By Nancy Snider & David Oaks

Coalition Building 101

for Mental Health Consumers

and Psychiatric Survivors:

Finding Common Ground

with Each Other and Allies

Thank you Peerlink National Technical Assistance Center

30 September 2011

Presentation by David W. Oaks

Psychiatric survivor

Executive Director: MindFreedom International

www.MindFreedom.org

Board member:Oregon Consumer/Survivor Coalition

United States International Council on Disability

The 'gears' of people power!

Where Mutual Support Meets Activism

Build your coalitions!

Draw on the Strengths of

Our ALLIES

And EACH OTHER

to

Empower Mental Health Consumers and Psychiatric Survivors

Takes all types!

Coalitions types are diverse, like YOU!

• Local, state, national, international?

• Informal and short term? Ad hoc network?

• Formal, with incorporation, dues?

• Bottom line: "Group of groups"

Opal Whiteley

Informal Local Coalition in our Lane County in Oregon:

What is the Opal Network?

And who was Opal Whiteley anyway?

Oregon's Story

A state-wide story:

Amplifying the voice of

Oregon Consumer/Survivor Coalition

(OCSC)

OCSC: Consumer/Survivors

Who are we?

Consumer/Survivors United

An informal coalition in a “nutshell”:

What's story of the psychiatric survivor AND mental health consumer movement?

OCSC represents Oregon in NCMHR

Formal coalition:

National

Coalition for

Mental Health

Recovery

http://www.mindfreedom.org

MindFreedom International is a

coalition celebrating our 25th year for human rights and

humane alternatives.

Independent. United. Activism.

The United States International Council on Disabilities is a federation of US-based non-governmental organizations, federal agencies and individuals committed to advocacy and action on behalf of the global disability rights agenda. USICD: Council as type of “coalition”

USIC Board President Marca Bristo

Historic informal coalition!

Who has helped build bridges between "cross disability" and psychiatric rights?

Rae Unzicker & Justin Dart

Judi Chamberlin

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively

maladjusted.

It may well be that our world is in dire need of a new organization: "The

International Association for the Advancement of Creative

Maladjustment."

MindFreedom Ghana

Global Emergency

Survivor of

Electroshock

In Accra

Psychiatric

Institution

In Ghana

Turkish Consumer/Survivors

Concern about globalization of western psychiatric industry

Pune, India activist Bhargavi Davar, PhD

Piers Gooding (Melbourne Australia)

Graduate students.

This intern started MindFreedom Academic Alliance

Geoffrey Reaume, PhD

Historians

This is an activist and one of the founders of Psychiatric Survivor Archives of Toronto

Al Galves, PhD, of New Mexico

Psychologist.

New director of International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry (ISEPP).

Board member MFI.

Mother power!

Accomplishments!

What are a few "measurable

outcomes" from collaboration

between allies?

Movements rolling together.

The uniting of cross disabilities and psychaitric survivor survivor issues builds on the "wins" of other movements

Olmstead victory

Advocates & Consumers!

Olmstead v. L.C.

1999 US Supreme Court

Sue Jamieson (attorney)

Elaine Wilson (middle)

Lois Curtis (right)

NCD Executive Summary

National Council on Disability “blueprint” in 2000: Mental health systems need to be voluntary Give rights to those with psychiatric labels Treatment should = healing, not punishment Make consumer/survivor-driven alternatives to

traditional mental health systems a priority

Coalitions in United Nations

Rights?

What rights?

The UN Convention on the Rights of

Persons with Disabilities - 2006

Community Organizing: Recycle!

Decide.

Win.

Act.

Grow

Unite to Win

A Few MindFreedom Campaigns:Shield: Alerts and Our Own Media

Global: UN, Handbook and Training

Choice: Alternatives for Mental Health

Mad Pride: Celebrate Our Diversity

Coalition: Affiliates and Sponsors

Electroshock & Human Rights Initiative

What will be your origin story?

Easy Local Coalition-Building Activities:

Meet with a decision-maker Panels or speaker

Brainstorm and speak out Show a relevant video

Informal "meet up"

An OCSC-building goal!

Far, far more Mental Health

Peer Delivered Services

in mental health!

Nothing About Us Without Us!

Common core concern

Choice in Mental Health

Respecting individual choice on medication

Finding more alternatives

Employment issues

Housing problems

Robert Whitakerauthor of Anatomy of an Epidemic

Patch Adams & Gesundheidt

Warning:

Red Rubber Nose!

Consumer/Survivors

Our local coalition meeting with the mayor

Greetings from Oregon's OCSC: We are a Movement!

What Can You Do?

What is one

specific step

you can take toward coalition building in the next few days or

weeks?

To reach some of the resources mentioned...

Email:Presenter David Oaks: oaks@mindfreedom.org

OCSC at: oregon.united@gmail.com

Google:Oregon Consumer/Survivor Coalition

MindFreedom International Project Able

National Coalition for Mental Health RecoveryUSICD

Thank you: Peerlink National Technical Assistance Center