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How should people live long-term in our state if they have a serious mental illness? The hope is that they’ll find ways to integrate into their communities with support, but that’s proven tough to accomplish. In this show we look at the challenges in our community mental health care system.
Featuring:
- Ken Libertoff, former director of the Vermont Association for Mental Health
- Anne Donahue, state representative from Northfield and Berlin, editor of Counterpoint
- Greg Mairs, operational director of adult services at Counseling Service of Addison County
- Mary Moulton, executive director of Washington County Mental Health Services
- Michael Hartman, adult mental health director at Lamoille County Mental Health
- Connie Stabler, mother and Howard Center board member
- Louis Josephson, president and CEO of Brattleboro Retreat
This show is part of a seven-part series I produced for Vermont Public Radio called They Are Us, which features personal stories from inside the state’s mental healthcare system.
Comments: Please make a comment or share a story if you’ve got one. Comments and conversation are part of the point!
Credits:
Series Advisor: Dillon Burns, mental health services director at Vermont Care Partners
Series Associate Producers: Clare Dolan, Mark Davis
Series Executive Director: Sarah Ashworth
VPR Advisors: Franny Bastian and John Dillon
Mixing: Chris Albertine
Digital Producer: Meg Malone
Series Logo: Aaron Shrewsbury
Picture: Anne Donahue knockin it out of the park
Music for this series is by two excellent Montreal-based bands:
Godspeed You! Black Emporer and Esmerine. Special thanks to the awesome Bruce Cawdron
For more information about the series, visit VPR. You’ll find the series schedule and resources.
Very big thanks to the following people for their knowledge, time and advice: M.T. Anderson, Melissa Bailey, Gretchen Brown, Seleem Choudhury, Anne Clement, Jimmy Dennison, Isabelle Desjardins, Laurie Emerson, Deb Fleischman, Laura Flint, Al Gobeille, Alix Goldschmidt, Gary Gordon, Keith Grier, Heather Houle, Jenniflower, Karen Kurrle, Lt. Maurice Lamothe, Sabrina Leal, Fran Levine, Martie Majoros, Jack McCullough, Mark McGee, Megan McKeever, Betsy Morse, Bess O’Brien, Roxanne Pearson, Julie Potter and her beautiful daughter, Malaika Puffer, Michael Rousse, Marla Simpson, Montpelier Senior Activity Center, Sandy Steingard, Tony Stevens, Cindy Tabor, Gloria Vandenberg, Konstantin von Krusenstiern.
Another reason we should care whether people with mental illness are served in the community: its the law.
From ada.gov: “The story of the Olmstead case begins with two women, Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, who had mental illness and developmental disabilities, and were voluntarily admitted to the psychiatric unit in the State-run Georgia Regional Hospital. Following the women’s medical treatment there, mental health professionals stated that each was ready to move to a community-based program. However, the women remained confined in the institution, each for several years after the initial treatment was concluded. They filed suit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for release from the hospital.
The Decision
“On June 22, 1999, the United States Supreme Court held in Olmstead v. L.C. that unjustified segregation of persons with disabilities constitutes discrimination in violation of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Court held that public entities must provide community-based services to persons with disabilities when (1) such services are appropriate; (2) the affected persons do not oppose community-based treatment; and (3) community-based services can be reasonably accommodated, taking into account the resources available to the public entity and the needs of others who are receiving disability services from the entity.”
Thanks for this series. Well-done!
Claudia Lindley
Lincoln, Nebraska
Claudia,
Interesting. If cases were brought more often, it might really sharpen our focus on more permanent community accommodations for people with serious mental illness. Thanks so much for this comment Claudia…
E
The whole series is so illuminating and so important for Vermont to hear. Bravo Erica.