Month: April 2022

Study: economic burden of PTSD ‘staggering’

By Mike Richman: For Complete Post, Click Here…

U.S. civilian, military populations combine for more than $230 billion in annual costs.

A new study finds that the national economic burden of PTSD goes beyond direct health care expenses and exceeds the costs of other common mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression.

The researchers estimated the cost of PTSD at $232.2 billion for 2018, the latest year for which data were available at the time of the study. They called for increased awareness of PTSD, more effective therapies, and the expansion of evidence-based strategies to “reduce the large clinical and economic burden” of that mental health condition.

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Open mic

The results appeared online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry on April 25, 2022.

“The $232 billion annual economic burden of PTSD in the U.S. demonstrated in this study is staggering and fuels the urgency for public and private stakeholders to work together to discover new and better treatments, reduce stigma, improve access to existing treatments, and expand evidence-based recovery and rehabilitation programs,” the researchers write.

In the study, the investigators brought to light the extent to which PTSD not only impacts Veterans, but civilians, as well. The research team found that civilians accounted for 82% of the total PTSD costs, compared with 18% for the military population. That disparity is predicated on the fact that the number of civilians far exceeds that of active-duty military and Veterans. Although PTSD is more prevalent in the military, the number of civilians with PTSD still tops the number of Veterans with that condition.

Davis and her colleagues noted that more studies on PTSD and its treatments are needed to address the rise in civilians with PTSD, calling that phenomenon a “rapidly accumulating societal burden.” Improved access to effective treatments is also needed, especially for people in economically vulnerable situations,” she noted.

How a pink-haired anime girl became one of Twitch’s biggest stars

By Nathan Grayson: For Complete Post, Click Here…

It’s day 28 of Ironmouse’s live-streaming marathon, and the Twitch streamer has taken a brief break from her usual programming — playing games, chatting with friends, singing Japanese pop songs — to address her audience directly. “I saw some complaints about my content,” she says in an almost childlike voice.

The moment is serious. Some of Ironmouse’s tens of thousands of viewers are unhappy with the stream’s lack of structure. But Ironmouse maintains a wide-eyed, welcoming grin. It’s slightly unnerving — a byproduct of the fact that on Twitch she is not a flesh-and-blood person, but rather a pink-haired anime girl.

Ironmouse is the alter ego of a Puerto Rican Twitch star who’s kept her real identity anonymous and crafted an elaborate backstory in service of her online persona. Planning, she says, has never been her strong suit. In real life, she suffers from a chronic illness called common variable immune deficiency, or CVID, which leaves her highly susceptible to infection, as well as a lung condition. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, this has forced her to isolate from people and has, at various points, left her bedridden and on oxygen. She never knows when it might impact her, which makes it difficult to prepare for just about anything. And so, largely homebound, she disappears behind her digital avatar — known among Twitch and YouTube users as a virtual YouTuber, or “Vtuber” for short — and slips into the character of Ironmouse as an escape.

Tools for Overdose Prevention

From National Council for Mental Wellbeing: For Complete Post, Click Here…

Overdose death in the United States has increased at an alarming rate since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with an increase of 30% in 2020 compared to 2019. Despite rising rates of overdose, substance use-related harms are preventable. Evidence-based practices exist across a continuum of care for people at risk of overdose; however, people at risk of overdose often face significant challenges accessing treatment and navigating systems of care. To help public health practitioners prevent overdose, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, developed the following resources and tools.

Peer support services (PSS) are a valuable component of a growing number of overdose response and linkage to care initiatives that can be implemented and supported by local and state health departments. This toolkit is for local and state health departments and community partners who are exploring opportunities to implement or enhance PSS within overdose response and linkage to care initiatives. This toolkit provides information, resources, tools, actionable steps and real-world examples informed by the latest research, subject matter experts and experiences from diverse settings across the country.

Local and state health departments are uniquely well-suited to link people at risk of overdose to care and services to improve their health and wellbeing. To support linkage to care efforts for people at risk of overdose, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, developed Overdose Response and Linkage to Care: A Roadmap for Health Departments, a technical assistance tool informed by real-world experience.

Final State Disability Assistance Program rules posted

By Colin Jackson: For Complete Post, Click Here…

The change would let interviews conducted during the application process to take place over the phone instead of just in-person. “Detroit Disability Power” director Dessa Cosma says people who have medical or transportation issues or are concerned about COVID-19 need that flexibility.

“It’s important that we have options so that we can be safe and so that we can get our needs met without having to put ourselves in harm’s way or under a lot of undue stress trying to navigate a world that was designed without us in mind.”

The final rule package has been submitted to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. That group of lawmakers now has 15 legislative session days to review the change before it’s filed with the Secretary of State to become law.

Healing by Choice! Community Care Circle

From DDP: For Complete Post, Click Here…

𝗜𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗶𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲! 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝟮-𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲/ 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒖𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒔𝒐 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑪𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕, 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈.

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗥𝗦𝗩𝗣, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀!

𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟭-𝟯𝐩𝐦 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏

Join us in witnessingThe Beauty of Spring: Arriving and Sensing

HbC! is a circle of women and gender non-conforming healing practitioners in Detroit who offer wellness support through a variety of practices and prompts that allow us to do our healing work with community. We understand that health and wellness should be determined by the individual or community receiving care, and for many of us this includes the reality of disability, illness, and harm reduction. We accept and encourage individuals and communities defining health, healing, and wellness for themselves, and not based on normative models of healing.

Video tablets are lowering suicides, raising treatment for rural veterans

By Ted Roelofs: For Complete Post, Click Here… Over the past couple years, a gray-and-black computer tablet has become an indispensable ally to U.S. Air Force veteran Andrew Labadie. From his home in rural Branch County just north of the Indiana border, Labadie can tap into a web of mental health specialists: counselors, psychologists, recreational … Continue reading Video tablets are lowering suicides, raising treatment for rural veterans →
http://dlvr.it/SPHDqq

APRIL AND ACCOMMODATIONS: ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE — NOT BY PHONE!

BY ANNE BORDEN KING: For Complete Post, Click Here… We’ve noticed that many of our autistic community members dread April, with its onslaught of crappy autism messaging being ignorantly promoted as “hope.” We’re not fans, either. Instead, we’ll be promoting Autism Acceptance by publishing April Accommodations—meaning adjustments that other people can do for  the autistic … Continue reading APRIL AND ACCOMMODATIONS: ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE — NOT BY PHONE! →
http://dlvr.it/SPHDp6

This Autism Awareness Month, Don’t Forget About Black Autistic Women

By Ayanna Phenomenallyautistic: For Complete Post, Click Here… When you think of autism, a Black face probably does not pop into your head. A grown Black woman’s face almost definitely does not pop into your head. White people are the unofficial face of autism, white boys in particular. Black women are the forgotten community within … Continue reading This Autism Awareness Month, Don’t Forget About Black Autistic Women →
http://dlvr.it/SPHDmT

@AngelsOfImpact

From Haben Girma: For Complete Post, Click Here… . @LainaGreene founded @AngelsOfImpact, a team of entrepreneurs eradicating poverty by investing in women-led enterprises from underrepresented communities. We met at a Stanford conference and discovered our shared love of public service, dogs, and fragrant flowers.http://dlvr.it/SPHCtt
http://dlvr.it/SPHDl7

Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program

From AAPD: For Complete Post, Click Here…

The Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program is designed for young Black disabled advocates (ages 18 – 30) who are committed to the social, political, and economic issues surrounding the intersections of the Black and Disability communities. 

This program was founded in 2020 by the American Association of People with Disabilities’ (AAPD) former Senior Director Keri Gray, and the inaugural class of 2020 met regularly for political educations, designed a voting advocacy campaign, and coordinated a “Black Disability Freedom Dreams” event. The 2022 Fannie Lou Hamer Program will focus on trainings and conversations to advance participants’ confidence and skills as Black disabled advocates advancing democracy. This program is closely connected with AAPD’s REV UP Voting Campaign.

The program focuses on:

  • Political Educations
  • Community Building
  • Voter Engagement

Apply by May 16 at 11:59pm ET

The Program

Who is Fannie Lou Hamer?

Fannie Lou Hamer is a well-recognized civil rights activist and organizer for voting rights. Her work centered on elevating the rights of Black voters and women, particularly across the state of Mississippi. Hamer had polio as a child and later became physically disabled due to a severe beating in a Mississippi jail. In honor of her legacy and sacrifice, AAPD is proud to continue the Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program.

When is the FLH Program?

The program will run from June 13 – August 12. The program coordinator will work with participants to choose the times for weekly meetings and other activities.

How much time does the FLH Program require?

The Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program includes weekly political educations and gatherings (all virtual) as well as some additional learning and activities encouraged. We estimate 3-5 hours spent per week on this program. This program includes a stipend for each participant of $1,500.

Ready to apply?

Apply here. The application for the 2022 Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program opens April 25, 2022 and closes May 16 at 11:59pm.