21 November 2007

It’s time for us all to speak up and demand that New York State end this appalling, inhumane practice! It is time to demand the right to know about forced electroshock, and stop the cover-up of data about the use of forced shock in New York State.

It just takes a moment to use e-mail to contact the below five New York State officials! If you can also phone or write that is helpful, but at least e-mail them!

If you have time to contact just one person, go to the very bottom: Where does Senator Hillary Clinton stand on these human rights atrocities occurring in her own State?

Let them all know that forced ECT is wrong and must be stopped!

A draft sample message is included below, though using your own words and personal experiences are encouraged. Please be civil but firm.

Please contact these five New York State officials immediately!

1. Gov. Eliot Spitzer is a fairly new Governor who inherited a bullying mental health system. Complete his web feedback form at: http://161.11.121.121/govemail  Phone: (518) 474-7516. Express your concern and you will be connected to a citizen comment line. At the end of the recorded message you may leave a voice mail, although the current recording does not specify this. Fax: 518-474-1513.
2. Lieutenant Gov. David Paterson is legally blind and has been charged by the Governor with dealing with disability issues. Complete his web form at: http://161.11.121.121/emailltgov Phone: (518) 474-4623. Fax: (518) 486-4170
3. Assemblyperson Peter M. Rivera is Chair of the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. He is a crucial elected leader focusing on the field of mental health. Email: riverap@assembly.state.ny.us Phone: (718) 931-2620. Write: 1973 Westchester Avenue; Bronx, NY 10462 USA.
   
4. New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Michael Hogan: While leading President Bush's Commission on Mental Health, Michael Hogan claimed to support empowerment and recovery and human rights. But earlier this year he took over as head of this State agency that is aggressively pushing for more forced electroshock over the wishes of the subject! How can he reconcile this? Please ask him!
   

• Complete Commissioner Hogan's web form at: http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/email/feedback.asp  [Because of MindFreedom complaints, this OMH feedback website has now apparently been fixed, though the form still does not work in some browsers such as Safari.]
• Phone Commissioner Hogan: (518) 474-4403 Fax: (518) 474-2149. Be civil, be firm, don't stop!!
  

5. Senator Hillary Clinton. Ask this presidential candidate in a civil way where she stands on these human rights violations in her own State!

• If you live inside New York State, use her SENATE feedback form. Go to the top of the following web page to find the link to web feedback form ("Comment on an Issue") and/or to phone, fax or visit any of the local offices listed here: http://clinton.senate.gov/contact/ Or you may go directly to the web feedback for Sen. Clinton here: http://clinton.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm?subj=issue
• If you live outside New York State, please use the web comment form for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign here: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/help/contact/
  

Draft sample message - though your own words & experiences are best:

It is time for the State to reverse the New York Office of Mental Health’s long-standing policy of vigorously pursuing legal action to force ECT on people who do not want this controversial intervention.

As a very first step, the New York State Office of Mental Health should disclose information about electroshock. We understand that this office is refusing to provide information that by law they ought to provide through the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). The public has a right to know. Taxpayers have a right to know that their money is being used to forced electroshock. Stop the cover-up of this information!

We believe it is time to revise the laws that allow forced electroshock. ECT is of questionable efficacy, but it does have well-documented serious side-effects effects, including permanent memory loss. This memory loss can be so severe that people may not recognize family members or be able to practice their professions. This is an invasive irreversible intervention.

The World Health Organization has called for a ban of involuntary electroshock. It is time that New York ends such shameful practices.

New York Office of Mental Health Commissioner Michael Hogan chaired the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, which promoted the idea that people with psychiatric disabilities must direct their own care in order for recovery to be possible. This stands in stark contradiction to OMH’s zealous legal activities to force ECT on those who do not want it.

We call on the State of New York to renounce this harmful policy, and on the Governor to propose legislation that would end the possibility of ECT being forced on any citizen.

Sincerely,

• [Your name & address.]