Center for Civic Partnerships

Mental Health

Top Tips

Mental health is an integral component of an individual’s overall health and well-being which can enhance or detract from one’s quality of life. Everyone has emotions and at times must deal with difficulties associated with anger, anxiety, grief or depression. Others experience more serious mental health challenges such as personality disorders, eating disorders, addiction and substance abuse, panic disorders, Schizophrenia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or phobias. And mental illness is much more common than often realized. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Mental Health Information Center, an estimated 50 million Americans experience a mental disorder in any given year. The good news is that advances in society and science have increased our collective understanding of mental health issues and led to the development of more effective treatments, including therapy and medication. Communities can do much to support mental well-being, especially by raising awareness and reducing stigma often associated with mental disorders.

Consider some of the ideas below:

Raise awareness of children’s mental health issues in specially designed educational workshops for youth or at school Parent-Teacher meetings.
Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms associated with mental problems or illness. Help to educate others.
Join with a national advocacy campaign to offer education and screenings in your community.
Establish a community support network for people seeking mental health information and services.
Help fight the stigma associated with mental health issues. Report instances of stigma that occur in the news or entertainment media to the National Mental Health Association’s Stigma Watch program.
Support mental health consumers in self-help and self-advocacy efforts by accompanying the person to meetings with health care providers, offering space for support group meetings, or hiring qualified candidates for jobs.

Online Resources

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
www.aacap.org/
Designed for members and to assist families in understanding mental health disorders that affect children and adolescents, this site includes fact sheets, glossary, research information, upcoming training, opportunities for funding awards and practice guidelines. Includes a Spanish language section.

Asian Community Mental Health Services
www.acmhs.org/
Includes descriptions of culturally competent services available to the Bay Area’s Asian and Pacific Islander population, a bibliography of readings for dual diagnoses of Asian and Pacific Islander Communities and links to other sites.

California Department of Mental Health
www.dmh.cahwnet.gov/
Visit this site for information on state mental health services and programs, laws and regulations, county information, frequently asked questions and statistical reports.

California Institute for Mental Health
www.cimh.org
CIMH promotes excellence in mental health services through training, technical assistance, research and policy development. The web site includes descriptions of various projects including the CA Women’s Mental Health Policy Council, TeleMental Health and the Center for Multicultural Development. Includes many downloadable resources such as guides to blended funding for mental health services, implementing children’s systems of care and confidentiality; screening instruments (in English and Spanish), brochures on children’s Severe Emotional Disturbance (in English, Vietnamese, and Chinese), policy briefs, newsletters and satellite broadcasts.

Center for Mental Health Services
www.mentalhealth.org
Access this clearinghouse for information on federal prevention programs (e.g., school violence, suicide), the latest news, legislation and funding related to mental health, mental health services and statistics, and resources for managing mental health challenges (e.g., coping with anxiety, disasters) including publications and fact sheets in English and Spanish. Sponsored by United States Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Depression Screening
www.depression-screening.org/
Offers information on the symptoms and treatment of depression and an interactive screening test for depression.

Depression and Music Therapy
www.enterthefreudianslip.com/music_therapy_and_depression.htm
Examines the power of using popular music, something people already listen to, as a way for people to express their feelings. Includes examples of therapeutic messages in popular music as well as original music by Freudian Slip, therapeutic rock band.

Internet Mental Health
www.mentalhealth.com
A world forum for sharing mental health information, practices and treatments. Contains information on common mental health disorders, the latest news and research, medications, self-diagnostic tools, discussion groups and links to additional sites.

Mental Health Association in California
www.mhac.org/
The California affiliate of the National Mental Health Association hosts this website that includes information on state legislation and budget, advocacy, Reaching For the Light a guide to understanding mental health disorders (may be ordered in Spanish), and links to other California mental health sites.

Mental Help Net
http://mentalhelp.net/
Includes information on a wide range of topics related to mental health, news and scientific articles, book reviews, glossaries, advice, a self-help sourcebook, self-assessments, symptom listings, medicine databases and therapist search.

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
http://ocd.nami.org/
NAMI is a nonprofit, grassroots, self-help, support and advocacy organization of consumers, families and friends of people with severe mental illnesses. The website includes a searchable database to find local support groups/chapters, fact sheets and educational materials in English and Spanish, research news, position papers and press materials for advocacy and links to testimony, speeches and additional resources.

National Institute of Mental Health
www.nimh.nih.gov/
Includes news, research, statistics and information on clinical trials, funding opportunities, conference summaries, education materials in English and Spanish and an educational section on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illnesses for the general public, practitioners and researchers.

National Mental Health Association
www.nmha.org/
NMHA works to improve American mental health through advocacy, education, research and service. The website contains resources for understanding mental health disorders and treatment, including prevention programs, children’s mental health, press kits, advocacy information and links to other mental health resources.

National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse
www.mhselfhelp.org/
Offers technical assistance, self-help and advocacy resources for mental health consumers.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
www.samhsa.gov/
SAMHSA works to improve the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce problems related to substance abuse and mental illnesses. The website includes data, a clearinghouse, funding announcements and workplace resources.

Mental Health

Top Tips

Online Resources

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