Resources for Coping with Mental Illnesses
Helping a Loved One with Mental Illness
Mental Health Screening Tools
Mental Illnesses and Treatments
Practical Help
Youth
Self-Care
General
Criminal Justice
Helping a Loved One with Mental Illness
- Resources for Coping with, Preparing for, and Preventing Crises
- Recovering from Mental Illness in Yourself or a Loved One: Community Supports and Resources
- Family-to-Family provides education and support for family members who have a loved one with mental illness.
- Communicating with a Loved One Who Has a Mental Illness (PowerPoint, complete document or infographic)
- Circle of Care: A Guidebook for Mental Health Caregivers
- Getting Started Guide for New Caregivers
- Balancing Compassionate Kindness with Limit Setting (PowerPoint)
- The Power of Kindness and Compassion (video)
- 9 Tips for Family Caregivers (YouTube PowerPoint + audio)
- Coping With Family Conflicts – Some Suggestions
- Pathways to Increasing Independence for Adults with Mental Illness
- Problem Solving as a Wellness Tool
- Strategies for Helping Mentally Ill Loved Ones
- Suicide – Prevention; Coping with the Aftermath
- Mental Health First Aid Guidelines for helping someone with depression, panic, psychosis, problem substance use, and other mental health problems
- Guides to understanding and helping someone with mental illnesses, as well as advice on stress management and sleep, are available at: http://helpguide.org/ (Search for how to help someone with mental illness.)
- Summary of a family education program with helpful information and advice for people who care about someone living with mental illness is available at: https://www.ouhsc.edu/safeprogram/ (Click on specific lessons to get to the very helpful handouts.)
- Advice on a broad range of topics is available at https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Family-Members-and-Caregivers.
Mental Health Screening Tools
If you are wondering whether it would be advisable to seek professional help, these screening tools can help you evaluate your situation (or your child’s).
- Online screening tool for adults, older teens, and on behalf of loved ones:
http://screening.mentalhealthscreening.org/cityofphila - Online screening tool for parents of children: https://childmind.org/symptomchecker/
Mental Illnesses and Treatments
- Specific Diagnoses and Conditions
- Diagnosis – Recent Insights
- Adults: http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions
- Adults and Adolescents: http://www.helpguide.org/
- Children and Adolescents: https://tinyurl.com/y5uj6eeh
- SMI Advisor (useful information about mental illness, treatments, recovery, community resources, caregiver supports, etc.)
- Recovering from Mental Illness in Yourself or a Loved One – Community Supports and Resources
- Choosing the Right Mental Health Professional
- Strategies Family Members Can Use to Communicate with Mental Health Professionals (despite HIPAA)
- A Strategy to Help Persuade Your Insurer to Pay for Mental Health Care
- Resources to help you find mental health treatment services, including affordable treatment for those without insurance:
- http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/finding-therapy
- https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/treatment
- https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Treatment
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/10/13/how-to-find-therapy-therapist-shortage/
- for southeastern Pennsylvania: https://namimainlinepa.org/services-in-sepa-2/intro-to-services/ and https://namimainlinepa.org/behavioral-health-services/
- for co-occurring disorders/dual diagnoses: https://findtreatment.gov/ (After you search by your location, you can specify co-occurring disorders.)
- Crisis and Other Services in Southeastern PA (video)
- Inpatient Hospitalization
- Voluntary and Involuntary Commitment to Inpatient Hospitalization
- Supportive Residences in Southeastern PA (video)
- Medications
- Help Paying for Medications
- How to Find Helpful Mental Health Apps
Practical Help
- How to Get Government Services for Someone with Mental Illness
(complete document), with additional information in: - Introduction to Services for Individuals and Family Members in Southeastern Pennsylvania
- Housing Options for People Living with Mental Illness
- Planning for the Legal and Financial Future of a Loved One with Mental Illness
Youth
- Resources for Helping Children and Teens
- Resources for Transition Age Youth (16-24)
- Early and First Episode Psychosis – What is it and how should it be treated?
- How to Access Valuable Behavioral Services in PA: Consider Medical Assistance for a Child/Teen with a Serious Disability
- Mental Health Books for Children and Teens and Their Parents
- Say It Out Loud (video featuring adolescents with mental illnesses)
Self-care
- Family Members and Caregivers (including Taking Care of Yourself)
- Hope and Gratitude in Challenging Times (YouTube PowerPoint + audio)
- Caregiver Selfcare (PowerPoint)
- Ambiguous Loss (PowerPoint; YouTube PowerPoint + audio, Part 1 and Part 2)
- The Basics of Trauma and Trauma Recovery
- Guilt & Toxic Guilt: Understanding and Moving Beyond these Powerful Emotions
- The Mindful Way Workbook: An 8-Week Program to Free Yourself from Depression and Emotional Distress
General
- Frequently Asked Questions about Mental Health Services
- Living with A Mental Health Condition
- Steps to Better Physical Health
- What We Need to Know & Do – A Faith-Based African-American Perspective (PowerPoint)
- The Safe Place: Initiatives on Mental Health in the African American Community (video)
Criminal Justice
- Helping Individuals with Mental Illness to Avoid or Deal with the Criminal Justice System (PowerPoint or complete document)
- Mental Illness and Violence (PowerPoint PDF or Summary with references)
If you don’t see what you are looking for in this list, please try our search function.
Last updated in November 2023.