Big Bang Noise
| Date: Thu Apr 27, 2000 1:45am |
| To: "CINMHC Backup List" <cinmhc-bak@egroups.com> |
| From: "Client Activist" <accountability_caucus@yahoo.com> |
| Subject: [CINMHC-BAK] Accountability Program Plan |
| Cc: "Social Accountability" <s-acc@egroups.com> |
We have to ask ourselves the question, “What will move the clients movement forward?” The answer seems to depend on how you view the related question, “Why are the clients so fractious in relating to one another?”
Some people say that this ‘fractiousness’ is, in effect, ‘human nature’, and that the way to move forward is to learn to live with people being like this and make the best of it. But some of us suppose this persistent negativity to be the effect of social conditions and levels of consciousness, and believe it is possible to work things so that things change and clients develop ways to relate better.
If this is so, what program will move things in the way of better relations in the clients movement? In September, we told Steve Mayberg that he should look into the traumatizing effect of this problem, but in our hearts we believe that it is we the clients who will have to take the matter into our own hands.
It seems to us that we should consider what it takes to put forward an alternate program for the clients’ movement, one that takes into account the issue of ‘relating better’. This is pre-eminently a question of arguing for a different framework for action, it is a question of raising our voices and publicly contending for the merits of this perspective — it is democracy.
Responsibility is important, and we surely believe that people are accountable for their actions — yet ‘blame’ and ‘attack’ agendas will surely just pull us down. The ‘high road’ in this contention, we feel, is to construct the Vision for the future and network around that Vision.
The Accountability Caucus and friends announce plans to construct an Accountability Program for the California clients movement:
- Operating Criteria:
- To be presented in a way that is productive for the clients
- Will be preferential toward the values of accountability
- To be constructed by dialogue based on respect
- Will advocate the politics of active struggle against trauma
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Topics:
The program will cover the following topics (at least):
- self-help/fellowship
- local organizing
- recovery/transformation
- partnership
- rights/discrimination
- abuse and neglect
- ethical standards for relating
- cultural competency/institutional racism
- entitlements/productivity
- client culture
- client psychology
- coalition/earning respect
- public policy
- training
-
Process:
Activities envisioned for developing this program:
- Posting this notice
- Involvement in mental health events
- Discussion on-list and off-list
- Organization of face-to-face activites
- Creating a draft version
- Affirmations:
- The California clients movement is currently struggling against the threat of outpatient commitment. The Accountability Caucus stands squarely against this ‘retraumatization’ program and intends to unite with other client activists in opposing this threat and helping to overcome it.
- The National Summit 2000 is also developing a program for the clients movement. The Accountability Program is not meant to be competitive with that national effort. The Accountability Caucus intends to respect the Summit process and work with it in the framework that is now in place.
Our snail address is
P.O. Box 8466
San Jose, CA 95155
Working drafts of the Accountability Program will be available on-line at http://www.madman-bbs.net/accountability.
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