Here in the U.S., we are once again reeling from a series of mass shootings and the unavoidable aftermath of debates and inaction. Harvey Rosenthal—the CEO of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services and a staunch advocate for people with mental illness—wrote this opinion piece, published in USA Today yesterday, titled, “I have a mental illness. Don’t scapegoat, institutionalize people like me after shootings.”
Why share this particular piece of the many that are out there?
Because the discourse again has gone the direction of finger-pointing towards mental illness with proposed “solutions” involving coercion and control. I suspect there are some people, including people getting ACT services, who could benefit from open discussion and processing following the events themselves, but also the de facto finger-pointing. For many individuals getting ACT, we are their biggest advocate and it may be times like this when our advocacy needs to be the loudest.
– Lorna
Photo by: Paul Earle