August Mental Health
Webinar Series

Disability Rights California’s Peer Self-Advocacy Program is presenting a virtual conference where you will learn more about mental health and self-advocacy from a peer perspective. Please join us to learn more about the rights of people with mental health disabilities and self-advocacy strategies regarding self-disclosure, autonomy and rights in board and care facilities. 

These webinars are presented in both English and Spanish.

Webinar Topics

To Tell or Not to Tell: Mental Health, Stigma and Self-Disclosure

Description:

Choosing to self-disclose our mental health disability to others is a very personal and important decision. It is not a one-time decision; rather, it is an ongoing “coming out” journey that we may face on a daily basis. The results of our decision can have positive or negative consequences, depending on the situation, the timing and the people we tell. We will explore the role of self-identity, stigma and factors to consider when making the choice to self-disclose.

Come join us as we discuss:

• Self-Disclosure – What’s the Point?
• How Do We Identify Ourselves?
• Language, Stigma & Mental Health
• The “Coming Out” Journey
• Reasons to Self-Disclose
• Evaluating the Pros & Cons
• To tell or not to tell – the decision is ours, and ours alone.

Speakers:

Robyn Gantsweg

Principles of Autonomy and Friendship (Spanish Webinar)

Principios de Autonomía Personal: Amistad e Intimidad

Description:

Como personas con discapacidades de salud mental, o compañeros, todos tenemos derechos de autonomía personal. Esto significa que tenemos derecho a tomar nuestras propias decisiones de vida y decidir lo que es importante para nosotros. En lugar de que otras personas decidan “qué es lo que más nos conviene,” nosotros podemos decidir por nosotros mismos.

Este seminario web analiza la autonomía personal y la amistad para todos los compañeros. Tenemos derecho a dirigir nuestras propias vidas y tomar nuestras propias decisiones. Esto incluye el derecho al consentimiento informado, a elegir nuestras propias relaciones y expresar nuestra sexualidad, género y orientación sexual sin discriminación. Únase a nosotros y explore sus derechos para tomar sus propias decisiones de vida.

Speakers:

Senobia Pichardo

All About Your Rights When Living in a Board and Care Facility

Description:

This webinar will detail the rights people have while living in a licensed board and care facility. Topics will include rights regarding living conditions, privacy and landlord-tenant rights.

Many people living in community care facilities do not know their rights. This webinar will explain those rights, including the right to privacy and safe and comfortable living conditions and the right to practice their religion, have visitors and be free from harm. We will also inform participants about different types of evictions, how to fight an eviction and how landlord-tenant laws apply to board and care facilities.

Speakers:

Debi Davis

All About Your Rights When Living in a Board and Care Facility (Spanish Webinar)

Todo Sobre Sus Derechos Cuando Vive en una Centro de Cuidado y Vivienda

Description:

Este seminario web detallará los derechos que las personas tienen mientras viven en un centro de cuidado y vivienda. Los temas incluirán derechos relacionados con las condiciones de vida, la privacidad y los derechos del propietario y el inquilino.

Muchas personas que viven en centros de atención comunitarios no conocen sus derechos. Este seminario web explicará esos derechos, incluido el derecho a la privacidad y condiciones de vida seguras y cómodas, y el derecho a practicar su religión, tener visitantes y estar libre de daños. También informaremos a los participantes sobre los diferentes tipos de desalojos, cómo combatir un desalojo y cómo se aplican las leyes de arrendadores e inquilinos a los centros de cuidado y vivienda.

Speakers:

María García

Learn about our speakers:

Robyn Gantsweg

Robyn Gantsweg has lived experience as a person with a mental health disability. As a peer, she has ventured on her own self-disclosure “journey” for over 40 years. Working with the Peer Self-Advocacy (PSA) program at Disability Rights California since 2002, she teaches peers about their rights and how to advocate for their own needs and goals. She also provides training and supervision for PSA staff who facilitate self-advocacy groups in facilities, state hospitals and in the community. She is open and proud to be a peer and finds self-disclosure is an important way to reduce mental health stigma and discrimination.

Maria Garcia

Maria Garcia is a person with lived experienced. For the last 14 years she has been an Assistant Patients’ Rights Advocate, working for California Office of Patients’ Rights (COPR). COPR specializes in advocating for the rights of patients with mental health disabilities at the state hospitals.

Maria was a Certified Bilingual Teacher for 5 years. After she was diagnosed with a mental health disability, Maria strived to self-advocate for her rights, and when she joined COPR she was able to advocate for the rights of patients at DSH Metropolitan.

She recently joined the Peer Self Advocacy (PSA) Program as a Coordinator.

In 2018, she received an Advocacy Achievement Award for her dedication and hard work. Her most important reward comes from knowing that with COPR and PSA services, people with mental health disabilities have a voice in the communities and in state hospitals.

Debi Davis

Debi Davis, MSW, is a person with lived experience and a long-time mental health advocate. She founded WE C.A.N. (Client Advocacy Now), a client advocacy group and volunteer for 10 years with Riverside County Patient Rights Office. For the past 12 years, Ms. Davis has worked in the Peer and Self-Advocacy unit of disability rights California, facilitating self-advocacy groups at a state hospital and facilities in the community.

Senobia Pichardo

Senobia Pichardo is a Coach in the Peer Self-Advocacy Program (PSA Unit) with Disability Rights California. She has been facilitating Self Advocacy groups for 15 years throughout Los Angeles County. Both in the community and in intensive care clinics.

Her love for emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being led her to start energy medicine courses and is now a Reiki and integrated energy therapy practitioner. She likes being able to offer support in various ways and thus feels reconnected to her roots. She is a lifelong learner and feels that the heart never tires of learning, growing and expanding.