This issue of the Recovery and Rehabilitation Newsletter offers information, resources, and ideas on how to begin implementing changes that promote wellness and recovery for mental health services consumers. Available for free download.

Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University

Latinos, the nation's largest minority group, face significant obstacles in receiving adequate mental health and rehabilitation services. This bilingual newsletter examines the challenges of providing psychiatric rehabilitation services to Spanish-speaking communities. Available for free download.

Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University

In this newsletter Dr. William Anthony, Executive Director at the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, describes leadership principles and the experiences of current leaders in improving our knowledge base in the field of mental health leadership. Available for free download.

Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University

The Campaign for Mental Health Recovery (CMHR) is a national public education effort that improves the general understanding of mental illness, promotes recovery, and encourages help-seeking behaviors across the age span. With grassroots support from States and community organizations, the CMHR accomplishes its goals through TV and radio Public Service Announcements, a Web site, and print and transit advertising.

Department of Health and Human Services-SAMHSA

This report aims to identify and describe the range of self-directed care (SDC) programs that are currently being pursued by individual states and provides evidence as to the impact of these programs on individuals and state resources. The report is targeted primarily to state and local-level policymakers and individuals in consumer or other advocacy organizations.

Alakeson, V., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Released by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) this publication promotes a recovery oriented, asset-based perspective as the guiding framework for the DMHAS system of care.

Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

This compendium addresses the continuing need for measurements for recovery. Reviews of the instruments are divided into two categories: measures of individual recovery and measures of recovery-promoting environments. Available as a free download or in print for $50.

Campbell-Orde, T., Chamberlin, J., Carpenter, J., & Leff, H. S. The Evaluation Center at HSRI (Human Services Research Institute)

A free download, the fact sheet features the topical headings such as: What is recovery? Is recovery possible? What is recovery like for someone living with a serious psychiatric disability? And a list of resources which provides an opportunity for a reader to further explore additional information on their own and at their own pace.

Expert panelist attending the National Consensus Conference on Mental Health Recovery and Mental Health Systems Transformation developed a consensus statement on mental health recovery along with ten (10) fundamental components of recovery. Both the consensus statement and the components of recovery are available on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

This publication identifies activities and strategies people may use to help manage their own illnesses and services. Intended to support and enhance the nationwide focus on self-help for and recovery from mental health problems, the content is based on the extensively-reported day-to-day experiences of people with psychiatric symptoms--how they get well and stay well. Available on  the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and the National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning (NTAC). Description: This report features a collection of essays and information from a variety of national experts on psychiatric rehabilitation. The report includes a panel discussion on workforce issues, a preview of measurement tools now in development, case studies of successful systems and ideas at the state and local levels, and print and online resources for more information.

This monograph is a compilation of the briefing papers presented at the Conference. The papers, written by people with psychiatric disabilities and other experts, were designed to summarize current knowledge about self-determination, and to suggest action steps for the future.

The University of Illinois at Chicago National Research & Training Center

An update on the "Mental Health Recovery: What Helps and What Hinders?" report published in 2002 (and listed below). The project evolved from collaborative efforts to create a set of mental health system performance indicators for facilitating an orientation in mental health recovery.

Onken, S. J., Dumont, J. M., Ridgway, P., Dornan, D. H., Ralph, R. Presented at the 2004 Joint National Conference on Mental Health Block Grant and Mental Health Statistics, Washington, DC.

This report describes two changes in services provided by the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addicitive Diseases. The first change refers to the way providers bill for and receive compensation for providing mental health services. The second change relates to how services are delivered. This report will study the impact of these changes as well as new programs initiated as a result of these changes.

Division of Mental health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases Office of Consumer Relations.

Utilizing trauma literature, a well-developed body of work that focuses specifically on recovery and is associated with research showing effectiveness. The Ontario Division of the Canadian Mental Health Association makes recommendations aimed at building a mental health system that is truly recovery oriented.

Ontario Division, Canadian Mental Health Association

The Commission's report emphasizes the need to transform our nation's mental health system and provides recommendations for steps that can be taken at national, state and local levels to improve mental health services and supports for people of all ages with mental illnesses.

The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. Final Report. DHHS Pub. No. SMA-03-3832. Rockville, MD

This report discusses the need for the culture of mental health care to shift to a culture based on self-determnination, empowering relationships, and full participation of mental health consumers in the work and community life of society.

The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. Report of the Subcommittee on Consumer Issues. Rockville, MD

This report provides an overview of peer support services in the United States in order to guide and promote understanding and integration of peer-run support within the continuum of community mental healthcare.

Alexandria, VA: National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

The goal of the Summit was to develop consensus around the issues of greatest concern to consumers and survivors and create action plans for future work.

Portland, OR: The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse

The second of two, this reports discusses the use of the Medicaid program to fund recovery-oriented services for adults with serious mental illnesses.

Vol. II, Pub No. AM-2. Washington, DC: Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

This report identifies and describes promising practices on creating violence and coercion free treatment environments. Included are basic concepts of conflict management and alternative dispute resolution to the mental health field, the potential application of these techniques to specific mental health settings, and a description of how this approach can provide concrete tools and assistance to states in their efforts to reduce the use of seclusion and restraint.

Blanch, A., & Prescott, L. Alexandria, VA: National Association for State mental Health Program Directors and the National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning

This report is a collaborative effort among a number of state mental health agencies that were interested in developing a measure related to recovery and one of several indicators that can be used to assess the performance of state and local mental health systems and providers.

Onken, S. J., Dumont, J. M., Ridgway, P., Dornan, D. H., Ralph, R. Alexandria, VA: National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

The Commission's report is a comprehensive plan of action to meet the needs of individuals in Ohio with mental illness, and it provides a strategy for prevention and early intervention. The report is to be used as an aid to increase the quality of mental health services and improve treatment outcomes and recovery from mental illness.

Ohio Mental Health Commission

This document describes how states fund recovery-focused services in the community for people with mental illnesses. It also explains the federal rules governing community-based psychiatric rehabilitation and case management services for adults under Medicaid and the issues facing mental health systems using the federal-state program. Excerpts from states’ service definitions and state-by-state tables showing services covered under managed care and fee-for-services plans are also included.

Vol. I, Pub No. AM-1. Washington, DC: Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

This document is a Technical Assistance Guide for mental health consumers interested in using the Internet to help themselves and other consumers and explains how the Internet can be a powerful tool for recovery, advocacy, fighting stigma, and organizing self-help groups.

Philadelphia, PA: National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse.

This report is designed to encourage state mental health agencies to consider establishing an Office of Consumer Affairs to help ensure that consumers have a strong voice in state mental health policy development, planning, and practice. The report includes implementation practices, staffing issues, key responsibilities, consumer issues, and hiring practices.

Executive Summary. National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

This document discusses the need for consumer/survivor/expatients to overcome discrimination, helplessness, and isolation and become socially empowered to participate in creating new policies.

Daniel Fisher. Lawrence, MA: The National Empowerment Center

This report examines the mental health delivery system and the principle of a state/county partnership; the mental health services provided for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly; and the impact of stigma on community perceptions and current mental health policies. Also included are recommendations for a service system targeted at prevention, early intervention, treatment, recovery, and positive consumer outcomes.

Final Report. Madison, WI

This report is based on information the Ohio Department of Mental Health obtained from a series of community forums and dialogues with consumers and family members across the state of Ohio, and the Ohio Community Support Program Advisory Committee. The purpose of this report was to discover and define mental health recovery to help shape a new vision of state mental health intervention and treatment. During these discussions, eight major themes of recovery were produced.

Velma Beale & Tom Lambric. Columbus, OH: Community Support Program Advisory Committee, Ohio Department of Mental Health, Office of Consumer Services