Annotated Bibliography

http://www.nami.org/

http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Peer-to-Peer

Summary
Nami's Peer-to-Peer program is a nine week experiential education course on the topic of recovery for any person with serious mental illness who is interested in establishing and maintaining wellness" ("Nami's Peer-to-Peer Education Course"). The course is open to anyone suffering with mental illness, and is free of charge. It provides the students with accurate, reliable information, and prepares them to deal with the illness and symptoms they are suffering from. The environment is supportive and non-judgmental, and it provides the group members a chance to relate to others who are going through similar issues.

Reaction
I think that this course is a wonderful idea to help those suffering from mental illness. The program seems very supportive and educational. It provides a reliable resource for people with mental illness to learn about their illness, how to best care for themselves and deal with their symptoms, and how to prevent relapse. I really like that the course provides a plethora of reliable information and good ways for dealing with symptoms. I feel it is extremely important for people to know how to manage their illnesses and symptoms in order to prevent relapse.

Quotations from http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Peer-to-Peer
~ "Peer-to-Peer is a unique, experiential learning program for people with any serious mental illness who are interested in establishing and maintaining their wellness and recovery" ("Peer-to-Peer: NAMI's Recovery Curriculum").

~ "Participants come away from the course with a binder of hand-out materials, as well as many other tangible resources: an advance directive; a “relapse prevention plan” to help identify tell-tale feelings, thoughts, behavior, or events that may warn of impending relapse and to organize for intervention; mindfulness exercises to help focus and calm thinking; and survival skills for working with providers and the general public" ("Peer-to-Peer: NAMI's Recovery Curriculum").

~ "The NAMI Peer-to-Peer Education Course is a nine week –two hours per week – experiential education course on the topic of recovery for any person with serious mental illness who is interested in establishing and maintaining wellness" ("Nami's Peer-to-Peer Education Course: Learning to live well with what we've got").

~ "The Course is designed to offer an opportunity for growth to any individual who experiences mental illness"


Annotated Bibliography

http://www.greendoor.org/
http://www.greendoor.org/programs/clubhouse.htm


Summary
The Clubhouse Program run at the Green Door in Washington D.C. is a program "to get people with mental illness back to work and living in the community" It is a supportive, encouraging environment focusing on getting individuals back on their feet and helping them to becoming contributing members of society. The Clubhouse trains these individuals in a variety of work skills that will aide them in getting a job. The Clubhouse then helps place them in transitional jobs until they are fully capable of getting a permanent job, which the Clubhouse also aids them in getting. The Clubhouse then continues to serve as a resource and support for the individuals that have completed the program.


Reaction
This program is a very good idea, and a great way to help getting people who are suffering or have suffered from a serious mental illness. By teaching them work skills and then experience using these work skills, they are giving them the tools they need to succeed in the work force. The supportive, empathetic environment is also a great resource. I love that they are actually teaching these people useful work skills and preparing them for the work force instead of just pushing them out that saying "go on, go out there. you have to do this."


Quotes from http://www.greendoor.org/programs/clubhouse.htm
~ "Green Door is the only program in the District of Columbia that utilizes the Clubhouse model to get people with mental illness back to work and living in the community. Working from the individual's strengths, the Clubhouse provides members with the opportunity to learn employable skills through meaningful work and to participate in a supportive community. Green Door promises life-long support as members become self-sufficient and involved in the wider community. Green Door is based on a model that was designed by people with mental illness for people with mental illness"

~ "In a Clubhouse, everyone is equal. It is a place where members can make friends
and join in social activities, get help with recovery from drugs and alcohol, learn
self-advocacy, and improve basic literacy skills"

~ "Green Door's Clubhouse program helps members get skills they need to become employable"

~ "For example, the Café Unit operates like any other café in the city - providing snacks, coffee, and a trendy atmosphere. It also serves as a teaching tool for members to learn how to provide customer service, how to operate a cash register, and how to price a menu"

~ "After working in the Clubhouse, members are placed in six-month transitional jobs in the community. Transitional placements are low-stress jobs in mailrooms, food service, and maintenance, and provide competitive pay by the employer. Once members complete several transitional jobs, and build up their confidence and résumé, Green Door teaches them how to get a permanent job"

~ "Joining Green Door's Clubhouse means:
Working with staff to set individual recovery goals.
Having a place to go and being part of a diverse community.
Being challenged to grow and take responsibility.
Gaining confidence and self-determination.
Gaining work skills and getting a job.
Being a productive citizen in the community"

~ "At the Clubhouse, members can learn to:
Answer a multi-line phone.
File, copy, and fax.
Develop computer and clerical skills.
Work in a commercial kitchen and café environment, operate a cash register,
and prepare and serve food.
Learn how to navigate the Internet"


Annotated Bibliography

http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
http://www.pathprogram.samhsa.gov/

Summary
The PATH program is a program that provides mental health care to homeless individuals or those at risk of becoming homeless. Some of the services PATH offers are outreach services, screening and diagnostic services, community mental health services, habilitation and rehabilitation services, case management, alcohol or drug treatment, supervisory services in residential settings, and a limited set of housing services. The goal of the program is to treat homeless people who have serious mental illnesses, and, in the long run, to reduce the number of people who are homeless as a result of their mental illness. PATH is providing homeless individuals much needed services that they would otherwise be unable to obtain. By doing so, they are helping these people get their lives back together and get to a state that they are able to provide for themselves.


Reaction
This program seems like an effective way to help reduce homelessness and to provide mental health services to individuals who are in great need of them, but who otherwise didn't have any access to them. I think that it is especially good that these mental health services are provided, for many homeless people are there as a result of the untreated, devastating effects of their mental illness.



Quotes
~ "Created under the McKinney Act, The PATH Program, is a formula grant program that funds the 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four U.S. Territories to support service delivery to individuals with serious mental illnesses, as well as individuals with co-occurring substance use disorders, who are homeless or at risk of becoming home-less" ("PATH: Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness").

~ "The program -- known as Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)
-- funds community-based outreach, mental health, substance abuse, case management and
other support services, as well as a limited set of housing services"

~ "PATH clients have some of the most disabling mental disorders. Among clients for whom a diagnosis was reported, 27 percent had schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders and 44 percent had affective disorders such as depression"

~ "Local PATH-supported organizations provide a wide range of services to people who are
homeless. Among the services eligible for funding under PATH are:
* outreach services,
* screening and diagnostic services,
* habilitation and rehabilitation services,
* community mental health services,
* alcohol or drug treatment services (for people with mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders),
* case management services,
* supervisory services in residential settings and
* a limited set of housing services and services to help clients access housing resources.