Mental Hygiene Court Patrol

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

10:00am - 5:00pm

A Call to Action

Dear Freedom Fighters

Parents in Action is proud to launch its Mental Hygiene Court Patrol Project.

Anyone living in the New York City area, please come and help us. Anyone not living in the area, try to create a similar project in your area. We find that the mere presence of Patient's Advocates in the Courtroom, make a difference. The Beast loves secrecy and we bring light. It makes a big difference. Hurry up, time is of the essence. We are running out of time.

The project will have several aims, among them:

1. Be present at the Manhattan Mental Hygiene Court at Bellevue Hospital every Tuesday from 10:00am till 5:00pm.

2. Monitor the process and gather information and make recommendations on the modus operandi of this Institutionalized System of Injustice in order to effect system change.

3. Network with other organizations that already fight for patient's rights such as the Brooklyn Mental Court Patrol, Citizens Commission on Human Rights, Mindfreedom and many others in order to maximize knowledge, resources and effectiveness.

4. Connect the injustices and modus operandi of the Mental Hygiene Courts with the injustices of the Family Courts, Foster Care, the Child Welfare System in general, Special Ed Classes in Public Schools, and the Juvenile Justice System, since they are all mechanism of Population Control. Aim to create a Human Rights Movement around these connected issues.

5. Develop forms to gather statistics and a Handbook on Best Strategies and Practices for the Mental Hygiene Courts.

6. Bring the issue of the abuses of the Mental Hygiene Courts to the spotlight: newspapers, news in general, forums, City Council Hearings, State Legislature, etc...

7. Make Rallies outside the Mental Hygiene Courts and Mental Hospitals in order to bring pressure for system change, to help bring the issue to the spotlight, and to educate the people of New York about these Gross Human Rights Violations.

8. Contact Patients whenever possible and offer them information about their rights and resources available and if possible become a Patient Advocate for them. Be supportive of them and offer them your care and hope. It is very important that they know that they are not alone and that something can be done about their situation. Most of the Patients are Black and Latino and on top of that poor.

9. Contact the Patient's family and educate them about the Patient's Rights and the negative effects of the Drugs. If one of them is a strong Patient Advocate encourage them to become the Health Care Proxy. If none consider the possibilility of you becoming the one. As a Health Care proxy you will have access to all information from: the Hospital, Nurses, Psychiatrists, Social Workers, Patient's Attorney, etc, otherwise you get none.

10. Try to bring support from the Patient's Family. Frequently due to public ignorance about mental health and blind faith in doctors, the family is used by the Psychiatrists, Social Workers, and the Hospital to keep the Patient drugged and involuntarily confined. This is the eternal divide and conquer weapon. In times of crisis, contradictions inside the family are multiplied and anyone in the family with an unresolved conflict with the Patient may use it as a weapon for revenge.

11. Whenever possible put written and formal complaints on behalf of the Patient in all possible places: City, State, and Federal Agencies, United Nations, etc.

12. Investigate Insurance Fraud by the Pyschiatrists and the Medical/Hospital Industry. Gather data and official statistics on income, type of insurance, ethnicity, Court Outcomes, length of stay, etc. Examine possibility of having the Patient present a written "Refusal of Services" to the insurance provider as a form to encourage the Hospital to release the Patient.

Although we have been visiting the Mental Hygiene Court at Bellevue since March 2006, we want to start a well organized "official" Court Patrol beginning on Tuesday, June 27, 2006. Please come that day. Even if you can only stay for one hour, it is ok. We need your help. Even better contact us in advance and let us know that you are coming and at what time. Bring your friends. Spread the word.

We have added a page in our Parents in Action website to keep those interested informed about our activities: