News from the Collaboration on Transportation, Religion, Employment and Parenting
June 2012 Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion
Getting In, Out, and Around: Overcoming the Transportation Barriers to Community Integration
This brief guide to public transportation and private mobility policies, programs and practices that can assist people with psychiatric disabilities in participating more fully in community life provides a series of recommendations for consumers, counselors, and communities that can promote the ability of people to get in, out and around. The document, which includes portraits of half-a-dozen innovation programs, can be used to revamp public transportation policies, agency initiatives, and the work of mental health counselors and peer specialists working day-to-day to encourage consumer connections to community life. Getting In, Out, and Around can be found on the tucollaborative.org website under its ‘resources’ section, or you can click here for a copy.
The Role of Peer Specialists in Assisting Consumers to Connect to Local Religious Congregations
The Temple Collaborative continues to examine the roles played by peer specialists in promoting community integration. The Collaborative has recently begun to explore the role that peer specialists play in helping consumers connect to religious congregations and activities of their choice: identifying local religious/spiritual groups; accompanying consumers to prayer or social events within the religious community; working with religious congregations to change attitudes or build acceptance, etc. If you are or supervise a peer specialist helping consumers to connect to religious congregations or work with a religious group to provide services or alter congregants’ attitudes, contact us at: rcbaron@temple.edu and we’ll get back to you to talk further.
The Collaborative Seeks User Input on a New Guidebook for Consumers
The Temple Collaborative seeks your input into the development of a workbook / guidebook designed specifically for individual consumers – or groups of consumers in community mental health programs, psychiatric rehabilitation services, and consumer-run settings – who want to enter or return to work.
The Collaborative is considering production of a workbook / guidebook that would systematically help consumers consider and plan for competitive employment. Topics might include: the advantages and disadvantages of a return to work; the barriers to be faced and the supports to be found in planning for a career; grappling with SSI/SSDI work incentives and disincentives; the issues of disclosure (if – and who, what, where, and when) and discrimination; vocational training and career education options; and developing long-term work supports. Before proceeding, we are checking in with you to assess the need for and focus of this product. Please respond to our brief (three minute) Survey Monkey questionnaire on this topic, by clicking here.
AN INTERNET PARENTING EDUCATION AND SUPPORT GROUP FOR MOTHERS WITH PSYCHIACTRIC DISABILITIES: A RESEARCH STUDY.
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion has launched a new research study examining the effectiveness of an Internet parenting education and social support program for mothers with a psychiatric disability. The TU Collaborative is looking for women who are interested in participating in an online parental education course designed to enhance parental knowledge and skills in the following areas: illness management, child development, stress reduction, parent-child communication, and promoting resiliency in your child. This program also involves Internet social support through a Listserv, which will be co-moderated by a parent with a psychiatric disability and a mental health professional. This group can connect you 24-hours a day, 7-days a week to a community of supportive peers, in your own home or anywhere you can access the Internet!
We are looking for people who: a) are mothers (over the age of 18) diagnosed with a mental illness (Major Depression, Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder or Mood Disorder); b) currently have primary/shared custody and are serving as the caretaker for at least one child (natural, adopted, or stepchild) under the age of 18; c) have access to a computer and the Internet; d) would consider using the Internet for support and information; e) are United States Residents; and f) are fluent in English.
Participants will be compensated up to $100 for their participation in this study. If you want to participate or would like more information, you can email us at: momsupport@temple.edu or go to: http://www.tucollaborative.org/research/pdfs/ParentAnnouncement_Final_12-19-11.pdf
Help spread the word! Please help us reach interested mothers by disseminating the study announcement and sharing the text below via your listserv or in your next newsletter. Also please let us know if you have additional suggestions that will help us reach mothers with a psychiatric disability who may be interested in participating. Contact Katy Kaplan at 215-204-6779 or email her at katy.kaplan@temple.edu.
The Temple University Collaborative has launched an Internet-based parenting education and social support program, part of a national research study examining the effectiveness of an Internet parenting education and social support program for mothers with a psychiatric disability. Participants will be compensated up to $100 for their participation in this study. For more information about this project email us at:momsupport@temple.edu or go to http://www.tucollaborative.org/research/pdfs/ParentAnnouncement_Final_12-19-11.pdf.