The Federation on the Move
September 2021 Newsletter
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NFF 2021 Virtual Conference Updates |
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Our full conference schedule is now available. See our terrific line up of workshops and register to attend! |
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Registration is OPEN for our conference taking place November 4 - 6.
Can't attend every session? Registered attendees will have access to the presentations for 3 months following the conference.
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Don't miss the opportunity to be a sponsor or an exhibitor at our Annual Conference! |
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There is still time to become a sponsor and/or an exhibitor at our national conference. Establish your company or organization as a mental health leader and to show your support for the National Federation of Families. Learn more about the benefits below.
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As part of our recent grant to increase vaccine access for the most vulnerable communities, we hosted three roundtable discussions with the executive directors of our network of chapters to learn what families are experiencing and feeling as the Delta variant causes new surges and breakthrough cases in communities nationwide. Fifty-five leaders representing 27 states across the country joined us to share their insights about families' concerns and challenges.
NFF will be completing a summary report and infographic to share with SAMHSA and HRSA about what we learned. We look forward to sharing this important information with you once it's completed.
On those calls, we also announced that funding is available to our chapters via mini grants. Applications were due September 1st and awards will be announced in the coming week.
Additionally, we assisted our Memphis, Tennessee affiliate, F.A.C.E.S. of Memphis, with hosting a webinar titled Health and Safety: A Family Affair.
The webinar, in partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine - the grant's leading partner - featured several local subject matter experts and an individual with lived experience. We invite you to watch a powerful clip from that event below and to view the entire recording available here.
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Additionally, we're including a helpful flyer about safety steps that we welcome others to download and use to educate and help families stay safe. |
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We're excited to announce our newest affiliate, Seed House - based in Memphis, Tennessee, to the NFF network! We invite you to learn more about Seed House and to reach out to Tammie Ward, Seed House's Executive Director, to welcome her directly.
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National Recovery Month (Recovery Month) is a national observance held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the emergence of a strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and community members across the nation who make recovery in all its forms possible. Learn more here and look for additional information on our social media channels this month.
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We can all help prevent suicide. Every year, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline and other mental health organizations and individuals across the U.S. and around the world raise awareness of suicide prevention during September, National Suicide Prevention Month. Learn more about awareness month and how you can #BeThe1To make a difference for those at risk. Look for additional information 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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New Opportunity to Promote Family Support Services |
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SAFE Project and Partnership to End Addiction are two of NFSTAC's partners. Both organizations provide resources for families struggling with behavioral health and substance use disorders. Now, they are working together to build a family support locator, the first of its kind - expected to launch in November 2021.
This joint initiative will be the first national database of organizations focused on providing programs, supports, and other services to families of individuals with mental health challenges and/or substance use disorders.
If you’d like to learn more you may email Gena Fitzgerald, SAFE Project’s Senior Director for Family Outreach & Support, to find out how you can register your organization. This is a terrific opportunity to help families access your essential services!
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SAMHSA's Rental Assistance Call to Action Toolkit |
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The federal government is conducting an all-out push to make sure tenants and landlords take advantage of the historic funding for emergency rental assistance to help cover rent, utilities, and other housing costs and keep people in their homes.
Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, billions of dollars in federal rental assistance is reaching renters behind on housing costs, as well as landlords who have struggled during the pandemic. These programs are run locally, and right now emergency rental assistance is available across the country.
They put out a call to action to government agencies, companies, advocates, nonprofits, the faith community, and more to make sure that renters and landlords are able to take advantage of the relief available to them.
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Gena Fitzgerald
Senior Director, Family Outreach and Support
SAFE Project
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Question: What would you tell a parent to include in a plan to maintain housing during a behavioral healthcare crisis that may threaten eviction?
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The Family Support Services for Addiction Act |
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The Family Support Services for Addiction Act S. 485, has passed the House of Representatives and now must be taken up and put to a vote by the Senate in order to become law. We know that when families are involved, informed and supported, the outcomes for those with addiction are better. The bipartisan Family Support Services for Addiction Act promises to create a much-needed grant program for community organizations and other nonprofits to provide family support services. If passed by the Senate, this bipartisan legislation will help millions of families facing a loved one's substance use.
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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 these resources for caregivers, youth and young adults, the family peer support workforce and mental health and substance use professionals. |
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The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is a leading national organization focusing on mood disorders including depression and bipolar disorder. They help millions each year through peer-based, wellness-oriented support groups, education and wellness resources, and advocacy work - all of which is informed by the personal experience of living with a mood disorder. DBSA is committed to creating and responding to opportunities to amplify the voices of those living with depression or bipolar disorder as a catalyst for change and to reduce stigma.
DBSA informs, empowers, supports, and inspires individuals to achieve the lives they want to lead. We recognize several pathways to treatment and believe that all individuals have the right to direct their own treatment. We offer hope, help, support, and education so that peers feel empowered as they find and build their own path to wellness. Visit www.DBSAlliance.org to learn more.
Highlights of DBSA's tools, programs and services include:
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The National Alliance for Caregiving has published The Circle of Care Guidebook for Caregivers of Children with Rare and/or Serious Illnesses, a new resource designed in partnership with Global Genes and with support by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals to provide caregivers with the support, services and specialized information they need to care for a child with a rare and/or serious illness. This guidebook offers an extensive list of resources to help a caregiver in any situation throughout the entirety of their journey as a rare disease caregiver, compiled by those in the rare disease space and caregivers themselves. This list is supplemented by the specialized information needed in order to care for a child with a rare and/or serious illness. If you or someone you know cares for a child living with a rare and/or serious illness, make sure to check out the guidebook here.
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