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
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 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
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
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 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)
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.!
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.
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
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. For a discussion of how to bring groups online, recorded by the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community, 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.
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)
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. 5, November 2020. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH