VISN 5 Resource E-Blasts on Recovery in SMI

As a part of the VISN 5 MIRECC's commitment to support mental health clinicians in their efforts to incorporate recovery-oriented care for Veterans and the Veteran families they serve, we began regularly disseminating national email-blasts in 2019. The goal of this effort is to provide front-lined mental health staff across the VA system information on relevant topic areas and point them to resources they could utilize in their work with Veterans with SMI.
The E-Blasts topics are chosen specifically for areas that support recovery-oriented care. Check out each one!
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April 2023
Month of the Military Child
April is Month of the Military Child when we celebrate the over 1.6 million children with a parent serving in the military and the over 2.1 million children with a Veteran parent. For many Veterans parenting is their most important mission. VA has a variety of resources to support Veteran families' health and well-being.

January 2023
Ready-Set-Grow
Ready-Set-Grow is a novel group psychotherapy protocol which uses the principles of Motivational Interviewing (MI) within a group format to nurture motivation for behavior change. Ready-Set-Grow fosters a positive environment for growth and change among group members regardless of how similar or heterogeneous their goals, growth areas, stages of change, or severity of mental illness.

January 2023
New Veteran Justice Programs Resource Webpage
The VISN 5 Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) is collaborating with the Veterans Justice Outreach Programs (VJOP) office within the VHA National Homeless Programs Office on ways to assess and address the stigmatization of justice-involved Veterans.

May 2022
Videoconference Etiquette Guide
Videoconferencing (i.e., talking to others using video) is new to many people and, even if it is not new, many of us are still learning what is appropriate and effective behavior during a videoconference. This is a guide that can be helpful to Veterans and staff when attending video conferences such as family calls, doctor’s appointments, and telehealth groups.

January 2022
MHLE COP Language Statement
The Mental Health Lived Experience Community of Practice (MHLE COP) is proud to release their newest Consensus Statement on Language with principles, suggestions, and applied examples for recovery-oriented language in VA settings.

June 2021
Clubhouse Model of Care
Connecting Veterans to Community Care: VA/Clubhouse Points of Contact - VA/Clubhouse Point of Contact Resources - Clubhouse International

May 2021
May is Mental Health Awarenss Month
VA Connection Plans - Recovery-Oriented Educational Products - Recovery-Oriented Media

March 2021
Veteran Stakeholders Forum
What is a Veteran Stakeholders Forum? Why create a Veteran Stakeholders Forum? Want to develop a Veteran Stakeholders Forum in your Center? How can a Veteran volunteer for the VISN 5 MIRECC Veteran Stakeholders Forum?

February 2021
Stigma and Mental Health
A new issue of the VISN 5 MIRECC Link focused on Ending Self-Stigma for PTSD (ESS-P) • Other Stigma and Mental Health Resources from the VISN 5 MIRECC including Ending Self-Stigma and EASE-ing Self Stigma

December 2020
Mental Health Lived Experience Community of Practice
VISN 5 MIRECC and Mental Health Lived Experience Community of Practice Partner to Support Recovery • MHLE COP Releases Consensus Statement on Advocacy-Motivated “Coming Out” and a Culture of Disclosure

April 2020
Using the Guiding Principles of Recovery to Cope During Physical Distancing
Introduction: Adapting to a national emergency and maintaining physical distancing can be challenging to mental health. SAMHSA’s ten guiding principles of recovery can provide direction for how to cope, even in these challenging times.

January 2020
January is a Great Time to Quit Smoking!
Welcome to a new year! The start of a new year is the perfect time to quit smoking! Quitting smoking is a great way to improve your health and accomplish something big. ...and, you can do it! The Smoking Cessation Handouts on the Quit Smoking e-blast are available on our Educational Products page. Just click on the Smoking Cessation Section to see more!

November 2019
National Caregivers Month
It’s the time of year where we give thanks. It’s a perfect opportunity to reflect, with gratitude, on the important contributions family caregivers make in supporting loved ones with medical and mental health conditions every day! Over 65 million adults in the United States spend an average of 20 hours a week providing care for a family member or friend with a chronic ill-ness or disability.

October 2019
Global Peer Appreciation Day
Peer Support is an integral part of recovery-oriented care. Today we acknowledge the contributions of peer providers around the world, who offer the gift of their lived experience to others in recovery from mental health and substance use disorders. There are over 1,000 Peer Specialists working in VA, providing high-quality recovery-oriented services to Veterans across the country. Thank you for your work!

September 2019
September is National Recovery Month
Every September, the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sponsors Recovery Month to increase awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders and celebrate the people who recover. The 2019 theme is Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Are Stronger.

March 2019
Social Skills Training Coach App
We are pleased to report that a blog post on VA Social Skills Training and describing the Social Skills Training Coach App for Veterans (in development) are featured in the current VA Insider. The VA Social Skills Training Program is located at the VISN5 MIRECC.
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