Outreach & Awareness | National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

Happy People Talking This section provides information on strategies for outreach and engagement; materials designed to raise awareness; and general mental health resources that may be of interest to diverse audiences.

The booklet Recognizing and Helping Young People at Risk for Psychosis(link is external) was created for diverse professionals working with young people. It covers information about psychosis, the course of onset and illness, assessment, diagnosis, and intervention strategies, and suggested readings. Also, a Toolkit for Educating about Psychosis(link is external) was designed for medical professionals, teachers, and health educators, and it provides information on mental illness, psychosis, early symptoms, the role of prevention and early intervention, and sample educational fact sheets and resources. Both resources were originally developed by the PIER program in Maine, and later used in conjunction with the RWJF EDIPPP demonstration.

Mental Health America (MHA) has an initiative entitled “B4Stage4(link is external)” designed to foster awareness and early identification/intervention for mental illness. This is an initiative to get people to act by encouraging individuals to take (and to get others to take) confidential screenings, and it offers sample tweets and Facebook posts for raising awareness and promoting help-seeking behavior.

The British Columbia Schizophrenia Society(link is external) is a non-profit organization founded in 1982 by families and friends of people with schizophrenia.

The Early Psychosis Intervention (EPI)(link is external), British Columbia, Canada has a comprehensive program website that promotes early detection, provides information about psychosis, and offers guidance for seeking help in a manner that helps to raise awareness and decrease stigma. The website includes information about causes, treatment, recovery, and associated problems, as well as client stories and information for family and friends.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)(link is external) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities. Online materials include Early Serious Mental Illness: Guide for Faith Communities(link is external), and Supporting Students Experiencing Early Psychosis in Middle School and High School(link is external).

Additional Resources

Below are links to organizations with websites that include a range of informational resources on mental health topics:

Mental health topics links:

American Psychiatric Association(link is external)

International Early Psychosis Association(link is external)

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)(link is external)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)(link is external)

Mental Health America(link is external)

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry(link is external)

Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health(link is external)

National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression(link is external)