CHOICES is an exciting new consumer-driven program for smokers with mental illness in New Jersey. Our goal is to increase awareness of the importance of addressing tobacco use and to create a strong peer support network that encourages mental health consumers to make a positive healthy lifestyle change by addressing smoking and tobacco use.

CHOICES is innovative because it employs mental health consumers, called Consumer Tobacco Advocates, to deliver the vital message to smokers with mental illness that addressing tobacco is important and to motivate them to seek treatment. The Consumer Tobacco Advocates provide their peers with information about the consequences of smoking, issues regarding smoking and mental illness, and options available to make quitting easier. They visit mental health centers, self-help centers and health fairs to communicate with and educate consumers about their smoking. They also provide resources about places in New Jersey where smokers with mental illness can receive tobacco dependence treatment.

As the Consumer Tobacco Advocates increase awareness among consumers about the relationship between smoking and their overall wellness, many consumers have come to terms with their desire to quit. Their clear message about the need for tobacco-cessation services and treatments will drive public policy on this issue more than any other force.

Do you want to start feeling better? Now's the time to BECOME MOTIVATED! Learn as much as you can about tobacco misuse, take control and feel better. Are you a mental health consumer interested in learning more about quitting smoking? You have CHOICES! We can help!

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National Mental Health Partnership for Wellness & Smoking Cessation, Washington DC, July 7, 2008

Panelists for this historic in-service training included our very own CHOICES Advocate, Eric Arauz and Dr. Jill Williams. Click here to read more.

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Congratulations to the CHOICES team!  CHOICES is listed as a resource in the newly released guide, Bringing Everyone Along Resource Guide for Health Professional Providing Tobacco Cessation Services for People with Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Disorders, published by the Tobacco Cessation Leadership Network (TCLN). CHOICES is listed alongside organizations that are leaders in the field.  The guide was “developed to assist an array of health professionals to adapt tobacco cessation services to the unique needs of tobacco users with mental illness and substance use disorders.”

Here are the links to the summary and
full version:  
Guide (p.45):
http://www.tcln.org/pdfs/BEA_Resource_Guide-web.pdf
Summary(p.8):
http://www.tcln.org/pdfs/BEASummary-Web.pdf

As we approach our third anniversary it is gratifying to know that our work is now being recognized nationally as an important resource in addressing tobacco in the mental health community.  Special thanks go to our Advocates who have worked tirelessly in reaching out to their peers, providing information, hope & support, and serving as role models in recovery.

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Congratulations to the CHOICES Team!

Mental Health America Honors Leading Mental Health Advocates for Service, Innovation and Cultural Competency

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (June 11, 2007) — Mental Health America honored four mental health leaders for their dedication to improving the mental health of all Americans at the Closing Night Dinner of its Annual Meeting, Bringing Wellness Home, in Washington D.C. on June 9, 2007.

“These award winners exemplify the exceptional energy, commitment, dedication and creativity necessary to fight against mental health stigma,” said David Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO of Mental Health America. “Our four honorees today have greatly improved the lives of countless Americans through their tireless efforts to improve our nation’s mental health.”

Innovation in Programming Award — Mental Health Association in New Jersey and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Mental Health Association in New Jersey and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey received the Innovation in Programming Award for their CHOICES program. CHOICES is a consumer-driven initiative that strives to meet the needs of smokers with mental illnesses by increasing awareness of the importance of addressing tobacco use and by creating a strong peer support network that encourages mental health consumers to make a positive healthy lifestyle change by addressing smoking and tobacco use. Through its peer-to-peer approach, CHOICES has reached more than 2,000 people.

CHOICES is featured on Chiming In, the brand new podcast from Mental Health America - www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/chimingin

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An article about CHOICES, written by Dr Jill Williams, was published in the September issue of Psychiatric Services.  Click on the link to read the article about the CHOICES Program.
 Williams JM.  Using Peer Counselors to Address Tobacco: the CHOICES Program.  Psychiatric Services 2007; 58(9): 1225.

Would you like to make a donation to CHOICES?

To learn more about how your gift can help the CHOICES program, please call the Foundation of UMDNJ at 1-866-44-UMDNJ or click here to donate to CHOICES through the Foundation of UMDNJ.
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