Advocacy Strategies for Health and Mental Health Professionals

Advocacy Strategies for Health and Mental Health Professionals PDF Author: Stuart L. Lustig, MD, MPH
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
ISBN: 0826109071
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Book Description
"[I]t is becoming much more common for mental health providers to become community mental health advocates, and given the complexities and nuances associated with tasks such as getting involved with legislative issues or fund raising, a work like this serves an important and useful purpose. It is concise, yet revealing, and explains concepts in clear and practical language. Most importantly, it delivers on its promise to transform its readers into more savvy participants in the process of advocating for their mental health patients."--Doody's Medical Reviews "This book provides a valuable introduction to the discerning mental health practitioner who wants to apply their advocacy skills into their everyday work place."--ACAMH, The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health "Great book! Learning to be an effective advocate in multiple arenas is essential for all health professionals, particularly physicians. This text utilizes a broad definition of advocacy and provides information that can be used by multiple types of providers to learn effective strategies to educate and inform others. It is readable with fascinating case examples and practical tips that can be utilized flexibly across a range of issues, formats and audiences. It is a great addition to the libraries of anyone practicing in the health care field, regardless of specialty or years of practice." Arden D Dingle, MD Program Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Emory University School of Medicine A wealth of advocacy tools for health and mental health professionals at all levels of training and practice are included in this clear and comprehensive volume. Written by medical, legal, and policy experts, it fills a void in the literature by addressing multiple topics in advocacy in the health field as a whole. The text addresses the legislative process, provides step-by-step approaches for using the media, and discusses when to seek an attorney, when to litigate, working with family and community, and funding strategies. It also covers such seldom-addressed topics as leveraging research findings for advocacy purposes. Two outstanding features of the text are a discussion of the rationale for advocacy and a call for readers to examine their own motivations for this work, and a chapter by health educators who provide guidance about advances in learning theory that will help readers assimilate the material. The volume will serve as both a resource for advocacy coursework and as a guide for the independent practitioner of advocacy. Key Features: Provides a wealth of advocacy tools for health professionals at all levels of training and practice Written in a clear, straightforward manner for easy access Includes a unique metacognitive theory that will help readers to thoroughly integrate the information and provides tools for self-analysis Highlights main teaching points with summaries, case studies, and reflection questions

Science Over Stigma

Science Over Stigma PDF Author: Daniel B. Morehead, M.D.
Publisher: American Psychiatric Pub
ISBN: 1615373071
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 218

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Book Description
Dr. Morehead argues that it is time for a full-throated defense of mental health treatment, and that it falls to everyone, from medical and mental health professionals to the general public, to advocate on its behalf. He cogently lays out the science behind mental illness and mental health care, candidly discussing both what is known and what re

A Psychiatrist's Guide to Advocacy

A Psychiatrist's Guide to Advocacy PDF Author: Mary C. Vance, M.D.
Publisher: American Psychiatric Pub
ISBN: 1615372334
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 460

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Book Description
"A Psychiatrist's Guide to Advocacy explores the diverse conditions that may demand an in-tervention or affirmative response from mental health practitioners charged with advocating for patients and the profession. The editors and authors argue for a greater culture of advo-cacy among psychiatrists to effect broad and lasting changes, emphasizing that advocacy takes many forms (e.g., organizational, patient-level, legislative, media, education). The au-thors identify systemic problems in mental health care, describe the essential factors needed for effective advocacy, and delineate the advocacy needs of diverse patient populations (e.g., children and families, older adults, LGBTQ patients, veterans)"--

Advocacy for Mental Health

Advocacy for Mental Health PDF Author: World Health Organization
Publisher: World Health Organization
ISBN: 9241545909
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 67

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Book Description
This volume is part of a series of publications which contain practical guidance to assist policy-makers and planners in member countries with policy development to address public mental health needs and service provision. This volume highlights the importance of advocacy in mental health policy and service development, a relatively new concept, aimed at reducing stigma and discrimination, and promoting the human rights of people with mental disorders. It considers the roles of various mental health groups in advocacy and sets out practical steps for implementation, indicating how governments can support advocacy services. The full package of eight volumes in the series is also available (ISBN 0119894173).

Promoting Mental Health in Children and Adolescents

Promoting Mental Health in Children and Adolescents PDF Author: Jane Meschan Foy
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781610022279
Category : Child mental health
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This ground-breaking resource focuses on primary and secondary prevention, guiding pediatric care clinicians in incorporating mental health screening and surveillance into well child visits and provides evidence-based interventions to care for children and adolescents with mental health issues. Gain in-depth guidance on the care of special populations of children who may be at increased risk for mental health problems: those exposed to adverse childhood experiences; children in military families; lesbian, gay and bisexual youth; children with gender expression and identity issues; children affected by racism; adolescents who are pregnant or parenting, and much more. TOPICS INCLUDE Promoting healthy child development Children exposed to adverse childhood experiences Caring for families new to the United States Violence prevention Healthy sleep, weight, use of media, and active living Children in foster or kinship care or involved with child welfare Children of divorce Adopted children Children with chronic medical conditions And more...

Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome

Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome PDF Author: Dennis McGuire
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781606132852
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 466

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Book Description
This thoroughly updated second edition of MENTAL WELLNESS IN ADULTS WITH DOWN SYNDROME is upbeat and accessible in tone, yet encyclopedic in scope. The size of the book reflects both the breadth of the authors' knowledge--acquired as cofounders of the first medical clinic dedicated solely to the care of adults with Down syndrome--and the number of psychosocial issues and mental disorders that can affect people with Down syndrome. It's the go-to guide for parents, health practitioners, and caregivers who support teens and adults with Down syndrome. MENTAL WELLNESS emphasizes that understanding and appreciating both the strengths and challenges of people with Down syndrome is the key to promoting good mental health. It shows readers how to distinguish between bona fide mental health issues and common characteristics of Down syndrome--quirks or coping strategies. For example, although talking to oneself can be a sign of psychosis, many adults with Down syndrome use self-talk as an effective problem-solving strategy. The second edition includes new chapters on sensory issues (written by Dr. Katie Frank) and regression, expanded and now separate chapters on communication, concrete thinking, and visual memory, and an extensively updated chapter on Alzheimer's disease citing abundant new research. Other chapters cover a range of conditions and assessment and treatment options: What Is Normal? Self-Esteem & Self-Image Self-Talk Grooves & Flexibility Life-Span Issues Social Skills Mood & Anxiety Disorders Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Psychotic Disorders Eating Refusal Challenging Behavior Self-Injurious Behavior Autism Tics, Tourette Syndrome & Stereotypies While it's not inevitable that people with Down syndrome will experience mental health problems, certain biological differences and environmental stressors can create greater susceptibility. Assessment and treatment options are detailed for each condition. With this guide, caregivers will be able to foster good mental health and troubleshoot challenging mental health issues.

Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders

Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309439124
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 171

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Book Description
Estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 4 Americans will experience a mental health problem or will misuse alcohol or drugs in their lifetimes. These disorders are among the most highly stigmatized health conditions in the United States, and they remain barriers to full participation in society in areas as basic as education, housing, and employment. Improving the lives of people with mental health and substance abuse disorders has been a priority in the United States for more than 50 years. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 is considered a major turning point in America's efforts to improve behavioral healthcare. It ushered in an era of optimism and hope and laid the groundwork for the consumer movement and new models of recovery. The consumer movement gave voice to people with mental and substance use disorders and brought their perspectives and experience into national discussions about mental health. However over the same 50-year period, positive change in American public attitudes and beliefs about mental and substance use disorders has lagged behind these advances. Stigma is a complex social phenomenon based on a relationship between an attribute and a stereotype that assigns undesirable labels, qualities, and behaviors to a person with that attribute. Labeled individuals are then socially devalued, which leads to inequality and discrimination. This report contributes to national efforts to understand and change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that can lead to stigma and discrimination. Changing stigma in a lasting way will require coordinated efforts, which are based on the best possible evidence, supported at the national level with multiyear funding, and planned and implemented by an effective coalition of representative stakeholders. Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change explores stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with mental or substance use disorders and recommends effective strategies for reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek treatment and other supportive services. It offers a set of conclusions and recommendations about successful stigma change strategies and the research needed to inform and evaluate these efforts in the United States.

The Social Determinants of Mental Health

The Social Determinants of Mental Health PDF Author: Michael T. Compton
Publisher: American Psychiatric Pub
ISBN: 1585625175
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
The Social Determinants of Mental Health aims to fill the gap that exists in the psychiatric, scholarly, and policy-related literature on the social determinants of mental health: those factors stemming from where we learn, play, live, work, and age that impact our overall mental health and well-being. The editors and an impressive roster of chapter authors from diverse scholarly backgrounds provide detailed information on topics such as discrimination and social exclusion; adverse early life experiences; poor education; unemployment, underemployment, and job insecurity; income inequality, poverty, and neighborhood deprivation; food insecurity; poor housing quality and housing instability; adverse features of the built environment; and poor access to mental health care. This thought-provoking book offers many beneficial features for clinicians and public health professionals: Clinical vignettes are included, designed to make the content accessible to readers who are primarily clinicians and also to demonstrate the practical, individual-level applicability of the subject matter for those who typically work at the public health, population, and/or policy level. Policy implications are discussed throughout, designed to make the content accessible to readers who work primarily at the public health or population level and also to demonstrate the policy relevance of the subject matter for those who typically work at the clinical level. All chapters include five to six key points that focus on the most important content, helping to both prepare the reader with a brief overview of the chapter's main points and reinforce the "take-away" messages afterward. In addition to the main body of the book, which focuses on selected individual social determinants of mental health, the volume includes an in-depth overview that summarizes the editors' and their colleagues' conceptualization, as well as a final chapter coauthored by Dr. David Satcher, 16th Surgeon General of the United States, that serves as a "Call to Action," offering specific actions that can be taken by both clinicians and policymakers to address the social determinants of mental health. The editors have succeeded in the difficult task of balancing the individual/clinical/patient perspective and the population/public health/community point of view, while underscoring the need for both groups to work in a unified way to address the inequities in twenty-first century America. The Social Determinants of Mental Health gives readers the tools to understand and act to improve mental health and reduce risk for mental illnesses for individuals and communities. Students preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) will also benefit from this book, as the MCAT in 2015 will test applicants' knowledge of social determinants of health. The social determinants of mental health are not distinct from the social determinants of physical health, although they deserve special emphasis given the prevalence and burden of poor mental health.

Within Our Reach

Within Our Reach PDF Author: Rosalynn Carter
Publisher: Rodale Books
ISBN: 1605290939
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
In Within Our Reach, Rosalynn Carter and coauthors Susan K. Golant and Kathryn E. Cade render an insightful, unsparing assessment of the state of mental health. Mrs. Carter has been deeply invested in this issue since her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, campaigned for governor of Georgia, when she saw firsthand the horrific, dehumanizing treatment of people with mental illnesses. Using stories from her 35 years of advocacy to springboard into a discussion of the larger issues at hand, Carter crafts an intimate and powerful account of a subject previously shrouded in stigma and shadow, surveying the dimensions of an issue that has affected us all. She describes a system that continues to fail those in need, even though recent scientific breakthroughs with mental illness have potential to help most people lead more normal lives. Within Our Reach is a seminal, searing, and ultimately optimistic look at how far we've come since Jimmy Carter's days on the campaign trail and how far we have yet to go.

Advocacy and Empowerment

Advocacy and Empowerment PDF Author: Bruce L. Black
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134746725
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 374

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Book Description
Relevant and thought-provoking, describes a new and imaginative approach to the needs of de-institutionalised people returning to care in the community. It shows that there is a challenging but dynamic contribution to be made by all community mental health workers in restoring dignity to the lives of those who have tragically been robbed of such a basic human need.