141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

292342
Innovative model for mental health stigma reduction in local communities: Integrating research, culturally responsive practices and technical assistance

Monday, November 4, 2013

Eduardo Vega, MA , Mental Health Association of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Luba Botcheva, PhD , Mental Health Association of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Daniel Esparza , Mental Health Association of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Richard Krzyzanowski , Mental Health Association of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
The presentation will focus on the integration model used by the Center for Dignity, Recovery and Stigma Elimination to promote mental health recovery and maximize the power of community programs to reduce negative prejudice and discrimination surrounding mental health conditions and people affected by them in local communities. Designed on the Technical Assistance, Research and Training Center (TARC) model, the Center brings together leading researchers, national and state policy experts, and training professionals along with consumer-run, grassroots, community, family and age-group advocacy organizations. Through its community program partners and research leaders the Center is a “Living Laboratory” that can study, test and improve practices at local level, and transfer this learning rapidly into communities. The Center accomplishes this rapid knowledge transfer through three integrated effort areas, each with its own team: Research, Evaluation and Program Development team identifies community activities or practices that have promise to reduce mental illness stigma within the context of a specific cultural, ethnic, and racial community, as well as develops a best practice framework for stigma reduction for community-based and consumer-run Stigma and Discrimination Reduction (SDR) Programs. Training, Technical Assistance and Consultation team offers tools and on-going supports to consumer-focused SDR Programs (such as Speakers Bureaus) and culturally specific community activities and/or practices. Outreach, Communications and Dissemination team works to engage community grassroots agencies practicing stigma change, transfer learning into the hands of people and agencies who can use it, and assist programs with increasing their visibility as leaders in SDR efforts in their communities.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Define best practices for mental health stigma and discrimination reduction Demonstrate integration model for incorporating latest research and evaluation findings with best community driven practices for stigma reduction in local communities Discuss lessons learned from implementing the integration model in diverse local communities across California

Keywords: Community Collaboration, Public Health Advocacy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a leader in transformative mental health programs and practices including national, state and regional technical assistance, research and training projects and major policy initiatives in suicide prevention, stigma and discrimination reduction, consumer rights and empowerment, community integration, self-help and peer support for mental health consumers. I serve on the SAMHSA Recovery-to-Practice Initiative Committee, Social Justice Advisory Committee of the California Mental Health Directors Association and the Advisory Council to the National Alternatives Conference.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.