Monday, August 09, 2004

SAMHSA Tries Several Strategies To Reach One Goal - Ending Stigma
Psychiatric News story - "Eight states are participating in a new awareness campaign designed to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. Mental illnesses are common, leaving very few families in the United States untouched, but recovery is within reach. That's the message broadcast by the new public education campaign, 'Mental Health: It's Part of All Our Lives,' which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) launched in May. The campaign is part of SAMHSA's three-year Elimination of Barriers Initiative, which aims to increase understanding and acceptance of people with mental illness. The initiative is a collaborative effort between SAMHSA and a number of state mental health authorities in partnership with people with mental illness, their families, mental health advocates, and health care providers. The eight states participating in the campaign are California, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin..." See also the related web resources from SAMHSA, Mental health: it’s part of all our lives.