Supporting Albany Times Union Op-ed
The following op-ed appeared in February 1999 in the Albany Times Union and other upstate NY papers:
Lessons from around New York
by D.J. Jaffe
What caused Andrew Goldstein to push Kendra Webdale in front of a speeding subway car in New York City? The same disease that caused Michael Laudor to stab his fiancée in Hastings, NY and Patricia Van Remmen to fear her 36-year-old son in Buffalo: Untreated Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a biological illness, much like diabetes is a biological illness. The good news is that like diabetes, schizophrenia can be treated-- its symptoms controlled. Violence that can stem from lack of treatment can be prevented.
The problem is a classic Catch-22: the disease affects the brain, often preventing the individual from recognizing their need for treatment. About 40% of individuals with schizophrenia lack insight into their illness: they are so sick they don’t know they’re sick.
When Andrew Goldstein became symptomatic, no one was in position to order a change in medication or enforce compliance. And while most people with schizophrenia do not become violent, even when psychotic, some do. 25% of all people discharged from psychiatric facilities committed a violent act during the year following discharge.
Treating people with schizophrenia, and preventing tragedy would not be so difficult if the law didn’t get in the way. Once an individual becomes so ill that they no longer recognize their need for treatment, laws prevent society from offering it until they become “danger to self or others.” We should be offering treatment before dangerousness, rather than waiting for after.
While Community Treatment Orders-- a court-ordered requirement to take medicines that can prevent violence as a condition of living in the community--exists at least on paper, in thirty nine states, New York isn’t one of them in spite of the fact that a small pilot program at Bellevue Hospital in New York City showed Community Treatment Orders cut hospital stays by 57%.
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer recently came forward with a bill that would improve the successful pilot program at Bellevue and extend it to the rest of the state. The bill’s requirement for extensive court oversight ensures that no one’s rights are trampled. It can help prevent patients from needlessly deteriorating and help others from becoming victims. The proposal is supported by a wide variety of organizations on all sides of the issue. Assisted Treatment is supported by many who suffer from the illness; their families; Alliance for the Mentally Ill chapters in major cities like New York and Buffalo; health care providers like the Greater New York Hospital Association; Unions like the Public Employee Federation; and law and order organizations like the Victim Services Agency and the Center for the Community Interest.
The New York State Legislature should act on the Attorney General’s proposal immediately. It’s good for patients and good for the communities they live in. Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, the nations most prominent schizophrenia researcher says, “Mandatory treatment for those too ill to recognize their need for treatment is a much kinder intervention than mandatory non-treatment”. Amen.
DJ Jaffe has a sister in law with schizophrenia and is a co-coordinator of the Treatment Advocacy Coalition of New York State. (212) 366-0527 (Posted 2/1999)
[ Back to NY-TAC Index ] [ Op-eds ] [ NY Laws ] [ Issues ] [ Join NY-TAC ]
The information on /newyork is provided as a public service by the NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition. For more information, to join, or to make a donation, write to NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition, Suite 4B, 250 West 27th St., New York, NY 10001 or call (212) 366-0527. To support our efforts, make checks payable to Treatment Advocacy Center. To become a free member and receive updates, please send your name, (organization's name, if any) address, phone, fax, and e-mail address to the above address, along with the following signed statement: "I HAVE RECEIVED INFORMATION ABOUT THE NY TREATMENT ADVOCACY COALITION, SUPPORT IT'S MISSION, WANT TO RECEIVE UPDATES AND BE LISTED AS A MEMBER AND SUPPORTER." Unfortunately, requests for free memberships without this information and statement can not be honored. Contents of all material on the Coalition's web site is copyrighted and rights are reserved by the NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition unless otherwise indicated. However content may be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated, or transferred by nonprofit organizations that support our mission for educational purposes if correct attribution is made to the NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition. Please feel free to call with questions on neurobiological disorders, treatment laws or the benefits of medication compliance at 703.294.6001 or 212.366.0527. Send questions via e-mail to stanleyj@psychlaws.org. Media inquiries to press@treatmentadvocacycenter.org. Technical comments on the web site (www.psychlaws.org) can be sent to Webmaster@psychlaws.org.