Here's excerpts of what Congressman Stark has to say about MHP:
http://www.house.gov/stark/news/108th/c ... qstudy.htm"..thousands of American parents are voluntarily placing their children into foster care or juvenile justice systems as the only way to access the mental health services their children require." "...in Fiscal Year 2001, 12,700 children from 19 states were placed into the juvenile justice or child welfare systems to receive mental health treatment."
"Lacking access to adequate care, parents turn in desperation to state child welfare and juvenile justice agencies. The states have different policies in that situation, but frequently parents lose custody and may lose any say over medical and other decisions concerning their children."
"This report just confirms what too many families know first-hand: that our neglect of children's mental health care is destroying families," said Kennedy. "Our government should be working to keep families together, not forcing them apart."
"?One key to ending the phenomenon of custody relinquishment,? said Kennedy, ?is passage of mental health parity legislation, which would require insurers to COVER MENTAL HEALTH CARE ON THE SAME TERMS AS PHYSICAL CARE. [my emphasis] According to the GAO report, inadequate health care coverage is a leading cause of custody relinquishment.? Kennedy introduced a parity bill in the House, which a majority of Members have co-sponsored."
http://www.house.gov/stark/news/news022 ... health.htm"This bill, well named in memory of a dearly missed Congressional colleague and mental health advocate, ends a major barrier to mental health care by providing full parity in the health insurance coverage of mental illness with physical illness. It is time to heed the call of the 54 million Americans who suffer with the effects of mental illness every day of their lives and change this pernicious form of discrimination."
"A thousand years ago, people displaying symptoms of mental illness were stoned or burned at the stakes. The stigma attached to the mentally ill continues today in a more latent, but no less malicious form. It manifests itself by the employer who finds reasons not to hire or the apartment owner who is less likely to lease to the mentally ill. And, I believe it is manifesting itself in this excessive opposition to the efforts of the mentally ill to obtain treatment."
"It is time to overcome the stigma associated with mental illness and put an end to this form of discrimination. It is time for the Administration to take an active role in supporting this bill that facilitates access to mental health services for those in need."
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This is a huge and complicated issue. While there are kids (actually it's probably their parents) who need information and help, I don't think they have gotten or will get the best care from the Mental Health System. I don't think their real needs are addressed, it just happens to be only option widely known to the masses, more easily accessible and occassionally more affordable than alternatives.
Ya think the gov't really gives a whit about the "breaking up" of families? What in the world would they say about the BM Industry? :skull: in order to change their behavior. It's pretty clear where the 'stigmatization' is coming from. It's coming from the mental health monopoly that stands to profit at the sake of millions of Americans."
Nor will "parity" provide effective treatment. As a growing number of psychiatrists state, psychiatrists have become "drug pushers." Today, antipsychotics (neuroleptic) sales have reached $5.5 million and antidepressant sales are $12.5 billion in the U.S. America accounts for 70% of the world consumption of antidepressants, 60% of antipsychotics drugs, and 80-90% of one stimulant prescribed to children, known as "kiddy cocaine."
While psychiatrists cry about "reducing stigma," it is their labels and treatment that initially create the stigma.
http://www.psychassault.org/parity_press_release.htm*****************************
No, I'd rather the gov't not funnel MY tax dollars into the hands of psych professionals and psych pharmaceutical companies. It's just one of my many daydreams of a truly democratic society, but in such a society I'd be allowed to divert a portion of my taxes to alternatives that actually help and "first, do no harm".
It really sucks to have to pay for things you do not support.
Deborah
