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TREATMENT ADVOCACY CENTER HONORS THREE GRASSROOTS MENTAL ILLNESS ADVOCATES

Winners from IL, CA, and PA fighting for treatment for those with few heroes

ARLINGTON, VA –The board of directors of the Treatment Advocacy Center today announced that Karen Gherardini from Illinois, Janice DeLoof from California, and Jeanette Castello from Pennsylvania are the winners of its annual Torrey Advocacy Commendation. The Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illnesses.

“Individuals are the heart of the effort to reform and improve our nation’s mental illness treatment system,” said president Dr. E. Fuller Torrey. “The system will not change without the untiring fortitude of individuals like Karen, Janice, and Jeanette. Fighting the entrenched establishment, especially on an issue like real treatment for people with severe mental illnesses, is far from easy. But legislators cannot look impassioned family members in the face and deny the need for real reform. That is why their work is so critical, and why I am so proud TAC is recognizing these three tireless advocates.  They are tenacious in their personal dedication and commitment to helping a group of people with few real champions.”

The TAC award recognizes the courage and tenacity of those who selflessly advocate – despite criticism and opposition – for the right to treatment for those who are so severely disabled by severe mental illnesses that they do not recognize that they need treatment.

The board of directors of the Treatment Advocacy Center voted unanimously to recognize these three outstanding advocates.

ABOUT THE AWARD WINNERS

KAREN GHERARDINI (ILLINOIS).  For more than six years, Karen Gherardini worked to make it easier for people in Illinois to get treatment for severe mental illnesses.  Frustrated by the struggle to get treatment for her loved one with paranoid schizophrenia, she worked to lower Illinois’ strict treatment standard and help others get life-saving treatment. 

Gherardini testified at the Illinois state legislature, spoke to legislators, drafted legislation, participated in task force meetings, and addressed advocacy groups to convince them to change a law in Illinois requiring someone with a severe mental illness to be an immediate danger before they could be court-ordered into treatment.

This year Gherardini’s efforts were realized when Gov. Blagojevich signed SB 234, loosening the strict standard to allow earlier intervention for people with incapacitating symptoms of illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. “The passage of SB 234 is a monumental victory for the mental health system in the State of Illinois,” said Senator Dale Righter, the bill’s chief sponsor. “Karen’s perseverance, persistence and dedication to this issue, in addition to the support of so many other families who have loved ones that suffer from a mental illness, have finally paid off.”

Linda Virgil, Chair of NAMI Illinois’ Public Policy Committee, nominated Gherardini for the TAC award and said, “While many people worked to bring about this change [in Illinois law], Karen exhibited a particular dedication, determination, and energy.”

JANICE DELOOF (CALIFORNIA).  As the mother of a son who committed suicide after not receiving effective treatment for bipolar disorder, Janice DeLoof is a dedicated advocate of implementing assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) in Orange County and throughout California.   She fights to ensure others don’t have to face the same barriers to treatment her son faced.

DeLoof has met with members of the Orange County board of supervisors, state mental health boards, and legislators to urge the implementation of Laura’s Law in Orange County and throughout California.  She also works to reduce the stigma of mental illness by creating and exhibiting artwork and facilitating art workshops that deal with mental health issues.

DeLoof is a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and the California Alliance for Mental Illness, was recently named chair of the Orange County Mental Health board, and is chair of the government affairs committee of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Orange County. 

California Treatment Advocacy Coalition member Carla Jacobs, who nominated DeLoof, said, “Through her tenacity she keeps moving forward.  Someday AOT will be implemented in Orange County, and when that happens, it will be a result of Janice.”

JEANETTE CASTELLO (PENNSYLVANIA).  In December 1999, Jeanette Castello began advocating for treatment of severe mental illnesses in Pennsylvania by founding the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Families in Action advocacy group with the goal of establishing a Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) in Bucks County, PA.  After two years of advocating for PACT for her family member and others in Pennsylvania who have severe mental illnesses, Bucks County implemented PACT.  Castello has spoken about PACT at NAMI conferences, and continues to serve on the PACT advisory committee.

Currently, Castello is fighting to change Pennsylvania’s outdated assisted outpatient treatment standard, which requires a person to be dangerous to themselves or others before being court-ordered into needed treatment.  She has formed a steering committee to influence legislation, encouraged advocates to testify in support of legislation congressional hearings, and has started a blog to encourage support of changing Pennsylvania’s treatment laws. 

Alice and David Fitzcharles who nominated Castello said, “Jeanette is a strong and persistent advocate who works tirelessly despite opposition from those who oppose changing the state laws.”

About the award. The Torrey Advocacy Commendation is presented annually by the Treatment Advocacy Center’s Board of Directors. The award is named for Treatment Advocacy Center president and founder Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., a nationally known and respected psychiatrist, researcher, and advocate whose unflagging resolve to remove barriers to treatment for people with severe mental illnesses sparked a national reform movement. Recipients make a substantial difference for their community through advocacy, awareness, research, or legislation in this field.

The Treatment Advocacy Center (www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illnesses. TAC promotes laws, policies, and practices for the delivery of psychiatric care and supports the development of innovative treatments for and research into the causes of severe and persistent psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

We take no money from pharmaceutical companies. The American Psychiatric Association awarded TAC its 2006 presidential commendation for "sustained extraordinary advocacy on behalf of the most vulnerable mentally ill patients.”

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