The 13th Annual Critical Voices Conference, Cork, Ireland, 10th November 2021. (ONLINE)

11 Oct 2021

CREATING SAFE SPACES IN MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES

10 November 2021.

SCHOOL OF APPLIED SOCIAL STUDIES AND SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK, IRELAND

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE CRITICAL VOICES NETWORK IRELAND

AND 

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ONLINEVENTS 

Although we had hoped to welcome people back to Cork this year for the 2-day Annual Critical Perspectives Conference, the Conference will once again revert to a 1-day online event, on 10 November. We hope that, like last year, you’ll join us in making the online Conference a success! Onlinevents are our partners again this year.  

Conference Registration:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/x/creating-safe-spaces-in-mental-health-systems-critical-perspectives-tickets-188036491207

As is now a well established custom and practice with this annual conference, this is a free event, although there is a minimum donation of £1. 

Conference theme: 

The experience of the Covid-19 pandemic is relevant to this year’s conference theme with issues of safety featuring in all our lives in different ways. Within this context, it is important to remain critical and not to lose sight of concerns that continue to be expressed about mental health systems not providing safe spaces for people in intense distress. Indeed, it is often the opposite, with people referring to experiences of de-humanisation, coercion and re-traumatisation. Acknowledging such concerns, this conference, now in its 13th year, focuses on the importance of developing and providing safe spaces for people experiencing distress. The conference offers opportunities to examine:

• what we understand by safe spaces in mental health systems
• what makes it so difficult to offer safe spaces
• the increasing use of coercion and forced treatment to try and maintain people’s ‘safety’
• what safe spaces may look like and how these may be experienced by people in distress
• ways to support people in intense distress in spaces where they feel safe and respected

Conference format:

4 keynote presentations and 2 sessions of concurrent presentations 

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

Conference Fees: 

As is well established custom and practice with this annual conference, this is a free event, although there is a minimum donation of £1. 

Conference Registration:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/x/creating-safe-spaces-in-mental-health-systems-critical-perspectives-tickets-188036491207

The Conference organisers are Lydia Sapouna, School of Applied Social Studies and Harry Gijbels (retired), Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Ireland.  

For more on this story contact:

Lydia Sapouna