CBS-TV's 60 MINUTES EXAMINES KENDRA's

60 Minutes Report - May 7, 2000

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CBS-TV’s 60 MINUTES EXAMINES KENDRA’S LAW

{NOTE: To order a VHS tape ($35.00), call CBS-TV at 800.848.3256. To obtain the full transcript ($12.00), call 800.777.TEXT.}

On May 7th, CBS-TV’s 60 Minutes took a hard look at Kendra’s Law, New York’s new law that allows, when appropriate, people overcome by mental illness to be placed under a court order to maintain treatment while in the community. The show was aptly entitled, "A Right That Could Be Wrong."

That night millions learned why the answer for people overcome by mental illness is treatment.

Among those interviewed by co-host Leslie Stahl were:

● Charles Stevens, who was shot eight times by police reacting to his psychotic behavior brought on by his failure to take his medication for schizophrenia;

● Henry & Nadine Stevens, his parents;

● Jay Sax, who was stuck in the "revolving door" because of the effects of his bipolar disorder, but who has since escaped it thanks to the Outpatient Commitment Pilot Program at Bellevue Hospital; and

● Dr. Howard Telson, that program’s founder.

Below are some verbatim excerpts from the show.

Dr. Howard Telson: "The most important reason that people with serious mental illness stop taking their medication is because they don't believe that they're ill. They don't believe the medicine will help them."

http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org 60 Minutes Report - May 7, 2000

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Lesley Stahl: "Under the law, families and/or doctors can go to court to force a mentally ill person into treatment, without committing them to a hospital or institution. Now a judge can issue a court order compelling that person to take medication, undergo drug or alcohol testing and treatment, and take advantage of vocational training and supervised housing."

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Nadine Stevens: "When he walks the streets and he has decomposed to the point where he gets dangerous, what about my rights to be able to – to – don’t I have a right to stand on the subways – platform and know that I'm not going to be pushed under the train?"

Lesley Stahl: "This is something, the mother of Charles Stevens saying that."

Nadine Stevens: "I don't want him to hurt anybody. I want – I want his condition taken care of."

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Lesley Stahl: "And it appears that Charles Stevens would agree. He--like his parents--supports Kendra's Law. Even though this means that your parents can call someone and force you into treatment?"

Charles Stevens: "That's fine with me. I mean, not having – not accepting the treatment in the past is what has caused so many problems. Had I known, had I been able to see myself, it would have been a whole other story."

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Lesley Stahl:: "You were harassing people."

Jay Sax: "I recall that, yeah."

http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org 60 Minutes Report - May 7, 2000

Lesley Stahl:: "Getting dirtier."

Jay Sax: "Yeah."

Lesley Stahl: "And dirtier, and looking crazier and crazier."

Jay Sax: "Uh-huh."

Lesley Stahl: "And you--you knew this."

Jay Sax: "Yeah… "Four o'clock in the morning, I licked the floor thinking that perhaps if I ever be – really become president, they would remember that."

Lesley Stahl: "That is devastating…"

Jay Sax: "You need a doctor to tell you that you're ill and you need treatment."

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Dr. Howard Telson: "I would suggest that now that Mr. Sax is being forced to take his medication, he has much more freedom. He has much more of an opportunity to exercise his rights, and that's really our goal."

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Nadine Stevens: "Charles didn't look like he was in danger. And I didn't look in danger. And another – and they said, 'Unless he's hurting someone or hurting himself, ma'am, there's nothing we can do.'"

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