social – Las Vegas Radical Mental Health Collective

Hello! How you doing? Ming and I found a stash of physical materials from back when the Las Vegas Radical Mental Health Collective met in person.

sketchbook
markers
emotional first aid kit
books
zines
swag stickers
papers

There was a paper that lists some guidelines to Las Vegas Radical Mental Health Collective culture.

I like this list because it spells out values we mostly all had in common, but it’s good to be clear. Also it’s smart to specify how the stickers and zines are for donation, but it’s ok to just take them, if you don’t have a dollar or two.

Confidentiality is always good to mention, as people like to talk, and after a while we’re mostly friends. It’s good to differentiate meeting from regular life– stuff we hear in meeting should stay in meeting. It’s an extra vulnerable place.

It’s funny to see “kindness rules” and other phrases and vibes carried over from old, formative radical mental health meetings. Some are from Icarus days of yore.

Will we ever meet in person again? We’re spread all over the globe now, and zoom is ok for most of us. So Ming and I disperse the materials. If and when we meet in person again, new materials will be gathered.

guidelines to culture

thank you for being here.

sharing is always optional. you can say “pass.”
kindness rules. we’re here to build community and make a culture of care. please treat one another with love.
please use I-messages, speak from your own experiences, and consider whether another person wants feedback on their share. when in doubt, ask.
confidentiality–please keep shared info here. take the lesson with you to share, but don’t share names or personal details. thank you.
zines and stickers are available by donation. if you don’t have one or two dollars, you can just take one. they’re a resource to use and share.
please refrain from harshly judging anyone during the meeting. we’re pro-choice about meds and all of psychiatry. people need different things at different times. (you can judge harshly before and after the meeting.)
step up, step back:

talkative people, please give conversational space to quiet people. quiet people, please feel free to speak up. we want to hear you.

please see Safer Spaces policy for detail on dos and don’ts of behavior.

our events are free. thanks again for being here. hope to see you next time!

open source

Las Vegas Radical Mental Health Collective materials are open source. So please feel free to use these guidelines “as is” or adapt for your own projects.

peace, Laura-Marie

We decided to have a safer space policy for respectfulness and beneficial behavior. So we found an example and changed things to suit our collective. Then we read it together, and more changes were suggested, then made. Please read it and make sure you agree.

Las Vegas Radical Mental Health Collective–Safer Space Policy

LVRMHC strives to be an accessible and safer space for all attendees, organizers, and volunteers and for everyone to feel comfortable and safe with any race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, physicalities, disabilities, and marital status.

LVRMHC participants agree to maintain a safer space by following these guidelines:

– Respect physical and emotional boundaries

– Respect differing opinions, beliefs, and perspectives

– Always get explicit consent before physically touching another person, taking their photo, or crossing other personal boundaries

– Be aware that the original intent of your actions and words is not always how they will be received, and respect those you are engaging. Be willing to adjust your behavior to promote a safer space.

– Please have openness to dialog. It’s okay to make an honest mistake, but not to insist and create a persistent problem.

The following actions will not be tolerated:

– Racism, sexism, ableism, classism, transphobia, homophobia, religious intolerance, ageism, sizeism, shame or negative judgment based on physical appearance, and all other forms of discrimination

– Theft of money and property

– Physical, verbal, mental, or other forms of abuse

– Sexual harassment, inappropriate/unwelcome comments or behavior

– Disruptive or disrespectful behavior

– Causing a participant to feel unsafe

– Misgendering will not be tolerated. No one should be questioned for what bathroom they are entering, using the facilities in, or exiting.

If you don’t follow these rules, you can be asked to leave.

Should you find a participant’s behaviors oppressive or in violation of the safer space guidelines, LVRMHC organizers encourage and invite you to reach out to us. We will respect the needs of any person voicing concern about problematic behaviors and address it with all parties involved.

LVRMHC supports survivors and is willing to make special provisions before or during events for any individuals wishing to do so.

Should an issue arise between participants before or during any of our events, LVRMHC organizers will be available to address the needs of any individuals and help mediate any situation that comes up as part of our safer space guidelines.

If you have any feedback, requests, or ideas to make our events or safer space policy even safer, please reach out.