Roots Up

06/16/2026

An Introduction to the Power Threat Meaning (PTM) Framework

A trauma-informed alternative to psychiatric diagnosis with internationally recognized trainer & PTM co-developer, Jacqui Dillon

August 6, 2026, 12-3pm EDT

This is a free virtual event open to clinicians and other providers, peer supporters and anyone interested in learning more about PTM and a different way to make meaning of human experiences.

Register now at tinyurl.com/PTM086

Explore a trauma-informed alternative to psychiatric diagnosis that focuses on understanding people's experiences rather than categorizing symptoms.

The Power Threat Meaning (PTM) Framework is an alternative to psychiatric diagnosis built around four key questions:

* What happened to you?
* How did it affect you?
* What sense did you make of it?
* What did you have to do to survive?

This event represents the official launch of Roots Up's work to support the PTM Framework to grow roots in the United States.

06/08/2026

Jacqui Dillon will be offering a webinar through Roots Up in August - Talking about The Power, Meaning, Threat Framework, which takes a nonpathologizing approach to understanding human variation, including hearing voices, seeing visions, and extreme

Jacqui Dillon is an internationally renowned leader in the Hearing ...

06/08/2026

We lost a Hearing Voices Movement legend last week: Co-founder and psychiatrist, Marius Romme

January 17 '1934-June 4, 2026

Marius Romme was well known over the last 40 years as a psychiatrist who reconsidered his own beliefs and education based on input from voice hearer, Patsy Hage, and became a co-founder of the Hearing Voices Movement. from there, he was responsible for co-authoring core movement texts including 'Making Sense of Voices' a topic he spoke on publicly many times. His interest in learning from voice hearers and others with similar experiences was present for the remainder of his years. His wife and fellow co-founder, Sandra Escher, died a few years prior in May of 2021. Patsy also died around the same time, leaving Marius as the only surviving co-founder until his death this month.

Memorial Service Livestream:

Thursday, June 11, 10:30am (Amsterdam time! Check worldtimebuddy.com or time in your location!)

An on-line memorial page where anyone can leave their memories or thoughts has also been established!

For on-line memorial & livestream: tinyurl.com/MariusRomme26

06/02/2026

Self-Injury: My Why

"I used to feel like I was not quite in the world, moving through work almost invisible, like I could disintegrate in a moment. Self-injury (I used safety pins, paper clips…) brought me back into my surroundings, helped restore focus. Other times when I was alone and felt dark and numb, cutting showed me was still alive. It was not about su***de. It was about knowing it was my body and my body was alive. There were also times when the anxiety and tension was so strong self- harm would release the tension, then I could breathe again."

-Koleen

This post is a part of Roots Up's 'Project Why' project on self-injury. You can learn more about the project at rootsup.info/project-why.

If you would like to submit your why, you can do that here: tinyurl.com/WhySI26



Image description: A gray silhouette is beginning to disintegrate at the hands and lower legs in the lower left corner of the image. The background is white except for the image and a gray mottled line around the bottom and right border. The black text reads as above.

06/02/2026

Jacqui Dillon was one of the first people to offer Hearing Voices Training in the United States. Jacqui will share some of her 30 years of experience in the upcoming HVN training in the second half of June.
https://youtube.com/shorts/_nCkYmXw6Qg?si=E4cJA2ubL9sXckjK

06/01/2026

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

(Whether you like it or not :) )

We get it. Not everybody likes 30 days of rainbows... Now, just imagine what it's like to have 365 days of people questioning & erasing your existence!

+

Image description: A rainbow background with a rainbow running from lower left to upper right corners and a dark gray background behind that, White text in a semi circle at the top says "Happy Pride Month!!" with black text just below that that says "Whether you like it... or not" with a smiley face emoji next to it, Below that is black text with a white glow outline that says "We get it. Not everybody likes 30 days of rainbows... Now, just imagine what it's like to have 365 days of people questioning & erasing your existence!

05/30/2026

It's not you. It's the world.

**edupworld

Image description: White background with black text that reads "I have mental health problems living in a fu**ed up world", but 'mental health' is crossed out in red pen, so it ultimately reads 'I have mental problems living in a fu**ed up world". There is a stick figure standing toward the edge of the word 'health' holding a red pen that is taller than the figure with one hand, with legs slightly crossed and the other hand on the figure's hip. The figure's facial expression is frustrated. Another stick figure is sitting on the 'I' and 'H' of 'I have' with arms folded across knees and wearing the same expression.

05/28/2026

URGENT: HELP US FILL THE ROOM!!!!

Respite & Rights Legislative Briefing

June 3, 2026

Panel, State House, Room 428, 1-2:30pm

Meet with legislators, State House, 2:30-4pm

Come learn about and support the bills:

H.5231/S.1383, An Act establishing peer respites throughout the Commonwealth

H.5229/S.1389, An Act modernizing the 6 fundamental rights

Hear from a panel of peer supporters, advocates and others with lived experience from 1-2:30pm about these 2 bills, and then join us for our Advocacy Day right after!

Both bills are written to improve conditions for people in MA by establishing peer respites as an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization and adding + strengthening fundamental rights for those in the mental health system, including protections for trans people.

No registration required, just show up!!!!!!!

The rideshare form is being managed by and may no longer be accepting requests, but you can check it out at qr.link/AFxXhV and see if its still available.

This event is being co-sponsored by Roots Up, Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee (MHLAC), MassACT, Wildflower Alliance and



Image description: Lavendar background with two blue hands reaching out and grasping each other at the top, one from a gray building with bars on it and the other from an orange house. The details of the event are as listed above on a white background with a gold 'URGENT' sticker on the left and the logos of all the named orgs along the bottom.

Page 2: Lavendar background with a white square and black text including info above (paragraph starting 'Hear from a panel')

05/25/2026

"My journey with self injury has been long and evolving. When I first started, it was just a release and in some ways it’s always stayed like that, but there were times when I would self injure as a distraction. There were times when I would self injure just so that I could see myself heal and know that it was possible. To be honest, there were a lot of times that I did it so that I wouldn’t hurt other people. Although I’ve come to a point in my life where I don’t self injure in the ways that I used to, it’s still always a comfort to think about it and depending on how hard the day is, it’s still a fight not to do it. It’s like an old friend that I miss, but that I’ve outgrown."

- Ebony

This post is a part of Roots Up's 'Project Why' project on self-injury. You can learn more about the project at rootsup.info/project-why.

If you would like to submit your why, you can do that here: tinyurl.com/WhySI26



Image description: White background with a picture of Ebony in the bottom left corner (Black woman with shoulder-length dark and light braids, wearing glasses, septum ring and a gray jacket). A thick dark red line runs along the left border and a dark gray line runs along the bottom border.