Statement of Values
Welcome to ISPS-US! We imagine you are here because you believe that there are many ways to facilitate the healing of mind, body, and spirit beyond the tired paradigms and oppression associated with “mental health business-as-usual.” You are one of the clinicians, individuals with lived experience, researchers, advocates, family members, or allies, who are deeply invested in advancing psychological and social approaches to “psychosis”; we are excited to join with you to blaze new paths and discover new possibilities.
We are stronger when we connect in understanding and mutual support. To facilitate that, we are asking each of us to keep the following values in mind during all of our interactions, from formal presentations and media responses to social gatherings:
- Be mindful of the impact of your communications on those whose perspectives may be different than your own. Remember that some people in attendance will be people who have been harmed through their encounters with mental health systems as well as those who have found real help within them. Respect the diversity of experiences of those around you, particularly those whose identities or experiences have been traditionally marginalized or oppressed, as you work to diversify your own experiences.
- Be prepared to listen, in addition to sharing your own thoughts. We believe that helping ourselves and each other to become better listeners is key to re-visioning our resources for emotional well-being.
- People are not diagnoses, and diagnoses are not people. Be mindful of the categories or labels you use and be aware that all terms have the potential to be used reductively. As an organization, we believe that some labels, for instance “schizophrenia,” have brought more harm than clarity, and for this reason, ISPS-US has worked to remove them from our organizational vocabulary.
- If you have offended someone, apologize, listen to their perspective, and make a concerted effort to improve next time. If someone has offended you, let them know if you are able, so that they may better understand your perspective, and thereby be more open to different perspectives.
- Remember that empathy and diversity are two sides of the same coin. We do not always have to agree or achieve consensus—but we do have to open ourselves with humility to other ideas, perspectives, and ways of being, if we -- singly and collectively -- are to become successful change-agents.
The issues discussed at this conference, and in all our meetings and gatherings, have deep personal, social, ethical and political significance for each of us and often involve considerable passion and emotion. We aim to work together to mobilize that passion towards a better and safer healing world. That vision starts at home, and we are glad you are here to build it with us.