Get Involved With Mental Health Advocacy And Research Organizations
In yesterday’s post for the “Top 5 Ways To Be A Mental Health Advocate,” I wrote about how you can easily become a mental health advocate when you stop yourself and others from promoting mental health stigma.
Today, let’s look at how large mental health advocacy and research organizations can help.
Number Two: Become a mental health advocate when you get involved with large mental health advocacy and research organizations.
Large mental health advocacy and research organizations really have their stuff together, and can help you stay on top of current mental health issues, find nationwide mental health resources, and even get involved with special events. Check out the following to get started:
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).
- Mental Health America, or the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) as they’re being called now.
- The National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD).
- National Anxiety Foundation (NAF)
- Best Buddies International
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP)
- The Alzheimer’s Association
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s information about mental health support groups, but in the meantime, share your thoughts here about these large organizations.
- Are you involved with or a member of any of these mental health organizations?
- What has been your experience with these groups?
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Tags: Alzheimer's Association, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, Best Buddies International, depression and bipolar support alliance, mental health, Mental Health Advocacy, mental health advocacy organizations, mental health america, mental health blog, mental health research organizations, mental health tips, mental health website, National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Dep, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Anxiety Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health, National Mental Health Association, ways to be a mental health advocatePOSTED IN: Resources
4 opinions for Get Involved With Mental Health Advocacy And Research Organizations
frances sultzbaugh
Sep 20, 2008 at 11:58 am
i am involved with the southern nevada chapter of dbsa. i facilitate the family suport goup . our message isnt getting out to parents though and i am not sure why. any sujestions
Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes
Sep 24, 2008 at 12:34 pm
@ frances - It can be so difficult to spread the word about and get people actively involved with a support group. What kinds of things are you currently doing to help promote the group?
frances sultzbaugh
Sep 24, 2008 at 5:24 pm
we are posting in the local new papers and printed press as well as tv stations we have a web site also. i was thinking of starting a chat room on msn or yahoo or even aim….i also realize how diffacult it is to get child care to watch siblings
Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes
Sep 24, 2008 at 11:07 pm
@ frances - It sounds like you’re doing many of the same things I do for my NAMI group, and still, we’re experiencing some difficulties, too. We have a website; announce the meetings on the news, the radio stations, and the newspapers; hang fliers; participate in community health fairs; hold community awareness events like cookouts; and have even gone on the news to talk about the group.
Sometimes it’s beyond our control. Many factors we can’t change - like demographics, and gas prices! - play a role in a particular area’s willingness to get involved - even if it’s just leaving their homes to attend a support group meeting.
If you start a chat room, let me know how it goes. Too, have you considered soliciting the help of a couple of people to “watch” the children while the others are at the meeting? Is that a possibility?
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