The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse is affiliated with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion!
TO CONTACT: THE CLEARINGHOUSE: SELFHELPCLEARINGHOUSE@GMAIL.COM … SUSAN ROGERS: SUSAN.ROGERS.ADVOCACY@GMAIL.COM … JOSEPH ROGERS: JROGERS08034@GMAIL.COM
The Key Update is compiled, written, and edited by Susan Rogers, Director, National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse.
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NOTE: The "FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!" Department, which is directly below the monthly Criminal Justice Digest, includes items that had been posted "above the fold" in earlier editions of the newsletter but are still relevant. These items include ongoing research studies that are still seeking participants, as well as upcoming webinars and conferences, and other items of continued interest. Don't miss it!
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"How Therapy, Not Pills, Can Nix Chronic Pain and Change the Brain"
New research, published in JAMA Psychiatry, "provides some of the strongest evidence yet that a non-drug, psychological treatment can provide potent and durable [pain] relief. The University of Colorado Boulder study found that two-thirds of chronic back pain patients who underwent a four-week psychological treatment called Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) were pain-free or nearly pain-free post-treatment. And most maintained relief for one year. They also showed changes in pain-generating brain regions after therapy...'This treatment is based on the premise that the brain can generate pain in the absence of injury or after an injury has healed, and that people can unlearn that pain. Our study shows it works,'" said lead author Yoni Ashar. For the CU Boulder press release and a link to the JAMA Psychiatry study, click here.
Lancet Offers Stakeholders New Opportunities Re: Psychosis & Participatory Research
Check out these opportunities for stakeholder involvement! (1) The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Psychoses is accepting applications for an academic advisory board (click here) and a lived experience advisory board (click here). (2) The Lancet Psychiatry Commission's "Lived Experience Hub" invites stakeholders to contribute blogposts to convey criticisms, concerns and/or ideas relevant to the work of the Commission. For details, click here. To submit a blog, email lancetcommissionpsychosis@gmail.com. (3) The Lancet Psychiatry Commission's "lived experience research group" is a new listserv focused on lived experience advocacy and activism on participatory psychosis research and related policy and practice. In part, this will serve as a sounding board for Lancet Commission work and a place to engage in dialogue about what needs to change. To join, email lancetcommissionpsychosis@gmail.com. (Courtesy of Dr. Nev Jones)
Free Online Dialogue: "Experts with Experience" Discuss Role of Researcher with Lived Experience in Mental Health Care
On November 8, 2021, researcher and educator Dr. Nev Jones, philosopher Rob Sips, and cultural scientist Alke Haarsma-Wisselink will discuss "the often difficult realities of navigating [psychosis] researcher roles and projects with direct experience challenges, unsettling existing power hierarchies, and the subtle othering and/or marginalization that often occurs when one is a minoritized lived experience member of a larger research team," Dr. Jones writes. "The primary target audience is researchers engaged in psychosis studies." Psychiatrist and philosopher Dr. Kinge Berends will facilitate the 90-minute dialogue among the speakers and with the audience. The 90-minute dialogue will begin at 8 p.m. Brussels time; click here for a time zone converter. To register and for details, contact rob.sips@kuleuven.be. After registration you will receive a Zoom link for the event. To read Dr. Jones's Twitter thread (@viscidula) on this subject, click here.
"Psychiatrist with Philosophical Interests" leads "Conversations in Critical Psychiatry," a Psychiatric Times Series
Awais Aftab, who describes himself as a "psychiatrist with philosophical interests" in his Twitter bio, leads "Conversations in Critical Psychiatry," which, he says, "explores critical and philosophical perspectives in psychiatry and engages with prominent commentators within and outside the profession who have made meaningful criticisms of the status quo." Among those interviewed are Allen Frances, M.D., author of Saving Normal; Sandra Steingard, M.D., and G. Scott Waterman, M.D., on "Integrating Academic Inquiry and Reformist Activism in Psychiatry"; Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, on "50 Shades of Misdiagnosis"; Kathy Flaherty, J.D., executive director of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc., on "Reconsidering Care and Coercion in Psychiatry"; Nev Jones, Ph.D., on "Phenomenology, Power, Polarization, and the Discourse on Psychosis"; Dainius Puras, M.D., on "Global Psychiatry's Crisis of Values"; and many others. For the archived interviews, click here.
Free Webinar: "How Clinical and Community-Based Peer Services Engagement Can Improve SUD Treatment and Recovery Outcomes”
On November 9, 2021, at 12:30 p.m. ET, NYAPRS will host a free webinar entitled " “Peer Professional Roles and Competencies–How Clinical and Community-Based Peer Services Engagement Can Improve SUD [Substance Use Disorder] Treatment and Recovery Outcomes.” It will be presented by Ben Riker and Theresa Knorr of Friends of Recovery New York, who "will describe roles and competencies of peer professionals in SUD treatment and community-based settings. They will help you to understand best practices for peer integration into both clinical and non-clinical settings, as well as how treatment outcomes can be improved through peer services engagement. NYAPRS is offering 1 CE for this webinar." To register, click here.
IEPA Virtual Conference (Nov. 8-12, 2021) Will Feature a Workshop on Meaningful Service-User Inclusion in Early Psychosis Research
The IEPA (International Early Psychosis Association) virtual conference, whose theme is "New Frontiers in Early Intervention," will be held November 8-12, 2021. The conference "will bring together the world’s leading experts in early intervention in mental health and research, acting as a forum for ideas to be exchanged, experiences shared, knowledge developed and innovation inspired," the organizers write. Highlights will include a workshop--on November 12--on meaningful service-user inclusion in early psychosis research, co-facilitated by Ying Ying Lee (Singapore), Veenu Gupta (UK) and Nev Jones (US). A core activity of the workshop will be collective troubleshooting of a series of "scenarios in which the intentions are good, but 'lived experience' nevertheless ends up sidelined or marginalized," Dr. Jones writes. "The question: How can we collectively deepen our understanding of what it means to co-produce or meaningfully and authentically collaborate?" For more information and to register for the conference, click here. For more information about Dr. Jones's workshop, click here. (Conference times are in AEDT so click on "View in Your Time Zone"; links are provided in the conference information.)
MHA National Publishes 2022 Report on "The State of Mental Health in America"
Mental Health America's free 2022 report on "The State of Mental Health in America" paints a grim picture. Key findings include: "Suicidal ideation continues to increase among adults in the U.S...Over 2.5 million youth in the U.S. have severe depression, and multiracial youth are at greatest risk...Over half of adults with a mental health condition do not receive treatment, totaling over 27 million adults in the U.S. who are going untreated...The percentage of adults with a mental [health condition] who report unmet need for treatment has increased every year since 2011...Over 60% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment...Nationally, fewer than 1 in 3 youth with severe depression receive consistent mental health care...Both adults and youth in the U.S. continue to lack adequate insurance coverage...Rates of substance use are increasing for youth and adults, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic." To download a free copy of the 45-page report, click here.
12th Annual (Virtual) Rehabilitation and Recovery Academy to Be Held November 16-18
NYAPRS's 12th Annual Rehabilitation and Recovery Academy will be held virtually from November 16 through November 18, 2021. The Academy's theme is "Moving Forward Together: Healing the Trauma, Advancing New Innovations." NYAPRS writes: "Join us for a special workshop, 'Promoting an Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive Culture in Your Organization,' where you’ll hear from experts in the field--Lenora Reid-Rose, James Rodriguez, Clinton Green and Ruth Colón-Wagner--on the urgent need to implement anti-oppressive care in behavioral health services and some strategies for addressing [this issue] at the macro and micro levels within your organizations. CEs will be offered at no cost for identified workshops in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, and CPRP." Academy tickets for individuals are $79; for programs, $399; and for organizations with multiple programs, $599. To register, click here.
CMS Invites Participants to Its Listening Session on November 18; Comments May Be Submitted Via Email or During the Chat
On November 18, 2021, at 1 p.m. ET, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold a 90-minute listening session about the strategy it published in October: Driving Health System Transformation - A Strategy for the Innovation Center’s Second Decade, "which details its vision for attaining a health system that achieves equitable outcomes through high-quality, affordable, patient-centered care." Although the 15 stakeholder speaker slots have already been filled, participants may submit comments via email to CMMIStrategy@cms.hhs.gov using the subject line “LISTENING SESSION #1,” or via chat during the live session. (Some of the written comments may be read aloud during the listening session.) For more information about the CMS Innovation Center’s new strategy and the CMS Innovation Center Strategic Direction, click here. Sign up for the CMS Innovation Center listserv for details on future listening sessions, model updates, and more. For details about the Listening Session and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Elizabeth R. Stone)
2 Free Webinars on "The Cultural Perspective in Psychiatry": November 19
On November 19, the Local Organizing Committee of the 6th World Congress of the World Association for Cultural Psychiatry (WACP) in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, will offer two free 75-minute webinars--at 11 a.m. CET and 8 p.m. CET--on "Re-conceptualizing culture and context to meet the needs of a globalizing world." In the run-up to the 6th World Congress of Cultural Psychiatry on September 14-17, 2022, the WACP is hosting two webinars, in which four experts in the fields of cultural psychiatry and anthropology will speak. For a CET-to-EST time-zone converter, click here. For more about the webinars and to register, click here. For more about the 6th World Congress, to be held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, click here.
TU Collaborative Seeks Participants for Its Parenting Through Leisure Project; See Also the TU Collaborative's Parenting Resources, Including Information on Custody Issues
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion is seeking parents with lived experience of a mental health condition to participate in a paid research study. The TU Collaborative writes: "Our program, Parenting Through Leisure, focuses on helping parents with a serious mental illness participate in leisure activities with their child. We are looking for individuals who are 18 and older; are an adult parent with a diagnosis of schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, or depression; have a child who is 7 to 15 years old and is interested in participating in family leisure with you; have legal visitation rights, joint custody or full custody of the child, with at least weekly contact; and have a desire to engage in more leisure activities with their child." For details about the study and the remuneration as well as other benefits to eligible participants, and a link to sign up, click here. Questions? Please contact TUCollab@temple.edu. And for the TU Collaborative's Parenting web page--which includes links to many resources for parents with lived experience, including information about custody laws and a model family reunification statute--click here.
"Mental Health Research Matters" Website Posts Early Career Researcher (ECR) Content
Mental Health Research Matters, a UK organization, has launched a web page dedicated to early career researchers. They write: "Welcome to the home of all Early Career Researcher (ECR) content on the #MentalHealthResearchMatters website. Mental health research matters, and so do the individuals and groups who will carry on this vital work long into the future. Nurturing and mentoring these people, and providing the support they need to grow as researchers, and people, is as important as delivering cutting-edge research. Here you will find resources ranging from recordings of ECR workshops, advice from the experts, discussions on best Open Science practices and knowledge mobilization--as well as signposting to various ongoing and upcoming opportunities for ECRs." For the web page, click here.
"Pioneering Study Constructs The First Body-Map For Hallucination Sensations," Science Alert Reports
"Psychologists from the University of Leicester in the UK recruited a dozen volunteers through the National Health Service's Early Intervention in Psychosis teams, and asked them to document the hallucinations that occurred in everyday life for a week," according to a recent Science Alert article. Besides their visual and auditory symptoms, the 12 participants tracked "any other emotions, sensations, or even cognitive states...The result was a kind of map that broke down the boundaries of hallucinations, describing them as events that can affect just about any part of the body." The researchers believe that this small study could lead to better therapies to help people deal with the challenges that accompany "their particular mix of experiences." The research was published in EClinicalMedicine, a Lancet publication. About 3 percent of the population will experience some kind of psychotic episode during their lives, studies suggest. For the Science Alert article, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
Free Webinar: "Working Together to Support Peer Excellence in Kentucky"
On November 30, 2021, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will present a free 60-minute webinar on "Working Together to Support Peer Excellence in Kentucky." Doors to Wellbeing writes: "Collaboration is an important skill to use in the workplace. This training will highlight the successful collaboration between the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities and the Bridgehaven Center for Peer Excellence. At the end of this training, participants will have a better understanding of the strategies needed for a successful collaboration." To register, click here.
Save the date: Virtual 2021 Youth Mental Health Disparities Conference
The 2021 Youth Mental Health Disparities Conference will be held virtually on December 8-9, 2021. It is sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Its theme is "Identifying Opportunities and Priorities in Youth Mental Health Disparities Research." Registration information and an agenda will be forthcoming. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
What Do Our Wandering Thoughts Teach Us About Our Mental Health? Plenty, Researchers Say
The findings of a University of Arizona-led study, published in Scientific Reports, may eventually be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues such as depression. The researchers recruited 78 randomly chosen participants without knowing if they had any clinical diagnoses, and trained them to voice their thoughts aloud for 10 minutes while sitting alone in a room without access to electronic devices. More than 2,000 thoughts were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed, with the goal of measuring thought patterns--especially "ruminative thinking," i.e., continuously thinking the same negative thoughts, which is a common symptom of depression. "We were able to witness how some people became trapped in perseverative cycles of thinking," said one researcher. On the other hand, she added, "many participants found that the exercise offered a refreshing break from the busy world around them." For the press release, click here.
Forbes Highlights Two Organizations That Study Employment Obstacles Facing People with Disabilities
A recent article in Forbes--"10 Things Everyone Should Know About People With Disabilities And Employment"--features two organizations "that study disability and employment in depth, in an effort to better understand barriers to employment and hopefully suggest new solutions that might actually make a significant impact on that huge employment gap. These include Mathematica and the Kessler Foundation’s National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) program, which offers weekly online 'Lunch and Learn' sessions anyone can join. Both these and similar programs try to go beyond the obvious, and figure out what roles are played by discrimination, education and job training, benefits rules, and wider economic and social conditions." For a recent Mathematica 14-page Issue Brief--"Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: Summary of the Interim Findings," published by the Social Security Administration, click here. For the Kessler Foundation's National Trends in Disability Employment program, click here. For the Forbes article, click here.
Dr. Aaron T. Beck, Developer of Cognitive Therapy, Dies at 100
"Dr. Beck was a young psychiatrist trained in Freudian analysis when, in the late 1950s, he began prompting patients to focus on distortions in their day-to-day thinking, rather than on conflicts buried in childhood, as therapists typically did," The New York Times reports. "Dr. Beck’s work, along with that of Albert Ellis, a psychologist working independently, provided the architecture for what is known as cognitive behavior therapy, or CBT.... Steven Hollon, a psychologist at Vanderbilt University, said of Dr. Beck: 'He took a hundred years of dogma, found that it didn’t hold up, and invented something brief, lasting and effective to put in its place. He basically saved psychotherapy from itself.'” Dr. Beck died on November 1, 2021, at age 100. For his obituary in The New York Times, click here.
Celebrities! They’re Just Like Us! These 18 Famous People Were Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder
What do Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, movie director Francis Ford Coppola, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill have in common? All were diagnosed with bipolar disorder—along with 14 other celebrities named on the website of Olympia House, a rehab center in Northern California. One of those who are included, singer/songwriter Demi Lovato, “said she wants women to know that it’s possible to live well, feel well, and also find happiness with bipolar disorder or any other mental illness they’re struggling with.” For the article, click here.
"Clinical Depression Cartoons and Comics"
Laughter is the best medicine, right? For some of that medicine, click here.
The November 2021 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For "How to Fend Off Winter Depression: As the days get shorter and the nights start earlier, take these steps to help prevent seasonal affective disorder," click here. For "Exercise for 3 Minutes, Every Half-Hour, to Counter the Ill Effects of Sitting: Climbing stairs, doing jumping jacks or even taking as few as 15 steps during mini-breaks improved blood sugar control among office workers," click here. For "How to Age Gracefully: Inspired by a new book, 'Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I Get Old,' I’m taking stock of my life and deciding what I need to reconsider," click here.
The November 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 "In New Mexico, a bold experiment aims to take police out of the equation for mental health calls," click here. For "King County crisis services ask for clarity on police intervention: Providers want local governments to prescribe when and how police should be involved in mental health calls," click here. For "Analyzing Mass Incarceration," click here. For "Individuals Awaiting Trial Represent 77% of Jail Suicides: BJS," click here. For "Disabled and Abandoned in New York State Prisons: Incarcerated people are being disciplined because their disability makes it impossible to comply with prison rules," click here. For "The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons: Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons across the country at nearly five times the rate of whites, and Latinx people are 1.3 times as likely to be incarcerated than non-Latinx whites. This report documents the rates of incarceration for white, Black and Latinx Americans in each state, identifies three contributors to racial and ethnic disparities in imprisonment, and provides recommendations for reform," click here. For "Solitary Confinement Condemns Many Prisoners To Long-Term Health Issues," click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak) For "Why Many Police Traffic Stops Turn Deadly: Officers, trained to presume danger, have reacted with outsize aggression. For hundreds of unarmed drivers, the consequences have been fatal," click here. For "Philadelphia to become first major US city to ban minor traffic stops to promote equity, curb 'negative interactions' with police," click here. For "What Responsibility Do Courts Bear for the Crisis at Rikers Island? In the wake of a dozen deaths in New York City jails this year, prosecutors and judges are being asked to reckon with the consequences of setting bail," click here. For "Opinion: The History of Rikers Island Proves That Reform Isn’t Possible," click here. For "They Put Me in Solitary for Drugs I Didn’t Have: Lockups use unreliable tests to claim that lawyers are sending drugs to their clients behind bars," click here. For "Prisons Said It Was COVID Isolation. The Incarcerated Describe Torture. As the pandemic ravaged prisons and jails, officials opted to force people into inhumane solitary confinement. HuffPost spoke to some who described how they 'nearly broke,'” click here. For "DOJ opens civil rights probe into Texas youth correctional facilities: The department is launching the investigation over allegations of physical and sexual abuse," click here. For "New York State’s New Death Penalty: The Death Toll of Mass Incarceration in a Post Execution Era," click here. For "We Social Workers Should Remember Our Values and Stop Policing," click here. For "Planting a Life—and a Future—After Prison at Benevolence Farm: The residential and employment program on a North Carolina organic farm helps formerly incarcerated women find a new path," click here. For " How to Solve the Crisis on Rikers Island: The dangerously overcrowded and mismanaged jail must be closed—but even before then, there are things we can do right now to keep people out and send them home faster," click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
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.
“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.
Alternatives 2021 Is Over, but You Can View Many of the Presentations—and the Work Continues!
If you missed Alternatives 2021—the oldest national conference organized by and for individuals with lived experience of a mental health condition—you can see many of the presentations on the Alternatives conference website! The conference—whose theme was “Connecting, Organizing, Activating!”—was held July 8, 10, 15, and 17, and was organized by the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery. This year the conference was virtual—and free! One highlight was the three Action Groups—on Promoting Racial and Social Justice, National and Statewide Advocacy, and Crisis Prevention and Alternatives to Institutionalization—which met on all four days. Reports from each of the groups are posted on the Alternatives conference website, and it is hoped that people will continue to work together to make progress on the goals that were determined by participants during the conference. For information about the Action Groups, click here. Recordings of many of the workshops, keynotes, and special activities are available on the Alternatives conference website (click here).
Disability Rights California Invites You to Its Past, Present, and Future (Free) Webinars
Disability Rights California (DRC) writes: “You are cordially invited to join us in our virtual disability rights trainings. Our webinars are twice a week, on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT) in English and Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) in Spanish. Our free trainings provide information and resources on different topics related to mental health, self-advocacy, our legal rights (based on California law) and access to services that are informative and empowering. We welcome all peers (people with lived experience), service providers, family members and people in the community.” To view the webinars, click here.
(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)
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.
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 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.
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)
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.
Conference on Stigma to Take Place November 15-19, 2021, at Howard University
The 12th Annual International Conference on Stigma will be held November 15-19, 2021, at Howard University. "The goals of this hybrid conference are to increase awareness of the stigma of HIV and other health conditions and to explore interventions to eradicate this stigma. The conference also serves to educate healthcare providers and the general public about stigma as both a human rights violation and a major barrier to prevention and treatment of illnesses." The theme of the conference is "Trauma…Recovery…Healing." For more information, click here. (Courtesy of Sharon Wise)
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.
Peer Support in Higher Education Survey Seeks Respondents
“Peer support programs are growing on college campuses across the U.S. Mental Health America, Doors to Wellbeing, and the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion want to better understand the availability of peer support in higher education as well as the experiences and needs of students accessing peer support programs…We hope to use this research to support the expansion of peer support in higher education, including developing a national database of peer support programs in higher education and documenting pressing issues in campus programs…You may also indicate if you are interested in having your school’s peer support program listed in a national database of peer support programs in higher education.” For more information and to complete the survey, click here.
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.
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.
Seven Ways to Keep a Digital Copy of Your Vaccination Card on Your Smartphone
“You'll need proof of vaccination to go back to work or enter many restaurants, gyms and event venues, so keep your COVID-19 card handy.” This is the advice of CNET.com, a tech support website. Besides the obvious—taking a photo of the card to store on your phone—there are six other suggestions. For details, click here. (Courtesy of Yvonne Smith)
Many Research Studies Are Seeking Participants, Mad In America Reports
Mad in America recently posted an assortment of research studies that are looking for participants. The studies include International Online Survey of Members of Peer Support Groups About Their Experiences of Withdrawing From Antidepressants; Study on Psychosocial Disability Advocacy and Global Mental Health; University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine study: Experiences of inpatient psychiatric care among former patients; Dissertation research study: Spiritual/religious experience misdiagnosed as “mental disorder”; Have you had a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and decided to stop taking medication?; and others. For details and to participate, click here.
ISEPP Circulates Petition to Support Human Rights in Psychiatric Treatment
ISEPP seeks signatures on a petition to "[m]ake a strong statement that any psychiatric or psychotherapeutic interventions without full and honest informed consent are unethical and inhumane." For the petition, click here. (Courtesy of Amy Smith)
ISPS-US Offers an Array of Archived Webinars--Free but Donations Are Welcomed
The ISPS-US (The International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis-US Chapter) is offering a whole raft of archived webinars, which are free (although donations are welcomed). Among the webinars are "Cognitive Behavioral & Related Therapies for Psychosis: Diverse Approaches to Supporting Recovery," "How Can the Uncontainable Be Contained? Paradoxes of Madness & Philosophy," "Robert Whitaker: The Rising Non-Pharmaceutical Paradigm for 'Psychosis,' "Life with Voices: A Guide for Harmony," "COPE Project: Non-Pharmaceutical Research on Influencing Voices and Visions," "What Hurts and What Helps In Treatment For 'Psychosis': Insider Perspectives," and many others. For more information and to access the webinars, click here.
“Where DNA and Medications Meet”
Not all drugs are effective for all people; therapeutic response rates for many drugs are only 50%-75%. “OneOme, co-founded by [the] Mayo Clinic, provides evidence-based pharmacogenomic solutions that help improve patient outcomes and reduce costs through more personalized medication decisions.” OneOme’s RightMed Test is “a doctor-ordered pharmacogenomic (PGx) test that analyzes your DNA and provides your doctors with genetic information to help them determine how you may respond to certain medications. The results may help your doctors reduce medication trial and error, minimize risk of side effects, save you time and money, and make more informed prescribing decisions. Because your DNA doesn’t change over time, your doctors can use your test results to make more personalized medication decisions for you over the course of your lifetime.” For more information, click here. (Courtesy of Robin Osborne)
Lived Experience Leadership Features 12 Years of Research Studies...
"Lived Experience Leadership features 12 years of research studies focused on this workforce in a range of settings, to foster a better of understanding and respect for Lived Experience as a distinct discipline and build clarity on what makes this work unique and valuable. Importantly, this body of research was led by Lived Experience researchers. Lived Experience Leadership provides clear and simple to read research summaries to allow community members and people employed within various industries the opportunity to easily understand and apply strategies within their own workplace. This website also includes easy to download definitions, audio/visual resources, and key work by other Australian and International sources. The website will continue to grow to include larger collections of our research as well as other key work. For the Lived Experience Leadership website, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
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. 5, November 2021. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH