What does lived experience really mean and why is it important? | 18 May 2023

The phrase "lived experience" is widely used in behavioral health, but what does it really mean? Is lived-experience a code word meaning “former mental patient”? Isn’t all experience, “lived experience” and therefore isn’t “lived experience” redundant? Can a clinician have lived experience? In this webinar, Pat Deegan will explore the origins of “lived experience” in philosophy and its migration into behavioral health. She will argue that lived experience introduces a new way of knowing that can complement, and at times disrupt, the clinical world view. The Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center is committed to ensuring digital accessibility. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards. Please email us at [email protected] with any questions or concerns. FACILITATOR Pat Deegan, PhD Patricia E. Deegan, PhD's mission is to help activate and empower mental health services users in their own recovery and to provide peer supporters and clinicians with the know-how to support people in their recovery journey. She is uniquely positioned to fulfill her vocation because she was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, went on to get her doctorate in clinical psychology and today leads a company run by and for people in recovery. She is a thought-leader in the field of mental health recovery, has numerous peer-reviewed publications, has held a number of academic appointments, and has carried a message of hope for recovery to audiences around the world. In addition to her work on the CommonGround Program, she consults with OnTrackNY and has helped the team at the Center for Practice Innovations develop an innovative model for engaging young people under the NIMH RAISE Study. The model is now being adopted nationally.