Submit a Blog Idea
The IDHA community contains a wealth of knowledge about a range of topics, including mental health, transformative justice, holistic healing, environmental justice, creativity, and more. As part of our commitment to elevate the voices of those most marginalized and impacted by the mental health system, our blog is a crucial space for us to spotlight the voices of people who make IDHA what it is.
IDHA is committed to uplifting a diversity of perspectives and opinions about mental health and healing, acknowledging that no single model or language works for everyone. For example, we welcome people who take medication, as well as those who don’t; we welcome people who are interested in spiritual modes of healing, as well as those who aren’t. Our blog seeks to magnify a wide range of perspectives on different topics, in turn representing the unique multiplicity and inclusiveness of IDHA’s approach.
IDHA’s community is composed of a diverse audience of clinicians, peers, trauma survivors, activists, artists, family members, and other advocates. We encourage writers to keep this broad and dynamic readership in mind when pitching and writing pieces.
Form and Process
We invite members of our community to share their ideas for potential blog posts using the form below. All pitches will be received and reviewed by IDHA staff, who will determine whether the idea will be converted into a full-length piece using our blog selection criteria.
An IDHA staff member will be in touch in the coming weeks if there is interest and capacity to bring your idea to fruition. If your idea is accepted, you will receive a soft date by which to submit a draft of the written piece. Please note that your post may be lightly edited for grammar, accessibility, or inclusive language. We will always share any edits with you for final sign-off before publication. Once finalized, blogs are published on IDHA’s website and promoted through IDHA’s newsletter and social media channels.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please email us at contact@idha-nyc.org.
FAQ
Who can submit to the blog?
Anyone can submit an idea! Active members will be afforded special consideration. If you aren’t already a member, learn more about how to become one here.
What topics does IDHA explore on its blog?
IDHA publishes original contributions that relate to the theory, analysis, and practice of transformative mental health. Please review the guidelines on themes below and submit your pitch in the most applicable category. Intellectual property rights are retained by the author. If this is an existing piece of work, please be sure to check that you have permission to republish this on IDHA’s blog.
Themes for blog posts include:
Critical psychiatry: Analysis or critique of the biomedical model, institutionalization, or mental health services
Mental health and social justice: Discussion about underlying systems of oppression and fights for collective liberation
Transformative modalities: Models that challenge the status quo of traditional mental health care
Stories of lived experience: Uplifting and centering the importance of first-hand perspectives
What are the possible formats for a blog?
Research analysis
Interviews
Essay
Resource roundups
Videos
Does your blog idea not fall under one of the categories above? No problem! Let us know what you have in mind.
How do you decide what blog ideas to accept?
IDHA evaluates blog ideas according to the following criteria: relevance to our mission and vision; relevance to the current context (e.g. a blog post about the intersection of mental health and police violence would be prioritized in the current moment); has this person written a blog for IDHA before? New voices will be prioritized over someone who has already published several pieces.
Are blog contributors paid?
IDHA offers an honorarium to blog contributors, with the amount based on the current year’s budget.