To subscribe to the monthly Key Update, send an email to selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line.
The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse is affiliated with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion.
TO CONTACT: THE CLEARINGHOUSE: SELFHELPCLEARINGHOUSE@GMAIL.COM … SUSAN ROGERS: SUSAN.ROGERS.ADVOCACY@GMAIL.COM … JOSEPH ROGERS: JROGERS08034@GMAIL.COM
THE KEY UPDATE IS COMPILED, WRITTEN, AND EDITED BY SUSAN ROGERS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS’ SELF-HELP CLEARINGHOUSE.
NOTE: THE "FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!" DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE MONTHLY CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM DIGEST, INCLUDES ITEMS THAT HAD BEEN POSTED "ABOVE THE FOLD" IN EARLIER EDITIONS BUT ARE STILL RELEVANT. THESE INCLUDE ONGOING RESEARCH STUDIES THAT ARE STILL SEEKING PARTICIPANTS, AS WELL AS UPCOMING WEBINARS AND CONFERENCES, AND OTHER ITEMS OF CONTINUED INTEREST. DON'T MISS IT!
DEADLINE ALERT: Please note that there are opportunities and upcoming deadlines throughout the Key Update, including in the “…But Still Fresh!” Department!
NEWS AND ACTION ALERTS
Please Share Your Memories of Linda Andre and Yvette Sangster
NYAPRS–partnering with NCMHR–has generously offered to create memorial web pages for two extraordinary leaders of our movement for social justice whom we’ve lost: Linda Andre (September 2023) and Yvette Sangster (April 2023). Both were tireless in their efforts to improve the lives of individuals with mental health conditions. Please share your memories of Linda or Yvette or both in emails with the subject line of either Linda, Yvette, or Linda and Yvette, and send them to susan.rogers.advocacy@gmail.com for their respective memorial pages.
September 29 Is the Public Comment Deadline for the Upcoming ISMICC Meeting
The next Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) Virtual Meeting, open to the public, is scheduled for October 18, 2023 (10 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET). “The ISMICC coordinates federal and non-federal members to make specific recommendations for actions that agencies can take to better coordinate the administration of mental health services.” Information about the meeting is in the Federal Register Notice. Or register by clicking on this link and email your comment to Pamela Foote, ISMICC Designated Federal Officer, SAMHSA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857; telephone: 240–276–1279; email: pamela.foote@samhsa.hhs.gov by September 29, 2023.
“National Association of Peer Supporters Endorses the PEER Support Act”
“The Providing Empathetic and Effective Recovery (PEER) Support Act, cosponsored by Senator Tim Kaine and Senator Mike Braun…aims to address barriers faced by peer support specialists, ensuring the provision of quality care to individuals facing mental health and substance use challenges.” For the N.A.P.S. press release, click here. For additional information from Sen. Kaine, including a list of supporting organizations, click here. ACTION ALERT: Urge your U.S. Senators to sign on as co-sponsors.
Biden-Harris Administration Awards Nearly $130 Million to Expand CCBHCs Across U.S.
On September 21, 2023, the Federal Government announced that it has awarded $127.7 million to expand Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) across the country. The awards will work with provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) to expand access to the CCBHC model across the United States. Under BSCA, HHS will enable up to 10 additional states to create state CCBHC programs under Medicaid every two years starting in 2024, providing sustainable funding for CCBHC services to Medicaid beneficiaries. For details, click here. (Courtesy of Jacek Haciak)
Award-winning Writer Reports on Housing First in New York City
In “A Journey from Homelessness to a Room of One’s Own,” where, “[a]t a supportive-housing facility, chronically unhoused New Yorkers get a new lease on life, with a gym, a computer room—and on-site mental-health and medical services,” award-winning novelist Jennifer Egan reports on a Housing First program in New York City. For the article, click here.
WEBINARS, CONFERENCES, AND OTHER EVENTS
“Strategies for Enhancing the Success for Peer Support on College Campuses”
On September 26, 2023, at 2 p.m. ET, Doors to Wellbeing will host a webinar that “aims to share tools and strategies for peer supporters and peer programs to partner with college administrators to build robust and successful peer support programs within campuses and universities.” For details and to register, click here.
NYAPRS Has Released Its Full Conference Schedule, and Announces Rebranding
“NYAPRS is very pleased and proud to provide details of the full program schedule for our upcoming Annual Conference, to be held September 26-28, 2023, at the Villa Roma Resort in Callicoon, New York.” For the schedule and other details, click here. In addition, effective October 9, 2023, NYAPRS will change its name. Executive Director Harvey Rosenthal writes: “As the Alliance for Rights and Recovery, our broadened national focus and profile will make our support and impact on behalf of our New York and national grassroots recovery and peer support communities that much stronger and successful.”
“The Importance of Dual Recovery”
On September 26, 2023 (10:30 a.m. ET, 9:30 a.m. CT), Great Lakes MHTTC will present a 90-minute “informational celebration of dual recovery.” They write: “Substance use disorders and mental illness overlap at the rate of 50%–70%. Despite this significant overlap, there is often not enough attention paid to co-occurring mental health concerns or dual recovery within SUD treatment.” For details and to register, click here.
“Peer Support for Dual Recovery in Treatment Settings”
On September 26, 2023, at 12 p.m. ET, Southeast MHTTC will present “Peer Support for Dual Recovery in Treatment Settings.” They write: “Two-track programs focusing their energy on either substance use or other mental health challenges have continued to be the norm in many treatment settings despite the evidence showing improved outcomes for people who are dually diagnosed that receive specialized treatment. In this webinar we will explore why we should work to change this standard, and how peer support can be deployed to better support people in dual recovery. For details and to register, click here. (Note: Please see the item directly below.)
The MHTTC Calendar of Events Offers Many Webinars in Late September, October, and Beyond
To consult the MHTTC Calendar of Events for upcoming webinars (which are too numerous to include here), click here.
TU Collaborative to Present “Fall into Leisure” Webinar for Young Adults
On September 27, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET, the Temple University Collaborative on Community inclusion will present “an action-oriented webinar to support young adults with mental health challenges to set and achieve their leisure goals this fall.” To register, click here. Questions? Contact connectionsrx@temple.edu
“Broadening the Reach: Ensuring Equitable Access to Early Psychosis Care for All”
On September 28 and 29, 2023—from 12 p.m. ET to 3 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT to 12 p.m. PT) on both days—this free, live, online mini-conference, presented by the Stanford Center for Continuing Medical Education, “will focus on the themes of inclusion and diversity within both clinical high-risk and early psychosis care. This conference will bring together experts in the field to highlight the importance of ensuring inclusive and accessible early psychosis services, including adolescents who are at clinical high risk for psychosis.” For details and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Yulia Mikhailova)
MHA to Host Webinars in late September, October, and Early November
Mental Health America will present “Regional Policy Council Webinar: Getting And Funding Mental Health Services In Schools” (September 27 at 2 p.m. ET); “Yo Pertenezco Aqui (I Belong Here): Supporting Latinx Professionals And Building Inclusive Teams” (September 28 at 1 p.m. ET); “Beyond the Stereotypes: Understanding OCD” (October 5 at 1 p.m.ET); “Living Authentically Me: Coming Out LGBTQ+” (October 11, at 1 p.m. ET), and Holding On For Others: Caregiving, Chronic Illness, And Self-Care (November 9, at 2 p.m. ET). For details and to register, click on the links above.
“Ask Us About Money: Building Financial Wellness to Enhance Recovery”
On September 28, 2023, at 4 p.m. ET, NAMI will present a webinar about “Building Financial Wellness, a peer developed program that empowers people to increase their sense of control over their personal finances, develop the knowledge they need to better manage the financial resources they have, and use tools to improve their overall financial situation.” For details and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Peggy Swarbrick via Jacek Haciak)
October Judi’s Room Will Focus on Reinventing the Mental Health System…to Give People Hope
On October 4, 2023, at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT), Jim Gottstein—founder of the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights and author of The Zyprexa Papers—will speak about a recently published report he co-authored, entitled “Report on Improving Mental Health Outcomes.” Judi’s Room is presented by MindFreedom International and “I Love You, Lead On.” For more information and to register, click here. Note: For more about the Report, see the first item under RESOURCES, below. The Report is available for free download (click here).
PENTAC’s National Peer Entrepreneur Speaker Series Continues on October 5
On October 5, 2023, at 12 p.m. ET, PENTAC (Peer Experience National Technical Assistance Center) will present Laysha Ostrow, founder and CEO of Live & Learn, Inc.! For more information and to register for this free, one-hour event, click here.
“Abnormal No More: A DARN Conference on Incorporating Disability into the Teaching of Psychology”
On October 6, 2023 (12 p.m.-4 p.m. ET) and October 7, 2023 (12 p.m.-5 p.m. ET), the Disability and Advocacy Research Network (DARN)—“a community for disabled psychology scholars and allies”—will present a free, virtual conference “for psychology educators to learn about cutting edge research, theory, and pedagogy related to teaching about disability.” However, all are welcome. Please contact darndisability@gmail.com with questions or accommodation requests. All sessions will be recorded and available on DARN's website after the event. For more information and to register, click here. (Courtesy of Sandy Goodwick)
WHO and OHCHR to Launch Joint Publication with Interactive Dialogue on October 9
On October 9, 2023, (12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. CEST), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will launch ”Mental Health, Human Rights and Legislation: Guidance and Practice.” “An interactive dialogue among persons with lived experience as well as UN officials and high-level government and civil society representatives will underscore why urgent action is needed and how the new WHO/OHCHR guidance has the potential to support person-centered, recovery-oriented, rights-based” mental health law reform internationally. To register, click here. For a time zone converter, click here. (Courtesy of Philip Benjamin)
Peerpocalypse Has Extended Its Workshop Proposal Deadline to October 15!
The theme of Peerpocalypse (May 6-9, 2024) is Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion. Peerpocalypse will be held in person at the Seaside Convention Center in Seaside, Oregon, and virtually via Whova. To submit a proposal (deadline: October 15, 2023), click here. For more information about the conference, click here.
“Rewriting the Sentence II Summit” to Be Held October 16-17
On October 16-17 (9 a.m.-6 p.m. ET), the Center for Justice and Human Dignity will present the Rewriting the Sentence II Summit on Alternatives to Incarceration at George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC. The Summit will be hosted by GW Law and the Aleph Institute. For more information, the fee schedule, and to register, click here.
IIPDW to Host “Withdrawal from Psychiatric Drugs 3”
On October 20 and 21, 2023, the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal will present the third in its conference series, “sharing the latest research, practice, and lived experience from around the world.” For times, fees, and other details, click here. For the “Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs,” Second Edition, Revised and Expanded, by Will Hall, published by the Icarus Project and the Freedom Center, click here. For “The experiences of 585 people when they tried to withdraw from antipsychotic drugs,” by John Read, click here.
RESEARCH AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Request for Information: Potential Changes to SAMHSA’s Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center
October 13, 2023, is the deadline to provide input on potential changes to SAMHSA’s Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center (EBPRC), “specifically regarding the possible introduction of three new domains for the EBPRC website. In addition to addressing four general questions about the EBPRC overall, SAMHSA encourages members of the public to comment on several questions pertaining to each of the domains described.” For details, including how to submit comments, click here. (Courtesy of Yulia Mikhailova)
CMHJ Extends Call for Papers Deadline to December 1
The Community Mental Health Journal (CMHJ) has extended its call for papers for a special issue on “Recovery at 30: Emancipation, cooptation, or the end of an era?” “The year 2023 marks exactly three decades since the publication of Bill Anthony’s seminal “Recovery from mental illness: the guiding vision of the mental health service system in the 1990s" (click here)...The editors write: ”We are soliciting both concept pieces (commentaries, critical reviews) and empirical work (qualitative, quantitative, ethnographic or mixed methods) that explore the question of whether recovery policy remains relevant and emancipatory today or whether the psy-fields are instead in need of fresh thinking and new, more diverse values-based frameworks.” The submission deadline is now December 1, 2023. For more information, click here.
International Mad Studies Journal Invites Submissions
For a special issue of the International Mad Studies Journal, the deadline for abstract submissions is December 15, 2023, via email to mkrazins@syr.edu. For details, click here.
TU Collaborative Seeks Participants for REACH Intervention
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion seeks individuals with “significant mental health concerns” for a “study to increase engagement in meaningful activity.” You must be 18-65; available on Mondays and willing to participate in a 12-session, online, peer-delivered intervention by the Copeland Center to explore meaningful activities. You may be eligible for compensation of up to $100 in gift cards. Interested? Contact TUCollab@temple.edu.
Researcher Seeks LGBTQ+ People of Color Who Have Experienced Psychiatric Hospitalization for “Suicidality”
A PhD candidate at the University of Maryland is recruiting LGBTQ+ People of Color for her dissertation study of those who have experienced psychiatric hospitalization for “suicidality.” To be screened for eligibility, click here. The study is currently scheduled for completion in March 2024. For questions, contact selimaj1@umbc.edu. (Courtesy of Ben Cooley Hall)
RESOURCES
“Report on Improving Mental Health Outcomes” Is Published
The Report’s Executive Summary begins: “The mental health system’s standard treatments are colossally counterproductive and harmful, often forced on unwilling patients. The overreliance on psychiatric drugs is reducing the recovery rate of people diagnosed with serious mental illness from a possible 80% to 5% and reducing their life spans by 20 years or so…” To download the free, 55-page report—by James B. (Jim) Gottstein, Esq.; Peter C. Gøtzsche, MD; David Cohen, PhD; Chuck Ruby, PhD; and Faith Myers—click here. (Note: The Report is intended to be used by advocates and is a modification of an earlier "White Paper," without the Alaska-specific information that it included. The "White Paper" was first included in the Key Update in April 2023, and in every subsequent edition in the “…But Still Fresh!” Department.)
MHA Offers "Evidence for Peer Support"
For Mental Health America's nine-page fact sheet offering evidence of the benefits of peer support, click here.
Wellness Activity Manual Helps People Learn Healthy New Behaviors & Habits
The free, 64-page Wellness Activity Manual: A Guide for Group Leaders “focuses on helping people with mental health conditions learn new behaviors and habits to improve their personal wellness. Each lesson has been constructed as a group activity that maximizes learning through building positive interpersonal relationships and actively involving participants. The Wellness Group meets weekly for one hour. The manual contains nine lessons focused on physical, emotional, and intellectual wellness. Each lesson can be used as a stand-alone group or combined into a multi-session series.” For more information and to download the free manual, click here.
“A Manual for Coping with Extraordinary and Remarkable Experiences”
“Extraordinary and remarkable experiences should not interfere with your mood and daily functioning. This manual will help you to keep your extraordinary experiences manageable in daily life, although your extraordinary experiences may be annoying and intruding at times. You can work through this manual with your therapist…Solutions will be sought for your problems. The described method consists of a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and an educational course.” For the free, 34-page manual, copyrighted in 2013 by Mark van der Gaag, Dorien Nieman, and David van den Berg, click here. (Courtesy of Yulia Mikhailova) Note: This manual has not been reviewed, so no judgment about its value should be inferred from its inclusion in this e-newsletter.
The October 2023 Digest of Articles Offering Healthy Lifestyle Advice
For “Why Do We Play? Rats Can Teach Us How It Improves Mental Health,” click here. For “Music can serve as therapy. Here’s how it can help reduce anxiety. Start with music that matches your frame of mind and slowly shift to more soothing themes. A suggested playlist can serve as a guide,” click here. For “The Best Relationship Advice We’ve Gotten So Far This Year,” click here. For “Can’t Sleep? Try This Proven Alternative to Medication,” click here. For “The Art of Being a Morning Person (Even if You’re Actually Not One),” click here. For “Does the MIND Diet Prevent Dementia?” click here. For “How to Change Your Mind-Set About Aging,” click here.
The October 2023 Digest of Articles about the Criminal Legal System, in which Many Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Are Incarcerated (and the Key Update continues after this Digest)
For “The Footprint: Tracking the Size of America's Criminal Justice System,” click here. For “In Much of the Country, Cities Can’t Enact Their Own Gun Laws: Here’s what you need to know about NRA-backed preemption laws, which limit local regulation of firearms,” click here. For “Justice Department proposes clarity on background checks for gun purchases: The regulation would close potential loopholes for online and gun show sales,” click here. For “More (early) results from the First Step Act [published August 2023]. The Bureau of Prisons has created or defended obstacles to the early release of federal prisoners. But there are clear signs the Trump-era law is succeeding in some areas,” click here. For “Sentencing Commission Backs Retroactive Cuts For 1st Timers,” click here. For “Man struggling with mental health issues shot, killed by Jersey City police, family says,” click here. For “Dying and disabled Illinois prisoners kept behind bars, despite new medical release law: The Joe Coleman Medical Release Act was expected to have freed hundreds of terminally ill and medically incapacitated prisoners in Illinois by now. But only a few dozen have been released, an investigation from Injustice Watch and WBEZ reveals,” click here. For “The Mercy Workers: For three decades, a little-known group of “mitigation specialists” has helped save death-penalty defendants by documenting their childhood traumas. A rare look inside one case,” click here. For “Bureau Of Prisons Warns Of Scams: Fraudsters are reportedly calling family members of prisoners, identifying themselves as Bureau of Prison employees, and illegally seeking money for a transfer to pre-release custody,” click here. For “Is This the End of Prison Phone Fees? How a group of activists took on the telecom industry—and won,” click here. For “How Social Justice Activists Lost the Plot: The leftist writer Fredrik DeBoer’s new book is an entreaty to white, college-educated progressives: Stop obsessing over identity and language and start fighting for working people. Defunding the police was purely an elite fixation that ignored the desires of Black community members, most of whom ardently wished for more policing in their neighborhoods, not less. The ‘defund’ movement was destined to fail, and, in doing so, to foreclose other, more promising alternatives,” click here. For “It’s Long Past Time to Ban Pretextual Stops–Take It from a Public Defender,” click here. For “Ending the Golden State Era of Solitary Confinement: California could reshape the practice as other states limit isolation. Meanwhile, prisons aren’t keeping pace,” click here. For “Why Aren’t Cops Held to Account? Decades of Supreme Court decisions have converted qualified immunity from a commonsense rule into a powerful doctrine that deprives people injured by police misconduct of recourse,” click here. For “How Norway is helping to restore humanity inside US prisons,” click here. For “I Did It Norway: Some American prisons are singing a European tune (from 2017),” click here. For “Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change,” click here. For “State tells Baltimore jail monitor to stop talking to doctors, ratchets up legal defense: What does Maryland have in common with Alabama? A new strategy to defend against correctional healthcare lawsuits,” click here. For “What Federal Judges’ Rulings Reveal About the Memphis Police Tactics: Five judges in recent years have found that officers violated residents’ constitutional rights during traffic and pedestrian stops,” click here. For “Do You Know Their Names? When slain by police, Black women and girls rarely garner the same communal outcry or political response as their fallen Black brothers,” click here. For “Chained by Debt: Erasing court costs and fines is a relatively small change that would have an outsize impact on those harmed by mass incarceration,” click here. For “National Public Defense Workload Study: ‘Existing national public defense workload standards are outdated, not empirically based and inadequate,’ concludes a new study designed to help ensure that defendants are given adequate representation,” click here. For “California lawmakers approve key changes to landmark mental health law,” click here. For “The U.S. Sentencing Commission Quarterly Data Report”: “Immigration and drug cases again dominated all others in the first quarter of 2023, federal officials announced this week,” click here. For “Family of man who died while being admitted to psychiatric hospital agrees to $8.5M settlement,” click here. For “Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences Are a Failed Policy That Needs to End: This op-ed calls for the end of juvenile life without parole,” click here. For “Sheriff says 9 deputies charged in death of man beaten in Memphis jail: Nine jail deputies in Memphis have been indicted for their role in the death of a 33-year-old Black man who was allegedly beaten while he was suffering from a psychotic episode,” click here.
FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE KEY UPDATE BUT STILL FRESH!
CONFERENCES
NIMH to Host Global Mental Health Conference: “Research Without Borders”
From October 30 to November 1, 2023, the National Institute of Mental Health and partners will present the 12th Global Mental Health Research Without Borders Conference. The first of the six listed objectives of the conference is to provide a “space for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, funders, and those with lived experience to meet and share innovative developments in the field of global mental health.” The conference will be held at the Natcher Conference Center at the NIH Main Campus, 45 Center Drive, Building 45, Bethesda, Maryland. For more information and to register (for free), click here. Questions? GMHConference@bizzellus.com
“The Role of Peer Specialists in Promoting Health Equity”
The Peer Support Coalition of Florida will present a four-part training on “The Role of Peer Specialists in Promoting Health Equity.” Participants will gain “a deeper understanding of both the drivers and impact of health inequities on people of color.” The 90-minute sessions will meet on the following Thursdays: October 12, October 26, November 9, and November 16, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET. To register, click here. Questions? Sherry Warner, sherry@peersupportfl.org
The 2023 N.A.P.S. Conference Is Coming Up on October 25-26!
N.A.P.S. looks forward to seeing you in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel on October 25-26! To register, click here! And for information about featured speakers, to book accommodations, become a sponsor/exhibitor, and/or to ask questions, click here!
An Infinite Mind Hybrid Conference Is February 16-18
An Infinite Mind will host its annual hybrid conference in Orlando, Florida–”or live in your own living room!”–February 16-18, 2024. The organizers write: “Healing Together is our one-of-a-kind annual conference for people living with dissociation and DID, their loved ones, and mental health professionals.” For information about the conference, click here.
ISEPP’s 25th Annual Conference Will Be Held October 28-29
ISEPP’s 25th annual conference will be virtual (click here). (Please note that the conference dates have been changed from the original dates of October 20-22.)
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)
OPPORTUNITIES
ISEPP Invites Contributions to an Upcoming Volume in Its Critical Psychology and Critical Psychiatry Series
The International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry (ISEPP) is inviting potential contributors to submit chapters for inclusion in the fourth volume–Practical Alternatives to the Psychiatric Model of Mental Illness: Beyond DSM and ICD Diagnosing–in its Critical Psychology and Critical Psychiatry Series. (To view the first three volumes, click here.) The preferred length–although shorter or longer chapters would be considered–is 4,000-5,000 words, including a paragraph abstract, references, and a mini-bio. Lead editor Arnoldo Cantú, LCSW, writes that an already-published article or book chapter would be considered as well. Finished contributions are due by October 1, 2023. If you’re interested and/or have questions, contact Arnold.Cantu@colostate.edu.
“Are You a Leader with a CMHC? Partner with the Temple University Collaborative!”
“The Clinical Treatment Act is a new law to encourage participation of low-income and minoritized healthcare recipients in research as a matter of equity. The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion seeks to partner with community mental health centers (CMHCs) across the U.S. to help get information about current and future research studies to service recipients in various programs. In return we are also available to support your organization with free trainings and other supports. Please contact Professor Bryan McCormick (bryan.mccormick@temple.edu) about this important partnership opportunity.” To read this announcement online, click here.
OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
“Research Study for People with Lived Experience of Suicidality”
Researchers at Illinois Tech in Chicago are seeking adults with lived experience of suicidal thoughts or a suicide attempt to take a 20-minute survey about suicide disclosure (i.e., communication about your suicidal thoughts or behaviors). To see if you qualify and to learn more about the study, click here.
TU Collaborative Seeks Youth with Serious Mental Health Conditions to Share Their Perceptions About Participating in Research
If you’re 18 to 30 years old, have been diagnosed with a serious mental health condition, and are willing to complete a one-time interview of 30 to 60 minutes via phone or Zoom on your feelings about participating in research, the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion hopes to hear from you. Participants will receive a $20 e-gift card. Interested? Email elizabeth.thomas@temple.edu, text "INTERESTED" to (267) 845-5165, or call (215) 204-1699.
Research Opportunity for Young Adult Peer Supporters
The Mental Health Services Research Lab of the Temple University College of Public Health invites youth peer support workers ages 18-30 who are currently working full-time or part-time in a peer support role to participate in a survey that aims to gather information about their workplace experiences. Questions? Contact Elizabeth Thomas at 215.204.1699 or elizabeth.thomas@temple.edu, or Haley Payne at haleypayne097@gmail.com. Those who complete the survey may be entered into a raffle to win cash prizes! For the Informed Consent Form and the survey, click here.
EPICC Works to Help Parents with Mental Health Conditions Connect with Their Kids
Engaging Parents and Increasing Connections with Children (EPICC) is a 10-week program created by the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion that is focused on helping parents with serious mental health conditions connect with their children through meaningful activities. For details and to apply, click here.
Young Adults with Psychiatric Diagnoses Are Sought for Study on Community Participation
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion is recruiting young adults (ages 18-30) with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression to take part in ConnectionsRx, designed to support engagement in meaningful community activities. Participants will be enrolled in the peer-led study for six months, and receive support to help meet community participation goals. Interviews (approximately 60 minutes each) will take place on Zoom. Participants will receive a $30 Amazon or Visa gift card (to a maximum of $90) for each survey completed. For the website, click here. Questions? Write to ConnectionsRx@temple.edu.
South Southwest MHTTC Launches Youth and Young Adult Peer Supporters Survey
“Are you a peer specialist who provides peer support to other people under the age of 30? We want to hear from you! Please fill out the survey to assist the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (South Southwest MHTTC) in learning more about youth peer support across the country! The intent is to be able to include these peer supporters in research, training, and technical assistance activities surrounding youth peer support. The form should take 5-10 minutes to fill out, and can be done from a phone or a computer browser. To take the survey, click here.” Questions? Write to southsouthwest@mhttcnetwork.org.
Are You Interested in Pursuing Graduate School and/or a Research Career? Read Below.
Stephania Hayes (UC Davis), Shannon Pagdon (Columbia/NYS Psychiatric Institute/University of Pittsburgh), and Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh) write: “We are gathering information from people with lived experience in the Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) or early psychosis space (including peer specialists, current/former CSC participants, and CSC youth coordinators) who are potentially interested in pursuing graduate school and/or a research career. All of us identify as having lived experience, work in CSC, and are invested in supporting the next generation of scholars who also have lived experience. We would like to create a discussion group and/or other supports for people interested in this career path. The link below leads to a very brief survey that will help us understand the level of interest in such supports, as well as areas of career interest. (Please note that this is not a research study.)” To participate in the anonymous survey, click here.
“Help Us Map the Landscape of Lived Experience and Family Involvement in 988 Policy and Related Crisis Response System Planning!”
“As 988 implementation rolls out alongside additional efforts to strengthen crisis response systems throughout the U.S., it's important to gauge the extent to which direct stakeholders (i.e., individuals who use or have used mental health crisis services and their families) have been involved in related policy, implementation and evaluation at the local, regional, state or federal levels. To map out involvement nationally, Mental Health America (lead: Kelly Davis), Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh) and Keris Myrick (National Association of Peer Supporters) have developed a survey aimed at documenting the extent of stakeholder involvement, the forms this involvement has taken, and, where available, what concerns stakeholders have raised. Any individual with knowledge of lived experience and family involvement is eligible to participate; individuals completing the survey do not have to have lived experience themselves.” For more information and to access the survey, click here.
Survey Seeks Respondents Who Have Taken Mental Health Courses Involving Their Own Diagnoses
Have you taken a mental health course that covers a diagnosis you have? If so, you are invited to participate in a brief, anonymous, online survey--designed by a University of Pittsburgh MSW student--about what it's like for students with lived experience to study their own diagnoses in a classroom. The survey covers students' experiences of studying such subjects as "abnormal psychology," "psychopathology," and diagnosis and assessment when their own diagnoses are covered. "The goal of the project is to better understand what it feels like to take courses in which someone’s diagnosis is being taught/defined/discussed. There is currently no literature or reporting on the experiences of students in the above circumstances, or the associated impact." Interested? Please click here. Questions? Please email the project lead, Charlie Clement, at cjc204@pitt.edu
Peer Support in Higher Education Survey Seeks Respondents
“Peer support programs are growing on college campuses across the U.S. Mental Health America, Doors to Wellbeing, and the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion want to better understand the availability of peer support in higher education as well as the experiences and needs of students accessing peer support programs…We hope to use this research to support the expansion of peer support in higher education, including developing a national database of peer support programs in higher education and documenting pressing issues in campus programs…You may also indicate if you are interested in having your school’s peer support program listed in a national database of peer support programs in higher education.” For more information and to complete the survey, click here.
Supported Education Survey Needs Your Help
Do you operate a program that provides dedicated supported education services for individuals with psychiatric disabilities/mental health conditions? If so, you are invited to complete the survey at the link below. The primary goal of the survey is to help create a National Supported Education Database (NSEdD) that will be "a searchable listing of diverse supported education programs and services for individuals experiencing psychiatric disabilities and/or mental health challenges...across the US and its territories." The NSEdD project is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and co-administered by the five SAMHSA-funded national consumer and consumer-supporter technical assistance centers, in collaboration with research partners Drs. Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh) and Mark Salzer (Temple University). For a link to the survey, which includes a definition of supported education, click here. For a flyer with information about the survey, click here.
National Survey on Student Rights, Discrimination, and Accommodations in Higher Education Seeks Respondents
"Have you experienced psychiatric disability-based discrimination or the denial of an accommodation in a postsecondary institution in the United States? Interested in informing national advocacy focus on psych disability rights in higher ed? Mental Health America (lead: Kelly Davis) and collaborators Dr. Nev Jones (University of Pittsburgh), Stefanie Kaufman-Mthimkhulu (Project LETS) and Brit Vanneman Esq. (Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law) have developed "a survey aimed at providing a more comprehensive understanding of student experiences of campus-based discrimination, mandated leaves of absence, and/or denial of academic, administrative and/or student-work accommodations in the U.S. Data will be used to inform national advocacy efforts and future projects, and in reports, presentations and publications." For eligibility and to access the survey, click here.
If You've Had, or Been Labeled with, "Negative Symptoms" in the Context of Psychosis...
"If you have experienced or been labeled with 'negative symptoms' in the context of psychosis, please consider contributing an anonymous account of your views and experiences," Dr. Nev Jones writes. "Currently, there is nowhere one can go to find lived experience perspectives/accounts on this topic—even though 'negative symptoms' regularly feature in research and clinical trials. Help us change this!" This survey is a companion to Psychosis Outside the Box; for that survey, click here. For more information and/or to share your story about "negative symptoms," click here.
“Are You Between the Ages of 21 and 60 and Drink Alcohol?”
"Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are seeking adults--[both smokers and non-smokers]--to study whether a gene and smoking may affect drinking alcohol. Volunteers should be healthy and drug-free, and not seeking treatment for alcohol-related problems. Research participation includes three outpatient visits at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD; alcohol consumption; brain scans (MRI), blood draws, and filling out questionnaires. There is no cost to participate and compensation may be provided." For more information, click here. (Courtesy of Fran Hazam)
TU Collaborative Seeks Participants for Its Parenting Through Leisure Project; See Also the TU Collaborative's Parenting Resources, Including Information on Custody Issues
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion is seeking parents with lived experience of a mental health condition to participate in a paid research study. The TU Collaborative writes: "Our program, Parenting Through Leisure, focuses on helping parents with a serious mental illness participate in leisure activities with their child. We are looking for individuals who are 18 and older; are an adult parent with a diagnosis of schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, or depression; have a child who is 7 to 15 years old and is interested in participating in family leisure with you; have legal visitation rights, joint custody or full custody of the child, with at least weekly contact; and have a desire to engage in more leisure activities with their child." For details about the study and the remuneration as well as other benefits to eligible participants, and a link to sign up, click here. Questions? Please contact TUCollab@temple.edu. And for the TU Collaborative's Parenting web page--which includes links to many resources for parents with lived experience, including information about custody laws and a model family reunification statute--click here.
Survey Seeks Respondents Who Are in Administrative/ Leadership Positions in the Mental Health Field
If you are in an administrative/leadership position in the mental health arena, “the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP) Committee on Psychiatric Administration and Leadership invites you to participate in the International Survey on Administrative Psychiatry. The survey has two purposes: 1. To identify the concerns and needs of mental health professionals/psychiatrists in administrative and leadership positions. 2. To determine training needs in administrative psychiatry. We ask you to complete this brief, [15- to 20-minute] questionnaire to help us in developing recommendations for action. We also want to let you know that, if you fill out this questionnaire, you permit the committee to use your anonymous data for scientific work.” Peer providers are included. For the survey, click here. (Courtesy of Oryx Cohen)
International Survey on Antipsychotic Medication Withdrawal Seeks Respondents
“Have you taken antipsychotic medication (such as Zyprexa, Seroquel, Abilify, Risperdal, Haldol, Geodon, Stelazine, and others), for any condition or diagnosis, with or without other medications? And did you ever stop taking antipsychotics, or try to stop taking them? Are you 18 years or older? If yes, you can take this survey about antipsychotic withdrawal and attempts to withdraw, including if you stopped taking them completely or if you tried to come off and still take them. The survey aims to improve mental health services by better understanding medication withdrawal. Lead researcher is Will Hall, a therapist and Ph.D. student who has himself taken antipsychotics. Service users/survivors/consumers from around the world also gave input. The study is sponsored by Maastricht University in the Netherlands; co-sponsors include the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal. Questions? Please contact will.hall@maastrichtuniversity.nl.” For more information or to take the survey, click on www.antipsychoticwithdrawalsurvey.com
RESOURCES
Lived Experience Leadership Offers Numerous Research Studies Focused on Peer Supporters
Lived Experience Leadership features the findings of 12 years of research studies focused on [the peer support] workforce in a range of settings, to foster a better understanding of and respect for Lived Experience as a distinct discipline and build clarity on what makes this work unique and valuable. Importantly, this body of research was led by Lived Experience researchers.” For the website, click here.
International Peer Respite/Soteria Summit Offers Abundant Related Resources
For numerous resources about peer respites, Soteria, and related movements, click here.
“SAMHSA TIP 64: “Incorporating Peer Support into Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services”
“This TIP [Treatment Improvement Protocol’ supports learning about the key aspects, functions, and uses of Peer Support Services (PSS) in recovery from problematic substance use, which will help providers, supervisors, and administrators in SUD treatmen tprograms getter understand and respond to these changes.” To download the free, 301-page document, click here. For 39 additional manuals, click here.
Resources for Supervisors of Peer Workers Offered by BRSS TACS and Pat Deegan
BRSS TACS writes: “This group of resources helps supervisors understand how to supervise peer workers in behavioral health services.” For details, click here. And the Northwest MHTTC offers a recorded webinar on ”How supervision can help peer specialists remain peer when working on clinical teams,” presented by Pat Deegan. For details, click here.
“You Matter: Stories from People with Lived Experience.”
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion writes: “In this documentation project, we interviewed individuals with [serious mental health conditions] to hear their stories of times they felt like they did or did not matter and learn about what mattering means to them.” For the free 15-page document, click here.
“Podcast: The Rise in Forced Treatment and Abusive Guardianships”
“[M]illions of Americans are subjected to psychiatric detention or forced treatment every year. Often well meaning family members are trying to ‘help,’ but end up traumatizing and permanently damaging their loved ones. Join us as investigative journalist Rob Wipond explains how most states have broadened their criteria for psychiatrically detaining someone far beyond ‘imminent harm’ and that as a practical matter, this could happen to almost anyone.” For the podcast, click here.
“Alternatives to Coercion in Mental Health Settings: A Literature Review”
This 214-page report was commissioned by the United Nations Office at Geneva to inform the report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It was published in 2018 by the Melbourne Social Equity Institute. To download the free report, click here.
“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.
“Training of Lived Experience Workforces: A Rapid Review of Content and Outcomes”
“Recently, the lived and living experience (LLE) workforce in mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sectors has expanded,” researchers at La Trobe University and the Self Help Addiction Resource Center in Australia write. “Despite widespread benefit of this inclusion, some LLE practitioners have encountered personal and professional challenges in their workforce roles…[W]e present recommendations for improving training processes for this workforce.” For the article, published in Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services (Springer), click here.
“WHO’s New Series to Enhance the Meaningful Engagement of People with Lived Experience”
The World Health Organization’s “new ‘Intention to Action’ series is tackling both an evidence gap and a lack of standardized approaches on how to include people with lived experience into decision- and policy-making…The first publication—‘People power: Perspectives from individuals with lived experience of non-communicable diseases, mental health conditions and neurological conditions’—includes six detailed case studies from 12 individuals with lived experience of diverse health conditions.” For more information and a link to download the 80-page publication, click here. (Courtesy of Matthew Jackman)
“What Is Mental Illness?”
“This conversation between Justin Garson (philosopher), Nev Jones (community mental health researcher), and Marco Ramos (psychiatrist/historian)”--sponsored by The Philosopher–“will aim to offer a sense of the scope of what is at stake in our understanding of mental illness, considering the place of biology, society, histories of oppression, evolution, and lived experience in such an understanding.” For the video, click here. (Courtesy of Kevin Fitts)
“Optimizing Recovery Funding, Volumes 1 & 2”
“In 2021, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provided the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence (PR CoE) with supplemental funding for a special project to identify and recommend best practices and strategies to optimize funding for high-quality and effective recovery support services. The result was 'Volume 1: Barriers to Acquiring Funding for Organizations in the Ecosystem of Recovery Volume' and 'Volume 2: Strategies for State Funding of Recovery Support Services.'” To download the full, 130-page report, click here. For more information about the reports, including a brief video, click here.
TU Collaborative Wants to Hear Your Story!
“We are working on a project to better understand social connections among adults with significant mental health challenges,” the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion writes. “We are seeking your stories on your social connections generally” and “what those connections mean to you.” The TU Collaborative will compile these stories based on a series of brief surveys. For details and to share your story, click here.
Common Threads: Stories of Survival & Recovery from Mental Illness
Common Threads: Stories of Survival & Recovery from Mental Illness, a 108-page compendium, includes “tales of survival and recovery” by a number of Floridians. To quote from the Introduction, “Many of the people in these stories have lived significant portions of their lives in psychiatric institutions, and only through their strengths have they found their way back to the community…In these tales, we hear about the importance of education and peer support…” To download the free document, click here.
“Crisis Now” Offers a “Roadmap to Safe, Effective Crisis Care”
The goal of Crisis Now: Transforming Crisis Services—led by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and developed with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and RI International—is “to provide all communities a roadmap to safe, effective crisis care that diverts people in distress from the emergency department and jail by developing a continuum of crisis care services that match people’s clinical needs.” Among the resources offered on the website are SAMHSA’s 80-page “National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care Best Practice Toolkit” (2020), an “Overview of Crisis Funding Sources Available to States and Localities” (last updated March 2, 2022), and assessment tools, such as “How Does Your Crisis System Rate?” The Crisis Now partners write: “Are you interested in adding your organization to the list supporting Crisis Now, or do you have questions? Reach out to us at info@crisisnow.com. For the website, click here.
“What Is the Meaning of Life?” This Free Online Collection Offers Answers
Excellence Reporter offers more than “1,200 articles-interviews on ‘What Is the Meaning of Life?’ written by renowned spiritual leaders, mindfulness experts, great thinkers and authors, elders, artists, musicians, CEOs, etc.” The contributors include such renowned figures as Bertrand Russell; Carl Jung; the Dalai Lama; Eleanor Roosevelt; Epicurus; Erich Fromm; Kahlil Gibran; Buckminster Fuller; Robert Louis Stevenson; and Ron Bassman, executive director of MindFreedom International. To browse the free compendium, click here.
The UIC Center’s Solutions Suite for Health & Recovery Offers Free Tools
"The UIC Center offers tools, curricula, and implementation manuals for free use in community-based programs, peer-run programs, or one's own life. You can introduce the entire complement of products to foster improved health, wellness, and mental health recovery. Or, you can choose the ones that will work best for your program or your life. The Suite was developed in collaboration with Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey. The UIC Center is funded by NIDILRR (National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research). For the UIC Solutions Suite for Health & Recovery, click here. (Courtesy of Peggy Swarbrick via Jacek Haciak)
U.S. Surgeon General Creates Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation
"The U.S. Surgeon General’s Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation, developed in collaboration with the HHS Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES), provides specific guidance and resources for health care providers, educators, librarians, faith leaders, and trusted community members to understand, identify, and stop the spread of health misinformation in their communities." For information about the toolkit (a 22-page overview of health misinformation, and resources to stop it), and links to a “Talk to Your Community About Health Misinformation” Infographic, a “Health Misinformation Checklist” Infographic, and the Surgeon General's press release, click here.
“Psychiatrist with Philosophical Interests” leads “Conversations in Critical Psychiatry,” a Psychiatric Times Series
Awais Aftab, who describes himself as a "psychiatrist with philosophical interests" in his Twitter bio, leads "Conversations in Critical Psychiatry," which, he says, "explores critical and philosophical perspectives in psychiatry and engages with prominent commentators within and outside the profession who have made meaningful criticisms of the status quo." Among those interviewed are Jim Gottstein, author of The Zyprexa Papers, on “The Fight for Pharma Accountability and Psychiatric Rights”; Allen Frances, M.D., author of Saving Normal; Sandra Steingard, M.D., and G. Scott Waterman, M.D., on "Integrating Academic Inquiry and Reformist Activism in Psychiatry"; Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, on "50 Shades of Misdiagnosis"; Kathy Flaherty, J.D., executive director of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc., on "Reconsidering Care and Coercion in Psychiatry"; Nev Jones, Ph.D., on "Phenomenology, Power, Polarization, and the Discourse on Psychosis"; Dainius Puras, M.D., on "Global Psychiatry's Crisis of Values"; and many others. For the archived interviews, click here.
U.S. DOL Releases Guidance on FMLA Leave and Mental Health
The U.S. Department of Labor’s newly issued Fact Sheet #280 about the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) explains when eligible employees may take FMLA leave to address mental health conditions, and new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) offers additional information. (Although the FMLA covers public and private employers nationwide, only those private employers who have 50 or more employees for at least 20 workweeks in a year are required to provide their eligible employees with FMLA leave.) For details, click here.
Hearing Voices Network Is Now Hosting Online Groups
“There are now ONLINE opportunities to connect, share experiences, and find mutual support,” the Hearing Voices Network (HVN) writes. “These groups are accessible via web-based platforms and by phone…Online groups are specifically for those with personal lived experience with hearing voices, seeing visions, and/or negotiating alternative realities. They are voice-hearer facilitated. With further questions and for details on how to access the group[s], please email info@hearingvoicesusa.org.” To read this announcement online and for more information, click here.
Virtual Group Works to Advance Peer Research Capacity, Leadership, and Involvement
Nev Jones, PhD—a strong advocate for building research capacity, leadership, and involvement among peers, survivors, and service users—leads a virtual group dedicated to this effort. Dr. Jones—assistant professor, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh—was part of the team that developed “User/Survivor Leadership & Capacity Building in Research: White Paper on Promoting Engagement Practices in Peer Evaluation/Research (PEPPER),” published by the Lived Experience Research Network. For the white paper, click here. Anyone interested in joining the virtual group can email Nev at nev.inbox@gmail.com.
Mad In America Invites You to Submit Your Personal Story (Within Certain Guidelines)
Mad In America writes: “A ‘personal story’ is defined as your story of being in relationship to psychiatry and/or the mental health system, whatever that means to you. It might involve your opinions and analysis of what happened to you, as well. It can be about a specific event, or about your overall journey, provided it fits the length requirements (1,500 to 3,000 words) and has a narrative arc. The piece should be about your personal experiences, not psychiatry or the mental health system in general. Submissions should fall under the theme of rethinking psychiatry and the mental health system, and should be original works not previously published elsewhere. For examples of the types of stories we publish, view our personal stories archive here.” For more information and/or to submit a personal story, click here.
“Where DNA and Medications Meet”
Not all drugs are effective for all people; therapeutic response rates for many drugs are only 50%-75%. “OneOme, co-founded by [the] Mayo Clinic, provides evidence-based pharmacogenomic solutions that help improve patient outcomes and reduce costs through more personalized medication decisions.” OneOme’s RightMed Test is “a doctor-ordered pharmacogenomic (PGx) test that analyzes your DNA and provides your doctors with genetic information to help them determine how you may respond to certain medications. The results may help your doctors reduce medication trial and error, minimize risk of side effects, save you time and money, and make more informed prescribing decisions. Because your DNA doesn’t change over time, your doctors can use your test results to make more personalized medication decisions for you over the course of your lifetime.” For more information, click here. (Courtesy of Robin Osborne)
Doors to Wellbeing Offers “State Selfies: A Picture of Peer Services Reported by Peers”
Doors to Wellbeing’s “Peer Album” is a directory of nearly 600 peer-run organizations throughout the U.S. They invite updates and offer instructions for providing them and add, “If your entry has not made this first draft, we encourage you to re-submit.” For the 158-page directory, click here.
Disclaimer: The Clearinghouse does not necessarily endorse the opinions and opportunities included in the Key Update.
About the Key Update
The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse is affiliated with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion. The Key Update is the free monthly e-newsletter of the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse. Volume 20, No. 4, October 2023. For content, reproduction or publication information, please contact Susan Rogers at selfhelpclearinghouse@gmail.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @SusanRogersMH