[MF-NYS-NEWS] fwd: protest psychiatric abuse of kids in NY

[David Oaks/MindFreedom]

BELOW is a forwarded announcement about a planned protest on 28  
August 2006 in Albany, New York, USA of psychiatric abuse of kids,  
please forward to others. For more information and to get future  
announcements directly please use the contact data provided below  --  
laurentenney at aol.com. Mental Patients Liberation Alliance is a  
founding sponsor group of MindFreedom International.

~~~~~


From: laurentenney at aol.com

Subject: Special Event - Small Demonstration @ VESID's door 8/28/06  
ban aversives, restraint and time out
	
Date: August 21, 2006 8:05:27 AM PDT
	
The Mental Patients Liberation Alliance was successful in obtaining a  
permit to demonstrate at VESID's door on August 28th 2006, which is  
the LAST DAY for public comment about the use of aversive"therapies",  
restraint and seclusion in the form of time out rooms on New York's  
children.

Please help ban these procedures for everyone - with no exception by  
getting involved today.   Please help collect letters (example and  
fact sheet below) to send to Dr. Cort to tell her to ban the use of  
these barbaric procedures, literally intended to cause pain.  If you  
use the template ask people to add a personal word or two - it makes  
a big difference.

The small demonstration is scheduled to be held at One Commerce Plaza  
(99 Washington Avenue) in downtown Albany from 8 AM to 8 PM August  
28, 2006.

Press Release to follow. ~~10e

SEND A LETTER or E-MAIL TODAY!

[sample letter]

~~~~~~~~~

email: vesidspe at mail.nysed.gov

August 15, 2006

Dr. Rebecca H. Cort
Deputy Commissioner
Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with  
Disabilities
Room 1606, One Commerce Plaza
Albany, New York 12234

Attention:  Comments – Proposed
                                     Behavioral Intervention Regulations

Dear Dr. Cort:

As a concerned resident of New York State, I oppose corporal  
punishment and the use of aversive behavioral interventions.  The New  
York State Education Department’s Emergency Regulations for Aversive  
Behavioral Intervention, Time-Out Room Seclusion, and Physical  
Restraint are appalling.  To subject our youth and children to these  
tortuous and barbaric procedures is a morally unacceptable violation  
of their human rights.  Added reporting of these abuses does nothing  
to eradicate them.

I urge you to prohibit the dangerous, forced, and cruel interventions  
and punishments proposed in the New York State Education Department  
Regarding Proposed Regulations for Aversive, Timeout Rooms, and  
Physical Restraints AND PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.

There currently are a multitude of settings in New York State where  
effective and safe behavioral strategies are utilized on children  
considered to be “extremely difficult” that do not include torture.   
Please instigate policy that utilizes these effective and safe  
strategies for youths and children in New York State.

Thank you for taking the needed time to consider my comments in this  
important matter.

Sincerely,



_____________________________  Signature

_____________________________  Name

_____________________________  Street Address

_____________________________  City, State, Zip

_____________________________  Phone Number (optional)


FACT SHEET

Proposed regulations to the Rules of the Board of the Board of  
Regents and the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education relating  
to behavioral interventions were adopted at a Board of Regents  
meeting in June 2006 as an emergency action, effective June 23,  
2006.  The entire text is available on-line at http:// 
www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/behavioral/requirements606.htm#sum

Ø      The proposed amendments to regulations generally “prohibit”  
corporal punishment [and certain behavioral interventions] and use of  
aversives WITH PROVISION AND PROCEDURES FOR EXCEPTIONS

A civilized society will not bear cruel acts upon its members.

Ø      EXCEPTIONS to the proposed legislation include situations  
without threat of IMMINENT, SERIOUS, PHYSICAL HARM, such as:

-         the protection of school property

-         to restrain or remove a pupil whose behavior is
interfering with the orderly exercise and performance of school  
functions

-         creation of a behavioral intervention plan for certain
students “whenever the student exhibits persistent behaviors that  
impede his or her learning…” that allows for treatments and  
procedures otherwise prohibited

Ø      Definitions from proposed amendments:

       Corporal Punishment: “any act of physical force
       upon a pupil for the purpose of  punishing that
       pupil”


             Aversive [behavioral intervention}:
-         “application of noxious, painful, intrusive stimuli or  
activities intended to Induce pain such as electric skin shock, ice  
applications, hitting, slapping, pinching, kicking, hurling,  
strangling, shoving, deep muscle squeezes or other similar stimuli;

-         any form of noxious, painful or intrusive spray, inhalant  
or tastes;

-         withholding sleep, shelter, bedding, bathroom facilities or  
clothing;

-         contingent food programs that include withholding meals or
             limiting essential nutrition or hydration
             or intentionally altering staple
             food or drink in order to make it
             distasteful;

      -     movement limitation used as a
             punishment, including but not limited to
             helmets and mechanical restraint
             devices;

      -      the placement of a child unsupervised or
             unobserved in a room from which the
             student cannot exit without assistance;

-         or other similar stimuli or actions.”

Torture is wrong for EVERY person
in EVERY circumstance.

NOTE:  [Aversive behavioral interventions] “The term does not include  
such interventions as voice control, limited to loud, firm commands;  
time-limited ignoring of a specific behavior; token fines as part of  
a token economy system; brief physical prompts to interrupt or  
prevent a specific behavior; interventions medically necessary for  
the treatment or protection of a student; or similar interventions.