Bringing Family Lived Experience To You

Accept, Advocate, Act

April 1, 2024 | Volume 2, Issue 7

New NFF Board Member

NFF Welcomes Hasan Davis

For more than 25 years, Hasan has held to the belief that each child can and will succeed as long as adults in their world create hope. Starting as a counselor and a teaching artist, and through his years as a youth development specialist, Hasan has transformed the attitudes and strategies of school and facility staff, parents, and members of the community to help hundreds of children graduate from high school and go on to earn degrees from colleges and universities. Learn more about Hasan.

We’re planning an exciting line up of activities during Mental Health Month in May and for Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week (CMHAW), May 5th - 11th. At the beginning of the month, we will highlight the importance of Acceptance Week and the history of this long-standing campaign, which began as Awareness Week in 1992 and was renamed Acceptance Week in 2022 after 20 years of celebrations. Events, activities, and social media content in May will then focus on the following themes.

• Children's Mental Health Acceptance Week
• Support for Family Members
• Resources Across the Lifespan
• Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Challenges

Join us as we light the path to social justice for children and youth and their families by illuminating the importance of mental health acceptance and celebrate Mental Health Month in May. Look for more updates and news in the coming weeks and visit the Acceptance Week page for additional information and resources about what you can do to #AcceptAdvocateAct in your state and/or community.

We welcome proposals from professionals, family members, advocates, and emerging youth and young adult leaders who support the well-being of children—of all ages—and promote family voice. Apply by May 1st to present at our 2024 conference and 35th anniversary celebration in Orlando, Florida this November. We look forward to celebrating with you!

SAMHSA-Sponsored NFF Webinar

Our first webinar in the SAMHSA-sponsored series Person-Centered, Family-Driven Mental Health and Substance Use Support: A Path Towards Equity, Equity in Mental Health and Substance Use Support: Overcoming Challenges to Access for Families is tentatively scheduled for April 23rd from 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET.

Stay tuned for more information about the series with more webinars coming in May, June, and July!

Systems Knowledge and Navigation Infographic

This companion infographic to our March Office Hour explains the key skills Certified Family Peer Specialists master to demonstrate competency in Systems Knowledge and Navigation, the fourth of the Five Core Competencies for CFPS.

March Event Recordings

Office Hour: Systems Knowledge and Navigation: Family Peer Support Across Systems with Ebony Chambers, Jeannette Bocanegra, and Margo Pierce

Webinar: Understanding Moral Injury and the Impact in Supporting Families with Tamika Damand and Willow Burgess-Johnson (Audio Only)

NFSTAC invites you to submit requests for free technical assistance from our network of partners and subject matter experts. NFSTAC is driven by the needs of families and the workforce that supports families. You'll find education, training, and family support resources tailored specifically to families, the family peer workforce, communities, healthcare systems, clinicians, and educators.

Special Edition Office Hour: Navigating Systems with Transition Age and Adult Children: A Conversation

April 2nd, 3:00 p.m. ET

As a follow-up to our March webinar, we'll continue the conversation about navigating systems with transition-age youth and adults with Margo Pierce and Krissy Dristy from ACMH-MI.

Family Connections: Family-Led Crisis Planning

April 4th, 1:30 p.m. ET

We'll look at how crisis plans are created and used, discuss practical strategies, and why it’s important that families lead the planning process.

You’ll also see how your voice as a parent or caregiver is instrumental in decision-making for your family.

Office Hour: Professional Responsibilities: Confidentiality, Boundaries, and Ethics

April 9th, 3:00 p.m. ET

In April, Niki Howenstine will discuss the importance of maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of families, as well as how to develop, communicate, and sustain healthy boundaries with families.

Webinar: Welcome the Father: Strengthening Father Inclusive Practices

April 17th, 2:00 p.m. ET

This session will discuss the change to child and family well-being approaches that move to more comprehensive coordination, including father inclusive approaches.

Family Room with Sue Badeau

April 18th, 4:00 p.m. ET

"Family Room” is designed for parents, caregivers, and family members to actively engage in an interactive discussion with one another, ask questions, or share their solutions in an informal setting. This month’s open conversation starts with how we can support career development for our adult children.

Advocacy and Impact from the States

We know that what happens on a national level begins with actions in the states. This month, NFF shares state legislation and advocacy that are of interest nationally.

Parity in Crisis Treatment: D.C.

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law submitted an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia arguing that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires D.C. to provide a mental health rather than a police response to people experiencing a mental health crisis. D.C. dispatches medical personnel in response to physical health emergencies, but almost always sends armed police officers to respond to mental health emergencies. As the brief explains, this disparity violates the ADA and results in avoidable use of force, arrests, incarceration, injury, and death. This is a great example of both the need for parity in treatment—for physical and behavioral health to be treated the same—and a social justice issue—how experiencing a behavioral health issue versus a physical health issue can result in inequitable treatment.

Expanding Crisis Care Authority

• California expands who can certify involuntary hospitalizations.

The California State Senate passed a bill with bipartisan support that would expand those authorized to issue a mental health hold to include psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, and clinical counselors. The hope is that if a person experiences a mental health crisis with their therapist or social worker, their established relationship will enable the person to better accept the hold. That expected level of trust can make the process less confrontational and less dangerous.

• Tennessee makes changes in involuntary commitment.

The Involuntary Commitment Bill (HB2901) passed on the Tennessee House Floor with a near-unanimous vote. The current TN law states that someone can only be admitted to a treatment facility if they are an 'immediate' threat to themselves or others—limiting our law enforcement and mental health professionals from taking action until it is nearly too late. This bill will change the word 'immediate' to 'imminent,' with the hope that it will allow professionals to act before a situation becomes dire.

Follow our Legislative and Advocacy Facebook page and use the data and facts shared there in concert with your advocacy skills to represent the voice of families where you live.

Social Justice in mental health, while a new phrase, is not new for families of those with mental health and substance use challenges. As families, we have long advocated for our loved ones to receive the care they need regardless of whether it is for diabetes or for anxiety. Mental health and substance use care has often been limited, denied, or paid at different rates than physical health care. The fight for parity in coverage and services is one that started with families. We have looked for 'social justice’ not only in treatment arenas but in the community by insisting that our children—of any age—be integrated and accepted in school and community activities.

Being a social justice warrior has meant fighting not for what is equal, but for what is fair, so that each person can get what they need be successful. Our social justice movement highlights disparities for those who experience behavioral health and substance use in treatment and care. Watch the video below and visit our National Partners on Parity linked above to learn more. Welcome to the fight!

Visit our social justice page to think further about what you can do as an individual or organization to promote social justice for families whose children—of any age—experience mental health and/or substance use challenges during their lifetime. We encourage you to use the tools provided there to strengthen your efforts to #AcceptAdvocateAct.

Other Parents Like Me

National Partner

Our national partner, Other Parents Like Me (OPLM), was founded to address the crisis of mental health and/or substance challenges among adolescents, teens, and young adults by creating an empowered community of parents supporting one another with help, hope, and healing. OPLM is an online parent-to-parent support community designed for parents of teens and young adults experiencing mental health challenges. They offer online support groups, live and recorded speakers and experts, rich resources, and stories from other parents. Visit their website to learn how they can support you.

National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect. This year's theme is Doing Things Differently: Moving from the Challenge to the Change. Visit the 2023/2024 Prevention Resource Guide from Child Welfare Information Gateway to learn what actions we can take as a society and within communities, organizations, and families to address the root causes of child abuse and neglect. The guide highlights innovative ways communities around the country are doing purposeful prevention work to help children and families thrive.

Use the National Child Abuse Prevention Month Outreach Toolkit to spread the word about child abuse prevention. Prevention services and supports can help parents, other caregivers, and communities protect children and strengthen families. Let your community know how they can take action to strengthen families and help them thrive. The toolkit includes free prevention outreach tools to engage your community in supporting children, youth, and families during National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness and understanding of alcohol misuse. Over time, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious issues that affect your quality of life, as well as physical and mental health.

• Northwest PTTC's Toolkit
• Resources from SAMSHA

April is recognized as National Stress Awareness Month to bring attention to the negative impact of stress. Managing stress is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Knowing how to manage stress can improve mental and physical well-being and minimize exacerbation of health-related issues.

• Fact Sheet from NIH
• Stress Screener from MHA

Upcoming Family Mental Health Events

SAMHSA-Sponsored Webinar: Youth in Crisis: Supporting Youth through School- and Clinic-based Mental Health Programs

April 3rd, 11:30 a.m. ET

HHRC's Naloxone in Public Housing: Success in St. Louis

April 4th, 2:00 p.m. ET

New England MHTTC's Person-Centered Recovery Planning: Consultation Corner

April 17th, 2:00 p.m. ET

NE & Caribbean MHTTC's Harm Reduction Principles, Strategies and Limits

April 24th, 11:00 a.m. ET

PTEA's Harm Reduction Resource Center

The Partnership to End Addiction has a Harm Reduction Resource Center with self-paced courses—including the one they collaborated on with NFSTAC; substance-specific harm reduction guides about opioids, stimulants, alcohol, marijuana, and IV drugs; and information about safety—including naloxone, fentanyl, Xylazine, and Good Samaritan laws. Two especially helpful resources to keep on hand are Responding to Overdose with Naloxone and Substances Laced with Fentanyl: How to Protect Loved Ones.

SAMHSA's What is 988? Video

SAMHSA recently released a short video to support individuals' and communities' understanding of what 988 is and how it works. At just over three minutes, this video is a great resource to share on your social media pages, websites, and newsletters. There are a lot of misconceptions about the national suicide and crisis lifeline. Sharing videos like this can increase the likelihood that someone in crisis will reach out for support!

Visit the full National Federation of Families and National Family Support Technical Assistance Center Yearly Events Calendar on our websites!

Share Promising Programs to Support Transition-Age Youth with Mental Health and Substance Use Challenges

University of Massachusetts' and Temple University's Center for Community Inclusion and Reflective Collaboration is looking for information on "promising programs", i.e., existing interventions, models, or programs that support (or could support) community living and participation among transition-age youth with lived experience from disadvantaged backgrounds. They are particularly interested in highlighting innovative or promising practices and approaches that may have been founded via grass-roots efforts and aren't necessarily found in the literature. They plan to disseminate this information to increase awareness about and access to these programs. Take the survey at the link below to share promising programs you've designed or used!