Presidential Proclamation - May 2013 is National Mental Health Awareness Month 

On April 30, 2013,  President Obama  called on citizens, government agencies, organizations, health care providers, and research institutions to raise mental health awareness and continue helping Americans live longer, healthier lives. For many, getting help begins with a conversation with a trusted friend or health care provider. Prejudice and discrimination often create barriers, stopping people from seeking help. As President Obama says, 

...asking for help is not a sign of weakness - it is a sign of strength.

Please join us at Project Return Peer Support Network as we work to use the power of peer support to raise awareness of mental health issues and fight the stigma of mental illness. Please Like our Facebook Page and make a generous contribution that will help us in this important work, serving the residents of Los Angeles County.

You can find additional Wellness Resources and information related to mental illness at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website.

Here is the full text of President Obama's Proclamation:

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Today, tens of millions of Americans are living with the burden of a mental health problem. They shoulder conditions like depression and anxiety, post-traumatic stress and bipolar disorder -- debilitating illnesses that can strain every part of a person's life. And even though help is out there, less than half of children and adults with diagnosable mental health problems receive treatment. During National Mental Health Awareness Month, we shine a light on these issues, stand with men and women in need, and redouble our efforts to address mental health problems in America.

For many, getting help starts with a conversation. People who believe they may be suffering from a mental health condition should talk about it with someone they trust and consult a health care provider. As a Nation, it is up to all of us to know the signs of mental health issues and lend a hand to those who are struggling. Shame and stigma too often leave people feeling like there is no place to turn. We need to make sure they know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness -- it is a sign of strength. 

Applications for the 2013 Train the Trainer sessions are now available. This year's training features an introduction to Whole Health Wellness, using the Eight Dimensions of Wellness as defined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The 2013 Program Dates are:

Fridays from 9 am to 3 pm - May 17, May 24,, May 31, June 7, & June 14

The training will be held at:

Project Return Peer Support Network

6055 E. Washington Blvd., Suite 900 (Training Room)

Commerce, CA 90040

This training is only availalble to Los AngelesCounty residents who have personal lived experience of psychiatric disability or mental illness and have been employed as Peer Advocates or Mental Health Workers.

For more information please click the link to email: Georgie Sullivan

Please download the application (PDF format) HERE

April 1-7 is National Workplace Wellness Week. Given all of the time we spend at work. Workplace Wellness is everyone’s business. For almost 20 years stress-related issues in the workplace have been on the rise.

The human and economic impact of stress is staggering. Every year, mental illness and substance abuse cost employers an estimated $80 to $100 billion. Our mental and physical health are inextricably linked together.

The good news is that many employers are recognizing the human and financial value of a healthy workplace! Mental Health America has put together a collection of resources to help employees and employers create a healthy vibrant workplace. Take a look and help your organization move toward wellness!

Thirty years ago Elyn Saks was given a diagnosis of schizophrenia. She was told that she would never be able to live independently, hold a job or get married. She would spend her days in a board and care watching television, and working menial jobs when her symptoms were quiet.

Then she decided to write the narrative for her life.

Today she is a chaired professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. She has an adjunct appointment in the department of psychiatry at the medical school of the University of California, San Diego, and is on the faculty of the New Center for Psychoanalysis. Elyn is a recipient of The MacArthur Foundation genius grant. And, she is happily married.

She has accepted and learned to manage her condition but has not allowed the original dire prognosis to hold her back. Elyn and her colleagues are studying twenty research subjects with high-functioning schizophrenia in Los Angeles, expanding the understanding of what it means to live with a mental illness.

"...many psychiatrists hold the view that treating symptoms with medication is treating mental illness. But this fails to take into account individuals’ strengths and capabilities, leading mental health professionals to underestimate what their patients can hope to achieve in the world."  -Elyn Saks

Read Elyn’s extraordinary opinion piece in the New York Times here.