Deciding To Live

From "This I Believe" on NPR: Transcript and Podcast

Kij Johnson's Web Site

I believe I am a climber.

Three years ago, a series of medical and personal crises took what was a clinical depression and made it something much darker.

I
thought of it as falling — as jumping — off a bridge on a rainy winter
day: three seconds in the air before I hit the water and plunged deep
into the icy cold, my heavy coat pulling me deeper. And the surface far
overhead — too far away.

This is the question that kept me from
making the image a real one. What if I changed my mind? Jumping into
the water, the air in my lungs would fail me before I could swim back
to the living world. I would know for those last seconds that I did
want to live after all, but it would be too late.

I'm not sure why I started climbing.

NLCMH Staff are Great!

Full article

Late last week I sat in on a meeting with about a dozen or so staff
who mostly work with adults with mental illness as they discussed the
paperwork requirements of their jobs. I was shocked at the RECOVERY
movement that was happening in that room! With just a few words being
said, it was very noticeable that RECOVERY was happening all around.

Staff wanted to reduce paperwork so they could spend more time
helping the folks they see. Although I’ve always known that paperwork
is an important part of the mental health system, today was actually
the first time I heard a staff member say they were upset about the
time that paperwork takes away from helping the folks they serve. They
of course expressed that they appreciated that paperwork is needed in
order to meet the state and federal requirements and we need to
document things we do and the services we provide so that funds
continue to be available to serve the community members in the future.
But it was great to hear how the staff at Northern Lakes really care
about people and in my opinion, really have a deep understanding and
appreciation of the power of recovery. I LOVE IT!

Recovery keeps coming alive in all areas in my life. Like the NLCMH recovery definition says:

Recovery is a personal journey of hope, purpose and
growth. It is the process of setting our own directions in life. We
accept the responsibilities of meeting challenges, using our own
abilities, strengths and determination.

I hope that by personally meeting the challenges in my life, using
my own strengths, becoming not only a peer support specialist but the
NLCMH Recovery Coordinator, that I can play a little part in spreading
the spirit of what that staff member said. I’ve come a LONG way since I
was first diagnosed because of staff like this one. Keep up the great
work, Northern Lakes!

Post-traumatic stress disorder- Can happen to anyone

Full Article

Post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) is defined as the development of characteristic
symptoms following a psychologically distressing event that is ‘outside
the range of usual human experience’. This includes torture, sudden
destruction of one’s home or community, threat or harm to close
relatives and friends, and so on.

Common symptoms include
re-experiencing the event, for example in nightmares and flashbacks,
avoidance of things associated with the trauma, which can trigger
severe anxiety and sometimes physical panic responses, sleep
disturbance and poor concentration. All these are essentially normal
reactions to abnormal events. However, where survivors develop severe,
extreme or long-term mental health problems that seriously hamper their
ability to live normally, a diagnosis of PTSD may be helpful in terms
of opening doors to help and support from the health service.

Treatment
The
most effective therapeutic approach for long-term, severe PTSD appears
to be a series of talking treatment sessions with a clinical
psychologist, in which the person with PTSD is encouraged to talk
through their experiences in detail. This may involve behavioural or
cognitive therapeutic approaches.

Nine out of Ten people with mental health problems are prisoners of stigma - shocking new research

Full article

Millions
of people with mental illness are unable to do everyday things like
going to the shops, making new friends or applying for jobs,
groundbreaking research reveals. The pioneering survey of more than
3,000 people with mental health problems clearly reveals that this
includes people you expect to love you unconditionally, your
family, (36%), closely followed by employers (35%), neighbours (31%)
and friends (25%).

At the other end of the discriminators’ league
table, children (5%), teachers (8%), shopkeepers (10%), and public
transport workers (10%) are revealed as the groups who are most
accepting of people with mental health problems (for the full league
table see notes to editors below).

The findings, which will shape a high-profile £18 million mental health anti-stigma campaign, reveal that:

· Nearly nine out of 10 people with mental health problems have been affected by stigma and discrimination, with two thirds saying they have stopped doing things because of the stigma they face.

· Stigma stops people with mental health problems from doing everyday things
such as applying for jobs, making new friends, and going out to pubs
and shops. It can even prevent people from reporting a crime.

· People with mental health problems want the anti-stigma campaign to target schools and the media to change attitudes and reduce prejudice.

· Carers of people with mental health problems also stop doing things because of the stigma and discrimination that they face.

Paul Corry, Rethink’s director of public affairs, says: "Our
research clearly shows that stigma and discrimination are ruining
people’s lives. People with mental health problems have enough on their
plates without facing additional pressure caused by other people’s
archaic and bigoted opinions.

"The Moving People anti-stigma campaign will lay firm
foundations for ending mental health discrimination in the UK, but long
term it is essential that the government ploughs hefty resources into
tackling the problem, as has been done in Scotland and New Zealand. As
an employer, the government could also lead by example and employ more
people with mental health problems within its departments, and
encourage other public sector bodies to do the same."

Arts and Recovery

from Gerald Butler

8/26/2008

The greatest advantage I have gained from my experience with the Recovery
Band is that I am now positive that the arts play a vital role in the
recovery process. Whenever I was institutionalized they would
have us work on some sort activity that entailed creativity, and now
I know why. Artwork, music, poetry, acting, writing, etc. are vehicles
for us to tell our story. By telling our story we not only let others
see that recovery is possible, but the arts also provide us an opportunity
for self- examination and reflection. Many of us were born artists and
then became ill and the arts provide a way of recovering our basic nature
and self-esteem.

The Federal Government also realizes that the arts benefit recovery
as demonstrated by the August 7^th meeting in Maryland featuring
‘Artists in Recovery of Philadelphia. The members of the Recovery
Band can attest to the positive effects music has had on our own recovery
and that of those who have worked with us. The band is based on Peer
Support and our music is a demonstration of how well it works. The first
time in my life I was ever around a group of people who loved me for
being me was during the first Peer Support training. This has been of
such value to me, that I would be remiss if I did not share it. The
best way for me to pass the message is musically. For others it may
be their poetry, art, stories, etc.

Thanks to Southwest Solutions, and Shirley Cockrell (Director/
Go-Getters), we soon will
have a program dedicated to mental health recovery and the arts. The
Center of Recovery & the Arts will provide a recovery enhanced environment
centered on creativity, support, and growth. Being a consumer herself,
Shirley has always put us first and foremost so we are guan teed the
support we will need. So far, all the leaders and staff I have met at
Southwest seem to have made some sort of personal commitment to making
our lives a little better. So I guess this center is a natural outgrowth
of that commitment, the Recovery Band is just glad to be a part of this
adventure.

If you are a piano player start practicing, if you’re a singer start
hitting scales, writers should start honing your skills, artists should
be cleaning their brushes, poets need to take your work off the shelf.
The Recovery Enhanced Environment provides an atmosphere where folks
feel comfortable enough to simply be who they really are. Utilizing
Peer Support has worked like a charm for the band, and now we have an
opportunity to pass on to others what was given to us, HOPE. We do not
have an opening day yet, but will let you know soon.

Center for
Recovery & the Arts

Open
mike performances, studio for art and music, peer support, Art exhibits,,
jam sessions, poetry/ journal, stories. Services Housing referrals,
treatment referrals, mental health/substance abuse information.

Online Petition to Stop the Psychiatric Drug Crisis in the US Military

Bring this emergency to the attention of Barack Obama and John

McCain! Sign the petiton at:



http://www.mindfreedom.org/petition



In the United States military, psychiatric drugs are the

overwhelmingly dominant -- and often the only -- form of treatment

offered to soldiers in crisis.



MindFreedom is currently hosting a petition to introduce this very

important issue to both major US presidential candidates.



Help MFI promote alternatives in mental health by signing the

petition on our website.



When complete, the petition will be delivered to the candidates of

both major U.S. parties.



NOTE: Those signing this petition may click a button to receive a

free sample MindFreedom Journal, so if you want a sample you just

need to fill out this one convenient form.



Please sign the petition now at:



http://www.mindfreedom.org/petition

Whole Health Campaign

The website for this Recovery Caucus effort at the DNC-

Lots of stuff already on the website from early activities:

Magic in these rooms…

August 26th, 2008 · No Comments

Author: Carol McDaid, Faces & Voices of Recovery Board Chair

Monday, August 25, 2008

The Whole Health Campaign, in conjunction with Faces & Voices of Recovery, NAMI Colorado, Advocates for Recovery Colorado, Caron Treatment Centers, the Betty Ford Center, NAADAC, the American Society for Addiction Medicine, Mental Health America, the National Council, and the Denver office of Drug strategies launched the first historic “Recovery Caucus” at a political convention today.

After the initial excitement and flurry, it finally occured to me when I heard Colorado Speaker of the House of Representatives Andrew Romanoff and Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island both
speak so passionately about recovery what I was actually in the midst
of. The realization of the recovery community becoming a constituency
of consequence.

I looked around at the beautiful 1600 square foot room with all the
amenities we have, and realized the recovery caucus with our 50
attendees had more participants than some of the other caucuses at the
convention. This proves that we had seen fit to afford us with all of
the trappings and more of other convention caucuses.

When it came time for me to go over the recovery friendly platform
provisions, I was overwhelmed with the posibilities, that just may be
our advocacy efforts might be coming together, almost being too scared
to believe it could be true.

Later on this afternoon, the real importance of having recovery
rooms at the convention was evidenced when a young man with 27 days of
recovery showed up in the room needing a meeting. When he shared we
all knew that regardless of whether you have 27 days clean, 5 years
sober, or ten years clean , we were all there for the same reason.

Recovery resources at the convention this week.

August 24th, 2008 · No Comments

Author: Aaron Kucharski is the Recovery Voices Count Field Organizer for Faces & Voices of Recovery.

Sunday, August 24th, 2008

As a person in long term recovery, someone who has not used
alcohol or drugs since September 6th 2003, I am grateful for the
opportunity to be part of something that is truly a magnificent first
for Political Conventions. This year, the conventions are the most
recovery friendly conventions ever, as faces of recovery will be seen,
and voices of recovery will be heard.

As thousands of people travel to Denver and Minniapolis for
the National Conventions, the environment can be intimidating to
someone in recovery. This year, for the first time recovery resources
will be made available to anyone who needs them. A space this week has
been made availablein Denver (Room 405 in the Colorado Convention
Center). Just to name a few resources that will be made available
include recovery fellowship, refreshments, and daily mutual support
meetings that will be held Monday August 25th-Thursday August 28th.

The strength of a growing recovery community is showing what it is capable of. We do matter and we will be heard!

Recovery and Lodge Program Workshop

See bottom of post for registration and contact information

Agenda
September 16, 2008
8:30—4:00 p.m.
Michigamme Room
Kellogg Center
East Lansing, MI
8:30—9:00 a.m. Registration
9:00 to 9:15 a.m. Introduction: The Community Lodge:
An Early Program Funded by the
National Institute for Mental Health
Research. Esther Onaga
9:20—10:15 a.m. Supporting Employment: Reinventing
to Increase Employment
Opportunities. John Trepp
10:20—11:15 a.m. Pennsylvania’s State‐Wide Lodge
Dissemination. Ed Dawson and Kim
Stucke
11:15—11:30 a.m. Break
11:30—12:15 p.m. Development of the Lodge Society in
Michigan: The Oakland County
Experience. Valerie Windham
12:15—1:00 p.m. Lunch—Centennial Room
1:00—1:45 p.m. Panel of Lodge Members from
Michigan, Minnesota, and
Pennsylvania
2:00—4:00 p.m. Working Discussion: Ideas for
Michigan
Conclusion of Conference

Registration Information
No Registration Charge
Limited Enrollment
Mail, Fax, or Email Registration Information
by September 10, 2008 to: (See Contact
Information Below)
Name
________________________________________________________
Last First
Position:____________________________________
Organization :_________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________
City _________________________
State _________ Zip __________
Phone ( ) __________________________
E‐Mail :_________________________________________________
What Do You Hope to Learn from Attending?

Contact Information:
Mail: Dr. Esther Onaga
Department of Family & Child Ecology
Room 2J— Human Ecology Building
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Email: onaga@msu.edu
Fax: 517.432.2953

For further information contact
Tiffany Martoccio at 517.355.0166

From Gerald Butler

8/22/2008

Due to funding cuts, Fisher Clubhouse officially closed today and that
is very unfortunate. However, according to the
federal government “Future funding streams will be geared
towards consumer directed, recovery centered, programs”. Over
the years Southwest Solutions has shown the ability and the willingness
to identify and help us with our day-to-day concerns. In the matter
of the closing of Fisher, Southwest has turned a negative into a positive
by replacing the clubhouse with a proven consumer run program.

Founded in 1995 the Go-Getters program is the only certified consumer
run and directed program in Wayne County. Over the years, Go-Getters
has provided an environment in which consumers are able to find acceptance,
encouragement, and hope. Not only did Go-Getters sponsor this year’s
‘Empowerment Day/Recovery is Possible’ celebration, but Shirley
Cockrell (Dir. Go-Getters) and her daughter LeAnn worked tirelessly
to make this one the absolute best of the three Empowerment Day celebrations
held so far. The Go-Getters program has certainly fulfilled their mission
statement “To help members discover & develop their own skills,
talents and abilities for enhancing their daily lives’.

I used to wonder why in some of the best programs, some folks did well
while others did not. One thing I realized was that decent housing plays
a vital role in the of recovery process. During the day we can participate
in the most progressive programs. However, there is a tendency to lose
whatever gains we have made during the day by having to live in non-recovery
centered environments. Southwest Solutions began to deal with this issue
years ago by buying abandoned property, doing state-of-the-art rehab,
and moving consumers into recovery-centered housing. The really cool
thing is that all the necessary support systems, self help groups, physicians,
counseling, etc. are also in place. This assures a healthy start on
the recovery journey.

When Marilyn Snowden (Dir.
Detroit East) told me 3
years ago that she was going to make my dream of an Empowerment Day
a reality, I had serious doubts. In fact my self-esteem was such
that had it not been for Ms. Snowden’s support and encouragement,
there never would have been an Empowerment Day. When Irene Kazieczko (Michigan Department of Comm. Health) and Marianne Udow (former
Dir. Department of Human Services)
attended the first celebration I knew I had somehow stumbled upon a
gold mine. If such honored state leaders were willing to support me
in my efforts to spread the message of recovery, it meant they were
willing to support ALL consumers in their recovery efforts. Today, I
consider it my duty to share this same hope with as many of my brothers
and sisters in recovery as I possibly can.

On the 2^nd of September Go-Getters will begin operating in
what was the Fisher Clubhouse and this fits in with the recommendations
of The Freedom Commission’s efforts to expand consumer directed programming.
The report also emphasizes the need for progressive ‘New Leaders’
capable of adapting to such things as funding cuts and yet be able to
keep our recovery first and foremost. Southwest Solutions is leading
the charge as Michigan moves into a whole new day when it comes to treatment
and recovery. And I am honored to be a part of their efforts.

Gerald Butler

Kickin Tina: Recovery is a Trip

i feel like shouting from the rooftops. but i guess i will simply declare that having become affiliated with AfR
has been an uplifting experience. the opportunities that are presenting
themselves to me are amazing. i am in awe of the experience of working
on the wellness resource room for the convention here in denver.
although, all i really did was organize and schedule about 20
volunteers, it does make my heart smile to be part of what i really
hope becomes the first step in a major shift in american policy towards
recovery and wellness.

imagine being at a huge political event such as a dnc,
in a city you don't know, and the stress and the presence of major
cocktail parties all day and all night finds you feeling triggered, or
full of anxiety. but wait... all you have to do is find the wellness
resource people and they can direct you to a group, or an organization,
or a private practictioner. your experience can change almost in
lightning speed. crisis averted.

Recovery voices will count in Denver!

As a person in long term recovery, someone who has not used
alcohol or drugs since September 6th 2003, I am grateful for the
opportunity to be part of something that is truly a magnificent first
for Political Conventions. This year, the conventions are the most
recovery friendly conventions ever, as faces of recovery will be seen,
and voices of recovery will be heard.

As thousands of people travel to Denver for the Democratic
National Convention, the environment can be intimidating to someone in
recovery. This year, for the first time recovery resources will be
made available to anyone who needs them in a safe space (Room 405 in
the convention center). Just to name a few resources that will be made
available include recovery fellowship, refreshments, and daily mutual
support meetings that will be held Monday August 25th-Thursday August
28th.

An update from the American Friends Service Committee in Michigan

AFSC Michigan Criminal Justice Program Update:

On August 6, the American Friends Service Committee's
Michigan Criminal Justice Program, in coalition with a newly formed
Michigan group called StopSeg, held a teach-in and rally in remembrance
of Timothy Souders. Timothy died of hyperthermia two years ago in a
segregation cell in a Michigan prison after being held in top-of-bed
restraints for four days. Nearly 50 people attended the teach-in
and/or rally, including Timothy's mother (who was the initiator of the
rally). The day was dedicated to lifting up the voices of people who
are currently held in long-term segregation units, observation units,
or top-of-bed restraints in Michigan's prisons.

People held in these units are
subjected to 23-24 hours of lock-down conditions. There is no
meaningful human contact or programming for people in long-term
segregation. All food is provided through a food slot in the door
three times per day; out-of-cell movement involves shackling of hands
and feet; showers are only provided three times per week; mental health
services are severely inadequate; the use of restraints and/or gas is
much more likely to occur in these cells because many of the people
held in them have mental illnesses and staff are not properly trained
to handle people in mental distress. in Michigan, the average duration
of time that people with whom we have corresponded spend in this severe
form of solitary confinement is 5.3 years. The longest time one
prisoner we work with has spent in long-term segregation is 25 years.


AFSC has been working on a report regarding the use of long-term
segregation in Michigan's prisons. We are aiming to release the report
sometime before the end of 2008. If people are interested in becoming
involved in the StopSeg campaign here in Michigan, please contact
Natalie at nholbrook@afsc.org or 734-761-8283, ext. 5. Our next meeting is September 10 at Scott House, 125 W. Main Street in Lansing with a 4:30 PM starting time.

Supporting the Employment Success of Returning Service Members with TBI & PTSD

Welcome to America's Heroes at Work - a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) project that focuses on the employment challenges of returning service members living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Designed for employers and the workforce development system, this Web site is your link to information and tools
to help returning service members affected by TBI and/or PTSD succeed
in the workplace - particularly service members returning from Iraq and
Afghanistan.

From Gerald Butler

8/17/2008

If anyone still has doubts about consumers’ ability to do great things,
then you should have attended The First Annual Tri-County Recipients’
Rights Conference. Choices of venue, organization skills, workshops,
etc. were as good or better as any conference I have attended. Call
it recovery-enhanced environment; or a welcoming atmosphere; there is
just something about consumer directed event that leaves us feeling
better about ourselves. The better we feel about ourselves, the harder
we work on our recovery. Since this was only the first conference, I
am really looking forward to next year’s event.

As we transform the system of treatment and recovery in Michigan, consumer
directed events are becoming the norm. They provide us an opportunity
to practice and to hone life skills such as responsibility and working
with others. In addition, these events give us the self- esteem of a
job well done. Being responsible for something gives a person self-pride,
and working with others offers a sense of belonging. These are natural
human desires and play a vital role in the recovery process. We must
seek out the new leaders of the system who are willing to grant us the
same basic human desires due every human being. And with their help,
we can take responsibility for our recovery and our lives.

I remember years ago when a certain administrator treated me with respect
and compassion. My first thought was that she would soon realize that
I was flawed and would no longer have anything to do with me. She was
so persistent that I had to take a look at what it was she saw
in me. She made me realize that my shortcomings were not as valuable
as my good points. By utilizing my assets I have organized three Empowerment
Days and a consumer band, all because someone had faith in me. I appreciate
that there are many folks who are just like I was and who need someone
in their lives who simply cares about them.

If I were a theologian, a professor, or a physician, I could probably
explain why or how, all I know for certain is that love hastens the
healing process. It also seems that those who have been without love,
have a greater appreciation of how to give and receive it. When consumers
put on conferences, it is not for their own benefit or to help an organization.
Consumers stage events to pass the message of hope and recovery to those
who are going through what we have been through. Consumers do this out
of love, and love is sufficient unto it self. So when love is given
in such a pure manner, it has healing characteristics. This is why the
Recovery Band gets excited when we are invited to entertain at a consumer
event such as the Tri County Conference.

: There are certain vital contributions consumers are capable of that
will never fit into an out dated system. One cannot fit a square peg
into a round hole. Thus, I wholeheartedly thank the dedicated leaders
in Michigan who spend their days opening new doors for us, and for consistently
encouraging us to do our best.

Gerald Butler

Amor vincit
omnia/ Love conquers all

Study Finds More Mental Health Improvements At Consumer-Managed Program

For people with grave psychiatric conditions, consumer-managed residential programs may be the way to go, a new study suggests.


Not only are the daily costs of these facilities cheaper than
psychiatric hospitals, but patients of these programs may get healthier
than their counterparts in traditional, locked institutions, according
to the study, results of which have been published online by the American Journal of Community Psychology.


More specifically, the study's authors found that participants in a
consumer-managed crisis residential program (CRP) experienced
significantly greater improvement on several interviewer-rated and
self-reported psychopathology measures than did participants assigned
to a locked, inpatient psychiatric facility (LIPF). They also found
that service satisfaction was dramatically higher among patients at the
CRP.


Researchers surveyed and tested the study's participants when they
entered their randomly assigned facilities, then 30 days, six months
and a year after admission. Based on the results of these interviews,
the study's authors have concluded that less restrictive crisis
residential centers are at least as effective as standard care for
adults with psychiatric crises who are not considered a danger to
others.


"What is clear from the results is that these patients could do as well or better in a less restrictive environment," said Tom Greenfield , the study's first author and center director of the Alcohol Research Group at the Public Health Institute.
"This raises an important question about why people in mental health
crisis need to be committed to a large, expensive and locked inpatient
facility when a small, well-run consumer-managed program can work as
well or better?"


Conducted by a team of researchers from the Public Health Institute, the University of Arizona, Veterans Affairs and Stanford University Medical Centers, the study surveyed 393 mental health patients admitted during crises.


To be included in the study, participants had to have been brought to a
county-operated crisis clinic and either been diagnosed with a major
mental disorder, admitted by a psychiatrist for "serious symptoms" such
as hallucinations, or deemed a danger to themselves by the admitting
psychiatrist. Those deemed a danger to others were excluded from the
study. Participants provided their informed consent to participate in
the study, then were randomly assigned to a CRP or LIPF.


The CRP was an unlocked, six-bed hostel that had an accessible garden
and other shared amenities such as a kitchen and laundry room. The
CRP's program director and day-to-day staff were all mental health
consumers who had community college training, a strong understanding of
local mental health resources, and basic helping skills. Part-time
psychiatrists were available to prescribe medications.


The LIPF was a county-operated and professionally staffed facility that
operated on a medical model of treatment. All of its 80 beds were on
locked units. This was a modern facility with windows looking onto
atrium spaces. It was located on county-owned property only a hundred
yards from the CRP and characterized by high staff morale.


John Buck, who directs the non-profit mental health agency Turning
Point Community Programs, believes that the two programs' differences
explain the study results. Turning Point operates a CRP in Sacramento,
CA.


"In a smaller setting, things are more intimate," said Buck. "People
get the sense that they are being listened to. And because we staff our
facility with people who are in recovery, they can transmit a greater
sense of compassion and provide a model for how to get through. I think
this plays well for people's hopes that they can recover."


Acknowledging that some patients may require inpatient care, especially
if they refuse to take medications, Buck added, "What I hope people
will gain from this study is an understanding that crisis residential
programs can work and do work. CRPs are a valuable component of a
mental health treatment system."


Based on the results of this study, the authors recommend further
analyses by demographic and diagnostic subgroups to clarify which
patients do better in which settings. And given the difference in daily
costs between the CRP ($211) and LIPF ($665), the study's co-authors
have concluded that more comparative studies are needed to provide
definitive cost analyses.


Together with the State of California and the County of Sacramento, the Center for Mental Health Services
funded this study to address the need for more concrete data about
differing treatment options, said Risa Fox, a public health officer at
the Center for Mental Health Services.


"We are trying to obtain the evidence-based data to substantiate what
consumers are telling us about the value of these types of services,"
said Fox. "These findings have reinforced these perceptions and those
held by policy makers and administrators that peer managed services are
key to mental health transformation."


To access a copy of the online report, visit here.

Discover and Recover

Boston University: Recovery Model Through ‘Innovations Institute’

The conventional psychiatric model of “mental illnesses” as
incurable biological disorders requiring lifetime medical management is
making a paradigmatic shift - away from hopelessness, and toward recovery.

This new model is built on the foundation of peer
support, and consumer-based advocacy, with a focus on system
transformation. It is no small change; its time has come.

In April of this year, Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation held a unique conference - From Innovations to Practice: The Promise and Challenge of Achieving Recovery for All.

The Innovations Institute of Boston University, is now offering a series of online video courses based on the recordings of the top presenters from the conference.

There are 14 courses - convenient and affordable. They can
be taken anywhere there is Internet access - to include home or office
- day or night. Most cost only $10 or $15!

They are open to people of all levels and backgrounds.
Continuing education credits are offered through a variety of
accrediting organizations - APA, ASWB, NBCC, and many others.

To learn more, visit [CE Quick].

Visit Boston University’s [Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation]

Older Adult Caregivers Of Dementia Sufferers Have Worse Sleep Than Noncaregivers

A study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that the
sleep patterns of older adults who live with and provide direct care
during the night for a person with dementia are significantly worse
than other older adults.


When sleep was measured objectively, and after adjusting for
depressive symptoms, age, health condition and education, adults who
take care of a person suffering from dementia took longer to fall sleep
and had less total sleep than noncaregivers. Caregivers slept for an
average of about 6.5 hours per night, which was about 33 minutes less
than noncaregivers, and they took about 10 minutes longer to fall
asleep. Caregiver sleep also was more variable from night-to-night, and
caregivers reported lower subjective sleep quality, had higher scores
of daytime sleepiness on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and had higher
depressive symptom scores.


"On average, caregivers only slept about six -and-a-half hours
a night and took almost 23 minutes to fall asleep," said primary
investigator Meredith Rowe, PhD, associate professor at the University
of Florida. "Using the sleep diary data that subjects kept at the same
time, however, depression was the primary determinant of poor sleep
with depressed subjects reporting less time asleep and more wake time
over the week."

Recovery Month: September 2008

Recovery Month Promotion

Updated 01/31/08

The following packages of PowerPoint presentation materials can help you promote National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) in your local community. Use the presentations to generate community awareness, support, and involvement in the Recovery Month observance as well as to educate others that recovery is possible.

How to Plan a Recovery Month Event

SAMHSA's
collaboration with the United for Recovery brought together motorcycle
riders, people in treatment, recovering individuals, and friends and
family members from all over Southern California for the Ride for
Recovery event. Learn how you can plan a Recovery Month event in your community.

View Ride for Recovery Los Angeles streaming video (1 min)

Welcome to the National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse!

When Joseph A. Rogers founded the Clearinghouse in 1986, under the
auspices of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania,
it was the first national technical assistance center of its kind. Its
mission was to make recovery possible for all people who have
psychiatric disabilities by working to improve services and supports,
and to remove social barriers on the local, state, and national levels.
More than two decades later, Rogers is internationally renowned as a
leader in the mental health consumer movement who still heads the
Clearinghouse as it continues to connect people to self-help and
advocacy resources and offer expertise to and about peer-run groups and
organizations that serve people who have been diagnosed with mental
illnesses.

What is offered on this site?

News and Alerts

Here
you’ll find the latest information on mental health and
consumer/survivor issues. We include updates on important issues,
linking you to news sources, funding opportunities and the most recent
developments in the consumer movement. You’ll also find conference
announcements and job postings from across the nation.

Training Curricula

On
this page we’ve made our training materials available for download.
Trainings are an important way to develop skills and to confidently
provide your community with informed, empowering services and
opportunities. Clearinghouse staff can arrange and assist with
trainings in your community on topics such as self-advocacy, working
with the media and many others.

Resources

Over
the years the Clearinghouse has collected thousands of resources in our
library which we use in providing information and technical assistance.
In the resources section you’ll find downloads, links and references to
many of these publications and organizations, which you can use to
research mental health and consumer/survivor issues.

Publications

The
Clearinghouse has always provided our constituents with newsletters,
toolkits and other forms of information to keep them up to date on
important issues. The Key Update, our current monthly e-newsletter,
provides timely news and notes on important mental health issues. Our
quarterly bulletin, the Key Assistance Report, offers more in-depth
analysis on selected topics that can be used as resource guides or
training material. On this page you’ll find downloadable versions of
these publications, along with all of the issues of our previous
publication the Key and an archive of our previous website.

Technical Assistance

Clearinghouse
Technical Assistance Guides are designed to meet the needs of
individual consumers and consumer-run businesses and services. Each of
our in-depth guides contains detailed and useful information and is
based on extensive research. They can be used as general topic
introductions, or followed as step-by-step guides to advocacy and
program creation.

CDS Directory

Recently, the Clearinghouse has developed its Directory of
Consumer-Driven Services, which provides consumers, researchers,
administrators, service providers, and others with a comprehensive
central resource for information on national and local consumer-driven
programs. Such programs have a proven track record in helping people
recover from mental illnesses.

Please contact us with questions, comments and/or requests for information. We’re here to serve you!

Contact us by mail, phone, fax or e-mail

1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 1207

Philadelphia, PA 19107

Phone: (800) 553-4539

or (215) 751-1810

Fax: (215) 636-6312

E-mail: info@mhselfhelp.org

Forced Drugging: New York

Ann L. spent years locked up in Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. She is

now in a nearby community residence.



New York State is aggressively pushing for more forced drugging of

Ann L. on an outpatient basis in her own community residence. Ann L.

says her continued forced psychiatric drugging makes her "sick and is

torture."



Independent human rights groups MindFreedom and PsychRights have

united to help Ann L.



MORE INFO ON ANN and how you can take ACTION via web:



http://www.mindfreedom.org/as/act/us/ann-l



or use this web link:



http://tinyurl.com/ann-l-pilgrim

Forced Drugging: Wisconsin

Felice just wants the forced psychiatric drugging to stop.



Felice Debra Eliscu is an artist who says that years of forced

psychiatric drugging make her want to harm herself, and she wants

other alternatives provided.



Felice is a 42-year-old member and volunteer with MindFreedom

International who is currently locked up in Winnebago Mental Health

Institute near Oshkosh, Wisconsin.



Such forced drugging happens to thousands of Americans each year. But

Felice is signed up on the MindFreedom Shield, which means that when

threatened by forced psychiatry she can activate an alert network

reaching hundreds of MindFreedom members.



Felice is activating the MindFreedom Shield, and asking everyone to

contact the Governor of Wisconsin via the web.



MORE INFO ON FELICE, how you can take ACTION via web, view her

artwork and photo, see:



http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-arts/felice-eliscu



or use this web link:



http://tinyurl.com/felice-eliscu

Public Access TV Show Looks at Mental Health Consumer Movement

Jay Mahler and Sally Zinman, two long-time activists in the mental
health consumer movement, were interviewed in June 2008 on the show
“Mental Health Matters,” which airs on public access TV in Alameda
County, California. The interview is available here.

“Mental
Health Matters” focuses on mental health issues, including specific
diagnoses, stigma and discrimination, self-help, and peer support. It
is hosted by the Rev. Barbara Meyers, produced by Mission Peak
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fremont in Alameda County,
California, and recorded at the Comcast studio in Fremont. All the
episodes are available online here.

Source: http://www.mpuuc.org/mentalhealth/mentalTVshow.html

Healing vs stopping

Link to the blog and "The Cutting Edge"

Hello Everyone,

I am beginning to get used to writing this blog and intend to post more frequently. First, I want to thank all of you who sent comments to the previous two posts. They are greatly appreciated. We are beginning to create the community I’ve been hoping for, especially as The Cutting Edge is coming to a close (the final issue of the newsletter is still being written and should be mailed in the next 4 weeks).

So many of your comments raised questions about
the difference between healing from self-injury and simply stopping the
behavior. Some of you are living with self-inflicted violence (SIV) while others are concerned for those you care about. While
I hope that you access the resources on the web site (I’d be greatly
interested in your opinions), I have a few thoughts to share.

From the past 20 years of speaking with people who
live with, or have healed from needing SIV, the teaching that I do, and
my own experiences, I believe that people heal from the need for SIV in
many ways. The healing journey is a personal one, yet I hope everyone has support along the way. Support is one of the goals of this blog and web site. Healing cannot be mandated. SIV, while obviously having its consequences, also serves some crucial purposes in the lives of the people who need it. When there are no (or few) other options, SIV can even help someone stay alive in the moment. For
many people who live in such emotional pain that they consider suicide
as a solution, SIV has been a temporary salve to that pain. The
goal is to attend to the profound discomfort that underlies the need
for SIV while expanding the options one has for dealing with life’s
very intense struggles

Visions of Recovery

from Gerald Butler:

8/3/2008

Arise Detroit’s Neighborhoods Day is an annual event
where community groups from all over Wayne County hold ‘Block
Parties’ and August 1^st has officially been
declared “Neighborhoods Day’ by the Detroit City
Council. In keeping with our community outreach efforts, The
Recovery Band played the St. Louis/Luce Block Club
Party for the second year in a row. The more community outreach
we do, the more we see that most “Stigma’ is due to a
lack of knowledge. I used to think of the band in terms of imparting
the message of hope to others in recovery. I now realize the
importance of demonstrating to the public at large how recovery is
possible. We sincerely thank Arise Detroit for giving us an
opportunity to give back to the community.

When I founded the Recovery Band it was because even though I
had some grand accomplishments under my belt, such as Empowerment
Day, I was still being treated on a daily basis as ‘lesser
than’. I remember thinking “I must have a least
one attribute that folks could not be critical of”. I was
born a musician and then I became sick. So I looked for other ‘born
musicians’ in recovery and formed the ‘Recovery Band’
for last years ‘Empowerment Day’ celebration. Since that
time we have played for various State, County, and Community events.
Rarely does any band have as much success in such a short amount of
time as we have.

A significant part of our accomplishments is due to the
support we have received from The Michigan Department of Community
Health, Detroit Wayne County CMH, Michigan Association of Community
Mental Health Boards, and too many others to mention here. Of course
it helps that we are a great band to listen and dance to. This is
because the Recovery Band is more a Peer Support group than we are a
band and that support for each other shows through in the music we
play. It is our mission to encourage as many people as possible to
seek recovery by getting back to what they were prior to becoming
ill. Thus we are establishing a recovery center of creativity.

It is sad to see the closing of Fisher Clubhouse, as no
clubhouse should ever cease operations. In the mode of turning
‘poison into medicine’ Southwest Solutions is
replacing Fisher Clubhouse with Go-Getters, the only certified
consumer run Drop In Center in Wayne County. Along with other
consumer run programs, Go-Getters will be forming a center of
recovery through creativity. The center will utilize Peer Support to
provide a recovery-enhanced environment where consumer artists,
poets, musicians, etc. will feel peaceful and encouraged enough to
express themselves through their artistry.

Change is always scary but without it society stagnates. When
the idea of community based treatment arose 30 some years ago, very
few thought it would work. Consumers were afraid of being on our own,
and professionals did not feel we were capable of taking care of
ourselves. Notwithstanding financial concerns, the very idea of
closing a Clubhouse was unheard of. Our greatest asset as consumers
is that we have leaders who are willing to accept things as they are
and make changes accordingly. The Freedom Commission does not only
recommend this type of leadership but it also assures that the
recovery process continues uninterrupted.

When looking at their housing initiatives, it becomes clear
Southwest Solutions has the willingness to understand future consumer
directed recovery based funding streams. They then make the necessary
changes now, as opposed to waiting until such change becomes
mandated. Replacing the Fisher Clubhouse program with Go-Getters, a
proven ‘consumer directed’ one that has been in
existence for 13 years, clearly demonstrates Southwest’s desire
to put consumers first and foremost. Nationwide, there are currently
two programs (Connecticut and Philadelphia) encouraging
recovery through artistry. To view these programs, go to
http://artistsforrecovery.com/page1.html.
Those involved with the Recovery Band realize the tremendous benefits
of communicating recovery artistically to not only us, but also to
those who hear our music. The band is going to be sincerely involved
with Go-Getters and Southwest to make this a success. We hope to have
this initiative in place by the 1^st of September, at which
time we will be asking consumer artist of all genres to join us.

Martin Luther King used the term “Limitations to our
Achievements” in reference to systematic impediments to the
success of Black citizens. Today the terminology ‘Capability
Deprivation’ applies to the obstacles in the way of folks in
recovery. However, due to some great leadership in Lansing, any
artificial walls blocking our successful recovery are being torn down
on a daily basis. We now have a choice as to rather or not we wish to
get on board the Freedom Train. I encourage every consumer to find
and work closely with leaders in the system whose dreams are the same
as ours, RECOVERY.

Gerald Butler

Traumatic Response To Bad Memories Can Be Minimized

UC Irvine researchers have identified the brain mechanism that switches
off traumatic feelings associated with bad memories, a finding that
could lead to the development of drugs to treat panic disorders.

Scientists from UCI and the University of Muenster in Germany found
that a small brain protein called neuropeptide S is involved in erasing
traumatic responses to adverse memories by working on a tiny group of
neurons inside the amygdala where those memories are stored.

"The exciting part of this study is that we have discovered a
completely new process that regulates the adverse responses to bad
memories," said Rainer Reinscheid, pharmacology and pharmaceutical
sciences associate professor at UCI. "These findings can help the
development of new drugs to treat conditions in which people are
haunted by persistent fears, such as posttraumatic stress disorder or
other panic disorders." The study appears in the July 31 issue of
Neuron.

National Network for Mental Health Réseau national pour la santé mentale

When I was first asked to write this article, I spent
sometime thinking about how I wanted to approach the topic. I decided
to do what I do best and talk about Recovery from my perspective.
Having lived with a diagnosed mental illness for over thirty years and
realizing that I actually have had the illness for closer to fifty
years, I find it interesting and shocking that my first introduction to
the idea of Recovery from a mental illness came only four years ago
while in Georgia training to become a Certified Peer Specialist. So
what does Recovery mean to me? Well, first of all, it means that I
still have the symptoms of depression and the side effects of the
medication. They will probably be with me for the rest of my life. What
Recovery has done, is shown me new ways of dealing with those symptoms
and side effects so that I can still carry on with the life I want. I
have learned many coping skills over the years, including proper rest,
good nutrition, using Mary Ellen Copeland's WRAP every day, building a
strong support network in the community, and the list goes on.



To me Recovery means control. For most of my life, I was controlled
by that Black Dog known as depression. When I finally reached the point
that I was sick and tired of being controlled by my illness and that it
was time for me to control the illness, I felt as if a huge weight had
been lifted from my shoulders.

Senate Democrats Unable to End Filibuster on ERISA Amendments Regarding Mental Health Parity

Falling nine votes short of the 60 needed
to overcome a Republican-backed filibuster on July 30, the Senate was
unable to advance a House and Senate compromise over mental health
parity language which was attached to pending energy and tax
legislation (S. 3335).

The mental health parity provisions would amend ERISA to require
group health plans to administer treatment limitations, beneficiary
financial requirements and out-of-network coverage so that mental
health benefits are no more restrictive than “substantially all medical
and surgical benefits.” The legislation would exempt group health plans
of employers with fewer than 50 employees.

Senate Democrats, with a handful of Republicans, mustered only 51
votes for cloture. Previous stand-alone mental health parity
legislation has passed both the House and Senate, with the House
approving mental health parity legislation (H.R. 1424) on March 5 by a vote of 268-148, and the Senate approving similar but distinct legislation (S. 558) by unanimous consent in September 2007.

Congress will likely continue consideration of the mental health
parity compromise legislation upon return from its August recess.