Update May 2008: MindFreedom Choice in Mental Health Care Campaign has launched a fundraising drive to create a searchable, screened online directory of humane alternatives to the traditional mental health system! Just earmark your donation to MindFreedom for the "Choice Directory."

The focus on a directory emerges from the MindFreedom International held a successful conference/retreat to support the growth of workable alternatives to the mental health system.

You may read a brief news report about the conference/retreat here.

To read the keynote speech "Inspiration for a Creative Revolution"  by Janet Foner, click here.

The conference  showcased existing alternatives, brainstorming about new ones, exchanging resources about starting alternatives, and celebrating individual strategies for recovery.

Pictured here is an aerial view of the beautiful Connecticut retreat center  where MindFreedom held its conference entitled Creative Revolution in Healing: Turn Our Minds Around.

Additional information on the MFI July 2007 conference.

Too often, traditional mental health services keep clients stuck in the system, keeping people from having choices about their lives. The emphasis on medical solutions, especially psychiatric drugs, has become problematic for many. We are seeking new ways of taking charge of our lives, new answers to finding our way out of the mental health system, new roads to our own recovery.

We are currently seeking sponsorship by interested groups and organizations to help us realize these goals. Coming out of this conference, we want to form a network of groups and organizations that would be a member subgroup of Mindfreedom International, that promote or provide such alternatives. We also plan to develop an interactive website directory of these services.

If you would like to become involved in the Choice Campaign, please email creativerevolution@mindfreedom.org.

The MindFreedom Campaign for Choice in Mental Health Committe is led by of Janet Foner, chair; Matt Morissey, co-chair and co-secretary; Celia Brown, Conference Coordinator; Florence Brown, co-secretary.

Why become active in the MindFreedom Campaign for choice? We asked two of the participants, to read their answers see the related items below.