Mission:
Announcements
Emotional CPR Book Just Released
Emotional CPR: Assisting People through Emotional Distress recounts how a team, mainly comprising individuals with personal experiences of severe mental health conditions, developed a novel method to aid those in mental health crises. Unlike conventional approaches, this method prioritizes establishing a heart-to-heart connection over diagnosis. By treating individuals as resourceful, the approach empowers them to navigate their path forward, fostering revitalization. This approach reflects how the Emotional CPR developers desired to be treated during their own distress, and how such treatment facilitated their journey through distress. Click here to purchase the book.
APA Publishes Paper Supporting Peer Respites
NEC is proud to announce the publication of a groundbreaking paper on the unique approaches of peer-run respites, “Peer-Run Respite Approaches to Supporting People Experiencing an Emotional Crisis,” published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Click here for the press release.
Neurodiversity Gifts is Now Available!
Neurodiversity Gifts is an impactful, multi-dimensional encounter workshop brought to you by Josh Roberts and the National Empowerment Center. It is designed to give people living with mental health conditions a fresh, colorful perspective of their potential, and an expanded view of reality at large.
By combining insights from Western perspectives (science, psychology, and philosophy) with insights from Non-Western perspectives (traditional cultures, spirituality, and mysteries), the goal is to reframe your identity away from self-stigma, towards post-traumatic growth, and the potential gifts of your neurodiverse mind.
The 3 hour individual training is now available for $120. Click here to purchase the individual training!
Artists for Change Exhibit
Gayle Bluebird has completed an art exhibit featuring the work of artists with lived experience who are part of the peer movement. It is now available for anyone who wishes to view it. Click here for the exhibit.
Free Upcoming Webinar: Nervous System Informed Yoga for Holistic Healing
Presenter: Joann Lutz
Tuesday, November 19th, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET
In this talk, Joann Lutz will describe the major discoveries she made about yoga as a tool for self-healing and recovery from psychological distress, and give the viewers a sample of its power.
Joann is excited to tell the story of how she used yoga as an important recovery tool back in 1970, when she was under psychiatric care and on anti-psychotic medication. At that time she took a vow to help people who found themselves in a similar situation, if she ever felt well again. She then practiced yoga and studied it deeply for many years, discovering the elements of yoga which are so healing to the nervous system. She wrote a book on the topic, Trauma Healing in the Yoga Zone, and had it published in 2021. She looks forward to this opportunity to share her work!
Click here to register for the webinar.
Webinar Recording Now Available: Expanding Inclusion to Embrace the Voices of People Without Children
Presenter: Katie Maynard, LCSW
As a continuation of our recent webinar on diversity, equity, and inclusion, NEC will be hosting some webinars spotlighting different DEI related topics and marginalized communities.
Did you know that around 1 in 5 people don’t end up having children? Whether by choice or circumstance, our voices are often left out. This webinar will dive into how non-parents can be part of broader diversity efforts, examining the effects of pronatalism and bias, particularly in the intersections between mental health and non-parenthood. You’ll leave with research-backed insights including key stats, the reality of disenfranchisement, and the dynamics of parent status privilege.
Click here for the recording.
Webinar Recording Now Available: Empowering Voices of Kids with Disabilities
Presenters: Chase Arcangel and Joana Arcangel
In this webinar, we hear from a young advocate who will share about empowering kids and how communities can be more supportive and inclusive. The webinar will discuss creating spaces to connect with others so that kids can learn more about their rights and feel safer and more confident in expressing themselves.
Click here for the recording.
A Good Intro to Emotional CPR
Recent Work
Updated Hearing Voices Curriculum Now Available!
Originally developed by Dr. Pat Deegan, the NEC Hearing Voices Curriculum now includes updates developed by Dr. Dan Fisher, Oryx Cohen, and Digital Eyes Film. In addition to the original simulation exercises, the updates include a new DVD featuring one of the co-founders of the Hearing Voices Network, Dr. Marius Romme, as well as testimony from voice hearers themselves. The updated curriculum includes new discussion questions that will help participants better understand how they can support voice hearers after the training.
For more information about the curriculum click here.
Learn more about the updated Hearing Voices Curriculum in the video below.
Resource of the Week
ReAwaken Manifesto
The ReAwaken Manifesto was born out of a week-long gathering of international leaders in mental health, addiction, and trauma at the inaugural ReAwaken conference, ReAwaken Australia, which took place 8-12 April 2019 in Adelaide, South Australia. The manifesto reflects the collective work and vision of these leaders. ReAwaken recognizes that our society is asleep in many ways, more isolated than ever from each other and the environment, which has led to ineffective and often harmful polices and practices in the fields of mental health, trauma and addiction. We call for a great reawakening of the human spirit, a reclaiming of our narratives, and a reconnection with our fellow travelers and the earth. We know this is possible because we have achieved this in one short week, having created a beautiful, safe, inclusive, and loving community in one small corner of the world.
Studies on Emotional CPR
Research findings of an eCPR study published in June 2022 found eCPR benefits individuals from multiple, diverse demographics. It can enhance their ability to connect with others, to understand what it means to be with someone who is experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis, to accept their own emotions, and to be confident in being their most authentic self in both their work and personal lives. Participants found eCPR training to be a valuable resource for learning new skills when engaging with an individual who may be in distress or experiencing a mental health crisis.
For a one-page summary of the article, click here.
To access the full-text publication, visit: https://formative.jmir.org/2022/6/e32219/
A study published in April 2021 found that eCPR may increase feelings of belonging while increasing supportive behaviors toward individuals with mental health problems and improving clinical outcomes related to positive and negative affect and feelings of loneliness. Statistically significant pre-post improvements were found related to one’s ability to identify emotions, support others in distress, communicate nonverbally, share emotions, and take care of oneself, as well as to one’s feelings of social connectedness, self-perceived flourishing, and positive affect. Findings indicated promising evidence of pre-post improvements (not statistically significant) related to loneliness, empowerment, active-empathetic listening, mindfulness awareness, and hope.
For a one-page summary of the article, click here.
To access the full-text publication, visit: https://jopm.jmir.org/2021/1/e25867.
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Featured Video
An Introduction to Emotional CPR (eCPR)
Finding Our Voice
Finding Our Voice is a program for training emerging c/s/x leaders in advocacy skills and ways of being.
The following video was produced by one our graduates, Miriam Israel using the skills that she learned in our training.