Media Room

We Must Be DEAFENING!

Hi everyone,
I know I’ve been away for a while – I’ve been busy with a new project! I’m looking for submissions of stories & suggestions for repairing the disjointed mental/behavioral health & addiction system. This is open to all ages, residents of any state in the US – so if you could share this far and wide I’d really appreciate it! The submission form is available on GoogleForm here: http://goo.gl/forms/H3cJMOqnkP you don’t need to have a Google account to submit your story!

For We Must Be DEAFENING: Our Journeys through Mental Health and Addiction Services, and How We Survived, my friend Katy and I  hope to collect valuable insight from our peers to inform needed changes in the system of services as it exists today. As a result of this book, we hope to provide the catalyst to bring mental health and addiction services into the 21st Century.

Part of the project is also a fundraiser for CT’s 5 Regional Mental Health Boards. I’ve been involved with the Southwest Regional Mental Health Board for a couple of years now, and I’m amazed by how much they do to give people like us, our families, and our different provider agencies a place to come together and work towards positive change in our communities. My involvement with my Regional Mental Health Board has enabled me to put my lived experience to so much good use, having my voice heard at the table alongside social workers and psychiatrists when it comes to big community initiatives like CCTs. I wanted to give back to the RMHBs and help support the work that they do, so a big chunk of the money raised from t-shirts and buttons to promote We Must Be DEAFENING will go towards Connecticut’s Regional Mental Health Boards. 40% from each t-shirt, and 50% from each button go towards the Regional Mental Health Board that serves YOUR part of the state!

My initial goal for the t-shirt was to have it prompt conversation and give me the opportunity to change the way we talk about mental illness and recovery outside of the clinical setting – in day-to-day life. The response has been so positive and so empowering, I’d like to spread the message so other folks can start and change the conversation around mental illness, addiction, and recovery. I really hope this takes off! If this speaks to you, please connect with our project through social media!

Check out our page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeMustBeDeafening?fref=ts

We also have a Twitter account, @WeMstBDeafening

Our website will be up soon!