San Jose Mercury News
Saturday, September 12, page 9B
Mental health clients need to be heard
WE as mental health clients and advocates are writing in response to a letter by Marilyn Celebi, ``Society fails in
treatment of mentally
ill'' (Letters, Aug. 6). We are concerned about the sensationalization
of this issue, which reinforces the disturbing trend toward the
criminalization of mental health clients.
This letter states some serious misinformation about outpatient
commitment. Besides forced treatment for mental illness and no
treatment for mental illness, there is the option of skillful, competent, effective partnerships to provide help for those in need.
The letter implied that the most effective alternative to providing no
treatment is coercive treatment; and that the central dilemma in
mental health is getting troubled persons to take medications
prescribed by psychiatrists. In reality, there is no such simple
remedy. Mental health problems affect a wide variety of people with
a wide range of severity.
While it is true that new medications have helped many troubled
individuals lead more satisfactory lives, it is also true that some
individuals have recovered fully without the use of psychotropic
medications.
And, there are some individuals for whom the use of medications is
not effective or is medically counter-indicated. The solutions, for
most of us, entail far more than issues of medication.
The letter is quite accurately titled, because society has failed to help troubled individuals effectively. Society has failed to provide
us with the dignity of affordable housing and the dignity of
acknowledging our worth as sensitive, strong, caring, contributing
citizens. We are capable of being productive members of society:
Given proper supports and accommodations, we can not only
contribute, we can excel.
But, perhaps society's greatest failure is that it has not
listened to our voice. Too often, when we have needed help, we have instead been locked up, put in solitary restraints, or suffered
more severe "treatment."
The political will this country needs is not the nerve to implement
more coercive methods. The political will needed is to listen to us
when we say what has worked for us as clients - and what hasn't -
and then to work in partnership, to develop effective strategies for
dealing with this difficult challenge.
- Tom Jurgensen, Mental Health Clients of Santa Clara
County (MHCSCC)
- Allan Rawland, Santa Clara County Mental Health
Director
- Terry Fleming, Santa Clara County
Mental Health Board