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.
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Free, Virtual Alternatives 2021 Announces Exciting Keynote Speakers! ALSO NEW: Nominate Peer Leaders for Awards, and Reserve Exhibit Space! Register now!
The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery—host of the (free!) 2021 (virtual) Alternatives Conference, now in its 35th year—has announced the impressive roster of keynote speakers! For a preview of the speakers and their stirring talks, click here. For descriptions of each Alternatives award and a form where you can make nominations, click here; deadline: June 16. For the Exhibitor Form, click here. This year, in addition to a full schedule of workshops guaranteed to engage, educate, and inspire participants, the conference will invite attendees to join Action Groups, during which group members will develop important strategic plans to take back to their communities and work on in the days, weeks, and months ahead. The three groups are National and Statewide Advocacy, Crisis Prevention and Alternatives to Institutionalization, and Promoting Racial and Social Justice. The conference—whose theme is “Connecting, Organizing, Activating!”—will take place on four non-consecutive days: July 8, 10, 15, and 17. For the Alternatives conference website, which includes a registration link and much more, click here. For questions: info@ncmhr.org.
Therapists Are Distracted by Social Media While Delivering Virtual Care, Researchers Report; Meanwhile, Telehealth Is Good for the Environment
A survey of 600 therapists found that “a significant proportion admit to being distracted while delivering care. A third admitted to providing lower-quality care to clients during online sessions,” according to MedPageToday.com. “Overall, 39% admitted to checking emails and social media while providing virtual care, and 16% reported substance use before or during sessions.” But nearly half of the therapists surveyed said “they prefer virtual sessions over in-person meetings,” due to convenience and because “video sessions provide therapists with a uniquely intimate look into their clients' daily lives, making it easier for them to assess their mental health.” However, telepsychiatry expert Peter Yellowlees, MD, of UC Davis Health, noting that “[t]here are all sorts of people in this world who call themselves therapists…,” wondered “whether these rates of social media distraction and substance use during virtual sessions would ring true for mental health clinicians with PhDs and MDs.” For the MedPageToday.com article, click here. For a report on the survey, click here. For a related story, “Another Benefit for Telehealth: It’s Good for the Environment: One of the nation’s largest health systems has found that its telehealth platform is not only helping patients and providers, but reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving trees,” click here.
June 14 Is Next Zoom Meeting of HALI’s “Creative Connections” Campaign
On June 14, 2021, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Hands Across Long Island (HALI) will host its next monthly 60-minute Creative Connections Campaign art group on Zoom. “The goal of this campaign is to connect with our community through cards, art, and letters of encouragement that can be delivered to and kept by people held in institutions, and who are feeling particularly isolated,” the organizers write. “To ensure that everyone receives art and letters, our goal is to collect 275 letters/pieces of art each month.” To join on Zoom, click on this link at the time of the meeting: https://zoom.us/j/92231574516. Join by phone: 1-929-205-6099 (meeting ID: 92231574516). (Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/ar98XWfxR.) “We encourage you to share this invitation and send your empowering letters and art to Hands Across Long Island, Attn: Emily Vaianella, 159 Brightside Ave., Central Islip, NY 11722.”
Virtual PharmedOut Conference on “Curtailing Commercial Influence on Healthcare” to Be Held June 16-18, 2021
“Cutting the Cord: Curtailing Commercial Influence on Healthcare” is the theme of PharmedOut’s virtual 2021 conference. The conference, to be held June 16-18, 2021, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET, “will focus on effective strategies for mitigating the damaging effect of industry influence on medical information and public health,” the organizers write. “PharmedOut is a Georgetown University Medical Center project that advances evidence-based prescribing and educates health care professionals and students about pharmaceutical and medical device marketing practices.” The keynote speaker will be distinguished writer and medical ethicist Harriet Washington. For more information about speakers, topics, registration fees, and to register, click here. “Students and people with more limited means” can pay a reduced fee, “and the organizers will try to accommodate others who cannot afford the full fee.” (Courtesy of Jim Gottstein)
“Mental Health System: Open Letter to the Media” Seeks Signatures
“Everyone who believes that the problematic aspects of the mental health system are not adequately represented in the media is invited to sign this letter,” writes Yulia Mikhailova, who launched this initiative to educate the media. The letter begins: “We, a group of people with first-hand experience of the mental health system, write to express our concern about what we see as one-sided coverage of this system in the media and to draw the attention of civil rights organizations to the systemic discrimination that we witnessed and experienced. We, our loved ones, or inmates in the facilities where we worked, were exploited for monetary gain and victimized in various other ways. We saw how abuse, corruption, and exploitation were covered up, while victims and critics of the system were silenced and marginalized.” For a short version of the letter, which includes a link to a longer version, click here. Questions? Contact Yulia Mikhailova at yuliamikh@gmail.com.
More Cities Get on Board to Minimize or Eliminate Police Role in 911 Calls Involving Mental Health, Homelessness, or Substance Abuse
Thirteen cities “are developing ‘alternative’ or ‘co-response’ programs to minimize or eliminate the role of police officers responding to 911 calls involving mental health, homelessness, or substance abuse,” CNN reports. With guidance from an eight-week program coordinated by Everytown For Gun Safety and What Works Cities, workers in mental health, law enforcement, social work and government from those cities were connected with experts from Eugene, OR, where the CAHOOTS program, developed 30 years ago, is serving as a model. Twelve of the cities are Albany, NY; Albuquerque, NM; Austin, TX; Birmingham, AL; Saint Paul, MN; Providence, RI; Louisville, KY; Boston; Chicago; Phoenix; San Antonio; and Seattle; the 13th city was not identified. Michel Moore, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, told CNN that “as a society, we gotta stop being cheap when it comes to mental health and safety and realize we've relied on police and fire for too long because other professions need to step up and aren't there.” For the CNN article, which includes links to more information, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts) For more about the criminal justice system, see the June 2021 Digest of Articles About the Criminal Justice System, below.
NEC Offers Free Virtual eCPR Training to Youth Aged 16-25
From June 21 through June 25, from noon to 2:30 p.m. on each of the five days, the National Empowerment Center (NEC) will offer a free virtual (via Zoom) eCPR (Emotional CPR) training to youth aged 16 to 25. The training has been designed by and for youth. NEC writes: “eCPR is a profound process of reclaiming our Connection (to self and others), embodying emPowerment and ultimately feeling Revitalized. The certification training engages your heart and mind in an experiential and unfolding process that includes embracing mutual support.” For more information and to register, click here.
Free Webinar Hosted by Disability Rights California: “LGBTQ+ Communities and Mental Health”
On June 22, 2021, at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT), Disability Rights California will present a free webinar on “LGBTQ+ Communities and Mental Health: Experiences of Thriving with Courage in the Face of Adversity.” “In honor of Pride Month, we have invited speakers from the LGBTQ+ and mental health communities to share their personal stories of courage, strength and purpose,” the hosts write. For details and to register, click here.
HUG ME Ink Issues Call for Proposals for Virtual Peer-A-Palooza
Helping to Unite by Generating Mental Empowerment (HUG ME) Ink will host the 1st Annual Peer-A-Palooza on September 24 and September 25, 2021, eight hours each day, via Whova. The theme of the conference is “Creating a Zest for Life Through Growth, Resilience, Recovery and Community.” The goals are to empower peers with the necessary tools to grow in their own recovery, to leave the past as the past and move forward with dreams, and to be the change agent they can be in their community.” To submit a proposal, fill out the Call for Proposals by the deadline of August 14 HERE.
Former UN Special Rapporteur Denounces “Global Psychiatry’s Crisis of Values”
Dainius Pūras, MD, a Lithuanian psychiatrist and human rights advocate who served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur from 2014 to 2020, has “criticized the excessive systemic reliance on biomedical approaches and coercive practices in psychiatry across the world, advocating for a much-needed emphasis on approaches based on public health and human rights.” In an interview published in Psychiatric Times on June 3, 2021, Dr. Pūras said that “the entire field of global mental health needs to be liberated from obstacles that reinforce [the] vicious cycle of discrimination, stigmatization, institutionalization, coercion, over-medicalization, and helplessness…These are the most serious obstacles that need to be addressed: power asymmetries, overuse of [the] biomedical model and biomedical interventions, and [the] biased use of knowledge and evidence.” To read the interview, click here.
Benefits of “Involving Persons with Lived Experience in Service Delivery, Development and Leadership” Are Covered in Recent Article
“Globally, there has been an emphasis on the importance and value of involving people with lived experience of mental health conditions in service delivery, development and leadership,” two South African researchers write in a recently published article in Cambridge University Press. “Such individuals have taken on various roles, from peer support specialists and other specialized professions to leadership in mainstream industries. There are, however, still obstacles to overcome before it is possible to fully include people with lived experience at all levels in the mental health and related sectors.” For the article, “Perspectives: involving persons with lived experience of mental health conditions in service delivery, development and leadership,” click here.
New York Times Names Amanda Morris as Reporting Fellow Focused on Disability Issues
Amanda Morris, an experienced journalist with an impressive résumé, will be joining The New York Times’s National desk as its first reporting fellow focused on disability issues. “Raised by profoundly deaf parents, Amanda identifies with the disability community, having a moderate-to-severe hearing loss,” the announcement reads. “Amanda will report and write stories on a range of issues related to disability as part of the newsroom’s effort to better cover the nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population that lives with some kind of disability. ‘Few avenues exist to develop journalistic expertise on disability issues because such beats do not exist at most news outlets,’ said Ted Kim of The Times. “ ‘The lack of coverage, in turn, results in a lack of awareness about issues that affect a large portion of the country.’ ” For more, click here.
CSGJC Issues Two Useful Publications to Improve the Criminal Justice System’s Response to People with Behavioral Health Conditions
The Council of State Governments Justice Center (CSGJC) recently published two new guides whose goal is to improve interactions between people with behavioral health needs and the justice system. One guide, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Guide to Advancing Justice-Related Goals, notes: “The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan offers an unprecedented opportunity for state and local leaders to invest in public health and safety programs and promote stronger, more equitable communities. This guide outlines need-to-know information about how state and local leaders can leverage American Rescue Plan funding to advance eight key criminal justice priorities.” For the guide, which includes links to each of the eight priorities—among which is “Reduce criminal justice involvement for people with behavioral health needs”—and the funding opportunities for state and local governments, click here. For a second CSGJC publication, “Using Information-Sharing Protocols During Crisis Situations: Police-mental health collaboration (PMHC) programs support law enforcement agencies around the country in planning and implementing effective public safety responses to people who have mental illnesses,” click here.
BJA Offers FY 2021 Second Chance Act Pay for Success Initiative to Governments
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) writes: “This program provides funding for state, local, and tribal governments to enhance or implement performance-based and outcomes-based contracts with reentry, permanent supportive housing, or recovery housing providers to reduce recidivism and address the substance use disorders impacting formerly incarcerated people.” The Grants.gov deadline is June 22, 2021. For the announcement and to download the application, click here.
Free Webinar: “Increasing Cultural Competency in Mental Health Care Settings”
On June 29, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. ET, Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness will present a free, 90-minute SAMHSA-sponsored webinar on “Increasing Cultural Competency in Mental Health Care Settings.” The hosts write that a “lack of cultural competency in the mental health care space” is one of the many barriers to care. “Racial/ethnic minority individuals often receive lower quality healthcare services, such as fewer diagnostic procedures and negative verbal and nonverbal communication styles from providers. People with other marginalized identities, like LGBTQ+ individuals, are more likely to experience mental health concerns than cisgender, heterosexual people but may receive ineffective care due to a provider’s reluctance to address gender and sexuality. In this webinar, we will focus on how to increase cultural competency on an individual and systemic level.” For a link to register, click here. (Courtesy of Judene Shelley)
“Supporting the Journey Back Outside” Is the Next Free Webinar in Doors to Wellbeing’s Monthly Series
“Supporting the Journey Outside,” the next 60-minute webinar in the monthly series hosted by Doors to Wellbeing, will take place on June 29, 2021, at 2 p.m. ET. Doors to Wellbeing writes: “After a year of COVID-19 precautions, the world is opening up again. Individuals have different feelings about what that means in their lives and some are more hesitant to return to normal and to be around people more regularly. As peer specialists, how do we support our populations in reintegrating to the outdoors after a year?” For details and a link to register, click here.
International Conference on Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal Scheduled for May 2022
The first conference of the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal is tentatively scheduled for May 2022 in Reykjavik, Iceland; the dates will be confirmed this month (June 2021). “The three themes underpinning the conference are safe withdrawal from psychiatric medication, alternatives to psychiatric medication, and the need to question the dominance of medication in mental health care.” Confirmed speakers include Robert Whitaker (journalist and founder of Mad in America), Professor Joanna Moncrieff (psychiatrist and researcher), Laura Delano (co-founder of the Inner Compass Initiative and a person with lived experience), Dr. Carina Håkansson (founder of Family Care Foundation and The Extended Therapy Room Foundation), and Dr. Magnus Hald (Psychiatrist at the Drug-Free Treatment Unit, Norway). For more information, click here.
Some Researchers Are Pushing a New Diagnosis—While Critics Say It Could Lead to “Many Being Prescribed Inappropriate Medications,” Which Is Already a Frequent Occurrence.
“Despite resistance, a group of researchers is investigating the possibility of a new mental health disorder” is the headline of a STAT Health article. The new diagnosis—Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT)—is currently designated a “clinical construct”—just a group of behaviors. “If SCT became an official diagnosis, proponents argue, it could make it easier for those with symptoms of the construct to get the help they need.” Meanwhile, critics warn “that SCT is an outgrowth of misdiagnosis of ADHD that could result in many being prescribed inappropriate medications”—which is already true for many people, whatever their diagnosis. For “Older Adults Frequently Prescribed Inappropriate Medication,” click here. For “Potentially inappropriate prescriptions in patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital,” click here. (“Conclusion: PIP [Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing] is common in psychiatric patients and potentially fatal.”) For the STAT article, click here.
“With Effort, It’s Possible to Forget Certain Memories,” The New York Times Reports
Some memories are painful, and we’d like to forget them. This short New York Times article offers some ways to do that. Two techniques the Times describes are “thought substitution” and “direct suppression,” which involve different areas of the brain. For the article, click here.
“Heart and Brain” Provides Thoughtful, Heartfelt Comic Relief (Pun Intended)
“ ‘The Awkward Yeti’ and all of its work are authored and illustrated by cartoonist Nick Seluk. It was his dream since he was a kid to be funny, and someday he hopes to be.” For “Heart and Brain,” click here.
The June 2021 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For “If You Want to Be Happy, Try to Make Someone Else Happy. A new study shows that doing kind things for others is an important path to happiness,” click here. For “The Audacity of Nope: Saying ‘no’ isn’t always nice, but it is necessary,” click here. For “How Food May Improve Your Mood: The sugar-laden, high-fat foods we often crave when we are stressed or depressed, as comforting as they are, may be the least likely to benefit our mental health,” click here. For “There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing: The neglected middle child of mental health can dull your motivation and focus—and it may be the dominant emotion of 2021,” click here. For “10 ways to care for your mental health in lockdown,” click here. For “It’s Finally Time to Take the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change Seriously,” click here.
The June 2021 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 “It’s working in Eugene, Olympia, Denver: More cities are sending civilian responders, not police, on mental health calls,” click here. For “Prison Reform and Olmstead,” click here. For “A Second Look at Injustice: Ending mass incarceration and tackling its racial disparities require taking a second look at long sentences,” click here. For “Mother called 911 to get help for her son. Hours later, police shot him and he died,” click here. For “A Courts-Focused Research Agenda for the Department of Justice: Recommendations for the Justice Department research agenda to shed more light on how to improve our nation’s vast system of local, state, and federal courts,” click here. For “The Emerging Movement for Police and Prison Abolition: Mariame Kaba, a New York City-based activist and organizer, is at the center of an effort to ‘build up another world,’” click here. For “Video Footage of Death of Black Man in South Carolina Jail Stirs Outrage: The death of Jamal Sutherland after officers tried to remove him from his cell using pepper spray and tasers raised calls for changes in the treatment in custody of the mentally ill,” click here. For “The Death Row Soul Collective,” click here. For “Since 2010, at least 107 have died from prone restraint despite police departments being warned 25 years ago,” click here. For “Police departments adopting facial recognition tech amid allegations of wrongful arrests,” click here. For “The Power and Discretion of the American Prosecutor,” click here. For “Opinion: Inequities are deep and numerous for incarcerated women, and it's time to intervene: We can and must create meaningful change in our criminal justice system and community support programs,” click here. For “Alexandria will remove police from public school hallways,” click here. For “Wrongly Convicted Of Murder, Juan Rivera Uses Settlement Money To Open Barber College With His Former Prison Guard In Rogers Park,” click here. For “Domestic abuse head injuries prevalent among women in prison, study finds,” click here. For “On Parole, Staying Free Means Staying Clean and Sober,” click here. For “Tiny artworks promote creativity and keep incarcerated artists in action,” click here. For “Born In Prison, How One Woman Used Her Trauma To Write The Post Traumatic Prison Disorder Act,” click here. For “Advancing Gender Equity for Justice-Impacted Women in the Aftermath of COVID-19,” click here. For “Childhood Friends Open Pizzeria in Philadelphia Exclusively Employing Formerly Incarcerated Individuals,” click here. For “Adopted from China. Killed in the Poconos: An Asian American Teen Was Having a Mental Health Crisis When Police Killed Him,” click here. For “An Incarcerated Artist Memorializes the ‘Forgotten’ People Killed By COVID in Prison: ‘I refuse to allow these people to be remembered in their moments of misery,’” click here. For “Police Accountability Is a Matter of Life and Death,” click here. For “Philly moved to new police oversight as a report said the current system is in ‘dire need’ of overhaul: The new oversight commission would have more power than the body it is replacing, including the authority to issue subpoenas,” click here. For “New county diversion program, city effort aim to help young people with mental health issues in Lincoln area,” click here. For “Police Reimagined: One Year Later,” click here. For “End the Court Doctrine That Enables Police Brutality,” click here. For “Life Without Parole Is Replacing the Death Penalty—But the Legal Defense System Hasn’t Kept Up: Just ask a Dallas woman who spent a year in jail without talking to a lawyer,” click here. For “Jails, Sheriffs, and Carceral Policymaking,” click here. For “The Endless Trap of American Parole: How can anyone rebuild their lives when they keep getting sent back to jail for the pettiest of reasons?” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
(Virtual) 2021 Disability & Intersectionality Summit (DIS) Conference Info
The theme of the Disability & Intersectionality Summit (DIS)—"a biennial national conference that centers the multiple oppressions that shape the lived experiences of disabled individuals, as told by disabled people, in a setting organized by disabled activists”—is “Disabled Community Care and Survival: Strategies and Brilliance.” The organizers write: “This year’s DIS 2021 will have presentations scheduled from June - December.” For more about the Summit, click here. (Courtesy of Dan Fisher)
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Covid-19 Vaccinations But Were Afraid to Ask; and See How the U.S. Is Doing Compared to the Rest of the World
On January 27, 2021 (updated on June 3, 2021), The New York Times published “Answers to All Your Questions about Getting Vaccinated for Covid-19.” Among the important facts: “You shouldn’t try to stave off discomfort [by taking painkillers] before getting the [Covid-19] shot”; side effects after the second shot are worse than after the first shot; there is no risk of developing Covid-19 from the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines; and “Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines reach about 50 percent efficacy 10 to 14 days after the first shot. You’ll get peak protection…about a week after you get the second dose.” To read the interactive article, click here. One rare side effect the Times doesn’t mention is a “Covid arm” rash several days after the Moderna vaccine. For a USA Today story about it, click here. To track the vaccinations in the U.S., by state, and worldwide, click here.
CNN Offers “A Guide to Helping and Getting Help During the Coronavirus Crisis”
CNN writes: “The coronavirus pandemic is overwhelming, and one of the most excruciating parts for many people is the feeling of utter helplessness in the face of widespread suffering and hardship. CNN’s Impact Your World has compiled a list of donation opportunities and tips to help those affected by the crisis. Click on a category or scroll down to browse a list of organizations, resources and ideas. Need help? Most categories also include resources for financial, emotional or social support.” For the free guide, click here
RMIT Mad Studies Network, based in Melbourne, Australia, Hosts Monthly Virtual Reading Group
“The RMIT Mad Studies Network brings together anyone interested in Mad Studies, mad ideas, critical thinking about mental distress, the politics of ‘mental health,’ the mental health consumer/survivor/ex-patient movement and alternatives to the contemporary mental health paradigm/system,” according to the RMIT website’s home page. Currently, the RMIT’s main activity is a monthly reading group, now held virtually. The 90-minute groups take place on the third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time), which is 14 hours later than Eastern Daylight Time (5 a.m. EDT on the third Monday of the month). The time difference grows as you move west: 4 a.m. CT, 3 a.m. MT, 2 a.m. PT. For more information, click here.
First Virtual ESTSS Conference to Be Held June 17-18, 2021
The European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies will host its first virtual conference, on “Trauma and Mental Health during the Global Pandemic,” June 17-18, 2021 (with preconference workshops on June 16). ESTSS writes: “Our invited speakers will present their research and clinical work experiences regarding this complex topic from different perspectives (see Tracks).” For more information, click here.
12th World Hearing Voices Congress to Be Held in Cork, Ireland, September 1-3, 2021
The 12th World Hearing Voices Congress, whose theme is “Solidarity in Times of Adversity: The Global Voice Hearing Community Reconnecting,” will be held September 1-3, 2021. “This year’s Congress will create spaces for voice hearers, family members, carers, practitioners, academics, and all those interested in the principles and values of the International Hearing Voices Movement, to connect and/or reconnect with one another in a post-pandemic world, either in person in Cork, Ireland, or online across the globe,” the organizers write. “If restrictions do not allow to have a hybrid Congress in Cork, then Congress will move fully online!” The online fees for voice hearers/students are £45.00 ($67); for practitioners, £65.00 ($97). If a hybrid Congress can be offered, then the fees will be €80 ($95) for voice hearers/students; €180 ($211) for practitioners. (The monetary conversion rates are as of this writing.) For more information, including a link to register, click here. (Courtesy of Janet Paleo)
Disability Rights California Invites You to Its Past, Present, and Future (Free) Webinars
Disability Rights California (DRC) writes: “You are cordially invited to join us in our virtual disability rights trainings. Our webinars are twice a week, on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT) in English and Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) in Spanish. Our free trainings provide information and resources on different topics related to mental health, self-advocacy, our legal rights (based on California law) and access to services that are informative and empowering. We welcome all peers (people with lived experience), service providers, family members and people in the community.” To view the webinars, click here.
NARPA Free Webinar Series Is Available Online
“In lieu of a face-to-face conference in 2020, NARPA presented a series of webinars related to current events. The last presentation in this series took place in December, with ‘Mental Health Courts and Specialized Courts in Canada: Access to Justice from the Perspective of people with psychiatric histories.’ All of the webinars are free and are available for streaming on NARPA's YouTube Channel. For more information, 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
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 R. 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)
“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.
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.
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. 12, June 2021. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH