April 08: change Oregon mental health care NEWS re-cap

[Public announcement list for Oregonians about human rights in the mental health system.]

Hi,

This is for everyone in Oregon...

In case you missed any of these news items, here is a link to April  
2008 alerts about changing Oregon's mental health system:

http://www.intenex.net/pipermail/mindfreedom-oregon-news/2008-April/ 
date.html

If that link is too long for your browser, try clicking on this link:

http://tinyurl.com/4nlef3

The big picture for April 2008?

As you may know by now, Oregon's mental health system has two unusual  
honors in the USA in 2008:

1) MONEY FOR BRICKS

Oregon is one of the FEW USA states that is actually BUILDING new  
huge psychiatric institutions. That's right, the last legislative  
session found $500,000,000 (half a billion) for the bricks, concrete  
and energy for this. Whatever your stand is on replacing Earthquake- 
prone buildings, consider:

2) NO MONEY FOR VOICE

Oregon is one of the FEW states to continue to have ZERO funds for  
the state-wide voice of mental health consumers and psychiatric  
survivors. For five years Oregon has had no funding for a state-wide  
newsletter, state-wide advocacy, state-wide conference, office of  
consumer affairs, etc. for mental health consumer/survivors.

Five years! Not a cut-back, zero!

Well, more and more Oregonians are *doing* something about it!

So check out the April 2008 news re-cap!

You'll find out...

**** HOW *you* can easily ask Governor Kulongoski and his  
administration "Why zero? Why zero for five years for the state-wide  
voice of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors?"  
MindFreedom Oregon has determined that Governor Kulongoski's office  
itself is one of the top obstacles, since there is widespread support  
in the legislature, and within the Governor's own bureaucracy!

You can attend remaining public hearings by Oregon Dept. of Human  
Services in Portland, Wednesday, April 30; Salem, Tuesday, May 6, 9  
a.m. – noon; Wednesday, May 7, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m.; Eastern Oregon  
interactive teleconference, Thursday, May 8, 10 a.m.

**** READ the front-page article in Willamette Week about an  
Oregonian blowing the whistle on psychiatric drug industry fraud.

**** READ a news story in Street Roots about the launch of a state- 
wide coalition by and for mental health consumers and psychiatric  
survivors. Read how Oregon' Mental Health Division Deputy Assistant  
Director Madeline Olson claims their choice was between funding a new  
psychiatric institution, or funding voice for consumer/survivor  
voice. (Really? But why ZERO? Not a cut-back: Zero?)

**** SEE theater in Portland in May & June exploring mental health  
issues.

**** FIND OUT about a job opening in an Oregon empowering alternative  
in mental health care, Empowerment Initiatives.

**** WITNESS the launch of the Oregon Mental Health Consumer/ 
Psychiatric Survivor Coalition.

Again, all the above April 2008 news items are here:

http://www.intenex.net/pipermail/mindfreedom-oregon-news/2008-April/ 
date.html

If that link is too long for your browser, try clicking on this link:

http://tinyurl.com/4nlef3

Other news:

REMEMBER, Tuesday, 29 April 2008 is the last day to register so you  
may vote in the Oregon election -- including presidential primary --  
on 20 May.

PARTICIPATE IN "THE NORMATHON" -- A free skit on challenging the  
power of the psychiatric drug industry (watch for our Big Giant  
Pill), to take place in Eugene, Oregon, Saturday, 17 May 2008, at 4 pm:

For info on the Normathon see:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/norm

More about activism to change mental health care in Oregon is here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/as/act/us/or

Join MindFreedom International here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

Check out an all-new Mad Market of books and DVD's on changing mental  
health system, proceeds fund MFI human rights campaigns, here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

Please forward this news to appropriate places on and off Internet!

Thanks!

David

David W. Oaks, Executive Director
MindFreedom International
454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB 11284
Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA

web: http://www.mindfreedom.org
email: oaks at mindfreedom.org
office phone: (541) 345-9106
fax: (541) 345-3737
member services toll free in USA: 1-877-MAD-PRID[e] or 1-877-623-7743

United Independent Action for Human Rights in Mental Health!

MindFreedom International is an non-profit coalition with a vision of  
a non-violent revolution in mental health. Accredited by the United  
Nations as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with Consultative  
Roster Status.

Join now! http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.