The purpose of this preconference is to provide an alternative recovery model to traditional MFT theoretical philosophies on community and recovery oriented approaches. Our goal is to focus on the needs of mental health care by providing a panel from two countries to present our experiences of providing services to all mental health populations. Discussions will focus on parity to non-parity diagnoses, substance abuse, homelessness, education, wrap around services, work options, and enriched community support and involvement.

In our recovery model of community based work, we work within the entire client system.  It is a “down/top” type of venue where the client is the expert in their treatment and aides in directing the type of needs for community involvement. In all of our work we embrace the idea that severe mental illness and addictions are often symptoms that make a person be seen as deficit. Often, all that is seen are symptoms and not the person, the context, nor the relationships in—or potential relationships within—the community.  We think that most of the “people” we work with have the possibility of recovering their own agency, deciding for themselves the best “solutions of their own situation”, and have the opportunity to empower themselves  to design their possibilities to live in a better way.

We hope to offer mental health workers, social workers, clinicians, and university educators to have the opportunity to witness this model where we include all present in the client’s “problem system” to be active participants at all times in the community engagement. Therapist, psychiatrist, social workers, client, and community support are all team players on the client’s team. These ideas are evidenced based and reflect the works of the Houston Galveston Institute, Kanankil Institute, Institute of Now I See a Person, Miller, Duncan & Hubble (1997), Jaakko Seikula in Finland and the Rhizome Way of Christopher Kinman and Lynn Hoffman.

 It is our desire to invite each participant at this pre-conference to discuss working within communities and to discuss how successful outcomes can occur.  The pre-conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento September 30, 2009 from 9 am-3pm. Please contact Dr. Susan Swim: Swiminc@aol.com for more information and to register.

Susan Swim, PhD: Now I See a Person Institute, Houston Galveston Institute, Associate Taos Institute, www.nowiseeaperson.com, www.drsusanswim.com

·         Recovery Focused Care:  In our experience, any participation with clients must derive from authentic collaboration. Our clients see themselves as the directors of their services, for if services are not self tailored to the needs of the individual in community, then these plans are for services that only serve ourselves! Clients wish and need to be in charge of their treatment and lives.

·         Collaborative Practice:  All services are self-tailored to the client in community. We try to bring in all who are part of the client’s system. This could include schools, mandated operations (CPS, Probation), potential employers, social workers, caseworkers, psychiatrists, specific friends or relatives, or anyone that can support the system.  It is important to know their needs and have their collaboration.

·         Connection, Collaboration, and Change: We wish to create an environment where no one feels judged but, rather, is allowed a conversational space where the client leads “the team” to what is important to talk about. Clients need the freedom to express their thoughts in a manner that respects and hears their ideas for change. We talk in the client’s language. We work with Severe and Chronic Mental Health Illness in this manner on the premise that no one wishes to be talked to, but talked with.

·         Connect: Through establishing a connection of full presence with the clients and the community, where communication, relationships, and problem solving skills can be improved.

·         Relational Collaboration: Refers to the completely shared and egalitarian experience of defining the focus and direction of therapy and community services.

·         Being Fully Present to Listen: Full presence refers to a therapist’s posture of genuinely honouring and valuing the client’s and community’s narratives by speaking honestly and caringly, as well as co-creating genuine trust and humility, enabling the strengths of the client to abound.   

·         In community based work we work within the entire system.  There are continuous conversations between all involved. We hope within clinics to have the opportunity for all present in the problem system to be participating at all times. Therefore therapist, psychiatrist, social workers, client, and community support are all team players, empowering the client to gain self agency engages self responsibility in the client-led direction. This enables meaningful change to occur.

Rocio Chaveste, M.S.: Kanankil Institute, Associate Taos Institute:

·         Community in Conversation: We invite the community and the clients to construct a dialogue beginning from the relationships that we are creating. We take the necessary time to know, walk and talk with the people and know how we can be useful. We agree to listen and show absolute respect for what they express about themselves and of the community.

·          We think that most of the people we work with have the possibility to recover their own agency (capacity for hope and change), to decide for themselves the solutions of their own situation, and to have the opportunity to empower themselves to design their possibilities to live in a better way in this moment even though any symptom may have re-occurred.

This is why we decide to work hand by hand with the individuals and with the community to construct a new relation to their psychiatric problem. We aim to make recovery achievable with those persons who cannot currently control the way they consume alcohol or drug substances. These communities have been marginalized because of their situation, whatever it is, and we are clear that together we can construct a history of hope and wellness, making the changes we need to, based on the idea of human diversity as multiple possibilities.

We will provide examples how a small village in the Yucatan was able to transform using the above concepts to where now it is a flourishing town.

Now I See a Person Institute – California , USA--- with Susan Swim

·        My passion in this field was influenced by my colleagues at the Houston Galveston Institute. My 26 year journey has been to provide in my clinical work, supervision, teaching, research, and publications ways to deconstruct the deficiency language and treatment of those marginalized in our society by parity diagnosis and subsequent traditional treatment. This journey has led me to see people and not the labeled "symptoms" or deficit narratives that often imprison one seeking mental health services for life's hardships. It is my opinion that these types of venues of diagnosis and the historically corrective  ways to treat people leads to no escape from marginalization, revolving institutionalizing, and loss of self identity and self worth. In my opinion these communities have lost self dignity, hope, and the ability to create change. Thus, I feel a never ending challenge to create communities where those who suffer can collaboratively take charge of their lives and be seen by their strengths and where weakness is not the dominant reality. Change can occur through genuine embracement, collaborative and relational connection and direction of what these communities of people wish to occur, for they are heroes and heroines within their burdens and their thoughts, ideas, emotions, and voices are sacred.  I will share my experiences of community mental health work where people with severe psychosis, depression, and other parity diagnoses of multiple age groups regained loss of self and were able to participate in the community often symptom free.

Kanankil  Institute– Mérida, Mexico ---with Rocio Chaveste

Rocio is responsible for two masters programs within Kanankil Institute: One in psychotherapy and the other in addictions. In both of these programs, Rocio, along with her colleagues and students, explores ways of working which bring people together in conversation, and which enable the abundant productivity in community engagement.   In Rocio’s work, and the work at Kanankil, communities discover their own wisdom and experience, and they create their own avenues for addressing the various concerns of life. Rocio and Kanankil address numerous community interests, including questions of violence and substance abuse, and the creation of public policy.