Monthly Archives: March 2019

Mt. Tahoma Sanctuary – Apr 3, 2019

Posted on March 7, 2019 by | Comments Off on Mt. Tahoma Sanctuary – Apr 3, 2019

A Healing Home for Mental Health Recovery

  • Holistic Living with a Heart Centered Approach
  • Belonging: Taking Life to the Next Level
  • Healing Community Gatherings
  • Flexible, Replicable Home Model

Mt. Tahoma Sanctuary is an uplifting home in Tacoma, WA where adults who have come through spiritual and psychological crises can begin the process of healing without pressure. Residents are provided the spaciousness to redirect their lives through discovering meaning and purpose. The home is not staffed, and this makes it affordable. With the support of The Healing Field nonprofit, everyone comes together to meditate, to experience self-healing skills, and to cook on a routine basis. The community gathers frequently to bring healing methods to residents and others. We strive towards mutual supportiveness, while honoring each individual’s path.

Mt. Tahoma Sanctuary’s Co-Founders as Speakers:

Christine Karczewski

Christine Karczewski is an Energy Healer, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Massage Therapist, and Family Constellations Facilitator with 18 years experience in mind/body/heart/spirit centered approaches to emotional and spiritual healing. She envisions a new mental health paradigm that embraces a spiritual, mind/body connecting, heart-centered, relational approach for individuals and their families who are suffering and in crisis.

Po Karczewski

Po Karczewski worked as a critical care RN and then an RN and RN manager for 8 years at Western State Hospital and for 15 years as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and prescribing team leader at Greater Lakes Mental Healthcare, a Pierce County community mental health agency, seeing adults, adolescents and children. He is currently providing psychiatric services for an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment facility. Po has always been an advocate for more cautious and judicious use of psychiatric medication.

Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 7 – 9 PM
New Location!
Montavilla United Methodist Church
232 SE 80th Avenue, Portland, OR 97215
Click here for map

FREE! (Donations Welcome $0 – $20 suggested)
For questions, contact RethinkingPsychiatry@gmail.com or message us on our Facebook Page.

Refreshments will be provided, including plenty of vegan and gluten-free options!

Click here to download flyer.
Click here to download 4-up version of flyer.

Comments Off on Mt. Tahoma Sanctuary – Apr 3, 2019

Posted in Uncategorized

Rethinking Psychiatry’s Cindi Fisher featured in Vancouver’s Columbian newspaper

Posted on March 4, 2019 by | Comments Off on Rethinking Psychiatry’s Cindi Fisher featured in Vancouver’s Columbian newspaper
Cindi Fisher

Vancouver’s Columbian newspaper featured a story about Cindi Fisher and her son’s journey in the U.S. mental health system. A message from Cindi and a link to the article are below.

Hello Friends,

I am very grateful to reporter, Jake Thomas, for the length and depth of his interview, and his accuracy and compassion reflected in the article!

There are 3 additions I think are important:

1. The restraining order placed against me for advocating for my son was vacated on 1/13/2014 by Judge Nicols. The court upheld that the initial charge brought by guardian ad litem Lisa Rasmussen on behalf of Western State Hospital was fraudulent.

I have a copy of the legal order signed by Judge Nichols. I was surprised to find out that it was not entered into court records, thanks to the investigative journalism of The Columbian reporter, Jake Thomas. I will have the court rectify that.

2. In regards to my son’s charges of theft, the restaurant owners informed me they had specifically requested the police only trespass Siddharta from the restaurant. The Vancouver police instead handcuffed and arrested him, knowing his record of disability, causing him to destabilize and lose his housing. This was a form of racial and disability discrimination.

3. The voices of those labeled with mental health diagnoses are missing. These are the people most directly impacted by our current mental illness and standard of care model. Their voices are rarely included, but there are many who have been through the system and recovered—sometimes despite treatment—who are the experts on what works and what doesn’t work.

From the local Oregon Mental Health Consumers Association to the international Hearing Voices Movement to The National Empowerment Center to MindFreedom to The Icarus Project to the vast peer recovery movement, these are the voices we need most to listen to.

Please MAKE A COMMENT at the end (the comment link is not immediately visible at the end of the article…wait approximately 15 seconds at the end, and the word “comment” will pop up) if you identify as someone who has had extreme state/mental health challenges, if you are a parent or advocate for someone, or if you think it is critical that the voices of those most directly impacted be featured in public media and have a majority voice at the decision making table.

Below is a link to the article.

Warmly,
Cindi


By Jake Thomas, Columbian political reporter Published January 28, 2019

Vancouver mom concerned about state of mental health care

Her adult son is eligible to leave state psychiatric facility, but quality of care, housing options closer to home remain issues close to her heart

Since November, Cindi Fisher has regularly made the trip from Vancouver to Lakewood, just outside of Tacoma, to visit her son, Siddharta. On a recent visit, Fisher said, she shared a meal with him at Old Country Buffet, took him to a local park and left him with some money.

But after their six hours together, it was time for Siddharta to return to the brick walls and secured windows of Western State Hospital, which as Washington’s largest inpatient psychiatric facility has come under scrutiny for health and safety violations.

Fisher, a 68-year-old retired teacher who has been recognized by YWCA Clark County and local NAACP for her activism, said that her son has met his treatment goals and is eligible for release — but won’t be coming home to Clark County…

Click here to read full article: https://www.columbian.com/news/2019.

Comments Off on Rethinking Psychiatry’s Cindi Fisher featured in Vancouver’s Columbian newspaper

Posted in News