About the Event
As we witness ongoing colonial violence and genocide, it is more important than ever to increase our capacity for an ethics and practice of care rooted in consent and accountability. Many people have learned to shift their gaze or look away when others are experiencing trauma or oppression, with dire consequences. Holding space and providing support are sacred practices, and it’s critical that we are equipped with skills and practices that support liberation, rather than perpetuate harm. By building our toolkits, the practices of witnessing and care can become more sustainable.
Licensed therapist and observer-disruptor Oumou Sylla created Radical Mental Health First Aide (RMHFA) to radically reimagine how care is accessed and co-created. It is a framework and tool designed to support us in decentering the medical model from the way we access care, support, love or whatever words your community uses. RMHFA illuminates how colonial helping styles show up in so much of what is called “care,” the importance of curiosity, and how to promote community and connection in all of the work we do.
We invite you to join us on Monday, November 13 for a 2-hour virtual workshop that will offer context on the impact of oppression and social injustice on the bodymind and teach tangible de-escalation and consent skills. Oumou will go over the RMHFA Action Plan in depth, and provide the opportunity to ask questions, practice skills, and apply knowledge.
This event is open to a multi-stakeholder audience, including people with lived experience, people with professional "expertise", peer supporters/workers, licensed professionals, institutions, warm lines, and people who work with people.
Register in advance via Eventbrite to join. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join.
Donations
IDHA is a small organization that strives to meet the accessibility needs of our community to the best of our ability. Our events are by tiered suggested donation to ensure we can provide closed captions on our events and other programs, though we strive to never turn anyone away. We appreciate donations of any size for those who have capacity to give.
Access
ASL interpretation + automated closed captioning will be provided. The event will be recorded and shared with all registrants. Please submit any additional access needs to contact@idha-nyc.org.
Facilitator
Oumou Sylla
oumou is a multi-hyphenate polycreative - therapist, coach/wellness doula, entrepreneur, disruptor, writer, speaker, consultant and facilitator of spaces for radical learning. she is the creator of RMHFA, a workshop that is slowly but surely changing the care and mental health landscape. oumou’s lived and professional experiences are gifts that allow her to support people and businesses in intuitive and radical ways. their work aims to disrupt systems of disconnection, the laziness lie, the productivity death escalator and “the transactional ways in which relationships exist under capitalism” (word 2 niki franco).