Welcome to the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community
The Western Mass Recovery Learning Community (RLC) supports healing and empowerment for our broader communities and people who have been impacted by psychiatric diagnosis, trauma, extreme states, homelessness, addiction and other life-interrupting challenges through:
- Peer-to-peer support & genuine human relationships
- Alternative Healing Practices
- Learning Opportunities
- Advocacy
Essential to our work is recognizing and undoing systemic injustices such as racism, sexism, transphobia and psychiatric oppression.
The RLC is made up of PEOPLE (not places) and is wherever and however YOU and others from the community may choose to connect. Together, we offer a variety of events, workshops, trainings, advocacy and leadership councils, as well as a peer support line, three resource centers (Springfield, Greenfield, and Holyoke) and a Peer Respite in Northampton. Above all else, we create space for anyone who has a genuine interest in taking part in our community and holding its values to share and find connection, information, ideas and opportunities to make change in their own lives and/or the community around them. Our shared experiences and ‘humanness’ are what unite us. Our stories, collective wisdom and strength are what guide us and our community forward.
The Recovery Learning Community (RLC) is a peer-run project providing supports to individuals with lived experience. One of the founding concepts behind the RLC is that human relationships with people are healing, particularly when those people have similar experiences. And so, above all else, the RLC strives to create forums through which human relationships, community and a regional network of supports can develop. On a day-to-day basis, that effort may take the form of a community meeting, a support group, a computer workshop and/or simply offering a safe space where people can communicate with others or simply be. The RLC also acts a clearing house for information about other resources in the community.
The Western Massachusetts Recovery Learning Community is funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, the United Way of Franklin County, and a variety of private foundations and donations.
Peer Respite Handbook
We are excited to share that the Western Mass RLC’s new Peer Respite Handbook: A Guide to Understanding, Building, and Sustaining Peer Respite is now available.
This represents the RLC's first ever formally published book! You can find the handbook at the following on-line booksellers:
We are looking forward to setting up some webinars on peer respite to help us celebrate the new book! Trainings on peer respite are also available through our training team. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information!
Special Screening: The Blood is at the Doorstep
We are excited to offer special screenings of 'The Blood is at the Doorstep' as follows:
Wednesday, May 23rd, 6pm @ Advocates, 1881 Worcester Road, Framingham (Co-sponsored with Advocates and the Advocates Diversity Council)
Thursday, May 24th, 6:30pm @ American International College's Griswold Theater, 1000 State Street, Springfield (Co-sponsored with Arise for Social Justice, Chess Social Club, No One Leaves, Racial Justice Rising, Neighbor to Neighbor, Showing Up for Racial Justice - Western Mass Chapter, Jobs with Justice, Pioneer Valley Workers Center, Out Now, Real Cost of Prisons, and Black Lives Matter 413)
Both screenings are free and open to the public!
On April 30, 2014, in the broad daylight of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, an officer responding to a complaint from a Starbucks employee approached Dontre Hamilton, an unarmed black man with a psychiatric diagnosis who was resting in a nearby park. Minutes later, the officer shot Dontre 14 times.
Filmed over the course of three years, 'The Blood Is at the Doorstep' follows Dontre’s family and surrounding community through their struggle to find answers and challenge a criminal justice system full of bias, abuses of power, racism, and psychiatric oppression.
We will be joined by Dontre's mother (Maria Hamilton)
and brothers (Dameion and Nate) for both screenings.
View a trailer below:
Anti-Oppression Series: Conversations about Systemic Oppression
May 10, 2018
4:30pm to 7:00pm
@ DeCice Hall at the Marian Center
1365 Northampton St, Holyoke
The Western Massachusetts Recovery Learning Community and the Consortium’s Home & Community Connections program have come together to create a 2018 Anti-Oppression Series. The purpose of this series is to bring our community together to explore issues of oppression and help spark the fires needed for change.
In this series opener, we will feature three panelists speaking from first-hand experience of a variety of types of systemic oppression. They will share of their lives and of the wisdom they’ve gained about how to move difficult conversations and change forward. Community Dialogue will follow their presentations.
Featuring Rev. Louis Mitchell, Caroline Mazel-Carlton, and Shain M. Neumeier.
Click here for additional info and a flyer to share.
Click here to register.
Self-Injury Workshop
Tuesday, May 1, 9:30-4:30
Holyoke Community College
303 Homestead Ave.
Learn about self-injury from the perspective of people who’ve been there. Why do people self-injure? Is self-injury always a problem? How can you support someone who wants to stop? How do harm reduction approaches and self-injury intersect? What sorts of ‘help’ are not so helpful?
Click here for a flyer and more details, or e-mail us by clicking here to sign up.
Want to contribute to our knowledge base about self-injury?
Fill out our survey by clicking here.
12th National Harm Reduction Conference
Looking for a conference that is related to, but a little more outside, the usual ‘mental health’ box?
Check out the Harm Reduction Conference in New Orleans
this October, from the 18th through the 21st.
For more details, click here.
Spanish Speaking Peer Support Forum
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Fecha: 4/27/2018 ¿Estás buscando algún apoyo pero te da miedo como vayan a interpretar tus palabras? Aquí en el RLC ya tenemos un tremendo grupo de apoyo en ingles que corre los lunes, donde no se hace excepción de persona ni sera juzgado por lo que dice. Así que estamos haciendo un llamado a nuestra comunidad hispana para mejor servila. Queremos medir el interés y el deseo de empezar un grupo de apoyo en español en el Centro de Holyoke. Rafael y Chachi estarán escuchando a los que quieran dar su ideas. Rafael y Chachi trabajan en el Centro como interpretes hispanos. Esperamos verlos pronto! ¡Se servirán pizza y refrigerios! Date: 4/27/2018 Have you ever found yourself in need of some support but are afraid of how your words will be perceived? Here at the RLC we already have a wonderful peer support group that runs on Mondays. Big emotion is not frowned upon, no judgement is passed, and no one is going to treat you as a fragile individual. So we are making a call to our community to help us better serve our Spanish speaking community. We would like to hear your input and gauge the interest in adding a Spanish speaking peer support group here at our Holyoke center. The forum will be facilitated by Rafael and Chachi, Spanish speaking advocates at the Holyoke center. We hope to see you there! |
