Great idea Penny,
as you say, I reckon shouting and jumping up and down is worthwhile even
in the face of no immediate response
it can be very effective I think to be a small but persistent
irritation to those in power :-)
will get thinking hat on in order to send a response
Gemma
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Penny Priest
Sent: 05 December 2007 15:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Things we could do
'...if we don't like the direction its officers take us, there is
nothing to stop us trying to do something about it through already
existing, established channels. While there are lots of things we can't
do, like influencing world politics, there are in fact some things we
could, in principle, do, like attacking and exposing the dishonest and
potentially oppressive practices of our own profession, and perhaps
indeed setting up in opposition to them via the said democratic
channels...'
In fighting with my own apathy and scorn, I thought I would post this
invitation from Lord Darzi to stakeholders, to comment on 'Our NHS Our
Future'. This invitation was originally to respond to a questionnaire,
which is referred to on Page 54 of the Our NHS Our Future document, in
the section, How To Get Involved. Only, when I went to get involved, it
turned out the questionnaire doesn't seem to exist (see my email
exchange, attached). Not a particularly good advert for them, but I'm
not surprised either...
Anyway, Lord Darzi is inviting people to submit to his Review our policy
ideas regarding 8 areas, one of which is mental health. Specifically, he
wants to know:
What are the barriers?
What are the enablers?
What changes could we make that would have the greatest positive impact.
I think many people on this list could provide him with many suggestions
from community psychology, not least with regards poverty, social
inequality and social in/exclusion.
Of course, I am also cynical, eternally pessimistic and don't imagine
anyone would take the slightest bit of notice, but sometimes I like to
say things just for the sake of saying them (and regarding a revolution,
I can dream, can't I?)
I wonder what others think.
Penny
--
Message sent with Supanet E-mail
-----Original Message-----
From: David Smail <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] "I doubt if press releases will achieve
much, even if they get taken up"
> I don't disagree with any of that, David. There are definite proximal
> benefits to forming and expressing solidarity. The point I wanted to
> emphasize was that the Layards of the world, the UCL 'CORE' and DCP
people
> that Craig also referred to, in many ways understand and use power
better
> than 'we' often do.
>
> To reinforce Craig's point, as long as I can remember (which is longer
than
> most!) our democratically elected leaders in clinical psychology,
anyway,
> have pretty well without exception been mesmerized by power and
occasionally
> quite good at manipulating it. The only power-critical person who
> immediately comes to mind who had a similar understanding of political
> structures was Don Bannister, who now, sadly, hardly anyone remembers.
> While he was around there was greater awareness, I think, that, for
example,
> the BPS is a democratic structure, and if we don't like the direction
its
> officers take us, there is nothing to stop us trying to do something
about
> it through already existing, established channels. While there are
lots of
> things we can't do, like influencing world politics, there are in fact
some
> things we could, in principle, do, like attacking and exposing the
dishonest
> and potentially oppressive practices of our own profession, and
perhaps
> indeed setting up in opposition to them via the said democratic
channels.
> Though I profoundly disapprove of it, I think one has to acknowledge
that
> the 'CBT lobby's' penetration of governmental structure is quite an
> impressive achievement. I'm sure there are all sorts of reasons for
this
> state of affairs, but it certainly isn't that 'our' hands are tied.
>
> David
>
> _____
>
> From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Fryer
> Sent: 04 December 2007 22:31
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] "I doubt if press releases will achieve
much,
> even if they get taken up"
>
>
> Dear David,
>
> Just to pick up on your comment "I doubt if press releases will
achieve
> much, even if they get taken up"
>
> I agree of course that policies, procedures and practices which create
and
> maintain oppression are powerfully entrenched and vigorously defended.
> Poverty will not disappear because of a UK CP press release nor will
those
> who make vast amounts of money through Seroxat be quaking in their
boots
> after the UK CP statement in support of SUG (though I think the way
big
> pharma sometimes vigorously and sustainedly goes for individuals who
> critique them suggests that such critique is threatening to their
interests
> at least to some extent). However, I think press releases and similar
> statements may nevertheless have other worthwhile outcomes.
>
> The now defunct ENCP (European Network of Community Psychology) was
not a
> particularly politically active or progressive organisation and the
newer
> ECPA (European Community Psychology Association) showed little sigh of
that
> either. At the recent ECPA meeting in Seville, Ilana Mountian, Paul
Duckett
> and I discussed the appeal that had been circulated by Art Veno for
support
> for Australian psychologists lobbying for the APS to take a strong
stand
> against the complicity of psychologists in torture and moved a motion
at the
> final plenary that the meeting send a message of support to Art. After
a
> brief discussion there was an unanimous collective decision to send
the
> message of support from ECPA. Immediately after the decision there was
a
> round of applause. I believe that this was more than an act of self
> congratulation but that engaging collectively in critical reflection
and to
> act in collective solidarity was enormously valuable in many ways to
those
> who did so. In this case Art Veno has also said that he believes the
> statement was valuable to colleagues in Australia in achieving a
progressive
> outcome. I do not want to overstate this. The statement was not
particularly
> radical, the effect was no doubt miniscule both locally and distally
etc but
> collective resistance even in such small ways is important in itself
and
> prefigures what is possible when we act critically and collectively
and
> makes that more likely in my view.
>
> I write a short regular column for "The Community Psychologist" a sort
of
> newsletter for SCRA (Div 27 of the APA) about community psychology in
> Europe. This goes to all SCRA members worldwide. Because I think such
> statements have some value I included in my recent piece reference to
both
> the UK CP poverty statement and the ECPA torture statement:.
>
>
> "As community and critical psychologists we believe that psychologists
have
> a fundamental responsibility to join with others to end both poverty
and
> societal inequality independent of absolute wealth, which we believe
are
> personally, collectively and socially destructive.
>
> We believe mainstream psychology to be complicit with the prevailing
> psychologically toxic neo-liberal economic order and believe
psychology has
> allowed itself to be used to hide systemic effects of poverty and
inequality
> and instead position poverty as a consequence of individual
psychological
> dysfunction.
>
> We call for the radical transformation of psychology so that it has
the
> resources necessary to expose the personally, collectively and
socially
> destructive effects of poverty and inequality and the proactive
deployment,
> with allies, of this transformed psychology to end poverty and
societal
> inequality and the exploitation, exclusion, oppression, distress and
illness
> which result from them."
>
>
>
>
>
> "Those present at the final plenary session of the II European
Community
> Psychology Association International Seminar ("Integrating new
migrants in
> the New Europe: A Challenge for Community Psychology") held in
Seville,
> Spain 19-21 September 2007 considered the widely circulated request by
> eminent community psychologist Professor Art Veno for international
support
> in his attempts to ensure that the involvement of psychologists in the
> practice of torture is condemned by the Australian Psychological
Society.
> Those present at the final plenary session of the II European
Community
> Psychology Association International Seminar in Seville unanimously
voted to
> send a message of support from the meeting to Professor Veno, his
colleagues
> and all those condemning the involvement of psychologists in the
practice of
> torture".
>
>
> Of course if we did no more than talk and reach collective decisions
on such
> issues and disseminate them we would be doing something perhaps a very
> little something but that is an argument for doing more, not less
>
> David
>
> _____
>
> From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List on behalf of David
Smail
> Sent: Tue 12/4/2007 08:56
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: FW: Mental Health and Employment
>
>
>
> Annie - in response to your last two postings.
>
> I think you do an excellent job of listing the difficulties, and I
also see
> little chance of things changing in the short or medium term. I think
> perhaps that one of our problems is that we (insofar as one can talk
of 'we'
> on this list!) are both apathetic and scornful in the face of the
> institutions of power (though not at all in other ways), whereas those
'we'
> often see as 'them' (e.g. Layard et al.) are patient, persistent,
> industrious - sometimes, indeed, obsessive in the lengths they will go
to to
> find their way around the structures that shape and support our
society. As
> an example, I think a perusal of the 'CORE' website (start at
>
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/clinical-health-psychology/CORE/CBT_Framework.htm)
is
> instructive. Until I read it,I for one had no idea how thoroughly
embedded
> the CBT lobby had become in the DoH,etc., and one can see some of that
> influence reflected in the dismaying document you attached.
>
> I don't of course know what the answers are - if there are any - but I
doubt
> if press releases will achieve much, even if they get taken up.
>
> David
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Annie Mitchell
> Sent: 04 December 2007 07:59
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] FW: Mental Health and Employment
>
> Dear all,
>
> Lots to critically comment on re the attached latest government
initative..
> For example note the business language in this. People are called
customers.
>
> Annie
>
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Social Inclusion Discussion Group
[[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 03 December 2007 13:28
> To: Annie Mitchell
> Cc: Ana Padilla; Graham Turpin
> Subject: [social-inclusion] Mental Health and Employment
>
> Dear Colleagues
>
> Please find attached a statement from Peter Hain Secretary of State
for Work
> and Pensions.
>
> with all good wishes
>
> Nigel
> P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail, or its
> attachments
>
>
>
> Can we send this out asap,
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Fabian
>
> Dr. Fabian Davis
>
> Consultant Psychologist (Community & Social Inclusion) Lead for Social
> Inclusion Bromley Mental Health Services Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Ist
> Floor Keswick House 207A Anerley Road Penge London SE20 8ER
>
> Tel: 020 8778 9548
>
> ________________________________
> From: Carol Chads [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 30 November 2007 17:25
> To: Carol Chads
> Subject:
>
>
> Dear All
>
> Please see the attached for your information.
>
> Best regards
>
> Brendan
>
> Brendan McLoughlin,
> Programme Director for Wellbeing, Inclusion and Psychological
Therapies,
> London Development Centre, part of the Care Services Improvement
> Partnership, 11-13, Cavendish Square, London W1G 0AN Phone; 020 7307
2431
> Mobile: 07721 670863
> e-mail:
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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