Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery

Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing global crimes according to the United Nations. No country is immune to this modern-day slavery. According to one estimate, some 15,000 people are trafficked each year in the U.S. for either forced labor or sexual exploitation. Though governments across the world have declared slavery illegal, more than 20 million people worldwide are victims of forced labor. Human trafficking is the second largest source of illegal income, second only to drug trafficking. This inhumane business cuts across gender, age and ethnicity.


A number of factors—poverty, child abuse, adverse social conditions, gender inequality—make people susceptible to trafficking. Children and youth are among the most vulnerable. Long and short-term physical and mental torture endured by victims leads to many health consequences. Physical health consequences can include traumatic brain injuries and other physical injuries, gastrointestinal problems, infectious diseases, poor nutrition, and reproductive health problems. Psychological consequences can include shame, grief, fear, distrust, self-blame and self-hatred, drug and alcohol addiction, suicide, suicidal thoughts, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).


Though this business operates in our communities, we don’t see these victims in day-to-day life as they are often kept behind locked doors. However, there are things we can do to fight human trafficking—educate ourselves, spread the word, become involved with groups fighting human trafficking and, take a closer look in our communities. With little knowledge about the human trafficking indicators and few follow-up questions, one can identify incidences of victimization and report them to the relevant authorities. Below is a list of indicators and questions from the U.S. Department of State which may help spot a victim.


Human Trafficking Indicators

   • Living with employer

   • Poor living conditions

   • Multiple people in cramped space

   • Inability to speak to individual alone

   • Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed

   • Employer is holding identity documents

   • Signs of physical abuse

   • Submissive or fearful

   • Unpaid or paid very little

   • Under 18 and in prostitution


Questions to Ask


Assuming you have the opportunity to speak with a potential victim privately and without jeopardizing the victim’s safety because the trafficker is watching, here are some sample questions to ask to follow up on concerns:

• Can you leave your job if you want to?

• Can you come and go as you please?

• Have you been hurt or threatened if you tried to leave?

• Has your family been threatened?

• Do you live with your employer?

• Where do you sleep and eat?

• Are you in debt to your employer?

• Do you have your passport/identification? Who has it?


For more information, visit Stop the Traffik, a global movement of activists working to stop human trafficking.





By

Sejal Petal, Sr. Program Coordinator, and

Ranna Parekh, M.D., M.P.H., Director

APA Division of Diversity and Health Equity



This post is part of an ongoing series spotlighting diversity from APA’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity.

Stigma: Changing the Conversation and Changing Lives

Renee Binder, MD
APA President

I was reminded recently of the death of an acquaintance who was at the top of her career when she died suddenly after complications from surgery, according to her obituary. I later learned that she had died from suicide, possibly in response to her struggle with chronic pain and resulting depression. 


Stigma serves as a barrier to seeking treatment often because of fears of discrimination. A few years ago, a patient requested that I not keep any records and wanted to pay me in cash. He was concerned that if his psychiatric records were ever discovered, his career could be negatively impacted. Were this man’s concerns legitimate? In a more public incident Sen. Tom Eagleton was forced to withdraw as a candidate for vice president in 1972 after it became public that he had suffered from depression and undergone ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). 


According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of stigma is a set of negative and unfair beliefs that a society or group of people has about something; it is a mark of shame or discredit. 


How can we begin to address mental health stigma? Here are several ideas: We need courageous spokespersons who are willing to come forward and talk about mental health issues that they or their families are experiencing. Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy is one such champion. He has openly discussed his struggles with mental illness and substance abuse and how treatment has helped him lead a productive and rewarding life.

We can learn from the LGBT community and their struggles with stigma and negative stereotypes. They have taught us that “coming out” by public figures and celebrities can decrease stigma.




Another way of combating stigma is for my fellow mental health professions, psychiatrists and others, to take responsibility for examining the language that is used by the media and in our society. Words such as “lunatic,” “crazy person,” or “maniac” convey images of people who are out of control and dangerous rather than people who are experiencing a mental illness and deserve our compassion and support in getting effective treatments. 


Mental health professionals and others can take an active role in drawing attention to language and advocating for more appropriate, compassionate and less stigmatizing language. Mental health care is an essential part of health care. Almost everyone will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in his or her lifetime.. But for people to be willing to access the mental health care they need, we have to continue the fight against stigma.


If we are successful in addressing stigma, and we must be, then not only will we change the conversation, we will also change people’s lives and change the culture. We will finally reach the point where all of us can openly talk about someone’s death by suicide and encourage people with mental health problems to seek the help they need without fear of judgment or harmful repercussions.


By Renée Binder, M.D., APA President 

…hello again

Wonderful to share the Recoverist Manifesto in Tallinn with new faces and old friends at the MAPSI conference. Thank you compadres.

Interesting back home, to see that it’s being reported in the UK, that jobs in the arts are growing at a higher rate than in any other area of the creative industries, but new figures from the DCMS lay bare the scale of the diversity problem. Click on the Linnahall, former Lenin Palace of Sports and Culture for more DCMS detail.

The DCMS also tell us that the rise in the value of exports by arts organisations also far outstripped any other area of the creative industries. £704m of music, performing and visual arts services were exported in 2013, a 146% increase on 2009. But is our understanding of cultural value just about the CASH? What about the oblique, the immeasurable and the profound? I had the pleasure to hear Dr Eleanora Belfiore speak last week. She pointedly discussed the obfuscation of politicians who hide behind the cult of measurement, and illustrated some of the ways we understand cultural successes through the profiteering of the production company behind My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding - a ‘documentary’ that whilst bringing in the big cash and franchising its 'product' globally, does nothing for travellers and gypsies other than perpetuate inequalities, stereotypes and stigma, whilst neatly neglecting to pay any of the participants to take part in its mockery. Good to hear about the counter blasting Our Big Real Gypsy Lives. Brilliant, Belfiore!

We’ve all been impressed by the groundswell of political engagement in Scotland, and not in the slightest bit surprised by their wholesale rejection of the political status quo, but let’s also hear it for Wales too - a country that wants to put the arts at the heart of the curriculum! Arts Professional reports that: ‘the expressive arts will be one of six areas of learning and experience that will take the place of traditional subjects as Wales approves a radical overhaul of its curriculum for primary and secondary schools.’

‘Expressive arts will be one of six ‘areas of learning and experience’ that the Welsh national curriculum for ages 3 to 16 will adopt in place of traditional subjects. The other areas are: health and wellbeing; humanities; languages, literacy and communication; mathematics and numeracy; and science and technology. Success will be measured against four key ‘purposes’ of education: supporting young people to become ambitious, capable learners; enterprising, creative contributors; ethical, informed citizens; and healthy, confident individuals.’

So now I don’t just want to be a Scot, but I’d like dual citizenship with Wales too!

Still, we always have our dear old government, where Education Security, the turgid Nicky Morgan, has warned young people that choosing to study arts subjects at school could “hold them back for the rest of their lives”. Speaking at the launch of a campaign to promote science, technology, engineering and maths – the STEM subjects – Morgan said the 'idea that choosing arts or humanities subjects can keep pupils’ career choices open “couldn’t be further from the truth”.

(Let’s not forget that true-blue Morgan, was dubbed the "minister for straight women" when she voted against the introduction of same-sex marriage in 2013, argued that marriage could only be between a man and a woman. Yet, she went on to be the governments Minister for Women and Equalities. You could’t make it up!)

She continues: “But if you wanted to do something different, or even if you didn’t know what you wanted to do…then the arts and humanities were what you chose. Because they were useful – we were told ­– for all kinds of jobs. Of course now we know that couldn’t be further from the truth, that the subjects that keep young people’s options open and unlock doors to all sorts of careers are the STEM subjects.”

The Stage usefully share this HERE, and more than that, they let us know that their recent poll indicated that more than three-quarters of online respondents believe arts subjects should be compulsory at GCSE. 1,268 people over a period of one week took part in the poll, with 77.3% – 981 people – in favour and less than a quarter – 22.6% – said the arts should not be compulsory. The survey was conducted after the government unveiled plans to exclude the arts from compulsory GCSEs.

Hey Ho!

Artists in Residence Grants

The Levehulme Trust is offering grants of up to £15,000 to UK universities and museums to foster a new creative collaboration with an artist (visual artists, creative writers, musicians, poets) working in a discipline outside the institution's usual curriculum. Artists may not apply directly - all applications must be made by the host institution. There must be a distinct contrast between the artist and host department's expertise (for example, a poet being hosted by a physics department, a composer by a geography department). The residency must be a newly constituted collaboration between artist and hosts.

The grants provide a stipend of up to £12,500 for the artist and consumable costs, such as artist's materials, of up to £2500. A typical residency would be for ten months based on the artist being present at the host institution for two days per week. The deadline for applications is 4pm on the 10th September 2015. Read more by clicking on the random image below.
  

Blackpool Council: Arts & Health Development Officer 
Maternity cover
Location: Central Library, Queen St Blackpool, FY1 1PX
Salary: £22,937 to £26,293 pro rata based on hours worked (Grade: F, part time) 
Working Hours: 22 hours per week over 3 days, maternity cover until 31st March 2016.
Contract Type: Temporary
Closing date: 22/07/2015 23:59
The Arts and Health Development Officer is responsible for initiating, planning and managing the delivery of the Arts for Health Programme and is part of the Council’s Arts Service. The programme is targeted at people with mild to moderate mental health problems, and aims to improve wellbeing, by offering high quality creative workshops that are stimulating and supportive. The effective management and supervision of freelance sessional artists is crucial to the smooth running of the programme and the participant`s experience of Arts for Health.

The post holder will work closely with key delivery partners, referrers and public health commissioners to develop and promote the programme. An important part of the role is to manage the collation and monitoring of the evaluation information to evidence the effectiveness of the service and the impact of creativity on wellbeing. To apply, click on the plea for more poetry below.

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Know Your Rights: Fair Insurance Coverage for Mental Health

Federal
law is clear that health insurance companies cannot discriminate against people
seeking care for mental illness or addiction. But how do you know if your insurance
company is not complying with the law? What can you do if you suspect a
violation?

The
American Psychiatric Association (APA) created a tool to help answer these
questions. The poster titled, “Fair Insurance Coverage: It’s the Law”
(Spanish-language version), clearly and
simply explains the law and the steps to take if you suspect a violation.

The
poster is intended to help enforce federal law and end discrimination.  Print it out and share the link (www.psychiatry.org/parity).

By
understanding your rights and taking action you can help ensure fair coverage
for yourself and your family, and you can help others by holding insurance
companies accountable.

What Federal Law Requires

The Mental Health
Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires any group health plan that covers more
than 50 employees and offers mental health and/or substance use disorders
coverage to provide that coverage with no greater financial requirements (such
as co-pays, deductibles, annual or life-time dollar limits) or treatment
limitations than the requirements the plan applies to medical / surgical
benefits. 

Also,
under the Affordable Care Act, new individual and small group plans in and
outside of the mandated health
insurance exchanges are required to offer mental and substance use
disorder coverage similar to medical/surgical benefits.

In addition to federal law, 49 states
and D.C. currently have laws relating to insurance coverage for mental health
and substance use.  More information,
including a summary table of state laws, is available from the National Conference of State Legislators.

By Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association

...elada Eestis

First things first - I’ve been working with people involved in the field of memory loss this last two weeks. Some are part of Dementia & Imagination and others inhabit similar places. I am quite staggered by your ideas and vision. From the O.T’s, to the students - the artists, to the researchers - you are inspiring. Thank you. The very short film above, is something I created for a workshop, that I hope says something about possibility, desires and yet again, imagination. It doesn’t matter what your label is, or even worse, your ‘prognosis’ - we all have potential - let’s explore it.

CALLING ALL FREE THINKERS of ARTS & HEALTH
Here we present our latest ramblings and ruminations following Chaos & Comfort and preceding the near magical date of the 7th October, in which we will congregate, share and debate our ever-expanding field of practice and research. To whet your appetite, here is 2020+ (above)and I am indebted to Kamila Kasperowicz for her help with this. 

But just what is this 7th October all about? Well, aside from more chaos & comfort, (which seem the key ingredients of our get-togetherness) this date offers you some grand opportunities, and I can confirm guests from Japan will be attending and presenting. From Lithuania, friends and allies at Socialiniai Meno Projektai will be sharing research and practice. More international travellers will be wending their way to the Manchester School of Art. So it will be an event to share practice and research - to ferment new ideas and relationships - to incubate our hybrid dreams and let loose into this world - our Exquisite Corpse of ideas and dreams. Keep watching.

The Recoverist Manifesto in an ‘...age of dislocation’
I am thrilled that people want to hear about this ongoing work and I have shared the Recoverist Manifesto in various locations around the UK, in Italy, Turkey, Lithuania and Australia and like some fly-in-fly-out, dayglow jacket wearing recoverist, I am sharing in the beautiful Estonia,(where I'm blogging from) Dublin and Holland all over a few days.

You’ll know by now that the manifesto developed as part of my work with people affected by substance misuse and Portraits of Recovery, and I’m pleased to say that emerging iterations of it are developing and that the UK Recovery Federation are embracing the notion of Recoverism and have asked me to share the work at their annual conference in Manchester in September. I am honoured to. In the meantime, designer of the Recoverist Manifesto, and masters student here at the Manchester School of Art, Nick Young, has responded to the work as part of his ongoing studies. Whilst the MA show isn’t until October, here’s a taste of what he’s up to. Click on Nick's work to find out more about the UK Recovery Federation's September event.

DANCE LABORATORY...
Socialiniai Meno Projektai (SMP) is one of the first organisations in Lithuania that works in the space between cultural, social and health sectors. The organisation aims to extend the availability of the arts and address issues around social exclusion. Since SMP formed in 2013, they are striving to expand wider public understanding of the importance of the arts to individual and communal health. They are implementing teaching programs, educational and creative workshops and research into the influence of the arts on health. Dance Laboratory is a new project being launched in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas for people with disabilities from the “Workshops of Light” community.You can find out more or support this specific Dance Laboratory project, by clicking on the dance image by Irutė Jarusevičiūtė below.

IMPACT: Generate and Demonstrate

Conference: 16th July, 9.30am-4pm, Manchester Metropolitan University, Hulme

Organised by Cartwheel Arts, this conference aims to explore the building, evidencing and communicating the impact of creative projects on mental wellbeing. Health professionals and Third Sector organisations will share creative solutions to generate positive mental wellbeing. Exploring tools and methods, to capture evidence and effectively communicate impact. To register and for more details, click on the image below.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation 
New UK Grants Strategy

One of the UK’s largest independent grant-making foundations has launched its new strategic plan which will run from 2015 to 2021 and increased its funding by £5 million per year. The Foundation which closed to applications last October has reopened with a new strategy which focuses on six new priorities relating to the changes it wishes to see in the UK. The Foundation's work in the UK (it also works in India) will focus on achieving the following six strategic priorities:

• Supporting imaginative people to nurture exciting ideas.
• Widening access and participation in the arts.
• Improving people's education and learning through the arts.
• Showing that the arts make a difference to people's lives.
• Supporting the development and growth of organisations investing in young people and positive change.
• Improving support for young people who migrate, and strengthen integration so that communities can live well together.

OUTSIDE IN...
...are currently looking for submissions to their next national exhibition in collaboration with Craftspace. The exhibition will focus on craft-based pieces, and the works selected from the call out will be displayed alongside work by renowned historical and contemporary ‘outsider artists.’ The exhibition will open at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester in March 2016 before touring to further venues around the UK.

As they work with artists facing barriers to the art world, they know that many of those who would like to submit work might need some extra support. To overcome this, they are holding a series of Surgery Days across the country, which consist of free one hour one-to-one sessions where the Outside In team will support artists to create an online gallery on our website and submit work to the exhibition. Please find some text below – we would be really grateful if you are able to pass this on to any artists you know, or advertise on any of your platforms.

The deadline for submissions is 5pm Friday 30 October 2015, and artists are also able to submit on their own directly through our website. More information can be found here: http://outsidein.org.uk/news_and_events?item_id0=16111 

Surgery Day sessions are one-to-one and last for an hour, and are taking place all over the UK - from Hastings to Perth, and from Cardiff to Ipswich. To find out if there's a Surgery Day near you, and for information on how to book a slot, please follow this link: http://outsidein.org.uk/news_and_events?item_id0=16154

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Racism, Discrimination, and Microaggressions: Effects on Mental Health

We know from extensive research that racism can cause significant harmful effects to the victim’s physical and mental health. In 2006, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) established a formal position against racism and discrimination, which partly states that the APA “recognizes that racism and racial discrimination adversely affect mental health by diminishing the victim’s self-image, confidence and optimal mental functioning…. APA believes that attempts should be made to eliminate racism and racial discrimination by fostering a respectful appreciation of multiculturalism and diversity.”

However, racism—prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on a belief that one’s own race is superior—is not a mental disorder (it is not included in APA’s diagnostic manual*).

Racism may not appear in the form of clear and obvious acts, it may be in the form of less obvious, “every day” racism.  These acts, termed “microaggressions,” by psychiatrist Chester Pierce, M.D. in 1970, are subtle, often automatic, and nonverbal exchanges with negative overtones. Originally the concept referred to put-downs of blacks by whites in the post-Civil Rights era, but it has since evolved to include people with many differences.  

These subtle and even unintentional acts, can none-the-less be harmful. The effects of this on children are especially pronounced. Victims of racism often display signs of physical and emotional stress. Some victims even start behaving in self-destructive ways that conform to the negative stereotypes they are facing.

Even perceived discrimination can affect health and mental health in several ways, according to an analysis of more than 130 medical studies.** For example, the stress of ongoing perceived discrimination can lead to an increase in unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking or drinking, and decrease in healthy behaviors, such as exercising and healthy eating. If a person has a sense of hopelessness, and low self-esteem, they may be more likely to engage in risky behaviors.  

So how can people protect themselves?  Research suggests several ways to help protect yourself, including having a supportive network of friends and family you can talk to about problems; taking action to address a situation of discrimination, rather than ignoring or avoiding it; and having strong ties to the group(s) with which you identify.

We can all be more mindful of the existence and impact of even subtle and unintentional racism and racial discrimination in the lives of patients and their families and in their everyday practice.

Read more on the Microaggressions Project blog which provides many examples of everyday microaggressions from people across the country.

By Ranna Parekh, M.D.

Director, Division of Diversity and Health Equity\

American Psychiatric Association

References:

*American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) 2013. Washington, DC:  Author.

**Pascoe EA, Richman LS. (2009). Perceived Discrimination and Health:  A Meta-Analytic Review. Pscyhol Bull; 135(4):531-554.

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The Connected Communities, Dementia & Imagination event was great - my big thanks to all of you who came and contributed and in particular - Kat, Sam, Chris, Teri and Penny. More about that soon. Read reflections on creativity based interventions by occupational therapist, Alison Stefan, here. 

Last week I shared the most excellent job opportunity at the Dukes in Lancaster. I thought that was the bees knees, but good grief! Here's one of the best jobs in the UK at the moment at the superb LEVEL. Following the death of the wonderful Peter Shelton last September, this is one of those rare opportunities to be part of something significant. 

Director at LEVEL (Derbyshire)
Salary £35-42K depending on skills and experience. For 25 years LEVEL (formerly known as First Movement) has pioneered in the power of arts and creativity to change the lives of people with learning disabilities. Based in Derbyshire, the charity’s work has a growing national and international impact. In 2008 we opened the doors of the stunning £1.8million purpose-built LEVEL Centre at Rowsley, where we attract over 5000 attendances per year from people with a learning disability.

A successful NPO bid has secured funding for the 2015-18 period and confirmed the Arts Council’s continued confidence in LEVEL’s past achievements and future aspirations. At this exciting time, we seek an inspirational Director to lead LEVEL’s development as an innovative provider of high quality arts experiences with and for the learning disabled community. Further information and application details can be found at http://levelcentre.com/about/opportunities/ 
or alternatively contact Alison Foote to find out more alison@levelcentre.com or call on 01629 734848 or 07702829985. Closing date for applications is 3pm on 13th July 2015. Interviews are on 24th July 2015.



Singing the Blues Project Officer
The Royal College of Music provides specialised musical education and professional training at the highest international level for performers and composers. The post-holder will be responsible for coordinating the running of the ‘Singing the Blues’ research project, which will investigate the impact of music on postnatal depression. Key tasks will include setting up and managing research interventions for new mothers and their babies, developing marketing strategies to recruit new mothers, supporting the team in collecting and managing research data, and liaising with key project partners.For details, click on the photo below.

There's a new Chair for the Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee at Westminster, so let's keep a watchful eye on Jesse Norman, MP, who has been elected Chairman of this Committee, a post previously held by current Culture Minister John Whittingdale. He is a Trustee of the Roundhouse, a director of the Hay Festival and a Patron of the Music Pool, and has called for a redistribution of arts funding away from London and to the regions, recognising that “two-thirds of the country lives outside the readily affordable range of ‘national’ cultural organisations”. Norman said that he was “absolutely delighted” to have been elected, and was looking forward to fulfilling his new role by “holding government departments and other public bodies to account”. The election of the other members of the Committee is to follow in due course, with a seat allocation per party. Read more by clicking on the chair below!

Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship
Every year I encourage people to apply for this wonderful opportunity. Do you practice or support those working in Heritage Crafts? Would you benefit from travelling overseas to meet other people with the same specialism as you, in order to share ideas, innovation and skills, and to reinvigorate your work? Click on the Boeing 314 for more details.

Feminist Review Trust Grants (UK/International)
The Feminist Review Trust has announced that the next round of its 2015 grants programme is now open for applications. The Feminist Review Trust gives grants of up to £15,000 to projects in the UK and internationally that support women. The Trust will prioritise applications for:

• Hard to fund projects that have no other obvious sources of funding
• Pump priming activities to help start a project in the hope that it will then be able attract sufficient funding to continue
• Interventionist projects that support feminist values
• Training and development projects
• One off events
• Dissemination of relevant material
• Core funding for groups that struggle to raise it elsewhere.

Other projects outside of these above categories may be funded but potential applicants should contact the Trust to discuss eligibility before submitting an application. The deadline for applications is 30th September 2015. Read more by clicking on the classic Spare Rib.

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