Resources

National TA Centers

SAMHSA funds five national Technical Assistance Centers to connect with and support mental health consumers nationwide. We encourage you to visit the sites of the four additional TA Centers for additional information and resources:

Doors to Wellbeing TA National Consumer TA Center – http://www.doorstowellbeing.org/

National Empowerment Center – http://www.power2u.org/index.html

Peer Support Coalition of Florida Peer Experience NTAC – https://www.peersupportfl.org/pentac/

YouthMOVE National Peer Center – https://youthmovepeercenter.org/

Federal Resources

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) – www.samhsa.gov/ – The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

National Organizations

American Association for Persons with Disabilities (AAPD) – http://www.aapd.com – The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country’s largest cross-disability membership organization, organizes the disability community to be a powerful voice for change – politically, economically, and socially. AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities, including their family, friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law – http://www.bazelon.org – The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is a nonprofit organization devoted to improving the lives of people with mental illnesses through changes in policy and law. For nearly four decades its legal and policy advocates have engaged in impact litigation, policy reform and public education to ensure the rights of people with mental illnesses in all areas of life, including housing, employment, education, public systems, health care, the judiciary and more.

The Community Consortium – http://www.community-consortium.org/ – Community Consortium members are people with psychiatric histories and their allies. Our multi-cultural team has decades of combined experience as advocates, public mental health officials, planners, clinicians, self-help leaders, trainers, community organizers, program developers, and evaluators. We offer services to help end marginalization and build truly inclusive communities where people with psychiatric disabilities feel welcome.

MindFreedom International – http://www.mindfreedom.org/ – MindFreedom International is an independent nonprofit that unites 100 grassroots groups and thousands of members to peacefully take action for human rights in the mental health system. While it is open to the public, a majority of members identify themselves as “psychiatric survivors,” that is, individuals who have personally experienced human rights violations in the mental health system. All who support human rights are welcome to join. MFI members and leaders include mental health professionals, advocates, attorneys and family members.

The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR) – www.ncmhr.org – The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR) ensures that consumer/survivors have a major voice in the development and implementation of health care, mental health, and social policies at the state and national levels, empowering people to recover and lead a full life in the community.

National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse – http://mhselfhelp.org/

US Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association – http://www.uspra.org – The mission of the US Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association is to advance the availability and practice of psychiatric rehabilitation so that all individuals with a serious mental illness have access to the supports they need to recover. Your gift will help us provide this vital public service by funding educational programs and advocacy efforts across the nation.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) is a 24-hour, toll-free, confidential suicide prevention hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. – http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Cultural Competency

Cultural Competency in Mental Health Peer-run Programs and Self-help Groups: A Tool to Assess and Enhance Your Services – Follow this Link to PDF File – This document was produced by our partners at the NAMI STAR Center. It offers information on how and why to assess the cultural competence of peer-based programs.

Health and Wellness

A Gay Man’s Wellness Guide – http://www.amazon.com/Gay-Mens-Wellness-Guide-Associations/dp/0805047719/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1301502309&sr=8-6 – National Lesbian and Gay Health Association’s complete book of physical, emotional, and Mental Health well-being for every gay male.

A Wellness Tool Developing and Keeping a Circle of Support – http://www.mentalhealthrecovery.com/recovery-resources/articles.php?id=6 – WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) hosts a website offering support and describes ways to build a strong circle of friends and supporters.

Achieving Total Wellness in Patients With Schizophrenia – http://www.reintegration.com/– Discusses the treatment options for schizophrenia – the typical neuroleptics – involving a host of troubling CNS and other side effects, including tardive dyskinesia and extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), and SGA’s greatly improved side effect that have created the hope that individuals with schizophrenia will ultimately be able to recover.

Alternatives 2009 Health and Wellness Screening Report – http://www.power2u.org/downloads/Alt2009HealthWellnessScreeningReport.pdf – Report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services regarding a screening conducted on October 20-30, 2009 and was planned, coordinated and managed by peer provider staff from the Institute for Wellness and Recovery Initiatives at Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey.

Determinants of Minority Mental Health and Wellness – http://www.springer.com/medicine/book/978-0-387-75658-5 – Resource complementing mental health and wellness approaches by focusing on risk factors, protective factors, and prevention strategies across a wide range of cultural, ethnic, sexual, and other minorities.

Developing a Wellness Toolbox – https://www.wellnessrecoveryactionplan.com/wrap-in-action/sample-wraps-tools/ – Listing of things done in the past, or could do, to help stay well; and, things to help feel better.

Health and Wellness in the Future for People with Mental Illness – https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HSD/AMH/Pages/index.aspx – Oregon Health Authority focuses on preventing and reducing morality in people with Mental Illness.

Hearts & Minds: A Roadmap to Wellness for Individuals Living with Mental Illness – https://heartsandminds.nami.org/– NAMI Hearts & Minds is a wellness initiative, contains a wealth of information on health topics especially important for people living with mental illness such as smoking, substance abuse, healthy eating, diabetes and heart health.

Improving the Health of Mental Health Consumers-Policies and Practices – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247886937_Improving_the_Health_of_Mental_Health_Consumers_Effective_Policies_and_Practices  – Describes the 6 most common causes of death in consumers of mental health services, discusses the barriers to services and effective practices in improving their health

Increasing Social Support for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness: Evaluating the Compeer Model of Intentional Friendship – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225394193_Increasing_Social_Support_for_Individuals_with_Serious_Mental_Illness_Evaluating_the_Compeer_Model_of_Intentional_Friendship
This study was conducted on people with serious mental illness (SMI) who often experience difficulty in developing and maintaining social relationships.

MA Department of Mental Health Healthy Changes Initiative – https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-mental-health – This is a resource focusing on Health and Wellness for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness; Challenges and Opportunities Power Point.

Mental Health Consumers and Primary Health Care Representatives in Dialogue – https://www.scribd.com/document/50271709/SMA06-4040 – Meeting recap on issues related to interactions between mental health consumers and public health professionals, offers recommendations for attitudinal shifts and transformation to improve these relationships and promote recovery from mental illnesses.

Mental Health Fact Sheet – https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-by-the-Numbers/Infographics-Fact-Sheets – Fact-sheets about mental illness affects in America and the consequences of not receiving appropriate treatment: unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted lives.

Mental Health Information for Teens: Health Tips about Mental Wellness and Mental Illness – http://www.amazon.com/Mental-Health-Information-Teens-Including/dp/0780810872/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1301502090&sr=8-4 – Facts About Mental and Emotional Health Teen Edition.

Morbidity and Mortality in People with Serious Mental Illness– https://nasmhpd.org/content/morbidity-and-mortality-people-serious-mental-illness – Discusses the increased morbidity and mortality is largely due to treatable medical conditions that are caused by modifiable risk factors such as smoking, obesity, substance abuse, and inadequate access to medical care.

New Affordable Care Act Brochures – https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/index.html – Helping Americans understand the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and how it is improving consumer protections, lowering costs and increasing coverage.

The Key Assistance Report – https://www.mhselfhelp.org/technical-assistance – Resource providing ideas on how to achieve physical wellness.

Tobacco-Free Living in Psychiatric Settings: A Best-Practices Toolkit Promoting Wellness and Recovery – https://www.nasmhpd.org/content/tobacco-free-living-psychiatric-settings-best-practices-toolkit-promoting-wellness-and – A best-practices toolkit promoting wellness and recovery.

Use of Alternative Health Care Practices by Persons With Serious Mental Illness: Perceived Benefits – http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/reprint/92/10/1600.pdf – Presents preliminary findings on the perceived benefits of alternative health care practices used by adults with serious mental illness (SMI) who participated in a larger exploratory study on the role of such practices in mental health recovery.

Other Resources

Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities – http://www.tucollaborative.org– The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities is a National Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). You will find a variety of useful information about community participation and community integration for individuals with psychiatric disabilities.