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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!
DEADLINE ALERT: Please note that there are opportunities and upcoming deadlines throughout the Key Update, including in the “…But Still Fresh!” Department!
NEWS
“...Pharma Dominates/Biases Clinical Trials Across All Medicine”
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Allen Frances, MD, citing a study posted on November 14, 2023, on JAMA Network Open, wrote: “Shocks even me how much Pharma dominates/biases clinical trials across all medicine. Research literature/FDA approvals driven by commercial interest–not search for real efficacy/safety. Crazy to allow Pharma foxes [to] guard [the] henhouse of public well being.” According to JAMA, “This cross-sectional study illustrates how industry involvement in the most influential clinical trials was prominent not only for funding, but also authorship and provision of analysts and was associated with conclusions favoring the sponsor.” For the study–“Industry Involvement and Transparency in the Most Cited Clinical Trials, 2019-2022”–click here.
Medicare to Be Expanded to Support Mental Health
“Beginning in January 2024, Medicare will allow…licensed mental health professionals to join its pool of approved providers. The change will open access to another 400,000 professionals, or 40 percent of the current mental health workforce. In addition, Medicare will allow a maximum of 19 hours per week of intensive outpatient mental health care, increasing peer support for people with severe mental illness and making mobile crisis services more available to people in their homes or on the streets, if they’re unhoused…(click here)...But, now that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have finalized updates to their physician fee schedule for 2024, providers are vexed by cuts in payment rates the agency is offering, they told MedCity News.”
“Suppressing Negative Thoughts May Improve Mental Health, Contrary to Popular Belief, Study Finds”
“New research suggests that blocking out fearful thoughts could reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder,” according to a study recently published in Science Advances, as NBC News recently reported. “One hundred and twenty adults from 16 countries underwent 3 days of online training to suppress either fearful or neutral thoughts. No paradoxical increases in fears occurred. Instead, suppression reduced memory for suppressed fears and rendered them less vivid and anxiety provoking.” For the NBC News article, click here. For the study in Science Advances, click here.
“Depression Not So ‘Treatment-Resistant’ After Psychodynamic Psychotherapy”
“A recent study published in Psychotherapy suggests that Intensive Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) is an effective treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The study found that ISTDP had positive results, especially for patients who did not experience relief from depressive symptoms while taking antidepressants,” Mad In America writes. For the article, click here. For more about ISTDP, click here.
“Adding Antipsychotics Worsens Outcomes in Psychotic Depression”
According to a November 20, 2023, article in Mad In America, “outcomes were worse for all, with young people on combination therapy twice as likely to experience rehospitalization or death by suicide than those on antidepressants alone.” The researchers, in Sweden, found that, “after two years, 42.3% of those in the combination group were either readmitted or died by suicide, while slightly fewer (36.6%) in the antidepressants-alone group met this outcome. That is, adding antipsychotics didn’t help prevent this outcome, it increased the risk.” For the article, click here.
SAMHSA Launches SPARK (SAMHSA Program to Advance Recovery Knowledge)
SAMHSA has announced the creation of “a new national technical assistance center to support transformational, recovery-oriented change for every state, tribal, and territorial behavioral health system in the U.S.” SAMHSA writes: “Our charge is to embed recovery-oriented approaches in behavioral health systems and address systemic inequities that disproportionately impact access to recovery supports and services for under-served and under-resourced populations and communities.” The SAMHSA initiative, supported by SAMHSA’s Office of Recovery, will be led by C4 Innovations with Faces & Voices of Recovery, Alliance for Rights and Recovery (formerly NYAPRS), National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, and additional partners. For more information, contact SAMHSA’s Office of Recovery (click here).
“Biden-Harris Administration Announces $74.4 Million in Funding Opportunities to Improve Behavioral Health”
On November 16, 2023, “the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced notices of funding opportunities for grant programs that address behavioral health challenges in local communities by preventing substance use initiation, reducing the progression of substance use, and addressing other related concerns,” including “the mental health crisis.” For the press release, click here. (Courtesy of Alliance Enews)
WEBINARS
“Striving and Thriving Among Certified Peer Specialists”
On November 27, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET, “SAMHSA’s Office of Recovery invites you to join Laysha Ostrow, PhD, as she discusses some of the results from the [three-year] Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) Career Outcomes Study...Dr. Ostrow will present some of the findings around wages and financial wellbeing, workplace burnout, and CPS in rural areas. The presentation will conclude with lessons learned and suggestions for future research and policy changes to support the peer workforce.” For the latest findings in a variety of areas, click here. To register for the webinar, click here.
“The Role of Peer Support as an Indigenous Practice”
On November 28, 2023, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will “explore the critical role of peer support, relationships, and genuine human connection in re-indigenizing and decolonizing society.” This free, one-hour webinar will be presented by Vesper Moore. For more information and to register, click here.
iSPS to Host a Webinar on Storytelling and an Eight-Week Storytelling Training
On December 6, 2023, at 4 p.m. ET, iSPS-US will host a 90-minute webinar on “Rewriting the Narrative: Healing and Advocacy Through Storytelling.” Tickets range from $0 to $40. And on December 20, 2023, iSPS-US will launch “‘Life Writing with ISPS-US,’ an eight-week course aimed at individuals interested in crafting personal narratives centered around experiences of altered states or what some may call ‘psychosis.’ We welcome both experiencers and family members.” Each of the biweekly, two-hour sessions, on Wednesdays, will begin at 4 p.m. ET. The sliding scale ranges from $50 to $200. For details and to register for the December 6th webinar, click here. For details and to register for the eight-week training, click here.
“Challenging the Broken Guardianship System” Is the Topic of the Next Judi’s Room
On December 6, 2023, at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT), MindFreedom International and I Love You, Lead On will present a Judi’s Room panel on “Challenging the Broken Guardianship System.” Misty Dion, Katrina Kapp, and Tom Olin—for more about the presenters, click here and scroll down—will talk about “advocating for individuals with disabilities, and how this work placed them on a path to challenge outdated and unjust guardianship laws and policies, ultimately leading them to build a new coalition, Liberators for Justice.” For more information and to register, click here.
“Best Practices to Engaging Consumers in Mental Health Care”
On December 14, 2023, at 12 pm. ET, Southeast MHTTC will host a free, 90-minute webinar on “engaging consumers with mental health and/or substance use disorders to be active participants in their care…This interactive seminar will cover engagement both within the context of evidence-based practices focused on outreach and general skills and engagement strategies outside of those unique programs…We will reserve some time for small groups to identify engagement strategies that have been or might be helpful in their treatment setting.” For more information and to register, click here.
“Promoting Equity through Police-Mental Health Collaborations (PMHCs): A Community Workshop”
On December 14, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. ET, the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance will host a free, 90-minute webinar that “will provide guidance in three key areas: Key factors contributing to persistent racial and social inequities in law enforcement and behavioral health (LE-BH) service delivery, including the underlying determinants of structural and systemic racism found across justice and health systems; integration of data analysis to inform and evaluate diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges impacting LE-BH policies, practices, and outcomes; and emerging and evidence-based best practices from across the country.” For more information and to register, click here.
CONFERENCES
31st Forensic Rights and Treatment Conference to Be Held December 6-7, 2023
The Drexel University Division of Behavioral Healthcare Education is hosting the 2023 Virtual Forensic Rights and Treatment Conference on December 6-7, 2023. The organizers write: “We have a dynamic educational event that addresses topics such as human trafficking, moral distress in human services, grief and resilience experienced by individuals and their families and working with juveniles. Additionally, we will feature an application of crisis intervention teams (CIT) used by police when working with persons with serious mental illness.” For details, including a link to the conference brochure, which includes the complete detailed schedule and a link to register, click here. (Note: Although the conference organizers welcome a national audience, some of the CEs are Pennsylvania-based, and attendees from other states and DC will need to ask their accrediting entities for reciprocity. (Courtesy of Fran Hazam)
SHARE! Peer Workforce Conference Issues Call for Proposals
The Fourth Annual SHARE! Peer Workforce (online) Conference, on January 31, 2024 (12 p.m.-8:30 p.m. ET), has issued a call for proposals (deadline: January 5, 2024). “Bridging Research and Practice, a virtual Peer Workforce conference, brings together researchers and peer workers to share best practices in peer services…Registration is $50 with scholarships available.” For more information, to submit a proposal and/or to register, click here. (Courtesy of Beckie Child)
OPPORTUNITIES
SAMHSA Is Recruiting Peer Grant Reviewers. Do You Qualify?
“SAMHSA's three Centers are always looking for qualified grant peer reviewers who can evaluate applications for discretionary grants,” SAMHSA writes. “SAMHSA peer reviewers must have related program experience and education.” (SAMHSA's Office of Recovery has confirmed that peer reviewers do not need a graduate degree.) One incentive to apply is that “[r]eviewers will receive $140 per application reviewed and returned to SAMHSA in the timeline specified for each program.” For details about qualifications for peer reviewers and how to apply, click here.
TU Collaborative Seeks Input on Its Community Integration Calendars
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion writes: “Each year, we release a calendar resource designed to help individuals engage more in the community!” The TU Collaborative is considering adding a guided component and would like your input on how to structure it. For more information and to participate in an anonymous survey, click here.
The November 2023 Newsletter of the Northeast and Caribbean MHTTC
The November edition of the Northeast and Caribbean MHTTC newsletter includes articles about the benefits of gratitude, a request for responses to a study on “Assessing Experiences, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Needs of Mental Health Providers in Delivering Services and Supports to Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired,” a podcast, a number of self-paced online courses, and MHTTC’s “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Reference Guide.” For the newsletter, click here.
RESOURCES
“Mental Health Crisis Services: Promoting Person-Centred (sic) and Rights-based Approaches”
The World Health Organization (WHO), which published this 80-page “Technical Package” in 2021, writes: “By showcasing good practice mental health services from around the world this guidance supports countries to develop and reform community-based services and responses from a human rights perspective, promoting key rights such as equality, non-discrimination, legal capacity, informed consent and community inclusion. It offers a roadmap towards ending institutionalization and involuntary hospitalization and treatment and provides specific action steps for building mental health services that respect every person’s inherent dignity.” For the manual, click here.
“Introducing Alternatives to Suicide: An Interview with Caroline Mazel-Carlton about a New Approach to Crisis”
“Alternatives to Suicide (Alt2Su) describes an approach to suicide that focuses on connection and relationship-building among those who are struggling. This approach was informed by ‘Alternatives to Suicide’ peer support groups where people can share openly and authentically about their suicidal thoughts and feelings.” To read the interview, click here.
Frontiers in Psychology Adds to Its Archive of Articles About Open Dialogue
The latest addition to Frontiers in Psychology’s trove of articles about Open Dialogue is “Open Dialogue services around the world: a scoping survey exploring organizational characteristics in the implementation of the Open Dialogue approach in mental health services.” For the article, published online on November 10, 2023, click here. For all 21 articles, click here. (Courtesy of Ann Kasper)
“Supporting Employees with Mental Health Conditions: A Short Case Scenario on Facilitating Peer Connection”
The Café TA Center writes: “How can managers that know their team members would benefit from connecting with each other and sharing experiences bring people together while respecting boundaries? This new case scenario explores the possibilities and offers some guidance on how employers can create a space for connection and mutual support while still respecting privacy and best practices around disclosure.” For the article, click here.
Prison Activist Resource Center (PARC) Directory Offers Helpful Resources
“PARC mails a free national directory of resources to prisoners, their friends and family members. This year, we have expanded the content and the directory is now 28 pages listing nearly 300 organizations serving folks on the inside!! Thank you to all of our community partners for supporting the mailing of this directory.” For the PARC website, which includes a link to the Directory, click here.
“The Happiest Man in the World” and Phenomenological Psychopathology
“Harry’s psychotic delusions bring him cheer. His psychiatrist embraces them,” according to a recent article in Nautilus. "[M]any clinicians are now embracing methods that empower patients to live with their voices and visions if they so choose, including a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy in which patients learn to cope with hallucinations. In one recent paper, for instance, researchers pointed out that clinical guidelines from countries around the world suggest that people with psychosis should have a say in their own therapy—even if that involves refusing to take medications." For the article, click here. For “New Perspectives in Phenomenological Psychopathology: Its Use in Psychiatric Treatment,” click here.
LAST WORDS
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a Tireless Mental Health Advocate, Dies
On November 19, 2023, Rosalynn Carter, who worked relentlessly to improve the lives of individuals with mental health conditions, died at the age of 96. Her many accomplishments include initiating the Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy in 1985–held annually at the Carter Center, which she co-founded with President Carter–and creating the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism in 1996 to combat the prejudice and discrimination associated with mental health conditions. She was instrumental in the successful fight to pass legislation requiring insurance companies to cover behavioral health conditions on a par with physical health conditions; and she also had an indelible impact on Georgia’s mental health system. Mrs. Carter wrote or co-authored several books, including Helping Someone with Mental Illness: A Compassionate Guide for Family, Friends, and Caregivers, and Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis. “I was lucky enough to meet Mrs. Carter several times over the years,” said Joseph Rogers, Clearinghouse founder and executive director. “She was always gracious and very generous, and cared deeply about people with mental health challenges.” For more about her life and accomplishments, click here.
The December 2023 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For “FDA warns consumers not to purchase or use certain eye drops from several major brands due to risk of eye infection,” click here. For “A diet rich in beans, nuts, and whole grains could add 10 years to your life, according to a new modeling study,” click here. For “What to Know About Seasonal Depression,” click here. For “Do you need a daily supplement? Most older adults take some kind of over-the-counter dietary supplement. But are these products right for everyone?” click here. For “Should I Be Taking Supplements? There are thousands on the market, but relatively few situations where they’re proven to be beneficial,” click here. For “Why Your Grip Strength Matters, and How to Improve It,” click here. For “How Music Can Be Mental Health Care: In music therapy, clients play and listen to music as treatment for stress, depression and anxiety. Here’s how it works,” click here. For “Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Compliment,” click here. For “DASH Eating Plan: DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life,” click here.For “How to thrive amid ‘imposter syndrome’: Worries that you’re incompetent and undeserving could be holding you back. Try these steps to move toward the life you want,” click here. For “Walking vs Running: Which Form of Cardio Has Better Health Benefits? Both of these activities have incredible (and similar) physical and mental health benefits when they’re included in your regular fitness routine,” click here. For “Muscle Soreness After a Workout: Can It Be Prevented?” click here. For “Understanding the Psychology of Interrupting: How to Deal With Chronic Interrupters,” click here. For “Sexual side effects of SSRIs: Why it happens and what to do: Coping with this common side effect from antidepressants,” click here.
The December 2023 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 the 26-page report by The Sentencing Project–“One in Five: Disparities in Crime and Policing. The wide net that police cast across people of color is at odds with advancing safety because excessive police contact often fails to intercept serious criminal activity and diminishes the perceived legitimacy of law enforcement”--click here. For “Mississippi Jailed More Than 800 People Awaiting Psychiatric Treatment in a Year. Just One Jail Meets State Standards. Counties are allowed to hold people awaiting court-ordered psychiatric treatment in jails only if the facilities meet safety and health standards, but there’s no funding to help them comply and no penalties if they don’t,” click here. For “Book Review — Mass Supervision: Probation, Parole, and the Illusion of Safety and Freedom: A former New York City probation commissioner highlights how well-intentioned community supervision has gone awry and makes a compelling case for systemic change,” click here. For “Books as Decarceral: By helping non-incarcerated people to experience a human connection with people inside, volunteering can open a curtain in the mind,” click here. For “Children in Mental-Health Crisis Surge Into Hospital E.R.s,” click here. For “The Scandal That Never Happened: Years ago, the all-white judges of a Louisiana appellate court decided, in secret, to systematically ignore petitions filed by prisoners, most of them Black, who claimed they had been unjustly convicted. This is the story of a horrendous injustice and the three people who tried to expose it. It begins with a suicide note,” click here. For “New 47% Low Say Death Penalty Is Fairly Applied in U.S.,” click here. For “Here’s How I Use My Story to Teach Incarcerated Kids That Writing Matters: At 18, Bobby Bostic was sentenced to 241 years in prison. Now out on parole, he’s sharing the healing power of writing in juvenile detention centers,” click here. For “6 Stories About All the Ways You Can Die in Prison: More than 6,000 people passed away in U.S. prisons in 2020, a 46% increase from the previous year,” click here. For “Expanding the Vote: State Felony Disenfranchisement Reform, 1997-2023,” click here. For “Liberal justices object as Supreme Court rejects prisoner's exercise claim. The case concerns Michael Johnson, a prisoner with mental health issues, who was denied almost all opportunities to exercise for three years while in solitary confinement,” click here. For “Elderly and Imprisoned: ‘I Don’t Count It as Living, Only Existing,’” click here. For “P2P and Partners Awarded Multi-Million Dollar, Multi-Year Funding to Support Community-led Project to Advance Digital and Educational Equity for Currently and Formerly Incarcerated People,” click here. For “Your Arrest Was Dismissed. But It’s Still In A Police Database. In New York City, officers are illegally using information from arrests that have been sealed, according to a lawsuit. The practice is legal in more than two dozen states,” click here. For “This Youth Detention Center Superintendent Illegally Locks Kids Alone in Cells. No One Has Forced Him to Stop. The Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center has been punishing kids with seclusion more than any other facility in Tennessee. And as the laws and rules on how to treat kids changed, the facility failed to keep up,” click here. For “Young Black men in areas of Chicago, Philly more likely to die from guns than troops in battle: A young man living in an area around Garfield Park is 3.23 times more likely to die from a bullet than U.S. service members deployed to Afghanistan, a Boston College criminologist writes about a recent study,” click here. For “We studied jail conditions and jail deaths − here’s what we found: Relatively high turnover rates, we found, were associated with higher death rates overall, as well as due to suicide, drugs and alcohol, and homicide,” click here. For “Inside The Nation’s Overdose Crisis in Prisons and Jails: Behind bars, drug use is rampant and uniquely deadly, new data shows,” click here. For “A Warden Tried to Fix an Abusive Prison. He Faced Death Threats. He was tasked with ending abuse at a federal penitentiary, but he says his own officers and the Bureau of Prisons stood in the way,” click here. For “Incarcerated students earn degrees in groundbreaking US university program. Participants in Northwestern University prison education program will graduate despite having to work through Covid-19 pandemic,” click here. For “Prison Labor, Low Wages and the Side Hustle: Incarcerated workers turn to side hustles to survive. On the outside, comedian Luenell reflects on her time behind bars — and in show business,” click here. For “Cash bail policies are under fresh scrutiny. Some places have done away with the system, while others are considering stricter guidelines,” click here. For “Incarcerated Journalist Juan Moreno Haines Named Editor-in-Chief of Solitary Watch. The Award-Winning Reporter and Editor Will Work from Behind Bars at San Quentin,” click here. For “A ‘Constitution of Empire’ has failed Native Americans for generations. ‘Rather than engage with questions born of American colonialism, we have instead declared these puzzles as beyond our constitutional theory and left them to the “plenary power” of the political branches to solve,’” click here. For “Yearning to Go Home: Life-without-parole sentences hit families especially hard. Yet they fight on, committed to their loved ones’ freedom,” click here. For “Stripped: Unveiling the unseen trauma of strip searching juveniles in the Allegheny County Jail,” click here. For “Supreme Court Takes on Gun Cases as State Laws Shift: The court is considering the safety of victims of domestic violence, bump stocks and more,” click here. For “Deaths in Pa. jails are undercounted. Our investigation found dozens of hidden cases,” click here. For “Hundreds of Women File Rape Lawsuits Against City Jails: The suits filed as part of the state’s extension of the statute of limitations under the Adult Victims Act allege a culture of abuse and cover-up at the Department of Correction,” click here. For “Inside Illinois’ Youth Lockups, Children Go Without Basic Services and Face ‘Excessive’ Punishments: State audits point to troubling conditions in juvenile detention centers, but no agency has strong enough oversight to bring about change,” click here. For “Nearly one in five state prisoners go directly from maximum security to the street,” click here. For “From Solitary to the Street: What happens when prisoners go from complete isolation to complete freedom in a day?,” click here. For Prison Telecom Giant Deletes Months of Incarcerated Writers’ Work: Securus Technologies says a ‘technical glitch’ last week caused the deletion of Washington prisoners’ writings. They offered compensation of two e-stamps—a value of less than $1,” click here. For “ ‘Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change’: A cleareyed, compassionate, urgent appeal for prison reform,” click here. For “It’s time to rethink parole in the age of mass incarceration: Ben Austen’s ‘Correction’ focuses on the stories of two men to show how we might change the process of giving people second chances,” click here. For “Your Local Jail May Be a House of Horrors. But you probably wouldn’t know it, because sheriffs rule them with little accountability. After one man's death in a notorious lockup, residents of a Missouri town fought back,” click here. For “Redemption Songs: The Forgotten History of American Prison Music. From blues to gospel, country to rap, people have been making music behind bars for decades. Here’s why we should all tune in,” click here. For “New Data Shows Violent Crime Is Up… And Also Down. Property crime and violence against young people are both up, recent federal data shows, but other crime trends are murkier,” click here. For “The history of racism in Tennessee executions is why capital punishment is unjust: Executing the innocent, cost and competence should make all look at alternatives,” click here. For “The Era of Progress on Gun Mortality: State Gun Regulations and Gun Deaths from 1991 to 2016,” click here. For “People with dementia are being assaulted, improperly housed in Baltimore jail, report finds,” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
CONFERENCES
An Infinite Mind Hybrid Conference Is February 16-18
An Infinite Mind will host its annual hybrid conference in Orlando, Florida–”or live in your own living room!”–February 16-18, 2024. The organizers write: “Healing Together is our one-of-a-kind annual conference for people living with dissociation and DID, their loved ones, and mental health professionals.” For information about the conference, click here.
Suicide Research Symposium Announces to Be Held April 17-19, 2024
The third annual free, virtual Suicide Research Symposium, cohosted with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, will be held April 17-19, 2024. For more information, click here. (Courtesy of Beckie Child)
Trauma Summit 2024 to be held in Belfast and Virtually!
On June 17-18, 2024, the Action Trauma Network–a not-for-profit organization that promotes awareness of psychological trauma and trauma recovery throughout the world–will present its Trauma Summit 2024, in Belfast and online! For more information and to register, click here!
WEBINARS
The MHTTC Calendar of Events Offers Many Webinars in Late September, October, and Beyond
To consult the MHTTC Calendar of Events for upcoming webinars (which are too numerous to include here), click here.
OPPORTUNITIES
CMHJ Extends Call for Papers Deadline to December 1
The Community Mental Health Journal (CMHJ) has extended its call for papers for a special issue on “Recovery at 30: Emancipation, cooptation, or the end of an era?” “The year 2023 marks exactly three decades since the publication of Bill Anthony’s seminal “Recovery from mental illness: the guiding vision of the mental health service system in the 1990s" (click here)...The editors write: ”We are soliciting both concept pieces (commentaries, critical reviews) and empirical work (qualitative, quantitative, ethnographic or mixed methods) that explore the question of whether recovery policy remains relevant and emancipatory today or whether the psy-fields are instead in need of fresh thinking and new, more diverse values-based frameworks.” The submission deadline is now December 1, 2023. For more information, click here.
International Mad Studies Journal Invites Submissions
For a special issue of the International Mad Studies Journal, the deadline for abstract submissions is December 15, 2023, via email to mkrazins@syr.edu. For details, click here.
“Are You a Leader with a CMHC? Partner with the Temple University Collaborative!”
“The Clinical Treatment Act is a new law to encourage participation of low-income and minoritized healthcare recipients in research as a matter of equity. The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion seeks to partner with community mental health centers (CMHCs) across the U.S. to help get information about current and future research studies to service recipients in various programs. In return we are also available to support your organization with free trainings and other supports. Please contact Professor Bryan McCormick (bryan.mccormick@temple.edu) about this important partnership opportunity.” To read this announcement online, click here.
OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
Researchers Seek to Better Understand the Day-to-Day Social Experiences of People Diagnosed with Serious Mental Health Conditions
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion seeks participants diagnosed with serious mental health conditions to participate in a paid research study of their “day-to-day experiences of social isolation and loneliness…so that we can develop better interventions for people in the future.” Eligible participants will complete an intake interview (for a $20 gift card) and an exit interview (for a $30 gift card). Four one-minute surveys will be sent via smart phone in the 14 days between interviews. Questions? Contact drrp@temple.edu or (215) 204-3230.
TU Collaborative Seeks Youth with Serious Mental Health Conditions to Share Their Perceptions About Participating in Research
If you’re 18 to 30 years old, have been diagnosed with a serious mental health condition, and are willing to complete a one-time interview of 30 to 60 minutes via phone or Zoom on your feelings about participating in research, the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion hopes to hear from you. Participants will receive a $20 e-gift card. Interested? Email elizabeth.thomas@temple.edu, text "INTERESTED" to (267) 845-5165, or call (215) 204-1699.
Research Opportunity for Young Adult Peer Supporters
The Mental Health Services Research Lab of the Temple University College of Public Health invites youth peer support workers ages 18-30 who are currently working full-time or part-time in a peer support role to participate in a survey that aims to gather information about their workplace experiences. Questions? Contact Elizabeth Thomas at 215.204.1699 or elizabeth.thomas@temple.edu, or Haley Payne at haleypayne097@gmail.com. Those who complete the survey may be entered into a raffle to win cash prizes! For the Informed Consent Form and the survey, click here.
EPICC Works to Help Parents with Mental Health Conditions Connect with Their Kids
Engaging Parents and Increasing Connections with Children (EPICC) is a 10-week program created by the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion that is focused on helping parents with serious mental health conditions connect with their children through meaningful activities. For details and to apply, click here.
Young Adults with Psychiatric Diagnoses Are Sought for Study on Community Participation
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion is recruiting young adults (ages 18-30) with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression to take part in ConnectionsRx, designed to support engagement in meaningful community activities. Participants will be enrolled in the peer-led study for six months, and receive support to help meet community participation goals. Interviews (approximately 60 minutes each) will take place on Zoom. Participants will receive a $30 Amazon or Visa gift card (to a maximum of $90) for each survey completed. For the website, click here. Questions? Write to ConnectionsRx@temple.edu.
South Southwest MHTTC Launches Youth and Young Adult Peer Supporters Survey
“Are you a peer specialist who provides peer support to other people under the age of 30? We want to hear from you! Please fill out the survey to assist the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (South Southwest MHTTC) in learning more about youth peer support across the country! The intent is to be able to include these peer supporters in research, training, and technical assistance activities surrounding youth peer support. The form should take 5-10 minutes to fill out, and can be done from a phone or a computer browser. To take the survey, click here.” Questions? Write to southsouthwest@mhttcnetwork.org.
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.
“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.
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
RESOURCES
WHO and UN Publish Landmark Report on “Mental Health, Human Rights and Legislation”
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have jointly issued an important report on “Mental Health, Human Rights and Legislation: Guidance and Practice.” To view a video about the launch, click here. To download the 208-page publication, click here. ACTION ALERT: Share it with elected officials and mental health policymakers! (Courtesy of Janet Paleo) (The October 9, 2023, launch of the joint publication was announced in the September 2023 edition of the Key Update.)
“The Lived Experience of Depression: a Bottom-up Review Co-written by Experts by Experience and Academics”
"This journey in the lived experience of depression can also help us to understand the nature of our own emotions and feelings, what is to believe in something, what is to hope, and what is to be a living human being." For the article, click here. (Courtesy of Ann Kasper)
Movement History of the Consumer/ Client/ Survivor/ Expatient/ Ex-Inmate/ User Community
This 647-page comprehensive history and timeline, mostly compiled by award-winning mental health advocate Pat Risser (b. 1952, d. 2016), begins: “The history of the Consumer/ Client/ Survivor/ Ex-patient/ Ex-Inmate/ User Community is deeply enmeshed in and with other civil and human rights movements. To understand the depth of this intertwining, it is necessary to cover the history of slavery, women, children, people with disabilities, education, labor and other factors that play a role in creating who we are today.” To download the document, click here. (Courtesy of Judene Shelley)
“Report on Improving Mental Health Outcomes” Is Published
The Report’s Executive Summary begins: “The mental health system’s standard treatments are colossally counterproductive and harmful, often forced on unwilling patients. The overreliance on psychiatric drugs is reducing the recovery rate of people diagnosed with serious mental illness from a possible 80% to 5% and reducing their life spans by 20 years or so…” To download the free, 55-page report—by James B. (Jim) Gottstein, Esq.; Peter C. Gøtzsche, MD; David Cohen, PhD; Chuck Ruby, PhD; and Faith Myers—click here. (Note: The Report is intended to be used by advocates and is a modification of an earlier "White Paper," without the Alaska-specific information that it included. The "White Paper" was first included in the Key Update in April 2023, and in every subsequent edition in the “…But Still Fresh!” Department.)
MHA Offers "Evidence for Peer Support"
For Mental Health America's nine-page fact sheet offering evidence of the benefits of peer support, click here.
Wellness Activity Manual Helps People Learn Healthy New Behaviors & Habits
The free, 64-page Wellness Activity Manual: A Guide for Group Leaders “focuses on helping people with mental health conditions learn new behaviors and habits to improve their personal wellness. Each lesson has been constructed as a group activity that maximizes learning through building positive interpersonal relationships and actively involving participants. The Wellness Group meets weekly for one hour. The manual contains nine lessons focused on physical, emotional, and intellectual wellness. Each lesson can be used as a stand-alone group or combined into a multi-session series.” For more information and to download the free manual, click here.
“A Manual for Coping with Extraordinary and Remarkable Experiences”
“Extraordinary and remarkable experiences should not interfere with your mood and daily functioning. This manual will help you to keep your extraordinary experiences manageable in daily life, although your extraordinary experiences may be annoying and intruding at times. You can work through this manual with your therapist…Solutions will be sought for your problems. The described method consists of a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and an educational course.” For the free, 34-page manual, copyrighted in 2013 by Mark van der Gaag, Dorien Nieman, and David van den Berg, click here. (Courtesy of Yulia Mikhailova) Note: This manual has not been reviewed, so no judgment about its value should be inferred from its inclusion in this e-newsletter.
Lived Experience Leadership Offers Numerous Research Studies Focused on Peer Supporters
Lived Experience Leadership features the findings of 12 years of research studies focused on [the peer support] workforce in a range of settings, to foster a better understanding of 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.” For the website, click here.
International Peer Respite/Soteria Summit Offers Abundant Related Resources
For numerous resources about peer respites, Soteria, and related movements, click here.
“SAMHSA TIP 64: “Incorporating Peer Support into Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services”
“This TIP [Treatment Improvement Protocol’ supports learning about the key aspects, functions, and uses of Peer Support Services (PSS) in recovery from problematic substance use, which will help providers, supervisors, and administrators in SUD treatmen tprograms getter understand and respond to these changes.” To download the free, 301-page document, click here. For 39 additional manuals, click here.
Resources for Supervisors of Peer Workers Offered by BRSS TACS and Pat Deegan
BRSS TACS writes: “This group of resources helps supervisors understand how to supervise peer workers in behavioral health services.” For details, click here. And the Northwest MHTTC offers a recorded webinar on ”How supervision can help peer specialists remain peer when working on clinical teams,” presented by Pat Deegan. For details, click here.
“You Matter: Stories from People with Lived Experience.”
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion writes: “In this documentation project, we interviewed individuals with [serious mental health conditions] to hear their stories of times they felt like they did or did not matter and learn about what mattering means to them.” For the free 15-page document, click here.
“Podcast: The Rise in Forced Treatment and Abusive Guardianships”
“[M]illions of Americans are subjected to psychiatric detention or forced treatment every year. Often well meaning family members are trying to ‘help,’ but end up traumatizing and permanently damaging their loved ones. Join us as investigative journalist Rob Wipond explains how most states have broadened their criteria for psychiatrically detaining someone far beyond ‘imminent harm’ and that as a practical matter, this could happen to almost anyone.” For the podcast, click here.
“Alternatives to Coercion in Mental Health Settings: A Literature Review”
This 214-page report was commissioned by the United Nations Office at Geneva to inform the report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It was published in 2018 by the Melbourne Social Equity Institute. To download the free report, click here.
“Training of Lived Experience Workforces: A Rapid Review of Content and Outcomes”
“Recently, the lived and living experience (LLE) workforce in mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sectors has expanded,” researchers at La Trobe University and the Self Help Addiction Resource Center in Australia write. “Despite widespread benefit of this inclusion, some LLE practitioners have encountered personal and professional challenges in their workforce roles…[W]e present recommendations for improving training processes for this workforce.” For the article, published in Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services (Springer), click here.
“WHO’s New Series to Enhance the Meaningful Engagement of People with Lived Experience”
The World Health Organization’s “new ‘Intention to Action’ series is tackling both an evidence gap and a lack of standardized approaches on how to include people with lived experience into decision- and policy-making…The first publication—‘People power: Perspectives from individuals with lived experience of non-communicable diseases, mental health conditions and neurological conditions’—includes six detailed case studies from 12 individuals with lived experience of diverse health conditions.” For more information and a link to download the 80-page publication, click here. (Courtesy of Matthew Jackman)
“What Is Mental Illness?”
“This conversation between Justin Garson (philosopher), Nev Jones (community mental health researcher), and Marco Ramos (psychiatrist/historian)”--sponsored by The Philosopher–“will aim to offer a sense of the scope of what is at stake in our understanding of mental illness, considering the place of biology, society, histories of oppression, evolution, and lived experience in such an understanding.” For the video, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
“Optimizing Recovery Funding, Volumes 1 & 2”
“In 2021, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provided the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence (PR CoE) with supplemental funding for a special project to identify and recommend best practices and strategies to optimize funding for high-quality and effective recovery support services. The result was 'Volume 1: Barriers to Acquiring Funding for Organizations in the Ecosystem of Recovery Volume' and 'Volume 2: Strategies for State Funding of Recovery Support Services.'” To download the full, 130-page report, click here. For more information about the reports, including a brief video, click here.
TU Collaborative Wants to Hear Your Story!
“We are working on a project to better understand social connections among adults with significant mental health challenges,” the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion writes. “We are seeking your stories on your social connections generally” and “what those connections mean to you.” The TU Collaborative will compile these stories based on a series of brief surveys. For details and to share your story, click here.
Common Threads: Stories of Survival & Recovery from Mental Illness
Common Threads: Stories of Survival & Recovery from Mental Illness, a 108-page compendium, includes “tales of survival and recovery” by a number of Floridians. To quote from the Introduction, “Many of the people in these stories have lived significant portions of their lives in psychiatric institutions, and only through their strengths have they found their way back to the community…In these tales, we hear about the importance of education and peer support…” To download the free document, click here.
“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.
“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.
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)
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 Jim Gottstein, author of The Zyprexa Papers, on “The Fight for Pharma Accountability and Psychiatric Rights”; 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.
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.
“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)
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 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 20, No. 6, December 2023. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH