Next meeting will be March 9, 2013.

Agenda includes: PNMI (Group Homes)/Coffee Talks, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)

The purpose of the CAAC is to provide a venue for consumers to: 1) gather and discuss issues of importance.  2) Write position papers based on research and the collective group members input and after final group approval papers will be delivered to the appropriate audience. 3) Develop educational materials. 4) Provide educational training opportunities.

While we welcome input from anyone, and would certainly consider all input, the voting members of this committee are all self-disclosed mental health consumers.

The group meets the 2nd Saturday of every other month in the Sebago Room at the Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta from 9 am-3 pm. 9-12 Training 1-3 Meeting. Bring your own lunch! Coffee and water are provided along with mileage reimbursement.

For more information contact AIN: 1-888-375-5969 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

The National Institutes of Health is asking for people who are in recovery to participate in the first-ever nationawide survey about addiction recovery. The project's goal is to learn how people experience and define recovery. This research has never been done before. If you are someone who used to have a problem with alcohol and/or other drugs and no longer do take the 20 minute anonymous survey that can be answered online at http://www.whatisrecovery.org/. All answers will be kept strictly confidential and all the results will be reported in group form.

HHS releases more than $863 million to help low-income households with energy costs stay safe and healthy

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is releasing more than $863 million today to grantees to help low-income households with their heating and other home energy costs under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). HHS is releasing the remaining funds, made available by the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-74), to states, territories, tribes and the District of Columbia.

“This support is critical for families needing assistance to pay their home energy costs,” said George Sheldon, HHS acting assistant secretary for children and families. “We are releasing these funds today to help ease the burden for those vulnerable families and aid them in getting through the remaining winter months and the summer months ahead.”

LIHEAP assists low-income households, including families with children and seniors, with their home energy needs such as heating in the winter, cooling in the summer, and insulating their homes to make them more energy-efficient and to reduce their energy costs. The $863 million in regular block grant funds released today is in addition to the $2.6 billion released since October 2011. Including funds released today, grantees will receive a total of $3.4 billion in LIHEAP block funds for Fiscal Year 2012.

“Many Americans make difficult decisions whether it’s paying for rent, food and heating costs, which can add a real strain on families,” said Jeannie Chaffin, director for the Office of Community Services. “We are releasing these funds today to help as many families as possible get through this winter season safe and warm.”

For a complete list of additional funds available to grantees today please visit: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2012/FY2012LIHEAP_GrossAlloc.html.

Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance should contact their local/state LIHEAP agency. For more information, go to: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap or http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/brochure/brochure.html.

My name is Aki, and I have launched a blog as a part of our Boycott Normal! campaign.

The blog is called Our Lives After Labels.

Please submit your stories to this email address -- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

-- with a short passage, even a few sentences, about:

      ** how labels HURT you or your loved ones

      ** how you struggled with those labels, and

      ** perhaps how you overcame them.

You can take a look at here:

      http://ourlivesafterlabels.blogspot.com

It's a submission-based blog where ANYONE with psychiatric struggles can submit stories (or videos, song, art piece, etc) about their lives after psychiatric labeling.

Why is MindFreedom doing this?

Well, we all know the number of youths with psychiatric labels is higher than ever. If the DSM-5 comes out as planned, it's likely that it will increase labeling even more.

Blogs are popular among youths today, so reading our stories all in one blog can help someone in a time of confusion and loneliness.

As you can tell from the blog, I have already received some stories.

They are all powerful and inspiring.

I'm sure you have an inspiring story to tell as well!

I'm sure you have a story that needs to be heard!

YOUR story can help someone in a very lonely place.

YOUR story can save someone's life!

When I receive more stories, I plan to make this into a real website with a better design and an easier navigation. (I am already talking to one of my best friends who is a talented web designer and a survivor himself.)

So please submit your stories to this address -- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

-- with a short passage, even a few sentences about how labels hurt you or your loved ones.... how you struggled with those labels.... and perhaps how you overcame them.