Resources for psychiatric patients

PUBLIC RESOURCES

Advocacy Groups

1. Center for Patient Advocacy

“The Patient's Voice On Capitol Hill; the forefront of the battle to ensure that patients have timely access to the highest quality health care in the world”.

http://www.patientadvocacy.org/

2. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

“the nation’s leading patient-directed organization focusing on the most prevalent mental illnesses - depression and bipolar disorder”.

http://www.dbsalliance.org/

3. National Alliance for the Mentally Ill

“a nonprofit, grassroots, self-help, support and advocacy organization of consumers, families, and friends of people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic and other severe anxiety disorders, autism and pervasive developmental disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and other severe and persistent mental illnesses that affect the brain.”

http://www.nami.org/

4. National Mental Health Association

“the country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness”.

http://www.nmha.org/

Government Links

1. American with Disabilities Act

A comprehensive resource guide to various ADA related issues.

http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/

2. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA)

http://cms.hhs.gov/

3. Health Finder

“your guide to reliable health information” including health library, selected health topics organized for men and women, by age from kids to seniors, by race and ethnicity, and for parents, caregivers, health professionals, and others, and information about doctors, dentists, public clinics, hospitals, long term care, nursing homes, health insurance, prescriptions, health fraud, Medicare, Medicaid, and medical privacy.

http://www.healthfinder.gov/

Hot Lines

1. National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence

"If you or someone you know is a victim of spouse/partner abuse (domestic violence), call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3244 (TTY) for support, shelter, or services. If you or someone you know is a victim of elder abuse, call 1-800-879-6682 If you know of a child who is being abused or neglected, call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 "

http://www.nccafv.org/

2. National Domestic Violence Hotline

"If something about your relationship with your partner scares you and you need to talk, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) "

http://www.ndvh.org/

3. Suicide Hotlines

"When You Feel You Can't Go On... Let Someone Know Your Pain. "

http://suicidehotlines.com/

Miscellaneous

1. Facts for Families

Facts for Families by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry on a multitude of topics such as Abuse, Adoption, ADHD, Autism, Bedwetting, Bipolar Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Daycare, Depression, Discipline, Divorce, Firearms, Foster Care, Grief, Guns, Learning Disabilities, Lying, Moving, Music, Obesity, Parenting, Pets, PTSD, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia, School Refusal, Self-Injury, Sex, Sleep Problems, Stealing, Stress, Substance Abuse, Suicide, Tobacco, Tourette’s, Violence, and others.

http://www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/index.htm

2. How to Select a Psychiatrist?

Helpful advice from the American Psychiatric Association

http://www.psych.org/public_info/selecting.cfm

Online Screening Tests

1. For Anxiety

Screening for Anxiety

http://www.med.nyu.edu/Psych/screens/anx.html

2. For Depression

Screening for Depression

http://www.med.nyu.edu/Psych/screens/depres.html

3. For Male Sexual Disoders

Screening for Men's Sexual Disorders

http://www.med.nyu.edu/Psych/screens/sdsf.html

4. For Personality Disorders

Screening for Personality Disorders

http://www.med.nyu.edu/Psych/screens/pds.html

Psychiatric Disorders

1. Alphabetical and Categorical

Alphabetical and categorical listing with diagnostic and treatment information with links to other relevant websites.

http://http://www.mentalhealth.com/p20.html

2. Info on Depression by Dr. Ivan Goldberg

Info on Depression by Dr. Ivan Goldberg; the site describes itself as “central clearinghouse for information on all types of depressive disorders and on the most effective treatments for individuals suffering from Major Depression, Manic-Depression (Bipolar Disorder), Cyclothymia, Dysthymia and other mood disorders”.

http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.html

State Mental Health Agencies

1. ALABAMA

Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation RSA Union Building, 100 North Union Street Montgomery, AL 36130-1410 Phone: 334-242-3107 Fax: 334-242-0684

www.mh.state.al.us

2. ALASKA

Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Department of Health and Social Services P.O. Box 110620 Juneau, AK 99811-0620 Phone: 907-465-3370 Fax: 907-465-2668 E-mail: Director@health.state.ak.us

www.hss.state.ak.us/dmhdd

3. ARIZONA

Department of Health Services Division of Behavioral Health Services 2122 East Highland, Suite 100 Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phone: 602-381-8999 Fax: 602-553-9140

http://www.azdhs.gov

4. ARKANSAS

Division of Mental Health Services Department of Human Services 4313 West Markham Street Little Rock, AR 72205-4096 Phone: 501-686-9164 Fax: 501-686-9182

http://www.state.ar.us/dhs/dmhs/