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The American Psychological Association’s public education
campaign was launched in 1996, with the primary goal of communicating
the value of psychology to the public and providing them with
information about when and how to seek help. The public education
campaign delivers free materials directly to the public through
an online help center, www.helping.apa.org,
and through a toll-free number, 1-877-274-8787, extension 135,
and delivers public education directly through a grassroots network
of psychologists who conduct community outreach.
The segments of APA’s Public Education Campaign include:
Talk to Someone Who Can Help:
Among the first materials developed was a brochure, “Talk
to Someone Who Can Help,” which educates the public
about how psychology could help with problems that they could
not handle on their own.
Warning Signs of Violence:
Launched in 1999 in collaboration with MTV: Music Television,
the Warning Signs campaign explores the “red flags”
people could look for to forestall teen violence. A “Warning
Signs” video, forum toolkit and brochure, “Warning
Signs: Take a Stand Against Violence” were developed.
In 2000, “Communication Tips for Parents,”
the warning signs of violence brochure for parents was added.
Both brochures are also available in Spanish.
Anti-Stigma Campaign:
As an outgrowth of its relationship with MTV, APA became a partner
with the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign and MTV and
developed the “Change Your Mind About Mental Health”
brochure, which is part of an overall anti-stigma campaign aimed
at youth.
The Road to Resilience:
Subsequent to September 11, 2001, APA conducted focus groups to
ascertain what, if anything, should change with the campaign as
a result of the terrorist attacks. Focus groups were held to gather
information about the public response to terrorism, likely long-term
impacts, and to test possible messages about resilience over traumatic
situations. Drawing from information gleaned from these focus
groups, APA developed a new partnership with the Discovery Health
Channel to produce a documentary, “AFTERMATH: The Road
to Resilience.” A related brochure, “The
Road to Resilience,” describes changes that may accompany
an individual’s journey toward building resilience (skills
to bounce back), whether a job loss, serious illness, traumatic
event or other hardship.
Resilience in a Time of War:
In 2003, the general resilience message was tailored to meet the
needs of people who were looking for ways to bounce back, specifically
in a time of war. APA produced a series of developmentally-appropriate
brochures that talked about how to build resilience in pre-school
children, elementary school children, middle school children,
high school students and adults. When troops began to arrive back
from Iraq, APA developed the brochure, ”Homecoming:
Resilience After Wartime” available for free download
from the online help center.
Resilience for Kids & Teens:
The newest component of the resilience campaign was introduced
in September 2003. Forum discussion guides, activities and related
brochures for parent, teacher, teenage and child audiences are
key elements of the grassroots involvement kit that is provided
to APA members to conduct community outreach.
dotComSense:
As consumers grapple with an onslaught of technology and online
information about mental health, APA developed “dotComSense,”
a brochure to illustrate ways consumers can protect their privacy
and assess the information they find online.
APA members can obtain copies of toolkits and brochures for each
segment of the Public Education Campaign, by calling the Campaign
Services Bureau toll-free within the United States at 1-877-274-8787,
extension 135.
The Pennsylvania Psychological Association has developed a brochure,
“Life Can Be Difficult, No Doubt About It,”
which can be ordered from the PPA office. The brochure answers
consumer questions such as, “How does therapy work?”
and “How do I choose a psychologist who’s right for
me?”.
If you would like to participate in the Public Education Campaign
outreach activities or would like a psychologist to conduct a
community forum or speak at an event, please email Marti
Evans, APA Public Education Campaign Coordinator for Pennsylvania
or call 717-232-3817.
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