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 “NEWS”), there are four events on May 24 and three on May 25!
NEWS
“Psychiatric Detentions Rise 220% in First Year of 988”
“As contacts to the new 988 hotline number have risen, so have call tracing and police interventions,” according to a May 20, 2023, article by investigative journalist Rob Wipond, author of Your Consent Is Not Required: The Rise in Psychiatric Detentions, Forced Treatment, and Abusive Guardianships. To read the article, posted by Mad In America, click here.
“Social Vulnerability Has Direct Link to Suicide Risk, Study Shows”
“Statistical analysis shows that measures of social determinants of health are associated with higher rates of suicide at the county level in the US, providing the opportunity to intervene and prevent deaths,” according to a recent article by the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division. For the article, click here.
WEBINARS, CONFERENCES, AND OTHER EVENTS
“Culturally Responsive Practice”
On May 24, 2023, at 9:45 a.m. through 12 p.m. ET (8:45 a.m.-11 a.m. CT), Great Lakes MHTTC will present a free training on “Culturally Responsive Practice.” “This class uncovers how our cultural identities and experiences shape the way we make meaning of the world and relate to others…This training looks at practical strategies for learning about an individual within the context of their culture. One of the specific strategies is the DSM 5 Cultural Formulation tool.” For details and to register, click here.
“Neurodiversity: Acknowledging Differences, Leveraging Strengths, and Navigating the Nuances of Advocacy”
On May 24, 2023, at 12 p.m. ET, the New England MHTTC will present a one-hour webinar that will help participants understand “why neurodiversity is important for enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, as well as for reducing the stigma associated with diagnostic labels.” For more information and to register, click here. (For more trainings presented by various Mental Health Technology Transfer Center networks, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], click here for the MHTTC calendar.)
“Experts by Experience: Paving the Way for Forensic Peer Support”
On May 24, 2023, at 3 p.m. ET, the Café TA Center will host a “free webinar on the power and possibilities of peer support for previously incarcerated people.” If you miss it, you can view it later on the Café TA Center website under "Recent Trainings and Webinars! For details and to register, click here.
NYAPRS Launches First “Celia Brown Unsung Champions of Advocacy Awards” Event
On May 24, 2023, at 6 p.m. ET, NYAPRS will honor “individuals who serve our community with dedication and commitment, but whose work has gone unrecognized or unknown to the wider public.” To register for the 90-minute event or for questions, click here.
“Connecting Your Mind, Body, and Surroundings: Nature as a Form of Healing”
On May 25, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET, Mental Health America will present a free, 60-minute webinar “on how to connect with nature and incorporate it into practices of self-care.” For more information and to register, click here.
“Peer Voices in Policy-Making”
The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery writes: “As part of a learning series on Peer Specialists and Recovery, SAMHSA will sponsor a free two-hour webinar on May 25, at 3 p.m. ET: ‘Peer Voices in Policy-Making: Empowering Peers in Policy Fellowships Movement.’” For more information and to register, click here.
NAADAC Continues Its 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, with Part 4: "Peer Supervision--Leadership and Lived Experience." Then on June 29, also from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET, Part 5 will cover "Peer Support via Telehealth Platforms." For details, click here. (Courtesy of Jessi Davis)
Project LETS Hosts Three Webinars in Its “Anti-Carceral Altered States Series”
“Re-framing Psychosis: Anti-Carceral Approaches to Altered States: Care Strategies Grounded in an Abolitionist Practice” will include “Altered States Panel & Storytelling Event (May 27, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. ET); “Altered States Teach-In & Skills-Based Training (May 28, 12 p.m.-3 p.m. ET); and “Altered States Workshop for Healers & Mental Health Providers” (6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. ET). These events are part of a ISPS-US Project LETS series. ISPS-US—International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis (US Chapter)—writes: “Suggested Individual Event Donation: $15-25 (though you are welcome to contribute any amount—whether it is more or less) Please email support@projectlets.org if $$ is a barrier; no one will be turned away for lack of funds.) For more information and to register for the series, click here. (Courtesy of Yulia Mikhailova)
“Increasing Occupational Resiliency for Peer-Run Respite Staff & Volunteers”
On May 30, 2023, at 2 p.m. ET, as part of its Compassionate Approaches to Crisis Webinar Series, the National Empowerment Center will present “Increasing Occupational Resiliency for Peer-Run Respite Staff & Volunteers,” a free 90-minute webinar to help peer-run crisis respite staff and volunteers learn to sustain hope and co-create healing communities, identify key elements to help them sustain their own well-being while providing support, and more. For details and to register, click here.
Doors to Wellbeing Continues Its Monthly Webinar Series with a Focus on Youth
On May 30, 2023, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will present “Youth Peer Support Implementation: Ideas for Schools and Systems of Care.” The presenters write: “The Copeland Center and Youth MOVE PA have joined together in bringing a new training model to schools and communities throughout the Commonwealth. The Peer Generation Youth Empowerment Training model focuses on strategies for resiliency and offers pathways for individuals to get in touch with their unique and authentic selves.” For details and to register, click here.
PENTAC’s Free National Entrepreneur Speaker Series Continues on June 1 at 12 p.m. ET
June’s presenter is Lisa Taliaferro, president and CEO of the nonprofit Patients Not Prisoners. “We believe in a more restorative, not punitive, approach to justice,” Taliaferro said about her organization. To register, click here.
Judi’s Room in June Will Feature Dr. William Bronston, Who Helped Close Willowbrook
On June 7, at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT), I Love You, Lead On and MindFreedom International will present Dr. William Bronston, who spent three years as a staff physician at the infamous Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, New York, and who was deeply concerned about the plight of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He will share what inspired him to write Public Hostage, Public Ransom: Ending Institutional America and A History and Sociology of the Willowbrook State School. To register for the free presentation, click here and then click on the red box to “reserve a spot.”
“From Lived Experience to Professional Practice: Peer Pathways Inside and Outside the Mental Health System”
On June 15, 2023, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET, ISPS-US will present “From Lived Experience to Professional Practice: Peer Pathways Inside and Outside the Mental Health System.” To register, click here.
PharmedOut’s 2023 Conference to Be Held in Person (No Virtual Option) June 15-16
“Making Healthy People Sick: Invented Diseases and Overtreatment" is the theme of PharmedOut’s ninth conference, June 15-16, 2023, at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. For the conference agenda and to register, click here. (There will be a “free special event, open to the public” with Carl Elliott, MD, PhD, on June 14 at 4 p.m. ET in the New Research Building Auditorium.) (Courtesy of Yulia Mikhailova)
“The Peer Perspective on Respite: 4-Part Series”
Southeast MHTTC writes: "Join us for this 4-part series as we take a look at mental health respite care from the peer perspective, including discussions on its history and future direction, when and how it is being used (both in the Southeast and nationally), and the ways it can benefit one's recovery journey." The first webinar was on May 16; it is archived and can be viewed here. The rest of the series airs on June 26, July 24, and August 7, all at 12 p.m. ET. To register, click here.
NARMH Will Hold Its 2023 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh September 19-21
The theme of the National Association for Rural Mental Health conference is “Building Your Bridge: Linking Voices to Promote Rural Mental Health.” The conference will be held in person at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square. The deadline to submit a workshop proposal is August 1 or until the agenda is filled. For more information, click here.
Save the Date! NYAPRS Will Host Its Annual Conference September 26-28, 2023
“Promoting Rights Across the Nation and Recovery Across the Life Span” is the theme of the 2023 NYAPRS annual conference, to be held once again at the Villa Roma Resort in Callicoon, New York. Besides “compelling and inspirational” featured speakers, the conference will also feature its many popular “longtime traditions.” The call for presentations and registration materials will be coming soon!
25th Annual ISEPP Conference to Be Held October 20-22, 2023
The 2023 conference of the International Society for Ethical Psychology & Psychiatry will be held in the Los Angeles area from October 20 to October 22. There will also be a virtual component, via Zoom. For an approximate schedule, click here.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
“Do You Want to Learn How the Immune System Works and What You Can Do to Improve Your Immune Health?”
Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey (CSPNJ) and the University of Illinois Chicago are testing a new program that helps people learn about improving their immunity. You must be 18 years or older; speak English; have access to a Zoom-compatible computer, smartphone, or tablet; be willing to complete five sessions and three check-in calls on Zoom over a six-month period; and have a diagnosed mental health condition. Study participants have a 50/50 chance of getting the new program, but everyone gets paid $135 for completing three study interviews. Contact UIC researcher Jessica Jonikas at enhanceimmune@gmail.com or 312.725.2966 to set up a meeting to see if you’re eligible. (Courtesy of Peggy Swarbrick via Jacek Haciak)
RESOURCES
“Open Dialogue Around the World—Implementation, Outcomes, Experiences, and Perspectives”
Frontiers in Psychology offers 16 articles about Open Dialogue. These include “Introducing Peer-supported Open Dialogue in Changing Mental Health Care,” “Using Open Dialogue-inspired Dialogism in Non-Psychiatric Medical Practice: A 10-Year Experience,” “Development of the Peer-supported Open Dialogue Attitude and Competence Inventory for Practitioners: A Delphi Study,” and 13 more. For links to all 16 articles, 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.
The June 2023 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For “The Connection Between Seasonal Allergies and Mental Health,” click here. For “Preventing Tragedy: Best Practices for Suicide Prevention in the Workplace and Promoting Employee Well-Being,” click here. For “How to Spot a Wellness Scam,” click here. For “4 mistakes to avoid when you’re lonely: Misconceptions can stop us from getting close to others. But we can take steps to counter these beliefs,” click here.
The June 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 “How the Prison Litigation Reform Act Blocks Justice for Prisoners: Legislation signed by Bill Clinton makes it nearly impossible for people in prison to have their cases heard in court,” click here. For “Punishment Beyond Prisons 2023: Incarceration and supervision by state,” click here. For “Evidence Rules for Decarceration: Evidence rules have been relaxed, tweaked, specialized, or unmoored from their foundational principles in ways that facilitate prosecution and conviction or essentially force plea deals — without regard for the truth, fairness, or justice of the outcome,” click here. For “State Supreme Court Diversity — May 2023 Update: State supreme court benches fail to reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of the communities they serve and the diversity of the legal profession,” click here. For “Against ‘Work’: Calling incarcerated people 'workers' displaces the gravity of their situation and obscures the nature of carceral violence,” click here. For “Inside the Frustrating, Error-Ridden, Expensive World of Prison Messaging: Prison messaging apps are a lifeline—until they break,” click here. For “Limited-Scope Review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Strategies to Identify, Communicate, and Remedy Operational Issues: A new [42-page] report from the Justice Department’s Inspector General confirms that federal prison officials failed to address four critical flaws in the BOP’s operations. One is the continuing failure to staff federal prisons. Another is to hold staff accountable for misconduct,” click here. For “The System That Failed Jordan Neely: What a subway killing reveals about New York City’s revolving-door approach to mental illness and homelessness,” click here. For “In New York Prisons, Guards Who Brutalize Prisoners Rarely Get Fired: Records obtained by The Marshall Project reveal a state discipline system that fails to hold many guards accountable,” click here. For “Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Cumberland County [NJ] Addressing Conditions at County Jail: The proposed consent decree, which must still be approved by the court, resolves the United States’ claims that the jail fails to provide adequate mental health care to incarcerated individuals at risk of self-harm and suicide…” click here. For “Who Is a Danger in the Subway? Is it a thief? A homeless man? A man who intervenes? Or is it us?” click here. For “Youth Justice by the Numbers,” a 9-page report by The Sentencing Project, click here. For “Every state offers victim compensation. For the Longs and other Black families, it often isn't fair.” click here. For “Who Gets to Own a Gun in America? A recent Supreme Court ruling on gun rights is leading to interesting results in the lower courts, click here. For “Two Decades of Prison Did Not Prepare Me for the Horrors of County Jail,” click here. For “One of the Most Sacred Premises in American Law Is Bunk,” click here. For “TSA is testing facial recognition at more airports, raising privacy concerns,” click here. For “It’s OK to Drop Charges if You’ve Got the Wrong Person. ‘It’s Called Doing Your Job,’” click here. For “DOJ and DHS Racial Profiling Guidelines Must Close Loopholes Permitting Bias,” click here. For “The Supreme Court outlawed split juries, but hundreds remain in prison anyway,” click here. For “Holmesburg Prison’s medical experiments are Philadelphia’s ‘lasting shame’: For over 20 years, Dr. Albert Kligman experimented on incarcerated men at Philadelphia’s Holmesburg Prison. Those who profited have yet to redress the harm,” click here. For “16 Crucial Words That Went Missing From a Landmark Civil Rights Law: The phrase, seemingly deleted in error, undermines the basis for qualified immunity, the legal shield that protects police officers from suits for misconduct,” click here. For “Extreme heat will take an unequal toll on tribal jails: Decades of inadequate funding and rising temperatures are putting Indigenous detainees at risk,” click here. For “My Brother Was Wrongfully Convicted for Murder. 20 Years Later, So Was My Son: Although it was a coincidence, I knew it wasn’t a mistake. What Louisiana was doing to men like my brother Elvis and my son Cedric was intentional,” click here. For “New York’s Compassionate Release Laws Were Designed to Keep People from Dying Behind Bars. They’re Failing,” click here. For “The War on Gun Violence Has Failed. And Black Men Are Paying the Price. In Chicago and elsewhere, gun possession arrests are rising as shootings go unsolved,” click here. For “Gun Violence Isn’t Just a City Problem. Between 2011 and 2021, the overall firearm death rate in rural counties was nearly 40 percent higher than in urban counterparts,” click here. For “The Gun Industry Wants America’s Malls and Schools to Be War Zones: The bodies pile up. Republicans say it’s in God’s hands. And the new weapons coming to market are even deadlier. There’s only one logical conclusion,” click here. For “How Police Interrogation Techniques Fail People with Autism,” click here. For “Trials have become an endangered species. A new effort is trying to change that,” click here. For “The Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Efforts to Maintain and Construct Institutions,” click here. For “A Trailblazer of Trauma Studies Asks What Victims Really Want: Judith Herman’s seminal book ‘Trauma and Recovery’ created a template for her field. Three decades later, she’s published a follow-up to explain how survivors’ needs are still misunderstood,” click here. For “When ‘Shoot-First Culture’ Meets ‘Fear and Paranoia’: In less than a week, seven people were shot after doing the ordinary — ringing a doorbell or turning around in a driveway,” click here. For “Life in Prison for a Killing He Didn’t Cause or Condone: In Illinois alone, around 500 people are currently serving first-degree felony murder sentences for killings they did not commit themselves or intend to commit. Reform efforts must consider past injustices as well as future abuses,” click here. For “The Supreme Court Is Allergic to Holding Abusive Prosecutors Accountable” The judge-made doctrine of absolute immunity continues to shield DAs from facing consequences for egregious misconduct,” click here. For “Prison sex abuse must be rooted out, Justice official says,” click here. For “How two decades of gun culture helped shape America's 'Stand Your Ground' laws: Recent incidents highlight the legal and social norms related to self-defense,” click here. For “'Stand Your Ground' Laws Are Back in the News, but It's Not Clear Why: The duty to retreat from public confrontations has nothing to do with the cases cited in recent stories about seemingly unjustified shootings,” click here. For “‘Stand your ground’ laws empower armed citizens to defend property with violence – a simple mistake can get you shot, or killed,” click here. For “The Other Crime Victims: Can Perpetrators of Crime Also Be Victims of Crime?” click here. For “Police shouldn't handle mental health calls. Reform is critical for public safety. Giving community organizations a bigger role will allow officers more time to focus on the core functions of their job – serving the public by protecting life, liberty and property,” click here. For “Chokeholds, chemical spray, and head strikes: Rikers’ federal monitor details abusive correction officer unit,” click here. For “Police Killing Looms Over May DA Race in Eastern Pennsylvania: Christian Hall’s hands were raised when police shot him. A prosecutor running for Monroe County DA says it was justified. Another candidate vows to re-open the case,” click here. For “The Surprising Geography of Gun Violence: America’s regions are poles apart when it comes to gun deaths and the cultural and ideological forces that drive them,” click here. For “Care and Carceralism: Disentangling medical care from policing, prisons, and other punitive institutions remains an imperative–now more than ever,” click here. For “If your missing child ran away from home, the police may not look for them,” click here. For “American Gun Owners Are Bad at Owning Guns: There are many who never got training, and never intend to. This is a problem,” click here. For “Justice Department Announces Civil Legal Services Pilot Program,” click here. For “How a Text From the FBI Helped Me Understand My Brother’s Mental Illness: And everything wrong with how prisons handle mental health,” click here. For “In the Hole: Five incarcerated men on the minute-by-minute experience of solitary confinement,” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
CONFERENCES, WEBINARS, AND TRAININGS
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.
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. 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)
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.
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).
OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
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.
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.
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
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.
“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.
“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.
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 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.
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. 12, June 2023. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH