Our Consumer Place Newsletters
These "newsletters" are so much more than what you might think of as a newsletter. In reality, they are an amazing collective resource - of ideas, events, reflections, deep thinking, political engagement, debate, profiles of incredible groups and projects that might otherwise go under the radar, and of course, interviews with incredible leaders in the international consumer/survivor community. We consider this a deeply valuable contribution to the "grey literature" - that is, it might go under the radar of conventional academic searches, but it is so rich and illuminating. Enjoy!
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Some praise for the OCP newsletters:
* "WOW!!! the Our Consumer Place newsletter is sooooo good, very informative, interesting and you even dare to put in people's writings that some may find disturbing. Every issue is a top job!!! - Joanne Switserloot, a consumer worker in Melbourne.
* "This is a very important newsletter - I hope to make it compulsory reading for any of my courses next year!" - Robert Bland, a senior (non-consumer) educator, QLD.
* "an awesome read!" - Mary O'Hagan, a consumer leader in NZ
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- 2011 and earlier
The most recent newsletter:
December 2012 |
Contents:
- Featured article Consumer rep wanted: must speak for all of us? A discussion paper on "representatives" - By Wanda Bennetts, in ongoing collaboration with Flick Grey, Cath Roper, Ellie Fossey, Vrinda Edan and other members of the PsychActionTraining group.
- Good question: Are there any links between transsexualism and Dissociative Identity Disorder? - A request for help and information from a reader.
- National Mental Health Consumer Organisation Establishment Project: Consumer Reference Group Communique, Sydney 12-13 November 2012.
- Soap Box: Plunging out of your Social Class! Untangling some of the complexities of class and mental distress - by Merinda Epstein.
- Featured article #2: Victorian Mental Health Law Reform: Appraising the Summary of Proposed Changes to the Mental Health Act (Vic) 1986 - By Piers Gooding
- Introducing ... (a consumer developed initiative): The self-help pocket guide about voices by voice hearers for voice hearers. A great pocket guide created by VoicesVic. As they say, it's not about getting rid of your voices, it's about changing your relationship with them.
- Plus news in the consumer world and thumbs up/thumbs down
November 2012 |
Contents:
- Introducing ... (a Consumer Directed Initiative) What is happening at the Seclusion Review that is making a difference? - a consumer led research study -By Bradley Foxelwin
- Soap Box: Singing the Bipolar Blues: Bowels come first! - by Ann Tullgren
- Feature article: An analysis of the proposed changes to the Mental Health Act (Victoria) - By Isabell Collins
- Mental Health in Australia: Collaborative Community Practice 3rd edition: What's in it from a consumer perspective? -By Merinda Epstein and Anne Olsen
- Plus news in the consumer world, thumbs up/thumbs down, feedback from a reader and more ...
October 2012 |
Contents:
- A new Mental Health Act for Victoria? Some (very) preliminary analysis by Flick Grey
- Introducing ... (a Consumer Directed Initiative) the Bipolar Babes - by Sally Fisher
- Soap Box: Why I don't want to be "piggy in the middle" by Merinda Epstein
- Intentional Peer Support creations Two fabulous posters, outlining the principles and tasks of IPS, by Mahlia Jewell
- The consumer/survivor movement and Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed By Flick Grey, based on her talk at the Mental Health Services conference consumer day.
September 2012 |
Contents:
- Intentional Peer Support: two "final assigments" from our recent Intentional Peer Support training - real gems that artculate what Intentional Peer Support is about.
- Introducing ... (a Consumer Directed Initiative) Voices Inc. Combining art, business skills and mutual support
- Psychobabble: last days to share your words of wit, wisdom and wiliness.
- News in the consumer world, so so so much goings on (takes up half the newsletter!
- Our Community Manifesto Our Community, who auspice Our Consumer Place, recently put together this manifesto. We thought it was pretty neat and want to share it.
August 2012 |
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Contents:
- Soap Box: Working towards genuine consumer participation: Why CAGs don't work - by Leah and Jacinta, project workers from Neami
- Interview of the issue: Rufus May, a psychologist with lived experience of "mental illness", and gentle revolutionary.
- First Aid for Emotional Trauma - an information sheet by Will Hall (from the US)
- Introducing ... (a Consumer Directed Initiative) Paws for Purrfect Patient Therapy (PFPPT), by Naomi Snell
- Psychobabble: last days to share your words of wit, wisdom and wiliness.
- News in the consumer world, including what OCP have been up to
July 2012 |
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Contents:
- Emotional Healing from Trauma: one day workshop with Rufus May.
- Soap box A consumer critique of "serious mental illness" by Merinda Epstein.
- Phone connections an invitation from Ballarat Health Service to discuss a national peer-support telephone line
- Introducing: FIN Townsville, the Family Inclusion Network, by Ros Thorpe
- The Icarus Project: reclaim your dangerous gifts
- plus all the usual bits (thumbs up/thumbs down, news in the consumer world, OCP update)
June 2012 |
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Contents:
- Soapbox: Consumer Role Position Paper, by/in consultation with Cath Roper, Louise Byrne and Brenda Happell.
- A note on the concept of "Two Hats," by Merinda Epstein.
- Interview of the issue: Anne Beales, Director of Service User Involvement at "Together: Working for Wellbeing" (UK) and a keynote speaker from the VMIAC consumer workforce conference.
- Psychobabble: the quest continues to find the words we most need/despise / get amused by!
- A Safe admission: by Terri McNeilage, Systems advocate at the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC)
- POWERS The Grid Project first meeting, from Heidi Everett
- Introducing: Discovering Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) ~ WRAP has saved my life! By Bianca Holgate
- News in the consumer world
- OCP update: what we've been up to and what's in store.
- Thumbs up/Thumbs down: insightful, useful wisdom, or useless tid bits of waffle? You be the judge (or better yet, the contributors!)
- The campfire returns: This time to celebrate all things schizy
May 2012 |
Contents:
- Psychobabble competition: want to share any words of gobbledygook or words that don't exist but should? Check out this competition!
- Soap Box 1: Dear Sam ... Words of wisdom from a consumer leader to her doctor-in-training nephew. Good advice for any non-consumers working in mental health.
- Obituary for David Walter Griffith by Bob Doolan & Merinda Epstein
- Tools for change: Some wisdom from anti-racism thinking that we think is SO applicable to our work in mental health
- Soap Box 2: The Most Savage Insult: Exposing the Damage Caused by the Borderline Personality Disorder Label. By Clare Shaw and Debra Shulkes.
- Plus news in the consumer world, what we've been up to and a hodge podge of Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down
April 2012 |
Contents:
- Soap Box: Kiera van Gelder, an American consumer/survivor leader reflects on what it is the mental health consumer movement is up to.
- Feature Article: Ann Tullgren delves into the complexities of our extraordinarily poor physical health, when compared with the general population, in Singing the b-b-bipolar blues: a requiem in two parts
- Introducing ... Autonomy in Jeopardy: Contrasting Participatory Health Models with Patient Decision Making Under Mental Health Law by Cath Roper and Vrinda Edan
- Interview of the issue: Mary Campbell, Consumer Consultant, Te Korowai Whariki, Regional Forensic Rehabilitation and ID Mental Health Services, New Zealand.
- Introducing ... Portraits in Blue and its consumer-led ethics committee
- Plus news in the consumer world, what we've been up to and a hodge podge of Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down
March 2012 |
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Contents:
- Several "Light a candle" cartoons from Merinda
- Introducing ... Pathfinders: consumer participation in mental health and other services: Evidence based strategies for the ways ahead. By Allan Pinches.
- Introducing Are you MAD? A spoken word piece by "Pope Fred"
- Psychobabble: the Little Red Book of Psychiatric Jargon A new publication from OCP
- Soap Box The Consumer Mental Health Movement and the pressure of the "recovery" story - lived out in myth or reality? By James Kelso.
- News in the consumer world
- Reading policies made fun! Tired of boring policies? Here's a way to spice up your reading.
- Thumbs up/Thumbs down: Our well-researched, well-referenced, evidence based, peer-reviewed, statistically significant ... ranting
- OCP update
February 2012 |
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Contents:
- Deep Insight: Leaders in the International Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Movement share their thinking A new publication from OCP
- Managing 'mental illness' at work: What's really going on?
- Psychobabble update
- Are you involved in the PDRSS sector? If so, we want your thoughts
- Supervision: What do consumer workers want?
- Worth a read: a series of golden consumer-perspective research including Do you mind? the Ultimate Exit Survey, The U&I project and the Lemon Looning Board Game
- Introducing ... Medication Time and Mental illness and the media Two new short consumer-produced films
- News in the consumer world: jobs for consumer workers, some exciting news, some depressing news and conferences galore!
- Feature Article The Ten Year Roadmap for National Mental Health Reform What's in it for us? - analysis by Flick Grey
- + more ...
January 2012 |
Contents:
- Soap Box: Psychiatric diagnoses: unexplanations. By Jon Jureidini.
- Does your consumer group want more money? Do you know about GiveNow?
- Introducing: Putting the community into Community Care Unit A new consumer-led research report on Peer Support, by Allan Pinches
- P.S. A necessary postscript to This is not about catharsis! My time in HDU by Merinda Epstein.
- From the archives: Why is it so hard for consumers and staff to effect change in mental health services?
- Introducing... the Centre for the Human Rights of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
- What are the symptoms? a (very cheeky) cartoon by Bernie McCormick
December 2011 |
Contents:
- This is not about Catharsis! My time in HDU By Merinda Epstein. **Special insert** Click here
- Introducing... Outrage to Determination a cartoon history of women in psych wards, by Julie Dempsey
- News in the consumer world:
- A B-B-Bipolar Christmas: Ann Tullgren's regular contribution, this time a seasonal reflection
- Drop in Blues a cartoon by Bernie McCormack.
- Feature Article: Consumers speak and write about how they find health, by Merinda Epstein
- Soap Box #1: Are Mental Health Services Really That Bad? A Service User's Perspective, by James Kelso.
- Soap Box #2: Other People's Committees, by Flick Grey
- Smoking Mad National Working Party, a call-out from Indigo Daya
November 2011 |
Contents:
- News in the consumer world: A bumper crop this edition!
- Tell me your dreams a cartoon by Bernie McCormack.
- Feature Article: Merinda Epstein takes a good look at the new Australian Mental Health Commission, including giving it some historical context
- Bipolar Blues: Ann Tullgren's regular contribution, this time on the links between mental illness and oral health - the former does not explain everything!
- Introducing... The Consumer Research and Evaluation Unit of the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council, by Lei Ning
- Soap Box: How can we talk about this? Flick Grey's opening talk at the recent inaugural Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness day.
October 2011 |
Contents:
- Feature Article Singing the B-B-Bipolar Blues Ann Tullgren take a close look at "recovery" and asks the all-important question - so you weren't breast fed either?
- Improving self-esteem with a warm outer glow. A cartoon by Bernie McCormack.
- Soap box: Planning for Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness day (Oct 5th) By Merinda Epstein.
- Interview with Catherine Reidy: and her work on Pridentity. Grassroots activism at its best!
- Research of interest: Carmela Salomon's PhD research into people's experiences of coming off anti-psychotic medication.
- Introducing... the Psychiatric Survivors Association of Fiji, by Ana Nanovo and Viv Topp.
- Introducing ... The Mountains are in my blood. By David Braniff
- How to live and work with non-mad people.
August - September 2011 |
Contents:
- Introducing ... the Australian Mental Health Human Rights and Law Reform Coalition -plus the rally "Is this what we deserve?"
- Grassroots activism a cartoon by Merinda Epstein
- Feature article: Protective Service Officers by Catherine Leslie and Flick Grey
- Singing the B-B-Bipolar Blues I'll have what she's having. By Ann Tullgren.
- Soap Box: Burying the hatchet on experiences of mental illness. By James Kelso.
- Introducing ... The Charter of Peer Support and the Centre for Excellence in Peer Support.
- Introducing ... The iconic, original artwork of "Woman worn out" by Sue E. Armstrong.
- Worth a read: Building in Research and Evaluation: Human inquiry for living systems (2010) by Yoland Wadsworth. Reviewed by Allan Pinches.
June-July 2011 |
Contents:
- Introducing ... What causes mental illness? - a new collaborative website initiated by Bill Moon
- Interview of the issue: Deb Wells speaks with Merinda about trauma-informed care
- Introducing ... the informal consumer and carer group for people affected by Borderline Personality Disorder, by Janne McMahon
- Soap Box: My politics start in my body By Flick Grey
- Feature Article: Smoking Mad By Indigo Daya
- From the archives: This month we focus on "Sight Unseen" edited by Cath Roper
- But wait there's more! Plus, new cartoons from Merinda, news in the consumer world, and other updates and opinions.
May 2011 |
Contents:
- Feature Article: The Budget is in! There's a lot of talk about more money for mental health ... but is it for what we want? What's in it for us? Flick Grey delves into the budget.
- Singing the B-B-B-Bipolar Blues: Ann Tullgren explores the really big issues - medication, compliance, Big Pharma and AAA Pill Cutters.
- Introducing ... (a Consumer Directed Initiative) - Mind's consumer newsletter plans
- You may have missed ... Normal Personality Disorder.
- Research: Consumers' experiences of coming off anti-psychotic medications
- Plus! News in the consumer world & OCP, Thumbs up/Thumbs down + a new cartoon from Merinda
March-April 2011 |
Contents:
- Introducing ... Heidi Everett - prolific creator, singer/songwriter, blogger and community organiser
- Feature Article: Cert-IV in Mental Health Peer Work - some analysis and commentary by Flick Grey
- Soap Box: Our Consumer Place's submission to the Exposure Draft Mental Health Bill (Vic).
- Plus, Thumbs up/thumbs down; a new cartoon from Merinda and a table of non-ableist alternatives for "crazy"
February 2011 |
Contents:
- Feature Article: Allan Pinches introduces Neami's Consumer Participation and Leadership Audit Project
- Creative inspiration: A haunting poem Frontier by Margot Clare.
- Interview of the Issue: Steve Onken, Hawai'i-based recovery scholar and practitioner. Click here to read the interview in full.
- Introducing Telling your story to yourself, by Ann Tullgren
November-December 2010 |
Contents:
- Introducing ... (a Consumer Initiative) Shameless self-promotion and a behind-the-scenes look at Our Consumer Place's recent publication: "So, you've got a Mental Illness? ... What now?"
- Introducing ... (a Consumer Initiative) Cath Roper (Australia's only consumer academic) introduces The Psych Action/Activism & Training group (PAT)
- Feature Article: Vrinda Edan explains "Instilling Hope," A 5 year plan for the Consumer and Carer Relations Directorate of Southern Health's Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Program.
- Your say A response to a previous edition by Amram Dhillon (Youth Mental Health Advocate).
- Soapbox: Jon Kroschel reflects on Our consumer Place's leadership forum, and combating prejudice and ignorance.
| October 2010 |
Contents:
- Interview of the issue: Oryx Cohen, Co-Director of the Western Massachusetts Recovery Learning Community, co-founder of the Freedom Center, former director of MindFreedom's Oral History Project, ... Oryx is one very impressive man! Click here to read the interview in full.
- News in the consumer world: Here we recognise some great achievements in the consumer world of late.
- Feature Article: Why Mental Health Discrimination Costs Us All By Jeff Cheverton, CEO of QLD Alliance.
- Introducing ... (a Consumer Initiative) The Ballarat Health Services - Psychiatric Services Consumer Advisory Committee - by Mark Lacey
- Let me tell you about a girl ... A brilliant creative piece, by Katie.
| September 2010 |
Contents:
- Our Consumer Place Leadership forum: *The* event of the year! Be there (October 14th in Melbourne) or spend the next year wondering what you missed out on!
- Soap Box: Paying for medical drugs we don't want - by Merinda Epstein
- Feature Article: A Bill of Rights for people who self-harm - by Deb Martinson
- Introducing ...(a consumer-run project) People Like You - by Cameron Ralph
- Your responses! Sometimes our newsletter generates a flurry of feedback - last
month's soapbox did just that! Here are some of your responses.
- Registration form for the Our Consumer Place 2010 Leadership forum
| August 2010 |
- Interview: Ron Coleman, Scottish Mental Health Trainer and Consultant. Click here to read the interview in full.
- Introducing: the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Consumer Reference Group (CALD CRG) by Maria Dimopoulos
- Soap Box: No revolution in youth mental health without young people leading it! - by Flick Grey
- Introducing: Picture Books about living with mental illness - a taster of resources compiled by Ann Tullgren
- Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down Pointless, opinionated rants or pearls of wisdom? You be the judge.
- OCP Update:What we've been up to and what's in store (trust us, you don't want to miss this)
| July 2010 |
- Interview: Susie Crooks. Straight-talking, gutsy consumer leader from New Zealand speaks out against chronic normality. Click here to read the interview in full.
- Introducing: The Tiled Path, a creative piece by Lynnie Worth
- Soap Box: Consumers and 'carers' should not always be joined at the hip - it causes hip displaysia!
- Introducing: Picture Books about living with mental illness - a taster of resources compiled by Ann Tullgren
- Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down As always, some whinging and some waxing lyrical
- OCP Update:What we've been up to and what's in store (trust us, you don't want to miss this)
- Save the date!Some key dates to put in your diary
| June 2010 |
- Introducing: Community Healthfulness Co-operative in the Yarra Valley, by Nick Meinhold
- Soap Box Don't ever tell me I'm not a "real" consumer - by JA (consumer, name withheld)
- Thumbs up/Thumbs down: Some random things that irk or delight us here at Our Consumer Place
- Interview of the issue: Chris Hansen, international consumer leader (... far too many contributions to summarise Chris in a few words!). Click here to read the interview in full.
- Introducing ... the GROW Community Mental Health Movement - by John P
| May 2010 |
- Interview: David W. Oaks, Director of MindFreedom Intl. Click here to read the interview in full.
- Introducing: Sandy Jeffs' latest book Flying with Paper Wings: Reflections on Living with Madness
- Feature Article: What is Intentional Peer Support (IPS)? by Flick Grey (Our Consumer Place)
- Soap Box: (Consumers and smoking: part 2) Just ask: the answer is 'no' by Isabell Collins, Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council
- News in the consumer world and OCP update: What we've been up to and what's in store.
| April 2010 |
- Interview: Tina Minkowitz, psychiatric survivor, human rights lawyer and keynote speaker at next month's VicServ conference. Click here to read the interview in full.
- Introducing a CDI: The Brook R.E.D. Centre Inc. - By Adam Dunne
- Feature Article:An exploration of Body Integrity Identity Disorder, legitimacy and the DSM. - By Sean O'Connor
- Soap Box: Consumers and smoking? - By Kristen Moeller-Saxone
- Some thoughts on language from the work of Sylvia Caras
- Our Consumer Place Update: what we have been up to and what's in store
- 10 ways Our Consumer Place can support you (and you can support us!)
| March 2010 |
- Interview: Mary O'Hagan, a leading international expert and original thinker in the field of mental health recovery-based services shares her views about consumer politics, participation and leadership. Click here to read the interview in full.
- Introducing a CDI: A Consumer Activist's Guide to Mental Health in Australia - Merinda Epstein's wonderful website
- Feature Article: An ally's travels through America - by Piers Gooding
- Soap Box: Consumers on (other people's) committees. Are we wasting our time? - by Merinda Epstein
- Our Consumer Place Update: what we have been up to and what's in store
- 10 ways Our Consumer Place can support you (and you can support us!)
| September 2009 |
- Feature article: Vrinda Edan on 'What do we mean when we talk about LEADERSHIP?' (reprinted due to an error in an earlier edition),
- Interview: Kim Koop, CEO of VicServ (Victorian Peak Umbrella Group of NGO PDRS services). Click here to read the interview in full.
- Introducing a CDI: Madeleine Kelly's Two Trees Media,
- Consumer Research: Wanda Bennetts on Consumer Workforce Research: 'Real Lives, Real Jobs' - Developing Good Practice Guidelines for a Sustainable Consumer Workforce in the Mental Health Sector, through Participatory Research,
- News: National Scoping Study ... Consumers Speak,
- Our Consumer Place Update: what we have been up to (pamphlet project),
- Words from a Newbee: Paul on 'Through the eyes of a 'Newbee' to consumer stuff'.
March 2009 |
- Soap Box: 'Moving beyond the era of REPRESENTATION"
- Feature Article: Simon Champ on 'A few reflections on change and ways forward',
- Interview: Peter Beresford, Chair of Shaping our Lives, the independent national service user controlled organisation and network in the UK. Click here to read the interview in full.
- Introducing a CDI: Allan Pinches, Consumer Consultant on the 'hope springs' community at Heidelberg West Uniting Church,
- Creative: Simon Champ poem 'Let Us Spray',
- Our Consumer Place Update: what we have been up to (Pamphlet project, Intentional Peer Support training, networking) and 'Thumbs up, Thumbs down' (an assortment of things we like and don't like).
December 2008 |
- Soap Box [formerly "State of the Nation"]: Sandy Watson on 'Mark of Shame,' a critique of 'stigma',
- Feature article: Vrinda Edan on 'What do we mean when we talk about LEADERSHIP?' (NOTE: correct version is reprinted in edition 4),
- Interview: Sylvia Caras, the founder of the magnificent website: www.peoplewho.org. Click here to read the interview in full.
- Introducing a CDI: the Private Mental Health Consumer Carer Network (Australia),
- Consumer Research: Lei Ning on the Consumer and Carer Experience project (Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council Consumer Research and Evaluation Unit project),
- Tech Corner: Sara Clarke on using email,
- Stories from the Trenches: Mark Lacey on Working as a regional/rural consumer consultant,
- Ideas you can nurture: Sara Clarke on Advance Directives,
- Our Consumer Place Update: what Our Consumer Place has been up to (networking, an example of a CDI we've supported to start up, training plans), 'Thumbs up, Thumbs down' (an assortment of things we like and don't like), feedback, corrections and how to contact Our Consumer Place.
October 2008 |
- Soapbox [formerly "State of the Nation"]: 'Is Mental Health Legislation Discriminatory?'
- Feature article: Isabell Collins on 'Truth, morality and defensive reasoning in psychiatry'
- Interview: Shery Mead, (amongst other things) teaches peer-run alternatives to crisis services. Click here to read the interview in full.
- Introducing a CDI: Sara Clarke on Online Groups
- Consumer Research: Nicci Wall on 'Glimpses: A compilation of uncensored real life experiences with Mental Illness.'
- Stories from the Trenches: Excerpt from Alvina Hill's 'To Dance Across the Heavens - a personal journey through mental illness'
- Ideas you can nurture: The supermarket manager and late night shelve stockers
- Our Consumer Place Update: How Our Consumer Place began, how to find us (including by public transport), 'Thumbs up, Thumbs down' (an assortment of things we like and don't like) and a feedback form - what do YOU want from us?