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: Under “WEBINARS, CONFERENCES, AND OTHER EVENTS” (following “OPPORTUNITIES,” “RESOURCES,” and “NEWS”), there are seven events taking place this week (three on April 25, two on April 28, and one each on April 26 and 27)! And see the first item in the Criminal Legal System Digest: “Writing Beyond the Prison: Incarcerated Authors, Academics, and Activists Confront Mass Incarceration,” on April 28! This is aside from SAMHSA’s April 27 (5 p.m. ET) deadline, under “OPPORTUNITIES”!
OPPORTUNITIES
You're Invited to Comment on SAMHSA's Draft Strategic Plan
SAMHSA writes: “This 4-year plan (for 2023-2026) will guide our work as SAMHSA advances its mission to lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and supports to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes.” Deadline: April 27, 2023, at 5 p.m. ET. For more information and to submit comments, visit SAMHSA’s Strategic Plan webpage.
“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.
National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Seeks Your Input Into Its 2024 National Strategy
The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention is conducting a national needs assessment to gather feedback about our nation's suicide prevention efforts and the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. “We will use this information to inform the suicide prevention goals, objectives, and actions that will appear in the updated 2024 National Strategy…The needs assessment should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. It is completely anonymous and confidential.” Deadline: May 12, 2023. For more information and to provide input, click here. (Courtesy of Beckie Child)
UCSF Study Seeks BIPOC and/or LGBTQ Participants for Small Study
For a two-part study whose goal is “to understand the experiences of people who identify as minorities in recovery from psychosis,” a University of California San Francisco researcher is seeking “15 adults aged 18-35 who are from communities of color or are LGBTQ to share their lived experiences in video recordings that can be used to help reduce fear and shame associated with psychosis and encourage cultural sensitivity from providers.” Participants in Part 1 will be anonymous; in Part 2 they can give limited permission about where their videos are shared. Participants will be paid $100-$200. For details, including the time commitment, click here. If you qualify and are interested, please contact Stephanie.Ekey@ucsf.edu.
RESOURCES
Mental Health Activists Publish “White Paper on Improving Patient Outcomes”
Jim Gottstein, founder of the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights and author of The Zyprexa Papers, writes: “Faith Myers, Susan Musante, Peter Gøtzsche, David Healy, David Cohen, the International Society for Ethical Psychology & Psychiatry (ISEPP)—through its executive director, Chuck Ruby—and I have just published a ‘White Paper’ on improving psychiatric patient outcomes. While it was written for a specific situation in Alaska, most of it is generally applicable; and…it presents compelling evidence for abolishing unwanted psychiatric interventions in favor of non-coercive approaches, such as Soteria houses, peer respites, Open Dialogue, warm lines, the Hearing Voices Network, emotional CPR (eCPR), [and other such approaches].” To download the free, 68-page “White Paper on Improving Patient Outcomes, Addressing Treatment-Caused Trauma & Injuries, Enhancing Patient Rights, and Grievance Procedures…,” click here.
May Is Mental Health Month
Mental Health America’s 2023 Mental Health Month campaign “is focused on how surroundings impact mental health.” Topics include “safe and stable housing, healthy home environments, neighborhoods and towns, and the outdoors and nature.” To download MHA’s free Mental Health Month toolkit, 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.
NEWS
“A Radical Experiment in Mental Health Care, Tested Over Centuries”
“In the Belgian town of Geel, families have long taken in people with psychiatric conditions. Could this approach work elsewhere?,” The New York Times asks. “It is an approach to psychiatric care that has gone on in Geel (pronounced ‘hail’) since as early as the 13th century, archives show.” Although Geel was “often regarded over the centuries with suspicion,...the town has come up for reconsideration as an emblem of a humane alternative to the neglect or institutionalization of those with mental illness found in other places.” For the article, click here.
“77% of Americans Have Used Addictive Behaviors or Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms to Manage Their Mental Health”
“From restricted or binge eating to excessive gambling to extreme social media use, 77% of Americans surveyed say they have used at least one addictive behavior and/or unhealthy coping mechanism to manage their mental health issues,” according to a nationwide survey from Myriad Genetics Inc. “Two-thirds of those diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety have experienced trial and error in trying to find medication that works for them. Nearly half of this segment (45%) report they have turned to an unhealthy coping mechanism as a result of a medication failure.” For the press release, click here.
“Warning Over Antidepressants as Top Experts Say They May Raise Risk of Suicide”
“Antidepressants can raise the risk of suicide, researchers have warned today. The powerful drugs—taken by millions—can even be the means of death among patients battling the mental disorder, experts said.” This excerpt is from the April 20, 2023, edition of The Daily Mail, via Mad in America. For the article, click here. Years earlier, The Pharmaceutical Journal reported that “antidepressants increase the risk of events that can lead to suicide and violence in adults with no sign of a mental disorder.” For that article, click here.
“We’re Missing a Major Mental Health Crisis: Teen Boys Are Struggling, Too”
“Being male is the biggest risk factor for suicide, yet that fact isn’t widely known, says Richard V. Reeves, author of ‘Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It’…In the United States, nearly four times as many males die of suicide than females, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.” For the Washington Post article, click here.
"Poor Literacy Linked to Worse Mental Health Worldwide, Study Shows"
A new study by British researchers has found that the 14 percent of the world’s population that has little or no literacy are more likely to experience depression, loneliness, and anxiety. The researchers, from the University of East Anglia in the UK, “say their findings disproportionately affect women, who account for two-thirds of the world’s population who are illiterate.” For details, click here.
“Study Reveals Digital Peer Emotional Support Improves Youth Well-Being”
In a study led by researchers at a university in Singapore and a digital peer support platform, Acceset, “it was found that peer support via a digital platform enhanced the well-being of youth, with reduction of self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms after the intervention. Of note, digital peer support lowered depressive and anxiety symptoms in emerging adults [ages 19-25] following intervention, by nearly 40%, compared to symptoms prior to intervention. The effect of the intervention was sustained beyond the period of the intervention, for approximately six weeks.” For the article, in the Helsinki Times, click here.
WEBINARS, CONFERENCES, AND OTHER EVENTS
"Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Gender Diverse Youth: A Workshop"
On April 25, 2023 (9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET), the “Forum for Children’s Well-Being will host a one-day public workshop to explore the health and well-being of gender diverse youth. It will examine how this growing population is currently faring and will feature expert presentations and lived experience perspectives. Due to limited space, in-person attendance is by invitation only; however, the workshop will be publicly webcast with an opportunity for virtual participants to submit questions/comments for consideration. Registration is required for virtual attendance.” To register, click here.
“Using Evidence-based Practices in Mental Health Services”
On April 25, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET, the Northeast and Caribbean Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network will present “a [free] training to learn about evidence-based practices (EBPs), what they are, how they become EBPs, and why we should implement them. We will explore how we can implement EBPs with fidelity and how we can integrate EBPs into our existing services,” To register, click here.
"Power, Conflict, and Integrity for Peer Specialists"
On April 25, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will present a webinar on “how to maintain personal integrity and professional ethics in regard to conflict in the workplace. It will present real-life scenarios and strategies to resolve each specific conflict.” For details and to register, click here.
“Recovery High Schools: Fostering Resilience and Healing”
On April 26, 2023, at 3 p.m. ET, the CAFÉ TA Center will present a free webinar on the role of Recovery High Schools in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of transition-age youth. For details and to register, click here.
“Jung, Psychedelics, and Therapy: A Process Work and Harm Reduction Approach”
On April 27, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT), “Process Work diplomate therapist and internationally recognized trainer” Will Hall will present a two-hour webinar that will address the question “Is ‘Psychedelic Therapy’ What We Think It Is?” “[T]oday's overhyped growth market for psychedelic ‘therapy’ is dominated by unexamined assumptions that are flawed—and dangerous…In practical and accessible terms, what does ethical harm reduction work with these unpredictable substances look like? Together we will rethink the ‘psychedelic renaissance’ from a [Carl] Jung and Process Work perspective.” For details, and to register (fee: $45; scholarship discounts available), click here.
“Advancing an Alternative: Peer-led, Community-Based Services that Promote Equity and Safety for All”
On April 28, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and the National Disability Rights Network will host Part 2 of a two-part Learning Community webinar “that addresses SAMHSA’s priorities of crisis stabilization, mobile crisis, and children. The Learning Community will focus on leveraging federal funding & policy to increase best practice community-based services that are voluntary, evidence-based, and trauma-informed.” For details and to register, click here. Questions? kelle.masten@nasmhpd.org or paige.thomas@nasmhpd.org. (Courtesy of Elizabeth R. Stone)
“Violence and Psychiatric Drugs: Hope or Horror?”
On April 28, 2023, at 3 p.m. ET, the International Society for Ethical Psychology & Psychiatry will present a two-hour webinar that will “explore the relationship between psychiatric drugs and acts of violence. The presenters “will address a lingering and vital concern about this dangerous liaison between psychiatric drugs and violence that has researchers and clinicians from opposing camps disseminating information to the public in two opposing directions.” For details and to register (fee: $40), click here.
"How You Can Support Someone Struggling with Housing Insecurity"
On May 2, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET, Mental Health America will present “I’m Facing Housing Insecurity; Now What?”--a one-hour webinar that will cover “how you can support someone struggling with housing insecurity and, if you yourself are, ways to seek help and take care of your mental health.” For details and to register, click here.
Judi's Room Will Host Two Events in May: A Celebration of Judy Heumann and a Showing of "Crip Camp"
On May 3, 2023, at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT), I Love You, Lead On and MindFreedom International will present a free Judi’s Room event, via Zoom, celebrating the life of Judy Heumann (1947-2023), who is “widely regarded as ‘the mother of the disability rights movement.’” And on May 17, at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT), there will be a free showing of the acclaimed documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution." For more about the celebration of Judy Heumann and to register and receive the Zoom link, click here and then click on the red "Get Tickets" box, and raise the 0 to 1, and click on Check Out. To register to view “Crip Camp,” click here and follow the same instructions.
PENTAC’s National Peer Entrepreneur Speaker Series Continues on May 4
On May 4, 2023, at 12 p.m. ET, PENTAC will feature Natalie Conrad, program manager with the California Association of Mental Health Peer-Run Organizations (CAMHPRO) and the founder of Erase the Stigma Now. To register for the one-hour presentation, click here.
Webinar Series: "Think Twice Before Calling the Police"
The American Friends Service Committee is presenting a four-part webinar series about “concrete skills and strategies to avoid calling law enforcement unless it is absolutely necessary,” AFSC writes. The dates of the 90-minute webinars are May 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2023; all four sessions will begin at 8 p.m. ET. To register, click here. (Recordings will be available on the AFSC website.) (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
Mad in America Is Hosting a Virtual Mad Poetry Slam and You're Invited
Poets with lived experience of mental distress are invited to perform their poetry live on Zoom at MIA’s Mad Poetry Slam on May 7, 2023, at 12 p.m. ET. Two or three poets will be featured and there will be an open mic for the last half hour of the event. The open mic poets will sign up on a first-come, first-served basis at the time of the event. (The deadline to submit your poetry to be considered as a featured poet has passed.) For more information, click here.
"How to Build Peer Support Ecosystems: Peer Services Offered in Communities Make a Difference in People's Lives"
On May 10, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. ET, the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery will host a free, 90-minute, SAMHSA-sponsored webinar during which you will “learn about peer-run respites, warmlines, recovery education, wellness centers, trauma-informed peer support, supported employment, housing support, and other innovations in peer-run services.” For details and to register, click here.
“Disability and Disclosure”
On May 11 at 9 a.m. ET, Rochester Works! will present a free, 90-minute workshop on “strategies to use while navigating the job search process as a person with a disability….” It will cover your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act; if, when, and how to disclose a disability to an employer; what a reasonable accommodation is and how to get one at work or for an interview; what to do if you are facing a career change due to a disability; and what the Ticket to Work program is and how it can help you try going to work without the risk of losing your SSDI or SSI benefits. To register, click here.
"Addressing the Rising Mental Health Needs of an Aging Population: A Workshop"
On May 15 (12 p.m.-5 p.m. ET) and May 16 (9 a.m.-3 p.m. ET), 2023, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will host a free public workshop “to explore the current state of mental health care for older adults in the U.S. and potential strategies to address the mental health needs and challenges of our aging population.” The in-person and virtual event will be held at the Keck Center (500 5th Street NW, Washington, DC) and online (information to follow). For details and to register, click here.
Conference on "Madpeoples' Coping Mechanisms" Issues Call for Papers
The Oxford University conference on “Madpeoples’ Coping Mechanisms,” September 25-26, 2023 (virtually and in person), has issued a call for papers (deadline: May 15, 2023). The organizers, both of whom have lived experience, write: “The aim of this workshop is to move beyond a focus on diagnostic categories and statistics…Instead, we want to focus on psychiatric problems from the perspective of those dealing with them...” For details and a link to submit a proposal, click here. To register, email paul.lodge@mansfield.ox.ac.uk. (Courtesy of Konstantina “Dina” Poursanidou)
“What Does Lived Experience Really Mean and Why Is It Important?”
On May 18, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT), the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC) will sponsor a 90-minute webinar: “In this webinar, Pat Deegan will explore the origins of ‘lived-experience’ in philosophy and its migration into behavioral health. She will argue that lived-experience introduces a new way of knowing that can compliment, and at times disrupt, the clinical world view.” For more information and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
National Academies and Nobel Foundation to Host “Nobel Prize Summit” May 24-26
On May 24, 2023 (9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET), the Nobel Foundation and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences will present (in person and virtually) “Truth, Trust and Hope”: a gathering of Nobel Prize laureates, distinguished scientists, global policymakers and international business leaders to explore solutions to the volume, velocity, and reach of misinformation and disinformation in today’s world.” For more information and to register, click here. “For a complete Summit agenda and list of speakers, including information on the additional activities that will be held May 25 and May 26, please visit the Nobel Prize Summit website.” (Courtesy of Fran Hazam)
ISPS-US Invites Proposals for Its 2023 Annual Conference
The International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis–U.S. Chapter has issued a call for proposals for its 2023 annual conference, taking place October 27-29 at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. The theme is “Solidarity in Humanity: Sharing the Journey Through Psychosis and Extreme States.” The deadline is May 31. For details and to submit a proposal, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
The May 2023 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For “Feel like a slug? You may have the wrong exercise mind-set. A new study shows that thinking you’re failing at exercise is bad for your health. Tracking all your movements can help,” click here. For “Exercise May Help Counteract the Toll of Poor Sleep,” click here. For “Yoga for Skeptics: It really is as healthy as people say. Here’s how to start a practice,” click here. For “When Someone You Love Is Upset, Ask This One Question,” click here.
The May 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 details and to register for “Writing Beyond the Prison: Incarcerated Authors, Academics, and Activists Confront Mass Incarceration,” on April 28, 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ET (via Zoom, and in person at Stony Brook University)," click here. For “Poor People Lose: Gideon v. Wainwright Is the Wrong Cure for the Reality That the Carceral System Is Designed to Target Poor People,” click here. For “No Bars, No Chains, No Locks: How Finland Is Reimagining Incarceration,” click here. For “What Irvo Otieno’s Killing Tells Us about Mental Healthcare in the U.S.: The system can end up prosecuting patients and relying on police — with sometimes fatal results,” click here. For “Lost and found: Finding therapy behind bars–I suffered from severe depression since childhood. It wasn’t until after I was incarcerated that I could actually name it,” click here. For “ John Oliver: “‘Putting people in solitary is torture, so let’s stop’: The Last Week Tonight host condemns US prisons’ use of solitary confinement, a practice deemed torture by the UN,” click here. For “A miscarriage of justice, a life in prison: Under current sentencing laws, Bobby Norfleet would have been released from prison decades ago. Instead, he’s spent most of his life behind bars. There are hundreds of people in prison just like him,” click here. For “Homeless Shelters Aren’t Equipped to Deal With New Mexico’s Most Troubled Foster Kids. Police See It for Themselves,” click here. For “A man with mental illness died after 20 days in solitary confinement. Did the jail system fail him?” click here. For “He Needed Medical Help. He Ended Up In Jail And Died Weeks Later. Joshua McLemore spent 20 days in solitary confinement instead of receiving the medical help he needed. A lawsuit says his death was ‘preventable,’” click here. For “A search for justice after a mentally ill 17-year-old stabs janitor to death,” click here. For “Sentencing Reform for Criminalized Survivors: Learning from New York’s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act,” a 33-page manual by the Sentencing Project and the Survivors Justice Project, click here. For “Y’all Want It, We Got It: Issue 13 of News Inside fills reader requests and gives them something new to think about,” click here. For “Editorial: Presumed guilty! The toxic cost of money bail,” click here. For “Biden’s Justice Dept. keeps hard line in death row cases,” click here. For “A Spirit, Unbroken: How Martin Sostre’s ‘single act of resistance’ stood for a broader struggle for bodily autonomy and collective liberation,” click here. For “‘Prison Within a Prison’: New Mandate Offers Lifeline for Deaf People in Custody: The new rule, which goes in effect in January 2024, applies to phone companies serving prisons, jails and detention facilities nationwide,” click here. For “Prisons Use Menstruation as a Form of Punishment,” click here. For “How Criminal Records Hold Back Millions of People: More than 70 million Americans with arrest records face barriers to find work or a decent place to live,” click here. For “Judging in Secret: The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel was once known as the ‘constitutional conscience’ of the executive branch, but in recent years it has been known principally for green-lighting torture, mass surveillance, and extrajudicial killings,” click here. For “States try to obscure execution details as drugmakers hinder lethal injection: Pharmaceutical companies have put the brakes on many states’ ability to execute prisoners using lethal injections. Lacking alternatives, states are trying to keep the public from learning details about how they carry out executions,” click here. For “Most New Yorkers Don’t Get the Trump Treatment at Arraignment: The 31,000 people arraigned for felonies in New York each year have very different experiences in court than the former president,” click here. For “What Happens When Your Social Media Photos End Up in the Hands of Police: Law enforcement agencies, from police departments to ICE, are using facial recognition, sometimes leading to wrongful arrests,” click here. For “A Platform for Prison Witness: ‘Including incarcerated people in national debates is not just about changing policies. It’s about creating a transformative learning experience,’” click here. For “How sexually abused girls are still ending up in jails and prisons: A new report on the sexual-abuse-to-prison pipeline says victims continue to be punished for the violence they endure,” click here. For “Local newsrooms want to stop sensationalizing crime, but it’s hard: Here are the common barriers they face and how journalists surmount them,” click here. For “How students are helping to get people out of prison,” click here. For “Bob Lee’s Murder and San Francisco’s So-Called Crime Epidemic: The killing of a tech executive reveals the cycle of outrage that puts enormous pressure on progressive district attorneys,” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
CONFERENCES, WEBINARS, AND TRAININGS
“A Guide to Psychiatric Service and Emotional Support Animals”
On April 27, 2023, at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT), Disability Rights California will present a free webinar on psychiatric service and emotional support animals. “Many people with mental health disabilities find that having a psychiatric service or emotional support animal improves their daily lives and their mental health and wellness. Learn the difference between these assistance animals and your rights regarding public access and reasonable accommodations.” For details and to register, click here.
NARPA Will Hold Its 2023 Conference September 6-9 in New Orleans
The 2023 conference of the National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA) will be held in New Orleans September 6-9. For more information, click here.
APS Learning Community Hosts a Weekly Networking Meeting. Check Out Its Website for Upcoming Events.
The Academy of Peer Services (APS) Virtual Learning Community Networking Meeting for Peer Specialists is every Tuesday from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET. Its purpose is to share ideas, experiences, and opportunities with others in the field of peer support, as well as to give and receive support to each other. To register, click here. For the Virtual Learning Community website, which includes a calendar of upcoming events, resources, and more, click here.
Peerpocalypse is Coming! Are You Ready?
Peerpocalypse, organized by the Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon, will take place May 8-11, 2023, in Seaside Oregon, and virtually! For details, click here. To register, click here.
NAADAC Hosts Free “Peer Recovery Support” Webinar Series
The National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC)—now known as the Association for Addiction Professionals—will continue its free, 10-part “Peer Recovery Support” webinar series on May 25, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. ET. For details, click here. (Courtesy of Jessi Davis)
“Too Mad to Be True II—The Promises and Perils of the First-Person Perspective,” May 26-28, 2023
“Too mad to be true II—The promises and perils of the first-person perspective” (May 26-28, 2023) will be hosted by the University of Ghent and the Foundation for Psychiatry and Philosophy. For details, click here. Meanwhile, Dr. Nev Jones, a researcher and assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh who has lived experience of psychosis, and who was a keynote speaker at the first conference, discusses some of the events at the conference and responses to her keynote in a second presentation. In that presentation, Mad In America (MIA) reports, she takes issue with the individualizing, pathologizing focus of the “phenomenology of psychosis” literature, “argu[ing] that psychosis ‘could never be divorced from the structural vectors of poverty, incarceration and various neoliberal welfare schemes, but has always been intimately bound up with them.’” For the MIA article, click here. To see "To Do Justice to Madness: Orienting to the Politics of Phenomenological Psychopathology," click here.
Active Minds Mental Health Conference July 7-8, 2023, in Washington, D.C.
Calling its conference “the nation’s leading mental health conference for young adults,” Active Minds will host its 2023 conference in Washington, D.C., July 7-8. Early bird registration is available until May 15 at 5:30 p.m. ET ($110 for students, $175 for general). For more information and to register, click here.
MHTTC Publishes Calendar of Events from Now Until September 19, 2023
The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC) has published a calendar of its events from now through September 19. The calendar covers the 10 U.S.-based regional MHTTCs as well as the two national MHTTCs. The MHTTC is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. For the calendar, click here. (Courtesy of NYAPRS E-News)
ABCT 2023 Conference Is November 16-19 in Seattle
The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) 2023 conference will be held November 16-19 in Seattle. Its theme is “Cultivating Joy with CBT [Cognitive Behavioral Therapy].” For more information about the conference, click here. (Courtesy of Yulia Mikhailova)
MHTTC Offers Free Online Behavioral Health Courses
The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC) “currently offers 20 online courses available through Healtheknowledge.org. HealtheKnowledge.org offers high-quality, on-demand, and instructor-led courses that are open to the public. Courses are free for a certificate of completion, and yearly membership options are available for purchase to gain access to other HealtheKnowledge resources and earn unlimited CE credits. View our course listings here. View our how-to guide to set up your HealtheKnowledge account.” MHTTC is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Request for Information (RFI): Gaps and Opportunities in Global Mental Health Research
“Respond to NIMH’s request for information (RFI) to identify research gaps and opportunities that will advance our understanding and role in supporting basic, translational, and services-oriented global mental health research. All responses must be submitted electronically by May 5, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Please use this submission web form or email NIMHGlobalMentalHealthRFI@nih.gov. Please use the subject line GMH RFI Response.”
OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
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.
Are You a SUD Certified Peer Recovery Specialist? Then You’re Invited to Participate in a Study
You are invited to participate in a research study of “Stress and Coping Among SUD Certified Peer Recovery Specialists” if you are at least 18 years old and are employed or volunteering as a certified peer recovery specialist. (The job title in your state may be different.) The results of this study will be used to increase knowledge of job-related stress and coping among SUD Certified Peer Recovery Specialists. It involves two online surveys that take approximately 15 minutes to complete. All responses will be kept anonymous. You will not be asked to provide your name or contact information. To participate, click here. Questions? cynthia.thomas@waldenu.edu, 612.312.1210.
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 $15 Amazon gift card (to a maximum of $45) 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.
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
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
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.
Call for Papers: “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)...”In this special issue of Community Mental Health Journal,” 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 September 1, 2023. For more information, 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 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.
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)
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 19, No. 11, May 2023. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH