In August, 2022, people from across the country gathered both in person and virtually to attend the first recovery summit (or similar) to be held by the Substance Abuse and […]
Publications
Overview with links to articles, films, books, youtube, etc.
Checking In about COVID & Our Community
The COVID pandemic has presented a lot of change, chaos, uncertainty, and challenge within our communities and beyond. We’ve had to make a lot of difficult decisions along the way, […]
Involuntary Outpatient Commitment & The Fight to Keep It Out of Massachusetts
On Wednesday, June 15, alarms were sounded across the state by disability rights groups when proposed amendments were published as a part of a response to a House version of the […]
Power, Control, & Bathrooms: A Local and National Issue
Sera Davidow, Wildflower Alliance Director An increasing number of schools have begun restricting bathroom access for kids in their care during the school day. This is a serious issue that […]
A Certification Board for Peer Specialists is Coming To Massachusetts: What Will That Mean For Us?
In July, 2021, we raised alarms about proposed legislation to create a Certification Board for Peer Specialists. (You can see details of that alert here: http://tiny.cc/PSBOD) The legislation came as […]
Solidarity with the family and community of Miguel Estrella
The Wildflower Alliance stands in solidarity and support of the family and community of Miguel Estrella, 22, who was killed by Pittsfield police on Friday. Witnesses say that just before […]
Jeffrey Lieberman, Psychiatry, Racism & The Tweet that was His Undoing
In 2015, Jeffrey Lieberman—infamous psychiatrist who briefly headed up the American Psychiatric Association (APA) — memorably called Robert Whitaker (investigative journalist and founder of Mad in America) a “menace to […]
The Ukraine & Reflections on Racism
We are living through some extraordinarily challenging times. The pandemic, police brutality, and now, the potential beginnings of another World War courtesy of the devastating Russian invasion of the Ukraine, are […]
What We’re Still Getting Wrong About What Happened to Orlando Taylor III
By Sera Davidow, Wildflower Alliance Director On January 9th, 2022, Orlando Taylor III was shot and killed by police in Springfield, Massachusetts. When we first wrote about what happened, video had yet to […]
An Open Letter to Domenic Sarno, Mayor of Springfield, and Cheryl Clapprood, Springfield Police Commissioner
An open letter to Mayor Domenic Sarno and Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood re: the Shooting Death of Orlando Taylor on January 9, 2022
An Ongoing Trend: Peer Supporters Left Out of Conversations on Peer Support Conversations on Peer Support
There is a growing trend in Massachusetts: Meetings and committees forming to regulate peer support roles where people who have substantive experience working in peer roles are either dramatically under […]
Western Mass Holiday Meals and Volunteer Opportunities
Amherst – Not Bread Alone Soup Kitchen offers a community meal on Thanksgiving Day, in addition to weekend and Wednesday meals. Anyone and everyone is welcome to be part of the holiday celebration, […]