External Resources

Our community has been doing a great job of engaging with us and recommending resources. This section is thanks to those who contact us with the hope of helping others.

Educational Opportunities

Counselor Licensure: What does it take to be a Counselor?: Learn about online courses and degree programming, how to become a counselor, industry standards for training and salaries – and much more related to an interest in the mental health counseling field.

Online Mental Health Counseling Degrees: This guide helps students understand the degree and provides education about counseling careers. It also explains the different options in obtaining a mental health counseling degree, along with an in-depth interview in the field, degree information, career and salary information.

College Affordability Guide: Government-collected data is analyzed on 5,000+ colleges and universities in the US to find the programs that are both financially accessible for low-income students and have a track record of positive student outcomes. Their methodology is based on the idea that paying income-appropriate tuition, completing one’s studies and being able to pay back one’s loans are the key factors of a worthwhile college experience.

Public Health Degrees: Public Health Degrees is dedicated to researching educational opportunities (within public health) to help make the decision to get a public health degree, go back to get your degree, or further your education with a master’s or doctoral degree in public health.

MPH Program Guide for 2017 and Beyond: MPH Program is the best guide for finding a Master of Public Health degree. When looking for an MPH program, first make 100% sure it is accredited. The top accrediting board for MPH programs is the CEPH, or the Council on Education for Public Health.

College Degrees Online: Figuring out which degree to pursue can be a difficult decision. College Degrees Online tries to make it as simple as possible for you to quickly and efficiently find all of the available degrees at colleges in the US. to help with that process.

Online Tutoring for Disabilities: Many students have indicated that they dropped out simply because they didn’t like school. One solution to overcoming these obstacles is a private tutor. Personal instruction from a tutor can bridge the gap that sometimes exists between classroom teaching and a student’s unique learning style. Click the link to learn more about tutoring options.

The Best Scholarship Search Platforms of 2017: This guide was created to review the best scholarship search platforms and instruct students on how to use them effectively – in order to find as many scholarship opportunities as possible.

The Next Step: Founded in 2015, the Next Step Programs aim to create opportunities for people with disabilities as they age out of the public school system.

Health & Wellness Resources

Positive Health Wellness: Are you seeking options for support & information on: healthy eating, belly fat problems, trying to stick to a diet, struggling with eating healthy when you go out, or dealing with the stress and depression which comes with losing weight? Positive Health Wellness is always there to help you out.

Vision Statistics: Learn more about the connection between family, diabetes, and alcoholism to vision health

10 Proven Benefits of Yoga for Your Kids: Yoga is an excellent way to borrow “my time” and to feel loved, alive, and free from the technology invasion. As they say: “logout, shutdown, and do yoga”. Interestingly enough, a growing number of kids are embracing yoga in their lives. Visit this link to learn more about ways to connect your children to the benefits of a yoga practice.

Underage Drinking: Learn about the dangers and effects of underage drinking

Mental Health Resources

The Best Scholarship Search Platforms of 2017: MHALC is the local affiliate of the nation’s leading community-based, non-profit that is dedicated to helping all Americans achieve wellness by living mentally healthier lives.

Minority Mental Health (Mental Health America): Mental health information for minority groups such as Black and African America Communities, Latino/Hispanic Communities, Asian American/Pacific Islander Communities, Native America Communities and LGBTQ Communities.

A Parent’s Guide to Suicide Prevention: The Community for Accredited Online Schools (CFAOS) has an important campaign to help parents of teenagers. The goal of the campaign is to better equip these parents should their teenager — or someone close to them — enter a depressed or suicidal mindset. Use this resource as a guide to the prevention of suicide.

Understanding Barriers to Minority Mental Healthcare: An article from the Department of Nursing at the University of Southern California

MentalHealth.gov: MentalHealth.gov provides one-stop access to U.S. government mental health and mental health problems information. MentalHealth.gov aims to educate and guide the general public, health & emergency preparedness professionals, policy makers, government and business leaders, school systems and local communities.

The Sanctuary Model: The Sanctuary Model® represents a theory-based, trauma-informed, evidence-supported, whole culture approach that has a clear and structured methodology for creating or changing an organizational culture.

Fostering Resilience with Kenneth Ginsburg: Dr. Ginsburg’s work focuses on working with children to teach resilience, build confidence to help them thrive and help them live up to core values with essential goodness.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: A national leader in suicide prevention and awareness headquartered in New York. AFSP funds research, creates educational programs, advocates for public policy and supports survivors of suicide loss.

College Guide For Students With Psychiatric Disabilities: BestColleges.com published a resource for high school seniors going to college and currently enrolled college students who struggle with mental illness. According to the website, this research was done by “examining instructional strategies, course accommodations and other campus services designed to serve this population.”

OPEN MINDS: The mission of OPEN MINDS is to provide health and human services with payers and provider organizations–and the organizations that serve them–with the market and management knowledge needed to improve their organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

Moms’ Mental Health Matters: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Launched this new initiative to raise awareness among pregnant and postpartum mothers, their families, and health care providers about depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after a baby is born. Provided are free resources in English and Spanish, including an action plan, posters and a “conversation starter” postcard.

Recall Report: Recall Report is a leading online recall aggregator with an emphasis on mental health and prescription drugs. Their dedicated and robust health section provides detailed information for various demographics, including men, women, seniors, children, students, veterans, homelessness and other categories. They extensively cover a wide range of health conditions, including important topics like addiction, recovery and rehabilitation.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Crisis Chat (free and confidential): * Dial 988, Or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Suicide Prevention in College: Affordable Colleges Online provides community resources and tools related to higher education with an eye on affordability and accreditation. This valuable resource guide on emergency assistance will help educate you to be able to learn the warning signs and prevention of suicide in college students.

Understanding Suicide Prevention: Read about the facts, signs, risk factors, and other resources that can help with understanding suicide prevention. Published by BestColleges.com.

Community Resources: Check out Zen Care’s resource page for resources on anxiety, parenthood, LGBTQIA+, and more.

Addiction Resources

Addiction Resource: Addiction Resource was created to help people struggling with substance abuse and to provide support to their loved ones. Their goal is to make helpful and verifiable information available on substance abuse, addiction rehab and recovery. They will direct you to the best sources of help, including The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

No matter your age, background or occupation, an addiction can become a problem to anyone in our communities. A straight-A student decides to try club drugs. A housewife enjoys a glass of wine on Friday nights. A business owner wants to share his best marijuana vaporizer with his friends after a long day. Addiction can begin innocently; then quickly overpower the best of people. Learn more about the different types of drug rehab programs, the differences between inpatient and outpatient treatment, and more about rehabs in your area using our local rehabs locator.

REHABSPOT: Dedicated to helping individuals who are struggling with mental health and substance abuse by providing them, and their families, with useful substance abuse information and connecting them to proper treatment options.

Addiction Guide: Addiction affects people from all walks of life: friends, family, children and adults. The Addiction Guide has the available resources and information to learn how to help someone you know struggling with an addiction. “Nobody intends to develop an addiction, but every time a drug is abused the dependence grows.”

StartYourRecovery.or g: This groundbreaking website was developed by bringing together experts in substance use treatment from leading nonprofit, academic, and government institutions. Their goal is to offer people who are dealing with substance use issues a single source of reputable, objective information about signs, conditions, treatment options, and resources — presented in a user-friendly format and in language that’s easy to understand.

AddictionCenter – Pennsylvania: AddictionCenter.com is a professional web guide that connects individuals struggling with addiction to treatment options. Over 20 million people in the United States have some sort of addiction and an estimated one hundred people die from drug overdoses daily. Their goal is to provide families and communities with helpful information on substance abuse, addiction and recovery options.

Why Teens Are Impulsive, Addiction-Prone and Should Protect Their Brains

Is Your Home an Accomplice for Your Rebellious Teen?

Home After Rehab: The Guide to Finding the Right Place for Recovery

Recovery Village: ecovery Village is an organization dedicated to providing the best treatment possible to those struggling with substance abuse and co-occuring disorders. It is their philosophy that all individuals with the desire and ability to seek treatment are provided with the highest quality care for an affordable cost. They also currently have locations in several states across the country.

Lumiere Healing Centers: Lumiere Healing Centers works with individuals and their loved ones throughout the treatment process utilizing evidenced-based addiction treatment to provide the latest techniques to help in the recovery process. They use a strength based approach to treatment to focus on positive strategies and to assist in making positive, lasting changes in the individual’s life.

DrugRehab: Their mission is to inform families and patients about the resources and tools to overcome addiction and live a lifelong recovery. Addiction is caused by a variety of factors and mental health is common among people with substance-abuse problems.

Nearly six out of 10 addicts also suffer from a mental disorder such as ADHD, PTSD or schizophrenia. People who are addicted to drugs are twice as likely to suffer from a mood or anxiety disorder and vice versa; roughly three quarters of addicts in rehab treatment also suffer from some sort of mental disorder. Furthermore, many drugs of abuse have qualities that can mimic the symptoms of mental illness and the side effects of withdrawal are often diagnosed as mental illness.”

Here are some links to visit if you or someone you know is struggling from: Depression, ADHD and PTSD

Webmd.com – Substance Abuse and Addiction: WebMD provides valuable health information, tools for managing your health, and support to those who seek information. This particular resource includes the causes of substance abuse, identifying symptoms, when to seek help, where to go and how to seek the next steps toward recovery.

Types of Therapy for Drug and Alcohol Addiction: Learn about the pros and cons of different therapies and treatments for drug and alcohol addiction.

Tough Truths You Should Know About Addiction and Depression

Dual Diagnosis: The Relationship Between Anxiety and Addiction while Overcoming Anxiety in Recovery

You Draw it: Just How Bad is the Drug Overdoes Epidemic?

Substance Use Prevention Education (SUPE)

Lancaster County Drug & Alcohol Division (LCDAD): This brochure by the LCDAD has numbers to services across the county that aid in helping or supporting those in recovery to addiction.

Depression Resources

Students Against Depression: This organization’s worksheet was developed to help screen for depression.

Learn about Depression Guide: This leading authority, PsyCom.net, has a long legacy on depression diagnosis & treatment, and is a 30 year old mental health site (Google is now 18 years old) founded by Dr. Ivan Goldberg.

Exercise & Recovery Resources

Help Guide: This article does a good job explaining how exercise can help you in your road to recovery.

Yoga’s Benefits to Our Mental Health: This is a comprehensive guide that outlines the reasons why yoga is beneficial.

Exercise and Mental Health: Amazing website that goes into a lot of detail about exercise and mental health.

LGBTQIA+ Resources

Eastern PA Trans Equity Project: Every once in a while, an individual needs a helping hand and our transgender rapid response mutual aid grants are designed to do just that – provide short-term and immediate assistance for transgender and gender nonbinary folk or the parents of trans kids in need who reside within our service area. Grants may be restricted to certain counties or available funding.

Depression Looks Like Me: Depression doesn’t discriminate about age, gender identity, or sexual orientation. It can affect anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, religious belief, or socioeconomic status.

Bipolar Resources

Kid & Adolescent Resources For Parents

Emotional Safety Plan for Parents: Just as we prepare for physical emergencies with safety plans, having an emotional safety plan is crucial for managing intense emotions like fear, anger, and anxiety. This plan helps prevent escalation and allows you to handle stress constructively, especially when raising a child with developmental or mental health issues.

Everyday Health: Kids can have mental health problems too. It is not just adults. Please be wary of these warning signs.

Other Diseases & Mental Health

Cerebral Palsy: This website is a fantastic guide to understanding what a cerebral palsy diagnosis means and the associated problems that some people experience.

Mesothelioma: This website provides a look into both the mental and physical health of a mesothelioma patient.

Schizophrenia: This is a link to Psycom Awareness Group’s self-assessment test for Schizophreni