Training Opportunities

From DBSA:

DBSA is pleased to announce that our next peer specialist training course for individuals will be February 23-27, 2009,
in St. Louis, Missouri. Facilitated by nationally-recognized trainers,
this comprehensive course delivers a foundation in recovery principles,
intervention techniques and ethical practice. The curriculum focuses on
the use of peer-delivered services to support the recovery of others.
DBSA peer specialist training is delivered in affiliation with
Appalachian Consulting Group, innovators of the Georgia Certified Peer
Specialist Project which pioneered Medicaid-billable peer support
services.  

Course fee is $950 per person which includes the cost of training,
materials, daily continental breakfast and beverage breaks and
post-training certification testing. Participants are responsible for
their own hotel accommodations, travel and other meals.
 
Enrollment is limited! The deadline to complete and return applications is no later than Monday, January 26, 2009. (To download the application, click here.)

For More....

State of Mental Health and Aging

From the CDC:

This report is the first of two. The second will focus on Depression and aging. The report (as of 1.29.09) is the first report on the list. It is a pdf file and can be downloaded. It is well done and illumination (especially to someone who is 61 and has trouble with depression).

Take a look....

Promoting Acceptance and Social Inclusion for People with Mental Health Problems in the Workplace

From the ADS Center:

This webinar was held Jan. 27. Links to the slides in the presentation are at the bottom of the page.

The workforce includes many individuals with mental health problems
who, like other employees, contribute greatly to the success of the
organizations that employ them.  However, unlike their colleagues,
people with mental health conditions may experience misunderstanding,
social exclusion, and discrimination by employers or other employees
due to prejudicial beliefs and attitudes about people with mental
illnesses in the workplace. 

Some of these misperceptions
include beliefs that people with mental health problems cannot handle
work-related stress, are unreliable, and need special attention.  The
fact is that work is often the best platform for recovery and most
individuals benefit greatly from purposeful, meaningful activity that
is socially valued and respected. Economic security and
self-sufficiency also increase with stable and fulfilling employment.
And, in addition to providing a living, work gives people a sense of
belonging and community that provides the opportunity to create a
network of friends and colleagues...

Presentation materials for this event are available below in two
file formats: PPT (MS PowerPoint) and PDF (Portable Document Format).

Teleconference Presentation [PDF Format - 1.2 Mb]

Teleconference Presentation [PowerPoint Format - 1.6 Mb]

For More...

New Western Mass Recovery Learning Communitiy (x-posted)

From LiveJournal:

I hope this sort of post is okay here, but definitely thought it was
relevant!  My name is Sera and I am Co-Director of a new project in Western Mass
called the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community (RLC).  Like
everyone else who works or volunteers at the Western Mass RLC, I have
had (and continue to have at times) significant struggles in my life. 
For me, that has meant being a trauma survivor, getting labeled in
several different ways by the mental health system, and experiencing
some pretty extreme states of depression, etc.

I'd like to share some about the The Western Mass RLC:  This
project is all about building a community of people in Western Mass who
have lived experience and want to be a part of something where they can
get, give and simply be.  We believe that recovery (as it is defined by
each individual) is a probability, but not, in many instances, without
the opportunity to be a part of something that is meaningful to you and
to have the opportunity to build real, meaningful relationships with
other people.  When you contact us or come into our Resource Connection
Center (RCC), our first priority is to welcome individuals into our
community (no 'credentials' checked, we're here for the person,
whatever their experience has been).  Our second priority is to hear
the individual's story, and learn what supports *they* want.  (Each
individual is, after all, the expert on him/herself.)   In
addition to wanting to reach out to individuals with lived experience,
we'd also like to reach out to students and providers to share our
experiences and help people learn different ways of helping and talking
about people who are struggling.
...

For More...

EMPOWERMENT DAY-2009

From Gerald Butler:

“Leaders
in Our Lives”

 

      
Many of us have either in the past or the present have met a leader
in the system that has had a positive impact on our lives.  At
last year’s Empowerment Day/ Celebration of Recovery, we were proud
to present Maryann Bozenski with the ‘Consumer of the Year’ award.
At this year’s celebration we would like to honor the positive leaders
in our lives; without them Michigan would not be on the verge of becoming
a National model of recovery. CHARGE is teaming with Detroit Wayne County
CMH/Customer Service to gather as many stories as possible between now
and May regarding consumers’ experiences with positive leaders. I
think I’ll start.

During the
first Peer Specialist training at Higgins Lake, folks were talking about
how Irene Kazieczko (Michigan
Dept. of Community Health)
was coming and I remember thinking how a
‘suit’ would make folks tense and upset the family atmosphere that
had occurred by the third day of the training. During a break, some
of were chatting outside and someone called Irene’s name. I was floored
to find out she had been there just kicking it with us. She came to
a campfire we had on the beach, and I could tell by her questions and
comments, that she was actually listening to us.

Irene’s
efforts have been both good and not so good to me. First the good: encouragement,
hope, trust, a willingness to help others, determination, desire, are
just a few things Irene has given me. The not so good part is that
she has spoiled me. Irene is the person who fought to bring Person Centered
Planning to Michigan, and who spearheaded the Peer Movement. She has
also bought us the ‘Michigan Recovery Council’ and tons of other
good stuff. I am spoiled because I feel that if a leader like Irene
can treat us with respect and dignity then everyone else should.  

    If you have
stories of positive leaders who have helped you in your recovery, please
e-mail them to Robert Shaw at D-WCCMHA/Customer Service. rshaw@co.wayne.mi.us Robert is the editor of the ‘Persons
Point of View’ consumer newsletter at the Agency. Some stories will
be published in the newsletter and others will be read on Empowerment
Day. Being a leader in this field is often a thankless job. We hope
to thank as many of the positive ‘Leaders in Our Lives’ as
possible at this year’s celebration of recovery.   

Gerald Butler

TV Ad Shows Mental Health Stigma Can Be A Matter Of Life And Death, UK

From Medical News Today:

New TV ad shows mental health stigma can be a matter of life and death


A new hard-hitting advertising campaign shows that being told to 'pull
yourself together', being left out of things and treated as 'a problem'
can lead people with mental health problems to despair - tragically for
some, they just can't go on. Viewers will be left in no doubt that the
way they treat people with mental health problems like depression can
make all the difference....

Sue Smith, who has had depression, says-

"I had cancer, and everyone rallied around to offer support. But then
later, when I got depression, things couldn't have been more different.
It's odd, but people found the cancer easier to deal with than the
depression - mental health problems are still a taboo"....

For More...

More attention for the invisible disability - TBI

From Broken Brain-Brilliant Mind:

I am posting this because it hits on similarities with the recovery process, and because it has some daily journal type tools that might prove useful if tweaked.

...the severity of our issues depend on not only the scope and nature of
our injury, but also upon our own personality makeup — how we respond
to different circumstances — as well as environmental factors. Things
like jobs that allow us little flexibility in our daily schedule,
financial difficulties that add stress to our experience, living
environments that are intolerant of our shortcomings, and any number of
other factors like the food we eat and the amount of sleep we get, can
and will affect the degree to which we are impacted...

I also have difficulty with sustained attention — I just can’t study
the way I used to. I used to be able to study for hours and hours, and
at the end of a long weekend of non-stop reading, I would have a new
treasure trove of information to work with. Now, I’m lucky if I can
last an hour with my reading....

I have difficulties at work, because I get so tired and I tend to space
out when I’m fatigued. I find myself, sometimes, just sitting in front
of my computer, staring at nothing in particular, or surfing around
just for the sake of relieving my over-taxed brain. It’s not
productive, but it’s unconscious, and I’m usually not aware I’m doing
it, till I’ve done it for a while....

For More....

Artist fights stigma of schizophrenia

From Times-Union:

In June 2006, Amber Christian Osterhout learned that her brother, Josh,
had been reported missing in Italy. The professor who called from Rome,
where Josh had been studying during his last semester of college, had
not seen him in class for a week.

"I couldn't help but feel like this was a dream, like this phone
call was meant for someone else," said Osterhout, an art director at
Shannon-Rose Design in Saratoga Springs. "My family and I spent days
trying to piece together this nightmare."

Approximately one week
later, Josh called. He was being chased, he told his sister, describing
days running through brush, eluding capture in a thriller-like tale
complete with plots and bombs. He hadn't called, he said, because he
didn't know anything was wrong....

Last month, Osterhout teamed up with National Alliance on Mental
Illness — New York State (NAMI-NYS) to unveil the educational art
exhibit "Gaining Insight: An Examination of the Relationship Between
Schizophrenia and Stigma."

"Amber's passion and concern show
through her work. Her experience is universal with other family
members," said Trix Niernberger, executive director of NAMI-NYS.
"Although Josh is one person, he represents 2.4 million American adults
living with schizophrenia."

The exhibit — which features six
paintings, three life-sized posters and audio — can be viewed at
http://www.gaining-insight.com. Osterhout hopes to present it in
galleries and as the core of educational programs delivered in schools.
She will donate 80 percent of print-sale proceeds to mental health
organizations....

For Much More....

Gaining Insight Blog

This is the blog that Amber Christian Osterhout publishes as part of her gaining-insight project.

From gaining-insight.blogspot.com:

I
thought I would share a video with you by Puddle of Mudd. I came across
the song while researching how the media affects stigma. The song is
called "Psycho" but the term SCHIZOPHRENIC PSYCHO is repeated over and
over again thoughout the song. I believe the narrator is comparing his
girlfriend's attitude to a very serious mental disorder. But then I
found the following quote, "The song is about wondering if oneself has
a split personality and is a “psycho”, as lead singer Wes Scantlin
sings “maybe I’m the one who is the schizophrenic psycho”." The music
video was shot at the famed Bates Motel which adds another layer of
discriminating media....

For More.....

Gaining Insight

From Gaining-Insight.com:

This is a great site! It is a series of paintings and accompanying audio about the exp[eriece of schizophrenia. Well worth a look! The next couple of posts will include more info about the artist.

For More....

Real Lives: Share Your Story

From Montana Warm Line:

This one-of-a-kind project by Mental Health America invites people who struggle with mental illnesses to break the silence and share their stories....

Together, we can help others and kick open the door to the truth about mental illness: that it ’s real, common and treatable.

So tell your story and give a real voice to a great cause. Your story can change a life, and even save one.

http://www.nmha.org/reallives/storyForm1.cfm

HeartBeats

From HeartBeats:

HeartBeats blogspot is the official site for the 'Write From The
Heart' writers program, a project of the Consumer Initiative Funds,
Vancouver Coastal Health/Community Mental Health Services.
'Write From The Heart' is a writing program for adults in recovery from
mental illness.
For more information about this project or to request to submit
material to this site, please email:
hbeats1@gmail.com

For More...

Recovery Council Part II

A panel discussed the relationship between substance abuse systems and mental health systems around recovery.

.Have had difficulty gaining momentum in recovery in their system. Office. Of Drug Control Policy doesn't provide services. Those are contracted out to 16 providers.

Many issues related to SA that focused on community membership were discussed by the Council to help the Office of drug control build a recovery presence. ..

End of Part II
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Recovery Council Meeting January 22, 2009

A flyer was handed out to "Save the Date" for the first annual Peer Specialist Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Dear born on June 22 to 24, 2009. So save the date!!!

Pat Baker reviewed the work of the long term planning group for the Council. In addition to how the Council is organized and funded, the issue of how awareness is spread.. The group talked about reviewing the current Council mission. Most importantly, for the long term, we talked about sustain ability.

Recommendations:
1. Keep current structure and keep it inside DCH
2. Broad communication across the state at all levels about Recovery
3. Council should challenger the state to develop a consensus statement about support for the council, and detailing the specific funding and staffing support that the Council would receive
4 .More information about how the ARR and PPG fit with the Council .

There were 6 trainings on Trauma this last year. Colleen noted that trauma is so common in people with serious mental illness that trauma informed treatment must be typical.

Colleen also asked the question of how stigma, trauma, and serious mental illness trigger responses from treatment systems.

In the general community, 50% have a history of trauma. That means staff, professionals, family members, friends, everyone.

Every CMH in the UP will have Recovery and Trauma Training in 2009.

A variety of professional trainings, brochures and other activities and resources have been occurring around trauma informed treatment. Around the state. The new funding will be out in a couple of months.

Phil said that the effort to create stability by treatment systems tends to defer the dreams that were part of each person's make-up before the start of the symptoms. Going after dreams again is part of recovery, and should be expected as part of the process.

There was additional discussion of how to make trauma informed treatment could be more generally available, and more individualized.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Recovery as a Journey of the Heart

From Windows Live:

Presented at "Recovery from Psychiatric Disability: Implication for the training of mental health professionals"

...There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom....

...In a
similar fashion we pass on knowledge about mental illness. Students
emerge from school with knowledge about neurotransmitters and
schizophrenics and bipolars and borderlines and multiples and OCD's.
They become experts in recognizing illness and disease. But this is
where we so often fail them. We fail them because we have not taught
them to seek wisdom-to move beyond mere recognition in order to seek
the essence of what is. We have failed to teach them to reverence
the human being who exists prior to and in spite of the diagnosis we
have placed upon them. Just as the generic, anatomical heart does not
exist, neither does "the schizophrenic" or "the multiple" or the
"bi-polar" exist outside of a generic textbook. What exists, in teh
truly existential sense, is not an illness or disease. What exists is a
human being and wisdom demands that we see and reverence this human
being before all else. Wisdom demands that we whole heartedly enter
into a relationship with human beings in order to understand them and
their experience. Only then are we able to help in a way that is
experienced as helpful.

hose of us who have been labled with mental illness are first and foremost
human beings. We are more than the sum of the electro-chemical activity
of our brain. Our hearts are not merely pumps. Our hearts are as real
and as vulnerable and valuable as yours are. We are people. We are
people who have experienced great distress and who face the challenge
of recovery.

 

The concept of recovery is rooted in teh simple yet profound
realization that people who have been diagnosed with mental illness are
human beings. Like a pebble tossed
into the center of a still pool, this simple fact radiates in ever
larger ripples until every corner of the academic and applied mental
health science and clinical practice are effected. Those of us who have
been diagnosed are not objects to be acted upon. We are fully human
subjects who can act and in acting, change our situation. We are human
beings and we can speak for ourselves. We have become self-determining.
We can take a stand toward what is distressing to us and need not be
passive victims of an illness. We can become experts in our own journey
of recovery....

For More...

Global Study Shows People With Schizophrenia Both Expect And Experience Discrimination (Indigo Study)

From Medical News Today:

People with schizophrenia experience discrimination from family
members, while looking for or trying to stay in employment, and while
trying to make and keep friends. Such discrimination is found
consistently across 27 nations worldwide. These are the conclusions of
an Article published Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet,
written by Professor Graham Thornicroft, Institute of Psychiatry,
King's College London, UK, and colleagues from the INDIGO* study group....

For More....

Anxiety Tribe: Because it takes a tribe...

From Anxiety Tribe:

A mutual support community (one of several) for people with chronic anxiety. Other communities include addiction, depression, ocd, and hiv.

For More...

Metabolic Syndrome A Risk For Veterans With PTSD

From Medical News Today:

Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to
have metabolic syndrome than veterans without PTSD, according to a
study led by Pia Heppner, Ph.D., psychologist with the University of
California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs of San
Diego, VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (CESAMH).
The study will be published online January 8 by the journal BMC Medicine.


Metabolic syndrome is composed of a cluster of clinical signs including
obesity, high blood pressure and insulin resistance and is also
associated with cardiovascular disease...

For More...

Helping to build Roads to Recovery

From Gerald Butler:

Det. News,
Dec. 24^th 2008

Drug
Mixes a risk in U. S.

    
“At least 2 million Americans are taking a combination of drugs
and supplements that can be a risky mix”. Although the article
was centered on older Americans I have heard stories from consumers
concerning unhealthy medication mixes.  Some of the questions are:
If I am on a certain med, should I be careful what ‘over the counter’
medication I use? Can aspirin affect certain meds? Can certain foods
have an effect? Who to call for advice if I feel apprehensive? Are there
certain common substances (man-made
or natural) that should
be avoided when taking certain meds? How about herbal remedies, ginkgo
etc? Since physical health is directly related to mental health, if
anyone knows where this info is easily accessible to consumers, let
us know and we’ll pass it on.

EMPOWERMENT
DAY!

  When
consumers get awarded, it is hoped that others will follow his/her example.
This year the “Empowerment Day Celebration of Recovery” theme is
“New Age Leadership”. At the event, consumers shall be acknowledging
leaders in hopes of inspiring other leaders to follow their example.
The system gives awards for innovative programs; we award the traits
that really matter to us. Passion for our cause, caring, willingness
to listen, empathy, inspiring, compassionate, integrity, are the characteristics
we are looking for in our New Age Leadership Awards. We hope to be working
closely with Detroit-Wayne County CMH/Customer Services and the Virtual
Center of excellence between now and Empowerment Day. Soon we will be
asking consumers to submit anecdotal events, stories, essays, poetry,
etc of their experiences with a new type of leader. Some of which may
be published in Persons Point of View Newsletter, and others will be
read aloud on Empowerment Day. Will keep you posted.

The Recovery
Band

      
Dust off your dancing shoes; start working on your steps!! The band
has the honor of playing ‘The 1^st Annual Peer Support Conference’
(June 22^nd/June 24^th) and we will be showcasing
consumers who we have had the pleasure of working with over the last
2 years. Patti Charleston, whom I first met during the first Wayne County
Peer Training, will be sharing her childhood dream come true through
the “Visions of Recovery Gospel Choir”. Veteran Peer Specialists
will share experiences and the newer Peers can update the vets as the
movement is constantly growing. I realize how vital this conference
is and how much good it will do for our cause. But mostly I think about
how much fun it is going to be.

Mental health courts

From The Trouble with Spikol:

Whether you’re for or against mental health courts, it’s good to know
that the tragic intersection of mental illness and the criminal justice
system is being attended to in some states. From California’s Mercury News:

For More...

CHARGE!

From Gerald Butler:

                                                  1/6/09 

        
A few months ago I wrote about how a State leader gave me hope and encouragement
by simply giving me a hug. I also wrote about a leader Detroit Wayne
County CMH spreading optimism by showing sincere concern
for our treatment and recovery. Subtle as they may seem, these small
acts are just as vital to the recovering community as any new program.
If these new leaders can treat us with respect and dignity,
then others in the system have no reason not to do the same.
Often, the spirit in which care is give is just as important as the
treatment itself.

    
My first experience with a ‘New Leader’ was 6 years ago; that day
I was picked up from the treatment center by Dr. Michelle Reid (Medical Director/ Detroit Wayne County
CMH) At that point I had
been in the system for over 20 years and this was the first time an
administrator had treated me humanely, like I had feelings. Naturally
I was skeptical: it took me a long time to accept that Dr. Reid just
simply cared about us. My second experience came during the first Peer
Support training in Michigan. The training was the greatest thing to
happen for consumers in years. Pam Werner and Irene Kazieczko (Michigan Department of Community Health) ate with us, laughed and cried with
us, listened to what we had to say. They showed us Peer Support was
not merely a new program; it is a way of living.

     
My next experience with a new type leader came when I told my friend
Darryl about my hopes and dreams of one day a year dedicated solely
to consumers. Darryl introduced me to his boss, Marilyn Snowden (CEO/ Detroit East)
who pushed, pulled, and walked by my side until my dream became a reality.
This year will be the 4^th annual event/celebration and Ms
Snowden shall always be known as the Mother of Empowerment Day. Two
years ago at the ‘Second Annual Empowerment Day’ Veda Sharp (Director/D-WCCMH)
began giving the ‘Recovery Band’ her support and encouragement.
As we travel the State sharing that same hope, Ms sharp is often there
to introduce us. The more self-esteem she gives us, the more we have
to pass on to others.

    
The reasons I am talking about these leaders are not to praise them,
but to hold them up as symbols of how system transformation is taking
hold in Michigan. Because no one can direct a person’s recovery, these
leaders are instead encouraging it. They realize how vital self-esteem
is in the recovery process. They know that people in recovery are very
capable, provided they are in a healthy environment. As opposed to owning
or directing recovery, they have chosen to share our hopes and dreams
with us. Instead of fretting over such mundane issues as ‘our behavior’
they are busy opening new doors and providing us with choices as to
how we wish to proceed in our recovery. It’s very encouraging to have
these types of leaders at the highest levels of the system.

               
The Recovery Band may just as well be called the Peer Support Band,
as that is we are on We noticed that all of the consumers who worked
with us gained a higher sense of self-esteem almost immediately. I think
the one who has had the greatest effect on the band is Charlotta. We
did not have to guide her, show her, or tutor her in any way. All we
did was provide a safe, welcoming environment and watched her blossom.
The band realized we had something valuable we needed to share with
the recovering community: The importance of a clean, safe, environment.
Out of late night meetings at the Mexican Town restaurant, arose CHARGE:
(Center of Healing Arts,
Recovery, Growth & Empowerment).  This
is an outgrowth of the leaders in Michigan who’ve found a way of blending
leadership with caring and compassion.

                 
Although the arts can play a major role in the recovery process, the
operative word in CHARGE is healing. One major road- block to recovery
is low self-esteem. Few things contribute more to low self-esteem than
the feeling of not being listened to. CHARGE will be a place where consumers
feel they are not only being heard, but also safe and comfortable enough
to simply be who they are. The more a person knows about his/her self,
the easier it becomes for Doctors and therapists to diagnosis and treat.
There are many arts & recovery programs that show people how to
express them selves artistically. The Recovery Band wanted CHARGE to
be more of a Recovery program.

                  
We designed CHARGE to be more of a place, than an arts program. Our
hope is for consumers to be in a place where everyone is saying “It’s
okay that you erred, let us work together
and make things right”. Every person is born with certain gifts
and/or talents, but no one can force creativity. The dream of the Recovery
Band through CHARGE is to have a spot where folks feel safe and free.
This place will also just happen to have tools of expression on hand
for those who wish to use them. Considering how blessed the band has
been, we would be remiss if we did not do all we could to ‘Pay it
forward’.

Gerald Butler

Peer Support
Specialist

 

Metabolic Syndrome A Risk For Veterans With PTSD

From Medical News Today:

Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to
have metabolic syndrome than veterans without PTSD, according to a
study led by Pia Heppner, Ph.D., psychologist with the University of
California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs of San
Diego, VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (CESAMH).
The study will be published online January 8 by the journal BMC Medicine.


Metabolic syndrome is composed of a cluster of clinical signs including
obesity, high blood pressure and insulin resistance and is also
associated with cardiovascular disease....

For More....

Barriers to Trauma-Informed Mental Health Systems: Beliefs and Medical Necessity

From Trauma Transformation Peer Support:

One of the challenges for implementing a trauma-informed system is an
issue of etiology – that is, the etiology of mental illness.

I
know: debating cause of mental illness is not very helpful, especially
when I just want peer support. Debating cause isn’t helpful when I am
trying to learn how to work again, or trying to get up enough courage
to go to the gym full of strangers, or stop hating myself. But I’m
afraid that we will have to share uneasy proximity to the question
because it is the often unspoken decision people have already made
about what causes mental illness that has created so many broken state
mental health systems. What we believe about the illness informs the
services the system provides...

For More....

No Mugs, but What About Those Fees

From MindFreedom:

New pharmaceutical industry guidelines should stop most drug

companies from distributing a wide range of trinkets and office

supplies designed to keep their brand names before doctors as a

subliminal inducement to prescribe high-priced drugs.

The new code, which kicked in on New Year's Day, bars the free

distribution of everything from pens to coffee mugs and staplers by

some 40 drug companies that have agreed to the restrictions. That may

seem like small potatoes, but in the aggregate the promotional

products probably cost about $1 billion a year, as Natasha Singer

reported in The Times. The updated rules are the industry's latest

attempt to restore public confidence that doctors are prescribing

medicines in the patient's interest. The code still has too many

loopholes....

For More....

In Eastern Europe, Lives Languish in Mental Facilities

From The new York Times:

The name of this isolated spot in the lush Danube plains means justice or, in Russian, truth.

But little of either seems to have penetrated the home for men with
mental disabilities and illnesses here, a bleak establishment reached
most easily by a bone-jarring, six-hour ride from Sofia, the capital...

Across Central and Eastern Europe, many people with mental illnesses or
disabilities are sequestered without rights or recourse under
Communist-era rules that put their fates in the hands of legal
guardians, often regardless of the severity of their disabilities,
according to human rights groups.,,

For More...