Registration Now Open for Training Teleconference:

The SAMHSA Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma Associated With Mental Illness invites you to register now for a free teleconference training titled, "Countering Internalized Stigma among People with Mental Illnesses."

• Date: Wednesday, September 26, 2007
• Time: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (Eastern Time)
• http://www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov/teleconferences.htm
  

Please pass this invitation along to interested friends and colleagues. Please note: Registration for this teleconference will close at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on Monday, September 24, 2007.

The will email the telephone number for the training teleconference to all registered participants on Tuesday, September 25, 2007.

Training Summary
Stigma surrounding mental illnesses comes from many sources. Public stigma is a result of the general population's misconceptions about mental illnesses. Internalized stigma - the belief that you are weak or damaged because of your own illness - occurs when individuals assimilate social stereotypes about themselves as persons with serious mental illnesses.

Internalized stigma, like public stigma, negatively affects the lives of people with mental illnesses and hinders the recovery process. Internalized stigma can sometimes be the most difficult kind of stigma to fight. It may cause people to stop their treatment, isolate themselves from loved ones, or give up on things they want to do.

• Explore the different types of internalized stigma and factors that may lead to internalized stigma.
• Address how internalized stigma impacts the recovery process.
• Provide an overview of successful strategies that have been used to recognize and counter internalized stigma.

Send in Your Questions
We invite you to send in your questions related to internalized stigma in advance of the teleconference. Speakers will answer as many questions as possible during the teleconference. Please send your questions by e-mail to stopstigma@samhsa.hhs.gov. Please note that sending a question does not guarantee its inclusion in the teleconference. We will provide the speakers' contact information so that you may pursue your answer after the call. If you provide your name and organization at the time you ask your question, we may use it during the call. Anonymous questions also can be submitted

Training Sponsor
This teleconference is sponsored by the SAMHSA Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma (ADS Center), a project of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The session is free to all participants.