June 2009
Issue 23
This electronic update is written by SAMHSA's Resource Center to Promote Acceptance, Dignity and Social Inclusion Associated with Mental Health (ADS Center), a program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Office of Consumer Affairs. We invite you to share this information with your friends and colleagues who share your interest in confronting prejudice and discrimination associated with mental illness and to post this information in your own newsletters or listservs. Visit the ADS Center on the Web at http://www.promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov.
In this issue...
A Letter from the ADS Center
Spotlight: 2007 CMHR Awardee Projects
Online Resources
Research
Models, Programs, and Technical Assistance Tools... Dare to Dream
In My Experience... “To look at my life now, you'd never guess what was in my past.”, by Jen Wand
A Letter from the ADS Center
Are you working in the field and trying to figure out ways to get young adults involved in your efforts? If getting young adults involved has proven a bit difficult, you are not alone in your struggle. You may be interested to know that we have information on organizations that have successfully reached out to young adults and involved them in their activities.
In August 2007, SAMHSA announced the availability of award funds to support State efforts to promote and expand the Campaign for Mental Health Recovery (CMHR). Specifically, the awards provided resources for infrastructure development of State consumer run organizations to facilitate the provision of statewide technical assistance, training, and materials that supported the Campaign’s goals of recovery and the promotion of social inclusion. Twelve organizations were selected to receive the awards.
In this issue of Mental Health News You Can Use…we share with you information on several CMHR projects that completed their proposed goals. We hope these projects will stimulate your own new ideas and activities to promote acceptance of people with mental health problems and include young adults into your organization’s activities.
Sincerely,
The ADS Center
Spotlight: 2007 CMHR Awardee Projects
Florida Peer Network, Inc.; Tampa, FL
The Florida Peer Network developed a comprehensive strategy to reach out to college students in Florida to educate them about mental health problems, the negative impact of social exclusion and discrimination, and the importance of support from peers and friends in the recovery process. The Network assembled art and photography exhibits featuring artwork from mental health consumers. This activity permitted young adult participants to share their personal experiences of living with mental illness as a way of educating the public and addressing the social exclusion that can exist. The artwork created by project participants can be seen here. The Network also developed three brief videos which addressed the topic of mental illness and the difference friends make in the recovery process. The videos can be accessed here.
Mental Health Association of Central Florida; Orlando, FL
This project collaborated with local colleges to deliver messages to student groups on the experiences of mental health consumers and the role of friendship in their lives. The project was very successful in reaching youth and even had its own spokesperson. The organization enlisted the help of a young lady; Miss City Beautiful 2008 Ashley Panaggio, to spread the CMHR message of “what a difference a friend makes.” Ms. Panaggio and project staff participated in several outreach efforts including radio interviews, presentations at colleges, and health fairs. During Spring Break 2008, the organization hit the Daytona Beach scene and provided almost 3,000 youth with CMHR materials and an opportunity to take pictures with their friends and have these posted on the CMHR project’s MySpace page, accessible here. An amateur video contest was also developed and prizes were awarded to three individuals in December 2008.
Mental Health Client Action Network (MHCAN); Santa Cruz, CA
The MHCAN project used a multi-media approach to reach the target audience of the CMHR and provided young adult mental health consumers with an opportunity to reflect on their own stories as a means of educating the public. Young adult participants attended a three-day workshop called the “Listening Well Experience.” This workshop provided them with an opportunity to learn about themselves and feel comfortable in sharing their stories of recovery. The youth also worked closely with the MHCAN Art Director in creating individual and collaborative art pieces which were compiled to create a recovery folder/kit that is being shared with individuals in the local community. This CMHR project conducted additional activities including the production of a DVD featuring the young adult participants and their stories, the hosting of a target audience radio show and a multimedia event at which all of the activities were showcased.
Mental Health Association of Siouxland; Sioux City, IA
The Mental Health Association of Siouxland developed a speakers bureau featuring mental health consumers of all ages including young adult presenters. The project conducted 47 presentations throughout Iowa and gave 18 mental health consumers the opportunity to share messages of hope and recovery in their communities. Individuals participating in the project received training in public speaking and assisted in arranging the speaking events. Despite the Iowa floods of 2008, the project moved steadily forward and presented at several community organizations including; high schools and colleges, church gatherings, mental health provider conferences, civic groups, and at various state and city leader meetings. The project also developed and maintains a Website, http://www.hopetalks.com, which provides information on booking presentations, the reduction of social exclusion, and helpful links. The Speakers Bureau continues to function and is now a part of the Iowa Advocates for Mental Health Recovery.
Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health; Saint Paul, MN
The Continuum of Mental Health Program is a training curriculum used to educate teachers and others in reducing barriers to learning by recognizing individual mental health concerns. During this project, individuals received training aimed at presenting accurate information about mental illness that could be utilized in elementary school settings. The project utilized an array of materials developed to train teachers and other individuals on mental health disorders. Each individual trained received a teacher workbook, classroom activities, and lesson plans. This project promotes the reduction of social exclusion by creating an open environment and increased communication between teachers, students and families to discuss mental health. Project materials and other helpful resources from this organization can be accessed by clicking here.
SC SHARE (Self Help Association Regarding Emotions); West Colombia, SC
South Carolina’s project was designed to reach young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who are not necessarily college students, but rather those who live in rural areas of the state. SC SHARE delivered a message of hope by enlisting the help of a young adult spokesperson, Lloyd Hale, who shared his story of recovery with audiences in South Carolina. The project also developed and made available a booklet of mental health consumer stories that can be accessed here. The booklet includes stories of recovery from several individuals who encountered a variety of situations which could have deterred their recovery. The project continues to move forward and Mr. Hale has been invited to present in a CMHR Webcast in the upcoming months.
NAMI Missouri; Jefferson, MO
Empowering Young Adults to Reduce Stigma focused on older teens and young adults up to age 25. This organization worked closely with the College of the Ozarks by conducting educational presentations for psychology classes and for a general audience. It also conducted a focus group with 29 young adults where CMHR materials were reviewed. Additionally, the project was very successful in spreading the message of the CMHR by publishing information in several issues of the NAMI MO newsletter and in developing CMHR posters that were distributed to other CMHR awardees, supporters, and local schools.
Online Resources
Youth M.O.V.E. (Motivating Others through Voices of Experience)
Youth M.O.V.E. is a youth led national organization devoted to improving services and systems that support positive growth and development by uniting the voices of individuals who have lived experience in various systems including mental health, juvenile justice, education and child welfare. Members of Youth M.O.V.E. work as a diverse collective to unite the voices and causes of youth while raising awareness around youth issues.
Youth Involvement in Systems of Care: A Guide to Empowerment (En Español)
This guide is a starting point for understanding youth involvement and engagement in order to develop and fully integrate a youth-directed movement within local systems of care. The mission of the guide is to educate all professionals and adults who work with young people on the importance of engaging and empowering youth. This guide will serve in building the foundation and framework for the Youth Movement in order to enhance opportunities for young people and to utilize their expertise in system change.
Bringing It Together: Uniting Youth Organizing, Development and Services for Long-Term Sustainability PDF
This guide reveals how youth organizing groups across the country are incorporating innovative approaches to support the holistic - emotional, physical, spiritual and political - development of their members. This report profiles six groups that are using a wide range of support strategies, depending on history and context. These new approaches are creating healthy lives in tandem with community change, and leading to a more sustainable social justice movement.
Making Space Making Change: Profiles of Youth-Led and Youth-Driven Organizations
Making Space Making Change is the only available guide for understanding youth-led organizations and their place in the contemporary youth movement. Follow the stories of five youth-led and youth-driven organizations from around the U.S. - how they started, build youth leadership and power, deal with challenges, and make real change in their communities. This report is for all young organizers and their allies who want to put their principles into practice and invest in the next generation!
Engaging Youth…On Their Turf: Creative Approaches to Connecting Youth through Community
With this report, Healthy Teen Network, generously supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, highlights six programs that utilize creative approaches to connect youth to a community–or facilitate the creation of a unique community. Healthy Teen Network chose to highlight these programs because they believe they provide good examples of creative approaches to reaching hard-to-reach populations of youth. They not only demonstrate innovation in their approach to engaging youth but also feature positive youth development principles and resilience-building goals.
Research
Corrigan, P.W., Laurie, B.D., Goldman, H.H., Slopen, N. et. al. How adolescents perceive the stigma of mental illness and alcohol abuse. Psychiatric Services. 2005 May; 56:544-550.
Golberstein, E., Eisenberg, D., Gollust, S.E. Perceived Stigma and Mental Health Care Seeking. Psychiatric Services. 2008 April; 59:392-399.
James, A.M. Principles of youth participation in mental health services. The Medical Journal of Australia. 2007 October;187(7 Suppl):S57-60.
Jorm, A.F., Wright, A. Influences on young people's stigmatising attitudes towards peers with mental disorders: national survey of young Australians and their parents. The British Journal of Psychiatry:The Journal of Mental Science. 2008 Feb;192(2):144-9.
Patel, V., Flisher, A.J., Hetrick, S., McGorry, P. Mental health of young people: A global public-health challenge. Lancet. 2007 April; 369(3569):1302-1313.
Romer, D., Bock, M. Reducing the stigma of mental illness among adolescents and young adults: The effects of treatment information. Journal of Health Communication. 2008 Dec;13(8):742-58.
Salzer, M.S., Wick, L.C., Rogers, J.A. Familiarity With and Use of Accommodations and Supports Among Postsecondary Students With Mental Illnesses. Psychiatric Services. 2008 April; 59:370-375.
Swanton, R., Collin, P., Burns, J., Sorensen, I. Engaging, understanding and including young people in the provision of mental health services. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health. 2007 July; 19(3):325-332.
Tacker, K.A., Dobie, S. MasterMind: Empower Yourself With Mental Health. A program for adolescents. The Journal of School Health. 2008 Jan;78(1):54-7
Dare to Dream America is a new initiative based on the successful Dare to Dream Program in Ontario, Canada for youth to get involved in mental health awareness activities. This program provides youth (up to 23 years of age) with the opportunity to spread the message about the importance of mental health in their schools and communities.
The Dare to Dream America program is managed by Youth M.O.V.E. National. Through an application process young people from all over the country propose an activity that promotes positive mental health. Selected proposals receive a $1,000 stipend to assist them with implementing their proposed activity. The proposals require an adult mentor as well as specific deliverables and outcomes that the young participants will agree to as part of the Dare to Dream America program. Young people from Youth MOVE will select the “winners” and oversee the initiatives. To view the 2009 winning proposals click here.
Youth M.O.V.E. National is a subsidiary of the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, and supported by the Child Adolescent and Family Branch of the Center for Mental Health Services. It is a youth led national organization devoted to improving services and systems that support positive growth and development by uniting the voices of individuals who have lived experience in various systems including mental health, juvenile justice, education, and child welfare. One of the Youth M.O.V.E. Board member, Marvin Alexander, is a past recipient of the Young Adult Leadership Award, part of SAMHSA’s Voice Awards. Marvin is the former Youth Coordinator at ACTION for Kids—a currently funded system of care community in Arkansas. He is a 20-year-old licensed social worker from Jonesboro, Alabama who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder as a child. In addition to being a youth consumer of mental health services, he served as his sole advocate while maneuvering through the juvenile justice system. Marvin went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in social work from Arkansas State University where he was a leader in numerous student organizations, including the Student Government Association, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, NAACP, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. After, graduation, he was one of four students awarded a Distinguished Service Award. He was also nominated for the R.L Wilson Award, the highest honor bestowed upon any graduate of Arkansas State University. Marvin is currently enrolled in the advanced-standing graduate studies program at Barry University Graduate School of Social Work in Miami Shores, FL.
In My Experience... “To look at my life now, you'd never guess what was in my past.” by Jen Wand
To look at my life now, you'd never guess what was in my past. I graduated from Boston University with a grade point average of 3.8, lived in Japan for a year, and am now working with a public relations firm in the nation's capital. But the truth is, I nearly didn't graduate from high school.
I was one of the smart kids. I attended high school in a Boston suburb known for its high SAT scores and college acceptance rates—and in that school, I was one of two students who scored high enough on the standardized tests to be named a National Merit Scholar. But things got rocky my junior year. I started skipping assignments, and my concentration was breaking down. School became a place of terror for me where I was afraid to be seen, afraid to speak. Classmates and teachers alike frightened me.
During my senior year, I became unable to function. Major depressive disorder shut me down. I couldn't maintain my composure in classes, do my homework, or, eventually, even go to school on a regular basis. It's thanks to a certain guidance counselor that I graduated at all. He waived my missing PE credits and arranged for me to make up my missing English credits by meeting one-on-one with my English teacher twice weekly. Unfortunately, that teacher was not as understanding. He didn't understand why I couldn't just "bite the bullet" and write a paper for him on his schedule.
But my guidance counselor didn't give up on me. He told me that if we could find an alternative way to get me enough English credits, it would be worth it—that I was worth it. He arranged for me to participate in an externship with a local magazine. I went there for only four hours a week, but the school accepted it as an English credit, and I was able to graduate.
It took me two more years before I was ready to go to college. The few schools I'd managed to apply to during my illness were not very receptive to my unorthodox senior-year schedule, and very few accepted me. But at that point in my life, I wouldn't have been able to succeed in college anyway. For the next two years, I worked part-time and went to therapy twice a week, slowly building up all the foundations I needed to live again.
When I finally felt ready to reapply to colleges, the National Merit Foundation informed me that the scholarship I was supposed to receive had "expired." I was very disappointed that my academic achievements were not as important as following someone else's expected plan for life. Would they have withheld the scholarship, I wondered, for a young person who had been kept from school by a more "high-profile" condition?
But my achievements in college were well worth the pains it took to get there. Thanks to the supportive people at my high school and the university that gave me a second chance, I had four wonderful years and was elected to the Golden Key and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies. I was president of a student organization and became fluent in Japanese—I even spent a year in Japan after my college graduation. And best of all, I am now a young woman who is extremely happy with her life.
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