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.
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 but are still relevant. These 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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"Major Review Finds Limited Effectiveness for Medication and Therapy"
"Most mental health treatments are marginally better than placebo; therapy for OCD seems to be the exception." This is how Mad In America sums up a new study, in World Psychiatry, evaluating the effectiveness of medication, therapy, and combined treatments. The researchers--affiliated with universities in Germany and Austria, as well as with Stanford University School of Medicine--considered "102 meta-analyses, encompassing 3,782 RCTs [Randomized Controlled Trials] and 650,514 patients," covering a wide array of diagnoses. "They found that both medication and therapy had limited efficacy in treating these problems," Mad In America reports. To overcome research biases that might cause treatment effectiveness to be overestimated, the researchers measured how effective (original emphasis) a treatment is, rather than just whether it is effective or not. Exceptions to the evidence of the limited effectiveness of most treatments included the finding that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was far better than medication not only for OCD but also for PTSD. (However, most people diagnosed with OCD were also taking medication, so this could be considered a combined treatment, the researchers noted.) Meanwhile, a "compelling negative finding was that antipsychotic drugs were not very effective at treating schizophrenia.” For the Mad In America article, click here.
Free Webinar: “Preventing and Managing Suicide in an Outpatient Setting”
On February 7, 2022, at 3:30 p.m. ET, NASMHPD (National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors) is sponsoring a free webinar presented by Dr. Laura Leone, an Integrated Health Consultant for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. "Following this 90-minute webinar, participants will be able to register for a more intimate dialogue with Dr. Leone on February 11, 2022, at 3 p.m. ET," NASMHPD writes. This 60-minute "intimate dialogue" with Dr. Leone will include "a smaller number of registered webinar participants who will be able to ask more detailed questions and engage her more comprehensively." For more information about the webinar and Dr. Leone, and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Judene Shelley)
Part 1: Community Crisis Response Needs "A Better Way," NASMHPD Says
"A comprehensive and integrated crisis network is the first line of defense in preventing tragedies of public and patient safety, civil rights, extraordinary and unacceptable loss of lives, and the waste of resources," writes NASMHPD in the introduction to its free, eight-page fact sheet: "Taking the Lead: Investing in Community Crisis Response/Continuum." "There is a better way...Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of the core elements of systemic quality crisis care as being high-tech crisis call centers, [a] 24/7 non-law enforcement mobile crisis team, crisis stabilization centers, and essential principles and practices governing care pathways." To download the free fact sheet, click here. (Courtesy of Anne Hillman of Mental Health Mosaics) (See also below.)
Part 2: City of New York Is Sued Over Its Policy of Sending Police to Respond to Mental Health Crisis Calls
In a related story, on December 29, 2021, "a broad coalition of public interest groups and people with mental disabilities filed a class action lawsuit against the City of New York, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, and then-Police Commissioner Dermot Shea for violating New Yorkers’ constitutional and civil rights by sending police officers—rather than trained health professionals and peers with lived mental health experience—to respond to thousands of mental health crises each year. The case challenges the legality and constitutionality of the City’s policies, which have resulted in unlawful detentions, excessive force, serious injuries, forced hospitalizations, and 19 deaths of people with disabilities at the hands of the police in the last six years alone." For the press release, click here.
Part 3: "Roll-out of 988 Threatens Anonymity of Crisis Hotlines"
"Even after their own advisory committee criticized call tracing, leaders of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) have been lobbying government for cutting-edge mass surveillance and tracking technology. Privacy experts are raising concerns." This is the teaser on a January 29, 2022, Mad In America article. At issue is the NSPL's "so-called 'Active Rescue' policy." At a meeting in August 2020, four Lived Experience Committee (LEC) representatives "called 'Active Rescue' a 'euphemism' for what was usually going on—aggressive police interventions followed by forced psychiatric detentions....The LEC members recommended 'removing police involvement entirely' from the NSPL’s practices." Susan Mizner, director of the ACLU Disability Rights Program, said, “If someone has reached out to 988, that means that they’re open to help, and they’re asking for help. We don’t believe that help should come in the form of someone who carries a gun." For the article, click here.
Part 4: Brookings Institution Weighs In on 988
Although Media Bias/Fact Check rates the Brookings Institution "very high" on its "Factual Reporting" scale, Brookings' recent reporting on 988 makes no mention of the serious problems covered in detail by Mad In America. Instead, in a recent blog--"Building a Sustainable Behavioral Health Crisis Continuum"--the research organization considers 988 uncritically. Although the blog accurately notes that "[h]istorically, behavioral health crises...have been responded to in a fragmented manner, with default reliance on law enforcement, hospitals, and jails," it adds that "[t]he creation of the 988 hotline has prompted a great deal of hope that behavioral health crises will be handled more effectively, safely and efficiently than they are in our current emergency response system." Based on the challenges outlined by Mad In America, this seems unlikely at the present time. For "Building a Sustainable Behavioral Health Crisis Continuum," click here.
Global Disability Summit 2022 to Be Held (Mainly Virtually) in Norway on February 16-17
The International Disability Alliance (IDA), the Government of Norway, and the Government of Ghana will host the second Global Disability Summit (GDS22) on February 16-17, 2022. The Summit, mainly virtual, will mobilize efforts for the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the principle of ‘Leave No One Behind’ (LNOB), and building back better and more inclusively regarding Covid-19." For more information, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
NARPA Issues Call for Papers for Its 2022 Conference
The National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA) 2022 Annual Rights Conference, to be held October 26-29 at the Doubletree Newark Airport in Newark, New Jersey, has issued its call for workshop proposals. The deadline is March 31; selected presenters will be notified by April 30. "NARPA is seeking proposals which address strategies, ideas, programs, and emerging practices. Workshops [of approximately 90 minutes] will be selected based on adherence to the NARPA mission--"to support people with psychiatric diagnoses to exercise their legal and human rights, with the goals of abolishing forced treatment and ensuring autonomy, dignity and choice"--"with an emphasis on diversity and multicultural perspectives." For more information, contact NARPA at narpa4rights@gmail.com or 256.650.6311. "Mail proposals to NARPA, P.O. Box 855, Huntsville, AL 35804 or e-mail to narpa4rights@gmail.com. Electronic submissions preferred." For the Call for Papers, click here.
Advocates Dispute the Basis of a Recent Article About Factionalism in Mental Health Policy-Making
A recent Psychiatric Services article--"Rapprochement and Reform: Overcoming Factionalism in Policy Making for Serious Mental Illness"--attempts (according to the abstract) to "illustrate how factionalist advocacy (emphasis added) causes advocates and policy makers to fail in their duties to represent and develop policy in support of people with serious mental illness." However, in a tweet by a co-author of one of the three commentaries solicited by the publication, Nev Jones, PhD, calls readers' attention to the "[s]ubtle but real a priori choices...about whose perspectives & what perspectives ‘count.’" She added, "We all want to see greater ‘equity,’ but how to get there [&] how to address a history of exclusion that has become encoded in policy & research are questions that remain." A co-author of the original paper, Dominic A. Sisti, PhD, called all three commentaries--published simultaneously with his article--"excellent." For "Rapprochement and Reform: Overcoming Factionalism in Policy Making for Serious Mental Illness," by William R. Smith, MD, PhD, and Dominic A. Sisti, PhD, click here. For "Overcoming Factionalism in Serious Mental Illness Policy Making: A Counter-Perspective," by Kendall Atterbury, PhD, and Nev Jones, PhD, click here.
Supported Education Survey Needs Your Help
Do you operate a program that provides dedicated supported education services for individuals with psychiatric disabilities/mental health conditions? If so, you are invited to complete the survey at the link below. The primary goal of the survey is to help create a National Supported Education Database (NSEdD) that will be "a searchable listing of diverse supported education programs and services for individuals experiencing psychiatric disabilities and/or mental health challenges...across the US and its territories." The NSEdD project is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and co-administered by the five SAMHSA-funded national consumer and consumer-supporter technical assistance centers, in collaboration with research partners Drs. Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh) and Mark Salzer (Temple University). For a link to the survey, which includes a definition of supported education, click here. For a flyer with information about the survey, click here.
Submissions Are Sought for a Special Issue on Open Dialogue
"This collection, named 'Open Dialogue around the globe,' will be published in Frontiers in Psychology," Mad In America writes. "It will include papers and contributions on Open Dialogue practices, outcomes, impact, and future directions worldwide. Peers, survivors, users, clinicians, and researchers are all welcomed to provide diverse set of perspectives. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Raffaella Pocobello (raffaella.pocobello@istc.cnr.it) and Sebastian von Peter (sebastian.vonpeter@mhb-fontane.de). The deadline for the abstract submission is February 25 2022. The final deadline for manuscript submission will be September 30 2022." For more information, click here.
A German City Has Created Sleep Pods for Homeless People; Tiny Houses Offer a More Elaborate Solution
Ulm, Germany, has installed sleeping pods across the city to provide shelter for people who are homeless. The windproof, waterproof pods, called Ulster Nests, are made from wood and steel and are fitted with solar panels. They're designed as an emergency shelter for up to two people. "They've been fitted with sensors which can monitor temperature, humidity, smoke and carbon dioxide levels and an electronic verification system so those using it can lock the capsule from the inside. They also have lighting, an alarm signal buzzer and a ventilation system," according to a BBC article. When a pod door opens, it "triggers a motion sensor which lets social workers who check the pods know they've been used so they can get them cleaned, and so they can also provide help to those who might need it." For the BBC article, click here. For another answer to housing homeless people, see "shipping containers [that] unfold into $50,000 tiny homes that can be stacked into custom buildings," covered in the October 2020 edition of the Key Update. For the story, click here. For a video demonstrating how the tiny houses are erected, click here.
"Ethnic Minorities Experience Persisting Inequality in Treatment for Mental Health Problems," a British Study Has Found. The Same Inequities Persist in the US.
Research recently published in the British Journal of Psychiatry "found that people from all ethnic minority groups were less likely to receive a range of interventions for problems like depression or anxiety compared to White British people." The investigators also found "that the inequality gap widened [between 2007 and 2014] for Black people with these conditions." Calling the lack of appropriate help for common mental health conditions provided to people from ethnic minority backgrounds "an enduring pattern," the study's "first author" noted that this was "'in contrast to stark overrepresentation, particularly for Black people, in being detained under the Mental Health Act at points of crisis.'" In a related story, on January 18, 2021, the American Psychiatric Association apologized to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) for the harm it has caused--and continues to cause--them. For the APA press release, reported in the February 2021 edition of the Key Update, click here. For "The Historical Roots of Racial Disparities in the Mental Health System," click here. For the Medical Xpress story reporting on the British study, click here.
Free Webinar: "Community Inclusion and Recovery: How Community Inclusion Helped Me"
In its ongoing monthly series of free, one-hour webinars, Doors to Wellbeing will sponsor "Community Inclusion and Recovery: How Community Inclusion Helped Me" presented by Natalie Klaus-Rogers, on February 22, 2022, at 2 p.m. ET. "Using the presenter’s personal journey of working to get off of disability benefits after 20 years for permanent full-time employment, this webinar discusses the importance of community inclusion for peers with mental health challenges. Sometimes stigma, community mental health care, and lack of self-confidence can make community participation more difficult for people with mental health challenges. However, community inclusion is key to being well, getting well, and staying well." For more information and to register, click here.
TU Collaborative Publishes "The 2022 Guide to Getting Out of the House"
"While the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the way we spend time with one another, this 2022 calendar is focused on getting out of our homes and connecting with the people and places in our communities," the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion writes. "As we head into 2022, we hope that this calendar can help you to maintain meaningful community connections and participation!" To download the free calendar, click here. And for the TU Collaborative #CollabChats podcast series, which "shares the latest cutting edge community inclusion research from the Temple University Collaborative and partner centers,” click here.
"New NICE Guidelines for ECT Are Dangerously Inadequate, Say 50 Patients and Professionals"
NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), a British nonprofit that provides "national guidance and advice to improve health and social care," recently issued new ECT guidelines that completely ignore the concerns NICE had raised in 2003 and again in 2019, in which it noted the lack of evidence justifying the use of ECT (electroconvulsive treatment). In response, "an open letter from 50 people, including 18 ECT patients and relatives, 12 Psychiatrists and 7 Professors, has been sent to NICE, and the [British] government, calling for the ECT section of the draft guidelines to be ‘radically rewritten’ to avoid putting patients’ safety at risk," and listing the "10 most important flaws in the draft guidance," a Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry blog reports. For the blog, which includes links to the letter, and to other relevant information, including a "2021 audit of ECT use in England [that] found multiple failings, putting patient safety at risk," click here.
"What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger"? Guess Again.
"Repeated exposure to major disasters does not make people mentally stronger, a recent study found: individuals who have been repeatedly exposed to major disasters show a reduction in mental health scores," Science Daily reports. According to a recent Texas A&M University study, "the more experience the individuals had with such events, the lower their mental health was." The researchers studied the Houston area, which had been affected by many of the 33 major natural disasters in Texas from 2000 to 2020, in addition to manmade industrial emergencies. Using a short survey to assess respondents' mental and physical health, "the team found that when individuals experienced two or more events over the past five years, their MCS [Mental Component Summary] averages fell below the expected national levels. The results of the study...underscore the need for public health interventions targeted toward these individuals as well as the communities where they reside." For the Science Daily article, click here.
How Do You Know When It's Time to Quit Therapy?
A recent article in Teen Vogue suggests that knowing when to quit therapy "depends, in part, on the problems at hand and how large they loom over a person's life...But knowing when to stop therapy is also dependent on what a patient's initial objectives were for counseling...and how close they’ve gotten to achieving them." Meanwhile, a 2013 article in The New York Times suggests that, among other reasons to quit, "if you have gained from therapy what you set out to, if you feel you’ve developed skills to help resolve problems and conflicts, if you’ve learned to cope with stress, and if you have gotten past the things that have been holding you back, then the time has come to graduate from therapy, and you can do so with confidence." And a recent review of The Zen of Therapy, also in the Times, notes that "freedom lies ultimately not in understanding what happened to us, but in loosening our grip on it all...The goal...isn’t to reach the state of feeling glowingly positive about yourself and your life. It’s to become less entangled with that whole question, so that you get to spend your time on more meaningful things instead." For the Teen Vogue article, click here. For the 2013 NY Times article, click here. And for the Times book review, click here.
On April 28, AD4E Will Host a Prominent British Journalist and a Distinguished British Psychologist to Discuss Their New Books
On April 28, 2022, at 10 a.m. EDT (2 p.m. GMT), A Disorder for Everyone (AD4E) will welcome Johann Hari (author of Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention) and Lucy Johnstone (author of A Straight Talking Introduction to Psychiatric Diagnosis) to talk about their new books. "Crucial Conversations is a series of 'A Disorder for Everyone' online events in which authors of recently published books that contribute to challenging the culture of diagnosis and disorder are invited to talk about their work. There will be audience questions and a panel discussion afterwards." When you register, AD4E requests a donation based on what you can afford. For details, click here.
Sylvia Caras, a Passionate Mental Health Advocate, Has Died at Age 86
Sylvia Caras, a tireless community organizer with lived experience, has died at age 86. A resident of Santa Cruz, California, Sylvia was active nationally and internationally. (In the World Health Organization's "Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package: Mental Health Legislation and Human Rights," she is among those who are thanked for their "expert opinion and technical input.") In a blog created by her family to celebrate her 70th birthday, many notable mental health advocates and other experts contributed warm comments. Among them was award-winning anthropologist and author Dr. Sue Estroff, who wrote, in part: "...Sylvia is one, if not THE, most informed, erudite, passionate scholar and advocate in the human right/disability/people with psychiatric diagnoses arena. I learn from her..." In "The Downside of the Family-Organized Mental Illness Advocacy Movement," published in Psychiatric Services in 1998, Sylvia wrote, "As a person with a disability, what I want is acceptance. When you speak of my life as a tragedy, you are robbing me of my dignity. I want you to see my potential..." For the article, click here. Rest in Power, Sylvia Caras.
"Artist with Anxiety Illustrates Mental Health Tips She Learns in Therapy"
"Illustrator Kate Allan was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder as an adult. The identification not only validated her experience, but it has given her the opportunity to use her artistic talent to help herself and others in the quest for improved mental health. Allan has taken what she’s learned since entering therapy to create a mental health comic about mindfulness. 'Mindfulness,' she says on Twitter, 'can be useful for literally everyone, but I found it particularly helpful for anxiety—this exercise got me out of the house and functioning again.'” For Kate Allan's comic, click here.
The February 2022 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For "This Simple Piece of Equipment Could Elevate Your Workout: A jump rope can increase your agility and speed while giving you a great workout in half the time of a run," click here. For "Are You Dreaming Too Big? Lifelong, hard-to-achieve goals might not make you happier. Small steps will," click here. For "An 11-Minute Body-Weight Workout With Proven Fitness Benefits: Five minutes of burpees, jump squats and other calisthenics, alternating with rest, improved aerobic endurance in out-of-shape men and women," click here. For "The Year in Fitness: Shorter Workouts, Greater Clarity, Longer Lives: The most vital exercise science of 2021 provided a reminder that our bodies and minds can flourish, no matter our circumstances," click here.
The February 2022 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 "How Do You Clear a Pot Conviction From Your Record? It depends on where you live. (Californians, you’re in luck.)," click here. For "The Criminal Justice Issue Nobody Talks About: Brain Injuries--I know firsthand what it’s like to navigate the criminal justice system with a brain injury caused by domestic violence. I also live with the fact that an injury like mine can turn a victim into a perpetrator," click here. For "A Family-Centered Approach to Criminal Justice Reform" (105 pages), click here. For "Remedying injustice for the wrongfully convicted does not end when they are released," click here. For "In first day of civil rights trial, former David Wade prisoners describe years of solitary confinement, filthy living areas and poor mental health care," click here. For "The Artists of Sing Sing: At an exhibition hosted by Rehabilitation Through the Arts, subjects included Ta-Nehisi Coates, Nikole Hannah-Jones, global warming, and home," click here. For "State of Justice," a newsletter of the Council of State Governments Justice Center, click here. For "The Sentences That Create Us: Crafting A Writer’s Life in Prison," click here. For "Opinion: Can’t pay the court? Go to jail. Debtors’ prison lives on," click here. For "Make Prosecutors 'Earn' Immunity," click here. For "‘The Only Way We Get Out of There Is in a Pine Box’: Elderly, ailing and expensive, lifetime prisoners cost Louisiana taxpayers millions a year," click here. For "Video of 'Fight Night' at Rikers Jail Leads Judge to Find Cruel and Unusual Punishment: A New York state judge found video of guards ceding control of Rikers to gang leaders more than enough evidence to order the release of a pretrial inmate," click here. For "Walla Walla Mean Face: Dispatch From a Prison Transfer--Moving brings anxiety, disruption for incarcerated," click here. For "Shaker Heights, MetroHealth collaboration will send social workers on 911 calls to connect mentally ill with help," click here. For "Storycatchers Theatre Works With Incarcerated Youths To Tell Their Stories And Break Down Barriers," click here. For "After more than six years of federal oversight, dangerous problems persist in L.A. County jails," click here. For "Brave Behind Bars: Prison education program focuses on computing skills for women. MIT computer scientists and mathematicians offer an introductory computing and career-readiness program for incarcerated women in New England," click here. For "New data: The changes in prisons, jails, probation, and parole in the first year of the pandemic--Newly released data from 2020 show the impact of early-pandemic correctional policy choices and what kind of change is possible under pressure. But the data also show how inadequate, uneven, and unsustained policy changes have been: most have already been reversed," click here. For "Cost of Incarceration in the US," click here. For "Prison Food: A Curated Collection of Links," click here. For "Here's Why Abolishing Private Prisons Isn't a Silver Bullet: The vast majority of prisoners are held in publicly run prisons. But the private sector affects their incarceration in different ways," click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
National Survey on Student Rights, Discrimination, and Accommodations in Higher Education Seeks Respondents
"Have you experienced psychiatric disability-based discrimination or the denial of an accommodation in a postsecondary institution in the United States? Interested in informing national advocacy focus on psych disability rights in higher ed? Mental Health America (lead: Kelly Davis) and collaborators Dr. Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh), Stefanie Kaufman-Mthimkhulu (Project LETS) and Brit Vanneman Esq. (Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law) have developed "a survey aimed at providing a more comprehensive understanding of student experiences of campus-based discrimination, mandated leaves of absence, and/or denial of academic, administrative and/or student-work accommodations in the U.S. Data will be used to inform national advocacy efforts and future projects, and in reports, presentations and publications." For eligibility and to access the survey, 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.
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)
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.
Lancet Offers Stakeholders New Opportunities Re: Psychosis & Participatory Research
Check out these opportunities for stakeholder involvement! (1) 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. (2) 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)
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. 8, February 2022. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH