2013 Helping Famlies in Mental Health Crisis Act SAMHSA : Mental Illness Policy Org

BETA-SITE(Still being developed)

SAMHSA and non-profit mental health industry it funds ignore the most seriously mentally ill
The “Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act” (HR3717) focuses US mental health spending on the most seriously ill

While well-intentioned, SAMHSA, the non-profit mental health industry, peer-Support Movement have focused exclusively on the highest functioning, and rejected programs that can help the most seriously ill. As a result, we now have two mental health systems: the traditional one that serves the high functioning, and a corrections/shelter system to serve all others. This page documents the problems and how HR3717 attempts to remedy it.. Start in left side column and work your way across.

SAMHSA AND MENTAL HEALTH INDUSTRY IT FUNDS IGNORE THE MOST SERIOUSLY MENTALLY ILL

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) was created by Congress to “reduce the impact of…mental illness on America’s communities”and “target … mental health services to the people most in need”. SAMHSA has failed to do either.

SAMHSA ignores and miniizes violence, arrest and incarceration, the most significant impacts of mental illness on the communities. SAMHSA also ignores the “people most in need”, i.e, the 5% NIMH defines as having serious mental illness. Instead, SAMHSA focuses on “improving mental wellness” for all other Americans.

SAMHSA diverts billion dollar block grants to prevent mental illness in spite of the fact there is no known way to prevent serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia. SAMHSA pressures states to spend block grants on ‘self-directed’ care thereby leaving the psychotic, hallucinating, and delusional who can’t self direct their own care– without any care.

Not once in SAMHSA’s 117 page strategic plan entitled “Leading Change” are the words schizophrenia or bipolar disorder mentioned. (Opening Statement, Rep. Tim Murphy)

Examples of SAMHSA Mismanagment

SAMHSA has no inhouse medical experts on serious mental illness and funds groups that don’t believe mental illness exists.
SAMHSA’s Guide to Mental Illness Awareness Week suggests schools invite the following organizations into classrooms to teach students about mental illness:

Mindfreedom: “There is not conclusive evidence or consensus that mental illness exists”
The Icarus Project: “We believe these experiences (commonly diagnosed and labeled as psychiatric conditions) are mad gifts needing cultivation and care, rather than diseases or disorders.”
National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery: “NCMHR holds that psychiatric labeling is a pseudoscientific practice of limited value in helping people recover.”

SAMHSA ‘s National Registry of Evidence Based Practics and Programs (NREPP) certifies programs as being evidence based even when they do not help seriously mentally ill and/or lack evidence. SAMHSA certifies progams based on improving soft outcomes (‘satisfication’, ‘feeling of wellness’, ’empowerment) and refuses to evaluate them based on improving significant outcomes (reducing violence, arrest, incarceration, suicide, homelessness and hospitalization). SAMHSA uses studies by the creators of the programs to certify the programs. Examples:

WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)

Teen Screen.

Kognito At-Risk for College Students

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA).

SAMHSA believes that acknowedging the relationship between violence and untreated serious mental illness will cause a stigma outbreak, and therefore refuses to admit a relationship or support programs to reduce violence. After high profile tragedies, rather than discussing the relationship between untreated serious mental ilness and violence, SAMHSA alerts the media that all the others are not more violent.

SAMHSA extensively funds ‘anti-stigma’ efforts in spite of own research showing stigma is not a major reason people with serious mental illness do not get treatement.

SAMHSA refuses to certify Assisted Outpatient Treatment, which has been certified by DOJ, as way to reduce violence by people with mental illness in spite of numerous attempts by families of people with mental illness to bring AOT to SAMHSA’s attention.

SAMHSA funds groups lobbying to prevent mentally ill from being treated until after they become ‘danger to self or others’.

SAMHSA’s Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness program (PAIMI/P&A) lobbies to get mentally ill who need hospital care out of hospitals and treatment.

In Maine, Joe and Amy Bruce tried to get treatment for their son William who has schizophrenia and made threats against them. SAMHSA-funded PAIMI lawyers got Willy released from the hospital. Two months later Willy killed Amy with a hatchet.

SAMHSA Waste

SAMHSA publishes and distribute irrelevant children’s books like, A Day in the Park, brochures on Making and Keeping Friends and Building Self-esteem. They create video games, and market stickers saying, “I am cool” and “I listen well.” SAMHSA spends $22,000 on acquiring art-work and putting on a play; $200K on a Hollywood party (Tom Coburn)

SAMHSA engages in extensive meaningless make-work paper-pushing projects that have nothing to do with helping people with serious mental illness. SAMHSA spent over a year creating a 1,000 word definition of “Recovery” involving lobbying by hundreds of grant recipients rather than simply using the ten word definitions available in dictionaries. The same process and result was used to define “Trauma”.

SAMHSA’s Response:

Numerous attempts to engage SAMHSA in addressing these issues through the media, letter writing, congressional hearings, and meetings with Administrator Pamela Hyde have failed. At a recent meeting held for that purpose, Administrator Hyde told participants that addressing violence by people with serious mental illness is stigmatizing to those without mental illness and therefore would not be addressed; more money was needed from Congress in order for SAMHSA to focus on serious mental illness instead of mental wellness; and generally failed to see any problem with the status quo. Hence we are making our documentation public.

Solutions to problems at SAMHSA:

1. Replace the current administrator, Pamela Hyde with someone who has passion for improving the lives of people with serious mental illness and knows how to do it. Perhaps an M.D. We note that NIMH had similar mission-creep problems prior to the arrival of Dr. Thomas Insel, but he was able to refocus the agency back to serious mental illness.

2. Euthenasia and reincarnation: Eliminate the agency and place any mental illness programs worth preserving within other agencies with greater dedication to improving the lives of people with serious mental illness. Ex. NIMH, CDC, DOJ, NIDA, etc. .

3. Legislatively elminate SAMHSA’s ability to divert money intended to help people with serious mental illness. Codify a definition of serious mental illness using the NIMH defintion as a model and require SAMHSA to spend their funds helping that target population rather than all Americans who can benefit from increased wellness or improved mental health.

Summary

America has been rocked with everyday and high-profile incidents of violence involving individuals with serious mental illness who were not being treated. President Obama has called on SAMHSA to lead a national dialogue on this, and they are not up to the task. As a result, there are now three times as many persons with mental illness incarcerated as hospitalized. This is largely due to SAMHSA encouraging activities that make it more difficult to provide treatment for people with serious mental illness.

Testimony on Problems at SAMHSA

On 5/22/13 the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Energy and Commerce Committee heard about problems within SAMHSA. Following is some of the testimony presented.

US. Rep. Tim Murphy (video)

US Rep. Tim Murphy (opening statement: problems in SAMHSA)

Dr. Fuller Torrey (SAMHSA fails to focus on science or serious mental illness)

Dr. Sally Satel (SAMHSA Fails to Focus on Serious Mental Illness)

Joe Bruce (SAMHSA PAIMI Program led to wife’s death by own son)

Media articles (and videos) on problems at SAMHSA

Background: SAMHSA’s $3 billion is small by Wasington standards and therefore has not received extensive media attention. This is unfortunate, because the policies and organizations supported by SAMHSA are largely responsible for lack of treatment that has led to highly publicized incidents of violence and the incarceration of people with serious mental illness.

After Newtown: How SAMHSA Fails to Lead National Dialogue on Mental Health (National Review)

“Counterproductive Craziness at Federal Agency” (Washington Times)

“Mental Illness, Homicide & SAMHSA “(National Review)

“SAMHSA Slammed by Congress…And for Good Reason” (Huffington Post)

“SAMHSA is Worst Government Agency” (Video)

“Supercommittee: Eliminate SAMHSA” (Huffington Post)

“Let’s Learn from Failure of US Policies” (Huffington Post)

http://feedback.samhsa.gov/forums/77283-closed-samhsa-s-strategic-initiatives/suggestions/1155179-increase-use-of-assisted-outpatient-treatment

Myths spread by SAMHSA supported antipsychiatry organizations

Myths about AOT
Psychiatry vs. antipsychiatry
Myths about consumers
Myths about medicines
Myths about stigma
Coercion is Patient Centered
Opposition to AOT: NYAPRS
Opposition to AOT: We the people
Mental Illness Awareness Week
Big pharma buys psychiatrists
P&A (PAMII/PAIMI) lawyers
National Law Journal
Misinformed advocates
Not everyone recovers
Review: Mad in America
Mindfreedom, Scientology, CCHR

4. Prioritize Mental “illness” instead of mental “health”

Mental “health” Kills mentally “Ill”
SAMHSA hurts mentally ill (PDF )
President’s new freedom report on mental illness
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Defining mental “illness” in mental “health” policy

HELPING FAMILIES IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS ACT (HR3717) TRIES TO FOCUS US MENTAL HEALTH SPENDING ON THE MOST SERIOUSLY ILL

Myths spread by SAMHSA supported antipsychiatry organizations

4. Prioritize Mental “illness” instead of mental “health”

BETA-SITE(Still being developed)

SAMHSA and non-profit mental health industry it funds ignore the most seriously mentally ill The “Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act” (HR3717) focuses US mental health spending on the most seriously ill

SAMHSA and non-profit mental health industry it funds ignore the most seriously mentally ill
The “Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act” (HR3717) focuses US mental health spending on the most seriously ill