Links & Resources
There are numerous organizations and websites that have information about a range of mental health related topics. The ones that are listed on this page are just a few of the ones we've come across. (Please read about the Department of Mental Health's disclaimer about external links.)
Resources by Topic Area
Resources by Population
- Mental Health Reporting (University of Washington School of Social Work) - provides tools and information for news organizations, journalists, journalism educators, and a broad coalition of news story informants on ways to improve reporting on mental health issues.
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has a government site that provides information about a variety of mental illnesses for the general public, practitioners, and researchers. NIMH provides a variety of manuals and research reports, including texts on anxiety disorders and depression. Browse NIMH publications by topic.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a mission is to assure that quality substance abuse and mental health services are available to the people who need them and to ensure that prevention and treatment knowledge is used more effectively in the general health care system. Browse SAMHSA publications by topic or the Mental Health Dictionary.
- Institute of Medicine features current projects, events, and reports addressing neuroscience and mental and behavioral health.
- Mental Health: A Report to the Surgeon General is the product of a collaboration between the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The report lays down a challenge to the Nation—to our communities, our health and social service agencies, our policymakers, employers, and citizens—to take action. SAMHSA and NIH look forward to continuing our collaboration to generate needed knowledge about the brain and behavior and to translate that knowledge to the service systems, providers, and citizens.
- Mental Help Net exists to promote online mental health education and provides scientifically accurate and up-to-date coverage of mental health and illness topics.
- Treatment Improvement Exchange (TIE) is a resource sponsored by the Division of State and Community Assistance of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment to provide information exchange between CSAT staff and State and local alcohol and substance abuse agencies. The TIE Contract is funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
- Rand Corporation is a nonprofit institution dedicated to improving public policy through research and analysis. They have conducted many influential studies of alcohol and other drug policies over the years. Some of their recent work is now available online.
- Healing the Hurt: Provides one place for information on serving survivors of torture. The HealTorture.org website is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement and is a project of The Center for Victims of Torture.
- Starting Over Strong: Starting Over Strong (S.O.S.) Vermont teams now serving the communities most impacted by Tropical Storm Irene continue to collaborate with state and town officials, as well as with other flood-recovery service providers, to bring assistance to Vermonters affected by the 2011 flooding. Some of the same town officials, police, and firefighters who acted as first responders back in August are continuing to contribute to recovery efforts by connecting S.O.S. Vermont workers with families in need of support. Long Term Recovery Groups, case managers, and S.O.S. Vermont teams are working together to assess the continuing needs of the community as a whole.
- active minds: Active Minds is the only organization working to utilize the student voice to change the conversation about mental health on college campuses. By developing and supporting chapters of a student-run mental health awareness, education, and advocacy group on campuses, the organization works to increase students’ awareness of mental health issues, provide information and resources regarding mental health and mental illness, encourage students to seek help as soon as it is needed, and serve as liaison between students and the mental health community.
- National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse is a consumer-run national technical assistance’s center serving the mental health consumer movement. They help connect individuals to self-help and advocacy resources, and offer expertise to self-help groups and other peer-run services for mental health consumers.
- National Empowerment Center provides information on recovery, self help and empowerment. It offers referral, networking, training and public policy advocacy.
- National Association for the Dually Diagnosed (NADD) NADD is a not-for-profit (501C3) membership association established for professionals, care providers and families to promote understanding of and services for individuals who have developmental disabilities and mental health needs. NADD is recognized as the world's leading organization in providing educational services, training materials and conferences. NADD has been influential in the development of appropriate community based policies, programs and opportunities in addressing the mental health needs of persons with mental retardation.
- Dual Diagnosis Recovery Network This site is partially funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Tennessee Department of Health Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services. Although the self-help and advocacy services are for Tennessee residents, the site has a comprehensive online bookstore, several full text articles, and the Dual Network Magazine.
- Today I Will Do One Thing: Daily Readings for Awareness and Hope for Those of Us with Addiction and Emotional Illness A meditation book, integrates addiction recovery with the recovery from an emotional or psychiatric illness, develops self-awareness, and nurtures self-acceptance with small, practical steps.
- The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recently published a resource entitled: Making Healthy Choices: A Guide on Psychotropic Medications for Youth in Foster Care. The guide was developed by ACF staff in collaboration with youth and with many other professionals, national organizations, and Federal agencies, including SAMHSA. The guide can be read directly by youth or serve as a discussion tool for child welfare workers, health care providers, mentors, parents/caregivers, and others working with youth in foster care. It provides valuable information and worksheets to help youth recognize when they need help, weigh options for medication use, ask questions about their diagnosis and treatment, and take medication safely. The guide was field-tested by youth, nurses, and physicians, and their feedback was incorporated. A Spanish language version is currently under review and will be published shortly. The guide is available on the National Resource Center for Youth Development website through the following link: http://www.nrcyd.ou.edu/psych-med-youth-guide.
25 Practice Parameters by the AACAP - The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has published over 25 Practice Parameters. The Parameters are published as Official Actions of the AACAP in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The AACAP Practice Parameters are designed to assist clinicians in providing high quality assessment and treatment that is consistent with the best available scientific evidence and clinical consensus. The Practice Parameters describe generally accepted practices, but are not intended to define a standard of care, nor should they be deemed inclusive of all proper methods of care or exclusive of other legitimate methods of care directed at obtaining the desired results. The ultimate judgment regarding the care of a patient and family must be made by the clinician in light of all of the clinical evidence presented by the patient and family, the diagnostic and treatment options available, and available resources.
Best Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (2009) - Consistent with national trends, the number of individuals in Vermont being identified with a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) has been increasing steadily over the past 15 years (State of Vermont, 2008). In response to this increase, the Vermont legislature directed the Agency of Human Services and the Department of Education to develop a plan for providing services across the lifespan for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. An interagency autism plan was developed in 2008. One of the goals of the plan is to increase timely identification and diagnosis to enable access to appropriate services. The focus of this document will be the process for conducting evaluations for diagnosing PDD.
A Public Health Approach to Children's Mental Health: A Conceptual Framework -- Extended Executive Summary - "This monograph presents a case for changing the current approach to children's mental health. It describes the central concepts of a public health approach and how they can be applied to children's mental health in a conceptual framework of four major elements: values, guiding principles, a process rooted in three action steps, and a new model of intervening." The full monograph can be viewed at the Georgetown University's Center for Child and Human Development website.
- Prevent Child Abuse Vermont - Promotes and supports healthy relationships between children and the people who care for them, in order to eliminate child abuse through parent eduction, support and public awareness.
- Family Guide To Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy and Drug Free - A public education website, developed to support the efforts of parents and other caring adults to promote mental health and prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs among 7- to 18-year-olds.
- Children's Mental Health Website by SAMHSABright Futures is a national health promotion initiative dedicated to the principle that every child deserves to be healthy and that optimal health involves a trusting relationship between the health professional, the child, the family, and the community as partners in health practice.
- American Academy for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Facts for Families provides concise and up-to-date information on issues that affect children, teenagers, and their families. The AACAP provides this important information as a public service and the Facts for Families may be duplicated and distributed free of charge as long as the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is properly credited and no profit is gained from their use.
- What Parents Need To Know About Child Sexual Abuse – from DCF Family Services
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: is a unique collaboration of academic and community-based service centers whose mission is to raise the standard of care and increase access to services for traumatized children and their families across the United States. Combining knowledge of child development, expertise in the full range of child traumatic experiences, and attention to cultural perspectives, the NCTSN serves as a national resource for developing and disseminating evidence-based interventions, trauma-informed services, and public and professional education.
- The Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute is a program of Justice Resource Institute (JR1), a large nonprofit organization dedicated to social justice by offering hope and promise of fulfillment to children, adults, and families who are at risk of not receiving effective services essential to their safety, progress, and/or survival.
- Sidran Institute: Traumatic Stress Education & Advocacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of international scope that helps people understand, recover from, and treat traumatic stress (including PTSD) dissociative disorders, and co-occurring issues, such as addictions, self injury, and suicidality.
- Child Trauma Academy is a unique collaborative of individuals and organizations working to improve the lives of high-risk children through direct service, research and education.
- Child Trauma Institute promotes the healing and healthy development of children, adolescents, and adults who have experienced trauma or loss; to develop, evaluate, and disseminate effective prevention, assessment and treatment methods.
- Trauma Information Pages is a collection of trauma-related resources that are compiled by David Baldwin, Ph.D.
- Futures without Violence works to prevent violence within the home, and in the community, to help those whose lives are devastated by violence because everyone has the right to live free of violence.
- National Center for Children in Poverty is the nation’s leading public policy center dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America’s low-income families and children. NCCP uses research to inform policy and practice with the goal of ensuring positive outcomes for the next generation.
- Teen Dating Violence contains information and resources relating to teen dating violence.
Voices For VT Kids Established in 1983, Voices for Vermont’s Children (formerly Vermont Children’s Forum) began as an informal alliance of human service and education advocates concerned about the status of children and youth in Vermont.