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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Next ISMICC Meeting Is December 16; Submit Comments by December 6!
The next meeting of HHS’s Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC)--comprising senior leaders from 10 federal agencies along with 14 non-federal public members--will be held on December 16, 2021, from 1 p.m. ET to 4 p.m. ET. Public comments will be scheduled at the end of the meeting. To submit written or brief oral comments, and/or to attend virtually or to request special accommodation for persons with disabilities, email ISMICC Designated Federal Officer Pamela Foote (Pamela.Foote@samhsa.hhs.gov) on or before December 6, 2021. Up to three minutes will be allotted for each approved public comment as time permits. Written comments received before the meeting will be considered for inclusion in the official record. To register online, click here. For more information about ISMICC, click here. (Courtesy of NYAPRS E-news)
CMS Invites You to a Discussion on Its Strategy to Advance Health Equity
On December 8, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. ET, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center invites you to a 90-minute roundtable discussion on how the Center can execute its strategic objective to advance health equity. The discussion follows the release of its recently published white paper "Driving Health System Transformation--A Strategy for the CMS Innovation Center's Second Decade" (click here). Written comments are encouraged and may be submitted to CMMIStrategy@cms.hhs.gov, with “HEALTH EQUITY ROUNDTABLE” in the subject line. "Some of the written comments may be read aloud during the roundtable session. Please indicate if you would prefer not to have your comments read or wish to remain anonymous." For more information--including the questions that the discussion will cover--and to register, click here.
Involuntary Commitment Is the Theme of Both a Helpful Podcast and a Harrowing Personal Story
The controversial topic of involuntary commitment is tackled in both a podcast and a recent personal story, the latter published in a college newspaper. "Committable is a podcast about involuntary commitments. We focus on stories from people with lived experience as a window into complex conversations with attorneys, physicians, psychologists and more," according to the Committable website. As one commenter wrote: "If you’re curious about what happens when people in mental health crisis are 'helped' by being brought to the ER for an emergency evaluation and then held on a psych unit against their will, listen to this podcast." All of the episodes are free at the link below. And in "At the Forefront of Medicine: My Summer of Involuntary Hospitalization--A neuroscience student reflects on the psychiatric system’s failure to care for its patients," published in The Chicago Maroon--the independent student newspaper of The University of Chicago since 1892--Cassidy Wilson details the horrific experiences that began when, in June 2021, she was committed to UChicago Medicine’s psychiatric ward against her will. "From the moment the UCPD came to my door," she writes, "I knew that what followed would not be care." For the Committable archive, click here. (Courtesy of Nev Jones) For the Chicago Maroon story, click here. (Courtesy of Fred Friedman)
Free Webinar: "Talking About Tobacco: Sharing Strategies and Treatments"
On December 9, 2021, at 2:30 p.m. ET, the Academy of Peer Services will present the fifth webinar in its "Talking About Tobacco" series: "In this [90-minute] webinar, we consider myths and facts about nicotine, and proven strategies for helping people change their use of tobacco. Together, and in chat with those who attend, our presenters [will] explore available treatment options and different strategies for making change. The webinar will include personal stories by the presenters related to their own tobacco use and the methods they used for regaining control over tobacco use. This information can help those who offer peer support to provide additional choices and options for people when they are talking about and exploring changes related to tobacco use." For more information and to register, click here.
Free Webinar: "...Art-making as an Alternative Philosophy of Care During Emotional Crisis"
On December 9, 2021, at 4 p.m. ET, the National Empowerment Center will host a free, 90-minute webinar on "New Frontiers for Activism: Art-making as an Alternative Philosophy of Care During Emotional Crisis." The presenter, Karin Jervert, writes: "In this workshop, we will explore several conditions and intentions in art-making practice which can create spaces that support healing for ourselves and for those in emotional crisis. We will talk about art-making as a container for suffering, anger, altered states and other experiences; how to facilitate flow within this space; and what obstacles can appear like fear, judgement, shame and paralysis...I will offer tools and ideas that together use art-making practices and concepts as a framework for a philosophy of care and compassion in the presence of our own and other’s suffering, and create portability of these practices so that we can bring these ideas and intentions into our lives and relationships day to day to create positive change within ourselves and our larger communities." To register, click here.
Survey of Mental Health Peer Warmlines Is Published
From the 2021 National Warmline Survey Executive Summary: "This survey captured information about a wide range of [Mental Health] Peer Warm Lines, including length of operation (from one year to 36 years old), geographic location in the U.S. (18 different states, many regions of the country), geographic location served (county/national), as well as call volume (less then 100 calls a week to greater than 1,500 calls per week). The majority are open seven days a week with varied hours, but only about a third were open on holidays. More than 70% reported a significant/monumental increase in calls during the past year...Most reported the need for accessing higher levels of care to be rare (less than 1% of calls) and a few lines have a policy against calling 911...The greatest need reported by the responding Peer Warm Lines was FUNDING...When asked about the impact of Peer Warm Lines on Crisis Services, many responded that they believed that Peer Warm Lines assist people before they get to the point of needing crisis services, although this is primarily anecdotal." For the 19-page survey, click here. For the warmline directory, which includes many links to additional information, click here.
"Your [Lived Experience] Voice Deserves a Paycheck, and Here’s What to Charge"
Seth Rotberg--who describes himself as a patient advocate, community connector, and motivational speaker--says that people with lived experience of a physical or mental health condition often ask how much they should charge for their expertise. He writes: "[W]e first need to understand the following: What type of service are you offering? ([e.g.], blog post, speaking engagement, feedback on clinical trial design/protocol); Who (or which company) is requesting this service? ([e.g.], pharmaceutical/biotech, nonprofit organization, medical school); How much time will you need to perform the [tasks involved/service], including any prep work? ([e.g.], one-time or ongoing engagement)...To determine how much to charge for your advocacy work, there is now a fair-market value calculator that the National Health Council created to demonstrate how much a patient or caregiver should be getting compensated. This calculator can provide evidence on your reasoning behind charging a company or organization the amount you requested." For the article by Seth Rotberg, click here. For the Fair-Market Value Calculator, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
Free Webinar: "Mental Health Recovery: What Helps and What Hinders"
On December 10, 2021, at 11 a.m. ET, Illume: The Behavioral Health Center will present a free, two-hour webinar on "Mental Health Recovery: What Helps and What Hinders." The speaker will be Nanette Larson, Deputy Director, Wellness and Recovery Services, State of Illinois. Illume writes: "Although most staff, advocates, and loved ones want to support the recovery journey of those with mental health challenges, there is still great misunderstanding about what is truly helpful in that process. The Hippocratic Oath, 'Do No Harm,' can only be followed if we understand what may, indeed, cause harm. In this presentation, you will learn things that help and things that hinder the recovery process for individuals with mental health challenges." To register, click here. (Courtesy of Fran Hazam)
NIH to Host a Variety of Listening Sessions, Each Geared Toward Specific Audiences
At 6 p.m. ET on December 14, 2021, and January 18, 2022, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will host 90-minute listening sessions geared to nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, and advocacy organizations. The two sessions are part of NIH's UNITE initiative, which was "established to identify and address structural racism within the NIH-supported community and the greater scientific community...The insights that you share will provide valuable information on the full range of issues and challenges facing diverse talent within the scientific and administrative workforce and will help develop priorities and an action plan...Twenty-four hours prior to the scheduled session, registered participants will receive an email from UNITEInitiative@nih.gov with login information (Zoom link)." For the complete schedule and to register for specific sessions, click here. (Courtesy of NYAPRS E-News)
2nd Annual Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness to Be Held in Philadelphia December 13-15
The Sozosei Foundation will hold its Second Annual Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness from December 13 to 15, 2021, at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Portions will be live-streamed. "The Summit is a global event that brings together experts, thought-leaders, people with lived experience, medical professionals, lawyers, judges, advocates, artists, and funders to collaborate, create, and explore pathways to decriminalize mental illness with a particular focus on 988, the new national mental health crisis telephone line, due to go live in July 2022," the organizers write. "Sozosei" means "creativity" in Japanese. "With creativity as a core value, we believe that together we can identify new pathways in order to eliminate the inappropriate use of jails and prisons for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness." For more information and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
WHO Highlights Community Mental Health Services with a Rights-based Approach Around the World
Following the publication of its “Guidance on community mental health services: promoting person-centered and rights-based approaches,” in June 2021--included in the October 2021 Key Update--the World Health Organization is highlighting "models of care from around the world that largely center on relationships and compassionate listening to promote wellness and increase one’s ability to manage symptoms and live meaningful lives." The WHO press release features programs in India, Brazil, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norway, Kenya, and the UK. Programs in New Zealand, Kenya, and Myanmar incorporate peer support. For the press release, click here.
Free Webinar: "Activating Peer Support for a Transformed Mental Health Crisis Response System"
On December 15, 2021, at 1 p.m. ET until 2:15 p.m. ET, NYAPRS and The College for Behavioral Health Leadership will sponsor the first part of a two-part online seminar series titled "Intensity, Lived Experience and Crisis: Activating Peer Support for a Transformed Mental Health Crisis Response System." The organizers write, "While much progress has been made to develop a modern array of 'crisis services,' including mobile crisis units, hospital diversion programs and 'crisis call centers,' through…the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Network, the integration of people with lived experience of suicide and crisis as peer support providers has been slow to advance. Peer support can and should play an active role at many points in the transformation of crisis response systems, including those driven by the national 988 line initiative." The presenter will be Eduardo Vega, M. Psy., CEO and founder of Humannovations. For more information and to register, click here.
Please Sign a Petition to Help Save a Public Mental Health Model in Italy
"Trieste is recognized by the World Health Organization as the model of global best practice in mental health care," according to a change.org petition highlighted in a recent NPR article. "It has inspired dozens of programs throughout the world to create an integrated network of community services focused upon the whole-person needs of its users; maintaining their dignity as citizens; and minimizing the coercive practices of old-fashioned institutional settings...Trieste has shown us how community inclusion improves people’s lives. But this great achievement is now threatened by a new right-wing regional government that, on poorly informed and ideological grounds, is fast and impulsively dismantling Trieste's wonderful system of community care...As a Friend of Trieste and all that it stands for, please sign this petition and distribute it widely. For updates on this situation, please consult www.accoglienza.us." For the NPR article, "A public mental health model in Italy earns global praise. Now it faces its demise," click here. For the petition, click here. (Courtesy of Laura Van Tosh)
NRCPD and TU Collaborative Help Parents with Mental Health Conditions
"There is a major gap in services for parents with mental [health conditions] within traditional mental health services," writes the National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities (on the Brandeis University website). "Using lessons learned from the implementation of Family Options, an intervention developed in Massachusetts that focuses on parents and their children as a unit and draws on the strengths, resilience and recovery goals of family members receiving services, we have identified three essential elements of developing successful interventions for parents with psychiatric disabilities: hiring the 'right' staff, establishing organizational frameworks, and fostering community engagement." For the article, click here. And to check out the many and varied parenting resources on the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion website's "Parenting" page, click here.
Cafe TAC's Focus 2.0 Newsletter Covers Telehealth and Smartphone Apps
The latest edition of CAFE TAC's Focus 2.0 newsletter examines "how telehealth and smartphone apps are providing new ways to access mental health resources," the national technical assistance center writes. "What’s out there? What are the advantages of virtual mental health services? What are the barriers? What should you look for when considering telehealth or smartphone apps for mental health? Check out this Focus 2.0 for some answers! We also invite you to share your thoughts on what you wish employers knew about hiring and supervising people with mental health conditions, and our 'Capacity Corner' offers some advice on how to make sure you have effective Committees that actually get stuff done in your mental health consumer organization." For the newsletter, click here.
MedPage Offers "News and Commentary from the Psychiatry World"
"The American Psychiatric Association [has] released a new edition of the clinical treatment guide for gambling disorders, as more and more people are turning to internet betting....A previously homeless man who was falsely held for 2 years at a Hawaii psychiatric hospital because of mistaken identity just filed a federal lawsuit. [A] new survey of over 8,000 people--who had an average age of 56--found that social media use was tied to higher odds of depressive symptoms, which were highest for Snapchat, followed by Facebook, and TikTok. A new report from SMI Adviser is offering guidance on how to improve behavioral health services for people living in rural communities." These are some of the stories in MedPage's November 24, 2021, edition. To read the articles, click here.
"Are You Between the Ages of 21 and 60 and Drink Alcohol?"
"Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are seeking adults--[both smokers and non-smokers]--to study whether a gene and smoking may affect drinking alcohol. Volunteers should be healthy and drug-free, and not seeking treatment for alcohol-related problems. Research participation includes three outpatient visits at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD; alcohol consumption; brain scans (MRI), blood draws, and filling out questionnaires. There is no cost to participate and compensation may be provided." For more information, click here. (Courtesy of Fran Hazam)
U.S. Surgeon General Creates Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation
"The U.S. Surgeon General’s Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation, developed in collaboration with the HHS Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES), provides specific guidance and resources for health care providers, educators, librarians, faith leaders, and trusted community members to understand, identify, and stop the spread of health misinformation in their communities." For information about the toolkit (a 22-page overview of health misinformation, and resources to stop it), and links to a “Talk to Your Community About Health Misinformation” Infographic, a “Health Misinformation Checklist” Infographic, and the Surgeon General's press release, click here.
A Poem Teaches the Necessity of Community Organizing
In this poem—“Each Day, One More,” published in 1980—Marge Piercy teaches us why we need to organize, and that there is strength in numbers. The poem begins: “What can they do/to you? Whatever they want./They can set you up, they can/bust you, they can break/your fingers, they can/burn your brain with electricity,/blur you with drugs till you/can't walk, can't remember…” And it continues: “How can you stop/them?... A dozen make a demonstration./A hundred fill a hall./A thousand have solidarity and your own newsletter;/ten thousand, power and your own paper;/a hundred thousand, your own media;/ten million, your own country.” The poem concludes: “It goes on one at a time,/it starts when you care/to act, it starts when you do/it again after they said no,/it starts when you say We/and know who you mean, and each/day you mean one more.” For the poem in its entirety, click here.
Comic Books Have Both Contributed to Mental Health Prejudice and to Positive Education
In "Don't Laugh at the Comics: A Modern Take" (2020), the authors cover the history of how mental health professionals have been portrayed since the 1940s. For example, a "surprising number of mental health providers are villains in comic books..." they write. "In addition to the blatantly evil psychiatrists and the narcissistic psychiatrists, since the late 1970s there have been character representations of the flawed or damaged (psychiatric) hero. Even the once revered Dr. Amadeus Arkham, founder of Arkham Asylum [in Batman], becomes a warning about psychiatric care after he kills patients, murders his mother, and becomes an inmate in the institution he founded in a 1989 graphic novel story line." But "...many forms of pop culture (e.g., movies, TV shows, books, comic books) can be used to teach mental health concepts, whether to medical students or in the therapy room...If positive messages are to be portrayed by the comic book industry, mental health professionals and comic creators need to work together to allow creatives to tell compelling stories while at the same time not needlessly stigmatizing mental health patients and providers. This collaboration has already begun, and can be done." For the article, click here.
The December 2021 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For "An Age-Old Tool for Suicide Prevention—Social connection is the first line of defense," click here. For "The Pain Brain: Millions of Americans are living with chronic pain. A quiet revolution in research and treatment is finding new ways to help them heal," click here. For "4 Stretches to Combat Too Much Screen Time: Hunching over a laptop for long periods can sabotage your health. These restorative exercises really do make you feel better throughout the day," click here. For "Does High-Intensity Exercise Affect Our Hearts? Minds? Life Spans? Waistlines? What you need to know about high-intensity interval training, or HIIT," click here. For "Smile: Why It’s Important in Personal Life and Workplace: This emotional expression could help you be happy, grateful, and productive," click here.
The December 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 an overcrowded justice system, mental health diversions work | Editorial," click here. See also "Keeping the Mentally Ill Out of Jail: An innovative Miami-Dade program shows the way" (2018) (click here) and Mental Health Courts: Pros & Cons (click here). For "There Is No One Answer to Over-Policing and Mass Incarceration—There Are Many: Examples abound for successful alternative methods that can greatly improve the current criminal legal system," click here. For "Reimagining police departments with safety and justice in mind: Scott Pelley reports on the ways American cities are reimagining their police departments, with Austin, Texas, leading the way," click here. For "String of LAPD shootings exposes L.A.’s broken mental health system, officials say," click here. "How Prison Writers Struggle to Be Heard: Sky-high email and phone costs, fear of retaliation by prison staff, and isolation create roadblocks for incarcerated people to share their experience and join a growing national conversation on reforming the criminal legal system," click here. For "State of Justice," a newsletter of the Council of State Governments Justice Center, click here. For "How Police Justify Killing Drivers: The Vehicle Was a Weapon: A Times investigation into a common defense for shooting motorists found that some officers had put themselves in danger. Others appeared to face no peril at all," click here. For "America can’t fix policing without fixing the country’s gun problem: America’s tremendous number of firearms makes it much harder to reform policing," click here. For "The Language Project"--which comprises "I Am Not Your 'Inmate,'" "Good Intentions Don't Blunt the Impact of Dehumanizing Words," "I Was Trained to Call Men a Word They Hated," "People-First Language Matters. So Does the Rest of the Story," "How I Convinced My Incarcerated Peers to Make Language a Priority," and "What Words We Use--and Avoid--While Covering People and Incarceration"--click here. For "An Ode to Memo, the Cellmate and Art Teacher Who Saved My Life: After decades in the system, I was acting like a wild horse roaming the countryside. Memo taught me how to paint through the chaos," click here. For "Gila County faces 4th claim citing jail abuses against mentally ill inmates," click here. For "Can The Death Penalty Be Fixed? These Republicans Think So: A growing number of conservative lawmakers want to overhaul capital punishment, or end it," click here. For "Workers at federal prisons are committing some of the crimes," click here. For "Have It Your Way"--Issue 9 of News Inside, a Marshall Project newsletter, "meets you where you are," click here. For "Opinion: Being pulled over for a broken taillight shouldn't end in death. Too often, it does," click here. For "Young adults facing prison get a second chance through first-in-the-nation court program," click here. For "The Supreme Court’s Growing Hostility to Arguments of Death Row Inmates: Recent rulings, including one turning down a death row inmate’s request supported by the prosecution, offer telling glimpses of the state of capital punishment," click here. For "Do Prisons Deserve a Second Chance? Over the last decade, hundreds of jails and prisons in the U.S. have closed, inspiring architects and designers to reimagine sites of incarceration as positive community spaces," click here. For "Independent Oversight Is Essential for a Safe and Healthy Prison System: Preventive monitoring of conditions in American prisons can help shine a light on what needs to change," click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
Virtual 2021 Youth Mental Health Disparities Conference to Be Held December 8-9
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)
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.
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.
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)
“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.
"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.
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.
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 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 Key Update is the free monthly e-newsletter of the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse. Volume 18, No. 6, December 2021. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH