Don't miss the STARR Advocacy Roundtable!
Wednesday, May 10th at 3:30pm ET
Chat with a few of the STARR's advocacy members about new ways to engage with your local community, develop valuable relationships, and build trust in mental health research.
We look forward to an engaging, interactive discussion!
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May is
Mental Health Awareness Month!
Mental Health Awareness Month has been celebrated since 1949 by spreading the message that mental health is something everyone should care about. It’s a time to share information, stories, and resources, and we invite you to join us!
MHA’s 2023 Mental Health Month campaign is focused on how surroundings impact mental health, and they are calling for individuals to look around, look within.
Topics that MHA specifically addresses include:
- Safe and Stable Housing
- Healthy Home Environments
- Neighborhoods and Towns
- The Outdoors and Nature
MHA has resources to help people understand how these topics impact mental health, provide tips for actions people can take to change their surroundings in favor of their well-being, and suggestions for how to cope if change isn’t realistic.
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NAMI's 2023 Mental Health Awareness Month theme is “More that Enough”
It’s an opportunity for all of us to come together and remember the inherent value we each hold — no matter our diagnosis, appearance, socioeconomic status, background or ability. We want every person out there to know that if all you did was wake up today, that’s more than enough. No matter what, you are inherently worthy of more than enough life, love and healing. Showing up, just as you are, for yourself and the people around you is more than enough.
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The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is celebrating MHAM with the campaign “Meeting You Where You Are." Whether people need customizable tools to work towards wellness on their own, or resources for reaching out to a support group or mental health professional, DBSA is committed to meeting people where they are on their mental health journey. Check out DBSA's 2023 Mental Health Awareness Month toolkit.
Together, we can realize our shared vision of a nation where anyone affected by mental illness can get the appropriate support and quality of care to live healthy, fulfilling lives.
Show your support through by sharing information, images and graphics for Mental Health Awareness Month throughout May! ❤
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About Boehringer Ingelheim:
Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that transform lives, today and for generations to come. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term, sustainable perspective. More than 53,000 employees serve over 130 markets in the two business units Human Pharma and Animal Health. Learn more at Boehringer Ingelheim - Value Through Innovation.
Please join us in welcoming Boehringer Ingelheim to the STARR Community!
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Site Spotlight: Robin Griffin,
Midwest Clinical Research
If you ever have the pleasure of speaking with Robin Griffin, Business Administrator for Midwest Clinical Research, you will immediately be drawn in by her apparent and overwhelming love for people and community. When asked why she chose this career path, the answer always came back to the people. Robin is enthusiastic when speaking about the impact the right medication can have on a person's life, and clinical research’s role in that experience. Through her many years in research, Robin has been able to witness first-hand the pride research volunteers take in helping their peers and in knowing they are part of something so much bigger than themselves, stating, “You just can’t put a price on that feeling”.
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Although Robin has dedicated many years of her professional life to helping those living with various diseases, she still craved more. In her free time, Robin decided to connect with her local NAMI organization, NAMI Montgomery County, to see what else she could do to connect with people in her own community impacted by mental illness. She participated in Family-to-Family groups and began volunteering at local NAMI events. Before she knew it, she was bringing both of her worlds together and able to educate her newfound community on mental health clinical research.
Today, Robin serves as a member of the NAMI Montgomery County, Ohio Board of Directors. As a board member, Robin is excited to help plan future community events for her local NAMI and to continue doing what she loves– connecting with people.
Just last week, Robin and her colleagues had the honor of having the new Executive Director for NAMI Montgomery County visit Midwest Clinical Research for a tour and to meet their Principle Investigator, Dr. Sanders. Midwest Clinical Research is also the highest level donor for the NAMI Montgomery County 35th Anniversary Luncheon. Through Robin’s initiative and deep desire to make lasting impacts on her community, a beautiful story of advocacy and industry partnership has unfolded.
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You still have time to organize your team for this year's NAMIWalks Spring United Day of Hope!
On May 20th, communities across the country come together for NAMIWalks Spring United Day of Hope. Not only does your participation help to magnify mental health awareness and raise funds for NAMI’s programs, but NAMIWalks are excellent events to come out and engage as part of your community!
Consider being a sponsor and setting up a table with information on your site along with information on the mental illnesses that your site specializes in. This is a great way to bring the community together, offering site resources, and building trust within the community!
Find your state's NAMIWalks event HERE and team up with the best and brightest mental health advocates in the county.
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The Sound Mind mission is to end the stigma that surrounds mental health through the power of music.
With over 70% of musicians living with symptoms of anxiety or depression, the musical community is uniquely positioned to elevate the conversation on mental health. Live music has an unparalleled ability to connect to the hearts of others and catalyze change. Musical events strengthen community, build empathy, and most importantly have the capacity to inspire action.
Sound Mind is based on the premise that collectively our voices are stronger, and that by amplifying artists who are speaking openly about their mental health, we can elevate the conversation and build a community and culture that breaks the stigma that exists today.
Join Alkermes in supporting this year's Sound Mind Live event
in Brooklyn, NY on May 20th!
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This month's STARR Podcast Spotlights
Steve Miccio,
Founder and CEO,
People USA
Steve Miccio is back on the STARR Coalition Podcast to discuss People-USA’s Forensic Mobile Crisis & Response Team. Steve discusses the need, planning, staffing, and outreach that his Mobile Team addresses for individuals in his community living with mental illness. He specifically speaks to the integral relationship between his team and his local law enforcement agencies in efforts to reduce incarceration rates of individuals experiencing crisis and specific diversion plans to allow individuals the care they truly need and deserve. Listen now to hear the benefits of mobile outreach for individuals who are experiencing crisis and how you can help support this mission.
Listen in to Mallory's conversation with Steve in this month's featured podcast HERE.
For this and all of the STARR Podcasts, you can find the STARR Podcast archive HERE.
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The first week of May is
TD Awareness Week
Typically associated with the use of prescription medications used to treat mental health disorders, Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) is a condition that causes uncontrollable body movements.
Despite having treatment options available, many living with TD often go undiagnosed and untreated.
STARR member Teva aims to change that. When someone is diagnosed with TD, it’s important for them to talk to their doctor about treatment options that can help manage their symptoms and continue taking care of their mental health.
This #TDAwarenessWeek, be sure to share info on how TD can be managed! You can find information and resources on Teva's TD site here: https://bit.ly/41Cn7DV ❤
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Midwest Clinical Research Center (MCRC) is sponsoring a Gala event on May 20 for Bridges of Hope Shelter in Greene County, Ohio. MCRC has provided a lunch for their guests several times (Firehouse Subs and MCL cafeteria) and has generated lots of interest from guests, who are signing up and getting scheduled during these events!
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Segal Trials posted their first in a series of blog posts about Schizophrenia. As their online patient following grows, Segal Trial leaders are continuing to offer resources and support to individuals living with schizophrenia. The blog offers deeper understanding of the symptoms, causes, and facts by breaking down the barriers and bringing awareness and advocacy.
We applaud Segal Trials' ongoing effort to support not only their patients, but anyone living with or providing care to those with mental illnesses.
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Neuro-Behavioral Clinical Research participated in the 2023 Canton Senior Expo, where the NBCR staff was on hand to answer participant's questions about Memory Care and Clinical Research! Along with helpful tips and info, they gave away lots of gifts, including a grand prize -- a trip for two!
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CNS Healthcare is pleased to announce that Sujeeta Dhakhwa, MSN, a Clinical Research Nurse at the Jacksonville, FL site, is completing the process to become a Nurse Practitioner, and will become a Sub-Investigator at one of the Jacksonville, FL satellite site locations. Sujeeta joined the CNS Healthcare team ten years ago as a Clinical Research Nurse, and has provided project management oversight on nearly 100 trials at CNS Healthcare.
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Meanwhile in Orlando, CNS Healthcare announced the promotion of Chanel K. Adams, MSN, APRN from Clinical Director to Site Administrator. Chanel joined the CNS Healthcare team nearly three years ago and came with a strong family nurse practitioner background. Not only do the patients love her, but Chanel will now lead the Downtown Orlando office!
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Fight-Or-Flight Neurotransmitter Octopamine’s Role in Neurodegeneration -- Octopamine, the major neurotransmitter responsible for the "fight-or-flight" response in invertebrates, can communicate with mammalian brain cells to prevent cell death. By introducing octopamine to cultures of astrocytes, the scientists found that it prompts the production of lactate, which promotes cell survival, and this discovery could lead to future therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. The study also raises questions about the role of octopamine in healthy brains and its impact on learning, memory, and aging.
Schizophrenia Identified in 60 Seconds via Visual Fixation -- Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Science have identified spatial and temporal abnormalities in spontaneous fixational saccades as a potential biomarker for cognitive and positive symptoms in schizophrenia. Based solely on the fixational eye movements recorded during a one-minute period, a simple machine-learning model classified patients and controls with an accuracy of 85%. This discovery suggests that fixational saccades could serve as an easily obtainable complementary diagnostic tool for the condition.
Spread Happiness: Sharing Positive Emotions Can Help Combat Loneliness and Negativity -- A new study suggests that sharing positive feelings with others may ease loneliness-based negativity, which can contribute to psychological issues and physical health problems. Researchers at the University of Nebraska found that individuals who regularly share positive emotional experiences with friends and family experienced a decreased correlation between loneliness and negative interpretations of ambiguous stimuli, which can lead to poor psychological and physical outcomes.
By studying blood samples collected at birth, the team was able to identify unique methylation differences in cell types that could become potential clinical biomarkers for future early detection of schizophrenia.
Experts Call for Creative Regulations and Collaboration for Psychedelics in Mental Health Treatment -- Experts in bioethics, law and policy from top universities in the US call for creative and collaborative policies to regulate the use and oversight of psychedelics for treating conditions like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In a paper published in the journal Science, the authors propose solutions to regulatory challenges in anticipation of FDA approval of psychedelics for medical use, while stressing the need for a strong evidence base for efficacy and safety.
Sneaking past the blood-brain barrier to usher in the age of gene therapy for neurodegenerative disease -- Researchers led by the University CEU-San Pablo in Spain have reported on a method of safely traversing the blood-brain barrier using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to safely transfer genes for gene therapy. The AAVs are engineered with most of the viral genomes replaced with "expression cassettes" containing a promoter, a gene payload, and a terminator. An advantage of gene therapy is that AAV vector delivery would only occasionally be needed -- studies have shown treatments last several years or more.
Elderly people can improve episodic memory via neurostimulation of the cerebellum, shows study -- A recent study demonstrated that non-invasive stimulation of the right cerebellum led to improvements in episodic memory performance in healthy elderly individuals, at the end of a 12-day neurostimulation program, and also at the point of a 4-month follow-up. In the study, the team of researchers from universities of Portugal, Brazil, the U.S., and Iran delivered a 12-day neurostimulation program to the right cerebellum of 56 healthy elderly individuals aged 60 years old or over, and registered improvements in their episodic memory performance that lasted at least four months beyond the stimulation period. The results demonstrate the causal relevance of the cerebellum in processes associated with long-term episodic memory, highlighting its role in regulating and maintaining cognitive processing.
Study Shows Connection in Brain-Body Health in Individuals With Common Neuropsychiatric Disorders -- Researchers out of Australia conducted a multicenter population-based study including 85 748 adults with neuropsychiatric disorders and 87 420 healthy control individuals to determine if specific organ systems manifest poor health in individuals with common neuropsychiatric disorders. They found that poor body health, particularly of the metabolic, hepatic, and immune systems, was a more marked manifestation of mental illness than brain changes. These results support that management of serious neuropsychiatric disorders should acknowledge the importance of poor physical health and target restoration of both brain and body function.
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$48.6 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding for the National Institutes of Health and an additional $2.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an increase of $1 billion over the FY 2023 level for that transformative research.;
- $11.3 billion for the National Science Foundation, an increase of more than $1.7 billion.
- $938 million investment in the VA Medical and Prosthetics Research Program, an increase of $22 million over the current fiscal year.
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Request for Support to help raise awareness of the critical need for donated post-mortem human brain tissue to advance neuroscience. -- Last year, the American Brain Coalition partnered with the Brain Donor Project in launching National Brain Donation Awareness Day on May 7th — with support from a Congressional Resolution introduced by Represenatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). An updated version will be reintroduced to the new Congress soon. ABC is asking all of us to sign on to make this a multi-year Resolution. It will mark May7th as National Brain Donation Awareness Day to educate, inform, dispel myths, and encourage people to consider brain donation.
There are two ways you can help:
Second: Follow, like, and share Brain Donation Awareness Day messages on social media this week as we lead up to May 7, National Brain Donation Awareness Day (on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram), or create your own posts. (Be sure to tag us!) The Brain Donor Project has created a toolkit with images and copy to get you started.
Please join us in supporting this initiative! You know better than most how science can help change lives -- please take a moment to support brain donations!
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American Psychological Association (APA) 2023 Annual Meeting is being held May 20-24, 2023 in San Francisco, CA. This year's theme is 'Innovate, Collaborate, Motivate: Charting the future of mental health'. For details and to register, click here.
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This year's Sound Mind Festival for Mental Health is being held in Brooklyn, NY, on May 20th. It's free, but if you can make a donation, they would put it to good use. Sound Mind is based on the premise that collectively our voices are stronger, and that by amplifying musicians who are speaking openly about their mental health, we can elevate the conversation and build a community and culture that breaks the stigma that exists today. Find more information HERE.
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Join the NAMI community for NAMICon 2023! Whether you connect in-person, May 24-27 at the Minneapolis Convention Center, or online, June 6-8, there is so much to learn and experience at NAMICon 2023. Build connections, be inspired, reenergize and reaffirm your commitment to building better lives for those affected by mental illness. For details, visit NAMICon.
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The Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP) to be held at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel on May 30 – June 02, 2023. Submissions are open for presentations and posters. Details can be found here.
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The 2023 Mental Health America (MHA) Conference is a weeklong event in Washington, D.C. Events include Policy Institute Day on June 6, MHA Affiliate Day on June 7, and the Annual Conference Days on June 8-10. Join thousands of MHA affiliates, peers, providers, government officials, media, advocates, and more from across the country and globe for the Mental Health America Conference on Next Gen Prevention, June 6-10, 2023. For information and to register for the conference, visit the website here.
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The 148th Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association (ANA2023) will be held in Philadelphia, September 9-12, 2023. Learn more here.
The Site Solutions Summit is being held October 6-8, 2023 in Hollywood, Florida. Organized by the Society for Clinical Research Site (SCRS), the Site Solutions Summit provides a unique hub where sites, sponsors, CRO executives, and regulators come together to discuss best practices and ideas while developing strategic partnerships through ideation sessions, workshops, and focus groups. Learn more here.
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The 2023 Mental Health Services Conference, October 12-14, in Washington, D.C., brings together everyone caring for those with mental illness, including psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, primary care physicians, social workers, and more, to collaborate on practical advice to influence systems-level change for their patients. Learn more here.
6th Edition of International Conference on Neurology and Brain Disorders Conference (INBC2023) will be held in Boston, October 19-21, 2023. More information here.
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Sites -- please share your feedback!
Do you work with the local community behavioral health centers?
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Please select ONLY ONE response:
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Yes -- we have relationships with the community mental health providers.
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We would like to, but haven't been able to connect with them.
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No, we just don't have the bandwidth to prioritize it.
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No, it's not applicable to our clients.
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Results from last month's survey to sites: |
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Hidden Brain:
Success 2.0: Taking the Leap
American culture celebrates those who persevere in the face of adversity. So how do we know when to walk away from something that’s not working? The Hidden Brain podcast offers the “Success 2.0” series with economist John List. He says in every domain of our lives, it’s important to know when to pivot to something new.
We loved this podcast and are excited to share it -- check it out HERE.
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A Smooth Transition from the Hospital
to a Step-Down Facility
By: Douglas Meron
Six months ago, I transitioned from a locked-down mental health facility to a step-down facility I set the following goals for my new home:
● Take my medications as prescribed;
● Continue to eat healthily;
● Maintain the healthy habits I practiced at the hospital and continue to strengthen my recovery.
I was more excited than nervous about going to the step facility. The hospital transferred my medications to the step-down facility. In the hospital, my meds were prepared for me by the staff nurse; in contrast, the staff provides meds in bubble packs. The team (without licensed nurses) gives me a bubble pack for each medication, and with the staff watching, I take my medications. In addition to my pills, I receive a monthly shot of Invega at the psychiatrist's office. The monthly shot was changed to a three-month shot a few months ago. The staff will remind clients when to take their medications, but I am responsible and arrive on time without prompting.
At my new home, I still receive the same meals provided in the hospital, but residents are allowed as much as they want to eat. I am very grateful for the meals prepared for me; it allows more time to do activities of self-care.
The hospital provided more structure than the step-down facility. At my new home, there are up to three groups a day. It is required to go to six groups a week. With the extra time on my hands, I have done more meditation and exercise.
There are different phases at my new home. In Phase I, you are allowed to get a cell phone. In Phase II, one can leave the facility with one of your peers. In Phase III, you can leave the facility and get a bus pass to navigate town.
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Speaking of community, I have branched out with my new freedom to form contacts in the community. While in the hospital, I streamed church services online. Now I attend church physically and have made contacts at church. Before the hospital system, I used public transportation and riding the bus makes me feel independent.
I have used my new freedom to network with people and the community and am in the process of finding a new place to live when I graduate from the step-down facility. I have much more control over my life, and my bright future is bright. Recently, I received a certificate for the resident of the month and Dreamcatcher (a work program) of the month for March. The employees at the program praised me for being a leader in the community and an inspiration for others.
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Thank you for reading!
If you have questions, comments, or would like to submit an item to be included in an upcoming newsletter, please email erica@thestarr.org.
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The STARR Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, our Tax ID # is 47-4634007.
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The STARR Coalition | 501-725-8890 | www.thestarr.org |
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SHARE, CARE, AND BE KIND. |
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