News /Alternatives
Hall: Changing relationship with feelings key to personal recovery, social change
By Shannon Eliot
Mental health advocate and schizophrenia survivor Will Hall freely admits that he still has suicidal feelings.
But instead of feeling ashamed or embarrassed, he sees those feelings as just another aspect of himself and how he lives in the world.
"Sometimes I do have feelings that life is not worth living and that I want to die," Hall said in his keynote address on Friday. "I'm committed to being here and not going anywhere, but I do have those feelings. And it still happens even though I'm in recovery and a functioning part...
Native American tribal communities provide hope for overcoming historical trauma
By Shannon Eliot
The key to recovery from historical trauma lies in restoring a community's "original instructions" and returning to cultural roots, according to Native American mental health leader Elicia Goodsoldier.
Historical trauma — which refers to a collective experience of one group experiencing repeated trauma over time — is neither immediately recognizable nor widely understood.
Perhaps nowhere is Native American historical trauma more apparent than on the...
Portland CBO: Honest, transparent efforts at cultural responsiveness critical to program effectiveness, buy-in
By Shannon Eliot
It's not easy being an organization that works with many cultures, but making and sharing an ongoing commitment to cultural learning is critical to effectively serving and gaining buy-in from consumers, according to Lynn Smith-Stott, Program Manager for Central City Concern.
The Portland-based organization is dedicated to serving people who are homeless and have mental health and/or addiction issues. One of their flagship projects is the Over Representation Program, or ORP, for African Americans.
Thirty percent of the homeless population and...
Sithole: Look to Africa for lessons in recovery
By Shannon Eliot
Masipula Sithole Jr. has lived in societies so different from one another that he is still questioning the definition of normal to this day.
Sithole, a graduate student in international development at Johns Hopkins University, grew up in Harare, Zimbabwe. As a child, he struggled with stuttering and had his first experience with therapy at the age of five, years before ever hearing the phrase "bipolar." Now an adult, Sithole warmly looks back on that experience as fundamental to shaping his views on mental illness.
"My first form of...
Hyde: Health care reform to offer new opportunities for consumers
By Shannon Eliot
The Affordable Care Act will give consumers more opportunities than ever to get customized support for their recovery, according to Pam Hyde, Administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
In the opening keynote of the 2012 Alternatives conference, Hyde reflected on previous models of care and the new importance of integrating behavioral and primary health care to meet the needs of the whole person.
"The goal is no longer mandated or coerced treatment for a mental health challenge," Hyde said. "The...
Growing number of consumers living below poverty line
People with mental health issues make up 36 percent of Social Security allocations — up from 24 percent two decades prior — and possess a standard of living that often falls below federal poverty guidelines, according to Alternatives presenters Donita Diamata and Amy Zulich.
With the federal poverty guideline set at $10,890 per year and Social Security payments set at $8,064 annually, consumers relying solely on government income face a deficit of more than $2,000 each year in meeting basic living expenses, according to Diamata.
In addition to not being able to...
Victorious Black Women share tribulations, triumphs
In an effort to combat mental health stigma and discrimination within the African American community, five women shared their personal stories of struggle and recovery in an Alternatives presentation on Saturday.
Known as "Victorious Black Women," the group strives to create and promote culturally responsive peer recovery and support services, in addition to self-help tools and techniques for African American consumers, communities, and family members.
While the group represents a diverse array of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, it is united by a shared...
Zinman: Consumer, survivor movement still evolving after 40 years
The modern consumer movement has experienced great change since its start in the 1970s and is still evolving today, leading to both new opportunities and new challenges, according to long-time mental health activist Sally Zinman.
In describing the history of the consumer movement, Zinman contrasted the grassroots beginnings of the 1970s with the system culture and policy changes brought about in the 2000s.
"In the beginning, everything was without us, about us," Zinman said. "[Powerholders] never would have thought about including a mental patient in...
Workshop teaches ABCs of getting your Zzzzzzs
Effective sleep management is key to preventing major illnesses and minimizing symptoms of mental health challenges, according to Alternatives presenter Larry Fricks.
It is especially important to give one's body the required 7-9 hours of sleep each night, says Fricks, because research has shown links between insomnia (the inability to fall or stay asleep) and depression. While depression has been linked as a cause of insomnia, untreated insomnia may also be a risk factor for depression.
Fricks started the session by sharing how and why he is so committed to sleep...
Photography used to give voice to disenfranchised, marginalized populations
Giving individuals cameras and encouraging them to photograph and write about problems that affect their lives can lead to profound social change, according to a morning workshop at Alternatives on Saturday. Known as Photovoice, the process was developed in the early 1990s by Dr. Caroline Wang of the University of Michigan and Mary Ann Burris of the Ford Foundation, with the first project on the lives of women in rural China.
Photovoice is unique in that it gives individuals who may not be able to communicate via traditional means — or who may not even know immediately what...
