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.
Should Commitment Hearings Be In Hospitals or Courts?
UPDATE: Should Commitment Hearings be Held in Hospitals or Court Rooms?
In August, we wrote about a commitment hearing involving Solomon Carter Fuller Medical Center that has given rise to an important question: Should the default location for commitment hearings be a formal court room (as opposed to a makeshift one in a hospital)? One of the reasons it came up in relation to this particular case is that the recording equipment at the hospital had failed during the hearing causing a variety of issues. However, when we reached out to our community and asked them what they thought, many other reasons were offered including the simple fact that holding a hearing in a hospital is likely to add to the bias and assumption that the individual in the hospital belongs and should stay there. In other words, in order to improve the chances of a fair hearing and ensure due process of law, a court setting is required.
Attorney Susan Stefan worked with the Western Mass RLC and a host of others to develop an Amicus brief arguing for the state to recognize the importance of commitment hearings being held in court rooms. On October 1st, this issue will go before the Supreme Court. Hearing details:
October 1, 9am @ John Adams Courthouse, Courtroom One, Second Floor, Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108
You can find the link to the docket HERE.
We have been informed that – while we will not be able to testify – it is valuable to have people show up to witness the hearing as a way to silently communicate to the court that this issue is important.
Please note: While our presence is important, it is also important that people do not protest or become disruptive as this will be counter-productive to our cause. Additionally, please be aware that there are multiple cases on the docket for the morning of October 1, and this particular issue may be addressed at any point between 9am and 1pm.
Want to read more? Below are links to the Amicus Brief mentioned above, and documents filed the state in favor of continuing to hold hearings in the hospital!
Amicus Brief composed by Susan Stefan in collaboration with the Wetern Mass RLC et al.
Brief representing the position of the individual (appellant) committed to the hospital
SPECIAL REPORT: ACCS Survey Results
“I never heard from my outreach workers and DMH worker about this change until last week because they were told not to talk about it to clients.”
– Person receiving DMH services on June 21, 2018 (10 days before ACCS went into effect)
A few weeks ago, we sent out a special e-newsletter inviting people to give feedback on the new Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS) program that replaced Community-Based Flexible Supports (CBFS) as of July 1. ACCS is the largest Department of Mental Health-funded (DMH) service across Massachusetts, and is essentially what used to more simply be thought of as DMH residential and outreach services.
Since releasing the survey, we’ve received 72 responses. 5 responses came in from people receiving DMH services. 23 were received from people working in peer roles in what is now ACCS. There were also a handful (8) of responses from parents and interested citizens who are watching the process unfold. However, the largest number of responses came from providers (primarily those directly providing services through ACCS, but also a few who were losing their jobs with the end of CBFS or who worked in clinics and other settings that interfaced with these services). There were 36 provider responses, to be exact. The bulk of these responses (40) were from Western Massachusetts, but another 31 were from other parts of the state (with one from out of area).
What follows is a summary of what people had to say.
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:
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.
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! |
