HOW TELLING YOUR STORY CAN MAKE AN IMPACT AND HELP CREATE CHANGE

Susan Inman, author, After Her Brain Broke Vancouver, Canada Randye Kaye, author, Ben Behind His Voices Trumbull, Conn.
June 22, 2012 Randye Kaye/Susan Inman NAMI Convention 1

STORIES
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Agenda
Sharing: Susan and Randyes Stories Clarifying: Your Story and Why Tell it? Brainstorming: Small Group Feedback Combining: Tell us your group findings
What Issues? Who needs to hear the messages?

Storytelling Basics
In print, in person, in media, online
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Susans Family Story

June 22, 2012

Randye Kaye/Susan Inman NAMI Convention

Susans Story
Selected Advocacy Issues:
Need for science based public education about psychotic disorders
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Advocacy Issues, cont.

Need for science based education about psychotic disorders for all programs training mental health professionals
address history of unjustified parent blaming

Need for appropriate education for consumers about psychotic disorders

address dangers to consumers about unjustified family blaming

June 22, 2012

Randye Kaye/Susan Inman NAMI Convention

Using an Incident for Advocacy

my daughters story told in WRAP program that participants had suffered childhood trauma and abuse from parents who were never there for them wrote description of her experience and sent to senior management of mental health services
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Incident for Advocacy, cont.

wrote Huffington Post Canada article: How Peer Workers Can Hurt People with Mental Illnesses

Advocacy Issues: appropriate training and supervision of peer support workers need for expensive programs for people with psychotic illnesses (ex. CBT and Cognitive Remediation Programs)
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Randyes Story

Ben Behind His Voices: One Familys Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope

June 22, 2012

Randye Kaye/Susan Inman NAMI Convention

Once upon a time, a hug was all it took

Stage One
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Diagnosis and Reality

Stage Two
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Support, Education

June 22, 2012

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Recovery: the Rocky Road

Incident

Stage Three
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Recovery Village

June 22, 2012

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Possible Advocacy Issues

Listen to the Family/Long-Term Caregivers Need for Treatment Changes in Gradual Steps Necessity for Community for Recovery Assisted Outpatient Treatment (Treatment Advocacy Center) Role of Clear Structure for Success Loneliness and Mental Illness
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SEARCH: What Families Need When Mental Illness Strikes

Support Education Acceptance Resilience Communication skills Hope and Humor
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June 22, 2012

Randyes Responses
NAMI Family-to-Family Book Blogs: BBHV and Mental Illness in the Family Letters to Editor, comments online Theatre: Momoirs Speaking: APA, APNA, US Psych Congress, Nursing/Psych/Counseling students, Hospital Staffs, Police, etc.
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Whats Your Story? (Personal or Agency)

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Thinking
What?: Overall story or specific incident? Why tell this story? (Purpose) To Whom? (Potential Audience) Whats in it for my Audience? (Key Points, Call to Action?)
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Where to Start? Write it Down!

Overall Situation One Incident to Focus On Today Some Details
Who, What, When, Where Feelings/Emotions

Discovering its Meaning/Impact

What could have been done differently? (Need for Change/Solution-Oriented) Supporting Facts, Statistics?
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Group Brainstorm!
Pick Facilitator
Notes common threads Story Share (1 minute) Feedback (1 minute)
Other meanings/issues Ideas where/how to tell it

Clarify Common Threads

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Group Summaries

June 22, 2012

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Where to Tell Your Story

Public Speaking:
support groups programs training mental health professionals staff professional development religious organizations radio and television conferences: submit proposals
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Where to Tell Your Story

In Writing:
letters to the editor letters to politicians op-ed pieces comments on online articles and blogs
Use Hyperlinks to Educate: ex. www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org ex. www.nimh.nih.gov
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Some Resources
Toastmasters (toastmasters.org) Keep The Promise Coalition NAMI (nami.org) Healthy Place (healthyplace.com) After Her Brain Broke resource list Ben Behind His Voices resource list Randye and Susans mailing lists
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June 22, 2012

Tell Your Story. Make an Impact. Create Change!

randye@benbehindhisvoices.com susaninman.vanc@gmail.com
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