More Information

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS & MYTHBUSTING

• Watch the BringChange2Mind video - Change a Mind About Mental Illness.
• Watch all the BringChange2Mind videos.

MENTAL ILLNESS

• See NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) for descriptions of specific mental illnesses.
• See the National Institute of Mental Health for the latest research.
• Visit Brain & Behavior Research Foundation for more information.

SUPPORT: IN PERSON, BY PHONE & ONLINE

• See Local Resources on the right for support groups and services.
• Recovery and Support - Information can be found at Mental Health America.
• Online forums at Psych Central.
• Online Support Group - for more information visit Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.

ABOUT MEDICATIONS

• Find the latest information from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• Mental Health Medications: National Institute of Mental Health
• See the FDA database for information about specific medications.
• "Medication for Success" class - see RICA (listed at the right)

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH MEDICATIONS

• Official U.S. Government Site for Medicare
• The Medicine Program provides patient assistance with the enrollment process in drug assistance programs.
• Needymeds, a non-profit information resource helps people find assistance programs to help them afford medications and health care costs.
• The Partnership for Prescription Assistance helps qualifying patients without prescription drug coverage find public or private programs that can help them get the medication they need.
• RxAssist offers a comprehensive database of patient assistance programs, as well as practical tools, news, and articles.
• A list of drug companies that offer assistance programs: NAMI Patient Prescription Drug Assistance Programs

COMMUNITY SERVICES

For counseling, food assistance, health care, housing, legal assistance, transportation, and much more, call 211 for help in finding the services you need, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Community Action of Ventura County provides housing, food, employment, family, and legal services.

EMPLOYMENT

• Ventura County One-Stop Job & Career Centers: For information about finding work, preparing resumes and more.
• California Department of Rehabilitation, Vocational Rehabilitation Services:
  Oxnard-Ventura branch: (805) 385-2400
  Thousand Oaks branch: (805) 371-6279
• Watch Mental Health Works' “Working Through It” video
• Also see How to Talk About Mental Illness

VETERANS SERVICES

Services for veterans and their dependents are available through the Ventura County Human Services Agency. For more information, visit Veterans Services or call (805) 477-5155.

LOCAL ADVOCACY

For information about advocacy to help shape policies and counteract discrimination and stigma, see contact information for NAMI Ventura County and The Client Network on the right. The Ventura County Behavioral Health Advisory Board advises the county on what services are needed locally, and has committees which include concerned local citizens. To find out more about this board, call (805) 981-1115.

DISABILITY RIGHTS

California Disability Access Information: For more information, visit Disability Access Services.

OLDER ADULT AND CAREGIVING SERVICES.

More Resources:

• Area Agency on Aging: Call 805-477-7300 or click here
• Care Givers: Assisting the elderly Age 60+ - Call (805) 658-8530
• In-Home Support Services (HSA): Medi-Cal and Long Term Care - Call (805) 654-3260
• Adult Protective Services: Report abuse or neglect - Call (805) 654-3200

National Resources:

• Eldercare.gov
• Caregiver Resources
• Hospice Care