Keynote address by Sally Zinman at Summit 2000, June 6, 2000
Justin Dart's Summit 2000 Speech
Justin Dart Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient "Father" of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Bernard Arons, M.D.'s Summit Speech
From the introduction:
CMHS is charged with improving the quality of mental health services across the country. We have undertaken a program of activities and pursued policies that can fulfill that goal.
The current wave of public attention and interest in our issues is energizing our work. From the Surgeon General's Report to the White House Conference, the nation is focusing on mental health issues. We're riding this wave, but we need the insight of consumers to help guide the country towards system improvement. At CMHS, we have been in the forefront of listening and helping amplify consumers' voices. But there is always room for improvement.
Robert Bernstein, Ph.D's Summit Speech
From the opening remarks: I am honored to be here. When I came to the Bazelon Center in Washington three years ago to be executive director, I heard "ivory tower" talk, from all sides. One thing I heard was that Bazelon is disconnected from the consumer/survivor community. I was very concerned: rightly or wrongly, we haven't done a good job of connecting with the consumer/survivor community. Without such a partnership, we have no validity at all. We have to do things differently.
From the opening remarks: The plank report is a terrific document. It really ought to be a roadmap for all of us at the national level to use as a checklist.
In many of the areas listed here [in the plank report], I think the P&A system is doing important work. I hope you're aware of it in your own communities. Look at the agenda set out by the plank report and make sure we expand those efforts.
Michael N. Faenza's Summit Speech
From the opening remarks:
Over the last 25 years, I have worked in mental health as a professional, administrator, clinician, teacher, and now at the National Mental Health Association. I would say even though the NMHA was founded by a consumer in 1909, it's not an old organization; in many ways it's a brand-new, revitalized, expanded, more aggressive organization.
From the opening remarks:
IAPSRS has a very strange niche in Washington. We are, first of all, an international association working on many national issues. We are a provider organization that acts more like an advocacy organization, which means that our peer provider organizations have a hard time understanding many of our stands and policies, and our peer advocates are not sure what to do with our advocacy efforts. We represent professionals in mental health who absolutely believe that every person with a mental illness can recover. And we believe that every kind of treatment or rehabilitation that is not in partnership with that consumer directing the process will not be effective. It does put us in a rather strange position at times. And I would like to believe we're breaking new ground so that other professional/provider organizations will see the light. I will be delighted when the day comes when we'll have this kind of meeting and see that the host of provider organizations who are so important to be providing treatment across the United States will all be represented here.
"There are two kinds of lobbying: one way is with money, bringing in significant resources. Without money, you try to be helpful, accurate, and there. If the consumer/survivor movement were to organize and form an organization that could be represented in Washington, you presumably would be in that latter category."
From the opening remarks:
My role is to emphasize that there is more to NAMI than a relationship with Fuller Torrey and involuntary outpatient commitment, but when one reads the Clearinghouse's newsletter and other consumer-based newsletters you only see that.