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The Riggs Blog
The Riggs Blog is a mix of news about clinical work, research and educational activities from the Austen Riggs Center, as well as a source for information beyond our walls that we find interesting and thought-provoking. Senior clinical experts, researchers, and editors review all clinical content on this blog before it is published.
One of our proposed Four Freedoms of Mental Health is the freedom to pursue recovery.
Recovery from mental disorders is a process that unfolds over time; the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines recovery as “a process of change through which people improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential” (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2019). Living a self-directed life is a cornerstone of recovery—and a central focus of treatment at Riggs. Given the real obstacles posed by stigma, limited clinical models to help address mental illness for many individuals, and lack of access to medically necessary treatment—especially in the tendency of many insurance entities to limit access to care to crisis stabilization—the prospect of achieving recovery can be daunting.
Dr. Fonagy will give the Session 3 keynote presentation, “The Consequences of Losing Epistemic Trust: A Perspective from the UK on Mental Disorders that Persist and Resist Treatment,” on Sunday morning at the Austen Riggs Centennial Conference, “The Mental Health Crisis in America.”
Mental health care in America has radically evolved in the past decades, with an increasing emphasis on viewing people as mouths to swallow pills instead of seeking to understand the context and origin of their suffering. Pushing back against that trend, the Austen Riggs Center (Riggs) today announced the establishment of the “Four Freedoms of Mental Health Award.” The inaugural award will be presented during a special Centennial Celebration and Award Presentation evening, hosted by actor and director Sam Waterston, on Saturday, September 21, 2019, at the Linde Center for Music and Learning located at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts.
Carol Gilligan, PhD, is an American feminist, ethicist, and psychologist; University Professor at New York University; Visiting Professor at the University of Cambridge; and author of In A Different Voice.
Dr. Gilligan will give the Session 2 keynote presentation on Saturday afternoon at the Austen Riggs Centennial Conference, “The Mental Health Crisis in America.”
Co-founder and President of Mindstrong Health, former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and recently appointed “Mental Health Czar” for the state of California
Dr. Insel will give the Session 1 keynote presentation, “Beyond Magical Thinking” on Saturday morning at the Austen Riggs Center Centennial Conference, “The Mental Health Crisis in America.”
Austen Riggs Center Summer 2019 newsletter, celebrating the opening of “The Hospital on Main Street” exhibition, exploring the freedom to pursue recovery, and remembering Richard Q. Ford, PhD.
If you are a journalist who covers topics related to suicide, mental health, access to care, the politics/economics of health care, and related issues, this conference will provide you with access to leading thinkers and policy-makers.
Austen Riggs Center’s Director of Psychiatric Education David Mintz, MD, recently authored a piece about the APA Caucus on Psychotherapy and its meeting at the 2019 APA Annual Meeting in San Francisco that appears in the August 2, 2019 issue of Psychiatric News.
Jeremy D. Morris, PhD; and PhD candidate Erika Warbinton from the Blot Spot, interview Austen Riggs Center Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Psychological Testing Jeremey Ridenour, PsyD, about psychological testing and treatment at Riggs, testing in general, and other related topics.
During a visit to the Austen Riggs Center earlier this year, George Yancy, PhD, spoke about his interests in philosophy, race, biography, and what “suturing” and “un-suturing” mean in the context of his work.
The Austen Riggs Center has been recognized as a High Performing Hospital for 2019-20 by U.S. News & World Report. Unique among the top honorees for its small size and integrated approach to treatment, the Austen Riggs Center is a therapeutic community, open psychiatric hospital, and center for education and research, promoting resilience and self-direction in adults (18+) with complex psychiatric problems.
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