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| The Family Center For Bipolar Disorder | |
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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK Alliance: (800) 654-7227 24 hour help line for people in the US. Alliance is a self help mutual support organization advocating for persons who are in or were in mental institutions. Covenant House Nineline: (800) 999-9999 Covenant House Nineline is a 24-hour, toll-free crisis hotline which provides crisis intervention, referral and information services to homeless, runaway and other troubled youth and their families throughout the U.S. Trained crisis counselors are able to refer callers to help in their own communities. The Nineline also handles calls that deal with suicide, drug/alcohol abuse, and violence.
Bronx District Branch of the American Psychiatric Association The Society provides referrals to psychiatrists in the Bronx area and distributes information to the public on mental illness. Bronx Psychiatric Center The Center has information and referrals to community mental health resources and sponsors social and recreational programs for mental health consumers and families. The Center also provides job opportunities for consumers. Brooklyn Psychiatric Society, Inc. The district branch provides referrals to psychiatrists in the Brooklyn area and distributes information to the public on mental illness. Casa La Esperanza This is a social community run by and for persons with mental illness. Services provided include a transitional job program, job training, and a newsletter on what's happening in the program. They also have computer classes, typing classes, GED and ESL classes. Members are responsible for planning their social events, meals, and meal service. People with serious mental illness and who live in Districts 1, 2, or 9 are eligible for the program. Mood Disorders Support Group The Mood Disorders Support Group (MDSG) is a non profit, self-help organization serving individuals both with depression and manic-depression (bipolar disorder), as well as their families and friends. They help people to accept and manage their illness and improve the quality of their life. They are an independent affiliate of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (formerly known as the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association). MDSG's support groups are the main reason for its existence. Also known as discussion meetings or rap sessions, they provide a friendly, safe place for the exchange of experiences and information. A typical group will meet for about an hour and a half, but there is no strict schedule and people are free to leave at any time. Reservations are not required, you can just show up. There are support groups for people with the disorder, family and friends of those with the disorder and people under 30. Meetings are held at two locations in Manhattan: Beth Israel Medical Center and St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital (see website for specific instructions on finding the meeting). Support groups are lead by trained facilitators. They try to limit each group to a maximum of 12 people.
Families Together in New York State Families Together in New York State is a nonprofit organization that serves the families of children with special emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs. Their mission is to ensure that every family has access to needed information, supports and services. They provide support, advocacy, information, technical assistance and training to families across New York State. Families United Network Parent advocacy group. Provide community based support groups, organized social activities, and educational programs for families.
Compeer, Inc. Compeer is a non-profit organization that matches community volunteers in supportive friendship and relationships with children and adults receiving mental health treatment. Consumers are referred to the program by mental health professionals. Community volunteers, who are trained and screened, visit for a minimum of one hour per week for a year and provide rehabilitative, social support, advocacy, educational and vocational mentoring, and access to community resources. On-going training, supervision and support are also provided. Consumers Helping Others In a Caring Environment (CHOICE) CHOICE stands for Consumers Helping Others In a Caring Environment; the term "consumers" as well as "peer" refers to a group which shares first-hand experience of mental illness, as well as the stigmatization, major life disruptions and loss of personal autonomy which often accompanies a diagnosis.
National Institute of Mental Health This is a comprehensive website with information and news about bipolar disorder, signs and symptoms, treatment and service options. A great starting point on the web. NARSAD NARSAD, the World's Leading Charity Dedicated to Mental Health Research is the largest donor-supported organization in the world that supports research on brain and behavior disorders. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance The DBSA is the nation’s leading patient-directed organization focusing on depression and bipolar disorder. Their website provides information about bipolar disorder and its different types, as well as links for information about bipolar disorder in children, and a link to support groups. The treatments section has great information on different treatment options and coping strategies. For information about a DBSA support group in New York, call: (800) 826-3632, or check
on the web at:
www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=support_findsupport US National Institite of Health Clinical Trials If you are interested in participating in research on bipolar disorder, this website provides regularly updated information about federally and privately supported clinical research in human volunteers. ClinicalTrials.gov gives you information about a trial's purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details. You should also read up on clinical trials at their website to learn more about them. Typing "bipolar, new york" in the search field should produce a significant number of ongoing trials. Medline Medline compiles information from a number of sources on bipolar disorder, with recent news, as well as overviews of the illness and informative literature. Check out the Treatment, Coping and Disease Management sections - there are tons of great resources there, such as information on medications from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and a personal mood calendar from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). Medline also provides information on childhood and adolescent bipolar disorder, as well as managing pregnancy with bipolar disorder. The Bipolar Blog The Bipolar Blog is a site online for people with bipolar disorder to learn and share information. They provide information online, but also provide suggestions for books you can purchase online or at a bookstore near you! The blog and forum pages are, at the time of writing this, down for repairs, but the site still provides some good information. National Mental Health Information Center Use this database to locate mental health services in your area. This website provides extensive information on resources available in the New York metro region: use the drop-down menu to choose New York, and check out the directory of mental health services and resources, as well as suicide prevention and substance abuse programs.
Mental Health Association in New York State The National Mental Health Association maintains a referral and information center and can help you locate local chapters. These local groups have information about community services and engage in national and State level advocacy. NAMI New York State The National Alliance on Mental Illness maintains a helpline for information on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and advocacy components and offer education and information about community services for families and individuals.
There are a number of books available now about bipolar disorder. The following are highly recommended. Pick up a few to learn more about the illness from respected researchers in the field (The Bipolar Survival Guide, by David J. Miklowitz, Ph.D. or An Unquiet Mind or Touched With Fire, by Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D.) or to read about people’s personal experiences with bipolar disorder (The Years of Silence Are Past, by Stephen P. Hinshaw, or Personal History, by Katharine Graham). Adult Bipolar Disorders: Understanding Your Diagnosis & Getting Help, Waltz, Mitzi. Sebastopol, Calif.: O’Reilly & Associates, 2002. Paperback, 371 pages. The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide, Miklowitz, David J. Ph.D. New York: Guilford Press, 2002. Paperback, 322 pages. Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families, Mondimore, Francis Mark, M.D. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1999. Paperback, 277 pages. The Years of Silence Are Past: My Father’s Life with Bipolar Disorder, Hinshaw, Stephen P. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Hardback, 227 pages. Personal History, Graham, Katharine. New York: Vintage Books. 1998 Paperback, 642 pages. An Unquiet Mind, Jamison, Kay Redfied, Ph.D. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. (Hardback, 224 pages; also in paperback) Touched With Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament, Jamison, Key Redfied, Ph.D. New York: The Free Press, 1993. (Hardback, 370 pages; also in paperback)
If you have any questions or complaints about any mental health services you are interested in receiving or have received, the following contacts should be able to help you. (list available through National Mental Health Information Center) State Mental Health Agency For more information about admission, care, treatment, release, and patient follow-up in public or private psychiatric residential facilities, contact your State mental health agency. State Substance Abuse Agency Contact your State substance abuse agency for information about treatment and care of substance abuse disorders. State Protection and Advocacy Agency Each State has a protection and advocacy agency that receives funding from the Federal Center for Mental Health Services. Agencies are mandated to protect and advocate for the rights of people with mental illnesses and to investigate reports of abuse and neglect in facilities that care for or treat individuals with mental illnesses. These facilities, which may be public or private, include hospitals, nursing homes, community facilities, board and care homes, homeless shelters, jails, and prisons. Agencies provide advocacy services or conduct investigations to address issues that arise during transportation or admission to such facilities, during residency in them, or within 90 days after discharge from them. Family Support The Center for Mental Health Services awards grants to statewide, family-run networks to provide support and information to families of children and adolescents with serious emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which are part of the Department of Health and Human Services, investigate some complaints about treatment facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding. New York Regional Office You may also share your concerns with staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services office in your area, which is Region 2. The regional office address and telephone number are above. Bureau of Recipient Affairs Mental Health Empowerment Project PEOPLE, Inc. Statewide consumer organizations are run by and for consumers of mental health services and promote consumer empowerment. These organizations provide information about mental health and other support services at the State level and are active in addressing and advocating for mental health system issues. The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, funded partly by the Center for Mental Health Services, promotes and helps to develop consumer-run self-help groups across the country. Technical assistance and materials are available on such topics as organizing groups, fundraising, leadership development, incorporating, public relations, advocacy, and networking. The National Empowerment Center The National Empowerment Center is a Technical Assistance Center run by mental health consumers/survivors. The Center's mission is to carry a message of recovery, empowerment, hope and healing to people who have been diagnosed with mental illness. The Center provides information and referrals to consumer/survivor resources nationwide and offers technical assistance to individuals and groups involved in consumer empowerment activities. The Center distributes recovery-related publications and sponsors education and training activities. Consumer Organization & Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC) The Consumer Organization & Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC), funded by the Center for Mental Health Services, is a resource center for consumers/survivors and consumer-run organizations across the United States. Services and products include informational materials; on-site training and skill-building curricula; electronic and other communication capabilities; networking and customized activities promoting self-help, recovery, leadership, business management, and empowerment. |
