CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News January 16, 2003 Vol. 03-2
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2002 Year in Review: Discrimination and Stigma
- 2002 Year in Review -
Consumer Survivor Issues
Discrimination and Stigma
Consumer
Affairs Activities
Regional Consumer Meetings
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION CENTER FOR MENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS
This is the last in a series of four CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News 2002 Year in
Review emails recapping the past year's activities of the CMHS Associate
Director for Consumer Affairs (ADCA) and Consumer Affairs Specialist staff.
The contact information for ADCA staff appears at the end of this E-News.
Discrimination and Stigma Center:
CMHS/ADCA launched a new Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma
Associated with Mental Illnesses (ADS Center). The Center helps States, local
communities, providers, managed care organizations, advocates, family members,
and mental health consumers design, implement, and operate programs and
campaigns to reduce discrimination and stigma. The Center provides these
audiences with information – through Internet resources and technical
assistance – about available publications, events, and issues of relevance for
people or organizations interested in combating discrimination and stigma. The
ADS Center is an outcome of the National Mental Health Symposium to Address
Discrimination and Stigma held by CMHS in Spring 2001. Printed copies of the
Symposium findings are now available. The Center's toll-free telephone number
is 1-800-540-0320. The ADS Center will launch its web site in early 2003 at
www.mentalhealth.org/stigma. Please contact Carole Schauer or Paolo del
Vecchio for more information.
Eliminating Barriers Initiative:
CMHS/ADCA has begun an anti-discrimination and anti-stigma initiative to
promote the President's New Freedom Initiative. Under this new effort, CMHS/ADCA
is developing public education approaches to overcoming barriers to treatment
and community participation for persons with psychiatric disabilities. The
Eliminating Barriers Initiative is designed to assist State mental health
systems in reducing discrimination and stigma by: (1) providing technical
assistance and communication skills development; (2) supplying nationally
developed educational resource materials; and (3) evaluating State stigma
reduction efforts to inform national public education efforts. The findings
from the initiative will be made available for national distribution.
Discrimination and Stigma Roundtables on Older Adults:
CMHS/ADCA has begun an initiative to focus on age-related stereotyping and
discrimination. Two one- and a half- day Roundtables will be convened that
address the needs and abilities of older adult mental health consumers and
examines strategies to develop public education and awareness approaches to
overcome barriers to treatment and community participation. The meetings will
include stakeholders such as mental health consumers, family members,
advocates, members of organizations representing older adults, primary care
and mental health professionals, federal collaborators, health journalists and
researchers from the public and private sector to determine how best to
establish a national public education and awareness initiative and foster
collaborations. Information gained from these roundtables will be used to
provide technical assistance to the States. For more information contact
Caroler Schauer or Chris Marshall.
Hispanic Anti-Stigma Media Tools:
CMHS/ADCA is undertaking multimedia efforts to address discrimination and
stigma in Hispanic communities throughout the United States. These efforts
include the production of 5 radio public service announcements in Spanish for
use by Spanish-speaking radio stations across the country and a Spanish poster
that will be included in the Anti-Stigma/Anti-Discrimination kit. For more
information, please contact Carole Schauer or Chris Marshall.
Discrimination and Stigma Workshop:
In June 2002, CMHS offered a newly developed workshop, Responding to Stigma:
Effective and Applicable Strategies for the Work Environment, for SAMHSA
staff. This was designed to increase staff knowledge and skills in addressing
discrimination and stigma. Three workshops took place in 2002. Please contact
Chris Marshall for more information.
Stigma, Mental Illness, and the Media:
CMHS participated in a recent National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Conference, in Washington, D.C., that brought together a multi-disciplinary
group of experts to assist in developing a research agenda addressing the role
of the media in stigma and mental illness. Discussions have begun on a
possible collaboration between SAMHSA and NIMH on further studies in the area
of stigma and mental illness.
Paolo del Vecchio
Associate Director for Consumer Affairs
pdelvecc@samhsa.gov
Carole Schauer
Consumer Affairs Specialist
cschauer@samhsa.gov
Chris Marshall
Consumer Affairs Specialist
cmarshal@samhsa.gov
Last Updated on
04/14/04
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