Current News: (news archive)

STAR Center National Teleconference Call on Housing & Recovery: On Thursday, July 7 at 7pm (Eastern), The STAR Center will host a national teleconference call that will explore how individuals on the road to recovery from mental illness can find and benefit from safe, affordable, and supportive housing. We will discuss frankly some of the difficulties in finding and keeping decent, safe, and affordable housing, as well as strategies, techniques, and resources for overcoming those obstacles. Our speakers will share their personal and professional experiences, and recommend specific resources and best practices. The particular needs and concerns of diverse communities will also be addressed. After the panelists' presentation, listeners will have an opportunity to ask questions and offer their perspectives. The only equipment needed in order to participate in this event is access to a telephone. The call is free. To participate: Send an email to HousingAndRecovery@nami.org or telephone the STAR Center at (866) 537-STAR. We will retain your contact information and inform you of the toll-free dial-in number for the call by July 6.

Register Now for Alternatives Conference: The National Empowerment Center and the Alternatives Conference Advisory Committee invite all to Phoenix, Arizona, October 26 to 30th for Alternatives 2005: Leading the Transformation to Recovery. Registration brochures are now available online at www.power2u.org or by mail (call 800-POWER2U to request brochures). Scholarship applications are also available at the website or by mail and are due June 30, 2005. Alternatives 2005 is funded by the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Alternatives Conference will offer a wide variety of workshops, institutes, keynote speakers, and caucuses addressing topics including peer support, consumer-operated services, self-help, empowerment and recovery. Marking twenty years since the first Alternatives Conference in 1985, this year’s event will provide a forum for mental health consumers and survivors from across the nation to meet, exchange information and ideas, and provide and receive technical assistance. Join us in Phoenix this October for “Leading the Transformation to Recovery: And Still We Rise.”

The UIC National Research and Training Center (NRTC) announces the Peer Support Outcomes Protocol (POP). This comprehensive protocol measures the outcomes of mental health self-help, peer support, and consumer-operated programs. It was designed by Dr. Jean Campbell of the University of Missouri in collaboration with the UIC NRTC. To read about the POP and download the instrument, administration manual, and supporting materials, visit http://www.psych.uic.edu/uicnrtc/pophome.htm. Or contact the Center at (312) 422-8180. The POP was supported by NIDRR and CMHS.

Transformation Institute in Consumer Studies: An Introduction to Evaluation Methods and Use: On August 11-14, in Charleston, West Virginia, the Consumer Organization & Networking Technical Assistance Center ( CONTAC) in partnership with the National Empowerment Center (NEC) will host a conference on evaluation methods. Learn basic skills in peer program evaluation and the importance of research activities in building evidence and influence policy toward mental health systems transformation! Attendance is encouraged for statewide consumer networks, peer operated self-help projects, peer support specialists & recovery-based mental health workers. Faculty includes Dr. Jean Campbell, Jonathan Delman, Judi Chamberlin, Gayle Bluebird, Jacki McKinney, Dan Fisher and Kathy Muscari. A limited number of consumer scholarships are available for consumer/survivors needing assistance. For more information contact Linda Edwards at CONTAC at 1-888-825-8324.

Self-Direction Webcast: Self-direction in Mental Health-From Ideas to Action: Funding Self-Directed Care in Mental Health and Helping People Make It Happen. Implementation at the Local Level. On Wednesday, May 25, 2005 from 1:00p.m.-2:45p.m. Eastern Time, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) will be hosting it’s third interactive webcast of the Self Direction Education Project (SDEP). The webcast will focus on funding and how individuals and states can find the financial tools needed to convert current practices or demonstrate ways that will create systemic change that embraces self direction as it relates to Mental Health. Speakers include: Marguerite Schervish, JD of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Jackie Golden, Project Director for SDEP and Michael Hlebechuk, Real Choice System’s Change Grant Support Coordinator. For more information on the webcast and how to register, visit: www.dbconsultinggroup.com/samhsa/evite/

Consumer Scholarships Available for Alternatives 2005 Conference
The Alternatives 2005 Conference, organized by the National Empowerment Center (NEC) with support from SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services, is being held at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, Arizona from Wednesday, October 26th through Sunday, October 30th. A limited number of scholarships for the conference are being provided by the Center for Mental Health Services/SAMHSA and the NAMI STAR Center and awarded through AFYA, Inc.. If you wish to obtain an application, please e-mail consumerscholarships@afyainc.com.

As the number of scholarships given on the federal level will be limited, NEC encourages individuals to seek local or state funding. If you are looking for financial assistance to attend, the time to start is now. For more information on the conference, please see: http://www.power2u.org/alternatives2005.html

Consumer Scholarships Available for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance 2005 Conferences and Chapter Leadership Forums: The Center for Mental Health Services, within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration through a contract with AFYA, Inc., is providing financial support to consumers of mental health services who wish to participate in the annual conference sponsored by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. The purpose of the scholarship is to foster transformation of mental health care to focus on recovery. To be eligible for this scholarship, a completed application and letter of recommendation must be received by AFYA by May 31, 2005. If you wish to obtain an application, please e-mail consumerscholarships@afyainc.com or call (301) 270-0841, Ext. 249. For conference information, please visit www.DBSAlliance.org or call (800) 826-3632. Dates for the conference are: August 27-28, 2005 (Rosemont, IL), September 10-11, 2005 (Whippany, NJ) and October 8-9, 2005 (Fort Worth, TX)

Self-Determination Resource: Express Yourself! is a new self-determination tool from the UIC National Research and Training Center on Psychiatric Disability. Users can pinpoint areas of their lives (such as money or relationships) where they'd like to have more control and decision-making power, and then learn how to get started by using action-planning and web-based resources. Areas covered in this self-assessment include finances, housing, transportation, employment, community integration, medical treatment, and mental health care. Download this tool by visiting: http://www.psych.uic.edu/uicnrtc/self-determination.htm#tools or obtain a copy by contacting the Center. It is especially useful when paired with This is Your Life! - the Center's person centered-planning guide (also available at the link above). The Center is funded by NIDRR and CMHS.

Depression Bipolar Support Alliance’s (DBSA) Peer-to-Peer Resource Center is Looking for Peer Training Programs: Peer-to-Peer Resource Center's goals is creating a comprehensive listing of existing and emerging peer training programs and initiatives from across the U.S. These initiatives might include training programs for peer specialists, coaches, or mentors, and training by and for peers. The completed listing will include a summary of each program, related materials, and contact information and/or links to each. If you know if peer training programs in your area, please take a moment to complete the form www.peersupport.org/InfoForm.htm to inform us about organized efforts in your state to train and involve mental health consumers in providing peer support. (Please note: we are not looking for referrals to mutual aid or support groups.) If you have questions about this request or the Peer-to-Peer Resource Center, please do not hesitate to contact the center at peersupport@DBSAlliance.org

The use of psychiatric advance directives as a tool for the expression of an individual’s free will and self-determination. NMHA has developed a toolkit of resources for organizations and individuals to use in promoting the successful implementation of psychiatric advance directives in their local communities. click here for more information