Our Stories Project: Anna Benedict publishes her third OSP book!
Recently, graduate student Anna Benedict published the third book in the Our Stories Project (OSP). Anna started OSP as an undergraduate student at Notre Dame during the Covid-19 pandemic to combine her passions for mental health advocacy and storytelling. OSP partners undergraduate students with adults navigating serious mental illness at Clubhouse psychosocial recovery centers. The students and Clubhouse members work together to co-write the members’ life stories and publish them in the OSP books.
The OSP has raised thousands of dollars for Clubhouse communities and received international translation requests. The books are being used in graduate courses and the Clubhouse in South Bend, IN is working to adapt the narratives into a play to fight stigma around serious mental illness.
When talking about what the OSP means to her, Anna explained:
“This work is important to me since I’ve seen the difference that psychosocial intervention that draws on people’s wellness, instead of on their illness, makes in helping people live meaningful lives. The folks whom I've worked with are used to being silenced and ostracized, and they are heavily stigmatized by media which labels them as ‘crazy’ and ‘dangerous.’ In the public eye as well as in research and healthcare, this frequently leaves little room for centering their humanity, their right to autonomy, their ability to recover, their ability to give back to their communities, and their ability to live meaningful lives despite their illness. This orientation on strengths is a vital missing piece that I’m excited to explore.”
The WELL is incredibly proud of Anna’s work on the OSP, the relationships she has built with over 200 students and clubhouse members, and the impact her work has had on reducing stigma around serious mental illness. Congratulations Anna on publishing the third OSP book!
If you are interested in purchasing the OSP book, you can find it here Our Stories: Narratives of Transformation Through Mental Illness from Queen City Clubhouse (Our Stories at Queen City Clubhouse)
