Recovery for All: July 2012

National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month 2012 in Multimedia

July is a special month for NAMI and our partners to honor our shared goals of celebrating strengths of diverse communities, increasing awareness of mental illness experiences and the realities of recovery, importance of support and access to treatment.

We thank all of you who join us in ways both big and small to help spread the word about National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and congratulate you on the impact of your efforts.

In 2012 we have focused much of our effort in social media and have seen some great multimedia response from around the country. The main message:

It does not matter how you get involved. What matters is sharing a message of hope and support with all those who need it.

Click here for the full article and learn about National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month 2012 represented on the web, in blogs, on Facebook and Twitter.

Exemplary NAMI Leader Awarded for Inclusive Work

“Mental illness is common in every community. Recovery, too, can spring forth everywhere when we extend our care and compassion without judgment to all who are in need.”
–Gareth Fenley

Please join us in congratulating Gareth Fenley, president emeritus of NAMI Augusta, in receiving NAMI’s 2012 Multicultural Outreach Award. The award was presented last month in Seattle in during NAMI’s 2012 National Convention by then-NAMI President, Kevin Sullivan.

Click here to read more about Gareth and read highlight remarks of the award presentation.

Mental Health Screening Application Adapted for Spanish-speaking Users

“Hay Un App Para Eso/There’s an App for That”

The National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health has partnered with M3 to release a Spanish language version of WhatsMyM3, a quick and anonymous tool that screens for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. The release coincides with the partnership’s recognition and support of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Click here to read more.

Announcements

Keris Jän Myrick,
NAMI President

Miss President: NAMI Welcomes Keris Myrick

Join us in welcoming Keris Jän Myrick to her role as newly elected president on the NAMI Board of Directors.

Among many appearances sharing her experience and perspective, Keris provides her favorite spiral analogy of mental health recovery for NAMI: “Sometimes I may be moving a little bit slower or it may even appear that I’ve stopped but I haven’t gone backwards—I’m still moving forward.”

New STAR Center Director

NAMI is pleased to announce that Clarissa Netter has joined the STAR Center as director. Ms. Netter served most recently as director of the Office of Consumer Affairs with the Mental Hygiene Administration in Maryland. She began her career in the mental health field as a peer counselor in Baltimore and has built a reputation for meeting the needs of under-served populations and supporting self-help adaptation. Ms. Netter is the 2012 Iris Award recipient from NAMI Maryland and was the 2011 Maryland Transformation Grant Statewide Legacy Award recipient. Please join us in welcoming Clarissa to her new role!

News

Why Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Has Remained Mum about His ‘Mood Disorder’ Allison Samuels, The Daily Beast (7/12/12)

“The battle isn’t over…getting his mental health back is the first step and the only way to face it. He knows that.” says a close friend.

California Reducing Disparities Project finds Statewide Concern for African American Mental Health Services California Watch (7/17/12)
Transgender advocates push US psychiatric establishment to revise mental illness labels (Associated Press, 7/21/12)

Research

Mental Health Care Disparities Persist for Black and Latino Children
Recent study, Racial/Ethnic Disparity Trends in Children's Mental Health Care Access and Expenditures from 2002 to 2007 illuminates persisting disparities in the use of mental health services for black and Latino children.

According to lead author, Benjamin Lê Cook, Ph.D., “About 10 percent of white youth are using mental health care compared to about half that percentage—between 4 and 5 percent—of black and Latino youth using mental health care. That 2-to-1, white-to-minority ratio is a giant disparity compared to other areas of health care.”
Enhancing the Delivery of Health Care: Eliminating Health Disparities through a Culturally & Linguistically Centered Integrated Health Care Approach
Consensus statements and recommendations collected by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health and Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
“Growing Up LGBT in America”
The Human Rights Campaign recently released a study of 10,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young people and straight youth ages 13-17. The study is the largest known survey of LGBT youth. A major finding of the study was that LGBT youth are twice as likely as their peers to say they have been physically assaulted, kicked, or shoved at school. More than one-half of LGBT youth (54 percent) say they have been verbally harassed and called names involving anti-gay slurs.

In response to survey question, "What is the most difficult problem facing you in your life these days?" 14% of LGBT youth selected "Eating disorders/ Self-harm/ Depression/ Suicide."

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

#vote2012 - Using Social Media for Mental Health Care Gets My Vote!
Thursday, Aug. 23 at 1 p.m. ET

Twitter, Facebook, texting campaigns, the list goes on…all good to build the buzz for NAMI’s Mental Health Care Gets My Vote campaign! Whether you’re new to social media or you’re connected 24/7, this webinar training is for you. NAMI’s Multicultural Action Center is teaming up with our Policy Team to help you connect with candidates, inform them of our issues, find out where they stand and use social media platforms to personally stand up for mental health care.
2012 Addressing Health Disparities Leadership Program
Apply by July 31

The SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions' (CIHS) Addressing Health Disparities Leadership Program aims to nurture a workforce that will help reduce disparities for diverse racial, ethnic, and LGBT minority groups receiving community-based primary and behavioral healthcare. 20 participants will be selected for this free training program. Middle managers working with diverse populations in a community substance use prevention or treatment organization, community mental health organization, or HRSA-funded Community Health Center are invited to apply.
2012 Summit on the Science of Eliminating Health Disparities, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, National Harbor, Md.

Join NAMI today!

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