Leah Giorgini: I'm Not Invisible: Envisioning Rights-Centered Care - 2024 FEP Conference

𝐈'𝐦 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞: 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬-𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞
📌 First-episode psychosis can strip away one's identity, obscure one’s history, and shatter one’s vision for the future. And often, this process happens through contact with the mental health system, rather than the condition itself.
📌 At just 17 years old, Leah Giorgini found herself navigating a descent to invisibility after a traumatic childhood marred with violence, neglect, and parental death led to a first episode of psychosis. Once a high achiever, Leah became a patient adrift from the world, paralyzed by antipsychotic medication and low expectations. However, when a progressive therapist lent Leah a book about Feminist Perspectives on Mental Health, Leah suddenly felt seen as a whole person in context and began to reemerge as a visible and capable individual.
📌 Now an Occupational Therapist working in nonprofit leadership, Leah is working to change the societal inequities that lead to and perpetuate human suffering. She will present her story and outline how connecting the dots of trauma, intersectionality, and occupation can lead to rights-based care that helps people feel seen and empowered.

𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬:
✅ Describe the importance of acknowledging intersectionality in mental health care, particularly in understanding how various aspects of identity, such as gender, race, and socioeconomic status, intersect with experiences of psychosis and recovery
✅ Describe the role of occupation in the recovery process for individuals with first-episode psychosis, and understand how occupational therapy principles can be integrated into rights-based care approaches to support individuals in regaining agency and meaning in their lives
✅ Identify the key factors contributing to the social invisibility experienced by individuals with first-episode psychosis, including the impact of interactions with the mental health system

🗣️ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐡 𝐆𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢, (she/her) is a British-Indonesian immigrant who moved from England to the United States in 2016. As a psychiatric survivor, domestic violence survivor, former foster youth, and a person who has previously experienced homelessness, Leah is working towards a world free of oppression and injustice. She believes that promoting psychological and social approaches to psychosis is equity in action towards this vision.

Trained as an Occupational Therapist, Leah primarily worked in clinical mental health settings until she came to the United States, where she found a home working in nonprofit leadership. Leah has worked in an array of settings with people diagnosed with psychosis, including working in early intervention in psychosis, assertive outreach, a mental health recovery café, a high-secure forensic hospital, and homeless emergency shelters. She currently serves as Executive Director of the US Chapter of the International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis.

𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦: https://mhttcnetwork.org/fep-virtual-...
𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦:    • 2024 First Episode Psychosis Conferen...  

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬:
📌 ISPS-US: https://isps-us.org/
📌 Mental Health and Well-being Ecological Model: https://mch.umn.edu/resources/mhecomo...
📌 Video - Soteria House:    • Learn about Soteria Vermont  
📌 Video - Open Dialogue Crisis Service:    • OPEN DIALOGUE: an alternative Finnish...  

The 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐇𝐓𝐓𝐂 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 (𝐅𝐄𝐏) 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 was held virtually from June 5-6, 2024. Participants dedicated to enhancing FEP care, including individuals with lived experience, family members, providers, and researchers, came together to celebrate achievements and explore a future of sustained growth and accountability in FEP care. ‪@TIEMH‬

𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦: https://mhttcnetwork.org/south-southw...

00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:27 Leah Giorgini
00:04:04 Overview
00:04:31 What are Human Rights?
00:12:01 A History of Human Rights Violations & Moral Treatment
00:18:36 My Story
00:35:08 Mental Health & Wellbeing: A Socio-Ecological Model
00:36:29 ICF Model
00:40:30 Canadian Model of Client-Centered Enablement
00:41:51 Outcome of a Wider View
00:43:33 Best Practices
00:51:07 Connect with ISPS-US
00:52:11 Q&A

#livedexperience #psychosis #psychosisawareness