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HOW CAN I HELP?
Take the Thirty-minute Advocacy Challenge
People often ask us how to change their state's mental illness treatment law. Every state and situation is different. But weve discovered some tools that work no matter where you live.
You wouldnt be asking how you could help if you werent
already passionate and committed, the most important tools for any advocate. But you are
also busy thats why we pulled together some ideas for
when you have a small window of time. We call it thirty-minute advocacy.
30 MINUTES CAN LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN: Your story can inspire change
Take 30 minutes to tell us how the treatment law in your state affects you or your family. Has a good law helped you? Is a bad law keeping someone you love from getting treatment? Those stories can make a difference in educating people about the importance of better laws. |
Understand your state law
There are a number of things that are critical to getting help for
people who are too sick to understand they are ill. Do you know the situation in your
state? The first step to success is knowing the ground on which you currently stand.
Does your state allow for assisted outpatient treatment,
also known as court-ordered outpatient treatment? Only eight states dont -
Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and
Tennessee. As inpatient beds continue to dwindle and hospitals continue to close, the lack of an outpatient treatment option means people who are in
crisis end up in the streets or in jails instead of in treatment.
Research your law on our website to see where your state fits.
Does your state require someone to be dangerous before they
can be court-ordered to treatment? About half of the states forbid treatment
interventions until someone becomes dangerous, which limits help for people until they are
in extreme crisis. Look up your law on our website
to see where your state fits in, or get the details of your statute.
Does your state use the law it has? If your state
law has useful components to it, find out whether or not it is ever put into action. For
instance, many states have AOT laws that are used rarely or never. Start by asking your
local mental health provider of department of mental health if they are using it. Is the
answer no? Ask them why.
Is there activity already happening in your state?
If not, should there be?
Understand the facts
Take 30 minutes to get the facts, and the next time a question is
raised, youll be prepared.
Assisted outpatient treatment works. Recent
statistics show that of those placed in six months of assisted
outpatient treatment, 77 percent fewer were hospitalized, 85 percent fewer experienced
homelessness, 83 percent fewer were arrested, and 85 percent fewer were incarcerated.
The consequences of lack of treatment are severe.
They include homelessness, victimization, suicide, violence, and arrests and
incarceration. Find out more in our series of fact sheets - or
search our online database of preventable tragedies to see the
impact in your state.
Anosognosia is a medical condition. The majority of
those not receiving treatment have no awareness of
their illness (anosognosia). Stigma and
dissatisfaction with services are much less frequently cited reasons why people do not
seek treatment. The greatest reason for nontreatment by far is lack of awareness of
illness. Such individuals will not voluntarily utilize psychiatric services, no matter how
attractive those services are, because they simply cannot understand that they are sick.
Severe mental illnesses are real diseases. Multiple
studies confirm that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (manic depressive illness) are diseases of the brain, in exactly the same sense that
Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis are brain diseases.
Write a letter to the editor
The letter to the editor is one of the most effective tools of advocacy. Take 30 minutes to write one.
With one, your passion can reach tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands
of readers. Respond to news stories in your local paper by writing a letter to the editor.
Effective letters are relevant and timely. They are written as if
you're talking to the editor of the newspaper not to readers, not to elected
officials, not to the world at large. They stay on point, focusing on only one topic. They
are short, usually under 250 words. They avoid personal attacks. And they use personal
experiences or statistics to make a point. We have lots of tips on writing good letters, as well as some examples, on our web site.
Contact your legislator
Write to your legislator. Even a handful of letters
can have a tremendous impact on your state legislators and their decisions on whether to
support treatment law reform. Letters do not have to be long-winded or full of statistics
in fact, short letters with personal stories are the most likely to be read.
There are helpful tips on our website for writing letters to legislators.
Visit your legislator. Take 30 minutes to schedule a meeting with your legislator. Meeting with your legislator
is the most effective way to explain the importance of treatment law reform. These visits
help personalize the issue and allow you to "read" your representatives
reaction to your request of support.
Help implement and publicize good laws
After you get a law passed, or if you discover that your state
already has a good law that just needs to be used, you can help ensure effective
implementation. Some of the things you can do to let people know about the law include:
Exchange information with others
Tell us about news stories. Send news clippings to
TAC via mail, email, or fax when you read about a
tragedy that might have been prevented with treatment.
Stay informed. Sign up for our weekly e-news alerts
and our quarterly newsletter Catalyst. (Fill out our online form now or
call us at 703 294 6001.)
Donate to TAC
The Treatment Advocacy Center does not accept funding from
pharmaceutical companies or entities involved in the sale, marketing or distribution of
such products.
Donations from friends like you are vital to our success. Without
individual donors, TAC would not be able to support advocacy efforts in states across the
country, prepare and maintain materials for everyone from family members to reporters,
testify at hearings, or help struggling families via phone.
A donation will allow us to continue fighting for those who are too
sick to help themselves. You can donate via check, payable to The Treatment Advocacy
Center, or The Treatment Advocacy Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
We thank you for your support. Together, well make a real
difference.
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The contents of TAC's website are copyrighted by the Treatment Advocacy Center unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved and content may be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated, or transferred, for single use, or by nonprofit organizations for educational purposes only, if correct attribution is made. TAC is an I.R.C. � 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation. Donations are appreciated and are eligible for the charitable contribution deduction under the provisions of I.R.C. � 170. Please note that TAC does not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies or entities involved in the sale, marketing, or distribution of such products.
Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC), 200 N. Glebe Road, Suite 730, Arlington, VA 22203 703 294 6001/6002 (phone) | 703 294 6010 (fax) | www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org (website) [email protected] (general email) | [email protected] (press contact) [email protected] (webmaster) |