Brochures, Fact Sheets, Guides and Toolkits
Identifying mental health and substance use problems of children and adolescents: A guide for child-serving organizations
This guide is a resource that helps with the early recognition of mental health and substance use disorders in children and adolescents. It includes various tools to help with early identification and examines key factors associated with children and youth and mental health and substance use, including community resources and partnerships, child welfare, family, domestic violence, trauma, and juvenile justice.
Shine | A Project of P.E.E.R.S.
Peers Envisioning and Engaging in Recovery Services (P.E.E.R.S.), one of five 2011 Campaign for Social Inclusion Awardee organizations, created this documentary film highlighting the inspirational stories of three youth living in the urban community of Oakland, CA. Each has overcome mental health challenges and trauma and touches on key issues including violence, trauma, and cultural norms as they share their personal stories during the film. The Shine Web site includes four versions of the film to help give individuals sharing this film with others options for using it in different settings. There is also a screening toolkit provided that includes resources to help in facilitating discussions within the community.
Recovery insights: Learning from lived experience
Produced by Rethink Mental Illness, an organization in England dedicated to promoting awareness about mental health and supporting people in recovery, this booklet explores recovery and the lived experiences of 55 individuals, emphasizing the role that other people can play in one's recovery journey. It provides specific learning points for recovery for others with mental disorders, their family and friends, and mental health providers.
What recovery means in acute care
In this Webinar, presenters explore recovery in the context of acute care. They cover specific topics, including different climates of recovery, such as trauma-informed staff, the inclusion of natural supports, and a welcoming admission process. There is also dialogue on methods of incorporating peers into the acute care setting and consumer-managed crisis residential approaches. In addition, one presenter explores psychiatric advance directives, which are legal tools that allow people to choose or refuse future psychiatric treatment and to specify types of treatment they are or are not willing to have used.
Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)
This web page, provided through the Corporation for Enterprise Development's Web site, describes Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), matched savings accounts that help people in low- to moderate-income households develop assets. The Web site provides information about IDAs, including a directory of IDA programs, guidance on starting an IDA, and a public policy link for people interested in supporting efforts to have IDA programs become available to more low-income families across the U.S.
Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)
This Web site describes the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP), a Canada-wide savings plan reserved for individuals with disabilities. People with disabilities in Canada can use the RDSP to save and invest money and have their savings matched by the Canadian government. Relatives of people with disabilities may also contribute to an RDSP to help a family member save. The Web site provides a general overview of the RDSP, a tutorial to learn more, and a step-by-step guide.
A new anti-stigma campaign aims to teach youths about mental illness
This article discusses a campaign, Friendships Count, which uses a message of empathy in its work with teens to define mental disorders from the perspective of teens experiencing them and to explore how having a mental disorder can impact a teen's life. The goal of this campaign is to increase understanding of mental disorders, encourage friends and family to learn how they can be supportive, and reduce the negative and harmful attitudes related to mental disorders.
NCCTS leadership: Culture and trauma
Recognizing how culture influences the way traumatic experiences are perceived, this National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) factsheet discusses the importance of culturally competent trauma-informed treatments. The factsheet describes guidelines for culturally competent service providers, shares information on National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS) initiatives such as the NCTSN culture listserv, and describes a vision for the future treatment of individuals impacted by trauma. The factsheet also describes the NCTSN mission to enhance services for children who have been traumatized.
Mental Health Matters: Native American Mental Health Concepts
This program, which can be viewed online, discusses differences between mainstream mental disorder models and those of the Native American community. This episode features the Director of the Children's Trauma Center and the Cultural Facilitator, both from a Native American Health Center in California, and a young adult community member/advocate who utilizes services at the Native American Health Center.
Starting a Self-Help/Advocacy Group
This guide provides a basic introduction to the steps needed to start a self-help/advocacy group. It suggests some first steps to this process such as conducting research and soliciting help, and provides some tips on meeting ideas and facilitating large meetings. It also describes the roles and effectiveness of self-help/advocacy groups and the roles of family, friends, and professionals in consumer-run self-help groups.
SAMHSA Consumer-Operated Evidence-Based Practice KIT
This guide provides tools for developing mental health services which are owned and run by people in recovery. The guide, whose recommendations are rooted in evidence-based practices, provides detailed recommendations on implementing evidence-based practices, what it takes to build and evaluate a program, staff and volunteer training, and using multimedia to introduce consumer-operated services.
Essential tools: Improving secondary education and transition for youth with disabilities
This guide provides information for educators, community agencies, families, and workforce development specialists working to develop an environment that improves and enhances school and post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities. The guide explains an approach called community resource mapping and discusses how this approach can be used to foster interagency collaboration with the goal of ensuring that all youth have access to a broad, comprehensive, and integrated system of services.
Child trauma toolkit for educators
This toolkit serves as a resource for educators, parents, and caregivers to help them better understand and learn how to address trauma in children. It provides facts and recommendations for individuals working with children, details on the psychological and behavioral impact of trauma in children at different ages, information on childhood traumatic grief, and guidance on self-care when working with children who have experienced trauma.
Helping behavioral health clients with parenting and child custody issues: Guidebook and training materials for half-day training for case managers and other service providers
This guidebook is a resource for case managers and behavioral health staff working with consumers who are parents or are considering becoming parents. The materials are designed to help parents maintain custody of their children and help those who have lost custody to regain custody. The guidebook includes a training curriculum, with PowerPoint slides and trainer notes, practice activities using scenarios, and handouts for participants to learn how to address child welfare and custody issues to better support consumers in this important aspect of community integration.
Understanding Health Reform: What does health reform do?
This brochure is meant to provide information and guidance to those seeking further understanding of the 2010 health care reform. It gives individuals an idea of what this reform will mean for health insurance/coverage, preventative and wellness benefits, Medicare, and more. Also, this brochure recommends that people become involved in the change process to have influence on health care systems. It suggests that people participate in State specific committees, remain informed via electronic or hard copy newsletters, and attend stakeholder groups on health care reform that states will use to get feedback on their efforts.
Trauma-Informed Organizational Toolkit for homeless services
Taking into consideration the high rate of traumatic exposure among homeless families, this toolkit was developed to provide resources, knowledge, and guidance to homeless service providers and others working to provide appropriate support to families that have experienced traumatic stress. The toolkit outlines concrete steps that organizations can take to become trauma-informed, as well as a self-assessment to help organizations evaluate and adjust current methods to better serve and support clients.
Permanent Supportive Housing Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) KIT
This publication is part of the Knowledge Informing Transformation (KIT) series on evidence-based practices developed by the SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services. It identifies essential elements of permanent supportive housing services and programs for people with behavioral health problems. It also covers ways to develop new evidence-based programs. The KIT includes eight booklets available via Internet download or U.S. mail.
Personal assistance in community existence (PACE) series
The National Empowerment Center's PACE series includes resources and training materials to help consumers and providers develop recovery-oriented services and promote peer support. Particularly helpful are the Recovery Through Peer Support Curriculum and the Recovery Through Peer Providers DVD, which train consumers, family members, and providers to support others in their paths to mental health recovery.
Directory of peer-run crisis services
This directory provides descriptions of and links to peer-run programs for people experiencing mental health crises. In many States, peer-run centers are viable alternatives to hospitalization.
Grading the States 2009
This interactive map provides an overview of the National Alliance on Mental Illness's 2009 State-by-State evaluation of mental health care systems. The Nation as a whole received a 'D' for the health care it provides to people with serious mental illness. The organization graded based on community integration and social inclusion, empowerment, and other factors. The full report, describing methodology, findings, and recommendations, is available for download.
Stepping up: A social inclusion action plan for mental health reform 2007-2012
This report from South Australia's Social Inclusion Board is a 5-year plan for transforming the mental health system. The goal of the plan is to encourage social inclusion, help people working in the mental health system to understand those they serve, encourage recovery-oriented services, and improve the availability and effectiveness of the mental health services that individuals and families from all socioeconomic and age groups need to lead meaningful lives.
SAFE program: Mental health facts for families
This online manual was developed by Dr. Michelle D. Sherman, Director of the Family Mental Health Program at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. Facilities use this manual to conduct an 18-session education program for the family members of those with posttraumatic stress disorder or behavioral health problems. Mental health professionals facilitate the sessions. A representative of the National Alliance on Mental Illness also attends. The manual includes information, discussion questions, and handouts for each session.
Post deployment stress: What families should know, what families can do
The RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research conducted literature reviews, solicited expert feedback, and facilitated focus groups to create two booklets related to post-deployment stress. This booklet addresses the concerns of those who have a family member returning from deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan, while the other addresses the concerns of service members themselves. Both booklets include information about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other emotional and behavioral problems that returning service members may face.
Guidance on transformational language
This brief electronic fact sheet provides information on the use of appropriate language when referring to mental health topics.
Beat the stigma and discrimination! Four lessons for mental health advocates
This handbook focuses on correcting the disparity and increasing both opportunities and resources for people with mental illnesses by reviewing ways in which negative public attitudes might be reduced and more appropriate attitudes might be enhanced.
Resources, web pages, and internet links for faith communities
List of helpful resources for faith communities and NAMI affiliates which provide resources for persons of faith to help congregations in their understanding of mental illnesses.
Contact information:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Colonial Place Three
2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201-3042
Phone: (703) 524-7600
1 in 4 households in your church is afraid to tell you this secret
A fact sheet discussing the stigma that surrounds mental illness within faith communities.
Creating caring congregations
A brochure providing basic steps in developing a congregation with a better understanding of mental illness, where individuals with mental illnesses and others are welcomed.
A New Hampshire Guide to Mental Health and Healthy Aging for Older Adults and Caregivers
This guidebook was written for older adults with mental health concerns or mental illnesses, and their caregivers and family members. Living with mental health problems can be challenging, and as an individual grows older, further health issues are often encountered. Some references are specific to New Hampshire resources, but the overall themes can be applied universally.
African American community mental health fact sheet
Fact Sheet providing a brief review of mental health facts pertaining to the African American community, including a list of barriers to treatment.
Maryland rural families speak: About mental health
This article briefly discusses the findings from a study of families in two Maryland counties. It provides insight into the
experiences of rural, low-income families.
Timothy's Law talking points
This fact sheet summarizes the basics of Timothy's Law and makes the argument for parity. This sheet can be used to educate others about the importance of parity for individuals, families, and businesses.
Changing minds, advancing mental health for Hispanics/NAMI New Jersey: Family to Family project
Project abstract of The New Jersey Mental Health Institute, Inc. in which it proposes to achieve consensus for implementing NAMI national?s exemplary practice, the Family-to-Family Education program. The program will be geared towards Hispanics, the fastest growing and largest ethnic minority group in our State and Nation.
Understanding stigma
Part of the "Working with the Family: Impact of Mental Illness on Families" section of the Pathways to Promise Web site, this fact sheet provides information on understanding the stigma that is encountered by the families of individuals with mental illnesses.
Section 8 made simple: Using the housing choice voucher program to assist people with disabilities (2nd edition)
The 2nd Edition of this guide offers comprehensive information on the Section 8 HCVP, including updated information on the Homeownership Program. It is a guide to help understand how the Section 8 program can be used to meet the specific housing needs of people with disabilities.
What "fair housing" means for people with disabilities
This booklet explains in plain language how three Federal laws protect the housing rights of people with mental or physical disabilities.
Services in school for children with special needs: What parents need to know
This brochure describes services in schools for Children with special needs and what parents should know. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the denial of educational services, programs or activities to students with disabilities is prohibited, and constitutes discrimination
Talking to kids about mental illnesses
This brochure helps parents address mental illness when speaking with children, it provides pointers on helping children understand mental illness and the stigma associated with it.
Talking about mental illness: A guide for developing an awareness program for youth
The program described in "Talking about Mental Illness" helps to increase awareness about mental illness and the stigma that surrounds it. It is based on the experiences of three communities that participated in the program, and the steps they took to increase awareness and understanding of mental illness.
Just the facts about sexual orientation and youth: A primer for principals, educators and school personnel
A factsheet developed to aid mental health professionals, school staff, and others in addressing controversies about homosexuality when they arise at school.
Helpline fact sheet: Ministry, mental illness, and communities of faith
A brief fact sheet discussing how "religious communities are in a unique position to combat stigma and provide a message of acceptance and hope."
State mental health parity laws 2007
Provides state-by-state breakdown and descriptions of parity laws.
Parental mental illness: Fact sheet critical issues for parents with mental illness and their families
A fact sheet for parents with mental illnesses and their families.
Creating a circle of caring: The church and the mentally ill
A curriculum designed to sensitize adults in the church to the plight of those suffering from severe and persistent mental illness and their families.