A Mental Health Story
I know I have told this one several times, but I can't find what I wrote - so here goes again. Seems like there is a large sheltered workshop program in Canada, the name of which has escaped my brain. Their leadership came to an OS training, and upon their return home they tried out OS for their annual strategic planning. To save money they did it in one of their facilities. When things started they found that a number of the chairs had been filled by the clients. There was some discussion as to what to do - and the decision was to proceed. Everything worked just like usual, although some of the clients had some difficulty writing their issues, but the staff helped. In short no problem. Many months after the event, the director wrote me a note describing a most unexpected result from the Open Space. They had just finished doing their end of the year financial report and made a most interesting discovery. They were able to provide twice the level of service for the same amount of money. It turned out that half of the services previously offered the clients neither wanted nor needed, but nobody had ever really talked to them (clients) before. So the services were canceled and the money reallocated. Cool! After another year I got another note from the director. They had just completed their assessments of the clients in terms of coping skills (ability to get along in the world). Major discovery - those clients who had participated in Open Space (and by that time OS had become a regular part of that facility's "business") demonstrated the highest jump in scores that anybody had ever seen. The director concluded by saying that although she was sure that I had never thought of Open Space as a "treatment modality" it was in fact the most powerful one they had ever encountered. Way cool! Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute <http://www.openspaceworld.org/> www.openspaceworld.org Personal website <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: <http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html> www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Lisa Heft Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2008 8:45 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: OS with and for elderly, mental health consumers and others [long] Hello, dear colleagues - I have a client who is interested in hearing about the use of OS with and for: Elderly persons Mental health consumers People with different physical abilities and disabilities Intergenerational work ..in conferences or in community, business or organizational meetings. We are planning something together and he wishes a few stories in hand so he can explain this to people who don't 'get it' like he does. He TOTally gets it and is excited for what we are about to do. A bit of support on how OS has been used in somewhat similar circumstances to his will be a great help as he approaches his planning committee. Thanks to everyone for sending a few words about OS events you have been part of with participants such as this - feel free to send to me directly or post on the list. Below are stories I have already collected. John, were you able to do that OS you mention below? And Michael P, I looked on http://www.openspaceworldscape.org <http://www.openspaceworldscape.org/> - but the one listing I saw is an event you did, written up in German. Alas, I do not speak German. If you can share a few words about it that would be great. Perhaps some of you who have done similar work in Canada can also share some of your stories, as Larry mentions below. Thanks, everyone - here are more stories below... Kerry Napuk, Scotland We facilitated an event with 102 mental health users from all parts of Scotland. In two rounds of issues and actions on finding a collective voice during day one, they convened 30 sessions with 90 actions. On day two on making their voice heard, service users created 14 project teams, including plans to form a new national organisation. The opening circle was pulsating with energy and set the scene for a very memorable event. There were many stories of personal courage, participants who came to Dundee having not left their houses in more than two years and not having been away overnight or on a train alone for more years than they could recall. Even though participants were all users of mental health services and were coping with various medical illnesses, they stuck into the work with great gusto and humour. It was a magnificent conference of individual learning and sharing, as well as collective consciousness. Larry Peterson, Canada A number of us in Canada have facilitated OS events with "consumer/survivors of the mental health system" - the term they have chosen here. A variety of very successful events over the past years sometimes with folks with some difficult physical issues as well. It is delightful experience such events. John, USA and Haiti I'm talking with leadership at an elderly care community. The president really believes in the power of dialogue. They have about 1,500 people in their community which include several hundred staff and care-givers and nearly 1,000 elderly persons. Some of the elderly own their homes which are part of the community and do not need daily care. Others live in a special place where they have constant care. Leadership's challenge is to foster a cultural change in their community from one of medical care to one of overall social care. They want to engage everyone in conversations about this and are considering organizing one or a couple of day-long open space events during this summer. Harrison Owen, USA Never did anything with elder care communities -- but something pretty close. About 8 years ago, the Northwest Regional Advisor Council for the AARP (American Association of Retired People) decided they needed to focus their mission, purpose, and program. Open Space was the chosen vehicle. The council consisted of some 150 people with an average age of 70+ (actually more on the plus side.) Space opened, and everything happened as usual, but I was a little worried about the reports. We were using computers, and for many of the people involved, a computer was a new and different thing. Most could type, but a computer....???? Anyhow the reports started to come in, and I passed by the Newsroom. There a wonderful lady, obviously in her early 80s, confronted the machine, surrounded by mounds of flip chart paper. Not only was this her first time out, but she happened to have posted *THE* issue, and many people had lots to say. I wondered, and passed on my way. Sometime later I came back just to check. She was obviously making progress, but in a way that pained me. Using a large magnifying glass to see the screen, she punched in her report, one finger at a time. I watched for a moment, and then did what I never would do ordinarily. I came up to her and offered to help. She didn't quite hear me at first, but when she did -- her response was surprising. She turned on me like a mother guarding her children and said, "No young man. I will type my own report!" I tipped my hat and went on my way. ... __________ Thanks, all, Lisa ___________________________ L i s a H e f t Consultant, Facilitator, Educator O p e n i n g S p a c e <mailto:lisah...@openingspace.net> lisah...@openingspace.net <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
