Speakers
Ms. Patricia Benedict, B.A.
Ms. Patricia Benedict, B.A., is a member of the Abenaki Nation of the Odanak reservation in Canada and a member of the Connecticut Native American community. For sixteen years, she worked for American Indians for Development, Inc. in a variety of capacities. Patty is a Peer Support Supervisor and Trainer at the Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry Program on Recovery and Community Health. She oversees the development and implementation of Recovering Citizenship Initiatives, leads the Connecticut Recovering Citizenship Learning Collaborative, and is responsible for replicating the Citizens Project nationally and internationally. Patty provides supervision support for Recovery Support staff and supervisors in local community-based reentry projects, Connecticut Valley Hospital and the Whiting Forensic Hospital. She also serves as a community mentor for Fellows in Yale’s LET(s)LEAD Academy. Additional areas of interest and expertise include providing training and support to culturally diverse populations with co-occurring disorders, criminal justice experience and homelessness. She created and implemented a cultural competency training on Native Americans for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Connecticut Judicial Department. In 2009, she received the Leadership Award from the Connecticut Chapter of the United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (USPRA).
Dr. Helen Hamer, Ph.D., R.N.
I am an independent nurse consultant with extensive years of experience in both physical and mental health settings, teaching and supervising clinical staff, peer workers, and delivering workshops that promote best practice approaches. I also work with Debra Lampshire, (MNZM), Lived Experience Expert, to deliver Recovery competency training for staff, which inspired my doctoral research on citizenship; social justice; rights; inclusion; mental health law and procedural justice for service users. I am currently co-facilitating workshops with Debra Lampshire on Shared ＆ Supported Decision Making and Therapeutic Risk Taking to support practitioners to be ready for the repeal and replace of the New Zealand Mental Health Act. We are also delivering training to support the skills of clinicians to Ask ＆ Respond to disclosure of trauma and abuse, including leadership workshops for team leaders/manager on how lead trauma informed and a rights-based practice within teams. I also hold an honorary academic/research role at PRCH and contribute to research on citizenship at Yale University, USA.
Ms. Mary O’Hagan
Ms. Mary O’Hagan was a key initiator of the psychiatric survivor movement in New Zealand in the late 1980s and was the first chairperson of the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry between 1991 and 1995. She has been an advisor to the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Mary was a full-time Mental Health Commissioner in New Zealand between 2000 and 2007. Mary established the international social enterprise PeerZone which provides peer support and resources for people with mental distress. She has written an award-winning memoir called ‘Madness Made Me’ and was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015. Mary is currently Executive Director Lived Experience in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Division at the Department of Health in Victoria. All Mary’s work has been driven by her quest for social justice for one of the most marginalised groups in our communities.
Prof. Michael Rowe, Ph.D.
Prof. Michael Rowe, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, former Co-Director of the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, Principal Investigator of the Citizens Community Collaborative, and Editor of The Perch, a Yale arts and literary journal. Dr. Rowe’s main areas of research and writing are citizenship as an applied framework for the social inclusion and participation of people with psychiatric conditions and others who are marginalized in mainstream society; mental health outreach to people who are homeless; peers as providers of mental health support and advocacy; and medical humanities and narrative medicine. He is the author of more then 240 peer-reviewed articles, books, book chapters, and other publications. Among his six books are Citizenship and Mental Health, Crossing the Border: Encounters Between Homeless People and Outreach Workers, Classics of Community Psychiatry, and The Book of Jesse: A Story of Youth, Illness, and Medicine.
Prof. Samson Tse, Ph.D.
Professor Tse currently serves as the Dean of Student Affairs at The University of Hong Kong since 2020, alongside his role as a Professor in Mental Health. Prior to his time in Hong Kong, he amassed over 20 years of experience working in New Zealand, including Dunedin and Auckland. His research and scholarly pursuits are dedicated to generating knowledge that supports individuals with severe mental illness and those affected by addiction problems. His primary objective is to enhance the wellbeing of service users, families, and caregivers- collectively and individually. Samson has authored or co-authored over 210 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in the field of addiction and mental health. Additionally, he held honorary or visiting professorial positions at Yale University, The University of Melbourne, and The University of Auckland. Over the years, his expertise has earned him appointments to several significant governmental committees in Hong Kong and overseas. Overall, Professor Tse's contributions are instrumental in driving meaningful change and advancement in the realm of mental health and fostering active citizenship.