Normally on Wednesdays, we publish The Fixer, our weekly roundup of solutions in the news. But we’re trying something slightly different: a weekly glimpse of the stories our team is talking about on Slack, the messaging platform where we discuss solutions, opportunities, stories in progress and news that gives us hope. Let us know what you think at [email protected].
From diagnosis to dialogue
Mental health is an important topic — that’s why we dedicated a whole series to it last summer. Recently, contributing editor Michaela Haas was drawn to a story on the website Positive News about a model of care for psychosis known as “open dialogue.” Invented in the 1980s in Finland, it focuses on “rapid response, family relationships and consistent support networks.”
So how does it work? Family, friends and a mental health practitioner come together to create a safe space right away after a person has experienced a mental health crisis. They ask open-ended questions, and it feels “less like an interview for a diagnosis and more of a collaboration between people with differing expertise, whether personal or professional,” according to Positive News.
It’s no surprise that Michaela would find this compelling — she has written several fascinating mental health stories, including her fantastic story on surf therapy and another fun one about Carnegie Hall’s Well-Being Concerts.
For the birds
Meanwhile, Editorial Director Rebecca Worby shared a story from The Guardian about how architects are starting to reimagine city skylines to make them safer for birds. Becca’s been thinking a lot about birds in urban spaces since she moved back to New York City last summer, she told our #whatwearereading Slack channel.
“Admittedly, it’s mostly because I am a huge fan of Flaco the Eurasian eagle owl, who has been living the good life since his escape from the Central Park Zoo almost a year ago,” Becca says.
What else we’re reading
🏠 Newark may have found a fix for chronic homelessness — shared by RTBC founder David Byrne from The Economist
🚗 The Hybrid-Car Dilemma — shared by Executive Editor Will Doig from The Atlantic
🐐 The G.O.A.T. of Landscape Management? Goats. — shared by Rebecca Worby from Texas Monthly
🌬️ Uruguay’s green power revolution: rapid shift to wind shows the world how it’s done — shared by David Byrne from The Guardian
Elsewhere in our channels…
Contributing Editor Peter Yeung shared the news that Mediafixer Productions is filming a documentary about the fog catchers of Peru, which Yeung reported on in an excellent story as part of our ongoing Waterline series.
