People with mental health conditions are disproportionately killed by police, and that will only get worse if training programs don’t change their prioritiesFair warning that this is an extremely long, research-heavy post. If you want the gist, read the subheadings
Why Mental Health Awareness Month?
Each May our community recognizes mental health awareness month, a tradition that has existed since 1949 in an effort to shed light on the “normalcy” of mental illness. (1) Is it working? Hard to say. Granted we’ve moved away
Limitations aren’t always a bad thing…
By Jennifer Hill, Program Coordinator As I move forward in my career, I reflect on this message shared by Helen Keller. Growing up with a “severe learning disability” in a traumatic home, I heard “You can’t…” constantly. This message shaped
#quitdiagnosingtrump
So this petition is going around demanding that Donald Trump undergo a psychiatric evaluation in order to determine his “mental fitness for the job” of President. I understand that people don’t like Trump. I’m not going to debate his politics
All 50 states now report us to NICS. Thanks NH!
New Hampshire has officially decided to conform to public pressure and start reporting the big scary people with mental illness to the National Instant Criminal Background Checks System (NICS) so that they are flagged as ineligible to own firearms. I emphasize the
Gun violence hysteria + lime green wristbands = ???
I write about gun violence and mental illness too much, I know, but other people write about it too much too. So there. Recently we experienced the largest mass shooting in United States history at an Orlando nightclub. The gunman
Why the Media is Holding us Back!
by Amanda Kearney-Smith The media is everywhere – online, t.v., magazine articles, newspaper, social media, etc. So you really can’t ignore it! Unfortunately the media often gets it wrong when it comes to mental health. And even more unfortunate is
May is Mental Health (Not Illness) Month
by Amanda Kearney-Smith May is mental health awareness month, a whole month dedicated to raising awareness and breaking down stigma. So why do I keep seeing headlines like this….. “How to Get the Mentally Ill Out of Jail and Off the
U.N.I.T.E to End Stigma Week Five: Embrace Treatment
By Amanda Kearney-Smith This is week five of our blog campaign on stigma. So far we’ve reviewed the U, N, I, & T of U.N.I.T.E. this week we elaborate on the final letter “E” which stands for “embrace”. U.N.I.T.E =
Reducing Stigma Continued…
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