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.

A toolkit for evaluating programs meant to erase the stigma of mental illness
This toolkit is a resource for individuals looking to counter the negative and harmful attitudes and beliefs associated with mental disorders, providing a way of evaluating changes to help advocates and researchers. It defines the three types of stigma that have been identified--public stigma, self-stigma, and label avoidance--and includes materials for addressing each, such as questionnaires and scales. To access this toolkit, click on the Toolkit link on the Resources page.

Stories of recovery: Minister Monique Tarver
In this PEERS TV Stories of Recovery video, Minister Monique Tarver shares her story of triumph and recovery from mental health issues. She talks about how these challenges impacted her role as a parent, how her faith and family support were a major part of her progress, and ways the mental health and faith communities can work together to further enhance one's journey through recovery from a mental disorder.

Call to clergy: How to support mental health challenges in your congregation
This Webinar, which took place on October 9, 2012, provides guidance to leaders in different faith communities in providing mental health support to members of their congregations. This presentation explores ways to address mental health within different faiths including African American, Islamic, and Jewish faith communities. It outlines general statistics of the percentage of adults in the U.S. with different mental disorders, describes the basics of the mental health first aid approach, and discusses what recovery from a mental disorder can mean. Both the recording and the presentation are available on the National Council for Behavioral Health's Web site: http://www.thenationalcouncil.org/cs/recordings_presentations.

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.

VOTE. It's your right. A guide to the voting rights of people with mental disabilities
This guide developed by the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law discusses the rights of voters with mental disorders and serves as a resource for advocates, family members of individuals with mental disorders, providers, and election officials. Four key topic areas for voters are explored: voter-competence requirement standards, State identification laws, voter challenges, and providing assistance to voters with disabilities.

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.

Building sustainable consumer run organizations
This manual, created through the University of Washington and the Self Help Empowerment and Evaluation Alliance, explores the recovery model and how to build a consumer-run organization. To help with preparation for building a consumer-run organization, this manual provides guidance on surveying community needs, a basic checklist for getting the organization started, funding resources, details on management, and sustainability and accountability. It also includes sample documents for readers to reference.

Employer case examples
This resource provided through the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health is a place where employers can come to learn from one another about practical ways of advancing mental health in the workplace. Through this Web page, individuals can view employer profiles where employers share information on their companies, including total number of employees, region, a description of the mental health challenges needing to be addressed, and ways they have worked to resolve these challenges. Visitors to this Web page can also share stories of what their company is doing to advance mental health.

Mental health works: Maine State government participates in depression screening and work-focused intervention
Mental Health Works is a quarterly publication produced by the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, a program of the American Psychiatric Association. This issue focuses on Maine's use of depression screening and work-focused intervention to improve the mental health of its employees. These employees have benefited from their State government's participation in the Work and Health Initiative care program pilot study, which includes different supports like work-focused counseling. In addition to Maine's recent efforts, this issue explores the efforts of others, like the Chesapeake Energy Corporation in Oklahoma City, in engaging employees and providing resources for them to address mental disorders. This issue also examines the exclusion of mental health treatment from employers' health insurance coverage.

Mental health matters: Expanded forced treatment
In this episode of Mental Health Matters, guests discuss the rights of individuals with mental disorders and the importance of choice and self-determination in improving wellness and recovery. The guests for this episode are Khatera Aslami, Executive Director of P.E.E.R.S., and Sally Zinman, a consumer movement pioneer and editor of the book Reaching Across: Mental Health Clients Helping Each Other. Aslami and Zinman describe the harm of forced treatment and forced medication on people in recovery, the community, and therapeutic relationships. They also discuss the California State law AB 1421, which allows counties to utilize forced outpatient treatment for people with mental disorders, and its role in the perpetuation of the myth that individuals with mental disorders are violent. P.E.E.R.S. has posted an AB 1421 position paper and a discussion of AB 1569, which would extend AB 1421 until 2019, to this Web page: http://www.peersnet.org/sites/default/files/PEERS-position-AB1421.pdf.

Mental health works: A host of employer resources at your fingertips
This Partnership for Workplace Mental Health quarterly issue of Mental Health Works provides resources for employers. This issue explores bullying in the workplace, stress in America, developing a foundation for workforce resiliency, and managing the risks of violence in the workplace. Current data on these specific topics are charted throughout this booklet, and detailed recommendations for employers are provided.

2012 join the voices for recovery: It's worth it; National Recovery Month toolkit
This National Recovery Month toolkit provided through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a resource for mental and substance use disorder information. According to the SAMHSA Store Web site, it "provides tools and educational materials to distribute in communities and during local events." It covers a broad range of topics related to recovery and recovery-related events and campaigns, including media outreach, targeted outreach, and lived experiences of people in recovery.

Speaking of hope
This 12-minute film was developed by the Transformation Center, a 2010 SAMHSA ADS Center Campaign for Social Inclusion awardee. In this film, individuals in recovery from mental health and substance use issues share their experiences of triumph, reaffirming the idea that recovery is real. Young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults are showcased in this film, each representing various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Their unique perspectives and experiences address local needs and attitudes toward mental health and addiction recovery issues.

United on the road to recovery
South Dakota United is a 2011 awardee of the SAMHSA ADS Center Campaign for Social Inclusion. This promotional film was produced by participants in their speakers' bureau filmmaking workshop. In this 9-minute film, individuals with mental health issues share experiences of their recovery journeys and the role that peer support has played in their lives. They discuss the ways they have been able to use their lived experience to promote equality for people with mental disorders and empower and instill hope in one another.

Shine
Peers Envisioning and Engaging in Recovery Services (P.E.E.R.S.), a SAMHSA ADS Center 2011 Campaign for Social Inclusion awardee, created this documentary film highlighting the stories of youth in recovery. The young adults featured share their experiences with mental health issues and the impact of violence and trauma in the urban community of Oakland, CA. Racism, cultural norms, and socioeconomic status are also discussed in this film.

Shining stars - young adults in recovery
This documentary was created by Advocacy Unlimited, Inc., one of the SAMHSA ADS Center's 2010 Campaign for Social Inclusion awardees. Shining Stars is a 17-minute, culturally sensitive, educational documentary featuring the recovery stories of four young adults with mental health and substance use issues. The four young adults share their recovery journeys, which include experiences of loss, trauma, and other struggles. While sharing their stories, each "shining star" describes the hope he or she has for continuing on the path of recovery.

Homelessness and substance use disorder treatment: Recovery-oriented housing and achieving healthy lifestyles
This 2010 SAMHSA Webcast recognizes the complex relationship between homelessness and mental and substance use disorders and explores the connection between homelessness and the treatment of substance use disorders from a program and policy view. Also, it examines some of the issues of permanent supportive housing and methods of recovery support that help people achieve healthy lives and long-term recovery.

Principles of recovery oriented mental health practice
This Australian Department of Health and Aging fact sheet outlines six key principles of recovery-oriented mental health: uniqueness of the individual, real choices, attitudes and rights, dignity and respect, partnership and communication, and evaluating recovery. The fact sheet notes that recovery, as defined by individuals with lived experience, includes "gaining and retaining hope, understanding of one's abilities and disabilities, engagement in an active life, personal autonomy, social identity, meaning and purpose in life, and a positive sense of self." The fact sheet identifies the purpose of the principles of recovery-oriented practice as "to ensure that mental health services are being delivered in a way that supports the recovery of mental health consumers."

Self-disclosure and its impact on individuals who receive mental health services
This monograph, developed for the Center for Mental Health Services, part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, describes research on the topic of self-disclosure of mental health issues and shares findings from interviews with individuals in recovery who have experience with self-disclosure. The monograph explores several specific questions related to self-disclosure: Why should a person disclose? Is there a safe way to disclose? What impact does self-disclosure have personally and systemically? The monograph also describes factors that may facilitate self-disclosing and gives recommendations and guidelines for individuals, including the pros and cons of disclosure and techniques used by other groups who have disclosed private issues.

Mental Health Matters: RAP therapy; Beats, rhymes and life
Mental Health Matters is a public access television show that highlights various mental health issues. This episode, "RAP Therapy: Beats, Rhymes and Life," explores a community organization that uses rap, hip-hop, and pop culture to promote wellness and mental health among youth. The episode also explores the use of rap therapy as an intervention around the world.

Mental Health Matters: Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)
Mental Health Matters is a public access television show that highlights various mental health issues. This episode discusses Crisis Intervention Training which is designed to increase police officers' understanding of and ability to effectively interact with an individual who is experiencing a mental health crisis. The benefits of this training are discussed in interviews with a police officer, a family member, and a person in recovery.

Recovery to Practice E-News: Special-focus issue on trauma-informed care
This Recovery to Practice (RTP) E-News message from April 26, 2012 highlights the immense benefits of trauma-informed care. In one article, Dr. Maggie Bennington describes her experience as Medical Director of Psychiatry at an Oregon hospital through its transition to a more trauma-informed environment. She discusses ways the hospital adopted a more inclusive definition of safety and how this impacted individuals' recovery journeys while hospitalized. Also, a guest columnist shares her story as a consumer, the factors that led her to help found the first Virginia statewide consumer/survivor organization, and her efforts to end harmful use of force in acute care settings through a workshop she developed with other consumers. She discusses her success throughout Virginia and through allies gained along the way, including newspaper reporters, legislators, and family groups. This issue also includes information on the development of training curricula by RTP member groups, a personal story of recovery, and RTP project updates.

Implementing evidence-based practices in mental health
This guidebook was designed to help community behavioral healthcare organizations implement evidence-based treatment approaches in their organization-approaches that have been scientifically shown to improve outcomes for individuals with mental and substance use disorders. This book, which describes the real-life experiences of a community support and treatment services organization in Washtenaw County in Michigan, outlines key strategies in a how-to format to assist organizations in making the organizational changes needed to implement evidence-based practices, including developing work plans and implementing and maintaining evidence-based practices.

Engaging women in trauma-informed peer support: A guidebook
Developed by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. with funding by SAMHSA, this guide can be used by peer supporters working in the behavioral health and human services systems to learn to integrate trauma-informed principles into their work supporting women who have experienced trauma. It provides culturally oriented resources and tools for trauma-informed peer support for women. The 13 chapters cover a number of key topics such as spirituality and religion, storytelling, and reclaiming one's power through social action.

Managing student-athletes' mental health issues
This handbook emphasizes the mind and body connection, highlighting the importance of student-athletes' mental health and the potential of mental health to impact one's physical health. The goal of this handbook is to help coaches and other school staff working with student-athletes identify students who are at risk for mental disorders. This handbook serves as a guide that explores various mental disorders including substance use disorders and mood, anxiety, and eating disorders. It also provides guidance on helping student-athletes manage responsibilities during their recovery.

Resources for athletes
This Resources for Athletes page of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology Web site provides a brief description of the benefits of sport psychology for athletes, describing it as an opportunity to enhance physical skills with mental skills. This page also provides a list of articles for athletes on topics related to managing one's mental health as an athlete, enhancing self-awareness, and dealing with different emotions, such as anger and disappointment in competition.

Stigma of mental illness in athletes
The American Psychiatric Association Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives web page focuses on many of the negative and harmful attitudes and beliefs held about mental disorders and how they impact athletes. One key point made regarding mental disorders and athletes is that athletes experience the same types of mental health challenges at the same rate as the general population. Confidence and challenges in sports are also explored, as these two factors have the potential to make athletes more vulnerable to mental disorders such as anxiety and/or depression.

Hospital diversion services: A manual on assisting in the development of a respite/diversion service in your area
Hospital diversion services have been shown to help address the issue of often overwhelmed and overcrowded hospitals while also providing consumers with unique peer-to-peer relationships to support them during an emotional crisis. This manual provides guidance to anyone looking to develop a local respite/diversion service. It describes vital components of a hospital diversion service including a basic design; how to go about staffing, budget, and funding; and a sample menu of services.

Higher education support toolkit
This toolkit serves as a guide for university staff to assist them in working effectively to support college students who have mental health problems. It includes free downloadable worksheets on how to connect with resources on campus, a self-assessment for students, and information on accommodations in college classes.

Multicultural competence, intense spiritual experience, and mental health: A self-help, peer support and service provider technical assistance tool
This technical assistance tool was developed as an outgrowth of a National Alliance on Mental Illness Support, Technical Assistance and Resources Center (NAMI STAR Center) workshop that included individuals who had gone through intense spiritual experiences as well as those interested in learning more about this type of experience and about how to be helpful to someone going through this experience. This resource discusses spirituality in depth and includes a list of guidelines for honoring intense spiritual experiences as well as ways providers and others can support individuals having these experiences.

Mental health matters: BestNow! and consumer employment
In this episode of Mental Health Matters, the program coordinator and a program graduate describe the BestNow! program. This program trains peer specialists to become more active and productive in their communities, to expand on their current skills, and to encourage participants in their own vocational development.

Sick on the job? Myths and realities about mental health and work
This Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) fact sheet presents data relevant to many of the misconceptions about mental health and employment. Productivity within the workplace as well as the role of quality treatment on improving employment outcomes is discussed. This OECD fact sheet also provides a list of ways that policy can help create a more inclusive job market for people with mental health problems.

We can work: The employment tool for people with psychiatric disabilities in New York State
The We Can Work campaign seeks to empower people with mental disorders to successfully explore and secure meaningful employment through shared success stories and by providing resources. This tool provided by the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services helps to address the disproportionate rates of unemployment and low income among individuals with mental disorders. It includes a number of fact sheets from the peer perspective about where to begin the process of returning to the workforce, work incentives, employment resources, information on disclosure and reasonable accommodations, and tips on identifying peer support for employment.

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.

Mental Health Matters-Mask Healing
In this episode of Mental Health Matters, a program which can be viewed online, a local activist describes how she uses an art therapy mask-making workshop to engage and empower individuals in recovery. Guests featured in this episode describe how both the creation of their mask and discussing the mask they created have been used as a form of self-expression and as a useful tool in their recovery journey.

A provider's guide to promoting economic self-sufficiency: A recovery-oriented approach
This blog post describes a guide that supports providers as they implement a recovery-oriented approach that encourages economic independence among individuals with mental and substance use disorders. The guide provides tools and techniques for guiding conversations on life goals, dreams, and financial hopes; evaluating one's ability to become self-sufficient financially; helping people develop plans for reaching their goals; and increasing individuals' understanding of economic independence and connecting with local resources.

WE can save campaign participant workbook: A workbook for people in recovery seeking economic self-sufficiency
This blog post provides information about a workbook that serves as a resource for people in recovery and providers looking to support individuals recovering from mental and substance use disorders. The workbook shares stories of recovery and consumers' own accounts of financial self-sufficiency, and it describes tools to help people with mental and substance use disorders to develop independence and financial skills and create an action plan for their lives.

Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) directory of centers & statewide independent living councils (SILCs) 2012 (Vol. 34)
This online directory provides a comprehensive listing of centers for independent living throughout the U.S., its Territories, Canada, and internationally. Centers for independent living are nonprofit, consumer-run programs that offer a range of services designed to support individuals with disabilities in living successfully within their communities. This directory also lists contact information for state associations of independent living, SILCs, and other organizations related to assisting individuals with disabilities in living successfully within their communities.

Mental health, poverty, and development: Mental health core to development
This fact sheet shares information on connections between mental disorders and poverty through global data, charts, and other visuals. It describes the links between poverty and mental health as cyclical, with poverty heightening one's risk of mental disorders and having a mental disorder increasing one's chances of becoming poor. Also, it discusses the need for national and international agendas to address improving mental health and reducing poverty.

Resource for the Plan to Achieve Self-Support application -- PASS online
A Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS) is a work incentive through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program that allows individuals to use income counted against their SSI benefits to pay for expenses related to work goals. The PASS Web site provides detailed information on this incentive, including information on eligibility and the application process.

American Sign Language (ASL) - Medicare basics
This video provides basic educational information in ASL about the Medicare program. The four-part video gives viewers guidance and information about Medicare services, including information on preventative services and paying Medicare costs, and explains the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.

Mental Health Matters: Consumer Movements Around the World
This episode of the television show Mental Health Matters features leaders within the mental health consumer/survivor movement from four different countries. These leaders are members of an organization called Interrelate, which is described as an international coalition of national consumer user organizations. Throughout this show they discuss specific issues related to individuals with mental disorders within their countries and also discuss similarities they share.

Paving new ground: Peers working in in-patient settings
With psychiatric hospitals and State institutions becoming more aware of the roles of peer specialists, positions for peers are now becoming more common in inpatient settings. This guidebook, designed to help hospitals learn how to successfully incorporate peer specialists into their work setting, highlights some hospitals that have been successful with this effort. It includes stories and narratives of peer specialists working in inpatient settings and some of the specific challenges and benefits experienced in their positions. Some key roles, as well as creative strategies including art and humor, are also discussed in this guide.

Inside outside: Building a meaningful life after the hospital
This film explores the lives of eight individuals who successfully made the transition from being institutionalized in psychiatric hospitals to living in the community. Throughout the film, these individuals share some of the challenges faced during their transition back into the community and some of the experiences and resources that helped empower them throughout their journeys. This film is appropriate for people in psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, or other long-term residential treatment facilities. It also may be interesting and educational for family members, providers, and advocates.

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.

Thirty of the most frequently asked questions about recovery and recovery-oriented practice (along with some beginning answers)
This comprehensive fact sheet lists 30 of the most commonly asked questions on the topic of recovery from mental disorders and recovery-oriented practice. Written as part of the Recovery to Practice initiative which works to educate service providers about recovery, this is a helpful resource for anyone interested in learning about recovery. It provides brief responses to each question and cited references.

The depression tool kit of the MacArthur Foundation Initiative on Depression and Primary Care
Primary care physicians can use this resource to learn about recognizing depression in their patients and assisting their patients experiencing depression more effectively. The resource focuses on recognizing depression, educating individuals on symptoms and treatment options, using evidence-based methods, and monitoring treatment responses. It also includes a medication guide and diagnostic aids.

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.

The Sanctuary Model: An integrated theory
The Sanctuary Model is an evidence-based, trauma-informed cultural approach that outlines a method for developing an organizational culture within which individuals who have experienced trauma can receive the support necessary to promote healing. This Web site provides a list of features of a certified Sanctuary organization; various links to learn more about this model, including details about the historical foundation and components of the model; and additional information on related news, publications, and products and services.

A Promise to Myself: Passport to Self-Love
This unique smoking cessation guide emphasizes the importance of self-love as a means of maintaining and nurturing one's wellness and as a foundation for stopping smoking. It includes a number of activities for readers to complete on the topic of loving oneself, ending a relationship with cigarettes, and celebrating and rewarding oneself for accomplishing milestones associated with stopping smoking. There are also a number of positive, encouraging quotes included thoughout this guide.

Developing a Local Time Dollars Program
This section of the Community Tool Box toolkit provides information and guidance on developing a Time Dollars program. With this approach volunteers earn "time dollars" through time spent providing service and use those dollars to "buy" service needed or, by donating "dollars", volunteers help ensure that others in need will get the support they need. This section also describes reasons for creating a Time Dollars program and gives real world examples of instances where this type of program has been successful. This section also explores who would develop a Time Dollars program.

Combating Stigma Within the Michigan Mental Health System: A Toolkit for Change
This toolkit strives to educate people with mental disorders and providers on ways to recognize and counter negative attitudes and harmful beliefs within the mental and substance use disorder services system. In the Tools for Action section of this toolkit, there are recommendations on how to develop a campaign to counter these negative and harmful perceptions. This kit also describes the role of providers in addressing these prejudices and ways in which individuals can work to confront these issues.

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.

Creating and Facilitating Peer Support Groups
This section of the Community Tool Box toolkit gives readers tips on creating and leading peer support groups. It defines peer support groups, provides information on who could benefit from a peer support group, includes real situational examples to reference, and other tools, such as a PowerPoint presentation and a checklist, to help individuals with this process.

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.

The Community Tool Box
The Community Tool Box is a resource that provides practical tools and information for building a healthy community. Through the Community Tool Box website, individuals can access toolkits to help with becoming more engaged in community work, a troubleshooting guide to help with problem solving, and a section dedicated to connecting people to evidence-based practices.

Building Communites from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets
This guide outlines strategies for communities to start asset-based development, an approach to community development in which local citizens' associations, community members and leaders, and institutions work together to build and repair their communities using an approach that focuses on identifying community strengths rather than deficiencies as the starting point in addressing community needs. This guide provides success stories of various communities across the United States and provides an introduction to strategies learned from neighborhood leaders.

Nuts and Bolts: A Technical Assistance Guide for Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Self-Help Groups
Individuals leading consumer/survivor-run organizations provide recommendations to others who want to develop their own organizations. This guide offers suggestions on a broad range of topics including developing a project plan, dealing with outside organizations including the media and the community, coalition building, quality assurance, group decisionmaking, and sustaining projects.

Homelessness and Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Recovery-Oriented Housing Achieving Healthy Lifestyles (Audio DVD)
This DVD explores the connection between homelessness and substance use treatment from both a program and policy point of view. Key factors associated with these two issues are also explored, including permanent supportive housing, treatment methods, and recovery support systems.

Mental Health and Housing
This program, which can be viewed online, explores housing issues for individuals with mental and substance use disorders. Episode 1 features a woman sharing her experience with homelessness and mental disorders. In Episode 2, a woman who is a housing provider and a man who is an advocate and policymaker discuss the housing issues of people with mental disorders.

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.

Self-advocacy and health care for older adults with mental illnesses
This toolkit provides information on the importance of self-advocacy for older adults with behavioral health problems. It provides tips for communicating with healthcare professionals and highlights the value of following up to ensure effective care.

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.

Accommodation Information by Disability: A to Z
This information page from the Job Accomodation Network (JAN) website is made up of links which provide general information on various conditions and some possible accomodations employers could provide for individuals with these conditions. Resource organizations to assist in providing proper accomodations are also available through this page.

Developing a State Interagency Council on Homelessness: A Step-by-Step Guide
This guide provides steps in how to develop a state council on homelessness. In addition to these steps, benefits, functions, activities, along with some features of a successful council are shared in this guide.

Are You in Recovery From Alcohol or Drug Problems?: Know your Rights
This brochure was developed to help individuals in recovery from substance use problems know their rights under federal laws, understand the legal consequences of substance use-related conduct, and to learn what to do to overcome barriers. Specific topics addressed include information on discrimination laws as they relates to housing, employment/job training, education, past convictions for substance offenses, and government services/programs. This document also provides contact information for Federal agencies that accept complaints of disability-based discrimination.

Implementing Healthcare Reform: First Steps to Transforming Your Organization, A Practical Guide for Leaders
The guide is meant to serve as a starting point for addiction treatment agencies that need further understanding of the 2010 healthcare reform legislation and what it means for their agency's practices and policies. This guide suggests that in order for agencies to succeed and capitalize on the opportunities created by reform, they will need to: Recognize the need to transform; Educate all levels of staff; Assess organizations' strengths and weaknesses; Strategically plan and implement transformation; Create partnerships with primary health entities; and Assess changes and adjust as needed. In addition to these recommendations this guide also offers information on the role of prevention as healthcare continues to evolve, reading materials, and tips on how advocacy can help with this transition.

Recovery Advocacy Toolkit: Engaging Your Community
This toolkit highlights the benefits that recovery from addiction can have on a community. It goes on to describe ways community involvement in advocacy can enhance public perceptions of recovery and promote effective public policy. This toolkit provides action steps for community members based on their different roles in the community. Educators, faith community members, community coalitions, families, government/public officials, criminal justice professionals, business leaders, healthcare professionals, local media outlets, and addiction treatment providers are all provided with specific steps that will help in engaging and guiding the community toward effective and positive attitudes toward recovery.

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.

Practice Guidelines: Core Elements in Responding to Mental Health Crises
This manual provides guidelines for improving services for behavioral health consumers in crisis. It provides statistics and defines what it means to be in a mental health crisis to help individuals understand how people with mental or emotional disabilities are impacted by them. Ten values are described as essential to crisis response: avoiding harm, intervening in person-center ways, shared responsibility, addressing trauma, establishing feelings of personal safety, based on strengths, the whole person, the person as a credible source, recovery, resilience, and natural supports, and prevention.

Cultural competency in mental health peer-run programs and self-help groups: A tool to assess and enhance your services
This tool helps behavioral health and consumer-run programs and groups to evaluate their levels of cultural competency. This resource works to help individuals recognize ways they may already embrace diversity and identify areas where improvements could be made. It focuses on five key areas: administration and policies, peer providers and group leaders, services and support, program and group environment, and communication and language capacity.

Tackling Stigma - A practical toolkit
This toolkit helps professionals working in the area of youth mental health to develop ideas on how to address negative beliefs, harmful attitudes, and discrimination and understand how to make the biggest impact when working to counter these issues. The toolkit stresses the importance of involving youth in local planning efforts to ensure they are involved in decision making regarding care options available to them in their area. It includes various materials including best practice examples, case studies, literature, and resources.

TBI, PTSD & Employment: An Online Training Tool for Employers, Supervisors & Hiring Managers
The purpose of this training tool is to educate human resource professionals and employers about Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The training explains how these injuries may impact employment, and the significant role that employment can play in the recovery of wounded military service members. This training includes clinical information about TBI and PTSD and links to additional resources.

Social Determinants of Health: The Solid Facts (2nd Edition)
This publication discusses research that explores determinants of health standards in modern society and highlights key components of this research in the context of public policy. The publication explains how psychological and social factors influence health and longevity. It focuses on 10 main topics including the importance of health determinants in childhood, and the effects of working conditions, social support, and unemployment.

Stepping Stones To Recovery: A Case Manager's Manual for Assisting Adults Who Are Homeless, with Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income Applications
The purpose of this manual is to help individuals, specifically case managers, assist homeless people with behavioral health problems in applying for Social Security Administration's (SSA) disability programs. This manual highlights many of the eligibility and documentation requirements, with the goal of facilitating the application process and reducing the need for appeals. It is a useful tool for anyone applying for SSA disability programs.

The Summary Plan: Bringing the Strategy to Life 2009-2011
This national action plan outlines the second phase of the 'See Me' campaign in Scotland. Within this phase, the 'See Me' campaign will focus on discrimination in communities where individuals are met with greater barriers and are more likely to experience behavioral health problems. This campaign strives to end negative perceptions of and discrimination against people with behavioral health problems. The plan describes an approach that creates cultural change to ensure the support of people experiencing behavioral health problems.

Supported Employment Evidence Based Practices KIT
This KIT offers standards on supported employment for individuals with severe behavioral health problems and promotes the idea that people with serious behavioral health conditions can participate fully in the workforce. It includes information on how to get started with evidence-based practice, national resources for consumers and families, and instruments to assess cultural competence.

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.

The World Health Organization's Mental Health Page
The World Health Organization (WHO) mental health page contains a wide array of WHO behavioral health resources, including guidance for advocates, information for researchers, fact sheets, speeches, statements, and publications on a variety of topics related to behavioral health.

Shift's line managers' resource
This web-based guide, designed by Shift, offers a variety of resources about managing and supporting personnel with behavioral health problems. The guide includes a series of short videos, case studies, and other materials for employers, employees, and job seekers.

WHO resource book on mental health, human rights and legislation
This book from the World Health Organization highlights the issues and principles behind good behavioral health and human rights legislation. It is meant to serve as a resource to countries as they draft and adopt the legislation but is also a valuable resource for stakeholders such as advocacy groups and health professionals.

Certified peer specialist training program descriptions
Behavioral health consumers who are interested in becoming certified peer specialists will find this reference helpful. The document, compiled in 2006, describes certification programs in Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

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.

Directory of statewide consumer-run organizations
This directory provides contact information for and links to consumer-run organizations. These organizations can provide information about consumer-run programs and services in your State.

Consumers in the mental health workforce: A handbook for providers
Employing consumers in the behavioral health field is important both to the recovery of the consumers and to the credibility of the providers. This handbook for providers includes tips and strategies for hiring and retaining consumer employees.

Walking in recovery (video)
This video shares the message that people can recover from mental health problems. Five people share their experiences with mental health diagnoses and the unique paths that led them to recovery. The successes of these consumers can help others understand mental health recovery and identify ways they can support mental health consumers in their communities.

Health promotion, risk reduction, suicide prevention report 2010
This report, based on the findings of the Army Suicide Prevention Task Force, is a call to action and an informative read for anyone concerned with military mental health. The report examines the reality of suicide and suicidal ideation among U.S. Army personnel, as well as high-risk behaviors that may result in death. The report describes the Army Suicide Prevention Campaign, tools and interventions to promote resiliency among service members and their families, and policy and governance adjustments to increase military behavioral health.

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.

Post deployment stress: What you should know, what you 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 service members returning from deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan, while the other addresses the concerns of their family members. 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.

Action on mental health: A guide to promoting social inclusion
This guide, produced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Social Exclusion Unit, provides practical tips for frontline staff and service providers, people affected by mental health problems, local agencies, and employers to use in promoting social inclusion. It includes individual fact sheets on themes such as families, discrimination, and employment.

Developing a stigma reduction initiative
This guide offers practical advice on implementing an initiative, sample materials and templates to use in developing communication materials, tactics to enhance outreach efforts, and directories of resources for creating public education materials.

Voices of transformation: Developing recovery-based statewide consumer/survivor organizations
This resource provides a blueprint to help consumer-run organizations advance the national movement for mental health system transformation. In addition to descriptions of existing programs, the publication provides strategic advice in fundraising, board development, and coalition building among other key nonprofit management topics.

Medicines to Help You: Depression
This guide provides a list of all FDA-approved medications used to treat depression. It is designed to help individuals talk about their medications with their mental health providers and pharmacists.

Reaching Across with the Arts: A Self Help Manual for Mental Health Consumers
Reaching Across with the Arts is a resource guide and manual to be used by mental health consumers to explain both how to create self-help arts programs and activities and how to use creativity in their everyday lives. This guidebook uses self help as the model for developing new arts activities and programs.

Guidance on transformational language
This brief electronic fact sheet provides information on the use of appropriate language when referring to mental health topics.

What you need to know?..Primary care outreach
This fact sheet tells you all you need to know about patients with depression and anxiety disorders and their primary care. One of the goals of the Campaign is to improve the manner in which mental illnesses are detected and treated in primary care settings.

Disclosing your disability to an employer
This fact sheet discusses the disclosure of ones' disability to an employer. Provides information on how to prepare to disclose ones' disablity to an employer, and also when is the best time to disclose your illness.

What you need to know?.Stigma building awareness and understanding about mental disorder
This fact sheet discusses how to build awareness and understanding about mental disorders. This fact sheet attempts to answer questions like "Why does stigma still exist"; "what is a mental disorder" and gives a list of the five major categories of mental disorders.

Substance Use Disorders: A Guide to the Use of Language
This language guide was created by the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). It provides individuals with information on the terminology that should be used when addressing substance use disorders. It promotes the use of words that will advance the understanding of substance use disorders as a health issue.

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.

Making it Sane: The Story of a Nonprofit Operated by People with Mental Illness
Making it Sane: The Story of a Nonprofit Operated by People with Mental Illness is a 27-minute documentary film created by a community psychologist, Louis Brown, to supplement the public awareness efforts of consumer-run organizations across Kansas.

How to use the media to fight stigma and discrimination (Spanish language version)
This Spanish languge tool kit helps individuals learn how to counteract stigma by working with the media and becoming involved in various anti-stigma initiatives.

The arts-reaching hearts and minds to counter discrimination associated with mental illnesses
An electronic publication discussing how art can be a powerful force in correcting the misperception that people who have mental illnesses lack the same interests and abilities as everyone else.

A mentally healthy workforce: It's good for business
This booklet provides assistance to employers and companies who are interested in changing the workplace from a mentally unhealthy environment to a healthy one.

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.

Work as a priority: A resource for employing people who have serious mental illnesses and are homeless
This guidebook is intended to provide both a conceptual and practical foundation to increase employment among people who are homeless and who also have serious mental illnesses.

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.

Housing for persons with a serious and persistent mental illness
A fact sheet describing some of the challenges faced by communities and key factors to consider while developing safe housing for individuals with severe behavioral health problems.

Filing an ADA employment discrimination charge: 'Making it work for you'
This guidebook provides information about how the ADA employment discrimination administrative charge process works and what has happened when individuals with psychiatric disabilities have filed administrative claims of employment discrimination. It explains, through discussion and examples, when, where, and how to file a charge.

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.

Mind your language: Media guidelines for mental health issues
This booklet, part of the 'see me' mental health public education campaign of Scotland, provides guidelines when addressing mental illness in the media.

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.

Americans with Disabilities Act: A guide for people with disabilities seeking employment
This brochure provides a guide for individuals with mental illnesses, specifically answering questions about employment rights under the ADA.

Building community support for housing: Ten tips on how to win support for your affordable housing projects
A brief fact sheet highlighting tips of what goes into a successful community outreach campaign for an affordable housing project.

Older adults and mental health: Issues and opportunities
A companion piece to the Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, this report focuses on the broad range of community-based preventive and treatment services that are available to older adults and their families. Chapter 6 specifically addresses stigma and other barriers to mental health care for aging adults.

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.

Housing toolkit
A toolkit developed to provide information to help the public mental heath community meet the housing needs of people with behavioral health problems.

Steps to employment: A workbook for people who have experienced mental health problems
This workbook was designed to help people who have experienced mental health problems to become job-ready. It explains the job search process and provides information to help reduce anxiety associated with employment.

Challenging stereotypes: An action guide
Step-by-step approach on how to respond to stigma in the media and elsewhere, including sample letters, resource listings, and strategies.

Mental illness is not a full-time job
A brief fact sheet discussing equal protection under the law. It also provides guidelines and resources for further information.

How to use the media to fight stigma and discrimination
This tool kit helps individuals learn how to counteract stigma by working with the media and becoming involved in various anti-stigma initiatives. 

Working Minds toolkit: A practical resource to promote good workplace practice on mental health
This guide, developed for the Mind Out for Mental Health campaign in England, may help employers in addressing the issue of mental health in the workplace. The kit contains useful material for anyone interested in addressing mental health issues in their workplace.

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.

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.

Words matter
This fact sheet provides examples of appropriate and inappropriate language when discussing mental illness.

Response ability: Challenging stigma
This fact sheet developed in Australia, provides basic information on stigma, and the misconceptions that can exist about mental illness.