Hearing Voices NYC was recently featured on NBC as part of a special on the Hearing Voices Movement. The description for the show is as follows:
“What is it like hearing voices that others can’t? For Jeannie Bass, hearing voices is her daily reality. The medical term is “auditory hallucinations.” Jeannie is a leader in the Hearing Voices Movement, which aims to re-frame and destigmatize the extreme mental experiences that society labels as crazy.”
Announcing a new training series titled “EXPERIENCE TRANSFORMS PRACTICE” which IDHA will be offering throughout the Fall and Spring. Like last year’s training series, this new training offers advanced continuing education opportunities to learn from a number of experts-by-experience and mental health professionals who have each made unique advances in alternative mental health narratives and practices. People interested in Hearing Voices NYC might be particularly interested in the upcoming course called:
Nowhere else in the NY metropolitan area are experts providing education on truly transformative models that have the capacity to shift the way mental health care is practiced. This course is aimed at front-line mental health workers, peer specialists, social workers, psychiatrists and psychologists, who are interested in learning about a new mental health paradigm that goes beyond recovery and clinical support – Experience, Inclusion, Human-Rights, Transformation!
At this point IDHA is offering advanced subscription rates to agencies (and individuals) who want to sign up early and thereby enable others to attend the course, who may not be able to afford tuition. As an agency, you can reserve spots for your staff members at $ 600 for the entire 7-week series (a total of 42 hours of training with C.E. eligibility). It is not required that spots must be filled by the same individuals each time. Each Saturday session is $ 150 dollars full fee for the day. Class size is limited to 35 people. Attached is a flyer for you to disseminate to any interested parties.
More info can be found at: IDHA-NYC.org/experience-transforms-practice
We hope that you’ll join us for this incredible opportunity.
When: Monday, April 16, 6:00 – 7:30 pm Where: East Village Access (242 E 2nd Street)
FREE
Are you a family member of someone taking psych meds, a prescriber of psych meds, or are you, yourself, taking psychotropic medication?
Are you interested in hearing real perspectives on people’s experiences with psych meds?
Are you concerned about multiple side effects, the stigma around taking meds, access to services, navigating the system, or the challenges around coming off/starting psychotropic medication?
Despite shifts towards inclusiveness and partnership in mental health services development, meaningful open communication between professionals, service users and families within the mental health system remains a challenge.
This Mental Health Trialogue (MHT) is the first of a monthly forum that brings together personal perspectives from providers, peers/survivors, family members and other interested parties to discuss issues and experiences with psychotropic medication, among other subjects. The goal of the forum is to foster rich discussion and to change the perception that only those who work in the field of mental health are the experts in mental health.
MHT’s combination of expertise and experience provides a unique wealth of collective knowledge to which individuals or people from different perspectives would not otherwise be exposed.
Trialogue meetings are open to current or former mental health service users, families and friends, professional mental health workers, prescribers, as well as all community members with an interest in mental health. All are encouraged to attend.
Three members from the Institute for the Development of Human Arts, a psychiatrist, a person with lived experience, and a family member, will open the forum by explaining the purpose of MHT, then launch into a “trialogue discussion” about experiences with psychotropic medication. We will then open the conversation to all in attendance to share their responses if desired and foster community. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
MHT provides a supportive, non-judgemental space to share unique stories, find solidarity and discover new complementary perspectives that offer clarity, insight, and supportive community. MHT is not a support group, a source of medical/psychiatric advice, or a therapy session.
Be heard, be informed, find your seat at the table.
Mark your calendars! Hearing Voices Network NYC is having its first-ever facilitator training for people that want to start their own Hearing Voices groups. The training will be 2 full days and will consist of hands-on/practical approaches to starting your own Hearing Voices group.
Dates: June 2nd-3rd, 2018
Where: Community Access in the East Village
Cost: TBD, but different prices for professionals/students/low-income, with some scholarships for voice-hearers
Who is teaching: Voice-hearers and people with lived experience of extreme states from the New York City community, plus some clinicians who have developed allied groups within institutional settings or in the community with co-faciliation
Why: Many people have approached us about wanting to start Hearing Voices groups in NYC, but don’t feel they have enough practical or ‘hands-on’ knowledge to start their own. This 2-Day facilitator training is an attempt to vitalize the Hearing Voices Network in NYC and help people feel ready to start their own group.
From Hearing Voices USA: Since beginning in December 2016, our Online Hearing Voices Network groups have grown into powerful virtual communities of support. We often receive emails from the family members of voice-hearers asking if they can observe meetings to get some insight into the experience of voice-hearing , how to cope or make meaning of it and the values of HVN. While this is not something we can accommodate in the Monday group, it has inspired us to schedule an Online Forum specific for family.
This Online Forum will give family members the opportunity to ask questions of individuals who hear voices, see visions or navigate other alternate realities (who also have extensive experience supporting others with extreme states of mind or consciousness). Participants are welcome to submit questions in advance.
WHO: Family members of voice-hearers
WHEN: Wednesday, February 7th from 8:00PM-9:30PM Eastern Time
HOW: Zoom teleconference platform (one click access from computer and option to download Zoom app onto SmartPhone)
Check out this amazing NPR podcast featuring members of Hearing Voices NYC.
“People who hear voices often struggle to find quiet in their heads. But some find ways to explore their relationships with their voices, and live with them, instead of silencing them. Samia Bouzid has the story.”
Rai Waddingham, who is a member of the editorial board for our new project Integrated Voices, writes:
In my experience, at least, the availability of information on the internet can bring with it both opportunities and risks. To someone hearing voices for the first time, or their loved ones, getting decent information about the experience and the different options out there is a real challenge. Whilst there are many sites I signpost people to, I’m ever aware that it’s a matter of luck as to whether anyone finds these on their own. More than that, if you happen upon a site that encourages a single approach you might leave with the idea that this is all there is. At the moment, there is no single site that gathers together a range of ways of understanding and working with voices. That gap has some serious implications. Information about the full range of options is a key part of informed choice. It is information that can lead us to ask for specific forms of support, and campaign when we find out they’re not available in our local area.
Hearing the Voice is launching a project that has got me both excited and daunted (called Integrated Voices). Its aim is deceptively simple – create a clear, balanced and impartial website with a range of modules that focus on different approaches to understanding or supporting people who hear voices. A website where we are not pushing or promoting any particular option, but are laying them out on a buffet table and trusting people to find the ones that suit them best. A website that is not overloaded with information, that is easy to navigate and signposts people to further sources of information on the approaches that interest them. Ultimately, in the jungle that is the internet we want people to find ideas that could really work for them.
From the way I write, I hope you can see why I’m excited. I really feel this could be a useful resources and am glad to be supporting them in developing it. My nerves are real, though. One of the reasons this site does not already exist is that it’s a massive undertaking. There is so much information and so many possibilities that knowing where to start is difficult. More than this, I’m also keenly aware that whilst we’re aiming for an impartial site, none of us are neutral. We all have our interests and perspectives. If we were to sit in a room for a year and design the site ourselves our biases would be clearly visible in the content of the site. As human beings, we’d skew the information without even realising it. All of the choices made by the editorial team have consequences, and if we want the site to be as useful to as many people as possible in our community we need your help.
Consultation Events
It is only right that we speak to as many different people as possible before we even begin planning the Integrated Voices website. So, before our pens touch the paper to draw up content ideas we’re going out and about to hold three consultation events, in Bradford, London and Newcastle upon Tyne. These events are a chance for people who hear voices and the friends and family who support them to share what they think would be useful from a site. If your work involves supporting people who are distressed by their voices, we’d also love to hear from you.
Facilitated by Mary Robson, Victoria Patton and myself, we’ll be doing our best to create welcoming spaces where we can think together about your hopes (and fears) for the site. We can begin to build up a picture of the information and topic areas that you feel are essential, as well as the things you feel we should either avoid or be very careful of. If you would like to get involved in these events, information about dates, times and venues can be found at the bottom of this post.
Online survey
For those who either can’t or don’t want to take part in these events, we also have an online survey for anyone who is interested in this project. The survey is available to complete here. Share it with your friends, family, clients, support workers, CPN and anyone you think might have an opinion.
Why take part?
Whilst later on in the process we will be convening focus groups to help us develop and test the site, and will be able to offer vouchers in thanks for the work done, at this stage we hope people will take part because they feel that this could be an important resource and want to help shape it. We can offer reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses and some refreshments at the consultation events, but above and beyond that we’re asking for your support to help ensure this resource is as useful as possible. Our commitment to you is that we will listen to the feedback and use it in a meaningful way to develop the site, and ensure there are opportunities during the project to get more involved.
One thing I hate about consultation is the number of events that talk to us after decisions have already been made – those tokenistic events where we’re being asked to rubber-stamp something that we neither want nor agree with. Those events where our voices aren’t heard. This project’s success rests on our ability to engage with as many people as possible and – most importantly – to listen.
So, whether you fill in the survey or come to a consultation event, we’re looking forward to hearing from you.
Hearing the Voice will be holding three open meetings to discuss Integrated Voices with voice-hearers and those who support them in Bradford, London and Newcastle upon Tyne. The events will take place at the following venues and times:
Bradford Thursday 5th October 2017, 1-3pm
Mind in Bradford
Tradeforce Building
Cornwall Place
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD8 7JT
London Friday 6th October 2017, 2.30-5pm
National Council for Voluntary Organisations
Society Building
8 All Saints Street
London
N1 9RL
Newcastle upon Tyne Thursday 12th October 2017, 1pm-3pm
The Recovery College Collective
5th Floor, Broadacre House
Market Street
Newcastle upon Tyne.
NE1 6HQ
If you would like to attend one of these events, please let us know in advance by registering here. We hope you can make it!
Come join us for a Hearing Voices NYC General Interest Meeting! General Interest Meetings are different from our Support Groups. They are a place for anyone interested in the Hearing Voices Movement to come & hang out. We welcome voice-hearers, family/friends, clinicans, activists, allies, etc.
What to expect? :
A simple circle of chairs & group diaglogue about voice-hearing and building up the HVN community in NYC. All welcome.
