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Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority FY06/07 Trust Beneficiary Group Initiative Grants |
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Organization Information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organization Name | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Law Project for Psychiatric Rights | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organization Type | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-Profit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organization Mailing Address | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 406 G Street, Suite 206 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| City | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Anchorage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| State | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alaska | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zip Code | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 99501 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organization Physical Address | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 406 G
Street Suite 206 |
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| City | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Anchorage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| State | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alaska | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zip Code | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 99501 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organization E-mail Address | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| office@psychrights.org | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organization Phone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 907/274-7686 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tax ID Number | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 55-0805233 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WWW Address | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| web site address | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| http://psychrights.org | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary Contact's Last Name | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Manager or primary contact's last name | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gottstein | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary Contact's First Name | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Manager or primary contact's first name | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jim | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary Contact Office Address | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 406 G
Street Suite 206 |
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| City | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Anchorage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zip Code | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 99501 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary Contact's E-mail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| jim@psychrights.org | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary Contact's Office Phone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 907/274-7686 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Project Summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Request Date | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 09, 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Title | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please limit to one sentence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PsychRights
Companion Capital |
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| Population Served | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Select the beneficiary category to which this request is targeted. For a detailed description of beneficiary groups, please visit the Trust website at www.mhtrust.org | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mentally
Ill - Select One - - Select One - |
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| Project Need Area | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please describe the need and/or the specific beneficiary group issue that will be addressed by this project/activity. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This is a companion
capital grant request for PsychRights System Improvement grant application
to set up an office for two staff members. Beneficiaries are being illegally subjected to forced psychiatric drugging due to the failure of the current system to provide adequate legal representation. This is not only unaccepatable on its own, but also results in many people becoming "chronically mentally ill" who could otherwise successfully get through their initial psychotic experience(s) if they weren't forced onto psychiatric drugs. There are also many people who are not able to tolerate psychiatric drugs, and who, if given a chance, could successfully stop taking them or substantially reduce dosages, but are forced to continue these very harmful drugs. It is clear the current mental health system's over reliance on these drugs at least DOUBLES the number of Trust beneficiaries who end up chronically mentally ill. (See, "Mad in America; Bad Science, Bad Medicine and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill," by Robert Whitaker. Also see, "The case against antipsychotic drugs: a 50-year record of doing more harm than good," by Robert Whitaker, Medical Hypotheses, Volume 62, Issue 1 , 2004, Pages 5-13, which has been uploaded in support of this application.) The Trust's beneficiaries are entitled to (1) options that do not destroy their lives, and (2) have their legal rights honored. This project addresses both of these fundamental beneficiary needs, but its intended impact is far beyond the specific beneficiaries who will be represented in these proceedings. By making it harder to accomplish forced drugging, other options become more attractive by comparison. In fact, to the extent the system is unable to force beneficiaries to take unwanted drugs, it will have to utilize other approaches, which have been shown to dramatically improve lives. The creation of these alternatives will improve Alaska's entire mental health system. |
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| Beneficiary Oversight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please demonstrate the composition of the advisory or oversight group and the proportion of beneficiaries, family members of beneficiaries and other volunteer's status (connection to mission, professional occupations, financial experience, etc.) Upon successful receipt of the application, a full matrix will be sent to all applicants to provide complete information on Board/oversight composition. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PsychRights' bylaws
state: "at least 2/3rds of the members of the Board of Directors shall be
a past or present consumer of mental health services of such a nature that
inpatient care may have been necessary." There is compliance with this
bylaws provision. |
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| Project Description | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Provide a detailed explanation of the project: What do you plan to do? How will you implement this plan? Who will be responsible for implementation? What is your timeline? How will you receive referrals or find the beneficiaries you plan to serve? Provide as much information as possible to fully explain the scope of the project. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If the PsychRights
System Improvement Grant is awarded, these funds will be needed to
minimally equip and furnish the office with two computers, a phone system,
a multifuncition copier/fax/scanner and furniture. If the operating grant
is not awarded, neither should this one. As to the project itself, the project is designed to allow Trust beneficiaries to use the court system to expose and reduce unwarranted forced psychiatric drugging in a way that will create positive change. Providing vigorous legal representation to certain beneficiaries facing forced psychiatric drugging can be a key element in creating extremely positive change by creating the necessary incentive to the system to provide alternatives. Currently, due to the complete lack of adequate representation for Trust beneficiaries in these forced drugging proceedings, forced drugging is by far the "path of least resistance." The lack of adequate representation is well known. New York Law School Professor and author of the definitive treatise on mental health law Michael Perlin has written, "Traditionally, lawyers assigned to represent state hospital patients have failed miserably in their mission." Competency, Deinstitutionalization, and Homelessness: A Story of Marginalization, Houston Law Review, 28 Hous. L. Rev. 63 (1991). In addition, it is not unlikely that the Trust's beneficiaries are legally entitled to the "least restrictive alternative," and the Alaska Supreme Court could so rule in the Myers Case, Alaska Supreme Court Case No. S11021 at any time. In any event, there is no doubt there is massive over-medicating of the Trust's beneficiaries and their lives will be greatly improved to the extent this project is successful. There are many other places where forced drugging occurs, with the most heart-wrenching being its use on children. It can be safely estimated that well over 50% of the children in state custody are being given very powerful psychiatric drugs, most of which have never been approved for pediatric use. In many cases, this includes multiple drugs, known as (irresponsible) polypharmacy, for which there is no supporting research and where nobody has any idea what these drugs are doing to these Trust beneficiary children's developing brains. In most cases, these children have had traumatic experiences and/or are living in frightful or dysfunctional situations. Rather than try to correct these problems, the children are labeled as having defective brains and (mis)treated accordingly. PsychRights will develop a legal strategy to reduce forced drugging of these children and instead create positive changes in their lives. Another area where the State illegally force drugs Trust beneficiaries is in prison. We know that psychiatric drugs actually increase psychotic relapses, especially when people quit taking them, which they often do when they are released from prison. PsychRights has the Department of Corrections on record admitting it is violating its prisoners' constitutional rights (see, http://psychrights.org/States/Alaska/CaseThree.htm), but PsychRights' lack of staff has delayed being able to address this. If the PsychRights System Improvement Project is funded, this issue will also be addressed. Implementation of this plan will be fairly easy upon grant award. Recruitment of an attorney and assistant, as well as acquisition of office space, can begin immediately with work on the project to begin as soon as the attorney is recruited. James B. Gottstein, Esq., a very experienced attorney in this field, will supervise the project on a pro bono publico basis. Currently PsychRights receives numerous requests for help fighting forced drugging which cannot be addressed because of the lack of a staff attorney. It is thus anticipated that even if the project is fully funded, there will still be many cases that cannot be undertaken. PsychRights is well known and respected among Mental Health Consumer organizations and also receives many referrals on an ongoing basis through this route -- most of which it can not take on because of the lack of a staff attorney devoted to this effort. |
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| Project Methodology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please describe the methods or model that you will use to implement this project. Why do you think this approach will be successful in achieving your desired outcomes? The Trust is particularly interested in funding strategies that have been evaluated and found to be effective. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Estimates were made
for the items in the budget. Uploaded in support of this application are
quotes for the computers and the multifunction
printer/copier/fax. With respect to the project, itself, strategic legal cases, under the supervision of experienced attorney James B. Gottstein will be undertaken by the staff attorney hired with these grant funds. The cases will be selected with an eye towards both creating favorable precedent and providing sufficient incentive to the State to offer truly helpful alternatives for Trust beneficiaries diagnosed with serious mental illness. This will include appeals and may also include federal lawsuits, particularly under the federal civil rights statute, 42 USC §1983. Mr. Gottstein was one of the main attorneys representing beneficiaries in the Mental Health Trust Lands Litigation, which created the Mental Health Trust Authority and thus has experience with system changing litigation. Litigation as a means for changing systems is a proven strategy. In addition to the Mental Health Trust Lands Litigation for the mental health system, the Molly Hootch case for rural education and the Cleary case for prison administration in Alaska, the civil rights litigation by Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP in the 1950's and '60's is a classic example. In situations like this where governmental policies are supported by large economic interests, litigation is often the most effective, and quite possibly the only way to eliminate the abuses. It is certainly true here that two years of efforts to persuade policymakers to redress the situation have failed to result in any meaningful change. |
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| Project Start Date | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| July 01, 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project End Date | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 30, 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Geographical Area Served | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Select the geographical area impacted by this project | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statewide | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Request Amount | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please state the amount of funds that you are requesting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| $18,400 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating or Capital | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Will the funds be used for operating or capital expenditures? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Budget | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please provide a budget with details for the request amount. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Two Computers $4,400
Multi-Function Printer/Copier/Fax $10,000 Furniture $2,500 Phone System $1,500 Total $18,400 |
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| Budget_Narrative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please describe the activities that will occur for each budget item for this project. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Two Computers $4,400
Two computers at $2,200 each. See uploaded quotes. Multi-Function Printer/Copier/Fax $10,000 See uploaded quote. A legal office needs serious paper processing ability and this multi-function printer/copier/fax has the needed capability at a comparatively inexpensive cost. Furniture $2,500 Estimate for furniture. Phone System $1,500 Estimate for phone system. Total $18,400 Total requested under this capital grant application. |
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| Other Funds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please list the other funds that will be used in this project | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| N/A |
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Outcomes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Expected Outcomes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What are you going to accomplish? The proposed deliverables detailed here will be used by Trust staff to evaluate the progress of the project. Outcomes are discreet, measurable products from the project/activities that you expect to see as a result of your activities. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In terms of the the
uses of these funds, the equipment should be purchased by the end of the
calendar year, probably a few months before that. With respect to the underlying System Improvement project for which this is the companion capital grant, beneficiaries receiving legal representation will receive much better legal representation than they otherwise would without this grant. This will be relatively easy to measure by aggregating the number of cases taken, the success rate, and what was achieved or not in each case. It is also hoped that through such strategic litigation Trust beneficiary's rights to adequate representation, funded by the state, will be established (such a case is now on appeal). This will also be easily determined. Either the Alaska Supreme Court will hold Trust beneficiaries facing forced drugging proceedings are entitled to a reasonable level of representation or not. The court may also hold as part of this that Trust beneficiaries are entitled to have the state pay for expert witnesses to potentially testify on their behalf. More importantly, but less certain, the PsychRights System Improvement Project can truly be a lever for transforming Alaska's mental health system to a recovery-based one offering truly helpful alternatives to forced psychiatric drugging based on respect for Trust beneficiaries and through honoring their legal rights. Whether and the extent to which such alternatives have become available can be easily determined and documented. beneficiaries receiving legal representation under this Project will receive much better legal representation than they otherwise would without this grant. This will be relatively easy to measure by aggregating the number of cases taken, the success rate, and what was achieved or not in each case. |
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| Exit Strategy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please describe the sources of funds (if known) that this project may use in the future after Trust funds end. Please state if this information is not known at the time of application. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project is
completed/accomplished - Select One - - Select One - |
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| Exit_Strategy_Narrative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please describe the plan to transition this project to a long term funding source after the Trust funds end. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This capital project
will be completed. The underlying System Improvement project for which this is the companion capital grant, is seen as a time limited one that either will or won't achieve its goals of creating structural changes in Alaska's forced psychiatric drugging regime drastically reducing illegal forced drugging and dramatically increasing truly helpful, non-medication options. It is conceivable this could occur within the two year time period, but a lot of things would have to fall into place. This can be evaluated at the end of the grant period should this project be funded, but no additional capital fund request(s) are anticipated. |
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