The Federation on the Move
October 2021 Newsletter
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NFF 2021 Virtual Conference Updates |
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Submit your award nominations by October 15th.
Each year during our annual conference we recognize individuals and organizations who have made substantial contributions to the field of mental health and/or substance use prevention and to family peer support. Learn more about our awards and submit your nominations by October 15th to help us celebrate the individuals and organizations who make a difference in the lives of families.
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Registration is OPEN for our conference taking place November 4 - 6 and a pre-conference session on November 3rd.
Visit our conference agenda to see an exciting list of presentations covering topics in mental health, substance use prevention, family peer support, parent/caregiver support, trauma and more. We're also offering a pre-conference workforce development session on November 3rd. Can't attend every session? Registered attendees will have access to the recorded presentations and shared materials for 3 months following the conference.
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Don't miss the opportunity to showcase your organization and connect with our national audience.
There is still time to become a sponsor and/or an exhibitor at our annual conference. Establish your company or organization as a mental health and substance use prevention leader and show your support for the National Federation of Families. Learn more about the benefits below.
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Last month, as part of our efforts to increase vaccine awareness, NFF awarded 24 mini grants to our affiliates. These awardees are working with our team to develop educational materials and events to support families in their communities in making the best, informed decisions about receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. We're excited to be able to provide funding to support their activities. Look for information about their work and virtual efforts to be posted on our Facebook page in the coming weeks.
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Executive Directors' Roundtable Infographic |
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In August, we hosted a series of roundtable discussions with executive directors in our network of family run organizations. Afterward, we developed an infographic to capture the insights they shared with us about vaccine hesitancy in their communities and the toll the pandemic is taking on families and their staff. You can view the infographic here.
We thank our chapter leaders for taking the time to share their experiences, concerns, and the unique challenges they and their staff are facing as they continue to support families during this especially difficult time.
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We're excited to welcome three new affiliates this month. We encourage you to reach out directly to welcome our newest chapter leaders.
NAMI Missouri
Gena Terlizzi, Executive Director
(573) 634-7727
STRONG (Striving Towards Reviving Our Next Generation) - Georgia
Michele Bagby, CEO
(912) 980-5356
We are the Village Family Support Center of North Georgia
Bonnie Ray, Founder
(423) 432-7822
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Domestic Violence Awareness Month (#DVAM2021) was launched nationwide in October 1987 as a way to connect and unite individuals and organizations working on domestic violence issues while raising awareness for those issues. Over the past 30+ years, much progress has been made to support domestic violence victims and survivors, to hold abusers accountable, and to create and update legislation to further those goals. Learn more here and look for additional information on our social media channels this month.
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National Bullying Prevention Month was founded in 2006 by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center. The campaign is held during the month of October and unites communities nationwide to educate and raise awareness about bullying prevention. Learn more here and look for additional information and resources on our social media channels this month.
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NFSTAC News and Highlights |
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NFSTAC provides education, training, and family support resources tailored specifically to families, the family peer workforce, communities, healthcare systems, clinicians, and educators. Our network of partners and subject matter experts will work with you to help address your needs. Our technical assistance is always free and we're ready to assist you.
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Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses that often go undiagnosed in children and adults. It is estimated that 28 million Americans will struggle with an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime. These conditions can have serious and severe effects on one’s physical health and increase the risk for suicide. In fact, more people die from eating disorders than any other mental illness except those who die from opioid abuse. Recent research suggests that 1 person will die every 52 minutes as a result of their eating disorder.
Given the above, it's important to learn the signs and symptoms of eating disorders so you can recognize them in your loved ones and encourage them to seek professional help.
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Don't Miss Our Upcoming Events |
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Join us on Wednesday, October 20th from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. ET for our webinar "Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Privacy Rights for Individuals and Families" co-hosted by the Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information, CoE-PHI. Learn more and register here.
Part two of our series titled "Stabilizing Housing for Families of Children who Experience Mental Health and/or Substance Use Challenges," co-hosted by the Homeless and Housing Resource Center, will take place on Thursday, November 18th from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET. Look for registration information to arrive in your inbox soon!
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Diana Autin
Executive Director
SPAN Parent Advocacy Network
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Question: As your child becomes an adult and it becomes harder for parents to get firsthand information for their child receiving medical attention, who can control access to their health records and information changes? What can a parent do?
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In 2022, the NFSTAC will begin sending its own communications dedicated to families impacted by mental health and substance use challenges and the workforce that supports them. Sign up below to be sure you continue to receive our news about support resources and upcoming events.
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Changes to How We Share Updates |
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In an effort to keep you informed about legislation that affects you, we're making changes to the way we share news with you. Beginning this month, instead of a legislative newsletter, we have added a Legislation to Know section page on our website.
Here you will find information organized in three sections for you - What’s Being Implemented Now, Passed Legislation and Policy Changes and Proposed Legislation and Policies. We will be providing the latest information and updating these sections regularly, and hope this information will assist you in your advocacy efforts.
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There are far too many events for us to capture in the newsletter each month. We've highlighted a few below and we encourage you to visit our webinars and events page for a more complete listing. We welcome submissions from our network of affiliates and other organizations. Please include a weblink and contact person with your submissions.
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We encourage you to explore the resources below for caregivers, youth and young adults, the family peer support workforce and mental health and substance use professionals. Have a resource you'd like to share? Feel free to email us for consideration in future newsletters. |
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New Special Education Resources for Spanish-Speaking Families
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New Creating Youth-Adult Partnerships for Mental Wellbeing Guide
Youth of all races, identities and abilities deserve equitable access to mental health supports that are inclusive and responsive to their lived experiences. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s new web-based guide, Connecting Communities: A Guide to Youth-Adult Partnership for Youth Mental Wellbeing, offers tools, activities and resources to help youth and community-based organizations collaborate on a shared vision for change.
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