My overall jaundiced impresson : The perspective is imperial. The perspective of the Treatment Advocacy Center. There are these people who must be controlled. “That we will be able to fix this problem.” Since they have anasygnosia, as a group, we will tell them what they need to know. Kendra’s Law is invoked at the end to show that forcible treatment works, (but its success is probably not in compulsory outpatient treatment, but the money that poured in and reduced the hospital population). The testimony is cherrypicked. They are believable and not to be dismissed, but not nearly representative. The one consumer, had a single episode, and has made a career with NAMI telling his story. The one family member focuses on the difficulty in getting hospitalization; but completely ignores the fact that with private insurance she won’t get him case management and psycho/social services, let alone the consumer peer-support that will sustain recovery in the community. Nobody notices. No connection is made to the ACA. They seem to realize that the system is not working, but believe that more of the same is what is needed. Maybe, Dade County (Dr. Evans) with more implementation of peer providers is an exception, but I wonder whether that is merely more workers, but not peer direction of and advocacy for services. I would like to hear from consumers in Miami about the sharp reduction in the jail population. Diane, with my support, got the state to change the statute in Virginia to require “maximum participation of consumers and the family members of consumers in policy formulation, program development, implementation and evaluation.” In the succeeding 15 years, no MH entitty has even tried to follow the law. This hearing is an example of that sort of thinking. There is no partnership with those whose lives are at stake and whose experience would be most telling. Representative Griffith of Virginia confessed that he (still) doesn’t understand mental illness, and thinks that only minor advances will be made by the committee. That’s more in line with what I think is the reality. Meet with him. Geller is someone with whom we are familiar in Virginia. He makes thousands in fees consulting. His perspective is the MH industry. Torrey’s enemy, CMHS is not testifying, and, of course, no consumer organization would be invited. This hearing, will become part of the public record regarding mental health services. There is no rebuttal to it. It will serve Tim Murphy’s bill. – Bill L William Yolton
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 19:58:39 +0000
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