Links

Ricks brief annotated webography on recovery and stuff

Interactive Theater–

· Broad access to books, publications and links related to the work of Brazilian playwright Augusto Boal: http://www.tonisant.com/aitg/Boal_Techniques/

· Blog related to Augusto Boal techniques/ Theater of the Oppressed most specific to issues of class and poverty: http://www.tonisant.com/aitg/Boal_Techniques/

· Article on/ review of an interactive performance the University of Missouri (not instructional but gives an impression of the process from an audience perspective): http://difficultdialogues.missouri.edu/theatre.html

· Similar to above, from a performance at Harvard: http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/10.05/11-theateroppressed.html

· Wikipedia article on Augusto Boal and the Theater of the Oppressed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_the_Oppressed

Consumer/ Survivor/ Recovery Blogs–

· One great feature of all the blogs listed here is that they often have links to other consumer/ survivor sites and resources.

· The author of this blog originally used it to document their journey off psychiatric medications as well as an introduction to alternative forms of care for mental health disorders regardless of whether one is on medications, off medications, or coming off medications. Includes articles submitted by readers/ visitors. Now called Beyond Meds, used to be Bipolar Blast; this site has articles and commentary related to recovery, wellness and personal experiences with treatment: http://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/

· The author is a mental health treatment survivor concerned about the state of mental health care in America and elsewhere. The perspective is that we are not getting the kind of results that patients were promised 20 years ago at the dawn of the psychopharmacological revolution. Called Furious Seasons: http://www.furiousseasons.com/

· Author Ron Unger, Eugene native, nationally recognized therapist who promotes the treatment of “psychotic disorders” using cognitive methods, provides information valuable to consumer-survivors and perspectives on non-drug treatments. He incorporates reader commentary and stories of recovery. The title is Recovery from Schizophrenia: http://recoveryfromschizophrenia.org/blog/

The Icarus Project:

· I’ve given them their own section because they are in a class by themselves. The main site for The Icarus Project is one of the most densely packed web resources you can find. It includes a wide array of mostly free publications, galleries, discussion groups and much more. It began with a nationwide collaboration of folks diagnosed with bi-polar disorder that published a book called “Navigating the space between brilliance and madness” (now in it’s 5^th printing and available for download on-line). From the site’s introduction- “We are a website community, support network of local groups, and media project created by and for people struggling with bipolar disorder and other dangerous gifts commonly labeled as “mental illnesses.” We believe that when we learn to take care of ourselves, the intertwined threads of madness and creativity can be tools of inspiration and hope in a repressed and damaged world. Our goal is to help people like ourselves feel less alienated, and to allow us—both as individuals and as a community—to tap into the true potential that lies between brilliance and madness.” You could spend all your time reading/ contributing to this site and never get bored: http://theicarusproject.net/

· The Icarus Project Blog is a diverse creation of the on-line community with news and information of interest to project members and organizers: http://theicarusproject.net/blog/5482

· There are many member-blogs hosted on the site that have their own unique contributions. Two that I have found interesting or useful:

· Olinka’s blog- http://theicarusproject.net/blog/olinka

· Squirrel ABC’s blog: http://theicarusproject.net/blog/squirrelabc

Mad Radio:

· These are web-based and broadcast radio sources by consumer-survivors of mental health treatment.

· The Freedom Center, The Icarus Project, Pacifica Radio Affiliate Valley Free Radio WXOJ-LPFM and south-central Alaska’s KWMD in Kasilof produce a radio show weekly (broadcast in Alaska and on some Pacifica Radio affiliates). “The Freedom Center is one of a collection of grassroots organizations springing up across the country in reaction to the prevalence of medication in America. It alerts people to the downside of psychiatric drugs but does not try to force people off them: it seeks instead to help sufferers find the best methods of coping, even if their solution is unconventional by the standards of the medical establishment.” (Forbes Magazine). The show includes interviews and informative information related to The Freedom Center’s objectives, challenging traditional medical-model and forced treatment. Podcasts and archived shows are available at: http://www.freedom-center.org/view/madnessradio_page

· MindFreedom has a streamed and archived radio program hosted by David Oaks and including guests, news, call-in and special topics. The show is streamed at: http://www.prncomm.net/ and archives are available at: http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/media/mfradio/archived-shows and at: http://oaks.progressiveradionetwork.org/

· I do a monthly radio show on KBOO Portland called Mad Liberation by Moonlight. The show is broadcast at 1 am on the Friday night following the full moon (yes, I know that this is actually Saturday; relax, it’s only radio). The program is streamed at: http://kboo.fm/ and archives will eventually (currently this is just an announcement and message board for the show) be available at: http://fullmoonradio.wordpress.com/

Resources:

· Alternative mental health treatment (includes information on aromatherapy, acupuncture, herbal, homeopathic and other non-traditional treatments: http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/center_index.php?id=15&cn=15

· Another part of the site (above) with alternative medical therapies has a source book on starting peer-led self-help groups: http://www.mentalhelp.net/selfhelp/selfhelp.php?id=866

· Another source for how to start peer-led self-help groups: http://www.selfhelp.on.ca/start.html

· The National Empowerment Center website has a vast collection of articles, handbooks, pamphlets and other material related to mental health recovery. Most of the material is downloadable for free. Partly funded by SAMHSA: http://www.power2u.org/

· Dan Fisher’s website, in case you can’t find enough of his work at the National Empowerment Center: http://www.narpa.org/fisher.htm

· Mainstream mental health information leaning toward recovery and empowerment: http://www.nmha.org/

· Another fairly mainstream site with some good material and links: http://www.mhrecovery.com/

· The official SAMHSA website is a good one to find references, studies and articles that support recovery based treatment models: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/ (for example, a downloadable article on how self-disclosure helps break down stigma and other barriers to recovery: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA08-4337/)

· The MindFreedom portal is the doorway to another fairly dense source of news and information on the mental health consumer/ survivor front, including a calendar of protests and events on mental health-human rights. This organization is recognized by the U.N. as a NGO representing people with a mental health diagnosis: http://www.mindfreedom.org/

· The Mental Health Self-help Clearinghouse has tons of information, articles and downloadable manuals for self-help and advocacy (the ultimate step in self-determination): http://www.mhselfhelp.org/index.php

· A web-based support community- something like The Icarus Project in it’s objectives but way different in tone (without the emphasis on “radical” politics): http://www.peoplewho.org/

· Professor Ed offers recovery tools based on a spiritual perspective available on 2 companion sites: http://www.professored.com/ and http://www.recoverycircles.org/

· Another good resource for spirituality and mental health: http://www.spiritualcompetency.com/recovery/lesson1.html

· This is the site for Peter Breggin, the famous anti-drug anti-psychiatrist/ rock-star of the talk-show circuit (not as friendly a site in terms of free access to information but it has some good points): http://www.breggin.com/

· Dr. Clayton E. Tucker-Ladd has developed a system for psychological self-help, step by step, by the numbers: http://www.psychologicalselfhelp.org/

Self-determination:

What? We should ask people what they want before we give it to them??? Preposterous! Or: http://www.self-determination.com/

A downloadable 91-page manual for person centered planning with emphasis on Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope (PATH), not specific to mental health: http://rtc.umn.edu/docs/pcpmanual1.pdf

The National Coalition for Self-Determination is a national partnership of people with disabilities, parents, and family members who work to promote federal policies that support the five principles of Self-Determination. The five principles are Freedom, Authority, Support, Responsibility and Confirmation of the role of self-advocates: http://www.nconsd.org/

Mike Hlebechuck of Oregon AMH has a blog on what he calls Peer Operated Recovery Treatment and Supports (PORTS), a proposal for self-directed supports in mental health services: http://selfdirectedcare.blogspot.com/

The website of Empowerment Initiatives, the nations first/ only consumer-operated self-directed supports brokerage in mental health: http://www.chooseempowerment.com/

Deb McLean’s page on person centered planning for employment outcomes using the Making Action Plans (MAPS) process: http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/handouts/2004/02-18-McLeanAnderson/tool.htm

Look around, enjoy.