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 LEGAL SYSTEM 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!
***
The Current U.S. Drug Policy Is Not “Scientifically Coherent,” Researchers Say
“Evidence points to an incongruence between international drug policy and expert opinion about safety, abuse potential, and therapeutic potential of specific drugs,” Ohio State and Johns Hopkins University researchers noted in a recent article published in the International Journal of Drug Policy. Focusing on four drugs–psilocybin, methamphetamine, ketamine, and alprazolam (Xanax)–the researchers found that “American psychiatrists’ perceptions about safety and abuse/therapeutic potentials associated with certain psychoactive drugs were inconsistent with those indicated by their placement in drug schedules. These findings add to a growing consensus amongst experts that the current drug policy is not scientifically coherent.” For the article, click here. (Courtesy of Elizabeth R. Stone)
NCMHR Is Excited to Host Free (Virtual) Alternatives 2022: Nov. 2, 3, and 4!
The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR) will host Alternatives 2022, a virtual conference, on November 2 and November 3, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET; and November 4, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET. The conference will be FREE—although donations are welcome! November 2 includes a Youth Leader Panel, who will describe the future they want to see; a presentation on the history of the peer self-help and advocacy movement by longtime movement leaders; and the opportunity for participants to plan actions in one of three strategic areas: Advocacy at the Federal and State Levels; Alternatives to Force, Confinement, & Coercion; and Joining Our Struggle for Freedom to Other Struggles. November 3 includes presentations on peer crisis alternatives and additional organizing in the action groups, which will continue on November 4. On November 2 and November 3 between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET, there will be a choice of arts and movement activities as well as networking opportunities. As more information becomes available, it will be posted on the Alternatives conference website (click here). To register, click here.
MindFreedom International’s Next Judi’s Room to Be Held on October 5
On October 5, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. PT, MindFreedom International will host its next monthly Judi’s Room. The topic is “Independent Living Advocates: Potential Allies in the Fight for Alternatives to Guardianship.” The speakers will be Ron Bassman, former MindFreedom International executive director, and Karen Koch, advocate at Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living (RTFCIL), one of the largest CILs in Pennsylvania. For more information and to register for free, click here.
Next Installment in PSCFL's National Peer Entrepreneur Speaker Series Is on October 6
On October 6, 2022, the Peer Support Coalition of Florida (PSCFL) Inc. will present the next episode in its National Peer Entrepreneur Series, held every first Thursday of the month at 12 p.m. ET. “Learn about [the peer entrepreneurs’] businesses, how they got started, and how they balance managing their wellness while running a successful business,” PSCFL writes. Those who attend any episodes in the series can apply to enroll in a six-session Aspiring Entrepreneurship Workshop, “which concludes with a warm handoff to a SCORE mentor for business development support,” PSCFL adds. “If you are a peer entrepreneur and would like to share your story of recovery and entrepreneurship, please contact Sherry@peersupportfl.org." To register for the October 6 workshop, click here. For more about peer entrepreneurs, and an interview with Live & Learn Inc. CEO and founder Laysha Ostrow, click here.
NYAPRS Seeks Presenters for TED-Style Talks at Its Rehabilitation and Recovery Academy
The deadline is October 7 to apply to present a 13-minute TED-style talk at NYAPRS’s Rehabilitation and Recovery Academy, to be held in person at the Hilton in downtown Albany on November 8-9, 2022. NYAPRS writes: “Details coming soon for an exciting program filled with best practices and innovation related to psychiatric rehabilitation services. Apply today to share your stories of support, best-practice implementation or other stories of recovery!” To apply, click here.
Are You Interested in Pursuing Graduate School and/or a Research Career? Read Below.
Stephania Hayes (UC Davis), Shannon Pagdon (Columbia/NYS Psychiatric Institute/University of Pittsburgh), and Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh) write: “We are gathering information from people with lived experience in the Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) or early psychosis space (including peer specialists, current/former CSC participants, and CSC youth coordinators) who are potentially interested in pursuing graduate school and/or a research career. All of us identify as having lived experience, work in CSC, and are invested in supporting the next generation of scholars who also have lived experience. We would like to create a discussion group and/or other supports for people interested in this career path. The link below leads to a very brief survey that will help us understand the level of interest in such supports, as well as areas of career interest. (Please note that this is not a research study.)” To participate in the anonymous survey, click here.
“Making Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority” Is the Theme of World Mental Health Day (October 10)
“Growing social and economic inequalities, protracted conflicts, violence and public health emergencies affect whole populations, threatening progress towards improved well-being,” the World Health Organization writes in honor of World Mental Health Day on October 10. “We must deepen the value and commitment we give to mental health as individuals, communities and governments and match that value with more commitment, engagement and investment by all stakeholders, across all sectors. We must strengthen mental health care so that the full spectrum of mental health needs is met through a community-based network of accessible, affordable and quality services and supports.” For more information, click here.
“So You’re Ready to Work; Now What?”
On October 11, 2022, at 12 p.m. ET, Rebel Leadership Group LLC and CAFE TAC will launch a new, 12-part interactive employment training series! “This series will be recovery-centered and strengths-based, examining the process of finding, applying for, and succeeding in a job through the lens of recovery, helping attendees to identify strengths and skills, align the job-seeking and employment experience with their personal recovery path, and providing opportunity for discussion in a peer-centered space…Registering for any of the 12 sessions will automatically register you for all future sessions.” For details and to register, click here.
PSCFL's 3-Part National Supervision Series Begins on October 13
On October 13 and October 27, 2022, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET, the Peer Experience National Technical Assistance Center, a program of Peer Support Coalition of Florida (PSCFL) Inc., will host the first two parts of a three-part “National Supervision Series.” The date of Part 3 is to be determined. (Hurricane Ian required canceling the original Part 1 date of September 29 and a shift in the schedule.) PSCFL writes: “This series is a skill-building framework for effective peer support supervision with an understanding of best practices of both peer services and supervision. It is recommended for anyone who supervises peer specialists.” To register for all three sessions, click here. (“The sessions can be beneficial independently, and registration for each is independent,” PSCFL writes.) (Because the sessions are interactive, they will not be archived.)
Free Webinar: “Art and Healing—The Beauty Path”
On October 20, 2022, at 2 p.m. ET, the National Empowerment Center (NEC) will present a free, 90-minute webinar on “Art and Healing—The Beauty Path.” NEC writes: “We know that hope and healing are closely related, and this webinar will explore how art guides one artist, Meghan Caughey, in her recovery, plus how making art can be a tool for you in your own path and in supporting others.” For more information and to register, click here.
“Mental Illness Is Not in Your Head”
“Two recent books by historians explore the crisis in biological psychiatry, tracing the political, economic, social, and professional factors that led psychiatrists to attempt to pin the reality of mental illness—and the legitimacy of the profession—on the brain,” writes a Yale University historian of medicine and psychiatry resident in Boston Review. “They reveal that U.S. psychiatry, across its history, has been dangerously susceptible to hype and ‘cool,’ ranging from enthusiasm for brain dissection in the 1890s to the fanfare surrounding neurotransmitters and genetics a century later.” For the article, click here. (Courtesy of Berta Britz)
Celebrate Global Peer Support Celebration Day at the N.A.P.S. Conference! And Download the “Global Peer Support Celebration Day Toolkit”!
On October 20, 2022, to observe Global Peer Support Celebration Day—always the third Thursday in October—N.A.P.S. has invited writer, consultant, facilitator, advocate, and psychiatric survivor Nze Okoronta (they/them) to speak during a lunchtime plenary session at the annual conference. Nze specializes in the design, operation and supervision of peer-led and peer-operated crisis alternatives based in harm-reduction principles, informed consent models, and safer alternatives to navigating emotional distress. For more about Nze, click here and here. For the “Global Peer Support Celebration Day Toolkit,” click here. Nze also co-authored “Hotline Peer Specialist Integration: Preliminary Considerations for Equity and Sustainability” (click here.) (This document was included in the July 2022 Key Update.)
Researcher Seeks Peer Supporters for Survey of Burnout and Job Satisfaction
“Evidence has demonstrated that peer support is beneficial to individuals receiving services for mental health treatment,” writes PhD candidate Melody Madaris, a therapist who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD. “However, there is little research showing how providing peer services affects the peer support worker. The goal of this 20-minute, anonymous survey—for which respondents will not be compensated—is to give supervisors and policy makers information to better support peers in the workforce.” About her experience as a therapist, Melody has written, “I have seen how my just being real about my own story with clients has sometimes created better outcomes than the use of regimented, evidence-based curriculums.” For the informed consent statement (pages 1 and 2), and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval letter (page 3), click here. To participate in the survey, click here.
Doors to Wellbeing Will Host Its Next Free Webinar on October 25
On October 25, 2022, at 2 pm. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will host the latest webinar in its monthly one-hour series. The topic will be “How DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Initiatives Can Be Leveraged to Advance Peer Support Work.” “Studies have shown that when it comes to DEI initiatives, the one demographic that is the most often left out or an afterthought is those with disabilities. This is especially true for those with invisible disabilities. With over 61 million Americans having a physical or mental disability, it is important that peer supporters have a seat at the table when DEI initiatives are crafted. This webinar will provide an overview of diversity, equity, & inclusion, how we can respond when faced with microaggressions, and five ways that peer supporters can be change agents for DEI initiatives.” For more information and to register, click here.
“Hearing Voices” Exhibit Provides First-Person Accounts of Life in 19th-Century Asylums
“Hearing Voices: Memoirs from the Margins of Mental Health” is a free in-person and virtual exhibit presented by the Library Company of Philadelphia at 1314 Locust Street, Philadelphia. “These first-hand accounts range from positive tales of redemption and recovery, to harrowing stories of deceit and torture...[W]e are provided with an insight into the inner-workings of 19th-century asylums and the experiences of some of the most vulnerable in our society.” The exhibit runs through December 22, 2022; Library Company visitors must present proof of Covid-19 vaccination and wear a mask. For more information, click here. To view the exhibit online, click here. (Courtesy of Loran Kundra)
MHAAO Issues Call for Proposals for Peerpocalypse 2023
The Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon will host the tenth annual Peerpocalypse conference May 8-11, 2023, and is seeking presentation proposals for its workshop sessions. MHAAO writes: “This year's Peerpocalypse will be held in a hybrid format with in-person participation in beautiful Seaside, Oregon, and virtually.” The deadline for proposals is October 31, 2022, at 11:45 p.m. PT. For details and to submit a proposal, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
Mental Health America Offers “Peer Support: Research and Reports”
“Peers are an essential component of recovery-focused systems and are key across settings and stages of recovery,” writes Mental Health America on a web page devoted to “Peer Support: Research and Reports.” The page has numerous subsidiary topics and links. For the compendium, click here.
Peer Support Toolkit Is Designed to Help Agencies Successfully Integrate Peer Providers
The Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) has created a toolkit “designed to support behavioral health treatment agencies with the process of integrating peer providers into their service settings…Tools in this kit are designed to help agencies to recruit, retain, and effectively deploy people in recovery in a variety of peer support roles. The resources and information provided [are] relevant for executive leadership along with supervisors and peer staff.” For details and to download the toolkit, click here.
NASMHPD’s 2014 Webinar Series on Trauma-Informed Peer Support Is Still Relevant“
SAMHSA’s National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC) hosted a series of three 75-minute webinars in September 2014 that introduced key concepts in NCTIC’s day-long Trauma-Informed Peer Support (TIPS) training. Peer support providers are the primary audience. For more information and to listen to the recordings and download the PowerPoint slides, click here.
The October 22 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For “NIH-funded study shows sound sleep supports immune function: Adults who cut back on sleep for six weeks had increased markers of inflammation,” click here. (Courtesy of Peggy Swarbrick via Jacek Haciak) For “What Is a Vulnerability Hangover and How Do You Deal with Them? Getting things off our chest and sharing helps us feel better, we’re told. However, what about the shame or fear of judgment that can sometimes follow? Sonia Vadlamani explains what causes this initial regret—known as a vulnerability hangover—and how to overcome it,” click here. For “Are You a Clutterer? Do you have more possessions than you can comfortably handle? Are you embarrassed to invite family, friends, health care providers, or maintenance workers into your home …? Do you find it easier to drop something instead of putting it away … ?” click here. For “Surprisingly Happy to Have Helped: Underestimating Prosociality Creates a Misplaced Barrier to Asking for Help,” click here.
The October 2022 Digest of Articles about the Criminal Legal System, in Which Many Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Are Incarcerated (and the Key Update continues after this Digest)
For “Decarcerating from Within: A path for imprisoned writers to offer reasoned analysis on policies affecting the carceral state,” click here. For “Let Incarcerated People Serve the Communities They Hurt: A group of men in a New York prison organized a school supply donation campaign. Then prison leadership squashed it,” click here. For “Growing Justice: Why understanding restorative and transformative justice on their own terms, and at their best and worst, will help us build more of both,” click here. For “Prisoner Advocates Turn to the UN to End Extreme Prison Sentences: In a sharply worded complaint to UN special rapporteurs submitted on Thursday, advocacy groups call for an end to ‘death by incarceration’ sentencing in the U.S.,” click here. For “Afraid of Jail? Buy an Upgrade: How California’s pay-to-stay jails create a two-tiered justice system,” click here. For “Providing Health Care at Reentry Is a Critical Step in Criminal Justice Reform,” click here. For “An average of 25 mentally ill Mississippians wait in jail for hospital bed each day, report finds,” click here. For “People Age Out of Crime. Prison Sentences Should Reflect That,” click here. For “From Prison to the Art Gallery: Formerly incarcerated artists are making waves in the collecting world, hoping to create pathways, and dignity, for their peers,” click here. For “Protecting the Connection Between Parents in Prison and Their Children: The child of a formerly incarcerated person writes about how bad policies make the hardships of separation even worse,” click here. For “Clear Creek County deputies shoot and kill man who asked for help after car crash,” click here. For “Senate Investigation Finds Justice Department Undercounted Prison and Jail Deaths Last Year by Nearly 1,000: The report says the inaccuracies ‘deprived Congress and the American public of information about who is dying in custody and why,’” click here. For “The Irrefutable Case for Police Reform: Lawless cops must be subordinated to democracy,” click here. For “What’s Dangerous Is America’s Lack of Crime Data,” click here. For “Millions of People With Felonies Can Now Vote. Most Don’t Know It. In a handful of key states, no more than 1 in 4 formerly incarcerated people registered in time for the 2020 election, a Marshall Project analysis found,” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
“Help Us Map the Landscape of Lived Experience and Family Involvement in 988 Policy and Related Crisis Response System Planning!”
“As 988 implementation rolls out alongside additional efforts to strengthen crisis response systems throughout the U.S., it's important to gauge the extent to which direct stakeholders (i.e., individuals who use or have used mental health crisis services and their families) have been involved in related policy, implementation and evaluation at the local, regional, state or federal levels. To map out involvement nationally, Mental Health America (lead: Kelly Davis), Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh) and Keris Myrick (National Association of Peer Supporters) have developed a survey aimed at documenting the extent of stakeholder involvement, the forms this involvement has taken, and, where available, what concerns stakeholders have raised. Any individual with knowledge of lived experience and family involvement is eligible to participate; individuals completing the survey do not have to have lived experience themselves.” For more information and to access the survey, click here.
Survey Seeks Respondents Who Have Taken Mental Health Courses Involving Their Own Diagnoses
Have you taken a mental health course that covers a diagnosis you have? If so, you are invited to participate in a brief, anonymous, online survey--designed by a University of Pittsburgh MSW student--about what it's like for students with lived experience to study their own diagnoses in a classroom. The survey covers students' experiences of studying such subjects as "abnormal psychology," "psychopathology," and diagnosis and assessment when their own diagnoses are covered. "The goal of the project is to better understand what it feels like to take courses in which someone’s diagnosis is being taught/defined/discussed. There is currently no literature or reporting on the experiences of students in the above circumstances, or the associated impact." Interested? Please click here. Questions? Please email the project lead, Charlie Clement, at cjc204@pitt.edu
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.
BU Seeks Peer Support Specialists for a Research Study
The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University is developing and testing the effectiveness of a coaching service called Coaching and Advancement for Peer Providers (CAPP) “to increase organizational commitment and job satisfaction and decrease turnover among mental health peer providers.” BU CPR writes: “We need Peer Support Specialists (PSS) to participate in our study. Who can participate? People who are in a paid job as a Peer Support Specialist providing support to other people with mental health challenges, who are employed at least 10 hours per week, who have worked for the past six months in a mental health program, and who are experiencing stress because of challenges in the workplace. The study involves 16 one-hour sessions of coaching over a four-month period designed to help you with your job, meeting online (through Zoom, for example) with your coach, and filling out surveys one time before coaching starts and three additional times. You will have a 50/50 chance of getting a coach or having a one-time meeting to give you information about challenges at work. Benefits? You may learn strategies to help make work less stressful.” For more information, click here. For questions, contact Principal Investigator E. Sally Rogers, Sc.D., at erogers@bu.edu or 617-353-3549.
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.
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.
If You've Had, or Been Labeled with, "Negative Symptoms" in the Context of Psychosis...
"If you have experienced or been labeled with 'negative symptoms' in the context of psychosis, please consider contributing an anonymous account of your views and experiences," Dr. Nev Jones writes. "Currently, there is nowhere one can go to find lived experience perspectives/accounts on this topic—even though 'negative symptoms' regularly feature in research and clinical trials. Help us change this!" This survey is a companion to Psychosis Outside the Box; for that survey, click here. For more information and/or to share your story about "negative symptoms," 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)
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.
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)
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
CONFERENCES
APA to Host Mental Health Services Conference October 13-14 in Washington, DC
The American Psychiatric Association writes: “The 2022 Mental Health Services Conference will bring psychiatrists and other mental health professionals together to collaborate on practical advice to influence systems-level change for their patients. Join us in-person in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton Hotel, October 13-14, as we work together to develop practical solutions to solve real-world issues.” Sessions include “988 and Crisis Care: What Happens After the Call?”; “Mental Health Professionals’ Role in Reclaiming Community Members from the Justice System”; and “The Overturning of Roe vs Wade: Implications for Women’s Health and the Practice of Medicine.” For more information, click here.
NARPA Announces Exciting Keynoters to Speak at Its 2022 Annual Rights Conference, October 26-29
The National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA) will hold its 2022 Annual Rights Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Newark Airport October 26-29. The four inspiring keynote speakers will be Rob Wipond, an activist, investigative journalist, and author of the upcoming “Your Consent Is Not Required: The Rise in Forced Detentions, Forced Treatment, And Abusive Guardianships; Ruth Lowenkron, Director, Disability Justice Program, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, who has filed lawsuits against the New York Police Department about their responses to mental health crisis calls; Vesper Moore, an indigenous political activist, leader, author, trainer and educator in the psychiatric survivor and disability rights movements; Deborah Dorfman, Executive Director, Disability Rights Connecticut, who is active in individual, class action, and systemic reform litigation for disability rights around the nation; and Robert Dinerstein, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law, who will speak about recent developments in mental health law. Visit www.narpa.org for registration form and updates.
National Association for Rural Mental Health Conference to Be Held November 2-4, 2022
The 47th Annual National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH) conference will be held at the Embassy Suites in Boulder, Colorado, November 2-4, 2022. The theme is “Beyond the Pandemic—Building on Rural Resiliency.” The early-bird registration fee is $500; for people who are retired or students, it’s $250. For more information as it becomes available, click here.
The International Conference on Trauma and Mental Health will take place November 3-4, 2022, in San Francisco. For more information, click here.
ISPS-US (Hybrid) 2022 Conference to Be Held November 4-6
The 2022 ISPS-US (International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis—U.S. Chapter) conference will be held November 4-6 in Sacramento, California, as well as online. The conference theme is Opportunity Through Experience: Psychosis, Extreme States, and Possibilities for Transformation. ISPS-US writes: “People with lived experience, family members, clinicians, and researchers are all invited to propose presentations that promote mutual collaboration and respect, and can allow us to offer each other both greater understanding and more light. We especially welcome proposals from members of marginalized groups whose experiences have included systemic as well as relational traumas and challengesFor more information, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
ISEPP’s 2021 Conference Is Available to View Online
The 2021 conference of the International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry can be viewed online. The theme of the conference, convened October 9-10, 2021, was “The Destructive Propaganda of the Mental Health Industry: How Did We Get Here? Where Are We Going?” It was dedicated to the life and memory of Paula J. Caplan, Ph.D. To buy a ticket to watch the full conference recording for $22.85, click here.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
“Crisis Now” Offers a “Roadmap to Safe, Effective Crisis Care”
The goal of Crisis Now: Transforming Crisis Services—led by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and developed with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and RI International—is “to provide all communities a roadmap to safe, effective crisis care that diverts people in distress from the emergency department and jail by developing a continuum of crisis care services that match people’s clinical needs.” Among the resources offered on the website are SAMHSA’s 80-page “National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care Best Practice Toolkit” (2020), an “Overview of Crisis Funding Sources Available to States and Localities” (last updated March 2, 2022), and assessment tools, such as “How Does Your Crisis System Rate?” The Crisis Now partners write: “Are you interested in adding your organization to the list supporting Crisis Now, or do you have questions? Reach out to us at info@crisisnow.com. For the website, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
“What Is the Meaning of Life?” This Free Online Collection Offers Answers
Excellence Reporter offers more than “1,200 articles-interviews on ‘What Is the Meaning of Life?’ written by renowned spiritual leaders, mindfulness experts, great thinkers and authors, elders, artists, musicians, CEOs, etc.” The contributors include such renowned figures as Bertrand Russell; Carl Jung; the Dalai Lama; Eleanor Roosevelt; Epicurus; Erich Fromm; Kahlil Gibran; Buckminster Fuller; Robert Louis Stevenson; and Ron Bassman, executive director of MindFreedom International. To browse the free compendium, click here.
Rutgers Releases W-TLC Virtual Toolbox and Training/Learning Collaborative Series
“The Rutgers Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies has announced the release of the Wellness Training Learning Collaborative (W-TLC) virtual toolbox and Training/Learning Collaborative series…This toolkit provides peer support, individual, and organizational approaches to support the wellbeing of the critical health care workforce.” For descriptions of the 12 upcoming sessions—including two in July (July 7 and July 28), with the remaining sessions to be held August 2022 through January 2023—and to register for them, click here. For the “Journey to Wellness Guide,” click here. (Note: Information about the Journey to Wellness Guide was included in the April 2022 Key Update.)
Peer Advocates Over 50 Years Old Are Invited to a Weekly Empowering Support Group
"People over 50 who are mental health lived-experience advocates, change makers, visionaries, and current status quo challengers" are invited to join "a weekly, open, upbeat, peer-support empowering environment for seasoned peers with lived experience who are active, and were active, as advocates for positive change," the WiseCrackers write. The goal of the recently launched group is "to support mental health advocates over 50 years of age with pure peer support practices based on natural curiosity, acceptance, humor, and positive networking." The free, 90-minute Zoom meetings are held on Mondays at 7 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CT, 5 p.m. MT, and 4 p.m. PT. The meetings are currently co-facilitated by "East and West Coast Peers" and sponsored by the Community for Positive Aging. To register and to review the WiseCracker Principles of support, click here. Questions? Contact info@choiceheals.com or 503.208.0065.
The UIC Center’s Solutions Suite for Health & Recovery Offers Free Tools
"The UIC Center offers tools, curricula, and implementation manuals for free use in community-based programs, peer-run programs, or one's own life. You can introduce the entire complement of products to foster improved health, wellness, and mental health recovery. Or, you can choose the ones that will work best for your program or your life. The Suite was developed in collaboration with Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey. The UIC Center is funded by NIDILRR (National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research). For the UIC Solutions Suite for Health & Recovery, click here. (Courtesy of Peggy Swarbrick via Jacek Haciak)
Poetry Coalition to Launch "Poetry & Disability Justice" Initiative
"This year, the 25+ organizations nationwide that comprise the Poetry Coalition will launch 'The future lives in our bodies: Poetry & Disability Justice,' the coalition’s sixth annual programming initiative...Poetry Coalition members aim to demonstrate how poetry can inspire questions in their communities about disability justice and spark increased engagement with this important theme. Member organizations are committed to offering programming that is accessible and that includes disabled, neurodivergent, and d/Deaf poets and those of diverse racial, ethnic, and gender identities, backgrounds, and communities. All organizations and others interested are invited to create programs on this theme in 2022 and share their efforts using the hashtags #DisabilityJustice and #PoetryCoalition. For some additional resources to assist with programming, particularly in creating accessible programming, click here.
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.
"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.
U.S. DOL Releases Guidance on FMLA Leave and Mental Health
The U.S. Department of Labor’s newly issued Fact Sheet #280 about the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) explains when eligible employees may take FMLA leave to address mental health conditions, and new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) offers additional information. (Although the FMLA covers public and private employers nationwide, only those private employers who have 50 or more employees for at least 20 workweeks in a year are required to provide their eligible employees with FMLA leave.) For details, click here.
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.
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.
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.
Learning Collaborative Webinar Series Offers Several Archived Presentations
The Doors to Wellbeing website offers a number of webinars that you may find of interest: “The Importance of Policies and Procedures in Peer-run Organizations”; “Building Partnerships to Enhance the Peer Workforce,” by Kyneta Lee, Tim Saubers, and Todd Noack; “Handing Over the Keys: Leadership Succession Planning in Non-Profit Organizations,” by Elise Padilla and Maxine Henry; “How to Embed Strategic Planning into the Culture of Your Organization,” by Oryx Cohen; “Fundraising and Sustainability: Building your Organization by Telling the Right Story to the Right Audience”; “Developing a Board of Directors for Mental Health Organizations,” by Amey Dettmer and Matthew Federici; and “Conflict Management in Peer-Run Organizations: Tools for Effective Conversations.” Certificates of attendance are not available for any of these presentations. For more information and to register for any or all of them, click here.
National Safety Council Offers a Free Webinar Series Focusing on Mental Health in the Workplace
"The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will affect employees well beyond the initial crisis," the National Safety Council writes. "Employers have a unique ability and responsibility to address the mental health and wellbeing of their workers, which is a true organization-wide effort. This free Mental Health Webinar Series led by the National Safety Council, and first presented in August 2020, speaks to a variety of positions within an organization and how each one can address stress and mental health." Four of the five webinars are titled: "Supporting Employee Mental Health" and respectively subtitled "Resources for Employees," "Actions for Leadership," "Actions for Supervisors," and "Actions for HR Professionals." To view the free, archived 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)
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 19, No. 4, October 2022. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH