Home
Panel on life of R. D. Laing, dissident psychiatrist
MindFreedom to Oregon mental health system: Why still zero?
On 6 July 2009, the Oregon mental health system issued a letter saying the budget was not as bad as they thought for the mental health system. Here, MindFreedom director David Oaks asks "why zero"? Why, if the budget was better than expected, why is there still zero funding in Oregon for the state-wide voice of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors? Oregon is one of the very few states with zero funding for this state-wide voice. Meanwhile, Oregon is one of the very few states actually building a brand new large psychiatric institution.
Below, David Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International asks a legislative assistant for the State of Oregon (Ms. Zeyen-Hall), why there is "still zero" funding for the state-wide voice of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors.
To read the letter David is responding to, click here:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/richard-harris-oregon-amh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear Ms. Zeyen-Hall,
Thank you for the 6 July 2009 letter from Mr. Harris that you copied today to many of us considered stakeholders.
Please ask Mr. Harris a question. It is a question about Oregon that is being asked nationally. Perhaps those I copy may want a reply, too, and can ask you for one.
The letter from Mr. Harris said that, "Thanks to a bipartisan effort, the service budget remains mostly intact..."
He also said, "Other proposed cuts to outpatient drug, alcohol and mental health treatment services were avoided by an injection of $541 million federal stimulus funds dedicated to Medicaid."
Therefore my question is:
Why is Oregon continuing, now entering a seventh year, to be one of the few US States to provide zero (0) funding to support the state-wide voice of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors?
This is not about a temporary cut back. This is not about a reduction. This is about zero. For nearly seven years.
We've asked this question for some time now, without receiving a consistent answer.
Given the letter you sent, the question is more appropriate, logical and urgent than ever:
Why zero? Why now? Why this constituency -- the customers and stakeholders who this mental health care system is supposed to serve?
The question is being asked about Oregon nationally, as you can see from our page about this "Why Zero?" question:
http://mindfreedom.org/zero
You'll find there a link to the national MENTAL HEALTH WEEKLY industry publication that ran an article on this very question at the BEGINNING of the legislative session:
http://tinyurl.com/kulongoski-mental-health
Now that the session is over, and it turns out the scare about many cuts -- for a lot of services -- was inaccurate, then I think our constituency deserves an answer to this simple question:
Why zero?
Could I possibly have an answer by 30 July? That's three weeks from Thursday. The date carries some significance to those of us working for the voice of some of Oregon's most marginalized systems, who remember David Romprey. I think he'd want me to ask this question, and I think he would want a consistent answer.
Those who wish to have an answer may want to e-mail and asked to be copied your reply.
Sincerely,
David W. Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Jul 6, 2009, at 4:00 PM, Janet L ZEYEN-HALL wrote:
Attached please find a letter from Richard Harris, Assistant Director of Addictions and Mental Health Division, on the approved Budget.
[For text of that letter see:]
http://www.mindfreedom.org/richard-harris-oregon-amh
Thank you.
Janet Zeyen-Hall
Legislative Assistant to Jane-ellen Weidanz
Department of Human Services
Addictions and Mental Health Division (AMH)
500 Summer Street NE E86
Salem, Oregon 97301
Phone: 503-945-6359
Fax : 503-378-8467
Janet.L.Zeyen-Hall@state.or.us
