The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse is affiliated with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion!
TO CONTACT: THE CLEARINGHOUSE: SELFHELPCLEARINGHOUSE@GMAIL.COM … SUSAN ROGERS: SUSAN.ROGERS.ADVOCACY@GMAIL.COM … JOSEPH ROGERS: JROGERS08034@GMAIL.COM
The Key Update is compiled, written, and edited by Susan Rogers, Director, National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse.
September Is National Suicide Prevention Month
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. For some ideas about how to help, offered by the National Institute of Mental Health, click here. Last year, Policy Research Associates released free “safe messaging icons” to honor Suicide Prevention Month; they are still available, along with recommendations for reporting on suicide, if you click here. To read inspiring stories of suicide attempt survivors, click here. For the website of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), which includes a Suicide Attempt Survivor page as well as a Suicide Loss Survivor page, click here. The AAS home page includes the following statement: “We believe that the only way for the field of suicidology to reduce suicide and build lives worth living for BIPOC is to dismantle systems of oppression.” For the entire statement, click here. For “Reach Out: Ways to Help a Loved One at Risk of Suicide,” click here.
Free Webinar: “The Importance of Policies & Procedures in Peer-Run Organizations” Sept. 15!
On September 15, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, the five federally funded national technical assistance centers will host a free, 90-minute webinar: “The Importance of Policies & Procedures in Peer-Run Organizations.” The organizers write: “Topics will range from the nuts and bolts of organizing like budgeting, board development, fundraising, and strategic planning as well as conflict resolution, inclusion, and relationship building. We will explore each topic through the lens of what it is to be a peer-run organization.” To register, click here.
61st Annual National Dialogues on Behavioral Health Go Virtual!
The National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD) invites you to the 61st National Dialogues on Behavioral Health, which it is co-sponsoring. The conference will hold one session each Thursday from September 17 through October 22, 2020, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. The theme is “Implementing Crisis Response at State and Local Levels: New Paradigms, Partnerships and Innovative Approaches.” “The behavioral health world, including its crisis response systems, has been scrambling to adapt and adjust to the new realities of the Covid-19 Pandemic,” the conference organizers write. “Join us for six consecutive weeks as we address the emerging issues and innovations related to behavioral health crisis response in this new environment.” Registration is $100 for all six sessions or $25 for each individual session. For more information or to register, click here.
NYAPRS Announces Details of Its 2020 Virtual Annual Conference, beginning Sept. 22
NYAPRS has announced the details of its 38th (virtual) annual conference, whose theme is “RISE UP! Community, Connection, Culture.” The conference will be held during the days of Sept. 22 and October 1 and the days and evenings of Sept. 24 and Sept. 29. It will include the following keynote and special presentations: Dr. David Satcher, 16th U.S. Surgeon General; Hawk Newsome, chairman, Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, with a panel including Celia Brown, Jeff McQueen and Chacku Mathai; Harvey Rosenthal on the history of NYAPRS; the 2020 NYAPRS Annual Awards Ceremony; and an Office of Mental Health Town Meeting with Commissioner Ann Sullivan and Special Assistant to the Commissioner Amanda Saake. For a complete list of presentations—including dates, times, and presenters—and a registration link, click here. For those attending the conference who don’t need CE credits, it’s free! (With CE credits, it’s $49—still a bargain!)
BRSS TACS Shares Some Opportunities and Resources as It Says Goodbye
Before closing its doors on Sept. 4, 2020, BRSS TACS (Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy) shared several upcoming events and resources. These include “Power Hour: Strategies for Rapid Organizational Learning During Times of Uncertainty,” on Sept. 23, 2 p.m.-3 p.m. ET (click here); “Recovery LIVE! Virtual Event: Supporting Resilience & Recovery During Hard Times,” on Sept. 24, 2 p.m.-3p.m. ET (click here); and Recovery Support Tools and Resources (click here).
Free Webinar: “How State-Led Housing Initiatives Can Break the Cycle of Criminal Justice Involvement”
On September 23, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. ET, the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance will host a free, one-hour webinar on “How State-Led Housing Initiatives Can Break the Cycle of Criminal Justice Involvement.” “This webinar will focus on how critical state leaders are to enabling local communities in their efforts to reduce homelessness for people in the criminal justice system, particularly people with serious mental illness. It will also highlight examples of state actions to increase access and connections to rental assistance for people in the criminal justice system, and speakers will describe how their local communities are leveraging state programs to advance or pilot local housing priorities.” To register, click here. (For the monthly Key Update criminal justice digest, scroll down.)
“Almost 110,000 Americans Died While Waiting for a Social Security Disability Hearing”
Between 2008 and 2019, almost 110,000 Americans died while waiting for a Social Security Disability hearing, according to a recent study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). (The exact figure of 109,725 represents 1.2% of applicants, according to the GAO report.) Only a quarter of applicants are successful on their first try; however, appeals have a good chance of succeeding, the GAO noted. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. John B. Larson (D-CT), who commissioned the GAO study, say that the findings highlight the importance of decreasing the appeals backlog and providing more funding for Social Security. “It is absolutely unconscionable that thousands of Americans suffer and die every year waiting for a final decision to get the modest Social Security benefits they need to survive…” said Sen. Sanders. For the story, by CBS News, which includes a link to the GAO study, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
Next TU Collaborative Story Slam Is on September 24!
The final StorySlam to be held by the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion will be on September 24 at 3 p.m. ET. The theme will be “New Beginnings.” “Whether you have a story about your own ‘new beginning’ from 10 years ago or two weeks ago, we'd love to hear it. If you would like to attend the StorySlam as a listener or a storyteller, please register here! If you would like support in developing your story or have additional questions, please contact Kyra @ kyra.baker@temple.edu.”
Free Webinar: “The Value of Youth Peers Serving on Community Boards” on Sept. 29
On September 29, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will host a free webinar on “The Value of Youth Peers Serving on Community Boards.” You will learn “at least three reasons why youth representation is helpful to increase diversity and sustain the future of an organization, at least three ways to make a board more conducive to youth participation, and at least three best practices for recruiting youth onto a board.” For more information and to register, click here.
Free Webinar on “Revolutionizing Young Adult Peer Support: Empowerment, Advocacy, & Leadership”
On September 30, 2020, at 4:30 p.m. ET, the National Empowerment Center will host a 90-minute webinar on “Revolutionizing Young Adult Peer Support: Empowerment, Advocacy, & Leadership.” The National Empowerment Center writes: “This presentation will discuss the components of Young Adult Peer Support as they currently exist and efforts to revolutionize the work. Topics that will be discussed include understanding how to connect to young adults as a social class, how to promote and foster leadership among young adults, and how to properly advocate with youth and young adults.” To register, click here.
Free Webinar: “Olmstead in the Age of COVID” on Oct. 1, 2020
NARPA (National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy) will host a free webinar on Oct. 1, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. ET, on “Olmstead in the Age of COVID.” The presenters will be Jennifer Mathis, JD, director of policy and legal advocacy, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and Kathy Flaherty, JD, executive director, Connecticut Legal Rights Project. “This presentation by two distinguished civil rights advocates and attorneys will feature a discussion of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) community integration mandate and how it is faring in the era of COVID,” NARPA writes. For more information and to register, click here.
Full Texts of Recent Peer Support Research Articles Are Available for Free!
Nev Jones, Ph.D., assistant professor, College of Medicine Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, has generously created a dropbox that is full of the complete texts of recent peer support research articles, “with an emphasis on systematic reviews and/or methods commentaries/overviews of various kinds,” she writes. Among the articles included are “Investigating the mobility of the peer specialist workforce in the United States: Findings from a national survey”; “Peer support on the ‘inside and outside’: Building lives and reducing recidivism for people with mental illness returning from jail”; and “The Availability of Peer Support and Disparities in Outpatient Mental Helath Service Use Among Minority Youth with Serious Mental Illness.” There are also folders containing articles on “Cost Effectiveness and Cost Savings Research,” “Effectiveness Reviews,” “Individual Outcomes Studies,” and more! For the dropbox, click here.
Free: “Creating Our Mental Health,” a Virtual Town Hall Meeting, on Oct. 4
On October 4, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET, Mad In America and the East Side Institute will host a free, 90-minute virtual town hall meeting on “Creating Our Mental Health.” The sponsors write: “What is mental health? And what does creativity have to do with it? Two psychotherapists, Hugh Polk and Rachel Mickenberg, share the effectiveness of social therapy as a psychotherapy in which they and their clients together create emotional growth and health—regardless of psychiatric diagnosis or presenting problem.” For more information, click here.
WHO to Host Global Online Advocacy Event on World Mental Health Day, Oct. 10
“On World Mental Health Day, the 10th of October, WHO will for the first time host a global online advocacy event on mental health,” World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced. “During this event—the Big Event for Mental Health—I will be joined by experts and household names from the worlds of music and sport to talk about what we can all do to improve our mental health—and you will hear their stories. Each and every individual has a story to tell about mental health,” he continued. “I will also be joined by world leaders who will explain why they are investing in improving the mental health of the people they serve.” For more information, click here.
Free E-Book: “What Does It Mean to Be Called 'Crazy' in a Crazy World?”
Therapist, Madness Radio host, and schizophrenia survivor Will Hall asks, “What does it mean to be called crazy in a crazy world?” From the book’s website: “Outside Mental Health: Voices and Visions of Madness reveals the human side of mental illness. More than 60 voices of psychiatric patients, scientists, journalists, doctors, activists, and artists create a vital new conversation about empowering the human spirit. Outside Mental Health invites us to rethink what we know about bipolar [disorder], psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, medications, and mental illness in society.” The 404-page book can be downloaded for free if you sign up for Will Hall’s email list here. (Courtesy of Lauren Spiro)
New TU Collaborative Newsletter Offers Resources for College Students with Mental Health Conditions
The latest newsletter from the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion offers a “Back to Campus Planning Guide for College Students with Mental Health Conditions,” “including considerations for remote, in-person, and hybrid learning formats.” And “Did you know college students who are actively engaged in their campus environment are more likely to graduate?” You can download a free 49-page manual to help! “The intervention described was delivered virtually and has relevance to students whether they are attending school in person or virtually!” For the newsletter, click here.
Peer Ink, a New Publication “for Peers by Peers,” Seeks Submissions
Hug Me Ink, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advocate and educate about mental health awareness through the arts, is seeking original poems, stories, articles or art work for new editions of Peer Ink: A Magazine for Peers by Peers. Send articles, stories, and poetry as a Word document on any relevant topic. Send art work as a JPEG or PNG file. With all submissions, include your name, age, city and state, and a short bio and a photo (optional) to hugmeink@gmail.com. The deadline for the December 2020 Holiday issue is November 1, 2020. For the May 2021 edition, celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month, the deadline is April 2, 2021. For additional deadlines, advertising rates, and other questions, or if you would like a sample of the Peer Ink magazine published in 2016, contact hugmeink@gmail.com. For more about Hug Me Ink, click here.
Free Webinar: “Doing More Harm Than Good—Why Psychiatric Drugs Fail Over the Long Term”
On October 14, 2020, at 5:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time in the U.S., 7:30 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time, prominent investigative journalist and author Robert Whitaker will present a one-hour webinar on “why current pharmacotherapy treatments for chronic mental [health conditions] fail over the long term and the need for innovation to introduce new treatments to combat mental [health conditions].” According to webinar host Mind Medicine Australia, “A historical review of research on antipsychotics and antidepressants reveals that as early as the 1970s, researchers had begun to worry that these drugs might increase the ‘chronicity’ of psychotic disorders and depression.” For more information and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Robin Osborne)
Third Annual Crisis Residential Conference Goes Virtual: October 14-15, 2020
The third annual Crisis Residential Conference, covering residential alternatives to psychiatric hospitalization, will take place October 14-15, 2020: “…attendees will learn about innovations and best practices in the field of behavioral health crisis care,” the conference organizers write. Among the presentations are “Providing Co-Occurring Enhanced Crisis Residential Services,” “Adjusting the Sails: Transformative Supervision in Crisis Settings and Times of Crisis,” “How can we be the most helpful? Practical Strategies for Critical Engagement in Crisis Residential Services,” and “On the Cutting Edge: Emerging Ideas in Behavioral Health Care.” Please note that all the times are in Pacific Time. For the announcement, which includes a link to the full agenda and to registration, click here. Early Bird registration is through September 18.
BPS Issues Statement on Clinical Psychologists with Lived Experience
The British Psychological Society (BPS), Division of Clinical Psychology, recently issued its “Statement on clinical psychologists with lived experience of mental health difficulties.” The brief introduction reads: “The Division of Clinical Psychology publicly recognizes and supports the unique and valued contribution that lived experience of mental health difficulties brings to individuals working within clinical psychology. When lived experience is actively valued in aspiring, trainee and qualified clinical psychologists, it can help to enrich practice and improve service provision.” The paper continues with five points, starting with “Lived experience of mental health difficulties is common” and concluding with “Lived experience is an asset.” For the complete paper, click here.
“Orchestrating Change” Is a New Documentary About an Orchestra Created By and For People with Mental Health Conditions
“Orchestrating Change,” a documentary about the Me2/Orchestra, will air on various public television stations throughout the fall. The orchestra—whose name was chosen before the Me Too movement—was co-founded in 2011 in Burlington, Vermont, by Jacob Braunstein, an award-winning conductor diagnosed with bipolar disorder, who wanted to revive his conducting career. The orchestra has generated affiliates in Boston; Manchester, New Hampshire; Portland, Oregon; and another in the works in Denmark. The orchestras are open to all skill levels, and also offer support to the musicians. For more about the documentary, including a link to the broadcast schedule, click here. For the article, click here.
“20 Comics That Capture Life with Anxiety and Depression”
“At GoComics, creators share their struggles with anxiety, depression, and more with an aim to relate to readers who may be going through the same thing. Sometimes it’s with a laugh, other times it’s with a poignant character moment,” but the comics seek to ease the feelings of self-stigma that may be associated with mental health conditions. For some comic relief, originally published in 2017, click here.
Outstanding Human Rights Advocate Mark Davis Has Died
We are very sad to learn of the death of Mark Davis, a passionate and award-winning mental health, LGBTQ, and human rights advocate who was also known for his warmth, his kindness, his humor, and his larger-than-life personality. While based in Philadelphia, he also played an important role in the Pennsylvania statewide and the national advocacy arenas. As Mark’s NARPA bio noted, in part, “As a person who is gay, living with mental illness, in recovery from addiction, dealing with hearing loss and living with an HIV-positive diagnosis, he has consistently used his experiences and skills to combat stigma, inspire others in similar circumstances and [e]ffect change in both health and behavioral health systems.” (To read his NARPA bio, which includes details of Mark’s many achievements, click on https://www.narpa.org/bios/davis.) He will be greatly missed.
The September 2020 Digest of Articles about the Criminal Justice System, in Which Many Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Are Incarcerated (and the Key Update continues after this Digest)
For “When Cities Replace Police with Social Workers,” click here. For “Social Workers Are Rejecting Calls for Them to Replace Police: Some say their roles are already too close to those of law enforcement and are organizing for a radical rethinking of the profession,” click here. For “The Power of Community Bail Funds: They help keep people’s lives from being ruined by exorbitant bail. Efforts to thwart these funds are the true public safety threats,” click here. For “Portland Pays Nearly $1 Million to Family of Lane Martin, Man with Mental Illness Police Shot,” click here. For “Men locked up at Cuomo’s prison nursing home claim they can’t get medical care: ‘Sent us to fade away and die,’” click here. For “This Crisis Team Has Handled Mental Health Calls Without Cops for 30 Years: The Gerstein Crisis Centre in Toronto, with its non-violent de-escalation approach, shows a way forward in defunding the police,” click here. For “Telling stories about crime is hard. That’s no excuse for not doing better,” click here. For “His Brother Called for Help After He Was Acting Strangely. Police Knelt on Him Until He Was Brain Dead Body camera video shows that Daniel Prude was complying with police when they knelt on his back and pushed his face to the ground for so long that he stopped breathing,” click here. For “The horrifying case of Daniel Prude raises troubling issues about Rochester’s mayor and police force,” click here. For “Act now or coronavirus will sentence more prisoners to death, say experts: Jails and prisons are among the largest clusters of Covid-19 in the US, with infection spreading to surrounding communities,” click here. For “New York Promised to Help Mentally Ill People as They Left Prison. Here’s What Happened Instead: Their situation became even more dire when the pandemic struck,” click here. For “Amicus Brief in Support of North Carolina Felony Disenfranchisement Lawsuit: North Carolina felony disenfranchisement law amplifies the hardship that the criminal justice system disproportionately visits upon Black Americans; exacerbates stark racial disparities in income, wealth, and economic opportunity; and unduly mutes the voices of Black North Carolinians in public affairs,” click here. For “True Lies: How to End Abuses of Police Interrogation,” click here. For the most recent Council of State Governments Justice Center newsletter, click here. For “As human beings, we can change. My company hires former inmates who prove that every day. My goal is to make employment more accessible for formerly incarcerated men and women once they are released. They shouldn't experience what I did,” click here. For “How Counseling Incarcerated Clients Helps Me Heal: My brother committed suicide because he felt totally alone. As a volunteer social worker at a jail, I can let even the most judged people know that someone cares,” click here. For “New York Watchdogs Lack Data to Track Judges’ Compliance with Bail Reform: Although the new law took effect in January, state data showing how courts are applying it won’t be available until July 2021. And without funding, courts in small towns and villages may never collect the data,” click here. For “The Impact of Video Proceedings on Fairness and Access to Justice in Court: Increasing use of remote video technology poses challenges for fair judicial proceedings. Judges should adopt the technology with caution,” click here. For “Criminal Justice Reform Should Decriminalize Addiction, Advocates Say: Efforts to address the harms of police violence and incarceration must consider the drug war, activists and treatment professionals note, including the punitive models of treatment,” click here. For “Highway Stop-and-Frisk: How Pennsylvania State Troopers Conduct Illegal Traffic Searches: A review of five years of cases that arose from traffic stops in the south-central region of the state shows that police used underhand tactics to justify holding and searching drivers illegally, click here. For “Want Prosecutorial Reform? Start with Curtailing the Influence of Police Unions: Removing police union influence from the prosecutor’s office is a critical first step towards building a system that is safe, just, and fair for all,” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
Mark Your Calendars! An Online Global 14-Hour Festival: A Disorder 4 Everyone (AD4E)!
On September 18, 2020, from 4 a.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET, “AD4E is going online to bring you 14 continuous hours of inspiring content that challenges the culture of diagnosis and disorder! 14 hours of talks-poetry-interviews-presentations-videos-drama-panel-music, etc., all challenging the pathologizing of emotional distress. Dip in and out at your leisure. Some of it will be recorded (with the contributors’ permission) and added to the AD4E Youtube channel at a later date. Pay what you want: This is a fundraising event with a minimum fee of £1 to maximize accessibility. Please make a donation based on what you can afford.” For more information and/or to buy a ticket, click here. (Note: PayPal automatically changes the minimum payment in British pounds to the payment in U.S. dollars of $1.41.)
For Your Safety in the COVID-19 Era, Register to Vote by Mail!
In these uncertain times, with predictions of a “second wave” of COVID-19 this fall, it makes sense to vote by mail! You still have time to register before the presidential election, on November 3! For a Brennan Center for Justice article about the importance of voting by mail, click here. For the U.S. government website providing voter registration deadlines in every state and territory, click here. Have you registered yet?
Researchers Seek to Learn How to Advance Service-User-involved Studies; Can You Help?
University of South Florida (USF) researchers, with funding from PCORI, are conducting in-depth phone interviews with individuals from multiple stakeholder groups; the interviews will focus on participants’ experiences with, and perspectives on, participatory behavioral health services research. Eligible participants must have had some involvement in a “participatory—involving stakeholders not as subjects but as collaborators, partners, or advisors—or user-led research project,” the researchers write. “The interviewer will ask you a series of open-ended questions about your experiences with participatory research and perspective on barriers, facilitators, and priorities for improvement and expansion.” After their interview, participants will be emailed a $50 gift card. For more information, visit https://www.pathedcollab.org/; IRB protocol number 001380. Questions? Ask Principal Investigator Dr. Nev Jones (genevra@usf.edu) or co-lead Dr. Linda Callejas (callejas@usf.edu).
A Service-User-Led Survey of “Experiences of the Intersections of Psychosis, Difficult Events, and Trauma” Seeks Participants with Firsthand Experience
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 the HVN’s recorded discussion on how to bring groups online, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
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)
TU Collaborative Hosts Free Storytelling Workshops
The Temple University (TU) Collaborative on Community Inclusion is hosting free storytelling workshops every Tuesday (2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET) and Thursday (2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET). For workshop information, email Kyra at kyra.baker@temple.edu. In a related initiative, the TU Collaborative wants to hear your story! For the link, click here.
Free Resources for Peer Worker Supervisors Are Posted on the iNAPS Website
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.
If You Have Experienced Psychosis, “Psychosis Beyond the Box” Wants to Hear From You.
“Psychosis Beyond the Box” seeks to gather anonymous descriptions of “aspects of psychosis that are often neglected, such as felt presences, visual or quasi-visual experiences, and alterations of space, time or distance,” as well as strategies to help with any distressing or challenging aspects of the experiences. The narratives will be compiled and shared in early psychosis programs and other service settings across the U.S. A major aim of the project—which is not a research project—is “to validate the diverse range of things people with psychosis experience, and help people, especially young adults experiencing psychosis for the first time, feel less alone and isolated (in these experiences).” For more information about the project, based at the University of South Florida, or to share your story, click here. Questions? Write to Nev Jones (genevra@usf.edu) or ShannonPagdon@gmail.com.
“Experiences with Hospitalization” Survey Seeks Participants
“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
NIMH Launches Study of How COVID-19 Stressors Affect Mental Health Over Time
“Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are conducting an online research study to learn about how stressors related to the COVID-19 virus affect mental health over time,” NIMH writes. “We hope to better understand the experiences of participants during this difficult time. Participation involves completing online questionnaires every two weeks, for six months. The questionnaires take about 20 minutes to complete. You must be at least 18 years old to participate. Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time. Compensation is not provided.” Questions? Call 240.665.0697 or email NIMHResearchVolunteer@nihg.gov. For more information and/or to begin participating, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
Virtual Group Is Launched to Advance Peer Research Capacity, Leadership, and Involvement
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. 3, September 2020. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH