links for consumers and families
The National Empowerment Center website is filled with practical information that will help you recover if you have been labeled with a mental illness. www.power2u.org
Consumer Organization and Networking Technical Assistance Center: The West Virginia Mental Health Consumer’s Association, Inc. (WVMHCA) provides services as a national consumer-run technical assistance center, created to strengthen and support consumer networks, to identify technical assistance needs and implement related strategies for diverse consumer groups, and to encourage relationship building through its Consumer Organization and Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC). http://www.contac.org
The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse is a consumer-run national technical assistance center serving the mental health consumer movement. The Clearinghouse helps connect individuals to self-help and advocacy resources, and offers expertise to self-help groups and other peer-run services for mental health consumers. http://www.mhselfhelp.org
Support, Technical Assistance, Resource Center (STAR Center) is a national consumer and consumer supporter technical assistance center that develops, produces, disseminates, and stores a wide range of culturally appropriate materials, resources, and tools for consumers, consumer-operated programs and self-help groups that strengthen skills, organizational capabilities, and service capacity. The Web site is also translated in Spanish El Centro STAR. http://www.consumerstar.org
The National Mental Health Association’s National Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Center strives to strengthen consumer organizations by providing technical assistance in the form of research, informational materials and financial aid. http://www.ncstac.org
Consumer/Survivor Mental Health Information: SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) supports the meaningful participation of mental health consumers/survivors in all aspects of the mental health system including the planning, design, implementation, policy formulation and evaluation of mental health services. To accomplish this goal, CMHS sponsors a variety of consumer affairs activities such as scholarships to attend national conferences, meetings to address the needs of consumers/survivors, regional consumer meetings, programs to address discrimination and stigma and other issues related to mental illness, the development and dissemination of educational materials, and much more. http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/consumersurvivor/default.asp
Agoraphobics Building Independent Lives (ABIL): Agoraphobics Building Independent Lives is a non-profit organization for persons dealing with anxiety and panic disorders, incorporated in the State of Virginia. It has support groups nationwide. http://www.anxietysupport.org
Alliance for Justice: Association of environmental, civil rights, mental health, consumer, and women's organizations dedicated to the survival and growth of public interest advocacy. http://www.afj.org/
CHARG Resource Center provides mental health treatment, advocacy, self-help and support, and recreational opportunities; offers information about mental illness to the public. http://www.charg.org
Depressed Anonymous is a 12 step program of recovery for persons with depression. http://www.depressedanon.com
Depressionforums.org offers a platform for open peer discussion on the Internet for members in an atmosphere that is both supportive and informative. Participants discuss their experiences with depressive illnesses, other mental health issues, treatment options, and related topics. http://forum.depressionforums.org/forums/index.php?
Healing Touch: A Self-Injury Website offers resources for people who self-injure. http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Self_Injury/healingtouch
NEEDID Support Network, Inc. is a peer support network run by and for people with dissociative identity disorder and other trauma related dissociative disorders. The site includes mailing list, message forum, links, and reading room. http://www.needid.bizland.com
Panic Survivor: This online community provides a forum for people who have been through trauma to tell their stories. http://www.panicsurvivor.com
People Who is a U S 501 (c) (3) organization incorporated in California. The web site includes information on a wide range issues that impact on the consumer/survivor community. http://www.peoplewho.org
Psychology Self-Help Resources on the Internet provides links to noncommercial sites providing information and help about specific disorders. Lists of brochures and articles, commercial psychology-related Web sites, psychology journals on the Web, other psychology resources, and scholarly psychology resources are available here. http://www.psychwww.com/resource/selfhelp.htm
Psychosis InSite: This Web site is maintained by the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) of the VA Desert Pacific Healthcare Network (VISN 22 in California/Nevada). The site offers free streaming video lectures presented at previous MIRECC sponsored accredited continuing education conferences, free online newsletter, links to VA mental clinics and other mental health resources, a discussion forum, and more. This Web site serves consumers of mental health information and professionals in the field. http://www.desertpacific.mirecc.va.gov/index.shtml
Recovery, Inc. is a self-help mental health program based on the ground breaking work of our founder a neuropsychiatrist, the late Abraham A. Low, M.D. It is non-profit, non-sectarian, and completely member managed. Recovery Inc. has been active since 1937 and we have groups meeting every week around the world. http://www.recovery-inc.org
The Medicine Program was established by volunteers seeking to help those individuals who could not afford the cost of their prescriptions. http://www.themedicineprogram.com
The Project Hope Foundation is dedicated to reducing depression and suicide (especially youth suicide). It has books, videos and instructions on self-education and how to run Life Skills Open Forums. http://www.project-hope.co.nz
Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC) is based in Melbourne, Australia. It is a consumer/survivor-run advocacy organization for people with mental health problems. http://www.vmiac.com.au
1st Person is an on-line mental health magazine devoted to the perspectives of people who have had mental health conditions. Visitors are invited to send in material for the magazine. http://www.1stpm.org
THRIVEnet is a place to learn about survival. Covers change, agility, resilience, hardiness, creative adapting, the survivor personality, overcoming job loss, serendipity, successful schizophrenia, synchronicity, the synergistic personality, and other issues related to life skills and mental health. http://www.thrivenet.com/
The Anxiety-Panic Internet Resource is a self-help network dedicated to the overcoming and curiosity of overwhelming anxiety. http://www.algy.com/anxiety
Factsforhealth.org was created by the not-for-profit Madison Institute of Medicine to increase the understanding of mental health disorders. Helps people identify, understand and find treatment for social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Provides clinician referrals and free online CME courses for PTSD and PMDD. http://www.factsforhealth.org
National Anxiety Foundation provides information on anxiety disorders for professionals and the general public. An international directory of anxiety health care professionals is also available on this site. http://lexington-on-line.com/naf.html
American Psychological Association: Consumer Help Center site provides brochures, fact sheets and an online psychologist referral service for persons affected by mental disorders, their families and others who care about them. http://helping.apa.org
American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse: Self-Help Sourcebook OnLine! Database of over 800 national/model self-help support groups, local self-help group clearinghouses worldwide, group research summaries, and how-to's on starting groups. http://www.mentalhelp.net/selfhelp
Transformations: A Forum for Self-Help and Recovery is dedicated to helping those in recovery and seeking spiritual growth. The site includes resources and a calendar for live support and recovery group meetings. http://www.transformations.com
Will I Go Crazy? This site addresses mental disorders and related issues, including stigma. http://willigocrazy.org
Ask NOAH About: Dealing with Traumatic Events: Resources that address the many issues related to disaster and mental health can be found here. This site is maintained by New York Online Access to Health (NOAH), a partnership of four New York partners including The City University of New York (CUNY). http://www.noah-health.org/en/mental/\
The Program in Consumer Studies and Training is maintained by the Missouri Institute of Mental Health and is focused on mental health consumer research issues and programs, including the Consumer Operated Services Program Multisite Research Initiative. http://www.mimh.edu/cstprogramarchive/PCS&T/index.html
DBSA (Depressive and Bipolar Support Alliance) serves people living with all kinds of mental illnesses, including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and other illnesses.
Sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), HealthyMinds.org is a consumer-oriented Web site designed to inform users about mental health treatment and resources. The site has information about warning signs of mental disorders and prevention measures, as well as access to other mental health resources and a psychiatrist locator feature. http://www.HealthyMinds.org
The Procovery Institute website is a clearinghouse of Procovery information, resources and ideas for building hope, healing and life for persons with mental illness.
www.procovery.com
