From Heart Forward LA: “Some of you may have gleaned from social media this past month that changes are in the wind in Trieste and in the region that governs that city. A more conservative-leading leadership is in power and they have the authority to make critical decisions about the future of their world-acclaimed mental health system.
I was pleased to be able to spend some time with Dr. Roberto Mezzina last week. This interview will help us make sense of this situation. The episode notes for this podcast connect to a number of important articles about the unfolding events, and I do believe that the growing global attention to these leadership decisions is resulting in greater media attention and the empowerment of the citizens of that region who stand to lose a lot if erosion of services occurs.
So please take a listen to the interview with Dr. Mezzina this week and if you haven’t done so already, please add your name to the petition that has been created for English-speaking supporters. Dr. Mezzina mentions in the podcast that they especially take heart to the supportive comments that are listed in the petition platform.
Season Theme:
The American mental health system is broken beyond repair. Rather than trying to tweak a system which fails everyone, it is time to commit to a bold vision for a better way forward. This podcast explores the American system against the plumb line of an international best practice, recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), in Trieste, Italy. The 40-year old Trieste model demonstrates how a community-based treatment system upholds the human rights of the people served. The Trieste story is anti-institutional and models the therapeutic value of social connection. Topics will address contemporary challenges in the American failed mental health system as contrasted with the Italian approach toward accoglienza – or radical hospitality – as the underpinning of their remarkable culture of caring for people. Interviews will touch upon how the guiding principles of the Italian system – social recovery, whole person care, system accountability, and the human right to a purposeful life – are non-negotiable aspects if we are to have any hope of forging a new way forward in our American mental health system.”
