By Amanda Kearney-Smith I’ve heard many times that “stigma does not have an impact on people seeking treatment. Its no longer an issue.” – I think that people confuse improving attitudes about mental health with total acceptance. For those of
U.N.I.T.E. to End Stigma!
By: Amanda Kearney-Smith I found this new acronym and I love it! UNITE = Understand, Nurture, Include Others, Talk, Embrace U: Understand. This means we need to educate ourselves and learn all we can about mental health issues. If you
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month
Yes, we have a ways to go, but there are definitely reasons to celebrate May as Mental Health Month! The more awareness we raise and the more we fight stigma the more people will get the help they need. Throughout
Together We Can Do So Much
By Amanda Kearney-Smith, Executive Director People often tell me.. “You don’t seem depressed” or “It doesn’t seem like your illness affects you” or “I’ve never seen you struggling”. I think people are surprised to hear that I’ve battled bipolar disorder
Congratulations Peer Support Graduates!
Congratulations to our latest class of peer support coach graduates! Carol, Craig, Dan, David, John, Kristine, Liz, and Rita These fabulous people spent over 80 hours in the classroom learning new skills and sharing their wisdom and experiences with one
What is a Wellness Plan?
At The Network we offer “wellness planning workshops” to anyone who is interested in creating a personalized wellness tool. What does that mean? Well, there are a lot of wellness tools out there, just do a search for “wellness tools”
The Invisible Injury
By Natalie Gisvold Prince Harry speaks out about the stigma of Mental Health, specifically relating to war veterans. Research suggests that 10-18% of troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq are likely to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) upon their
What is Advocacy?
Advocacy means different things for different people (and groups), but we can break it down into a few key areas: Self-Advocacy is representing and advancing your own interests; Peer-to-Peer or Individual Advocacy is representing the rights and interests of someone
Harnessing Your Innate Resilience
By Natasha Amiri, CMWN Intern Ever look at the world and wonder how some people can handle all the adversity and challenges they must live with, say due to war, natural disaster, or illness? Ever find yourself kind of comparing
Biopsychosaywhat?
If you’ve been in treatment for, known someone in treatment for, or have researched things about mental health and illness, you may have heard this big scary buzzword. biopsychosocial Well, here’s what it means, short and sweet. No