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.
***
On July 8, 10, 15, and 17, You Can Participate in the FREE, Virtual Alternatives 2021 Conference! See the Complete Schedule Here!
The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery—host of the FREE, virtual Alternatives 2021 conference, now in its 35th year—has published its exciting program! The conference, which will begin on July 8, will continue on July 10, 15, and 17! For descriptions of the more than 60 workshops, and the presenter bios, click here. For a July 8 and July 10 schedule-at-a-glance with Zoom links to each presentation, click here. (If you register for the conference, you will receive the July 15 and July 17 schedules on or before July 12.) For morning and evening activities, 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 theme is “Connecting, Organizing, Activating!” For the Alternatives conference website, click here. To register, click here. For questions: info@ncmhr.org.
“New WHO Guidance Seeks to Put an End to Human Rights Violations in Mental Health Care”
On June 10, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that mental health care “should be located in the community and should not only encompass mental health care but also support for day-to-day living, such as facilitating access to accommodation and links with education and employment services. WHO’s new Guidance on community mental health services: promoting person-centered and rights-based approaches further affirms that mental health care must be grounded in a human rights-based approach…‘This comprehensive new guidance provides a strong argument for a much faster transition from mental health services that use coercion and focus almost exclusively on the use of medication to manage symptoms of mental health conditions, to a more holistic approach that takes into account the specific circumstances and wishes of the individual and offers a variety of approaches for treatment and support,’ said Dr. Michelle Funk of [WHO’s] Department of Mental Health and Substance Use, who led the development of the guidance.” For the WHO press release, click here. (Courtesy of Robin Osborne)
“AT&T Launches 988 Hotline Support for Emergency Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Services”; But Some Advocates Question Whether It May Unduly Disrupt Some People’s Lives
“A year ahead of a July 2022 deadline to implement 988 instant access to emergency mental health services, AT&T [along with T-Mobile and Verizon] has launched support for the hotline,” reports 9to5mac.com. For the story, click here. As reported by NPR, “Overall, the record supports the use of a dedicated 3-digit dialing code as a way to increase the effectiveness of suicide prevention efforts, ease access to crisis services, and reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health conditions," the [Federal Communications Commission] explained in the study, prepared in collaboration with SAMHSA.” For the NPR story, click here. But calling a suicide hotline may lead to the police, fearing a threat to themselves, shooting the caller (click here). And “[m]ad & disabled advocates who have experienced mental health crisis intervention, and even some crisis service providers, worry that [the proposal to include] geolocation would serve to further entrench coercion in mental health & crisis response systems, replicating problematic aspects of 911” (click here). And for “Suicide Hotlines Bill Themselves as Confidential—Even as Some Trace Your Call: Every year US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline centers covertly trace tens of thousands of confidential calls, and police come to homes, schools, and workplaces to forcibly take callers to psychiatric hospitals. Some people’s lives get upended,” click here. (Please see below for a free webinar about 988.)
Free Webinar: “Scaling Up 988: On the Road to the Ideal Crisis System”
On July 27, 2021, at 11:30 a.m. ET, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing will present a free, SAMHSA-sponsored webinar: “Scaling Up 988: On the Road to the Ideal Crisis System.” “This session will explore the implementation considerations of 988 for behavioral health providers within the framework outlined in the [209-page] Roadmap to the Ideal Crisis System: Essential Elements, Measurable Standards and Best Practices for Behavioral Health Crisis Response,” published in March 2021 (available here). For more information and to register for the webinar, click here. For questions: kelle.masten@nasmhpd.org.
“Likely Broad Impact for a U.S. DOJ Finding on Incarceration of People with Mental Illness”
“A pivotal moment has come in the long and complex effort to reform the U.S. criminal justice system. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has directed officials in Alameda County, California, to fundamentally change the way it deals with people with mental illness,” writes Ira Burnim, legal director of the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. “DOJ did so by issuing a formal “letter of findings,” taking the county to task for failing to meet the needs of people with mental illness and entangling them in the criminal justice system. Policy makers and lawyers are watching the situation closely, and the outcome is likely to have an impact far beyond the Bay Area…The MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge, which is helping to reduce jail populations across the country, has provided a blueprint…” For the article, click here. At the same time, many cities and towns around the U.S. are changing the way they handle calls involving people with mental health conditions. Three recent examples are Denver; Oakland, California; and Springfield, Illinois. (The Denver article is courtesy of Kevin Fitts; the Oakland article is courtesy of Berta Britz.)
Yale Study of COVID-19’s Mental Health Impact Seeks Focus Group Participants with Physical and/or Mental Health Challenges
A study at Yale University led by people with lived experience is recruiting individuals who live with physical and/or mental health challenges to talk about how their lives have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic started. “The Wisdom project: exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of persons who experience adverse living conditions” is led by Larry Davidson, PhD, and Ana Florence, PhD. Ana is a Brazilian psychologist, activist, and postdoctoral associate, and Larry is Director of the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health. If you live with mental and/or physical health challenges and would like to participate, you can email wisdomprojectyale@gmail.com or call 475-355-5393. “All focus groups will be held virtually, and a $50 e-gift card will be provided to each participant,” the researchers say.
Does Disclosing Your Mental Health Condition on Applications Hurt Your Chances? Maybe.
“[E]vidence consistently suggests that disclosing a mental illness on applications is considered by admissions committees [of graduate programs], may be viewed unfavorably, and may diminish one’s chances of getting admitted, even for strong applicants,” according to the online abstract of a recent article—“The Quandary: Disclosing a Mental Illness in Applications to Helping Professional Academic Programs”—by Mark S. Salzer, PhD, director of the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion. In the article, to be published in the APA journal Stigma and Health, Dr. Salzer considers the implications of these findings, “including a call for caution when making a decision about disclosure, as well as implications for admissions’ committees when reviewing such applications to avoid bias, and potential legal liability, as well as how they can demonstrate the values of the field in welcoming and embracing such applicants.” For the abstract, click here. Stigma and Health is a quarterly publication edited by Patrick W. Corrigan, Psy.D. For more about the publication, including links to sample articles, click here.
MHA Offers Its National Certified Peer Specialist Certification
“The National Certified Peer Specialist (NCPS) certification is a voluntary, examination-based certification that allows peers to demonstrate a high level of experience and competencies in peer support,” Mental Health America writes. “The NCPS does not replace state certifications but is an add-on to required state certifications. Individuals who earn the NCPS go above and beyond state certification to show their leadership and commitment to the growth and advancement of the field. Our Career Roadmap shows your path from deciding to work in peer support to earning the NCPS.” For more information, including the benefits of the NCPS, certification requirements, and how the NCPS was developed, click here. And for the National Association of Peer Supporters’ national practice guidelines, click here.
HALI’s “Creative Connections” Campaign Will Meet via Zoom on July 12
On June 12, 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.) “For organizations that would like to participate in our campaign, please contact Stacy Simbrom at ssimbrom@hali88.org and include Emily Vaianella evaianella@hali88.org to schedule a time to speak with us. 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.”
Disability Rights California to Present Four Free Webinars in July
Disability Rights California (DRC) will host four free webinars in July 2021 on topics of interest to the disability rights community. These are “Find the legal help and services you need as a person with a Traumatic Brain Injury” (July 15, 2 p.m.-3p.m. PT, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET); “What are Deaf Children’s Rights in K – 12 Education?”—presented in American Sign Language (ASL)—(July 21, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. PT, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. ET); “The 123’s & ABC’s of Department of Rehabilitation (DOR)”—presented in ASL—(July 28, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. PT, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. ET); and “Effective Communication under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—presented in ASL—(July 31, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. PT, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. ET). In addition, OCRA (Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy), a DRC program, is hosting its first (virtual) self-advocacy conference: “Your Voice, Your Choice: Advocacy Starts with You,” from July 26 through July 30 (10 a.m.-12 p.m. PT each day). The conference is limited to “people served by the regional center and their circle of support”; the webinars are open to everyone. For more information and to register for these events, click here.
“The Conversation on Britney Spears, Conservatorship, and Psychiatric Power” Is Available on YouTube
“The leaked audio testimony from Britney Spears’ June 2021 conservatorship hearing is a clear, compelling articulation of the many ways that individuals labeled ‘mentally ill’ can be stripped of their basic rights and liberties,” according to the text accompanying a new YouTube video of a conversation about Britney Spears’ rights that took place on June 28, 2021. In the video, “Inner Compass Initiative’s executive director Laura Delano discusses conservatorship, psychiatric power, and the significance and broader implications of Spears’ testimony with Law Project for Psychiatric Rights founder Jim Gottstein and UCLA social welfare professor David Cohen.” For Britney Spears’ testimony, click here. For “Britney Spears’ conservatorship shines a light on the legal remedy’s harsh reality,” in the Los Angeles Times, click here. For the YouTube video, click here.
Free Webinar: “Post-Traumatic Growth and Resilience: Practices for Peer Groups” on July 27
On July 27, 2021, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will host the next in its monthly series of free webinars: “Post-Traumatic Growth and Resilience: Practices for Peer Groups.” Doors to Wellbeing writes: “Join us for a webinar where you can learn what post-traumatic growth and resilience are, and how resilience and post-traumatic growth impact interactions in a group environment. The session will support participants in developing skills and identifying tools that foster post-traumatic growth in group environments.” For more information and to register, click here.
Rampant Weight Prejudice Harms Mental Health, International Study Confirms
“The harmful impacts of weight stigma can be real and long-lasting,” writes Rebecca Ruhl, the lead researcher in an international study of the impact of weight prejudice, published in the International Journal of Obesity. “They range from emotional distress—depressive symptoms, anxiety, low self-esteem—to disordered eating, unhealthy eating behaviors, lower physical activity, weight gain, increased physiological stress and avoiding health care.” The recent study compared experiences of weight prejudice of nearly 13,996 adults in six countries with “similar societal values” and found that it had been experienced by an average of 58 percent of participants, and many incorporated the prejudice into their self-image. The good news is that, “[i]n national studies, we found that more than 70 percent of Americans support adding body weight as a protected category, alongside categories such as race and age, to existing state civil rights laws. They also support new legislation to make it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees based on weight.” For the article, click here.
“8 Disability Podcasts That Are Well Worth a Listen”
“Social media, blogging, and the growth of journalism and publishing from the disability community have added more ways to connect,” Forbes magazine reports. “Podcasting offers a…particularly enriching way for disabled people to get information, emotional enrichment, and a more personal sense of connection, all from their own homes and devices.” For the Forbes article, which includes descriptions of the eight podcasts—none of which are specifically about mental health conditions—and for advice about starting your own podcast, click here. (Courtesy of Andy Imperato)
Free “National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care–A Best Practice Toolkit” Is Available
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Guidelines for Crisis Care–A Best Practice Toolkit “advances national guidelines in crisis care within a toolkit that supports program design, development, implementation and continuous quality improvement efforts,” SAMHSA writes. “It is intended to help mental health authorities, agency administrators, service providers, state and local leaders think through and develop the structure of crisis systems that meet community needs. This toolkit includes distinct sections for: defining national guidelines in crisis care; tips for implementing care that aligns with national guidelines; and tools to evaluate alignment of systems to national guidelines.” To download the free 80-page toolkit, click here. (Courtesy of Elizabeth R. Stone)
Registration Is Open for Peerpocalypse, to Be Held March 14-17, 2022!
The Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO) has announced registration for Peerpocalypse 2022, to be held March 14-17, 2022! “MHAAO is pleased to present its first hybrid conference! In-person attendance allows access to pre-conference events, keynote speeches, all workshops, evening events, and the job fair and exhibit hall. Virtual attendance includes access to keynote speeches and all workshops. In-person early registration—[deadline unspecified]—is $300; regular registration is $375. Virtual registration is $200. Lunch meals (sic), CEUs, a T-shirt, a printed program, and a badge are included for both in-person and virtual attendees. Registration must be received no later than February 14, 2022, to receive a T-shirt.” To register, click here.
“30 Wholesome Comics About Mental Health And Everyday Life By ‘Haley Drew This’”
“Artist Haley Weaver a.k.a. Haley Drew This connects the inner and the outer. The individual and the collective. Her comics surrounding issues like mental health, relationships, and selfhood encompass so many aspects of the human experience, you could just say they are about life. Yes, that might sound a little abstract, but Haley's work is multi-dimensional and can't be described with one adjective. So a broad noun will have to do.” For the comics, click here.
The July 2021 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For “More Evidence That Spending Money On Others Makes Us Happier Than Spending On Ourselves,” click here. For “Dear Class of 2021: Don’t Do Your Homework. Live Your Life,” click here. For “NPR’s Joy Generator: Feeling blah? Science shows you can boost happiness by taking time for small moments of delight. We’ve got ideas to try out right now. So grab your headphones and let’s play!” click here. For “Edward Diener, Psychologist Known as Dr. Happiness, Dies at 74: Since the 1980s, he was recognized as a leader in measuring what he called ‘subjective well-being.’ And, yes, he was very happy,” click here.
The July 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 “More police departments are training officers in de-escalation techniques, but does it work?” click here. For “Millions of People With Felonies Can Now Vote. Most Don’t Know It. In a handful of key states, no more than 1 in 4 formerly incarcerated people registered in time for the 2020 election, a Marshall Project analysis found,” click here. For “Collateral Consequences and the Enduring Nature of Punishment: For some people, punishment can continue years after the sentence ends, even decades,” click here. For “Probation and Parole as Punishment: Community supervision must be transformed in order to help people caught up in the justice system, not hurt them further,” click here. For “Exonerated Defendants Lost 25,000 Years to Wrongful Imprisonment,” click here. For the National Registry of Exonerations Report: “Governments Paid More than $2.9 Billion in Compensation, But More than Half of Those Exonerated Received Nothing,” click here. For “Specialized mental health team partner[s] with Arapahoe Sheriff's deputies: The new Behavioral Health Response Program team members wear plainclothes and arrive to calls unarmed. They work in partnership with deputies,” click here. For “Violent Encounters With Police Send Thousands of People to the ER Every Year: That's probably an undercount. But data from San Jose offers a glimpse of what the national scale of police violence might be,” click here. For “‘Cheap Clicks’: How the Media ‘Stigmatizes’ Suspects,” click here. For “The Juvenile Justice Task Force report gave us a roadmap to reform. Now it’s up to lawmakers to finish the job | Opinion,” click here. For “Building the Prison-to-College Pipeline: Securing a college education for the formerly incarcerated can break intergenerational cycles of poverty and crime,” click here. For “Mentally Ill and Sentenced to Death: After 45 years, Texas’ longest-serving death row inmate was resentenced last week due to a long history of severe mental illness. But state lawmakers this session again declined to ban the death penalty for people like him,” click here. For “What death row looks like when you’re on it,” click here. For “New LA Program To Divert Certain Low-Level Arrestees Away From Jail And Into Treatment,” click here. For “LAPD shootings of unstable people wielding sharp objects a deadly problem,” click here. For “Not That Innocent: Most people on death row are guilty. That doesn’t mean they deserve their fate,” click here. For “I wrote about kids sentenced to life without parole, then the letters from prison started: These treasures offered by desperate people cut off from my world were not discarded as junk; they were received, read, appreciated,” click here. For “After Grace’s Story, Michigan Will Study Its Juvenile Justice System: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed a task force to examine the state’s juvenile justice system and recommend reforms after a Black teen was jailed for not doing her online coursework,” click here. For “Chicago Police Are No Longer Allowed To Chase People For Minor Offenses Under New Policy,” click here. For “Treating All Kids as Kids: Persistent and longstanding racism has fueled harsher treatment of young Black people in the justice system,” click here. For “Commentary: Let’s seek forward-looking justice for Jamal Sutherland,” click here. For “What Did You Call Me? An incarcerated person writes about how dehumanizing language like “inmate” is destructive,” click here. For “The Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection: The FBI’s New Data Collection on Officer Suicide and Attempted Suicide,” click here. For “The Gun Data Expert Who’s Changing the Way the Media Defines Mass Shootings: Looking for a second career, Mark Bryant sold several revolvers to fund the launch of the Gun Violence Archive,” click here. For “More States Expand the Ballot to Previously Incarcerated,” click here. For “Task force reports racial, economic inequalities permeate juvenile justice system,” click here. For “The Man Rewriting Prison from Inside: Quntos KunQuest has been in Angola for twenty-five years. But his début novel, ‘This Life,’ isn’t the usual story of time behind bars,” click here. For “America’s Rural-Jail-Death Problem: Every day, in small towns and cities across the country, thousands of people are booked into local jails, many for minor crimes. Some never come home,” click here. For “Opinion: ‘We want to differentiate ourselves from television’: News outlets tossing old approaches to covering crime,” click here. For “Judge rips prison officials after inmate dies by suicide,” click here. For “Rise in jail deaths is especially troubling as jail populations become more rural and more female,” click here. For “How race shaped the South’s punitive approach to justice,” click here. For “A New Lease on Life: Comprehensive analysis on recidivism documents widespread research evidence that people convicted of homicide and other crimes of violence rarely commit new crimes of violence after release from long-term imprisonment,” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
“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.
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.
(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, 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.
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)
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.
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)
“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 Works to Advance Peer Research Capacity, Leadership, and Involvement
Nev Jones, PhD—a strong advocate for building research capacity, leadership, and involvement among peers, survivors, and service users—leads a virtual group dedicated to this effort. Dr. Jones—assistant professor, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh—was part of the team that developed “User/Survivor Leadership & Capacity Building in Research: White Paper on Promoting Engagement Practices in Peer Evaluation/Research (PEPPER),” published by the Lived Experience Research Network. For the white paper, click here. Anyone interested in joining the virtual group can email Nev at nev.inbox@gmail.com.
Mad In America Invites You to Submit Your Personal Story (Within Certain Guidelines)
Mad In America writes: “A ‘personal story’ is defined as your story of being in relationship to psychiatry and/or the mental health system, whatever that means to you. It might involve your opinions and analysis of what happened to you, as well. It can be about a specific event, or about your overall journey, provided it fits the length requirements (1,500 to 3,000 words) and has a narrative arc. The piece should be about your personal experiences, not psychiatry or the mental health system in general. Submissions should fall under the theme of rethinking psychiatry and the mental health system, and should be original works not previously published elsewhere. For examples of the types of stories we publish, view our personal stories archive here.” For more information and/or to submit a personal story, click here.
PsychAlive Offers a Variety of Webinars on Mental Health Topics, Many Free, Others $15
PsychAlive is a free, nonprofit resource created by the Glendon Association, whose mission is “to save lives and enhance mental health by addressing the social problems of suicide, violence, child abuse and troubled interpersonal relationships.” Psychalive.org offers a variety of upcoming and archived webinars, many of which are free, while others are available for $15. Among the myriad topics are “From Anxiety to Action: How to Stay Sane While Fighting Climate Change,” “How to Overcome Insecurity,” “Powerful Tools to Fight Depression,” and “Understanding and Overcoming Adverse Childhood Experiences.” To check out the webinars, click here.
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 18, No. 1, July 2021. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH