Guidance on community mental health services: Promoting person-centred and rights-based approaches Last month, we let you know that the World Health Organization (WHO) would be releasing guidance on rights-based approaches across the world on June 10. We also let you know that the Wildflower Alliance’s peer respite, Afiya, would be one of only a handful…

To Acting Mayor Terence Murphy, On May 25, 2020, Darnella Frazier documented the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis, Minnesota police, dramatically amplifying the need to end police brutality against black and brown people with that one undeniable 9-minute-and-29-second video. One day after the first-year anniversary of Floyd’s murder, you rescinded former…

The WMass RLC was recently featured in Oprah Magazine Read the article here

Check out this new article in Foreign Policy featuring the RLC’s own Marty Hadge and Caroline White, and our Hearing Voices work. (We don’t love the title, but there’s lots of good information in the piece.) CLICK HERE to read it!   The Radical Movement Redefining Schizophrenia: “People with unquiet minds are locked up, medicated,…

Check out Sun Magazine’s April 2017 issue, featuring an article, ’An Open Mind’ by Tracy Frisch, and featuring the Western Mass RLC’s Director, Sera Davidow. It will be available in April (soon!) at www.thesunmagazine.org/ and at newsstands where the magazine is sold – be sure to check out the whole issue, it’s a great read!

Check out this new article in “Foreign Policy”, featuring the RLC’s own Marty Hadge and Caroline White, and our Hearing Voices work. (We don’t love the title, but there’s lots of good information in the piece.)   “The Radical Movement Redefining Schizophrenia” “People with unquiet minds are locked up, medicated, and stigmatized. Now an international…

On Monday, August 1, more than 140 people from all around Massachusetts gathered at the Boston Globe’s offices in Dorchester to protest their ‘Spotlight on Mental Health’ series, and hold a vigil for the many lives lost to restraint, seclusion and police responses in situations with people who were in emotional distress. The main point…

We’re excited to share that the Western Mass RLC has made some high-profile appearances in the mainstream media this past month. The first was in a New York Times article, ‘An Alternative Form of Mental Health Care Gains a Foothold’, by Benedict Carey. It appeared in print and on-line on Tuesday, August 8, and featured…

On August 12, 2015, the U.S. News published an article about the Murphy Bill. Sera Davidow of the RLC is quoted in the article several times speaking to how the bill will impact people’s human rights. The article looks at various perspectives from organizations like the RLC and The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, as well as some organizations…

On November, the Times Union published an article called “Troy event explores alternative views of mental health; Filmmakers provide perspective of people with direct experience”, about the RLC, our films, and our mission. It preceded a screening of “Beyond the Medical Model”. To read the full article, click below! http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Troy-event-explores-alternative-views-of-mental-5905144.php

Mad in America published an interview with our own Sera Davidow in September of 2014.   The interview, called “The answer is that there is no (one) answer”, covers topics including recent WMRLC film releases, the notion of recovery, and the necessity of moving beyond a medical model of emotional distress.     Please click…

Here’s an excerpt from an interview with our own Sera Davidow, published in October of 2014: *********** “Mental illness” is a loaded term, and too often the ones with the weapons to combat it have inaccurate or too narrow aims. That’s a quick summation of two films by Sera Davidow at the Mad in America…

From the Republican, on Wednesday, Sept. 10 of 2008; “Celebrando su segundo aniversario se encuentra el RLC “Recovery Learning Community” (Comunidad de Aprendizaje de Recuperación) y junto con esto también celebra la gran apertura de su nuevo Centro de Servicio en Springfield. Hace dos años, un grupo de personas interesadas en traer un cambio en…

The RLC’s own Erick Anaya joined thousands of people for the “Millions March NYC” protest (12/13/14), which began at Manhattan’s Washington Square Park and ended at One Police Plaza in front of the New York Police Department Headquarters. MassLive interviewed him and several other people attending the march. To read the full article, which includes…

In April, WERS Radio News broadcast a program called “On the Chopping Block”.   To listen to the full piece on SoundCloud, please click here!

In April, The Recorder ran an article entitled “Greenfield mental health outreach program threatened by statewide cut”.   You can read the article by clicking here!   Here’s an excerpt: “GREENFIELD — Faced with a proposed 50 percent cut to their state funding, a statewide mental health outreach and peer services program with an office…

Further illuminating the issue of Governor Baker’s proposed budget plan, and the victories achieved by the RLC, MassLive featured an article from Shira Schoenberg. Here’s an excerpt:   “BOSTON – The House Committee on Ways and Means has a proposed a budget of just under $38 billion for fiscal year 2016, which is $100 million…

On April 2nd, “Wicked Local” printed an article about the RLC, which you can read by clicking here. The piece, written by Gintautas Dumcius,  is titled “Protesters rip Baker cuts to recovery services”. Here’s an excerpt: “According to Ruthie Poole, director of advocacy at the Roxbury-based Transformation Center, Gov. Charlie Baker’s fiscal 2016 budget proposal…

Again in April, MassLive ran an article about the budget cutbacks the RLC has been facing. It includes lots of input from members of the community, as well as a lot of info on how funds get allocated in the first place. View the full article at MassLive by clicking here. Here’s a brief excerpt…

In April, MassLive ran an article about the actions our community has been taking around the governor’s budget cuts.   The article included background information on the RLC and what we do, and detailed information on the budget cuts. It also asked what these cuts would mean to us and our community, and how the…

Protest at the Courthouse! Equipped with posters produced at the Bowen Center and an organizational effort led by the GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance), the RLC’s presence was strongly felt at Springfield’s Federal Courthouse on the morning of November 6th. We joined the protest alongside community members from ARISE, Out Now, Stop The Hate And Homophobia…

In March of 2013, the New York Times published a ‘Sunday Dialogue’ called ‘Defining Mental Illness.’  One of the letters published in this dialogue was by Sera Davidow.  Although Sera was writing primarily as an independent person in the community and not in her role with the RLC, her connection to the Western Mass RLC…

On Sunday, May 19th (in conjunction with the protests of the American Psychiatric Association’s gathering in California), the Open Paradigm Project launched a national campaign titled “Testimonials of Hope from People Who Rejected Psychiatric Diagnosis.”  They launched the project with 18 videos of people from across the country.  Two of those people were Sean Donovan…

In January of 2013, Sarah Mouser, Ryan Hilary, Currie Murphy, Jack Bonsignore and Sera Davidow all attended a hearing for the Greenfield Human Rights Commission where they were discussing forced outpatient commitment (commonly referred to as Assisted Outpatient Treatment).  The next day, they were prominently featured in an article by the Recorder’s Anita Fritz.  …

In May of 2013, Sera Davidow was interview by Will Hall on Madness Radio where she spoke about the work of the Western Mass RLC, her personal story and the politics of language.   You can listen here.  

In August of 2011, Sera Davidow, Johnna Bossuout and Lorena Norwood appeared on 22 News’s Mass Appeal to speak about body image and issues around food.     You can view the interview below.     Body image & eating disorders

On Monday, August 8th, Sera Davidow and Johnna Bossuout from the Western Mass RLC – along with Lorena Norwood from the Greenfield Women’s Resource Center – appeared on 22 News’s Mass Appeal to talk about body image and eating disorders.  At 7 1/2 months pregnant, it was a particularly important experience for Sera who shared…