Help Consumers in Oregon

07 May, 2008
Parent Category: News
Last Updated on Monday, 12 November 2012 14:31
Published on Wednesday, 07 May 2008 08:24
Written by Lydia Richard

Can I ask for your help to show there is national and international concern about the mental health system in the State of Oregon in the

USA

? Oregon's Governor Kulongoski budgeted zero [0] for the state-wide voice of Oregon's mental health clients for five years. At the same time Oregon is one of the very few

USA

states building brand new huge psychiatric institutions. The Governor found half a billion ($500,000,000) for bricks and mortar for new psychiatric institutions. But not a dime for the voice of mental health clients. Again and again. Please take a moment to show there is international concern. *BELOW* is a letter to the editor by me that was published today, 6 May 2008, in Eugene, Oregon's daily newspaper, The Register-Guard. Please read my brief letter. And then ask Governor Kulongoski in a civil way: "Why Zero?" Easy ways to ask the Governor via the web are here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/zero

To read the letter to the editor: The Register-Guard’s recent guest viewpoints and letters about humane alternatives in mental health are appreciated. This community dialogue is healing and necessary. I’ve studied the history of the mental health system over the centuries. Minor reform is not enough. Reform often results in more money for more of the same. One step to deeper change is to start to listen to the diverse perspectives of mental health consumers, psychiatric survivors and their organizations. Most of the states support the statewide voice of mental health clients in some way, even if small. Most states fund an office of mental health consumer affairs, a statewide conference or a newsletter to support the empowerment of our citizens who are diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities. Many leaders in Oregon’s mental health system and Legislature endorse this common sense idea. Our advocacy group concludes that a top obstacle to real change in Oregon’s mental health system is in the office of Gov. Ted Kulongoski. Since Kulongoski took office, his budget item for the statewide voice of mental health clients has been eliminated. The governor has continued to recommend that this funding stay at zero, even while he raised about half a billion dollars to build huge new psychiatric institutions. Now I hear Kulongoski say that as a superdelegate he may override the majority of Democratic voters in Oregon’s May 20 presidential primary. Is there a pattern here of the governor squelching the voices of Oregonians? Let’s all ask him. David W. OaksExecutive directorMindFreedom InternationalEugene, Oregon,

USA

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