Over at least reduce the effects of
Over the course of the semester we have examined aplethora of programs and evaluations.
Due to my degree and interest inpsychology, the program that I would like to pick would involve assistingcommunities in mental disease prevention. This program should be able tointroduce preemptive measures to assist in concurrent cases as well as seminarsto inform the populace of the community on how to face the dangers of mentalillness. After much research, the prevention program that I am most interestedin is the Los Angelos County Department of Mental Health, specifically, theprogram known as “In Our Own Voice”, which is a public education program in whichreal people who are or have lived with the debilitating state of mental illnessshare their stories of living through/with it and achieving a healthy recovery.
HistoricPerspectivesThehistoric perspective that is provided within this program is prevention. Prevention programs aresocial programs that involve a plethora of activities, movements, or methodsthat seek to deter or at least reduce the effects of negative effects of aparticular phenomenon such as drug or alcohol usage, depression, bullying, andother social woes. In terms of literature review, in “What works in prevention: Principles of effective preventionprograms.
(Nation, M., Crusto, C.,Wandersman, (2003). It was stated that therewere 9 characteristics that were consistently associated with effectiveprevention programs. This includes the following: The programs must becomprehensive, including various teaching methods, provided sufficient dosage,were theory driven, were appropriately timed, were relevant to thesociocultural context of the population, involved well trained staff, andincluded outcome evaluation.
ConceptualFramework of Program / InterventionThe stated missions andgoals of NAMI IN OUR VOICE is to provide an outlet for audience members to connecton a personal level with the presenters and understand their struggles, whilebeing thoroughly well informed with the use of Q&A sessions. Another goalof the program is to provide an outlet for those that view the sessions a levelof insight in which into the lived experience of life with mental illness. The theoryof intervention is human theory presented in the program is the humans systemsintervention. This theory relies on personal interventions of people meetingother people in social situations or gatherings and discussing ideas to changeperceptions and attitudes towards a phenomenon or topic. The stated audience forthese presentations includes a plethora of individuals from all walks of life,such as mental health officials, students, law enforcement, and various formsof families. The program provides a primary intervention model that affects theindividuals who participate in a mesosystem level, or a linkage between detailsinvolving a person’s family, friends, workplace, school or work.
The people whoparticipate in these programs are local people that are likely to be known withinthe community.TheInterventionTheIOOV program is made up of six segments in which arioso aspects of the speakerslife with mental illness is discussed. These include: The Introduction, inwhich to introduce audience members to the speakers aspeople first, ignoring their diagnosis or affliction. During this portion thesegments are explained. Next is the Dark Days segment, in which presentersdescribe their most difficult experiences with mental illness. Acceptancesegment, presenters describe their most difficult experiences with mentalillness. The treatment section is when presenters talk about what treatmentshelp them maintain their mental health. Treatments include medication andtherapy.
The Coping segment teaches the audience of different coping strategiesthat are available to them as learned by the presenter to live their lives theway they want to. The last and possibly the most important section, Success,Hopes, and Dreams segment, discusses presenters share their own uniquesuccesses, hopes and dreams for the future. A very uplifting conclusion to thepresentation, this section conveys hope that recovery is possible for peopleliving with mental illness when the correct supports are in place.Thelength of the presentation can take between 15 minutes-2 hours. Each segmentutilizes a plethora of media in order to present the lives of the presenters.
These includes video, PowerPoint presentations, and Anonymous Surveys.Resources to ImplementInterventionThe program began as a movement within NAMI in order to involvepopulations in the education on mental illness. Once the movement received agrant from the Eli Lily and Co. organization, NAMI enabled the movement todevelop the program’s first edition known as Living with Schizophrenia in 1996.
In 2000, Living with Schizophrenia was changed to Living with Schizophrenia andOther Mental Illnesses and in 2003 to In Our Own Voice: Living with MentalIllness. Today the program is simply called In Our Own Voice. Presented as apeer education tool, the program has grown from these humble begging’s and asof January 2007 over 2,000 IOOV presenters have been trained across the countryto conduct IOOV presentations. The program is active in 38 states. More than
