Visioning a Recovery Oriented Jim Gottstein Alaska Mental Health System Jim Gottstein Law Project for Psychiatric Rights http://PsychRights.Org

Renewable Resources 2009 Alaska Mental Health Recovery Conference May 12, 2009

Fear and Absolution Why Has Society „ Fear Myth: „ People Diagnosed with Mental Illness Are Violent Accepted Dubious „ Absolution „ By Accepting “,” No one is Medical Model? Responsible

May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference

Psychiatric Symptoms Are Responses If Not Defective , What? to Events/Experiences

„ Examples: „ Multiple Personalities „ Other Responses to Trauma „ Mental Map Reorganization „ Hearing Voices „ Common Phenomenon „ Mania „ – Time Magazine Last Week

May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference

1 While Some People find Didn’t Ascribe Bad Motives to Neuroleptics Helpful . . . , but at this Point . . . „ Quality of Life Tremendously „ With Recent Revelations No Longer Plausible Diminished „ Otherwise Cause Massive Deniability Amount of Harm „ Why Do They Still Insist on the Drugs Even „ Life Spans Now 25 Years Shorter Though they Are Largely Ineffective and „ Greatly Reduce Recovery Always Harmful? Rates „ Psychiatrists No Longer Know Anything But „ 6-fold Increase in Mental Illness Disability Rate the Drugs „ Hugely and Unnecessarily Expensive „ Huge Unnecessary Human What to Do? Toll

May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference

Successful Peers Are The Real Experts Recovery – JG Definition

„ Many examples of recovery from “incurable” mental illness. Getting past a diagnosis of mental illness to a „ Value of Insights Need to point where a person enjoys meaningful activity, Be Recognized has relationships, and where psychiatric „ Unique ability to relate to people going through the symptoms, if any, do not dominate or even play same thing. a major role in their life. „ Also some Mental Health Professionals Get It – They Recovery: Responsibilities and Roadblocks, by Jim Gottstein, Listen to and Learn from http://akmhcweb.org/recovery/RecoveryResponsibilitesRoadblocks.pdf (ex)Users. Many Others

May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference

Recovery Essentials from Other Principles Recovery Story „ If it isn’t voluntary it isn’t „ You have to take responsibility for your own treatment mental health and behavior „ Force is Counterproductive „ You have to learn to recognize your „ Different things work for symptoms. different people „ You have to learn what works for you. „ Unsuccessful Attempts

(Same ideas as WRAP – Wellness Recovery Action Plan) Part of Recovery Process „ Diagnoses of Limited Benefit/Mostly Harmful

May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference

2 Achieving the Vision in Alaska Goals

„ Soteria-Alaska—Alternative to Hospitalization „ Substantially Increase Recovery Rate After „ CHOICES, Inc.—Community Implementation diagnosis of Serious Mental Illness „ Peer Properties—Peer Run Housing „ Substantially Reduce If Not Eliminate Force „ Law Project for Psychiatric Rights „ System Support of Adults’ Medication (PsychRights)—Create Environment Preferences Conducive to Non-Coercive, Non-Drug „ Stop Massive Over-Drugging of Children & Choices Through Strategic Litigation Youth in State Custody & Through Medicaid

May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference

C onsumers Soteria-Alaska

H aving „ “Consumer” Run „ Non-coercive, non-drug „ Non-coercive, Non-drug option for people who Choices In Community would otherwise be facing O wnership hospitalization. „ Helping People Get What they Want „ Neuroleptically Naive I n „ Model is Ch. 9 of „ Replicate Original Soteria- “Community Mental House Model reating Health: A Practical „ “Be With” rather than “Do C Guide” (Mosher & Burti) To.” „ Working with Other „ Empathic Staff E ffective Community Resources

May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference S ervices

Peer Properties PsychRights

„ Peer Run Housing „ Help Create Receptive Climate „ De-links Housing from „ Alter Path of Least Resistance Re: Force Compliance „ Right to Less Restrictive/Intrusive Alternative „ No “services,” but operates on peer support principle „ Alaska Supreme Court Victories „ One 4 bedroom House „ Myers -- 2006 „ Current Opening for One „ Wetherhorn -- 2007 woman „ Wayne B -- 2008 „ Necessity of Operating Subsidy „ Pending Alaska Supreme Court Cases „ Looking for Board „ Bigley -- Right to Less Intrusive Alternative Member(s) „ WSB -- Right to Have Case File Public

May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference

3 Drugging of Children & Youth PsychRights v. Alaska

Seeks declaratory and injunctive relief that Alaskan children and youth have the right not to be administered psychotropic drugs unless and until: (i) evidence-based psychosocial interventions have been exhausted, (ii) rationally anticipated benefits of psychotropic drug treatment outweigh the risks, (iii) the person or entity authorizing administration of the drug(s) is Q & A fully informed, and (iv) close monitoring of, and appropriate means of responding to, treatment emergent effects are in place, and that all children and youth currently receiving such drugs be evaluated and brought into compliance with the above.

May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference

Suggested Reading Suggested Reading (cont.)

„ : Bad Science, Bad Medicine and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill (2001) by „ Alternatives Beyond , Peter Lehman & Peter Stastny, MD, „ : A Scientific Delusion, by Mary Boyle, Ph.D. (2002) Editors (2007). „ Let Them Eat Prozac, by David Healy, MD. (2006). „ Agnes’s Jacket: A Psychologists’ Search for the Meaning of Madness, Gail Hornstein, PhD (2009) „ Creating Mental Illness, by Allan V. Horwitz (2002). „ A Fight to Be: A Psychologist’s Experience from Both Sides of the „ Toxic Psychiatry: Why Therapy, , and Love Must Replace the Locked Door, Ronald Bassman, Ph.D. (2007) Drugs, Electroshock, and Biochemical Theories of the New Psychiatry, by „ The Hidden Prejudice: Mental Disability on Trial, (2000) by Michael L. , MD (1994) Perlin „ Commonsense Rebellion, by Bruce E. Levine (2001) „ Rethinking Psychiatric Drugs: A Guide to Informed Consent, by Grace „ Blaming the Brain : The Truth About Drugs and Mental Health, by Elliot E. Jackson, MD, (2005) Valenstein (1998). „ Brain Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry: Drugs, Electroshock, and the Role of the FDA, Ed. 2 (2008) by Peter Breggin, MD. „ Escape From Psychiatry, by Clover (1999) „ Community Mental Health: A Practical Guide (1994) by „ How to Become a Schizophrenic: The Case Against , and Lorenzo Burti 3d Ed., by John Modrow (2003) „ Soteria: Through Madness to Deliverance, by Loren Mosher and Voyce „ Other books at http://psychrights.org/Market/storefront.htm Hendrix with Deborah Fort (2004 „ of Schizophrenia: The Treatment of Choice (Jason May 12, Aronson,2009 1996), by BertramAlaska Recovery P. Karon Education Conference and Gary R. Vandenbos May 12, 2009 Alaska Recovery Education Conference

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