Recovery Rocks Community Speakers: Amanda Waegeli and Daniel Habermann on behalf of our recovery community. Making dreams come true, creating a shift ourselves. ISPS-NZ The International society for Psychological and Social approaches to psychosis Making Sense of Psychosis: Shifting the Korero Auckland New Zealand 2014

Amanda Waegeli Amanda.Waegeli@gmail.com Peer Specialist Lived Experience of Mental distress and Extreme states my own, and family members and peers. Living in Recovery Working in Mental Health to support others in recovery

Making Sense of Psychosis It isn't easy, but it is possible, extreme states are normal for some of us, often rich, deep and meaningful, metaphoric and needed to help us create a shift, find purpose and meaning, move on, rediscover or find ourselves when we are lost. Having lived through, eight years of distress, multiple diagnoses, psychosis's, hospitalizations, medication, ECT, seclusion, restraint, abuse and trauma. I have survived and made sense of my own mental distress and extreme states. Along the way the biggest personal cost in choosing recovery was the lose of my family relationships.

Shifting the Korero I am one of very few, but increasingly more of us, that have come out the other end of psychiatry, retrained and have gone back in to the mental health workforce to try and bring about change for others. I choose Recovery. I now proudly stand before you in my ninth year of Recovery, out of mental health services, medication free, happy with my new life and doing fine. In order to live a life of mental health recovery successfully and sustainably I knew I needed a community of people who understood, supported and believed in recovery, not just in theory but in practice, and so would others. So this is what I have done in my spare time from my back yard.

Recovery Rocks Community Story 4/11/2017 10:22 PM Recovery Rocks Community Story Amanda Waegeli On Behalf of Recovery Rocks Community ‘Mental Health and Social Inclusion” Volume 18, Number 2, 2014 The Recovery Rocks community Story Published by Emerald Insight UK Journal © 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

I had a dream….. That as peers we could best support each other in our mental health recoveries , by creating our own community, not another mental health service, program or organization. A peer led and peer run community. A safe, caring, friendly, nurturing, empathic environment that could always be there, whenever it was needed it, by whomever needed it. “As a leader in putting mental health recovery into action, my aim was to assist transformation of those oppressed through our current mental health systems: Because transformed people, transform people.” Amanda Waegeli ‘Mental Health and Social Inclusion” Volume 18 Number 2 2014 The Recovery Rocks Story Published by Emerald Insight UK Journal

My Dream Became our Dream Peers united. Peers got excited. Peers decided.

The Shift came through heated and challenging conversations. The outcome was to embrace diversity of lived experience, education, knowledge, awareness, understanding, culture, spirituality, socio economic status, age, gender, sexual orientation. For this is where the richness, answers and keys to OUR personal recovery would be found in ourselves, through relationship with EACH OTHER in community. Recognizing our mental distress does not just impact on ourselves but on all around us, family, friends, support people, professionals. We all need support in recovery We have a lot to learn from each other We all have strengths, weaknesses, wisdoms and gifts to share We are All Peers in recovery

Dreaming began Warmline Crises Support Family Support Recovery Education Newsletter Advocacy Retreats and Camps Celebrations Friendships Art and Music

Recovery Dreams, become Recovery Realities Back to work Found accommodation Off medication Lost weight Out of mental health system Reunited with family Started studying New understandings Volunteering Travel Rocker Tracy “I was so touched to receive my certificate and to have my efforts towards my recovery acknowledged, and recognized by others, I had never experienced this before from anyone.”

Community Dreamt and has been built with not a cent. 200 members and allies: Wide Network local, state, national and international Daily Peer Support/Warmline and Weekly Recovery Education and Support Group Crises and 72 hour to a week accommodation Recovery Advocacy, Hospital/family support, visits, discharge planning Monthly newsletter and Social Gatherings Live in recovery retreats Community collaborations and partnerships with Non Government MH Organizations YouTube channel and email Interest in Research and Published Internationally

Daniel’s Sharing Daniel Habermann A community members perspective.

Recovery Rocks Community 2nd Anniversary Clip “Celebrating Recovery”

What we share makes us strong. ‘Peers Standing Stronger’ 4/11/2017 10:22 PM What we share makes us strong. ‘Peers Standing Stronger’ Recovery Rocks Community Email: our.recovery.rocks@gmail.com YouTube Channel: Recovery Rocks Community © 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.