Improving your mental health is something you do for yourself. But, how best to do that when you don’t really know how to do it yourself? You use your resources. Self-help books, support organizations, and websites are examples of such resources. Consider them a part of your therapeutic toolbox.
You don’t have to do it alone when you have a competent, knowledgeable, and trustworthy professional guide to figure out what will help you. Therefore, a mental health professional is a resource as well. We think your visit to AgoraMHN can help you choose the person to help you on your journey.
The internet gets you immediate access to all kinds of information and guidance. Frankly, there is a lot of snake oil out there, put out by people or groups that don’t stand up to scientific scrutiny. So, we’ve been careful to pull together some additional resources that we believe to be both useful and grounded in ethical principles.
We’ll be adding to this list periodically. However, we don’t intend to reproduce here the vast resources that are available elsewhere. So, use these websites as springboards to find the best information and tools the web has to offer.
National professional organizations
American Psychological Association
American Psychiatric Association
National Association of Social Workers
Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Licensing authorities
Each state has its own licensing board that examines the education and training of mental health professionals to ensure they meet the requirements to practice in that state. You may want to check the current status of their state license. Go to your state's department of professional regulation and do a "license lookup" to verify that the professional you plan to see is in good standing.
Support organizations (patient and family support)
National Alliance on Mental Illness is a nonprofit organization of families, friends, patients, and professionals dedicated to the treatment of persons with mental health issues. It’s the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization “dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness”.
Mood disorders
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance - a nonprofit organization that “provides hope, help, support, and education to improve the lives of people who have mood disorders.”
Families for Depression Awareness - a national nonprofit organization helping families recognize and cope with depression and bipolar disorder to get people well and prevent suicides.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) - an international nonprofit organization “dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of anxiety, depressive, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma-related disorders through education, practice, and research.”
Personality Disorders
Borderline Personality Disorder Central. Offers support and resources, including message boards, links and real-life stories about coping with Borderline Personality Disorder.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:
International OCD foundation - a nonprofit association dedicated “to help individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders to live full and productive lives. Our aim is to increase access to effective treatment, end the stigma associated with mental health issues, and foster a community for those affected by OCD and the professionals who treat them.”
Hoarding:
Children of Hoarders Their mission is to raise awareness of the impact of hoarding on children and families. Here you'll find lots of educational resources for all those affected by this all too common problem. Has links to a variety of online and offline support organizations.
Eating Disorders
The National Eating Disorders Association - a non-profit association dedicated to “confront these serious illnesses with increased awareness, early intervention and improved access to treatment. NEDA provides programs and services to give families the support they need to find answers for these life-threatening illnesses”.
Children/adults with special needs
Wondermoms Grassroots resource and support group. Look here for an extensive compendium of resource links for problems such as Autism, Down Syndrome, Traumatic Brain Injury. Also included are resources for Special Education including for impairment/disabilities related to hearing, language, and learning.
General information for for patients and families
National Institute of Mental Health This is the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders. Its mission is “to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.” You’ll find tons of information and resources to better understand mental health issues and treatment. In addition you can learn and even participate in ongoing research studies funded by this arm of the National Institutes of Health.
Mental Health America - formerly the National Mental Health Association-- this is a community-based nonprofit “dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans.” FAQs about mental illnesses, and community resources including regional affiliate organizations.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)- an arm of the U.S. Dept.of Health and Human Services. Free downloads of educational handouts, info on mental illnesses and substance abuse to suicide prevention, HIV education, safe schools and healthy kids. Its mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities
Help Starts Here - Resources website developed and supported by the National Association of Social Workers
Psychology Help Center - consumer resources developed by the American Psychological Association
Self-help Books
Self-help books - there are many thousands of books written to help people with different mental health conditions. But, like therapists, some are better than others and without some guidance to tell them apart, you could be wasting your time on money on far-fetched approaches to self-help. Thankfully, The Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies has compiled a list of the good ones. To make the list, the books must be grounded in scientific research and rely on evidence-based principles of assessment and treatment.
Suicide Prevention
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline- maintained by the SAMSHA, this telephone hotline routes your call to skilled, trained crisis counselors who will listen to your problems and will tell you about mental health services in your area. This is a free and confidential service.
Technology-assisted therapy apps
iPromptU - (for iPhone or Android devices) The Cognitive Behavioral Institute of Albuquerque provides a free, customizable tool for the administration of highly individualized cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy homework. Working together with your therapist, you can devise prompts to reinforce the work you do in sessions.
Local/regional resources
(Chicago & North Shore)
Mental Health Association of Greater Chicago is a non-profit whose mission is "to maximize the mental and emotional wellness of our youth, adults and families by promoting prevention and increasing empowerment through our education, collaboration and support programs.” It features a suicide prevention hotline which is a primary focus of the organization.
Illinois Dept. of Human Services
NAMI Chicago - The Chicago chapter of NAMI offers local support, education, resources and referrals.
Cook County North Suburban Chapter of NAMI offers local support, education, resources and referrals.
Erika's Lighthouse - with a focus on adolescent depression its mission is “to educate school communities about teen depression, eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness and empower teens to take charge of their mental health.”
Housing
Housing Options for the Mentally Ill in Evanston is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable supportive housing and mental health support to adults recovering from chronic mental illnesses
Vocational rehab
Jewish Vocational Services is a nonprofit that offers programs for all ages and people with disabilities and serves entry level to advanced career job seekers. Services include career counseling, job skills training and customized job training and job placement.
Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare - is a non-profit behavioral healthcare organization whose mission is “to assist people in their recovery from serious mental illness by helping them discover and reclaim their own capabilities and life direction.” Among the services offered are psychosocial rehab, residential, and supported employment/placement.
Thresholds - provides community support services, psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation and supportive housing for people disabled by chronic mental illnesses.