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trans-axolotl · 1 year

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Image description: [ A digital poster with a beige background and a small graphic of a book that has yellow flowers growing out of it. Text says: Psych survivor Zine. Open call for submissions from Mad Artists. Looking for pieces that explore how psych survivors resist psychiatric violence, with a special focus on transforming our medical records. Pieces exploring topics in mad studies, antipsychiatry, and peer support are likely to be a good fit. $100 Stipend. Deadline for proposals: March 31st. For more information and next steps to submit artwork, please go to https://tinyurl.com/psychsurvivorzine. For any questions, email Elliott at [email protected]]

Hello everyone! I am thrilled to announce that I'm searching for collaborators for the first edition of a Psych Survivor zine!! I've been working on this project for a while, and there are several other components that will be rolled out throughout this spring (if you aren't an artist/writer but still want to be involved, keep an eye out on my blog.) This zine is going to be physically published and hosted on a website created specifically for this project.

This zine is open to anyone who identifies as mad/mentally ill/neurodivergent/psych survivor/ex patient, and any form of art is welcome, whether that's poetry, critical essays, digital art, photography, or anything else. Due to funding constraints, I will likely only be selecting 10-13 people to add to this edition. This edition is focused specifically on abolishing and transforming our medical records, and click on the link above to read the full prompt.

Please feel free to email me or message me on tumblr with any further questions, and I'm so excited to hopefully work with some of you on this project!

#antipsychiatry #antipsych #mad studies #neurodivergence #disability studies #peer support #disability #mental illness #mental health #psych abolition #psych critical #psych survivor zine

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dromaeocore · 10 months

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For those of you who like the idea of peer respites, I just want to say these are not the only alternatives to the mainstream psych system :] Here's a big ol' list, and many/most of them are peer-run. I live in America, so a lot of this is US-based, but I've tried to make it as internationally accessible as possible!

I'll start with the live-in options. So ya'll already know about peer respites, if you read my latest post about it. There's a few more similar things out there.

Soteria Houses - More long-term (months+) community homes for folks with lived experience of psychosis/similar extreme states, with peer support, that focus on a humane and person-centered approach. Much more freedom & agency than your traditional group home.

Hurdalsjøen Recovery Center - a "medication-free" (aka medication-optional) psychiatric hospital in Norway. Allows patients to choose whether to stay on or taper/remain off psychiatric drugs. Focused on healthy eating, exercise, and recreational therapy options.

Bethel House - Similar to Soteria Houses, a homelike environment in Japan for people with schizophrenia, etc. that focuses on social reintegration.

Organizations, clubs, groups, etc:

Students With Psychosis - A peer support community with programming for students with psychosis

International Map of Hearing Voices/Intervoice networks - Non=pathological support groups for people who hear voices, see visions, etc. US directory, UK directory.

Clubhouse International - Gives people with mental illness opportunities for friendship, employment, housing, educational, and medical services all in one place. Founded by a group of friends who survived a psychiatric hospital together.

Project LETS - A radical approach to peer support and healing that has a disability justice centered approach, giving people with lived experience a voice and focusing on mutual aid. They provide peer mental health advocates, self-harm prevention, and more.

The Mad Society of Canada: A grassroots community of practice that brings together folks who want to provide non-coercive, ethical, survivor-informed mental health services/policy.

Power to the Plurals: Resources and events for people who identify as plural/multiple/systems.

The Wildflower Alliance: Grassroots peer support, training, and advocacy community based in Massachusetts.

Alternatives To Suicide (Alt2Su): Peer support groups that allow people to talk about suicidal thoughts without fear of being committed to the hospital, etc

Trainings:

Intentional Peer Support = Trauma-informed peer support training

Emotional CPR - Trauma-informed mental health support training program for the layperson

Hearing Voices Curriculum: Targeted towards mental health professionals to better understand the experience of hearing voices. Warning: It's expensive!

Cities that have a particularly awesome way of dealing with folks in crisis/with mental illness/etc:

Geel - a farming community where residents welcome people suffering with severe mental illness/distress into their homes and live with them, share work, etc (Edit: apparently Geel is a small city with like 40,000 people and not a farming community lol, I was misinformed. Thanks to @roxbot for the correction!)

Trieste - a city with a community centered system of care that integrates housing and peer support

Warmlines (generally run by peers) and Crisis Lines that don't call the cops: (Most of these are taken from this post by trans-axolotl on Crisis Lines)

Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860, 24/7

BlackLine: 1 (800) 604-5841, has texting options

The Plural Warmline (No number, check the site)

THRIVE: text message line at 313-662-8209, 24/7

Promise Resource Network: (833) 390-7728, 24/7

Project Return Peer Support Network: (888) 448-9777 English or (888) 448-4055 Spanish, hours are Monday through Friday 2:30 PM to 10:00 PM PST and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM PST

Wildflower Alliance Peer Support Line: 888-407-4515, hours are 7pm to 9pm EST Monday through Thursday and 7pm-10pm EST Friday through Sunday

Key Consumer Organization: 800-933-5397, hours are 8am - 4:30pm EST, Monday - Friday.

MBRLC Peer Support Line: 877-733-7563, hours are 4 pm-7:45 pm EST every day.

US Warmline Directory (unlikely to call cops, but check with the individual line first)

Misc:

CommonGround software - A software developed by Dr. Pat Deegan (an individual who was diagnosed with schizophrenia) that allows clients to communicate their needs to their doctors more efficiently to support shared-decision making with medication.

Open Dialogue- An psychosocial approach to psychiatric services that focuses shared decision-making and dialogue between client, providers, and family (if the client wants family involved), and often more minimal use of medication.

Integrative Psychiatry - A holistic form of psychiatry that focuses on nutrition, exercise, therapy, and psychosocial factors, where medication is just an aspect of treatment. US database of integrative psychiatrists here.

I will also give a somewhat honorable mention to Mobile Crisis Teams. They are a fairly new alternative to the usual "call the cops on your local mentally ill person". They are composed of nurses, therapists, social workers, occasionally peer support workers, etc. They hook the individual up with support/resources - which can often mean forced hospitalization/forced treatment FYI - but it is a step up from being killed by cops. Look up "[city] Mobile Crisis Team" to find out if there is one in your city.

A note: Something being on this list =/= it is perfect, just that it is an alternative to what we've got. So don't come at me, lmao. Feel free to add on if you know of anything else!

#long post #VERY long post lol #mental health #psychiatry #psych critical #psychiatry critical #psych wards #mental illness #neurodivergency #police brutality #antipsych #antipsychiatry #anti psychiatry #peer support #oh i'm gonna write a book on all this stuff btw uwu #WHAT ELSE CAN I TAG THIS WITH SO IT SHOWS UP FOR PPL???

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cosmereplay · 18 days

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Kaladin Didn’t Invent Therapy (And Why That’s Actually Great)

“...You need someone to talk to, Noril, when the darkness is strong. Someone to remind you the world hasn’t always been this way; that it won’t always be this way.” “How do you … know this?” Noril asked. “I’ve felt it,” Kaladin said. “Feel it most days.” - Rhythm of War, Ch. 25 Devotary of Mercy

I’m writing as someone with a background in psychotherapy and peer support, and I'm bursting with excitement about one of my favourite topics. You can imagine why I love Kaladin’s arc in Rhythm of War so much! I actually yelled out loud when I read some of these parts the first time.

I’ve seen people online saying and making jokes that Kaladin invents therapy, and while that could eventually be true, what Kaladin actually invented in RoW is mental health peer support. Psychotherapy as most people would understand it simply doesn’t exist yet on Roshar. However, peer support is a legitimate modality for healing on its own merits. Even more importantly for the story, peer support is something Kaladin would personally really benefit from, and it fits his narrative arc way better than therapy would.

1. Therapy as we know it won’t exist for a while yet.

“We need to study their responses, use an empirical approach to treatment instead of just assuming someone who has suffered mental trauma is permanently broken.” - Rhythm of War, Ch. 25 Devotary of Mercy “Someone needs to talk to them, try different treatments, see what they think works. What actually helps.” - Rhythm of War, Ch. 25 Devotary of Mercy

Obviously, Kaladin has not been educated in battle shock or melancholia or any other diagnosis. In Alethkar there's hardly any knowledge to be had on the subject. Even now in real life, research into effective interventions for various diagnoses is still ongoing, over 100 years after modern therapy was founded.

Building an empirical knowledge base* will take time, not to mention the years it will take to train new therapists across Roshar in how to provide interventions specific to various issues. Therapy as we know it today generally includes time in mentorship with another therapist, so in a way, the first therapist isn't a therapist. 😅 In the meantime, there are people who need help today, including Kaladin.

Peer support can fill that gap because its knowledge base is different. Peers bring their expertise, which is their years of trial and error, successes and failures - their lived experience. Peer facilitators need to know the basics of managing a group, and they have to be willing to share their own experiences and learn from the group. Thus, training peer leaders is relatively quick, and incredibly scalable and adaptable across cultures and many issues/diagnoses.

2. Peer Support is a distinct path to recovery that doesn’t require an expert in therapy.

Kaladin located six men in the sanitarium with similar symptoms. He released them and got them working to support each other. He developed a plan, and showed them how to share in ways that would help...Today they sat in seats on the balcony outside his clinic. Warmed by mugs of tea, they talked. About their lives. The people they’d lost. The darkness. - Rhythm of War, Ch. 33 Understanding “While you can’t force it, having someone to talk to usually helps. You should be letting him meet with others who feel like he does.” - Rhythm of War, Ch. 25, Devotary of Mercy

Kaladin is already positioning himself to align with the values of peer support. Some of these values overlap with therapy, such as dignity, respect, inclusion, hope, and trust. What makes peer support different is a particular emphasis on equal relationships, self-determination, and personal growth (Peer Support Canada, 2022).

In peer support, the group facilitator is not considered an authority like a therapist would be. A peer leader may be further on the road to recovery, but they may not be. They are expected to listen and grow just like any other group member.

Because the leader of the group is also a learner, peer support groups tend to be more collaborative and open-ended. Everyone in the group has something they can take out of it and something to give. Everyone in the group is responsible for managing their own self care, and everyone in the group is responsible for the direction of their own growth. This is different from most therapy groups, which often have a specific focus or goal that the therapist is responsible for implementing. And speaking of responsibility...

3. Peer Support Fits Kaladin’s Narrative Arc Better than Therapy

At his father’s recommendation—then insistence—Kaladin took it slowly, confining his initial efforts to men who shared similar symptoms. Battle fatigue, nightmares, persistent melancholy, suicidal tendencies. -Rhythm of War, Ch. 33 Understanding …he’d learned—these last few months—that his battle shock could take many forms. He was getting to where he could confront it. -Rhythm of War, Ch. 39 Invasion

I think everyone can agree that Kaladin needs to participate in therapy just as much as the other battle-shocked men he finds in the Devotary of Mercy.

However, in therapy, the focus is solely on the needs of the clients. A therapist should not be distracted by their own issues (when this happens, it’s called countertransference). Further, therapy is generally framed such that the therapist is the only expert in the room, which means therapists have a higher level of responsibility for how the clients are doing (which varies depending on the issue, the therapy modality, and the circumstances).

In his own recovery, Kaladin is working on trying to take less responsibility for others, so setting him up as a therapeutic authority could be harmful for him. In a position of authority, he might be tempted to replicate the hierarchical structure he was in before (which would impede his own growth), or try to save everyone (which could impede everyone's growth). He simply doesn’t have the mentorship or knowledge base he'd need to work through those issues before leading as an expert.

In contrast, the point of peer support is the mutual sharing of lived experience. The group facilitator is expected to share their own struggles (as a model of recovery), and allow others to support them. In the context of a more balanced power dynamic, Kaladin can give the other group members the space they need to grow, and he can pursue his own recovery without feeling like he’s letting others down. Also, he will be able to leave the group during KOWT without worrying that the group won't be able to run without him. Everyone in the group carries some responsibility for each other, so group members can come and go with less stress than a change in therapist would cause in group therapy.

This is the beauty of peer support. It can happen anywhere people with similar experiences get together. No formal education is required. What is required is a willingness to know yourself as well as you can; to share your experiences; to listen to others tell their stories; to question your own assumptions as you learn how others handle things differently; to look out for each other's safety; to care.

Peer support creates a place of belonging and a community repository of shared wisdom. Kaladin almost had it on Bridge Four, but his position of authority wouldn’t allow him to grow the way he needed. Peer support is what Kaladin needs - he needs a place where he can take off his armour among people who get it because they're struggling with similar issues, and without having a position of responsibility over them. When he (eventually**) attends the groups, they help him grow!

Anyway, that's why Kaladin didn’t invent therapy, and why I think that's great.

For the men chatting together softly, the change was in being shown sunlight again. In being reminded that the darkness did pass. But perhaps most important, the change was in not merely knowing that you weren’t alone—but in feeling it. Realizing that no matter how isolated you thought you were, no matter how often your brain told you terrible things, there were others who understood. - Rhythm of War, Ch. 33 Understanding

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*Funny enough, empirical research could lead Rosharan researchers right back to peer support. Empirical research on Earth has shown that modern therapy and peer support have similar levels of effectiveness (for example, for depression and PTSD).

**Look who’s resisting attending the groups he founded…KALADIN!! (shakes fist in the general direction of the sky) (This is the most relatable passage for me in this whole book, by the way, helper types unite lmao):

Kaladin looked down at the table. Had it? Had talking to Noril helped? “He’s been avoiding joining in,” Teft said. “I haven’t,” Kaladin snapped. “I’ve been busy.” Teft gave him a flat stare. Storming sergeants. They always heard the things you weren’t saying. - Rhythm of War, Ch. 38 Rhythm of the Terrors

Peer Support Canada. (2022). Peer Support Core Values. Accessed from https://peersupportcanada.ca/ Jun 27, 2022.

#I shared this on reddit a while ago but it got archived so here #enjoy #this is not an april fools thing this is just bad timing on my part #kaladin stormblessed #rhythm of war #row spoilers #kaladin didn't invent therapy #peer support #stormlight archive #the stormlight archive #stormlight essay #stormlight meta #god i love kaladin so much

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jamesunderwater · 6 months

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okay for real -- would folks actually follow it if i made a sideblog for info, resources, peer support, etc. around mental health, trauma healing, trans/queer health, & disability justice topics?

the more work i do on this stuff in my crisis/client support job the more i'm like, fuck i want to get this information out there to people as much as i can.

#mental health #therapy #healing journey #mental health support #autism #adhd #neurodiversity #complex ptsd #trauma recovery #queer community #trans #trans healthcare #peer support #accessibility #disability justice #disability #bpd #bipolar disorder #ocd

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germ-t-ripper · 3 months

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19JAN24 Everyday I'm grateful to work side-by-side with this man who is an endless source of positive encouragement.

#peer support #mental health #sober #sobriety #recovery #odaat #gay bear #handsome bear #muscle bear #daddy bear

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angelasscribbles · 11 months

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Writers Group

A few weeks ago, I had a lovely conversation with @peonierose about writing and she put the idea in my head to start a writing group. I’ve mentioned it to several people since and they have all been enthusiastic about the idea.

This would be a peer support group. We can take turns leading discussions, but no one is obligated to host/lead ever. If you prefer to just participate, that’s fine. If you want to be a silent participant at first because you’re shy, that’s fine too. Absolutely no pressure.

My idea so far is to host on something like WhatsApp or Discord. We can have an ongoing/open chat where people can ask questions and talk about writing at any time AND a monthly scheduled day/time where we host real time discussions on a specific writing topic.

Participants are welcome and encouraged to suggest topics.

Suggested topics so far: world building, outlines, character development, POV, tense, research, plotting v pantsing, dialogue tags/action tags, chapter length, how to write good descriptions etc.

Questions (please answer in comments, reblog or DM)

Who would be interested in joining?

Would you prefer WhatsApp, Discord or something else? (feel free to suggest other options)

What days/times would work best for you for the monthly topics?

Would you prefer text only or a voice or video option for the monthly topics?

What topics would you like to see covered?

That’s it! If there’s enough interest, I will move forward with this idea.

#writers group #fanfic writing #interest gauging post #peer support #let's help each other

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livewellwithme · 5 months

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Here I Am

Welcome to my new blog, Live Well With Me, dedicated to achieving wellness in every aspect of life. I draw inspiration from the "8 Dimensions of Wellness" model, demonstrated below:

I will be using this platform to serve various purposes, including:

Transparently documenting my own self-improvement journey (the ↑ and the ↓).

Providing valuable insights from the perspective of a counseling student.

Curating a collection of the wellness community's most impactful wisdom and experiences.

Connecting with like-minded individuals who share my passion for wellness.

If you're interested in getting to know the woman behind the screen:

My name is Kayla.

I'm 24 years old.

I am a second-year counseling student, graduating in May 2025.

I personally manage PMDD (i.e., depression and anxiety during PMS).

I worked as a Peer Support Specialist for two years, leveraging my own struggles to provide empathetic recovery coaching.

I live with my boyfriend and two cats in a cute historical downtown district.

I am very much "like other girls" and proud of it! I've been a Swiftie since 2006, I've lost track of how many times I've seen Gilmore Girls, and I cried watching Barbie in theaters twice this summer.

My absolute dream life consists of a harmonic balance between motherhood, my counseling career, and micro-homesteading. It's a lot to take on, but I can make it happen.

This is not my first rodeo on Tumblr— I practically grew up on here!

If you're passionate about holistic wellness or believe we might be kindred spirits, I invite you to follow this blog. Additionally, I encourage you to participate in meaningful discussions through comments or direct messaging.

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bfpnola · 1 year

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post #4 of this mad studies morning! this one is by @/cpabolition, original post linked in the source.

image description needed!

#resources #reaux speaks #mad liberation #peer support #abolition #undescribed #disability justice #sanism

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thehavenmh · 1 year

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Visit us at www.thehaven.support for more information!! All users 18 and over are welcome. DM if you have any questions and we'll get back to you asap!

#thehavenmh #mental health #mental illness #peer support #support #depression #bipolar #anxiety #adhd #ocd #eating disorders #personalitydisorder #ptsd #did #bpd #socialanxiety #panicattack #meds #mood

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pulseincorp · 5 months

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Pull out those journals

#mentalhealth #journalentry #journalprompts #writeitout #journaltopic #writingprompt #writingtopics #humpday #humpdayvibes #Wednesday #writingcommunity #depression #sad #writerscommunity

#mental health #pulseincorp #mental health medics #positive mental attitude #pulseinc #crisis help #peer support #journal topic #journal prompts #journals #journaling #writing prompt #writing tools #writers #writers on tumblr #writing #writerscommunity #writers community #writers prompt

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parasocial-work · 1 month

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need somewhere to vent / find peers / get help finding supports? our !dropin support space is now open

-> https://twitch.tv/PARAsocial_work

#indie vtuber #mental health #lived experience #neurodivergent #recovery #peer support #safe space

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trans-axolotl · 10 months

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reading a book about the Bethel house in Japan and it's always so so so cool to see all the unique differences + all the commonalities between different mad liberation/peer support communities. definitely noticing some similarities between the Trieste model in Italy and Bethel house, especially when it comes to embracing problems as opportunities + the model of healing in community, and transitioning from closed hospital wards to community living with open hospital treatment. another key feature of bethel house is self directed research (a translation of tōjisha-kenkyū that doesn't quite get all the political nuance.) the idea is that people engage in self study and self diagnosis to understand their own experiences and then present these in peer support meetings, get feedback, etc.

favorite thing I learned about Bethel house is that every year they have a competition called the Grand Prix hallucination and delusions contest, where people share their stories of hallucinations and delusions and whoever's hallucination/delusion brought the community most together that year wins the prize. like i'm actually so so obsessed with that and almost teared up hearing the casual and accepted way altered states were talked about.

Bethel house def isn't perfect but is such an interesting example of what alternatives to psychiatry can look like and i'm really grateful to everyone from bethel house who publically shares their experiences!

article about bethel house: https://aeon.co/essays/japans-radical-alternative-to-psychiatric-diagnosis

films about Bethel house: http://www.disability.jp/soul/

#personal #mad liberation #antipsychiatry #psych abolition #peer support #psych survivors

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dromaeocore · 9 months

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At risk of outing myself as a Reddit User (though I guess those are cool nowadays?), I have created a wiki page of US mental health resources that aren't, like, psych wards or suicide hotlines that will call the cops on you, lol. It's got support groups, warmlines, and (as far as I'm aware), the most updated list of peer respites in the US to date, along with states that are in the process of passing bills/getting funding to do so.

It is about half complete, and I plan to add a lot more information to the peer respite list, such as links, phone numbers, etc.

Also, feel free to join the subreddit. Anyone is welcome to post, I'm just currently the only active member lol :)

#peer respite #peer respites #peer support #mental health #mental illness #psychology #psych wards #psychiatric hospital #psychiatry #psychiatry critical #critical psychiatry #psych critical #antipsych #antipsychiatry #mad pride #therapy #crisis support

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neuroticboyfriend · 1 year

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i really need to find some peer mental health support. i need to. i just don't really know how to get it. i know some organizations but it's confusing. does anyone know how to get them and where to find them..?

#peer support #disabled #disability #mental health #softspoonie #mentally ill #mental illness #chronically ill #chronic illness

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careforacacia · 3 months

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UPDATE: $915 REMAINING

Please share and contribute if you can: $915 required by tomorrow, Friday February 2

The situation: Acacia has just 2 days to raise $915 so they can stay housed in the accessible home they just acquired after never having a safe or stable place to live, including being unhoused for more than a decade

Some demographics: They are multiply-neurodiverse/disabled, queer/mogai, culturally oppressed, health challenged ( immune sensitivity, mcs, high levels of toxicity, chronic burnout ), migrant, traumatized, survivor of multiple forms of systemic and interpersonal harm

HOW TO DONATE

PayPal (PREFERRED now due to instant access to funds): https://paypal.me/mxpapaya

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/care4acacia

Include "housing" in the message.

Thank you ❤️‍🩹 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Care for Acacia is a collaborative project between vulnerable peer-in-need Acacia and peer supporter Asa'.

The aim of the project is to meet Acacia's most basic and essential needs, provide them with a baseline quality of life, create a pathway out of poverty, and build the foundations they need to generate their own income.

Acacia is very severely marginalized and extremely vulnerable. Their life has been a daily fight for survival in poverty, alone, navigating violence, in a perpetual and desperate search for safety, community and belonging.

Acacia is in great need of the care, love and support of their communities and to have their most basic and essential needs met. Let's give Acacia the care and quality of life they deserve.

Together we thrive … one act of community care at a time ❤️‍🩹

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Due to Acacia's high support needs and burnout, this blog is ran by an anonymous volunteer on Acacia's behalf.

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