National Conference Organized by and for Individuals with Psychiatric Histories to Be Held in Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla., June 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Registration is open for the 28th annual Alternatives conference, the oldest national mental health conference organized by and for individuals with mental health conditions, to be held October 22-26, 2014, at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. The conference website is http://alternatives2014.mhasp.org.
"The theme – 'Creating the Future: Change, Challenge, Opportunity' – reflects the fact that we who have psychiatric histories are creating a future where we and others like ourselves will routinely take our rightful places as contributing members of the community. We are creating a future where the discrimination and prejudice associated with mental health conditions are things of the past, and where recovery is expected," said Joseph Rogers, executive director of the National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, which is organizing the conference. "We are effecting change, meeting challenges, and seizing opportunities to make a difference in our own lives, in the lives of others with psychiatric diagnoses, and in society."
Each Alternatives conference offers in-depth technical assistance on peer-delivered services and self-help/recovery methods. Beyond the exchange of knowledge and networking, Alternatives offers a rich social, artistic, and healing environment. When asked "one thing I learned that I will incorporate into my life and/or my work," one earlier Alternatives attendee responded, "We can influence the direction of the future."
"The Alternatives conference is a celebration of hope," Rogers continued. "Those of us who have been diagnosed with mental illnesses are often told that the situation is hopeless. An important emerging dynamic in mental health treatment is the concept of recovery. Many of the workshops will address recovery, and many of the speakers will be speaking about their own journeys toward recovery." To learn more about recovery, check out SAMHSA's definition of recovery and its Guiding Principles.
To register, go to the Alternatives 2014 website and click on "Registration" in the left-hand navigation bar, or go directly to the Registration page.
The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse is a consumer-run national technical assistance center funded in part by the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is tentatively helping in part to sponsor the conference. The Clearinghouse website is http://www.mhselfhelp.org.
The Alternatives 2014 website is http://alternatives2014.mhasp.org.
Contact: Susan Rogers, Clearinghouse, [email protected], 267-507-3812
SOURCE National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
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