Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2010 09:16:17 -0700
To: psysr-disc@yahoogroups.com
Cc: Various
From: target@batstar.net
Subject: Re: [psysr-disc] ACORN, the government, and the disenfranchised
Pqr:
I believe you miss the thrust of my comments. You are speaking to what line of lobbying will engage the question of "ACORN abuse" as practiced by groups like the U.S. Government. I am speaking to what will seed a broader coalition against this social abuse process. I refer you to Cfi's recent post, "Resist and Refuse" The Health Care Bill: Real Patriots Taking Real Actions Against ObamaCare where he indicates the depth of argument with impact to the contrary.
Contrary to your theoretical approach to "community psychology" I believe my "lived experience" has merit, as part of the psychology of this discussion. In 1990-93 I was the Chair of the Berkeley/Albany Mental Health Commission (then: Advisory Board) and was the first client/survivor in that social role. Later 1995 I was the coordinator of a conference "Jobs Now!" - a collaboration between the Bay Area Mental Health Directors and the client/survivor movement, which has resulted in the widespread employment today of client/survivors in the public mental health system in California, based on their "lived experience."
In the process I learned from interviews and first-hand experience much about the connections of professionals in the public mental health sector to the philosophy and practice of community psychology. I am a Ph.D. mathematician - which I earned as a client/survivor - and I think I have a capable insight into "science" and I understand fairly well the "pre-science" philosophies that govern social science in general and community psychology in particular. My lived experience has substantial grounding in community psychology and the dynamics of social change. Later on - as my post indicated I was pleased to engage Mr. Prilleltensky and Mr. Evans whose "critical psychology" was being employed to challenge the pre-scientific nature of community mental health practice in Nashville, TN. To their credit they did engage my theoretically grounded critique in a respectful manner.
This last week I have learned that the M.H. Director for Berkeley/Albany is resigning/retiring early because "his number is up." He took the philosophy of victimizing the community and promoting the torture of client/survivors in treatment, in the name of "maintaining good employment conditions." Again, I'm speaking here from my lived experience. Understanding the nature of "community" is very important. I don't care to engage in private discussions on that matter, as the time is long past; I'd find that to be diversionary. Social responsibility in psychology must be promoted.
Andrew Phelps
from "Bagram, Berkeley"
who is proud that he was able to promote and arrange for a training of his community college's support staff by the head of mental health research for the U.C. Berkeley School of Social Work, on the philosophy and practice of the "clinical gaze," as derived from the "Trieste" model.
Pqr wrote:
Dear Andrew:
If you would like to discuss models of organizing, I'd be happy to off line. That is a different issue. Regardless of influences, many consider ACORN to be a distinct model from Alinksy's, and I fully agree with them. See Rubin & Rubin (2001) "Community Organization and Development" (p. 149, where The Direct Membership Model, i.e., The Boston Model, The Alinksy IAF framework, and the ACORN model are discussed as three related but separate, primary models). A different issue, though. And one that neither supports nor contradicts the government's actions here.