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Bush Stops $$ to Mental Health Consumer/Psych. Survivor TA's
Please read and act on this advocacy alert!
Thanks, Bob Mikesic and Jennifer Schwartz
Independence, Inc.
-----Original Message-----
From: Sharon Huffman [mailto:sdhuffma@hr.state.ks.us]
Sent: Monday, September 16, 2002 9:09 AM
To: LEGISLATION@KCDCINFO.ORG
Subject: FW: NEWS: Bush Stops $$ to Mental Health Consumer/Psych.
Survivor TA's
If anyone has an update or additional information regarding this issue would
you please send it to me? Thanks!
Sharon Huffman
Legislative Liaison
Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns
Topeka Kansas
1-800-295-5232 or 296-6527
adabbs.hr.state.ks.us/dc
NEWS ACTION ALERT - September 11, 2002
Your Mind & Human Rights -- please forward
http://www.MindFreedom.org
PRESIDENT BUSH SURPRISES FEDERALLY-FUNDED
"TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTERS" FOR MENTAL
HEALTH CONSUMERS AND PSYCHIATRIC SURVIVORS.
PRESIDENT BUSH REFUSES TO RELEASE MONEY
ALREADY ALLOCATED AND APPROVED.
NEC, CONTAC, NMHCSHC MAY CLOSE DOORS IN WEEKS.
**ACTION**: E-MAIL BLITZ TO KEY BUSH OFFICIAL.
ADVOCATES CHARGE THAT NEW ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT
BUSH ON MENTAL HEALTH -- SALLY SATEL -- IS BEHIND CUT.
Directors of two of the five federally-funded national technical assistance [TA] centers for psychiatric survivors and mental health consumers have told MindFreedom that all five TA centers may be forced to close almost immediately.
MindFreedom had previously announced these TA centers were in danger because President Bush's budget proposed 100 percent "termination" of their funding. There
were signs since then that the US Senate might vote for future funding.
But the Bush administration had a surprise in store.
Pres. Bush is seeking *IMMEDIATE* termination of *CURRENT* funding... That is, money that has already been allocated and approved and peer-reviewed by the feds was supposed to go to TA centers on Oct. 1. The Bush Administration announced that it will simply not deliver that money.
The following TA centers run by mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors would have to close their doors almost immediately unless this money is released:
- National Empowerment Center [NEC] based in Massachusetts.
- Consumer Organization and Networking Technical Assistance Center [CONTAC] based in West Virginia.
- National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse [NMHCSHC] based in Pennsylvania.
~~~~~~~~~~
EMERGENCY ACTION -- CIVIL E-MAIL MESSAGES TO KEY BUSH OFFICIAL, NOW!
E-MAIL *NOW* to Charlie Curie, Administrator of the US Substance Abuse & Mental Health Systems Administration.
E-mail address: ccurie@samhsa.gov
SAMPLE MESSAGE [though your own words are best]:
t has been reported that federal funding already approved for national technical assistance for mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors is being withheld. I urge you to release the Notice Of Grant Award, immediately! I look forward to response as soon as possible.
From: _____________ [Your name & contact info]
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ADDITIONAL ACTIONS:
** PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT TO OTHERS WHO WILL ACT!
** FAX: Mitch Daniels, Director, Office of Management and Budget. Fax: 202-395-3888.
** ASK your Congressperson to contact Tommy Thompson, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. And contact him yourself:
E-mail address: hhs.mail@hhs.gov
Fax: 202-690-7203.
** To obtain contact information for your Congress people if you are in USA see:
-
http://www.vote-smart.org/index.phtml
[The site tells you how to get your zip-plus-four, and
use that to find all of your US elected officials.]
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AT BOTTOM -- HOW YOU CAN REGISTER YOUR COMMENTS ON
A NEW WHITE HOUSE MENTAL HEALTH WEB SITE!
~~~~~~~~~~
WHO IS BEHIND THE IMMEDIATE TERMINATION?
"SALLY SATEL," SAYS AN INSIDE SOURCE.
A director of one TA centers has told MindFreedom that he is certain who is behind the Bush Administration's immediate termination of the TA centers: Psychiatrist Sally
Satel.
Extremist psychiatrist Sally Satel of American Enterprise Institute has just started her role as one of President Bush's key advisors.
In the conclusion of Satel's book on "Politically Correct" medicine, she openly promised "overnight" termination:
"Some of the more absurd manifestations of PC medicine can be reversed overnight. Federal and state governments should cease funding consumer-survivor groups, for example...."
Satel has very close ties to the Bush Administration, especially to the Vice President and Mrs. Cheney.
BELOW is an analysis about Sally Satel's first day on duty as one of President Bush's key advisors on mental health, plus info on a new White House web site on mental health where
you can register your comments!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS ANALYSIS -- September 11, 2002
Your Mind & Human Rights - feel free to re-distribute
http://www.MindFreedom.org
A HIDDEN EFFECT OF 9/11 ONE YEAR LATER:
MANY AMERICANS SEEK MENTAL HEALTH CARE.
BUT PRESIDENT BUSH'S NEWEST MENTAL HEALTH ADVISOR PROMOTES MORE FORCED
PSYCHIATRY, AND MOCKS CONSUMER INPUT.
JUDI CHAMBERLIN WITNESSES SALLY SATEL'S FIRST DAY AS BUSH ADVISOR, AND SAYS, "SATEL HAS MADE HER EXTREME POSITIONS VERY CLEAR."
EASY FREE ACTION YOU CAN TAKE: REGISTER OPINION ON NEW WHITE HOUSE MENTAL HEALTH WEB SITE!
Since 9/11, prescriptions and television advertising for psychiatric drugs for anxiety, depression, etc. have
skyrocketed. With many more Americans seeking help for mental health problems, just what is the policy of the Bush administration on mental health?
When President Bush appointed an extremist psychiatrist from a right-wing think tank to be one
of his newest key advisors on mental health, human rights advocates expressed concern.
The new Bush advisor is Sally Satel. On her own web site, in her book _PC, M.D._, in her speeches,
Dr. Satel calls for massive increases in coerced psychiatric drugging of Americans... and she
repeatedly mocks and dismisses consumer input as "inmates taking over the asylums."
At times, Dr. Satel says she is concerned that too many Americans are unnecessarily receiving needless mental health counseling since 9/11... and at other times she calls for a massive increase in
government-enforced psychiatric drugging of thousands of more Americans.
If Dr. Satel reflects the White House position on mental health, then some advocates have wondered
if that position is: "Take Your Drugs and Shut Up!"
When Dr. Satel, who is from the American Enterprise Institute, attended her first meeting as an official
mental health advisor to Bush, psychiatric survivor and author Judi Chamberlin made sure she was there to witness Dr. Satel in action.
Below is Judi Chamberlin's report on Dr. Satel's performance. AT BOTTOM is a simple action you can
take on the Internet to register your civil concerns on a brand new web site created by the White House to gather public input about mental health policy.
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PRESIDENT BUSH'S NEWEST MENTAL HEALTH
ADVISOR REPORTS FOR DUTY:
SALLY SATEL'S FIRST NATIONAL ADVISORY
COUNCIL MEETING, SEPTEMBER 5 TO 6, 2002
Special Report by Judi Chamberlin
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND: President Bush appointed Sally Satel to the U.S. Center for Mental Health
Services National Advisory Council (CMHS NAC) several months ago; the September 5 to 6, 2002
meeting was the first since her appointment. I was there as an observer.
Satel wasted no time in making her position clear. Within the first hour of the
two-day meeting, she stated her opinion that, given the limited amount of CMHS funding available, all of that funding should be devoted to programs serving, in her words, "the seriously mentally ill, particularly those on the streets and in jails."
Although CMHS policy is to use people-first language, and avoid depersonalizing phrases like "the mentally ill," Satel would undoubtedly consider this mere "political correctness."
Also on the opening morning of the meeting, she attacked in very strong terms a series of six pamphlets that CMHS has recently issued. Directed toward consumers, and focusing on topics like making friends, and speaking up for oneself, among others, Satel stated that the pamphlets were not evidence-based, contained non-factual information, appeared to be directed to those with very low IQ's, and were "an
embarrassment" to CMHS. She stated that, for example, there was no evidence that people could
raise their self-esteem (one of the booklets is about this topic), and that practices such as
self-affirmation had no proven utility. These booklets are based on the work of Mary Ellen Copeland, who has presented her materials all over the country and conducts trainings at many conferences and
programs.
A bit later on (perhaps someone had talked to Sally Satel about her comments privately), she stated that perhaps her comments had been "impolitic," and said that perhaps it was not that they were designed for those with low IQ's, but maybe for those with limited reading skills.
One agenda item was a report by Sharon Yokote, a representative of the Consumer Sub-Committee to
the NAC, which had met for the two days prior to the NAC meeting. The Sub-Committee had prepared
a report for the President's New Freedom Mental Health Commission, and had voted to request that
NAC pass the report on to the Commission (the Sub-Committee is unable to act without authorization from NAC). The vote to approve was unanimous except for Satel, who voted "no," but because she missed the opportunity to state her objections during the discussion section, it was impossible to find out what they were.
After Yokote's report, and several other reports over the two days, Satel stated with obvious distaste that "the most time went to a consumer -- 'patient' is the term I prefer. Maybe that's what the Council wants, but it's not what I want." Clearly Satel
does not think any consumer input is important or valuable.
There was a presentation to NAC by Stanley Eichenauer, the Deputy Executive Director of the President's Commission. During the discussion, one of the council members stated to Eichenauer that she hoped that the Commission would focus on voluntary treatment, as involuntary treatment was clearly a thing of the past. Satel then stated, "I hope you do spend time on coercive treatment," mentioning out-patient
commitment and mental health courts specifically, and stating that she thought these coercive approaches were essential.
Eichenauer also stated that one of the Commission's sub-committees was Rights and Engagement. Satel found this linkage unacceptable, stating, "Well, if you call it 'rights,' then..." He voice trailed off. She then remarked that an "over-emphasis" on rights implied that coercion is dangerous and people need to be protected against it. Instead, Satel said, "People need to be protected from themselves and the public needs to be protected."
As part of the same discussion, Satel stated, "My capacity as a physician has often been frustrated by laws that prevent me from doing my job." It is clear that Satel considers patients' rights to be, not merely an "over-emphasis," her earlier remark, but a totally misplaced
and unnecessary concept.
Satel also complained that the NAC composition was "unbalanced," and that although there were a
number of clinicians included as members, many of them were absent. She wanted to know if that was
usual. She was told that the membership was overwhelmingly clinicians (of whom a number were
present), that there were only three members representing "the public," and that the attendance at this meeting was typical. There is, in fact, only one seat reserved for a consumer, which has been vacant for over a year. Satel didn't seem to think this is a problem.
In summary, Satel has made her extreme positions very clear and explicit at her first meeting. It remains to be seen how influential she will be, and what those of us who disagree with her (which include many more than only consumers/survivors) can do to counter her.
- by Judi Chamberlin <MadPride@aol.com>
is a board member of Support Coalition
International and several other
non-profit advocacy organizations.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SALLY SATEL, SEE:
OR MORE INFORMATION ON PSYCHIATRIC DRUGGING OF AMERICANS SINCE 9/11 SEE:
SPEAK OUT!
BELOW IS AN EASY ACTION YOU CAN TAKE ON THE WEB!
PLEASE FORWARD TO OTHERS!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION ALERT
http://www.MindFreedom.org -- ** please forward **
YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO REGISTER YOUR
COMMENTS ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM
ON A SPECIAL WHITE HOUSE WEB SITE, FREE!
JUDI CHAMBERLIN ASKS YOU TO HELP ADD 500 MORE
PRO-FREEDOM COMMENTS ON THE PRESIDENT'S WEB SITE!
WASHINGTON, D.C.: When President Bush recently established the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, he said one goal was for his Commission was to learn about the current mental health system.
YOU can help be the teacher. And it's as easy as filling out a special White House web form at:
- http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/comments/addcomment.asp
- Support human rights, empowerment, self-determination, and alternatives!
- Speak out against the recent appointment by President Bush of extremist psychiatrist Sally Satel to be one of his key advisors on mental health.
-
Fill out your civil comments on the web now!
Only one out of 15 Commissioners is someone who identifies themselves as having personally experienced the psychiatric system. Several Commissioners are known advocates for forced psychiatry.
YOUR COMMENT CAN PROVE THEY HAVE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO LOVE TRUE FREEDOM!
Judi Chamberlin, long-time psychiatric survivor activist, author, and board member for Support Coalition
International, is challenging 500 citizens who support human rights to log onto their web site and SPEAK OUT.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CALL TO 500 CITIZENS
by Judi Chamberlin
At a meeting I attended yesterday in Washington, D.C., the Commission was discussed. A representative of the Commission noted that the commissioners take the comments made on the public comment section of their website very seriously, and that 500 comments from the public had been received so far via the website.
Five hundred!!!!!!!!
We should be able to get at least that many anti-force, pro-human rights comments to them via the
website!!!
If everyone would take a few minutes to go to their web site and write a thoughtful comment...
Well...'nuf said....
- Judi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ACTION:
AS EXPLAINED ABOVE... YOU CAN USE THE WEB TO DO THIS!
TO USE PRESIDENT BUSH'S MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION
WEB FORM TO ADD YOUR COMMENT, GO *DIRECTLY* TO:
OR for other ways of providing public comment such as in writing and in person, see:
For background about the mental health commission itself see:
AND A SIGN OF THE TIMES: Oregon's state-wide office of consumer/survivor technical assistance center, OCTA, has gone through a similar fiscal ping pong game -- and is facing immediate and total termination, too.
PLEASE FORWARD TO OTHERS WHO MAY REGISTER THEIR COMMENTS!
SPEAK OUT ABOUT PRESIDENT BUSH'S SUPPORT OF SALLY SATEL!
STOP THE TERMINATION OF TA CENTERS!
PLEASE ACT SOON -- CREATE A GROUNDSWELL!
LET'S ALL GO FOR 500 PLUS COMMENTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, SELF-DETERMINATION,
EMPOWERMENT AND ALTERNATIVES!!
ASK YOUR FRIENDS, RELATIVES AND COLLEAGUES TO ACT SOON, TOO!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This human rights alert distributed by Support Coalition International/MindFreedom, a non-profit coalition of 100 grassroots advocacy and support groups. Join!
web: http://www.mindfreedom.org
David Oaks, Director
Support Coalition International
454 Willamette, Suite 216
PO Box 11284
Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA
email: oaks@mindfreedom.org
phone: (541) 345-9106
toll free in USA: 1-877-MAD-PRIDE
fax: (541) 345-3737
Win human rights in the mental health system!
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