Welcome to the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community
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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, problems with substances, 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, ableism, transphobia, transmisogyny, 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.
Special Meeting of the Guiding Council
We're writing a new proposal for the RLC!
As of January 12, 2017, the Department of Mental Health (DMH) has released the Recovery Learning Community contracts for bid across the state.
What does this mean overall? DMH is saying that they will be funding 5 Recovery Learning Communities across the state (reduced from 6). Any group that is authorized as a ‘DMH Vendor’ (i.e., an organization that is able to accept DMH contracts) is eligible to bid on one or more of the RLC contracts. Each ‘bid’ most speak to how that group will use DMH funds and bring to fruition (or continue) the RLC vision.
What does this mean for us? The Western Mass RLC first became funded in the Spring of 2007, after the Guiding Council of Western Mass partnered with the Western Mass Training Consortium in 2006 to write a proposal for how they would develop and implement the ‘Recovery Learning Community’ vision.
Thus, this is really the first time since 2006, that we’ve been called upon to sit down as a group and explore questions like, “What has worked? What do we want to see moving forward? How do we want to respond to what DMH says are the key components of an RLC?”
Peer Networking Meeting
OurVoicesRaised.org Launched
OurVoicesRaised.org is a project supported by the Foundation for Excellence in Mental Healthcare’s Hearing Voices Research and Development Fund, partnered with voice hearers from the Western Mass RLC.
The fund has already sponsored the training of over 100 Hearing Voices group facilitators in 5 states across the nation. With 90 groups currently listing themselves on HearingVoicesUSA.org, the next phase of our project wants to answer the question “Why are Hearing Voices groups so useful for voice hearers?” That’s where the survey comes in.
If you’re a voice hearer, have taken part in a Hearing Voices group and are 18 years or older, please consider sharing your knowledge and experience. To learn more about it, check us out at OurVoicesRaised.org. There, you’ll find the survey and a brand new community created to provide a space for groups to network and for all of us to share our stories!
Challenging Times
The RLC Human Rights Committee Needs You!
November 17th, 4:30pm to 6pm
(and quarterly on third Thursdays thereafter)
Refreshments provided!
Six Flags Update - Success!
At the end of September, we sent out an action alert letting everyone know that Six Flags was set to feature an extremely offensive Halloween exhibit called the ‘Psycho-path Haunted Asylum.’ It was described as follows:
"Experience the all-new PSYCHO-PATH Haunted Asylum coming to Fright Fest 2016. Wander through an abandoned asylum in small groups through tight spaces, darkened corridors and forgotten cells. The inmates of the Asylum have broken loose and will have you screaming in sheer terror as they taunt and torture their newest victims.
Dr. Shockmoore will proudly showcase his latest in deranged experiments as you witness a lobotomy, shock treatment and isolation of his most insane and twisted patients. Will you escape or become Dr. Shockmoore’s latest experiment in his deranged and twisted plan?"
Thank you to everyone who took action and called or e-mailed
Six Flags in Western Mass, and thank you as well to all the people across the country who took similar actions with other Six Flags locations.
It made a difference!
The end result?
Six Flags has CANCELLED their ‘psycho-path’ exhibit,
and replaced it with the following:
“The Forgotten Laboratory: Traverse through this haunted laboratory where scientists are conducting their latest experiments as they gather research and data.”
