” click here. For “How to Manage Mental Health During COVID-19,” click here.

The December 2020 Digest of Articles about the Criminal Justice System, in Which Many Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Are Incarcerated (and the Key Update continues after this Digest)

For the Council of State Governments Justice Center newsletter (December 14, 2020), with the following stories: “Three Reasons to Become a Law Enforcement-Mental Health Learning Site…apply by January 5, 2021”; “Tracking How Three Counties Are Improving Their System Responses”; and “Jail Populations Dropped after COVID-19. But Not for People with Mental Illnesses,” click here. For “Many in criminal justice system need mental health treatment, but resources are strained,” click here. For “How the Criminal Justice System Fails People with Mental Illness,” click here. For “State prisons failing on mental health, according to federal investigators,” click here. For “No escape: The trauma of witnessing violence in prison. A recent study of recently incarcerated people finds that witnessing violence is a frequent and traumatizing experience in prison,” click here. For “Tennessee Must Fix System Allowing for Execution of Intellectually Disabled Defendant,” click here. For “Studying the state of food in the nation’s prisons–and seeking to transform the experience of eating inside,” click here. For “Cops and No Counselors: How the Lack of School Mental Health Staff Is Harming Students,” click here. For “Jail can make drug addiction worse. Oregon decriminalizing hard drugs can break the cycle. Drugs are often rampant in U.S. prisons. I’ve worked with addicts who get incarcerated for possessing small amounts of meth and leave knowing how to cook it,” click here. For “How 5 women are working to turn a Seattle building into a place of healing for people leaving prison,” click here. For “America Is Letting the Coronavirus Rage Through Prisons: It’s both a moral failure and a public health one,” click here. For “How COVID-19 hurts ‘a second chance at life’ in one of SC’s largest medium-security prisons,” click here. For “Here’s One Issue That Could Actually Break the Partisan Gridlock: Republicans up and down the ballot tried to link Democrats to lawlessness, but lawmakers in both parties are keeping criminal justice reform on the table,” click here. For “L.A. County moves to create new juvenile justice system focused on ‘care,’ not punishment,” click here. For “What Biden’s Win Means for the Future of Criminal Justice: Joe Biden ran on the most progressive criminal justice platform of any major party candidate in generations. So what can he actually do?” click here. For “The Trauma of Women in Prison,” click here. For “States of Women’s Incarceration: The Global Context 2018,” click here. For “Community supervision, once intended to help offenders, contributes more to mass incarceration: Justice officials are recognizing that community supervision can be a tripwire that perpetuates incarceration based on crimeless technical violations,” click here. For “How Trump era executions threaten lawyers and the rule of law amid COVID-19 | Opinion: While the execution of death row inmate Lisa Montgomery has been delayed because her Tennessee-based lawyers contracted the coronavirus, many more are at risk,” click here. For “Nonviolent offenders need help, not jail. That’s what my city is giving them,” click here.

FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!

January 4 Deadline to Apply for SAMHSA Statewide Consumer and Family Network Grants

SAMHSA is accepting applications for its Statewide Consumer Network (SCN) and Statewide Family Network (SFN) grant programs. Applications for both are due on January 4, 2021. SAMHSA plans to issue up to 12 SCN grants of up to $95,000 per year for up to 3 years, and approximately 10 SFN grants of up to $95,000 per year for up to 3 years. For details about both grant opportunities, click here.

Study of “Experiences in Accessing Mental Health Treatment” Seeks Parent/Guardian Participants

Two outpatient therapists at Children’s Friend Inc. have launched an anonymous survey of the experiences of families accessing mental health treatment for their children. “The purpose of this research is to explore the experiences in, and barriers to, accessing mental health services for parents who are caring for children with mental health conditions, medical conditions, and/or rare disease. We intend to compare three groups: caregivers of children with one or more mental health conditions, caregivers of children with mental health conditions and common medical conditions, and caregivers of children with mental health conditions and rare disease.” To be eligible, “you are a parent or guardian of a child under the age of 18, with a mental health condition, a medical condition, and/or a rare disease, and the child lives in your home.” For more information and/or to participate, click here. Questions? Email Kim Hager, LICSW: khager@childrensfriend.org

2021 (Virtual) Global Mental Health Research Without Borders Conference to Be Held April 5-7, 2021

“The National Institute of Mental Health and Grand Challenges Canada are sponsoring the 11th Global Mental Health Research Conference on April 5-7, 2021, which will bring together researchers, innovators, and other stakeholders from around the globe. The [virtual] conference will showcase findings from cutting-edge science and explore new opportunities for groundbreaking research. Stay tuned for details!” (Courtesy of Janet Paleo)

Here's Your Chance to Help Transform Mental Health Services Research in the U.S.!

If you’ve ever served on an advisory board for a research or evaluation project, provided even limited consultation, or partnered as a peer-run organization in such research, you’re eligible to participate in a national survey aimed at better understanding researchers’ and stakeholders’ experiences of participatory research! The anonymous, 10-20 minute survey includes both closed- and open-ended questions about your experiences with such research, perspectives on barriers, and potential targets for policy change and resource development. Findings will be used to inform future projects focused on building stakeholder research capacity and strengthening participatory research in the U.S. All participants will receive a $20 Amazon gift card. This new study is connected to “Building Capacity for Stakeholder Involvement and Leadership in Mental Health Services Research,” included in the August 2020 Key Update, which involved detailed interviews. Principal Investigator Dr. Nev Jones (genevra@usf.edu) writes, “We are still doing interviews ($50 per interview) so feel free to contact me about that too.” The survey IRB ID# is 001319; the project including this survey was developed with the PCORI-funded PathED Collaborative, co-led by Drs. Nev Jones (genevra@usf.edu) and Linda Callejas (callejas@usf.edu). For more information and/or to participate, click here.

National Survey Seeks Input from Certified Peer Specialists

“Routine peer support has shown to increase individuals’ hope, sense of personal control, ability to make positive changes, and decreased psychiatric symptoms,” writes Dr. Karen Fortuna of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. “Despite these benefits, the organizational structure of peer support is not known. Dartmouth College is initiating a national survey of trained Certified Peer Specialists to help us understand the organizational structure of peer support services.” For more information and/or to participate in the 15-minutes survey, click here. (Courtesy of Judene Shelley)

A Service-User-Led Survey of “Experiences of the Intersections of Psychosis, Difficult Events, and Trauma” Seeks Participants with Firsthand Experience

A study developed by researchers at the University of South Florida “aims to better understand the relationships between prior experiences of trauma or adversity and experiences such as hearing voices, unusual beliefs and paranoia, as well as the ways in which these experiences themselves can contribute to trauma or distress.” The researchers, who themselves have lived experience, are seeking respondents “who self-identify as having current or prior experiences that would conventionally be labeled psychosis.” The anonymous survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete; every 10th respondent will be compensated with a $50 gift card, up to five gift cards. Questions? Contact Dr. Nev Jones at genevra@usf.edu. For more information and/or to participate, click here.

“Mapping the Disability Experience: Share Your Stories”

“We invite you to draw a map of your neighborhood or environment to capture how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted (or not) your use and understanding of space,” researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago write. “This can include drawings/images of your home, your neighborhood, your city or beyond. Maps can come in many forms, styles, perspectives, and mediums. We are interested in collecting these maps to capture and better understand the experiences of disability and the environment during the coronavirus pandemic.” Submissions will be accepted through June 30, 2020. For more information or to participate, click here. Questions? Contact Yochai Eisenberg, PhD, yeisen2@uic.edu (Courtesy of Elizabeth Stone)

Hearing Voices Network Is Now Hosting Online Groups

“There are now ONLINE opportunities to connect, share experiences, and find mutual support,” the Hearing Voices Network (HVN) writes. “These groups are accessible via web-based platforms and by phone…Online groups are specifically for those with personal lived experience with hearing voices, seeing visions, and/or negotiating alternative realities. They are voice-hearer facilitated. With further questions and for details on how to access the group[s], please email info@hearingvoicesusa.org.” To read this announcement online and for more information, click here.

Have You Ever Smoked, Drunk, Vaped, or Used Other Drugs? Or Do You Now? New Zealand COVID-19 Study Is Now Open to US Residents

“We want to find out how people are coping [during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown],” writes the New Zealand-based Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking. “We are especially interested in adults aged 18 and over who, before lockdown, regularly drank alcohol, smoked or used other tobacco products, or other drugs. We also want to hear from people who have taken up smoking or drinking or other drugs during this frightening time.” The study has been approved by the US-based independent review board SolutionsIRB and is now open to US residents. “The study website includes helpful Coping in Lockdown tips, tips on Dealing with Cravings, and information on alternatives to smoking tobacco.” To participate or for more information, click here.

Survey Seeks Respondents Who Are in Administrative/Leadership Positions in the Mental Health Field

If you are in an administrative/leadership position in the mental health arena, “the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP) Committee on Psychiatric Administration and Leadership invites you to participate in the International Survey on Administrative Psychiatry. The survey has two purposes: 1. To identify the concerns and needs of mental health professionals/psychiatrists in administrative and leadership positions. 2. To determine training needs in administrative psychiatry. We ask you to complete this brief, [15- to 20-minute] questionnaire to help us in developing recommendations for action. We also want to let you know that, if you fill out this questionnaire, you permit the committee to use your anonymous data for scientific work.” Peer providers are included. For the survey, click here. (Courtesy of Oryx Cohen)

Free Resources for Peer Worker Supervisors Are Posted on the iNAPS Website

The International Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS) has posted an array of resources for supervisors of peer support staff. The sources of the 18 disparate resources include the Transformation Center, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), the Café TA Center, the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), the Carter Center, the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, SAMHSA-HRSA and the Center for Integrated Health Solutions, and other organizations and individual experts. For the peer support supervision resources, click here.

“Experiences with Hospitalization” Survey Seeks Participants

“The purpose of this survey is to help us understand people's lived experience with voluntary and involuntary treatment because of suicidal thoughts. It was created by people with lived experience…We are planning to use this information to facilitate discussions with suicidologists and the suicide prevention community about the impact of the use of these interventions, particularly within marginalized populations. We feel the voice of people with lived experience with these interventions has not had adequate opportunity to be heard, and hope that by completing this survey anonymously, people who have been most impacted can find a safe way to share their experiences. Please note that this is not a research project.” For more information and/or to participate, click here. (Courtesy of Leah Harris)

International Survey on Antipsychotic Medication Withdrawal Seeks Respondents

“Have you taken antipsychotic medication (such as Zyprexa, Seroquel, Abilify, Risperdal, Haldol, Geodon, Stelazine, and others), for any condition or diagnosis, with or without other medications? And did you ever stop taking antipsychotics, or try to stop taking them? Are you 18 years or older? If yes, you can take this survey about antipsychotic withdrawal and attempts to withdraw, including if you stopped taking them completely or if you tried to come off and still take them. The survey aims to improve mental health services by better understanding medication withdrawal. Lead researcher is Will Hall, a therapist and Ph.D. student who has himself taken antipsychotics. Service users/survivors/consumers from around the world also gave input. The study is sponsored by Maastricht University in the Netherlands; co-sponsors include the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal. Questions? Please contact will.hall@maastrichtuniversity.nl.” For more information or to take the survey, click on www.antipsychoticwithdrawalsurvey.com

Virtual Group Is Launched to Advance Peer Research Capacity, Leadership, and Involvement

Nev Jones, Ph.D., and Emily Cutler, a doctoral candidate, have launched a listserv dedicated to building research capacity, leadership, and involvement among peers, survivors, and service users. Dr. Jones, assistant professor, Department of Mental Health Law & Policy, University of South Florida, was part of the team that developed “User/Survivor Leadership & Capacity Building in Research: White Paper on Promoting Engagement Practices in Peer Evaluation/Research (PEPPER),” published by the Lived Experience Research Network. For the white paper, click here. Anyone interested in joining the virtual group can email Nev at nev.inbox@gmail.com.

Do You Supervise Peer Support Workers? Then Researchers Have Some Questions for You

Researchers in the University of South Florida’s Department of Psychiatry and at Magellan Health are investigating the backgrounds, training, and experiences of individuals who currently supervise at least one peer support worker in a behavioral health setting or agency. “To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first comprehensive research study of the landscape of peer support supervision practices in the United States,” writes Dr. Nev Jones, the primary investigator of the study (Protocol Number 00040223). Participants must be at least 18 years old and work in the United States or U.S. territories. An online survey lasting approximately 10 minutes will ask about respondents’ backgrounds, training and preparation for supervision, perspectives and practices, and views on barriers and facilitators to high-quality supervision. There is no monetary compensation. Questions? Contact Dr. Nev Jones (genevra@health.usf.edu) or the co-primary investigator, Dana Foglesong (dfoglesong@magellanhealth.com). To access the survey, click here.

Mad In America Invites You to Submit Your Personal Story (Within Certain Guidelines)

Mad In America writes: “A ‘personal story’ is defined as your story of being in relationship to psychiatry and/or the mental health system, whatever that means to you. It might involve your opinions and analysis of what happened to you, as well. It can be about a specific event, or about your overall journey, provided it fits the length requirements (1,500 to 3,000 words) and has a narrative arc. The piece should be about your personal experiences, not psychiatry or the mental health system in general. Submissions should fall under the theme of rethinking psychiatry and the mental health system, and should be original works not previously published elsewhere. For examples of the types of stories we publish, view our personal stories archive here.” For more information and/or to submit a personal story, click here.

Doors to Wellbeing Offers “State Selfies: A Picture of Peer Services Reported by Peers”

Doors to Wellbeing’s “Peer Album” is a directory of nearly 600 peer-run organizations throughout the U.S. They invite updates and offer instructions for providing them and add, “If your entry has not made this first draft, we encourage you to re-submit.” For the 158-page directory, click here.

Disclaimer: The Clearinghouse does not necessarily endorse the opinions and opportunities included in the Key Update.

About The Key Update

The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse is now affiliated with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion!

The Key Update is the free monthly e-newsletter of the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse. Volume 17, No. 6, December 2020. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH

Key Update, November 2020, Volume 17, Number 5

November 15, 2020 Susan Rogers

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.

“Don’t Call the Police” Offers Community-based Alternatives to Police in Your City; a Psychiatric Services Article Offers Five Recommendations to Improve Mental Health Crisis Systems; Mad In America Describes “A Rights-based Approach to Mental Health Crisis Response”

“We founded dontcallthepolice.com [in June 2020] to provide easy access to alternatives to calling the police when faced with a situation that requires de-escalation and/or intervention, not violence…[W]e focus on resources that provide emergency or crisis services, in order to best target the type of immediate concerns that most often lead people to call the police or 911. Every resource on our page is vetted for its policies related to law enforcement involvement. If there is any likelihood of police involvement beyond what is required by law, we clearly describe these circumstances in our listings.” The website is easy to remember: It’s https://dontcallthepolice.com/ At the same time, “New Opportunities to Improve Mental Health Crisis Systems,” published in Psychiatric Services, offers five recommendations: “a central coordinating role for Congress, an increase in federal authorization and appropriation of funds, enactment of a 5% Mental Health Block Grant set-aside, expanded funding for research and evaluation, and the pursuit of additional payment mechanisms by states and counties.” For the article abstract, click here. And for “A Rights-Based Approach to Mental Health Crisis Response”—“In the wake of recent violent episodes involving police responding to mental health crises, a rights-based approach seems timely and urgent”—published by Mad In America, click here.

January 4 Deadline to Apply for SAMHSA Statewide Consumer and Family Network Grants

“Study Finds Involuntary Psychiatric Detentions on the Rise”

“The rate at which Americans are held against their will and forced to undergo mental health evaluations and even state-ordered confinement—lasting anywhere from a few days to years—has risen sharply over the past decade, according to a new study by researchers at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs,” Medical Xpress reports. “The analysis…shows that in the nearly half of U.S. states for which data was available, involuntary psychiatric detentions outpaced population growth by a rate of three to one on average in recent years.” Lead researcher David Cohen told Medical Xpress: “This is the most controversial intervention in mental health—you're deprived of liberty, can be traumatized and then stigmatized—yet no one could tell how often it happens in the United States.” For the Medical Xpress article, which includes a link at the bottom to an abbreviated version of the study (“Incidences of Involuntary Psychiatric Detentions in 25 U.S. States”), click here. (Courtesy of Elizabeth Stone)

Free Webinar on Developing Youth Leadership Offered by Youth MOVE and National Empowerment Center on November 18

Over the next several months, the National Empowerment Center will be offering several webinars on approaches to youth leadership in peer-run organizations. The first in the series, a 90-minute webinar, is “Youth MOVE's Approach to Developing Youth Leadership,” on November 18, 2020, at 4:30 p.m. ET. “This webinar will explore Youth MOVE National's approach to developing leadership capacity of youth and young adults with lived experience and explore how lived experience shapes our understanding of leadership.” For more information and to register, click here.

“One Day to Life”: The Quagmire of an NGRI Plea

“Bill Sutherland was told by his lawyer he’d be a free man 18 years ago. So why is he still locked up in a psychiatric hospital?” This blog piece by Michael Simonson shines a spotlight on the gross injustices that can result from opting for an insanity plea instead of a prison sentence. The article includes a link to a 2017 article from The New York Times Magazine: “When ‘Not Guilty’ Is a Life Sentence: What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity? Often the answer is involuntary confinement in a state psychiatric hospital—with no end in sight.” For “One Day to Life,” click here. For the New York Times article, click here.

“Bar Mental Health Questions Deter Treatment, Advocates Say”

“Aspiring lawyers experiencing heightened emotional distress during the pandemic may not seek treatment over fears about mental health questions on bar applications, say advocates who want states to eliminate the language,” Bloomberg Law reports. Such language is standard in most states; the exceptions are Indiana, Michigan, and New York—which dropped questions about mental health from their bar applications this year—as well as Louisiana, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Virginia. “A diagnosis isn’t a determinant of competency to practice; otherwise ‘one-third of us should be kicked out of the profession,’” said an attorney who has dealt with mental health issues and who is quoted in the article. “Studies show lawyers tend to suffer disproportionately from depression and other mental health problems, and many are reluctant to acknowledge it.” For the article, click here.

Free Webinar: “Transition from In-person to Remote Services During COVID-19”

On November 24, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will offer the latest in its webinar series: “Transition from In-person to Remote Services During COVID-19.” “Three leaders from PEERS in Alameda County, California, will share lessons learned from transitioning from in-person programming to providing remote peer support services,” Doors to Wellbeing writes. “The panelists will share the decision-making process around moving to remote services and the successes and challenges involved. The webinar will include time for questions, discussion, and shared problem-solving around providing peer support remotely. Bring your experiences and ideas!” To register, click here.

New Live & Learn Newsletter Highlights Peer Support Research

The latest edition of the Live & Learn Newsletter highlights its 2020 Peer Respite Essential Features (PREF) Survey, which creates “nationwide, longitudinal data which helps communities understand more about peer respites’ policies and operations.” The newsletter also includes an updated Guidebook for Peer Support Program Self-Evaluation, and the first study that examines how attaining peer specialist certification affects career outcomes and trajectory outside of peer support roles. For the newsletter, click here.

NARPA Fall Webinar Series Is Archived and Available to View for Free

Instead of a 2020 conference, NARPA is offering a series of free, 90-minute webinars related to current events. A two-part series co-sponsored by New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, and Correct Crisis Intervention Today-NYC featured discussions about police violence in communities of color and against people with disabilities. Part I—“Establishing a Non-Police Response to Mental Health Crises: The Needless Killing of Miguel Richards by NYC Police”—aired on November 12. Part II—“Rights-based Alternatives to Police Response for Mental Health Crises: A Worldwide Perspective”—aired on November 16. Check the NARPA website at www.narpa.org and the NARPA Facebook group page for details about the last workshop in this Fall series, to be held on December 10; details will be posted on November 17. All NARPA webinars are archived and available for free viewing via the NARPA website. “Stay tuned for announcements about NARPA's plans for 2021!”

Excessive Numbers of Black Americans with Mental Health Conditions Are Forced into Traumatic ER Stays, Lawsuit Claims; and People of Color Face Significant Barriers to Mental Health Services, CNN Reports

Disability Rights California, the state protection and advocacy agency, has “sued Alameda County and its health system for allegedly forcing mostly Black residents into a series of disruptive short-term hospital stays,” according to the Marshall Project. “Black people make up over a third of those brought to [John George Psychiatric Hospital’s] emergency psychiatric ward, but just a tenth of the county population overall,” notes the article, published on November 8, 2020. “The lawsuit claims the county is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, by failing to provide enough resources to keep people with serious mental illness from being unnecessarily locked away in a hospital…Alameda Health System has filed a motion to dismiss the complaint…The county has not yet filed a response to the suit.” For the article, click here. For “People of color face significant barriers to mental health services: Racism and stigma make it harder for people of color to get services, and it’s gotten worse during the coronavirus pandemic,” click here.

Open Excellence Cites “Revolutionary Movements in Mental Health Care”

“Revolutionary Movements in Mental Health Care” is a 30-page document offered free by Open Excellence, which “funds independent research, stewards innovative programs, and disseminates information to revolutionize mental health care outcomes.” They write: “We’d like to highlight five initiatives we support that are making real progress toward creating mental health care that works.” The five movements, which are described in some detail, are 1. Open Dialogue 2. Hearing Voices 3. Peer Support 4. Crisis Respites 5. Deprescribing. To download the document, click here.

Study of “Experiences in Accessing Mental Health Treatment” Seeks Parent/Guardian Participants

New SAMHSA App Will Help People Create a Psychiatric Advance Directive (PAD); a TU Collaborative Manual Also Guides PAD Creation

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released a new mobile app, My Mental Health Crisis Plan, which allows individuals who have a mental health condition to create a plan to guide their treatment during a mental health crisis. The app, developed through a project funded by SAMHSA and administered by the American Psychiatric Association, “provides an easy, step-by-step process for individuals to create and share a psychiatric advance directive (PAD). A PAD is a legal document that includes a list of instructions and preferences that the individual wishes to be followed in case of a mental health crisis, should they not be able to make their own decisions.” For more information from SAMHSA, click here. For the National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives, click here. For SAMHSA’s 44-page “A Practical Guide to Psychiatric Advance Directives” (2019), click here. For “Advance Self-Advocacy Plan: A Guidebook for Creating a Mental Health Advance Plan or Psychiatric Advance Directive,” from the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion, click here.

“How One Alaskan Attorney Outed Eli Lilly’s Known Dangers of Top-Selling Drug Zyprexa”

“Wake Up Call’s MK Mendoza speaks with acclaimed Alaska attorney Jim Gottstein about his new book, The Zyprexa Papers. Being hailed as this generation’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, it gives the real life account of one man’s brave and dedicated journey that also included the actions of a small group of other courageous individuals to publicly disclose insider documents from Eli Lilly that revealed its own systematic cover-up of the known dangers of one of its top-selling drugs, Zyprexa, as well as its purposeful off-label marketing of the drug to the elderly and children. These papers not only led to a series of New York Times articles outing Eli Lily but became the impetus behind millions in whistleblower and patient lawsuits settlements across the country.” For the four-part interview on KSFR, a public radio station, click here. For The Zyprexa Papers website, click here.

“Mental Health Survival Kit and Withdrawal from Psychiatric Drugs” Available on Kindle

A new book by Dr. Peter Gøtzsche, published by the Institute for Scientific Freedom, “will help people with mental health issues survive and come back to a normal life,” the publisher writes. “The book explains in detail how harmful psychiatric drugs are and tells people how they can withdraw safely from them. It also advises about how people with mental health issues may avoid becoming psychiatric ‘career’ patients and lose 10 or 15 years of their life to psychiatry.” For more about the author, click here. For more about the book—available on Kindle for $25—click here. (Courtesy of Jim Gottstein) For a free, downloadable book about coming off psychiatric drugs—“Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs”—click here.

NCAPPS Offers New Tools on System Self-Assessment and Staff Competencies, and a Free Webinar on “Person-Centered Supports for People with Dementia Living in the Community”
The National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems (NCAPPS) is offering two new tools on system self-assessment and staff competencies. The first— the “Person-Centered Practices Self-Assessment”—“contains questions about organizational practices across eight separate domains…The second resource—'Five Competency Domains for Staff Who Facilitate Person-Centered Planning’—builds upon the National Quality Forum’s Person-Centered Planning and Practice Final Report, and describes five distinct areas where person-centered planning facilitators should be proficient.” In addition, NCAPPS will host a free, 90-minute webinar on “Person-Centered Supports for People with Dementia Living in the Community” on November 30, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET. For details, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)

FDA Approves “Nightware” to Help Adults Plagued by Nightmares

The FDA has approved the marketing of a new, Apple Watch-based device to detect and disrupt nightmares in progress. The device, which works in tandem with an Apple iPhone and the manufacturer’s server, is intended for adults at least 22 years of age who have “nightmare disorder” or have nightmares from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When the device, called “Nightware,” detects that a user is experiencing a nightmare based on its analysis of heart rate and body movement, it provides vibrations through the Apple Watch strong enough to disrupt the nightmare, but typically not enough to awaken the sleeper. Nightware is available by prescription only and is intended for home use. For more information, click here.

“What You Need to Know If You’re Working While on Disability Benefits”

This article, published by the Penny Hoarder, provides basic information on disability benefits, including the difference between SSI and SSDI; Social Security work incentive programs and rules; and more. For the article, click here.

“Messaging in Biological Psychiatry: Misrepresentations, Their Causes, and Potential Consequences”

In a study recently published in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry, the researchers “summarize the academic studies describing how biomedical observations are often misrepresented in the scientific literature…These misrepresentations affect the care of patients. Indeed, studies show that a neuro-essentialist conceptualization of mental disorders negatively affects several aspects of stigmatization, reduces the chances of patients’ healing, and overshadows psychotherapeutic and social approaches that have been found effective in alleviating mental suffering. Public information about mental health should avoid these reporting biases and give equal consideration to the biological, psychological, and social aspects of mental health.” For the study, published on November 12, 2020, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)

2021 (Virtual) Global Mental Health Research Without Borders Conference to Be Held April 5-7, 2021

The November 2020 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice, Including Ways to Cope During the Pandemic

For “Care for Your Coronavirus Anxiety: Resources for anxiety and your mental health in a global climate of uncertainty,” click here. For “How Tech Can Help You Thrive Amid the Pandemic Winter Blues,” click here. For “Build Mental Endurance Like a Pro: Athletes who have endured the most grueling tests have a lot to tell us about how to thrive in the pandemic,” click here. For the CDC’s advice on “How to Protect Yourself and Others [During the Pandemic],” click here. For “Peak anxiety? Here are 10 ways to calm down. If the one-two punch of pandemic stress and election stress feels like more than you can handle, try these tips to help you cope,” click here. For “Shh. It’s Breakfast Time. Silent breakfast is a wellness practice that is helping some people cope with the pandemic,” click here. For “Pandemic depression is about to collide with seasonal depression. Make a plan, experts say,” click here. For “5 People Who Can Help You Strengthen Your Empathy Muscle: Ever wondered how empathetic you are? Consider the advice of these five people who have spent their lives studying, understanding and practicing empathy,” click here. For “Resilience: How It Can Help Improve Your Mental Health: Learn five ways to develop a path towards a more resilient lifestyle,” click here.

The November 2020 Digest of Articles about the Criminal Justice System, in Which Many Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Are Incarcerated (and the Key Update continues after this Digest)

For “Medical Expert: Inadequate Mental Health Care Directly Contributed To Inmate Suicides In Arizona Prisons,” click here. For “Mental health 911 calls will be handled by experts, not NYPD, in new program,” click here. For “What Could Have Kept Me Out of Prison: We asked people behind bars what services and programs could have changed the course of their lives. Therapy, affordable housing and a living wage topped the list,” click here. For “What 2,392 Incarcerated People Think About #DefundThePolice: Americans are grappling with intensifying calls to remake the criminal justice system. We asked people behind bars to weigh in,” click here. For “Disability Justice Is an Essential Part of Abolishing Police and Prisons: Ableism forms and informs violence, oppression, and incarceration, yet it continues to be ignored by social justice movements,” click here. For “What the REFORM Alliance's victory means for criminal justice reform,” click here. For “Georgia Court Allows Prosecution of Ex-Deputies in Black Man’s Death: The State Supreme Court unanimously rejected a lower court’s decision to grant immunity for three former deputies in the death of Eurie Lee Martin, who was repeatedly tased,” click here. For “The Invention of the Police: Why did American policing get so big, so fast? The answer, mainly, is slavery,” click here. For “Prison Is Even Worse When You Have a Disability Like Autism: State officials often fail to identify prisoners with developmental disorders, a group that faces overwhelming challenges behind bars, from bright lights to noises to social dynamics,” click here. For “Unlocking The Vote In Jails: The majority of the 745,000 people held in local jails can vote, but few do. Advocates say it’s voter suppression on a national scale,” click here. For “Locked Out 2020: Estimates of People Denied Voting Rights Due to a Felony Conviction,” click here. For “Philadelphia officials release bodycam video and 911 calls in police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.,” click here. For “Another disturbing shooting of a Black man shows how desperately police need reform,” click here. For “Booking homeless Portlanders into jail is endless, expensive cycle that arrests don’t curb, but housing does,” click here. For “Should Prisoners Have to Pay For Medical Care During a Pandemic? Some states stop charging copays to encourage COVID-19 care,” click here. For “‘Rendering Justice’ at African American Museum features formerly incarcerated artists,” click here. For “The Right to Escape From Prison: A 1974 ruling bears revisiting as prisoners flee the COVID-19 pandemic,” click here. For the Council of State Governments Justice Center “State of Justice” newsletter, Oct. 13, 2020, click here. For “Holly Mitchell Wins Supervisors Race with Big Implications for Criminal Justice Reform in Los Angeles County: The LA County supervisors are poised to tackle a wide range of criminal justice reforms, including moving children and people struggling with mental health issues out of the criminal legal system, and redirecting millions of dollars away from law enforcement and back into communities,” click here. For “‘Law and Order’ Still Reigns in State Supreme Court Elections: A Nevada state supreme court candidate was one of very few nationwide to run on a message of reform. Most campaigns leaned on ‘tough on crime’ strategy yet again,” click here. For “BLM Activists Demanded Police Accountability. In City After City, Voters Agreed: They passed at least 19 of 20 ballot measures designed to curb the power of law enforcement,” click here. For “Prisons and jails have become a ‘public health threat’ during the pandemic, advocates say,” click here. For “Panels on criminal justice reform, pretrial justice home in on diversion tactics,” click here.

FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!

The Bazelon Center Will Honor Chacku Matthai on Nov. 17; Chacku’s Free Archived Webinar on “Creating an Anti-Racism Framework” Is Now Available for Viewing

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, “the nation’s premiere advocacy group for the civil rights, full inclusion and equality of adults and children with mental disabilities,” has selected Chacku Matthai as the Advocate of the Year for his “tireless advocacy on behalf of people with psychiatric disabilities, and particularly those who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color,” the NYAPRS E-News reports. The free, virtual Annual Awards celebration will take place on November 17, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. ET. More information will be coming soon at this link. And Chacku’s free webinar on “Creating an Anti-Racism Framework in the Psychiatric Survivors Movement,” hosted by MindFreedom International on September 18, 2020, is now available for viewing. Jim Gottstein, author of The Zyprexa Papers and founder of the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights, writes that the webinar’s “applicability goes far beyond the psychiatric survivor movement to how to heal the divisions tearing the U.S. apart…It is the best thing I have seen in quite a while.” To download the slides, click here. To view the training, click here.

Here's Your Chance to Help Transform Mental Health Services Research in the U.S.!

Can We Measure Recovery? Yes, but It’s Complicated

“… the concept of recovery is not well defined, so studies and instrumentation vary widely,” according to the Introduction to “Can We Measure Recovery? A Compendium of Recovery and Recovery-Related Instruments,” published in 2000. “…it must be recognized that this collection is a “point in time” collection, which may or may not reflect the final version of a particular instrument or measure.” To download the 227-page manual, click here. (Courtesy of Judene Shelley) To download the complete text of “A Consumer-constructed Scale to Measure Empowerment among Users of Mental Health Services,” by E. Sally Rogers, Judi Chamberlin, et al. (1997), click here. (Courtesy of Judene Shelley) For the World Health Organization scales: “WHOQOL: Measuring Quality of Life,” click here, and “WHOTQOL-100: The Hundred Questions with Response Scales,” click here. (Courtesy of Laysha Ostrow) For “5 Quality of Life Questionnaires and Assessments,” click here.

National Survey Seeks Input from Certified Peer Specialists

“Routine peer support has shown to increase individuals’ hope, sense of personal control, ability to make positive changes, and decreased psychiatric symptoms,” writes Dr. Karen Fortuna of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. “Despite these benefits, the organizational structure of peer support is not known. Dartmouth College is initiating a national survey of trained Certified Peer Specialists to help us understand the organizational structure of peer support services.” For more information and/or to participate in the 15-minute survey, click here. (Courtesy of Judene Shelley)

A Service-User-Led Survey of “Experiences of the Intersections of Psychosis, Difficult Events, and Trauma” Seeks Participants with Firsthand Experience

Hearing Voices Network Is Now Hosting Online Groups

Have You Ever Smoked, Drunk, Vaped, or Used Other Drugs? Or Do You Now? New Zealand COVID-19 Study Is Now Open to US Residents

Free Resources for Peer Worker Supervisors Are Posted on the iNAPS Website

“Experiences with Hospitalization” Survey Seeks Participants

International Survey on Antipsychotic Medication Withdrawal Seeks Respondents

Virtual Group Is Launched to Advance Peer Research Capacity, Leadership, and Involvement

Do You Supervise Peer Support Workers? Then Researchers Have Some Questions for You

If You Were Prescribed Suboxone, You May Be Eligible for a Payment, FTC Says

“The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued the makers of Suboxone®, a prescription drug to treat opioid addiction, alleging they were preventing patients from choosing lower-priced generic versions of the drug. The companies agreed to pay $60 million to consumers to settle the FTC charges. That means if you got a prescription for Suboxone® film in the U.S. between March 1, 2013, and February 28, 2019, you may be eligible for a payment. Learn more and apply for a payment at ftc.gov/suboxone. The application deadline is December 1, 2020.” (Courtesy of Elizabeth Stone)

Mad In America Invites You to Submit Your Personal Story (Within Certain Guidelines)

Doors to Wellbeing Offers “State Selfies: A Picture of Peer Services Reported by Peers”

Disclaimer: The Clearinghouse does not necessarily endorse the opinions and opportunities included in the Key Update.

About The Key Update

The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse is now affiliated with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion!

The Key Update is the free monthly e-newsletter of the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse. Volume 17, No. 5, November 2020. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH

Key Update, October 2020, Volume 17, Number

October 14, 2020 Susan Rogers

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.

Ballot Drop Boxes Are Quicker Than the USPS; And in Some States (and Guam) It’s Not Too Late to Register to Vote!

“With the USPS delays, ballot drop boxes are a quicker way to submit completed absentee/mail-in ballots,” according to Marie Claire magazine. “Depending on their location, [locked] ballot drop boxes are often monitored by surveillance cameras or election workers that work specified hours—offering a secure, faster alternative to submitting completed absentee/mail-in ballots,” the article notes. “The best way to find the latest information would be on your state's Board of Elections website or by googling your specific county's drop box locations.” For the Marie Claire article, click here. For ballot return options in every state and the District of Columbia, click here. And as of today (October 15), you can still register to vote in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Guam, Nebraska (deadline Oct. 16!), New Hampshire, North Dakota (voter registration “not required”!), Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont (“no deadline”!), Washington, and Wyoming! For election deadlines in your state, click here.

Action Alert: Urge Your Senators to Oppose the Supreme Court Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, Who Is Hostile to Disability Rights and Human Rights

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has compiled a brief record of Amy Coney Barrett’s decisions on disability rights. Spoiler alert: “Amy Coney Barrett has demonstrated a hostility to disability rights that raises grave concerns about her replacement of Justice Ginsburg on the Supreme Court,” the Bazelon Center writes. For example, “Barrett has written that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) should have been struck down as unconstitutional,” and “Judge Barrett has sided overwhelmingly against workers, including workers with disabilities, and civil rights plaintiffs in her decisions.” For the Bazelon Center paper, click here. To urge your U.S. senators to oppose Barrett’s nomination, click here or call 202.224.3121 and ask to be connected with their offices.

Colorful “Designline” Offers Overview of Peer Support Workforce Timeline

“This ‘Designline’ (Graphic Design Timeline) aims to increase awareness of the rich history, context, and challenges of the mental health peer support workforce,” according to the introduction to this 11-page “infographic,” which spans 12 decades. Its first milestone is the 1908 publication of A Mind That Found Itself, by Clifford W. Beers, who later founded the organization now called Mental Health America. The last is “Digital Peer Support Certification launched by [a] partnership [between] Geisel School of Medicine [at] Dartmouth College and peer specialists; 1,700 people from 30 states and 4 nations trained; 926 certified,” in 2020. In between are numerous mental health peer support landmarks, as well as themes that sum up each time period. “While opinions may diverge about choice of events, our purpose is to increase awareness of peer support workforce history,” writes Jessica Wolf, Ph.D., of Decision Solutions Consulting, who developed the Designline for the Central East Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network. To download the free document, click here.

Free “Creating Welcoming Parks & Recreation Environments” Training Offered by TU Collaborative

“Creating Welcoming Parks & Recreation Environments: A Training for Professionals and Volunteers” is the latest free training by the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion. The training “consists of 7 learning modules focusing on specific strategies to foster parks that are welcoming to everyone, including people with mental health conditions.” Each lesson, posted on the TU Collaborative website, “includes a video, a reading, as well as quiz and discussion questions…This document was developed with input from parks and recreation professionals and draws upon the life experiences of individuals living with mental illnesses.” For more information, including the manual and the trainings, along with links to additional resources, click here.

Free Webinar: “Combating Health Disparities Through Equitable Development”

On October 22, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, Families USA will host a one-hour webinar on “Combating Health Disparities Through Equitable Development. “[T]he health inequities that impact our communities…are profoundly influenced by legacies of segregation and disinvestment that fueled inequities in opportunity, health, and well-being even before the COVID-19 crisis. The community development industry was originally founded during the civil rights movement in response to discriminatory lending practices, and [is] responsible for investments in health clinics, affordable housing, cooperatively owned grocery stores, and more. Join us to learn what the industry’s role is in our current moment, and how advocates for health and economic justice can better collaborate to address shared goals.” For more information and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Elizabeth Stone)

Here's Your Chance to Help Transform Mental Health Services Research in the U.S.!

Free Webinar: “Incorporating Youth Leadership into Treatment” on Oct. 27, 2020

On October 27, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will host a free webinar on “Incorporating Youth Leadership into Treatment.” Doors to Wellbeing writes: “Come learn from these experts on how they have incorporated youth leadership into treatment plans to empower youth to see how their resilience is leadership. You will also hear from a youth who received behavioral health treatment and how leadership has helped them thrive.” To register, click here.

The Bazelon Center Will Honor Chacku Matthai on Nov. 17; Chacku’s Free Archived Webinar on “Creating an Anti-Racism Framework” Is Now Available for Viewing

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, “the nation’s premiere advocacy group for the civil rights, full inclusion and equality of adults and children with mental disabilities,” has selected Chacku Matthai as the Advocate of the Year for his “tireless advocacy on behalf of people with psychiatric disabilities, and particularly those who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color,” the NYAPRS E-News reports. The free, virtual Annual Awards celebration will take place on November 17, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. ET. More information will be coming soon at this link. And Chacku’s free webinar on “Creating an Anti-Racism Framework in the Psychiatric Survivors Movement,” hosted by MindFreedom International on September 18, 2020, is now available for viewing. Jim Gottstein, author of The Zyprexa Papers and founder of the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights, writes that the webinar’s “applicability goes far beyond the psychiatric survivor movement to how to heal the divisions tearing the U.S. apart…It is the best thing I have seen in quite a while.” To download the slides, click here. To view the training, click here.

Can We Measure Recovery? Yes, but It’s Complicated

National Survey Seeks Input from Certified Peer Specialists

“Routine peer support has shown to increase individuals’ hope, sense of personal control, ability to make positive changes, and decreased psychiatric symptoms,” writes Dr. Karen Fortuna of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. “Despite these benefits, the organizational structure of peer support is not known. Dartmouth College is initiating a national survey of trained Certified Peer Specialists to help us understand the organizational structure of peer support services.” For more information and/or to participate in the 15-minute survey, click here. (Courtesy of Judene Shelley)

New Report of Diverse First-Person Accounts of Psychosis Has Just Been Published

Psychosis Outside the Box includes “diverse accounts of experiences associated with psychosis that have been traditionally neglected,” Dr. Nev Jones writes. She and co-editor Shannon Pagdon “focus on visions and quasi-visual experiences, ‘felt presences,’ and alterations of time and space. The compilation includes both first-person descriptions and, for those who opt to provide this, strategies developed to address any distressing aspects of these experiences.” Dr. Jones adds, “We will add new entries to the compilation periodically.” For a link to download the free report, which is directly below a link that you can use to add your own experience, click here.

Mini-Conference: “Equity in Access, Services, and Outcomes for Children, Youth, and Families During Covid-19

The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health will host a virtual “mini-conference” on November 10 and November 12, 2020, from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. ET. Workshop themes and tracks are “Tackling Mental Health Disparities for Children of Color” and “Mental Health, Substance Use, and Family and Peer Virtual Support Services That Work.” Registration is $50/person or $45/person for groups of 10 or more. For more information and a link to the full conference schedule, click here.

“Who Will Benefit From Psychedelic Medicine?” The Washington Post Asks

“These [psychedelic] substances are being touted as a game-changing intervention for mental health. But it’s not clear if their promise will be accessible to all,” according to a recent story in The Washington Post Magazine. “There is little legal risk in White use of psychedelic substances. But Black and non-White communities have been historically over-policed and heavily incarcerated for possession or sales of some of these substances,” the article notes. For the Washington Post article, click here. For “The Current State of Psychedelics in Psychiatry” (abstract), click here. (The following two articles were included in the June 2020 edition of the Key Update: “We can no longer ignore the potential of psychedelic drugs to treat depression” (click here). And for “My Adventures with the Trip Doctors,” click here.

Covid-19 Is Interrupting Mental Health Services in Most Countries, WHO Survey Shows, While Experts Ask, “Will Drug Firms Cash In on Our Covid Anxiety”?

“The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing, according to a new WHO survey. The survey of 130 countries provides the first global data showing the devastating impact of COVID-19 on access to mental health services and underscores the urgent need for increased funding.” For the press release, including statistics, click here. (Courtesy of NYAPRS E-News) For “Study: U.S. Families’ Mental, Behavioral Health Worse in Pandemic,” click here. And for “Will drug firms cash in on our Covid anxiety? Experts fear vast numbers of people will end up on antidepressants they don’t need,” click here.

Could This Tiny Home Help Solve Homelessness?

This tiny home, the Boxabl Casita, 20’ ×20’ x 9.6’, is “intended to solve housing issues like affordability, homelessness, disaster relief and sustainability,” according to the manufacturers. “Delivery and unboxing are included in the $50,000 price, though land, permits, or other needs will likely add costs. They will come with plumbing, electricity, and HVAC preinstalled and ready for hookup,” according to Business Insider. “Boxabl buildings are more durable and energy efficient than traditional homes. They are built using a new construction method that makes them resistant to fire, floods, rot, pests, high winds and more,” the company said in a press release. The houses come “complete with fridge, stove, washer/dryer, bathroom, kitchen, and much more,” Boxabl promises. To see a short video of how the house unfolds and then becomes a completely furnished home, which went viral on Twitter, click here. For the Business Insider article, click here.

“Gamifying Interventions May Improve Mental Health,” Researchers Find; In Another Study, Researchers Say Internet Gaming Youth May Be Less Anxious Than Their Non-Gaming Peers

“A mobile mental health intervention may improve resilience and reduces attrition when delivered as a game,” according to a study by researchers in Germany and the U.K. “A new randomized control trial has found that turning mobile mental health intervention into a smartphone game can potentially improve well-being,” ScienceDaily reports. “The five-week study shows that gamifying the content of mobile interventions improved resilience, a key character trait that reduces the susceptibility to depression, stress, and anxiety.” For the press release, click here. For the PLOS One report of the study, click here. And for “Internet gaming youth not more prone to psychiatric disorders: Some passionate gamers may even be less anxious than their non-gaming peers,” click here.

DOD Report on Suicide Shows “Suicide Decedents Are Primarily Enlisted, Male, and Less Than 30 Years of Age” and “Most Firearm Deaths of Service Members (83%) Are the Result of Suicide, not Combat (3.5%)…”

In its recently released “Annual Suicide Report” for Calendar Year 2019, the Department of Defense (DOD) noted that in “CY 2019, 498 members died by suicide. Military suicide rates are comparable with the U.S. adult population, after accounting for age and sex, for Active Component and National Guard, and lower for the Reserve.” The report also noted that there is a “continued heightened risk for young and enlisted members; suicide decedents are primarily enlisted, male, and less than 30 years of age.” “The Department is closely monitoring the potential impacts of the pandemic on death by suicide within the military population,” the DOD writes. “At this time, it is too early to determine whether suicide rates will increase in CY 2020.” The DOD fact sheet also notes: “Most firearm deaths of Service members are the result of suicide (83.0%), as compared to combat (3.5%), accident (2.0%), [or] homicide (9.0%).” For the six-page DOD fact sheet about the report, click here. For the 76-page report, click here. (Courtesy of Janet Paleo)

“FDA Orders Strongers Warnings on Benzodiazepines”; and SAMHSA Issues Latest National Survey of Drug Use and Health

“The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants updated boxed warnings on benzodiazepines to reflect the ‘serious’ risks of abuse, misuse, addiction, physical dependence, and withdrawal reactions associated with these medications,” Medscape Medical News reports. “The FDA also wants revisions to the patient medication guides for benzodiazepines to help educate patients and caregivers about these risks…Overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines jumped from 1,298 in 2010 to 11,537 in 2017—an increase of more than 780%. Most of these deaths involved benzodiazepines taken with prescription opioids.” For the article, click here. And in September 2020, SAMHSA issued the latest annual report of the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), based on NSDUH data from 2019 and earlier years. For more information and the report, click here.

Some Mental Health Cartoons Offer Comic Relief in This Difficult Time

“Discussions about mental health and mental health problems aren’t easy,” according to futurelearn.com. “One way artists are tackling the tricky topic is with cartoons. Personal and confessional cartoons and comics depict mental health problems with sensitivity, honesty and humour.” Note: This article was published in May 2016, before things got even scarier. To view the cartoons, click here.

You’ll Find Some Healthy Lifestyle Advice in This October 2020 Digest

For “Brain Research Shows the Arts Promote Mental Health,” click here. For “Mental health days. Meeting-free times. Companies are adding new benefits to help workers cope,” click here. For “An ‘Awe Walk’ Might Do Wonders for Your Well-Being: Older men and women who took a fresh look at the objects and vistas around them felt more upbeat and hopeful,” click here. For “What All That Touch Deprivation Is Doing to Us: It’s going to be a while before we can hug freely again. What does that mean for our mental health?” click here. For “A walk on the beach or by a lake may boost your mental health, new study finds,” click here. For “Want to Be Happier? Evidence-based Tricks to Get You There,” click here.

The October 2020 Digest of Articles about the Criminal Justice System, in Which Many Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Are Incarcerated (and the Key Update continues after this Digest)

For “Eligible, but excluded: A guide to removing the barriers to jail voting—While people in state or federal prison generally cannot vote, most people in local jails can, although numerous barriers prevent them from doing so,” click here. For “Mental Health and Police Violence: How Crisis Intervention Teams Are Failing,” click here. For “Confinement and Contagion,” click here. For “In Place of Police: The Oregon Experiment,” click here. For “ ‘I Begged Them To Let Me Die’: How Federal Prisons Became Coronavirus Death Traps,” click here. For “This City Stopped Sending Policy to Every 911 Call: Riding along with the civilian ‘crisis responders’ of Olympia, Washington,” click here. For “Credit Overdue: How States Can Mitigate Academic Credit Transfer Problems for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System”—a 55-page manual—click here. For “U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Death Penalty Skeptic, Has Died,” click here. For “The 7 minutes of chaos and confusion that led to the police shooting of Juston Root,” click here. For “Unredacted FBI Document Sheds New Light on White Supremacist Infiltration of Law Enforcement: A 2006 intelligence assessment reveals that officials had concerns about the infiltration of police departments for years but failed to warn the public,” click here. For “Another Accounting of Justice Ginsburg’s Criminal Justice Legacy,” click here. For “ Q&A: How One Police Department Uses Data to Support Behavioral Health Responses,” click here. For “Policing Studies Measure Benefits to Crime Reduction—But Not Social Costs: Research has shown only that police can be sufficient, not that they are necessary,” click here. For “Second Circuit panel rules unanimously that district courts have broad discretion to consider ‘any extraordinary and compelling reason for release that a defendant might raise,’” click here. For “When Police Violence Is a Dog Bite: An Alabama man killed by a K-9 officer was one of thousands of Americans bitten by police dogs every year. Few ever get justice,” click here. For “Being a Prison Firefighter Taught Me to Save Lives: I first joined the San Quentin fire department to get my own room, eat well and train dogs. It ended up being the most important experience of my life,” click here. For “The Former Prisoners Fighting California’s Wildfires: ‘When people are in need, they don’t give a shit where you’re from or what your history is,’” click here. For “California Bill Clears Path For Ex-Inmates To Become Firefighters,” click here. For “Colorado governor to mass-pardon 2,700-plus marijuana convictions: Action will be automatic for those who qualify,” click here. For “Stop Overpolicing: Excessive traffic and pedestrian stops, especially in black communities, are dangerous and counterproductive,” click here. For “How Losing RBG Could Shape Criminal Justice For Years to Come: Juvenile lifers, victims of police misconduct and immigrants convicted of minor crimes are among those with a lot at stake before the changing court,” click here. For “From Michael Brown to George Floyd: What We’ve Learned About Policing—Stories from The Marshall Project’s archives that shine a light on police, violence and racial inequality in America,” click here. For “Federal judge halts work of Trump's national law enforcement commission after NAACP complaint,” click here. For “Feuding with Donald Trump Is Not Police Reform: Mayors of liberal cities love to criticize the president’s incendiary law-and-order rhetoric, but do precious little to check police violence and bloated budgets in their own backyards,” click here. For “How the Ladd Brothers Helped Rikers Island Inmates Tell Their Story in a Pandemic,” click here. For “Kansas Launches Bipartisan Effort to Address Criminal Justice and Fiscal Challenges,” click here. For “The Prisoners Who Were Convicted by Hung Juries: In Louisiana, at least 1,601 people are still incarcerated on the basis of a Jim Crow–era law allowing for conviction by a non-unanimous verdict,” click here.

FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!

Celebrating the Extraordinary Life of Mark Davis

The September 2020 edition of the Key Update included a brief notice of the death of Mark Davis, a longtime mental health and LGBTQ rights activist, who died on September 14. For a more complete obituary, including a comments section where you can share your memories of Mark, as well as information about where to make memorial donations, click here. Mark will be greatly missed by his many friends and colleagues.

A Service-User-Led Survey of “Experiences of the Intersections of Psychosis, Difficult Events, and Trauma” Seeks Participants with Firsthand Experience

Hearing Voices Network Is Now Hosting Online Groups

Have You Ever Smoked, Drunk, Vaped, or Used Other Drugs? Or Do You Now? New Zealand COVID-19 Study Is Now Open to U.S. Residents

“We want to find out how people are coping [during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown],” writes the New Zealand-based Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking. “We are especially interested in adults aged 18 and over who, before lockdown, regularly drank alcohol, smoked or used other tobacco products, or other drugs. We also want to hear from people who have taken up smoking or drinking or other drugs during this frightening time.” The study has been approved by the U.S.-based independent review board SolutionsIRB and is now open to U.S. residents. “The study website includes helpful Coping in Lockdown tips, tips on Dealing with Cravings, and information on alternatives to smoking tobacco.” To participate or for more information, click here.

Survey Seeks Respondents Who Are in Administrative/Leadership Positions in the Mental Health Field

Free Resources for Peer Worker Supervisors Are Posted on the iNAPS Website

The National Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS) has posted an array of resources for supervisors of peer support staff. The sources of the 18 disparate resources include the Transformation Center, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), the Café TA Center, the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), the Carter Center, the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, SAMHSA-HRSA and the Center for Integrated Health Solutions, and other organizations and individual experts. For the peer support supervision resources, click here.

“Experiences with Hospitalization” Survey Seeks Participants

International Survey on Antipsychotic Medication Withdrawal Seeks Respondents

NIMH Launches Study of How COVID-19 Stressors Affect Mental Health Over Time

“Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are conducting an online research study to learn about how stressors related to the COVID-19 virus affect mental health over time,” NIMH writes. “We hope to better understand the experiences of participants during this difficult time. Participation involves completing online questionnaires every two weeks, for six months. The questionnaires take about 20 minutes to complete. You must be at least 18 years old to participate. Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time. Compensation is not provided.” Questions? Call 240.665.0697 or email NIMHResearchVolunteer@nih.gov. For more information and/or to begin participating, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)

Virtual Group Is Launched to Advance Peer Research Capacity, Leadership, and Involvement

Do You Supervise Peer Support Workers? Then Researchers Have Some Questions for You

If You Were Prescribed Suboxone, You May Be Eligible for a Payment, FTC Says

Mad In America Invites You to Submit Your Personal Story (Within Certain Guidelines)

Doors to Wellbeing Offers “State Selfies: A Picture of Peer Services Reported by Peers”

Disclaimer: The Clearinghouse does not necessarily endorse the opinions and opportunities included in the Key Update.

About The Key Update

The Key Update is the free monthly e-newsletter of the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse. Volume 17, No. 4, October 2020. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH

Key Update, September 2020, Volume 17, Number 3

September 14, 2020 Susan Rogers

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.

September Is National Suicide Prevention Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. For some ideas about how to help, offered by the National Institute of Mental Health, click here. Last year, Policy Research Associates released free “safe messaging icons” to honor Suicide Prevention Month; they are still available, along with recommendations for reporting on suicide, if you click here. To read inspiring stories of suicide attempt survivors, click here. For the website of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), which includes a Suicide Attempt Survivor page as well as a Suicide Loss Survivor page, click here. The AAS home page includes the following statement: “We believe that the only way for the field of suicidology to reduce suicide and build lives worth living for BIPOC is to dismantle systems of oppression.” For the entire statement, click here. For “Reach Out: Ways to Help a Loved One at Risk of Suicide,” click here.

Free Webinar: “The Importance of Policies & Procedures in Peer-Run Organizations” Sept. 15!

On September 15, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, the five federally funded national technical assistance centers will host a free, 90-minute webinar: “The Importance of Policies & Procedures in Peer-Run Organizations.” The organizers write: “Topics will range from the nuts and bolts of organizing like budgeting, board development, fundraising, and strategic planning as well as conflict resolution, inclusion, and relationship building. We will explore each topic through the lens of what it is to be a peer-run organization.” To register, click here.

61st Annual National Dialogues on Behavioral Health Go Virtual!

The National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD) invites you to the 61st National Dialogues on Behavioral Health, which it is co-sponsoring. The conference will hold one session each Thursday from September 17 through October 22, 2020, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. The theme is “Implementing Crisis Response at State and Local Levels: New Paradigms, Partnerships and Innovative Approaches.” “The behavioral health world, including its crisis response systems, has been scrambling to adapt and adjust to the new realities of the Covid-19 Pandemic,” the conference organizers write. “Join us for six consecutive weeks as we address the emerging issues and innovations related to behavioral health crisis response in this new environment.” Registration is $100 for all six sessions or $25 for each individual session. For more information or to register, click here.

NYAPRS Announces Details of Its 2020 Virtual Annual Conference, beginning Sept. 22

NYAPRS has announced the details of its 38th (virtual) annual conference, whose theme is “RISE UP! Community, Connection, Culture.” The conference will be held during the days of Sept. 22 and October 1 and the days and evenings of Sept. 24 and Sept. 29. It will include the following keynote and special presentations: Dr. David Satcher, 16th U.S. Surgeon General; Hawk Newsome, chairman, Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, with a panel including Celia Brown, Jeff McQueen and Chacku Mathai; Harvey Rosenthal on the history of NYAPRS; the 2020 NYAPRS Annual Awards Ceremony; and an Office of Mental Health Town Meeting with Commissioner Ann Sullivan and Special Assistant to the Commissioner Amanda Saake. For a complete list of presentations—including dates, times, and presenters—and a registration link, click here. For those attending the conference who don’t need CE credits, it’s free! (With CE credits, it’s $49—still a bargain!)

BRSS TACS Shares Some Opportunities and Resources as It Says Goodbye

Before closing its doors on Sept. 4, 2020, BRSS TACS (Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy) shared several upcoming events and resources. These include “Power Hour: Strategies for Rapid Organizational Learning During Times of Uncertainty,” on Sept. 23, 2 p.m.-3 p.m. ET (click here); “Recovery LIVE! Virtual Event: Supporting Resilience & Recovery During Hard Times,” on Sept. 24, 2 p.m.-3p.m. ET (click here); and Recovery Support Tools and Resources (click here).

Free Webinar: “How State-Led Housing Initiatives Can Break the Cycle of Criminal Justice Involvement”

On September 23, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. ET, the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance will host a free, one-hour webinar on “How State-Led Housing Initiatives Can Break the Cycle of Criminal Justice Involvement.” “This webinar will focus on how critical state leaders are to enabling local communities in their efforts to reduce homelessness for people in the criminal justice system, particularly people with serious mental illness. It will also highlight examples of state actions to increase access and connections to rental assistance for people in the criminal justice system, and speakers will describe how their local communities are leveraging state programs to advance or pilot local housing priorities.” To register, click here. (For the monthly Key Update criminal justice digest, scroll down.)

“Almost 110,000 Americans Died While Waiting for a Social Security Disability Hearing”

Between 2008 and 2019, almost 110,000 Americans died while waiting for a Social Security Disability hearing, according to a recent study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). (The exact figure of 109,725 represents 1.2% of applicants, according to the GAO report.) Only a quarter of applicants are successful on their first try; however, appeals have a good chance of succeeding, the GAO noted. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. John B. Larson (D-CT), who commissioned the GAO study, say that the findings highlight the importance of decreasing the appeals backlog and providing more funding for Social Security. “It is absolutely unconscionable that thousands of Americans suffer and die every year waiting for a final decision to get the modest Social Security benefits they need to survive…” said Sen. Sanders. For the story, by CBS News, which includes a link to the GAO study, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)

Next TU Collaborative Story Slam Is on September 24!

The final StorySlam to be held by the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion will be on September 24 at 3 p.m. ET. The theme will be “New Beginnings.” “Whether you have a story about your own ‘new beginning’ from 10 years ago or two weeks ago, we'd love to hear it. If you would like to attend the StorySlam as a listener or a storyteller, please register here! If you would like support in developing your story or have additional questions, please contact Kyra @ kyra.baker@temple.edu.”

Free Webinar: “The Value of Youth Peers Serving on Community Boards” on Sept. 29

On September 29, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will host a free webinar on “The Value of Youth Peers Serving on Community Boards.” You will learn “at least three reasons why youth representation is helpful to increase diversity and sustain the future of an organization, at least three ways to make a board more conducive to youth participation, and at least three best practices for recruiting youth onto a board.” For more information and to register, click here.

Free Webinar on “Revolutionizing Young Adult Peer Support: Empowerment, Advocacy, & Leadership”

On September 30, 2020, at 4:30 p.m. ET, the National Empowerment Center will host a 90-minute webinar on “Revolutionizing Young Adult Peer Support: Empowerment, Advocacy, & Leadership.” The National Empowerment Center writes: “This presentation will discuss the components of Young Adult Peer Support as they currently exist and efforts to revolutionize the work. Topics that will be discussed include understanding how to connect to young adults as a social class, how to promote and foster leadership among young adults, and how to properly advocate with youth and young adults.” To register, click here.

Free Webinar: “Olmstead in the Age of COVID” on Oct. 1, 2020

NARPA (National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy) will host a free webinar on Oct. 1, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. ET, on “Olmstead in the Age of COVID.” The presenters will be Jennifer Mathis, JD, director of policy and legal advocacy, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and Kathy Flaherty, JD, executive director, Connecticut Legal Rights Project. “This presentation by two distinguished civil rights advocates and attorneys will feature a discussion of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) community integration mandate and how it is faring in the era of COVID,” NARPA writes. For more information and to register, click here.

Full Texts of Recent Peer Support Research Articles Are Available for Free!

Nev Jones, Ph.D., assistant professor, College of Medicine Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, has generously created a dropbox that is full of the complete texts of recent peer support research articles, “with an emphasis on systematic reviews and/or methods commentaries/overviews of various kinds,” she writes. Among the articles included are “Investigating the mobility of the peer specialist workforce in the United States: Findings from a national survey”; “Peer support on the ‘inside and outside’: Building lives and reducing recidivism for people with mental illness returning from jail”; and “The Availability of Peer Support and Disparities in Outpatient Mental Helath Service Use Among Minority Youth with Serious Mental Illness.” There are also folders containing articles on “Cost Effectiveness and Cost Savings Research,” “Effectiveness Reviews,” “Individual Outcomes Studies,” and more! For the dropbox, click here.

Free: “Creating Our Mental Health,” a Virtual Town Hall Meeting, on Oct. 4

On October 4, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, Mad In America and the East Side Institute will host a free, 90-minute virtual town hall meeting on “Creating Our Mental Health.” The sponsors write: “What is mental health? And what does creativity have to do with it? Two psychotherapists, Hugh Polk and Rachel Mickenberg, share the effectiveness of social therapy as a psychotherapy in which they and their clients together create emotional growth and health—regardless of psychiatric diagnosis or presenting problem.” For more information, click here.

WHO to Host Global Online Advocacy Event on World Mental Health Day, Oct. 10

“On World Mental Health Day, the 10th of October, WHO will for the first time host a global online advocacy event on mental health,” World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced. “During this event—the Big Event for Mental Health—I will be joined by experts and household names from the worlds of music and sport to talk about what we can all do to improve our mental health—and you will hear their stories. Each and every individual has a story to tell about mental health,” he continued. “I will also be joined by world leaders who will explain why they are investing in improving the mental health of the people they serve.” For more information, click here.

Free E-Book: “What Does It Mean to Be Called 'Crazy' in a Crazy World?”

Therapist, Madness Radio host, and schizophrenia survivor Will Hall asks, “What does it mean to be called crazy in a crazy world?” From the book’s website: “Outside Mental Health: Voices and Visions of Madness reveals the human side of mental illness. More than 60 voices of psychiatric patients, scientists, journalists, doctors, activists, and artists create a vital new conversation about empowering the human spirit. Outside Mental Health invites us to rethink what we know about bipolar [disorder], psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, medications, and mental illness in society.” The 404-page book can be downloaded for free if you sign up for Will Hall’s email list here. (Courtesy of Lauren Spiro)

New TU Collaborative Newsletter Offers Resources for College Students with Mental Health Conditions

The latest newsletter from the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion offers a “Back to Campus Planning Guide for College Students with Mental Health Conditions,” “including considerations for remote, in-person, and hybrid learning formats.” And “Did you know college students who are actively engaged in their campus environment are more likely to graduate?” You can download a free 49-page manual to help! “The intervention described was delivered virtually and has relevance to students whether they are attending school in person or virtually!” For the newsletter, click here.

Peer Ink, a New Publication “for Peers by Peers,” Seeks Submissions

Hug Me Ink, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advocate and educate about mental health awareness through the arts, is seeking original poems, stories, articles or art work for new editions of Peer Ink: A Magazine for Peers by Peers. Send articles, stories, and poetry as a Word document on any relevant topic. Send art work as a JPEG or PNG file. With all submissions, include your name, age, city and state, and a short bio and a photo (optional) to hugmeink@gmail.com. The deadline for the December 2020 Holiday issue is November 1, 2020. For the May 2021 edition, celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month, the deadline is April 2, 2021. For additional deadlines, advertising rates, and other questions, or if you would like a sample of the Peer Ink magazine published in 2016, contact hugmeink@gmail.com. For more about Hug Me Ink, click here.

Free Webinar: “Doing More Harm Than Good—Why Psychiatric Drugs Fail Over the Long Term”

On October 14, 2020, at 5:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time in the U.S., 7:30 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time, prominent investigative journalist and author Robert Whitaker will present a one-hour webinar on “why current pharmacotherapy treatments for chronic mental [health conditions] fail over the long term and the need for innovation to introduce new treatments to combat mental [health conditions].” According to webinar host Mind Medicine Australia, “A historical review of research on antipsychotics and antidepressants reveals that as early as the 1970s, researchers had begun to worry that these drugs might increase the ‘chronicity’ of psychotic disorders and depression.” For more information and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Robin Osborne)

Third Annual Crisis Residential Conference Goes Virtual: October 14-15, 2020

The third annual Crisis Residential Conference, covering residential alternatives to psychiatric hospitalization, will take place October 14-15, 2020: “…attendees will learn about innovations and best practices in the field of behavioral health crisis care,” the conference organizers write. Among the presentations are “Providing Co-Occurring Enhanced Crisis Residential Services,” “Adjusting the Sails: Transformative Supervision in Crisis Settings and Times of Crisis,” “How can we be the most helpful? Practical Strategies for Critical Engagement in Crisis Residential Services,” and “On the Cutting Edge: Emerging Ideas in Behavioral Health Care.” Please note that all the times are in Pacific Time. For the announcement, which includes a link to the full agenda and to registration, click here. Early Bird registration is through September 18.

BPS Issues Statement on Clinical Psychologists with Lived Experience

The British Psychological Society (BPS), Division of Clinical Psychology, recently issued its “Statement on clinical psychologists with lived experience of mental health difficulties.” The brief introduction reads: “The Division of Clinical Psychology publicly recognizes and supports the unique and valued contribution that lived experience of mental health difficulties brings to individuals working within clinical psychology. When lived experience is actively valued in aspiring, trainee and qualified clinical psychologists, it can help to enrich practice and improve service provision.” The paper continues with five points, starting with “Lived experience of mental health difficulties is common” and concluding with “Lived experience is an asset.” For the complete paper, click here.

“Orchestrating Change” Is a New Documentary About an Orchestra Created By and For People with Mental Health Conditions

“Orchestrating Change,” a documentary about the Me2/Orchestra, will air on various public television stations throughout the fall. The orchestra—whose name was chosen before the Me Too movement—was co-founded in 2011 in Burlington, Vermont, by Jacob Braunstein, an award-winning conductor diagnosed with bipolar disorder, who wanted to revive his conducting career. The orchestra has generated affiliates in Boston; Manchester, New Hampshire; Portland, Oregon; and another in the works in Denmark. The orchestras are open to all skill levels, and also offer support to the musicians. For more about the documentary, including a link to the broadcast schedule, click here. For the article, click here.

“20 Comics That Capture Life with Anxiety and Depression”

“At GoComics, creators share their struggles with anxiety, depression, and more with an aim to relate to readers who may be going through the same thing. Sometimes it’s with a laugh, other times it’s with a poignant character moment,” but the comics seek to ease the feelings of self-stigma that may be associated with mental health conditions. For some comic relief, originally published in 2017, click here.

Outstanding Human Rights Advocate Mark Davis Has Died

We are very sad to learn of the death of Mark Davis, a passionate and award-winning mental health, LGBTQ, and human rights advocate who was also known for his warmth, his kindness, his humor, and his larger-than-life personality. While based in Philadelphia, he also played an important role in the Pennsylvania statewide and the national advocacy arenas. As Mark’s NARPA bio noted, in part, “As a person who is gay, living with mental illness, in recovery from addiction, dealing with hearing loss and living with an HIV-positive diagnosis, he has consistently used his experiences and skills to combat stigma, inspire others in similar circumstances and [e]ffect change in both health and behavioral health systems.” (To read his NARPA bio, which includes details of Mark’s many achievements, click on https://www.narpa.org/bios/davis.) He will be greatly missed.

The September 2020 Digest of Articles about the Criminal Justice System, in Which Many Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Are Incarcerated (and the Key Update continues after this Digest)

For “When Cities Replace Police with Social Workers,” click here. For “Social Workers Are Rejecting Calls for Them to Replace Police: Some say their roles are already too close to those of law enforcement and are organizing for a radical rethinking of the profession,” click here. For “The Power of Community Bail Funds: They help keep people’s lives from being ruined by exorbitant bail. Efforts to thwart these funds are the true public safety threats,” click here. For “Portland Pays Nearly $1 Million to Family of Lane Martin, Man with Mental Illness Police Shot,” click here. For “Men locked up at Cuomo’s prison nursing home claim they can’t get medical care: ‘Sent us to fade away and die,’” click here. For “This Crisis Team Has Handled Mental Health Calls Without Cops for 30 Years: The Gerstein Crisis Centre in Toronto, with its non-violent de-escalation approach, shows a way forward in defunding the police,” click here. For “Telling stories about crime is hard. That’s no excuse for not doing better,” click here. For “His Brother Called for Help After He Was Acting Strangely. Police Knelt on Him Until He Was Brain Dead Body camera video shows that Daniel Prude was complying with police when they knelt on his back and pushed his face to the ground for so long that he stopped breathing,” click here. For “The horrifying case of Daniel Prude raises troubling issues about Rochester’s mayor and police force,” click here. For “Act now or coronavirus will sentence more prisoners to death, say experts: Jails and prisons are among the largest clusters of Covid-19 in the US, with infection spreading to surrounding communities,” click here. For “New York Promised to Help Mentally Ill People as They Left Prison. Here’s What Happened Instead: Their situation became even more dire when the pandemic struck,” click here. For “Amicus Brief in Support of North Carolina Felony Disenfranchisement Lawsuit: North Carolina felony disenfranchisement law amplifies the hardship that the criminal justice system disproportionately visits upon Black Americans; exacerbates stark racial disparities in income, wealth, and economic opportunity; and unduly mutes the voices of Black North Carolinians in public affairs,” click here. For “True Lies: How to End Abuses of Police Interrogation,” click here. For the most recent Council of State Governments Justice Center newsletter, click here. For “As human beings, we can change. My company hires former inmates who prove that every day. My goal is to make employment more accessible for formerly incarcerated men and women once they are released. They shouldn't experience what I did,” click here. For “How Counseling Incarcerated Clients Helps Me Heal: My brother committed suicide because he felt totally alone. As a volunteer social worker at a jail, I can let even the most judged people know that someone cares,” click here. For “New York Watchdogs Lack Data to Track Judges’ Compliance with Bail Reform: Although the new law took effect in January, state data showing how courts are applying it won’t be available until July 2021. And without funding, courts in small towns and villages may never collect the data,” click here. For “The Impact of Video Proceedings on Fairness and Access to Justice in Court: Increasing use of remote video technology poses challenges for fair judicial proceedings. Judges should adopt the technology with caution,” click here. For “Criminal Justice Reform Should Decriminalize Addiction, Advocates Say: Efforts to address the harms of police violence and incarceration must consider the drug war, activists and treatment professionals note, including the punitive models of treatment,” click here. For “Highway Stop-and-Frisk: How Pennsylvania State Troopers Conduct Illegal Traffic Searches: A review of five years of cases that arose from traffic stops in the south-central region of the state shows that police used underhand tactics to justify holding and searching drivers illegally, click here. For “Want Prosecutorial Reform? Start with Curtailing the Influence of Police Unions: Removing police union influence from the prosecutor’s office is a critical first step towards building a system that is safe, just, and fair for all,” click here.

FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!

Mark Your Calendars! An Online Global 14-Hour Festival: A Disorder 4 Everyone (AD4E)!

On September 18, 2020, from 4 a.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET, “AD4E is going online to bring you 14 continuous hours of inspiring content that challenges the culture of diagnosis and disorder! 14 hours of talks-poetry-interviews-presentations-videos-drama-panel-music, etc., all challenging the pathologizing of emotional distress. Dip in and out at your leisure. Some of it will be recorded (with the contributors’ permission) and added to the AD4E Youtube channel at a later date. Pay what you want: This is a fundraising event with a minimum fee of £1 to maximize accessibility. Please make a donation based on what you can afford.” For more information and/or to buy a ticket, click here. (Note: PayPal automatically changes the minimum payment in British pounds to the payment in U.S. dollars of $1.41.)

For Your Safety in the COVID-19 Era, Register to Vote by Mail!

In these uncertain times, with predictions of a “second wave” of COVID-19 this fall, it makes sense to vote by mail! You still have time to register before the presidential election, on November 3! For a Brennan Center for Justice article about the importance of voting by mail, click here. For the U.S. government website providing voter registration deadlines in every state and territory, click here. Have you registered yet?

Researchers Seek to Learn How to Advance Service-User-involved Studies; Can You Help?

University of South Florida (USF) researchers, with funding from PCORI, are conducting in-depth phone interviews with individuals from multiple stakeholder groups; the interviews will focus on participants’ experiences with, and perspectives on, participatory behavioral health services research. Eligible participants must have had some involvement in a “participatory—involving stakeholders not as subjects but as collaborators, partners, or advisors—or user-led research project,” the researchers write. “The interviewer will ask you a series of open-ended questions about your experiences with participatory research and perspective on barriers, facilitators, and priorities for improvement and expansion.” After their interview, participants will be emailed a $50 gift card. For more information, visit https://www.pathedcollab.org/; IRB protocol number 001380. Questions? Ask Principal Investigator Dr. Nev Jones (genevra@usf.edu) or co-lead Dr. Linda Callejas (callejas@usf.edu).

A Service-User-Led Survey of “Experiences of the Intersections of Psychosis, Difficult Events, and Trauma” Seeks Participants with Firsthand Experience

“Mapping the Disability Experience: Share Your Stories”

Hearing Voices Network Is Now Hosting Online Groups

Have You Ever Smoked, Drunk, Vaped, or Used Other Drugs? Or Do You Now? New Zealand COVID-19 Study Is Now Open to US Residents

Survey Seeks Respondents Who Are in Administrative/Leadership Positions in the Mental Health Field

TU Collaborative Hosts Free Storytelling Workshops

The Temple University (TU) Collaborative on Community Inclusion is hosting free storytelling workshops every Tuesday (2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET) and Thursday (2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET). For workshop information, email Kyra at kyra.baker@temple.edu. In a related initiative, the TU Collaborative wants to hear your story! For the link, click here.

Free Resources for Peer Worker Supervisors Are Posted on the iNAPS Website

If You Have Experienced Psychosis, “Psychosis Beyond the Box” Wants to Hear From You.

“Psychosis Beyond the Box” seeks to gather anonymous descriptions of “aspects of psychosis that are often neglected, such as felt presences, visual or quasi-visual experiences, and alterations of space, time or distance,” as well as strategies to help with any distressing or challenging aspects of the experiences. The narratives will be compiled and shared in early psychosis programs and other service settings across the U.S. A major aim of the project—which is not a research project—is “to validate the diverse range of things people with psychosis experience, and help people, especially young adults experiencing psychosis for the first time, feel less alone and isolated (in these experiences).” For more information about the project, based at the University of South Florida, or to share your story, click here. Questions? Write to Nev Jones (genevra@usf.edu) or ShannonPagdon@gmail.com.

“Experiences with Hospitalization” Survey Seeks Participants

International Survey on Antipsychotic Medication Withdrawal Seeks Respondents

NIMH Launches Study of How COVID-19 Stressors Affect Mental Health Over Time

“Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are conducting an online research study to learn about how stressors related to the COVID-19 virus affect mental health over time,” NIMH writes. “We hope to better understand the experiences of participants during this difficult time. Participation involves completing online questionnaires every two weeks, for six months. The questionnaires take about 20 minutes to complete. You must be at least 18 years old to participate. Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time. Compensation is not provided.” Questions? Call 240.665.0697 or email NIMHResearchVolunteer@nihg.gov. For more information and/or to begin participating, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)

Virtual Group Is Launched to Advance Peer Research Capacity, Leadership, and Involvement

Do You Supervise Peer Support Workers? Then Researchers Have Some Questions for You

If You Were Prescribed Suboxone, You May Be Eligible for a Payment, FTC Says

Mad In America Invites You to Submit Your Personal Story (Within Certain Guidelines)

Doors to Wellbeing Offers “State Selfies: A Picture of Peer Services Reported by Peers”

Disclaimer: The Clearinghouse does not necessarily endorse the opinions and opportunities included in the Key Update.

About The Key Update

The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse is now affiliated with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion!

The Key Update is the free monthly e-newsletter of the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse. Volume 17, No. 3, September 2020. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH

Key Update, August 2020, Volume 17, Number 2

August 20, 2020 Susan Rogers

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.

We Must Address the Social Determinants of Mental Health, Experts Say

“We need to focus on prevention. This means identifying the factors that contribute to mental illness and tackling them. A good place to start is social psychiatry,” according to a recent article in TheConversation.com. Citing a 1939 book, “Mental Disorders in Urban Areas,” the author reports that the study covered in the book “showed that poverty, combined with stress, chaos and isolation, was likely to lead to poor mental health.” Another study, reported in a 2007 book, Social Class and Mental Illness, noted that people “in the lower classes were more likely to receive invasive, somatic therapies. These included drugs, electroshock treatment and lobotomy. [People] from higher classes were more likely to receive psychoanalysis.” The author suggests introducing a universal basic income, and adds that “other progressive policies, ranging from reducing the working week to ensuring we all have ample time to commune with nature, could also make a difference.” For WHO’s explanation of the social determinants of mental health, click here. For “Social psychiatry could stem the rising tide of mental illness” in TheConversation.com, click here.

“The ADA at 30: Beyond the Law’s Promise”

To coincide with the 30th anniversary of when the ADA was signed into law, on July 26, 1990, The New York Times published a special section exploring “how the Americans With Disabilities Act has shaped modern life for people with disabilities in the 30 years since it was passed.” In an editorial, The New York Times wrote: “The act does more than enlarge the independence of disabled Americans. It enlarges civil rights and humanity, for all Americans.” To read the articles included in the special section, such as “Nothing About Us Without Us”: 16 Moments in the Fight for Disability Rights,” click here.

Should People in Mental Health Treatment Be Able to See Therapists’ Notes?

While the vast majority of individuals in treatment for mental health issues believe that access to their notes is beneficial, mental health professionals are not as certain, reports Psyche, a digital publication. While a very small percentage of people have found reading their notes unhelpful, “[a] study at an outpatient psychiatry center in Boston found that, after 20 months of open notes, patients reported better understanding of their mental health condition, increased recall about their care plan, and more knowledge about the potential side-effects of their medications.” Other studies have found similar outcomes. At the same time, “when it comes to mental health care, psychiatrists and clinical psychologists remain cautious,” Psyche reports. “Perhaps the prudent response, while we await further evidence, is the call to reimagine clinical notes: not just as a record for clinicians, but as a communication tool with patients…For many patients, access to notes can be hugely helpful, reducing stigma and improving care. In the new era of transparency, clinicians must adapt. And by treating patients like care partners, health professionals might find themselves empowered too.” For the Psyche article, click here. (Courtesy of Marie Verna)

For a Tribute to George Ebert, Share Your Memories of George and Mental Patients Liberation Alliance!

On August 23 and August 30, at 6 p.m. ET, share your memories of George Ebert and his more than 40 years of advocacy with the Mental Patients Liberation Alliance! Join in a collective reading of the Declaration of Principles (1982)! Your contributions will be edited into a video honoring George Ebert and his work. These video conferences are courtesy of Surviving Race: The Intersection of Injustice, Disability, and Human Rights. For the Declaration of Principles, adopted at the Tenth Annual International Conference on Human Rights and Against Psychiatric Oppression (1982), click here. For the historical documents of The Alliance, click here. For more information, click here. For the Zoom link for August 23, click here or enter this link in your browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86757448910. For the Zoom link for August 30, click here or enter this link in your browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83983111125. George also would welcome emails; write to georgeebert@yahoo.com. (At this writing, the Facebook heading indicates that the August 30 call will be at 11:30 p.m. The correct time of 6 p.m. is noted later in the item.)

Free Webinar: “National Practice Guidelines for Peer Specialists and Supervisors”

As part of its monthly webinar series, on August 25, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will present a webinar on “National Practice Guidelines for Peer Specialists and Supervisors.” “The purpose of the Guidelines for Supervisors is to educate supervisors about the core peer support values as applied in supervisory relationships. This webinar will describe the supervisor’s role and offer practical tips about how supervisors can help peer support specialists remain true to the values outlined in the National Practice Guidelines for Peer Supporters.” For information about the learning objectives and the presenters, and to register, click here.

New Publication Highlights Urgency of Decreasing Police Role in Lives of People with Mental Health Conditions; Other Cities, e.g., Dallas, Are Already on Board

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has released a new publication, "Defunding the Police" and People with Mental Illness, documenting the urgency of reducing the role of the police in the lives of people with mental health conditions. “In far too many communities,” the Bazelon Center writes, “police take the lead in responding to people with mental [health conditions] who are in crisis or in need, with tragic consequences, especially for Black people with mental [health conditions]…We must invest in public mental health systems, expanding their capacity to deliver community-based mental health services, housing assistance, substance use treatment, and income support. As we build capacity, we must heed the voices of people with mental [health conditions], including those who represent the racial, ethnic, gender, linguistic and other important types of diversity in our communities.” To download the free 13-page document, click here. For “As mobile mental health teams work to de-escalate crises, some warn their models still rely on police partnerships,” published in STAT, click here. For “For Mental Health 911 Calls, Dallas Found Success In Social Workers: Dallas had a disastrous history of police violence during emergency mental health calls. The RIGHT Care program shifted the power to clinicians and found success,” click here.

Free Webinar: “The Living Room: A Welcoming Space for Those in Crisis”; and Research Proves Peer Respite’s Benefits

As part of its Compassionate Approaches to Crisis webinar series, on August 27, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, the National Empowerment Center will host a free 90-minute webinar on “The Living Room: A Welcoming Space for Those in Crisis.” The Living Room, in Framingham, Massachusetts, is a “welcoming space where people experiencing emotional distress can walk in and connect with a peer specialist on the spot,” the NEC writes. “[It] provides a 24-hour crisis response. No referral is necessary to visit this comfortable, home-like location, staffed entirely by trained, certified peer specialists. The Living Room creates an experience that is entirely voluntary and focused on respect, mutuality, and trust.” To register for the webinar, click here. For “Self-reliance and Belonging: Guest Experiences of a Peer Respite,” by Bevin Croft, Anne Weaver, and Laysha Ostrow, published in the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, click here. For more evidence confirming the benefits of peer-run crisis respites, click here.

Mark Your Calendars! An Online Global 14-Hour Festival: A Disorder 4 Everyone (AD4E)!

Researchers Seek to Learn How to Advance Service-User-involved Studies; Can You Help?

Norwegian Study Provides First-Person Perspectives on Medication-Free Mental Health Treatment

“In 2016, the Western Norway Regional Health Authority started to integrate more evidence-based psychosocial interventions into the existing mental health care, emphasizing the right for persons with psychosis to choose medication-free treatment,” according to an open-access study published by BMC Psychiatry. “This change emerged from the debate on the effectiveness and adverse effects of the use of antipsychotic medication.” The researchers interviewed 10 individuals diagnosed with psychosis who were eligible for medication-free services. They found that “[i]ntegrating more evidence-based psychosocial interventions into existing mental health services facilitated learning experiences regarding the choice of treatment, particularly the discontinuation of medication, and appeared to support participants’ increased self-agency and motivation in their personal recovery processes.” For the study, click here. (Courtesy of Elizabeth Stone) For a Mad in America article about medication-free psychiatric treatment in Norway, published in the March 2017 edition of the Key Update, click here.

“Disability Advocacy, Once an Afterthought in Presidential Races, Gains New Traction”

“Advocates gained new traction during the campaign, pushing the full slate of Democratic candidates to discuss and define their stances on disability policies like never before,” STAT reported on August 14, 2020. “Amid social media pressure from activists, former Vice President Joe Biden, now the presumptive Democratic nominee, put out a full disability platform in May. Advocates say the platform—while not as comprehensive as they had hoped—marks a moment of significant progress after years of disability policy being treated as a political afterthought.” For the article, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts) (Note: For a project initiated by Illinois-based mental health advocate AJ French in 2016, which was reported in the January 2016 edition of the Key Update, click here.)

Save the Dates! NYAPRS to Host Virtual Conference in September!

NYAPRS writes: “Our program is entitled ‘Rise Up! Community, Connection, Culture,’ in recognition of the isolating consequences of social distancing and quarantine required by COVID-19 as well as our long overdue need to confront the pervasive impact of racism in ourselves, our systems and our society. At the same time, this year’s NYAPRS Conference will offer a special time to reflect and connect and to restore and replenish our spirits…You can also count on us to feature that unique spirit of celebration and lineup of very special events and speakers that is our trademark.” The conference will be held via Zoom on September 22 (day), September 24 (day and evening), September 29 (day and evening), and October 1 (day). More information will be posted on the www.nyaprs.org website as it becomes available.

Do You Need a Stress-Reliever in These Difficult Times? Here Are Some Great Ideas!

During these uncertain times, it may help to have some ways to relieve stress and boost self-confidence! So here are some suggestions! For “Can Going Green Improve Your Mental Health?” click here. (Courtesy of Marie Desrosiers) For “One Pandemic Stress Reducer You Should Put to Use: This self-help measure impacts anxiety, mood, and sex drive,” click here. For “A Yale Study Found that Breathing Techniques Can Improve College Students’ Mental Health,” click here. For “Five-Minute Coronavirus Stress Resets: How to get unstuck from your anxiety,” click here. For “Blue spaces: Why time spent near water is the secret of happiness” click here. For “Spending More Time On Your Hobbies Can Boost Confidence At Work—If They Are Sufficiently Different From Your Job,” click here. For “The Therapeutic Power of Gardening: Can anxious minds find solace working with plants? A therapist and her husband, a garden designer, say yes,” click here. (For more ideas about how to cope with pandemic-related stress, see the From “Previous Editions of the Key Update but Still Fresh” department, below the monthly Criminal Justice Reform Digest!)

“If Not Now, When? COVID-19, Lived Experience, and a Moment for Real Change”

In a call to action published in The Lancet on August 18, 2020, researchers with lived experience on three continents—Nev Jones, Louise Byrne, and Sarah Carr—have denounced “the gap between rhetoric and reality” in support for service-user involvement in mental health research: “Involvement efforts are too often accompanied by empty promises, insufficient funding or commitment, and superficial gestures (e.g., membership on advisory boards), with no real power to set agendas, influence decision making, or bring about structural change.” They suggest a number of remedies, and conclude: “Rather than bold language, we call for bold action.” For the article, click here.

If You Were Prescribed Suboxone, You May Be Eligible for a Payment, FTC Says

Mental Health Advocates Mourn Pioneering Mental Health Professional Bill Anthony

Bill Anthony, who died on July 15, 2020, was the founder of Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, and received a Distinguished Service Award in 1992 from the U.S. president for his efforts “in promoting the dignity, equality, independence, and employment of people with disabilities.” “Mental Health Advocates Laud Contributions of MH Pioneer,” published in the July 27th edition of Mental Health Weekly, included remembrances from NYAPRS executive director Harvey Rosenthal and National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse founder and executive director Joseph Rogers. Rosenthal called Anthony “an essential transformative force” in the field; and Rogers recognized Anthony’s early support of the self-help, mutual support, and advocacy movement. For the Mental Health Weekly (MHW) article, click here. For more information about MHW and other Wiley publications, click on this link: https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ For the Reading Post obituary, click here.

Tabou Magazine Invites Articles Written by Students with Disabilities

Tabou, whose stated aim “is to increase the access and inclusion of disabled students in higher education through our narrative-changing magazine, campaigns and mentoring,” is accepting submissions from disabled students. [Note: Tabou uses IFL (Identity-First Language) rather than PFL (People-First Language).] “Here at TABOU we are always looking for new submissions relating to disability and student life. If you have a specific article or idea you want to put forward, for either the magazine or our online content, then email us at taboudisabilitymag@gmail.com with the heading PITCH.” For details, click here.

“New 3-Digit Suicide Prevention Hotline Coming Following Unanimous Support By FCC”

“The FCC [has] voted unanimously to officially designate 988 as the nation’s newest three-digit telephone number, designed as a direct access line for suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors,” Forbes reports. “[N]ew rules will be enacted requiring every telecommunications carrier and voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) service provider to send calls made to 988 directly to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline…However, the carriers and service providers have until July 16, 2022, to make the transition.” For the article, click here.

“Welcome to the Covid-19 Mental Health Struggle,” by Artist Teresa Watson

Teresa Watson, an artist with a self-disclosed mental health condition, “shares her strategy for self-care” in a series of tongue-in-cheek drawings, which begins: “I’m schizoaffective and stuck at home with my cat.” Next, a cat, who appears to be seriously pissed off, says, “What the hell is going on?” To read more, click here.

The August 2020 Digest of Articles about the Criminal Justice System, in Which Many Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Are Incarcerated (and the Key Update continues after this Digest)

For “Psychiatrist: America’s ‘Extremely Punitive’ Prisons Make Mental Illness Worse,” click here. For “Inmates witnessed a suicide attempt. They received coloring pages instead of counseling,” click here. For “Man remains stuck in a forensic mental health system some say is biased against Black people: Spent 2 years in hospital after psychotic episode led to his 1st criminal charges,” click here. For “Ambitious Mental Health Training for Cops: Basic mental health first aid training is de rigueur in many police forces. Tucson, Arizona, takes its approach further,” click here. For “COVID, cash bail and ‘drive-by therapy’: a deadly combination,” click here. For “Why It’s Not So Simple to Arrest the Cops Who Shot Breonna Taylor,” click here. For “Everything You Know About Mass Incarceration Is Wrong,” click here. For “Police Should Not Respond to People in Emotional Distress/Crisis: The Urgent Need for Non-Coercive Supports and Services,” click here. For “Inside San Quentin prison, you sit and wait until covid-19 comes for you,” click here. For “Where the Sick Get Sicker and the Sane Are Driven Mad: Behind Bars,” click here. For “Criminal record will no longer bar people outright from seeking occupational licenses in R.I.,” click here. For “Support For Defunding The Police Department Is Growing. Here’s Why It’s Not A Silver Bullet. Past budget cuts have had unintended consequences. Now, proponents say it’s time to fundamentally reimagine the role of the police,” click here. For “Mayor London Breed Announces Roadmap for New Police Reforms. Additional reforms will focus on eliminating the need for police to be first responders for non-criminal situations and changing hiring, promotional, training, and disciplinary systems,” click here. For “They’ve been granted parole. So why can it take years for them to get out of prison? The Department of Corrections sometimes doesn’t release prisoners until long after they’re approved for parole. Many then are sent back for minor missteps,” click here. For “There’s already an alternative to calling the police: A 31-year-old program in Eugene, Oregon, is a model in de-escalating situations that could end with law enforcement violence,” click here. (Note: The July 2020 edition of the Key Update included a story about this program: “‘CAHOOTS': How Social Workers And Police Share Responsibilities In Eugene, Oregon.” For that story, click here.) For “Unarmed specialists, not LAPD, would handle mental health, substance abuse calls under proposal,” click here. For “ ‘It Was An Execution’: Nicolas Chavez Was On His Knees When Police Killed Him. His Father Wants Answers. The Houston shooting has sparked more questions about use of force and what many experts call the failed promise of police body cameras,” click here. For “Federal judge tosses excessive force suit against five Dallas officers in Tony Timpa case: Timpa's family alleges that the officers, four of whom remain on the force, killed him in 2016 by using an improper prone restraint. But the judge says the five are protected by the ‘qualified immunity’ doctrine,” click here. For “Alabama’s 13 state prisons are grotesque chambers of horror,” click here. For “Can Jurors Save the Justice System,” click here. For “The War on Drugs and Mass Incarceration,” click here. For “Your Local Jail May Be a House of Horrors,” click here. For “The Junk Science Cops Use to Decide You’re Lying: Leaked documents detail law enforcement trainings in lie detection techniques that have been discredited by scientists,” click here. For “We Should Still Defund the Police: Cuts to public services that might mitigate poverty and promote social mobility have become a perpetual excuse for more policing,” click here. For “In Prison, Learning Magic by Mail: A deck of cards cut from milk cartons. A wand made with medical tape. How a group of inmates learned ‘the magic of magic,’” click here. For “Feds demand sweeping change at Hampton Roads Regional Jail in rare court action,” click here. For “When the Disenfranchised Use Counter-Narratives for Justice: Allissa Richardson, a pioneer in mobile journalism, discusses the emergence of smartphones and social media as tools to fight back against the mistreatment of marginalized citizens by law enforcement,” click here.

FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!

For Your Safety in the COVID-19 Era, Register to Vote by Mail!

“How to Stay Mentally Healthy During the Coronavirus Pandemic”

“There’s a lot of advice being offered right now about how to keep yourself physically healthy during the coronavirus pandemic, such as washing your hands and practicing social distancing. But managing mental health during this time is just as vital to your overall well-being…Fortunately, there are steps you can take to improve your mental health right now even if you’re social distancing,” writes VeryWellMind.com. “Despite [the] ongoing uncertainty of the situation, take small steps every day to address your emotional needs.” For the article, which includes many links to additional information, click here. And for a related article, “10 Ways to Ease Your Coronavirus Anxiety,” click here.

CDC and BBC Offer Advice on Stress and Coping During the Coronavirus Pandemic

“Coronavirus has plunged the world into uncertainty and the constant news about the pandemic can feel relentless,” the BBC writes. “All of this is taking its toll on people's mental health, particularly those already living with conditions like anxiety and OCD. So how can we protect our mental health?” To read more, click here. The CDC writes: “The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.” For the CDC advice on managing stress and anxiety during this difficult time, click here.

A Service-User-Led Survey of “Experiences of the Intersections of Psychosis, Difficult Events, and Trauma” Seeks Participants with Firsthand Experience

“Mapping the Disability Experience: Share Your Stories”

Hearing Voices Network Is Now Hosting Online Groups

Have You Ever Smoked, Drunk, Vaped, or Used Other Drugs? Or Do You Now? New Zealand COVID-19 Study Is Now Open to US Residents

Survey Seeks Respondents Who Are in Administrative/Leadership Positions in the Mental Health Field

Courtesy of Oryx Cohen