Beyond the Stereotypes: Homelessness, Community Coercion, and Extreme Cases
Friday May 24th, 2024
1pm-2:30pm Eastern
Event Description
This event brings together investigative journalist Rob Wipond, author of “Your Consent is Not Required,” Philip Yanos, PhD, professor, researcher, ACT team clinician, and author of “Written Off: Mental Health Stigma and the Loss of Human Potential,” along with Patrick Mureithi, a father, musician, and documentary filmmaker who will discuss his personal journey through self-medication, psychiatric abuse, and homelessness, and eventual recovery through spirituality, focus on physical health, and community support. In an era marked by increasing uses of coercive mental health laws, particularly concerning homelessness, our speakers will explore the alarming trends, challenges, and potential solutions from their unique vantage points. This webinar aims to challenge media and politically propagated stereotypes of unhoused individuals experiencing psychosis. Together, we'll examine research, uncover truths, and explore effective approaches to support the hardest-to-house individuals in our communities. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion advocating for human rights, dignity, and compassionate care in mental health.
The event will run from 1-2:30pm Eastern time.
Can't make it live? Don't worry, a recording will be emailed to all those who register.
About the presenter(s)
Patrick Mureithi is a father, musician, documentary filmmaker and public speaker. He focuses on mental health and recovery and touches on his personal journey through self-medication, psychiatric abuse, homelessness and eventual recovery through diet, exercise, spirituality, creativity and, ultimately, community support. He is driven to do this work because he believes we are experiencing a global mental health crisis that is fueled by loneliness, the cause and sustainer of mental illness. Without personally and collectively acknowledging and addressing this issue, Patrick foresees we are doomed to a continual communal downward spiral that will only result in calamity. He believes every single one of us has something to offer toward the solution, and we can help each other along the way or perish as hateful strangers. It Takes a Village to Heal.
Rob Wipond is a freelance journalist who writes frequently about the interfaces between psychiatry, civil rights, policing, surveillance and privacy, and social change. His articles have been nominated for seventeen magazine and journalism awards in science, law, business, and community issues, and he’s the author of the book Your Consent is Not Required: The Rise in Psychiatric Detentions, Forced Treatment, and Abusive Guardianships.
Philip T. Yanos, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at John Jay College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York and the author of Written Off: Mental Health Stigma and the Loss of Human Potential. He is an associate editor for the journal Stigma and Health. He is the co-developer of Narrative Enhancement and Cognitive Therapy, a group-based treatment which addresses the effects of self-stigma among people diagnosed with mental illness.
