Swiftboating an Oregon mental health advocate

Tue Jul 24 13:32:03 CDT 2007

MindFreedom Lane County News - 24 July 2007
http://www.mindfreedom.org/as/act/us/or/lane/tracey-dumas-phd
please forward

    The "Swiftboating" of a Mental Health Advocate:

    Tracey Dumas, PhD withdraws her application to Lane County Mental  
Health Advisory Committee (MHAC)

    Says false rumor is "last straw."

A prominent leader in the mental health consumer/psychiatric survivor  
community in Lane County, Oregon has withdrawn her application to be  
on Lane County's Mental Health Advisory Committee (MHAC), citing a  
false rumor that her PhD was faked as the "last straw."

Tracey Dumas is a leader in a variety of groups working for mental  
health consumers and psychiatric survivors in Lane County. In a  
statement today Tracey said, "I do not believe [MAHC] is ready or  
willing to consider the voice of any consumer/survivor advocate/ 
liaison or activist who is even moderately immersed and engaged in  
consumer groups, activities, and organizations."

The rumor it turns out was totally false.

As a psychiatric survivor and mental health consumer, Tracey did  
indeed complete her dissertation on African Americans and depression,  
and did indeed successfully obtain her PhD from the University of  
Oregon Department of Sociology.

The University of Oregon confirms that Tracey received her PhD, and  
may be called "doctor."

On Friday, Rob Rockstroh, Director of all of Lane County Health and  
Human Services, told David Oaks, director of MindFreedom, on the  
phone that he had heard a rumor that Tracey had not finished her  
dissertation, and could not technically be called "doctor."

Rob said he did not believe the rumor personally, and that it  
wouldn't matter to him if Tracey was not have a PhD. But he asked  
David Oaks about it. Unfortunately, Rob said he does not remember who  
told him the rumor, making it far more difficult to stop.

David Oaks said, "I believe Rob meant no harm. But there is a lack of  
awareness of just how incredibly disempowered and disenfranchised the  
voice of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors is in our  
society. A PhD in this context is a big deal. Whoever started the  
false rumor that reached Rob apparently lacks this awareness, and  
intentionally or not has 'Swiftboated' Tracey. I know that some with  
MHAC and the County have strongly defended the status quo, and feel  
we are already represented. We are not. It would help if we start by  
all admitting we have a major problem to solve, together."

"Swiftboating" refers to rumors that harmed the 2004 presidential  
candidacy of John Kerry.

Today, Tracey sent the following public statement to Rob Rockstroh:

~~~~~~~~~

From: Tracey Dumas -- tcdumas at gmail.com

Subject: rumor

Date: July 24, 2007 7:58:44 AM PDT

To: rob.rockstroh at co.lane.or.us

Rob, I heard that you told David Oaks that I shouldn't be called  
"doctor" because you heard from someone (you forgot who) that I had  
not completed my dissertation and therefore didn't receive my Ph.D. I  
just want to verify that if you said this, that you now understand  
that it is a lie.

This reflects on my credibility, respect, honesty, and dignity as a  
fellow human being so I am checking it out although I am becoming  
desensitized to the never-ending rumors and lies that circulate in  
Lane County circles.

I am trying to get used to the jealousy, doubt, anger, and other  
petty reactions I get from people, particularly professionals, who  
hear I earned my Ph.D.

Unfortunately, this was the last straw in my decision to withdraw my  
application from the MHAC which I do not believe is ready or willing  
to consider the voice of any consumer/survivor advocate/liaison or  
activist who is even moderately immersed and engaged in consumer  
groups, activities, and organizations.

I am trying to decide what further action is warranted. I do not want  
other consumers/survivors/ex-patients to have to go through similar  
channels. Thank you for your future help in stoppring any and all  
rumors/lies that come your way.

Sincerely, Tracey Dumas

- end of statement -

~~~~~~~~~~

The rumor follows on a difficult time finding and placing  
representatives of mental health consumer and psychiatric survivor  
groups on the Mental Health Advisory Committee. MHAC initially  
rejected Tracey's application, made a new call for applications, and  
was to have another round of interviews with these candidates,  
including Tracey, when she withdrew her application.

About six mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors appeared  
during the public comment period of the last MAHC meeting and said  
that they wanted more representation of consumer/survivors on MHAC.

David Oaks, Director of MindFreedom, said, "The Consumer/Survivor  
Council has been meeting for years. It's as if they have that toy  
steering wheel you let a child play with in your car, while the adult  
has the real steering wheel."

There is a Lane County Mental Health Consumer/Psychiatric Survivor  
Council, but the council participants unanimously stated in their  
last meeting that they did not feel represented on the MHAC.

Several MHAC leaders have defended the status quo, saying that they  
"already have" consumer involvement because about three committee  
members have psychiatric diagnoses, though apparently only one has  
done so publicly.

However, Tom Wilson on the consumer/survivor council replied that,  
"If I can't see my representative. If I don't know who my  
representative is. If my representative never talk sto me... Then how  
can I be represented?"

Tracey was featured on the front page of the Register-Guard on 28  
January 2007 because of her mental health advocacy  efforts for  
alternatives to psychiatric drugs:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/psych-drug-corp/eli-lilly/reconsidering- 
psychiatric-drugs

or use http://tinyurl.com/2q3y5b

Tracey will co-chair the second meeting of the Opal Network, an  
effort to support the voice of mental health consumers and  
psychiatric survivors, next Tuesday, 31 July, at 2 pm, at the Eugene  
Public Library. For more information see:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/opal

To e-mail your support for Tracey, you can e-mail to: tcdumas at gmail.com

To speak out for more mental health consumer and psychiatric survivor  
organizational representation on the MHAC, contact the Lane County  
Commissioners.

The next chance to do so face-to-face is tomorrow, Wednesday, July  
25, 2007 at their regular meeting  at 9:00 a.m.

Check the following web site regularly under the "Services --  
Commissioner Meeting Agendas" link for upcoming Commissioner  
Wednesday meetings as they are announced.

http://www.co.lane.or.us/BCC/default.htm

During public comment at the start of the Lane County Board of  
Commissioners meeting you have up to three minutes, unless there are  
more than seven people who wish to speak during the 20 minutes  
allotted at the start of the meeting for public comment.

Phone and any e-mail contacts for each of the five Lane County  
Commissioners is here:

http://www.co.lane.or.us/BCC/default.htm

~~~~~~~~~

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