Blog Archives
Justice & Ideology: The Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act (CBC Radio)
Thanks to C for bringing this to my attention. Brett Batten, you’ll be interested.
International Women’s Day 2013
Quick post because my back is in pain and I want to lay down!
Today is International Women’s Day!
I am grateful to all women who came before me that fought so I would have the right to vote, work, be a person, have control over my own reproduction and sexuality, be educated and opinionated and live to the best of my ability!
I am grateful to the women who are still fighting for better treatment of women in Canada and most importantly around the world in countries where women still yet to have the rights that I have!
I am grateful to the women in my life for being amazing and showing me how powerful women can be!
I am grateful to myself for being a strong woman who is not afraid to fight for what she wants!
40 Years Ago…
On January 22, 1973 the American Supreme Court decided that abortion would become legal, thanks to Roe v. Wade. Canada has had unrestricted abortion access since 1989.
We still have a long way to go in terms to better access and eliminating the stigma around abortion but I am confident we will get there!
Today I celebrate my right to reproductive health and my right to choose!
Gov. Christie commits to ‘fully implementing’ mental health treatment law
What is this law you may ask? Well, it’s a law that can force you to take medication, attend therapy and if you do not comply then you will be forcibly put in the hospital. Do you feel safe yet?
Gov. Christie commits to ‘fully implementing’ mental health treatment law
on January 17, 2013 at 8:11 PM, updated January 18, 2013 at 1:52 AM
Gov. Chris Christie committed today to fully implementing a mental health law that Democrats attacked him for acting slowly on. Pictured at left is Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez.Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger
By Susan K. Livio and Brent Johnson/The Star-Ledger
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie tonight committed to “fully implementing” a mental health treatment law that he said has gotten off to a sluggish start because of a lack of interest by treatment providers and court officials, according to his spokesman.
Earlier this week, it wasn’t clear when the Christie administration would roll out the “involuntary outpatient commitment” law, which gives judges discretion to demand people take medication and go to therapy if they pose a danger to themselves or others in the “foreseeable future.” If they fail to comply, they can be involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital.
The law is getting extra attention because of the rash of mass shootings involving people who are diagnosed or speculated to have a mental illness.
On Tuesday, Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex)criticized Christie for only dedicating $2 million to the law he sponsored to launch the program in six of the state’s 21 counties. Codey said the law Gov. Jon Corzine enacted in 2009 was supposed to be operating in all 21 counties by now, with seven counties added every year starting in 2010.
“If the governor really does believe that mental health is an issue of importance, as he has stated on numerous national news programs, he should put his money where his mouth is,” Codey said.
At a press conference today to announce a task force to reduce gun violence, Christie blasted Codey for getting his facts wrong.
“I fully funded it my first year in my budget,” the governor said. “It was the toughest budget I had to deal with, and I fully funded it because of my commitment to the program. But I’ve been informed by my administration since then that we can’t find enough people to fully phase this thing in who want to do it.”
Christie’s remarks, however, contradict statements made by his state Human Services Commissioner, Jennifer Velez, and a letter to treatment agencies from then-Deputy Commissioner Kevin Martone in August 2010. Velez and Martone’s letter announced the law would be indefinitely delayed because it had been approved by the previous administration without any money to expand treatment programs. The state’s finances were stretched too thin to afford it that year.
When asked for clarification after today’s press conference, Christie spokesman Kevin Roberts offered a different interpretation of the governor’s remarks, and a pledge that “the Department can now credibly plan for full implementation, given the governor’s commitment, as outlined today.”
The legislation estimated the program would cost $10 million a year for treatment and training for judges in every county. Roberts declined to say whether the remaining $8 million or any of those funds would be included in the upcoming budget Christie will introduce on Feb. 26th.
Roberts stressed how after “emerging from a historically difficult budget year, Governor Christie made it a priority to provide $2 million in resources to get this program finally started after it was signed into law and left completely unfunded by the Legislature and prior Administration.”
Essex, Warren, Union, Burlington and Hudson counties launched their programs and began enrolling chronically ill patients in late summer. Ocean County expected to begin enrolling patients in the spring, according to information from the department earlier this week.
As of late fall, about 25 patients had been enrolled from the five counties — evidence of a “tepid” response from the community, Roberts added.
It Was Always Discrimination
The more I become active in the consumer survivor community (via blogs or local organizations/institutions/groups) the more I realize that I did not experience the shame that for many comes with having a mental health issue. This is not me bragging, this is me explaining my thoughts as a teenager who knew nothing about the wider issue that surrounds mental health.
Before I was diagnosed with Dysthymia at 16 years old I was made fun of for being emotionally different (we would call this bullying now). Peers knew I was sad most of the time, they knew I cut and they knew I did other “bad” things such as smoke pot, cigarettes and drink alcohol. This, they felt, gave them cause for making me feel even more like garbage. I thought they were just mean. I did not know that it was discrimination against not fitting into the social norm of teen behaviour.
When I finally received my diagnosis I was told that I was sick, that I would always be sick. I returned to school and told my friends that I had depression. I wasn’t weird, I was sick! Yay! I’m sick! Everyone will stop making fun of me because people don’t make fun of sick people! No one called me names when I had a throat infection so everything should be fine now!
No….
Nothing changed about people’s attitudes towards me after I told them I was sick. It was probably more like people felt more validation on their part to continue making fun of me. “Oh, we were right! There is something wrong with her!”
I still maintained that I was sick and that people who made fun of me were mean people. I just thought people were mean.
My lack of knowledge on mental health discrimination probably protected me from many of the horrible circumstances that some of my amazing friends, colleagues and followers have experienced throughout their lives. This isn’t fair. In Canada it is illegal to discriminate against some because of their mental health status. We should not feel ashamed for being who we are.
It’s now 10 years after I made my first cut and 7 years after my dysthymia diagnosis. I see that what I faced was discrimination which is beyond just being mean. What hasn’t changed is my right to be who I am and my strong belief in that.
Thought #21: Underprivileged
Thought: A few days ago, while at a training for work, a man from an organization that promotes children’s right to play world wide used the term “underprivileged children” to describe the population the organization works with. I felt a little twinge at the phrase as I have been grappling with how I feel about describing anyone as “underprivileged”. A co-worker (who I do not know) asked if he could instead use the term “financially challenged”. He was very taken back and clearly not comfortable with the term but just left it and when on with his speech. I want to dissect both of these terms but mostly “underprivileged”.
Financially challenged: I hate it. I don’t like how this co-worker demanded that this man, and inadvertently the group, use her preferred term (at least underprivileged is socially accepted). Children technically cannot be financially challenged because they do not make money, their parents or caregivers do. This term makes it sound like making money is a game, a “challenge” and I guess you can start equating it with a disability (ie: mentally challenged, physically challenged). I can’t really explain this one well, I just don’t like it!
Underprivileged: When this term is usually used in regards to any population is it used to describe those that have difficulty with housing, food, income, health, education etc. THESE ARE RIGHTS NOT PRIVILEGES! If anything we should be saying “under-righted children” or “people who are being denied their human rights”. It is a privilege to own a smartphone, it is a right to have a well paying job that gives you the money to buy that smartphone. THIS IS POVERTY!
Also, on a side note, the idea that children have a right to play is very Western. We have given children the “right” to do nothing. Children in other countries know that 
their role in the family or place where they live is to help contribute. I’m not saying one way is better than the other but we cannot impose our Western views on other countries. I do agree that children and adults should not miss out on an education that would help them improve their income and working abilities ad I do agree that EVERYONE should have fun!!!!!
I believe that we need to remember the adults. They were possibly once the “underprivileged” children we are discussing. If we want to raise children out of poverty we need to help their parents and care givers. We have this obsession with children and we’re forgetting the adults that are being left behind.
