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RESOURCES
General Resources
    
New Web Page Helps Users Identify Evidence-Based Programs
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has developed a new Web page to assist the public in identifying evidence-based programs and practices that can prevent and/or treat mental and substance use disorders. A Guide to Evidence-Based Practices on the Web features 37 websites that contain information about specific evidence-based interventions or provide comprehensive reviews of research findings.
The Web Guide—a component of SAMHSA’s Science and Service Initiative—can be used by stakeholders throughout the behavioral health field to promote awareness of current intervention research and to increase the availability and implementation of evidence-based practices.
Redesigned Web Site Helps Users Find More Than 600 Resources Devoted to Countering Mental Health Stigma
SAMHSA’s redesigned Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma Associated with Mental Illness debuts online today with a new library of more than 600 resources. The improved ADS Center Web site at www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov features information and advice to help individuals and organizations counter discrimination and stigma associated with mental illness.
The centerpiece of the redesigned Web site is a still growing online library of research articles, brochures, fact sheets, toolkits and other resource items. Content is now organized by both topic and audience to help users quickly navigate to items that meet their needs.
Materials and playback information for more than 25 teleconference training events are archived on the site, and an interactive map showcases programs around the country that aim to reduce discrimination and stigma associated with mental illness.
The SAMHSA ADS Center Web site supports SAMHSA’s National Anti-Stigma Campaign, which was developed in collaboration with the Ad Council and launched in December 2006. The “What a Difference a Friend Makes” campaign aims to encourage, educate, and inspire people between the ages of 18 and 25 to support their friends who are experiencing mental health problems. The ADS Center has conducted teleconference training events and provided online materials designed specifically for people working on campaign-related activities. The ADS Center Web site also is home to materials for campaign grant applicants and helps individuals and groups to connect with the campaign.
Since its original launch in 2003, the ADS Center Web site has offered materials, information and resources to help individuals and organizations counter discrimination and stigma associated with mental illness. The ADS Center Web site will continue to include:
- Information on upcoming training teleconferences that are free of charge and open to the public.
- Descriptions of effective campaigns and programs working in communities across the country and around the world.
- Resources that meet the needs of specific audiences such as consumers, health care providers, older adults, faith leaders, policymakers and the media.
For more information, visit the redesigned ADS Center Web site at www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov.
Veterans Resource Center
November 6, 2007
Arlington, VA—The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has established an online Veterans Resource Center www.nami.org/veterans to help support active duty military personnel, veterans and their families facing serious mental illnesses such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and schizophrenia.
"We are a nation at war," said NAMI executive director Michael J. Fitzpatrick. "The war includes mental illness. Many veterans who return from active duty face a second war at home, confronting profound mental health problems. Their families also are affected."
The Center’s resources include a growing compilation of fact sheets, self-help information, online discussion groups, research and policy updates, and links to government agencies and other private organizations. NAMI has made the Center a priority to meet a growing need.
Almost a third of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq confront mental health problems. In 2006, the suicide rate in the Army reached its highest level in 26 years.
Approximately 30% of veterans treated in the Veterans health system suffer from depressive symptoms, two to three times the rate of the general population.
Earlier this year, the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives told NAMI’s annual convention that more Vietnam veterans have now died from suicide than the 55,000 who were killed directly during the war in the 1960s and 70s.
Approximately 40% of homeless veterans have mental illnesses. Approximately 57% of this group are African American or Hispanic veterans.
Families of soldiers deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq face increasing pressures from repeated and longer tours of duty. Unlike civilian suicide rates, greater numbers of young soldiers are taking their own lives, with broken relationships or marriages considered to be factors.
"The human toll of any war is felt for years to come," Fitzpatrick said. "NAMI hopes to expand the Center’s resources over time and provide whatever support we can through our other programs."
The Center’s resources are organized into 12 on-line categories:
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Suicide Prevention
- Veterans & Mental Illnesses
- Veterans Affairs and Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN)
- Families, Children and Spouses
- Women Veterans Resources
- Multicultural Resources
- Homelessness & NAMI’s Missing Person’s Network
- NAMI Veterans Council
- Online Discussion Groups
Fotonovela for Spanish-Speaking Clients
This Spanish-language publication (PHD1133) uses photographs with captions (a fotonovela format) to help the reader recognize the dangers people face when they have a substance use disorder and the devastating consequences that can result at personal, family, and community levels.
Order your free copy now!
Also available in PDF format
Many other Spanish-language resources from SAMHSA can be found at the SAMHSA Store.
VA’s Suicide Hot Line Begins
Operations Nicholson: “Help a Phone Call Away”
WASHINGTON – To ensure veterans with emotional crises have
round-the-clock access to trained professionals, the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun operation of a national suicide
prevention hot line for veterans.
“Veterans need to know these VA professionals are literally
a phone call away,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim
Nicholson said. “All service members who experience the
stresses of combat can have wounds on their minds as well as their
bodies. Veterans should see mental health services as another
benefit they have earned, which the men and women of VA are honored
to provide.”
The toll-free hot line number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). VA’s
hot line will be staffed by mental health professionals in Canandaigua,
N.Y. They will take toll-free calls from across the country and
work closely with local VA mental health providers to help callers.
To operate the national hot line, VA is partnering with the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“The hot line will put veterans in touch – any time
of the day or night, any day of the week, from anywhere in the
country – with trained, caring professionals who can help,”
added Nicholson. “This is another example of the VA’s
commitment to provide world-class health care for our nation’s
veterans, especially combat veterans newly returned from Iraq
and Afghanistan.”
The suicide hot line is among several enhancements to mental
health care that Nicholson has announced this year. In mid July,
the Department’s top mental health professionals convened
in the Washington, D.C., area to review the services provided
to veterans of the Global War on Terror.
- More -
Hotline 2/2/2/2
VA is the largest provider of mental health care in the nation.
This year, the Department will spent about $3 billion for mental
health. More than 9,000 mental health professionals, backed up
by primary care physicians and other health professionals in every
VA medical center and outpatient clinic, provide mental health
care to about 1 million veterans each year.
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For the latest news releases and other information, visit VA
on the Internet at
http://www.va.gov/opa.
To receive e-mail copies of news releases, subscribe to VA’s
list server at:
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/opalist_listserv.cfm.
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Introducing A New Resource From The Upenn Collaborative On Community Integration Parenting With A Mental Illness: Programs And Resources Guide
Parents with a psychiatric disability experience the same challenges that all parents face, but are confronted with additional barriers such as discrimination and stigma, problems related to their symptoms, lack of parenting skills, or lack of environmental and social supports. Further, these parents are at a greater risk of losing their children.
Did you know…?
Research has shown that mothers with a serious mental illness were almost three times more likely than mothers without a serious mental illness to have been involved in the child welfare system or to have lost custody of their children 1.
There is clearly a need for programs specifically tailored to the unique needs of parents diagnosed with mental illnesses. Unfortunately, most programs for parents are not well known because they have been developed on a small, local scale with limited funding.
This Guide was developed by the UPenn Collaborative as a comprehensive resource to help parents, providers, and advocates find information about possible programs in their area; it will be continually updated as more programs are identified. We also hope it will be a useful source of information for administrators and providers who are beginning their own initiatives to support these parents.
Please click the following link for a downloadable copy of the
Parenting with a Mental Illness: Programs and Resources Guide
at
http://www.upennrrtc.org/resources/view.php?tool_id=128
1. Park, J.M., Solomon, P., Mandell, D.S. (2006). Involvement in the Child Welfare System Among Mothers with Serious Mental Illness. Psychiatric Services, 57, 493-497.
The UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration is A Rehabilitation
Research & Training Center Promoting Community Integration of
Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities. For more information,
please visit us at: www.upennrrtc.org
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Spanish-Language Publications
Available from NIDA
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National
Institutes of Health, is pleased to offer FREE
Spanish-language materials for families, teachers, community members,
and health care professionals. Many of these materials are part
of the NIDA Goes Back to School campaign, a health education initiative
aimed at helping our Nation's youth to better understand the consequences
of drug abuse on the brain and the body.
Some of our FREE Spanish-language science education publications
include:
- Conjunto de ocho boletines informativos de la serie Explorando
la mente (complete set of Mind Over Matter posters)
- La marihuana: Información para los adolescentes (Marijuana:
Facts for Teens)
- La marihuana: Lo que los padres deben saber (Marijuana: Facts
Parents Need to Know—English version coming soon)
- Juventud latina: Hable con sus hijos sobre las drogas y sus
peligros (Latino Youth: Speak to Your Children About Drugs and
Their Dangers)
- Cómo prevenir el uso de drogas en los niños y los adolescentes.
Una guía con base científica para padres, educadores y líderes
de la comunidad. Segunda edición. (Preventing Drug Use Among
Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents,
Educators, and Community Leaders, Second Edition)
- Drugs and the Body: It Isn't Pretty (a two-sided poster available
in Spanish and English)
To order these FREE publications (in Spanish or English):
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The Impact of Culture on Person/Family Centered Planning
A paper presented at the SAMHSA Person/Family Centered Planning Consensus Meeting
Authors: Sade’ Humphrey (lead), Wilma Townsend
This conference paper discusses the role culture plays in person/family-centered planning and how processes and procedures can be responsive to these issues.
Authors: Sade’ Humphrey (lead), Wilma Townsend
[PDF, 46KB]
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SAMHSA Issues Outstanding Guide To Stigma Reduction
Here is the guide anti stigma advocates have been wishing for! This encyclopedic "how-to" manual provides 97 pages of expert advice, dozens of sample materials, recent examples of real-world anti stigma work, and much, much more. True to its stated aim, this kit provides you with nearly everything you need to mount a local, regional, or statewide stigma and discrimination reduction initiative.
"Developing a Stigma Reduction Initiative" is the most comprehensive anti stigma resource we've seen that is designed for mental health advocates. It was produced by the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) working with Vanguard Communicatons and the Gallup Organization, and was published by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA Publication No. SMA06-4176).
After a brief introduction, this hefty volume is divided into four sections: Mounting a Stigma Reduction Initiative; Outreach Materials; Best Practices-Lessons Learned and Tips; and Resources. Thanks to explicit topic titles within each section, advocates can find solutions to their indvidual needs. For others, just browsing the impressive table of contents is a broadening experience bound to inspire action.
The guide's groundwork was laid by the "Eliminate the Barriers Initiative" (EBI), a federal pilot project launched by SAMHSA in January 2003 to build awareness and counter discrimination and stigma. The project's eight participating states generated a variety of experiences sharing a common thread, an energized burst of anti stigma activity.
This guide is a gem of information whether one needs a sample letter for pitching a media story or guidance in designing a major anti stigma campaign.
Below is a passage from Section IV: Lessons Learned and Tips
Using Person-to-Person Contact Effectively To Address Stigma and Discrimination
Like most prejudices and stereotypes, the stigma attached to mental illness is most often a result of misunderstanding or ignorance. So it may seem that countering stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses is simply a matter of presenting facts that clear up the misunderstandings.
Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Presenting data and statistics that counteract false beliefs about people with mental illnesses is a good first step, but ultimately it is not enough to effect sustainable change in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
These negative stereotypes and beliefs persist despite evidence to the contrary because they have been reinforced time and again by media, by language, and at various levels of consciousness. It would be impossible to present people with facts about people with mental illnesses every time they read that someone was "a schizophrenic" or heard another person being called "crazy."
Fortunately, a more realistic tool exists for dislodging stereotypes and prejudices: people with mental illnesses themselves. Studies repeatedly show that contact with people who have mental illnesses is the most effective method of changing attitudes(3). Research also provides some guidance for people with mental illnesses interested in telling their stories publicly in an effort to reduce stigma and discrimination.
(3) Corrigan, Patrick and Lundin, Robert, Don't Call Me Nuts!: Coping With the Stigma of Mental Illness, 2001, Recovery Press, Chicago, IL., p. 303
FOR A FREE DOWNLOAD COPY: "Developing a Stigma Reduction Initiative" (PDF version, about 100 pages print). Go HERE
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FAMILIES OF PEOPLE WITH UNTREATED MENTAL ILLNESS
A new web site in English called Lack of Insight in Mental Illness (Why some people with mental illness refuse or stop care and cannot speak of their behalf) has been created by a small group called Families of Persons with Untreated Mental Illnesses for the purpose of informing the Latino community about this perplexing symptom of psychosis. They are a few anonymous families that do not accept contributions and just want to offer a better life to the non-compliant person with mental illness, to the community, relatives and ourselves.
http://www.lackofinsightmi.org
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FAMILIES OF PEOPLE WITH UNTREATED MENTAL ILLNESS
A new web site in English called Lack of Insight in Mental Illness (Why some people with mental illness refuse or stop care and cannot speak of their behalf) has been created by a small group called Families of Persons with Untreated Mental Illnesses for the purpose of informing the Latino community about this perplexing symptom of psychosis. They are a few anonymous families that do not accept contributions and just want to offer a better life to the non-compliant person with mental illness, to the community, relatives and ourselves.
http://www.lackofinsightmi.org
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Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association offers a wide variety of educational resources for non-English speaking audiences, including a Spanish language Web site. The site includes fact sheets about Alzheimer's, links to many other Web sites with Spanish language materials about memory loss, and a Spanish language message board This message board forum is for Spanish-speaking families and care professionals to ask questions, share experiences and connect with other people whose lives have been affected by Alzheimer's disease. http://www.alz.org/hispanic/overview.asp
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Bienvenido Newsletter
In this newsletter, the Northeastern Center, Inc. would like to highlight our first year accomplishments as well as areas that need to be improved when we speak of the implementation process of the Bienvenido Acculturation Program. We would like to present the objectives, activities, results, student comments, and program evaluation results students complete after having participated in the Bienvenido Acculturation curriculum. Click here to read the newsletter in PDF format.
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MCH New Knowledge Path To Spanish Language Health Resources
The Spanish-Language Health Resources knowledge path is an electronic resource guide to current, high-quality resources and information tools. Produced by the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Library, this new knowledge path includes information on (and links to) Web sites and electronic publications; journal articles; books, reports, and other print publications; databases; and discussion groups and electronic newsletters that contain relevant information on the topic. The knowledge path is intended for use by policymakers, health professionals, researchers, and families who are interested in tracking timely information on this topic. It is available at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_spanish.html
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Salud En Accion Makes Online Debut
A new Hispanic health resource is now available online with the debut of the Salud En Accion: National Hispanic/Latino Health Communication Research web site. The new site, under the Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine, can be found at http://www.saludenaccion.org. Featured on the Salud En Accion web site are "fact sheets" describing 13 current and three past research initiatives, as well as historical data and publications that are available in video, audio and print media format. The projects are categorized under breast cancer, community-based, genetics education/clinical trials recruitment, and tobacco prevention and control. Among the current initiatives is Redes En Accion: The National Hispanic/Latino Cancer Network.
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Tips for Parents on Keeping Children Drug Free"-- Department of ED Publication
The publication explains what your children should know about drugs by the time they reach the third grade, ways to help your child stay drug free in the middle and junior high school years, and how to ensure that your child's school is keeping students drug free.
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OIIA/pfie/drugfree/index.html
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Web Site Launched To Help Parents Promote Their Children's Mental Health
A Family Guide to Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy and Drug Free is a public education Web site developed to support the efforts of parents and other caring adults to promote mental health and prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs among 7- to 18-year-olds. Developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), the Web site presents information on talking with children and adolescents, getting involved, setting rules, being a role model, teaching children and adolescents to choose friends wisely, and monitoring children's and adolescents' activities. The site also includes a mental health dictionary, drug facts, links for children and adolescents, and other resources. It is available at http://www.family.samhsa.gov.
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New Tool To Help Consumers Reduce Medication Errors - "Your Medicine: Play It Safe" Brochure--In English and Spanish
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Council on Patient Information and Education recently announced a new resource called "Your Medicine: Play It Safe," to help consumers use prescription medicines safely. The 12-page brochure, available in English and Spanish, includes a detachable, pocket-sized medicine record form that can be personalized. Medication errors can occur when a patient receives the wrong medicine, takes an incorrect dose, takes a medicine at the wrong time, or inappropriately combines prescription, non-prescription, and/or other medicines, food, or beverages. The new brochure outlines four steps to help patients use prescription medicines safely: Give your health care team important information; Get the facts about your medicine; Stay with your treatment plan; and Keep a record of your medicines.
The guide is available in English at: http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/safemeds/safemeds.htm and on the NCPIE Web site at http://www.talkaboutrx.org.
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Government web site in Spanish
The Office of Citizen Services and Communications at GSA is very excited to offer a new resource to the Spanish-speaking LEP community: a single Internet gateway to all U.S. government Websites in Spanish. The new site, FirstGov en Espanol, can be viewed at: http://www.firstgov.gov/Espanol/index.shtml
The new site is part of an overall site redesign for FirstGov.gov, the official web portal of the U.S. government. FirstGov en Espanol is a collection of thousands of web pages from every cabinet-level federal agency and numerous independent and state agencies. It connects Spanish-speakers with official U.S. government information and services on a vast range of topics, including health, education, consumer protection, housing, benefits, voting, and much more. The site also offers links to hundreds of publications in Spanish and an online contact form where Spanish-speakers can e-mail questions about government services and programs and receive a response in Spanish. You will see a link to the LEP website on the main page as well as a paragraph about the LEP initiative on the "Sobre Nosotros" (About Us) page. http://www.firstgov.gov/Espanol/link_to_us.shtml
You'll also find a link to English instructions: http://www.firstgov.gov/feedback/FeedbackForm-esp.jsp
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New Bilingual Website that focuses on Mental Health
Esta Website comparte informacion sobre temas de salud mental. Uno de los Drs., Jorge Petit, es parte de NAMI. One of the doctors that created the Website is Dr. Jorge Petit, a friend of NAMI.
http://www.alsofa.org
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Bilingual Helpline "SU FAMILIA"
Department of Health and Human Service Secretary Tommy Thompson has announced the creation of the "Su Familia" National Hispanic Family Health Helpline (866-783-2645 / 866-SU-FAMILIA) to help Hispanic families get basic health information to help them prevent and manage chronic conditions, and refer them to local health providers and federally supported programs including the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Su Familia bilingual information specialists refer callers to one of more than 16,000 local health providers, including community and migrant health centers. Callers can also request basic health information,
referrals to information sources, or receive consumer- friendly, bilingual Su Familia fact sheets. Fact sheets are currently available for a variety of topics including: asthma, cancer screening, cardiovascular disease, child and adult immunizations, diabetes, domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.
Su Familia is supported by HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration and HHS' Office of Minority Health, and was developed and is operated by the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. The toll-free helpline is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
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HHS Launches New Bilingual Effort To Expand Health Insurance Coverage For Hispanic Children
A new bilingual booklet released in 2002 by the Department of Health and Human Services will help to expand health insurance coverage to eligible children in the Hispanic community by providing information to families about the benefits available through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid. State agencies and others involved in each state's SCHIP and Medicaid programs can use the booklet to help Spanish-speaking residents and others learn about the availability of free and low-cost health insurance for children in low-income families through their state' SCHIP program. HHS will work with states that want to add information about their programs to the 13-page booklet and will provide booklets to community health centers and other organizations. The booklet explains the importance of health insurance to a child's overall health, how to enroll their children in low-cost or Free Health Insurance, how to contact their state's SCHIP program (1-877-543-7669) and also explains that parents' immigration status will not be affected by enrolling their children in SCHIP. SCHIP is a state and federal partnership designed to provide children with health insurance, many of whom come from working families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private health insurance. Consumer information about each state's SCHIP program is available in English and Spanish at http://www.insurekidsnow.gov or by calling 1-877-KIDS-NOW (1-877-543-7669).
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Bilingual Website Features Tools for Families, Information on Getting to College
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans took a step to equip Hispanic families with the tools they need to help make a college education a reality for their children. "All children, whatever their circumstances, deserve a chance to learn, achieve academic success, and have the opportunity to go on to college" said Leslie Sanchez, director of the White Houses Initiative, http://www.YesICan.gov/ provides information on the Myths and Facts about College Costs, 20 Questions to Ask Your Guidance Counselor, and Things You Need to Know About Paying for College.
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Global HIV Awareness Campaign Viacom Inc., and the Kaiser Family Foundation have launched KNOW HIV/AIDS, a global HIV/AIDS awareness campaign to educate the general population about the impact of AIDS globally, and to promote prevention and testing among higher-risk populations, including young people, African Americans, Latinos, women, and men who have sex with men. The campaign brings awareness to HIV/AIDS through public service advertisements (PSAs), television and radio programming, and free print and online content. All the components of the campaign direct audiences to the initiative's comprehensive web site or toll-free number 866/344-KNOW (5669). Both offer a free educational guide, additional information on HIV/AIDS, as well as links to other resources. To view the web site go to: http://www.knowhivaids.org.
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Kaiser Health Poll Report
The Kaiser Family Foundation introduces a new online report, the Kaiser Health Poll Report http://www.kff.org/healthpollreport which replaces the Health News Index, provides key tracking information, including historical trends and in-depth analysis of public opinion about hot health care topics. The Kaiser Health Poll Report contains four basic sections:
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The Featured Topic examines public opinion on a timely issue;Health Care Priorities tracks the public's views on health care issues before Congress and the President and which issues they think are most important to address;Health Security Watch provides a barometer of people's level of concern about their ability to access and pay for health care; and
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The Kaiser/Harvard School of Public Health, Health News Index continues to shed light on which stories the public follows most closely and what they take away from those stories.
For more information on the Foundation's work on public opinion, please call Molly Voris at 650-854-9400 or email mvoris@kff.org
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"Fighting Stigma" (Spanish Version) is available on the National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse: http://www.mhselfhelp.org/pubs/combatingstigma(Spanish).html
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"Hablamosjuntos" The Robert Woods Johnson Foundation has a new $10 million national program for Spanish speaking populations. The program is intended to help improve access to quality health care for Latinos with limited English proficiency. http://www.hablamosjuntos.org
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"Directory for Migrant Services to Farmworkers" This directory lists federal programs and national organizations that serve migrant farmworkers and their families. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/MigrantDirectory
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Multilingual Health Care Poll
Public Opinion Survey of California Immigrants from Latin America, Asia and the Middle East on Health Care and Language Access Barriers.
http://www.ncmonline.com/polls/
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Parenting with Pride Latino Style
PARENTING WITH PRIDE LATINO STYLE, How to Help Your Child Cherish Your Latino Values and Succeed in Today’s World by Carmen Inoa Vazquez, Ph.D. is
a valuable guide to parenting in the 21st century. She weaves her vast knowledge, clinical experience , and personal history into a very easy-to-read and yet important book for Latino families. Order the book online http://www.culturaltalk.com/
Read more about the book and ordering information here.
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Creating a Vision for the 21st Century: Proceedings of the National Congress for Hispanic Mental Health (March 20-21, 2000) www.samhsa.gov
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