Beyond Recovery: What Mental Health Can Learn from the Disability Rights Movement with Dr. Mark Salzer

I first heard about Mark Salzer from a cluster of colleagues I deeply trust. We were all at a conference in Vermont, and more than one person pulled me aside and said, "You have to go listen to him -- he's got it going on." They were absolutely right. I left that presentation with my mind buzzing, and I immediately thought: I have to bring him to Hope Illuminated.Mark is a psychologist and professor at Temple University in Philadelphia. He comes from a family steeped in mental health -- his mother was a psychiatric nurse, his brother is a psychologist, and his grandfather was actually co-credited with coining the term "antidepressant." But what drives Mark is not legacy. It is social justice. He believes that people who experience significant mental health challenges are among the most disenfranchised, stigmatized, and discriminated against people in our society -- and that much of the mental health system, despite good intentions, perpetuates that problem.In this episode, we dig into the concept of recovery and why Mark -- who calls himself a "recovery baby," shaped by the movement from its earliest days -- has grown concerned that the term has gone off the rails. We explore what the disability rights movement figured out long before mental health did: that inclusion, participation, and the opportunity to live a full life in community are not the rewards of getting better. They are the measure of getting better.This is one of those conversations that will change how you think about your work -- whether you are a provider, a researcher, an advocate, or someone navigating your own mental health journey. For more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/172