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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 (PsychRights) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 System
Improvement Grant |
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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 Chronic Alcoholics w/ Psychosis - 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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 unacceptable 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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 30, 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Geographical Area Served | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Select the geographical area impacted by this project | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statewide | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Request Amount | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please state the amount of funds that you are requesting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| $300,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating or Capital | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Will the funds be used for operating or capital expenditures? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Budget | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please provide a budget with details for the request amount. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FY 2006 Personal Services Attorney $50,000 Assistant $25,000 Fringe (23%) $17,250 Total $92,250 Travel & Lodging $6,000 Total $6,000 Facility Expense Rent $9,000 Telephone $3,000 Total $12,000 Other Operating Costs E&O Insurance $2,500 Liability Insurance $1,500 Westlaw $3,000 Supplies $2,750 Representation Costs $30,000 Total $39,750 TOTAL FY 2006 COSTS $150,000 FY 2007 Personal Services Attorney $60,000 Assistant $30,000 Fringe (23%) $20,700 Total $110,700 Travel & Lodging $6,000 Total $6,000 Facility Expense Rent $9,000 Telephone $3,000 Total $12,000 Other Operating Costs E&O Insurance $2,500 Liability Insurance $1,500 Westlaw $3,000 Supplies $1,000 Representation Costs $13,300 Total $21,300 TOTAL FY 2007 COSTS $150,000 GRAND TOTAL $300,000 |
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| Budget_Narrative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please describe the activities that will occur for each budget item for this project. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FY 2006 Personal Services Attorney $50,000 This is ten months of the attorney's $60,000 per year salary Assistant $25,000 This is ten months of the assistant's 30,000 per year salary Fringe (23%) $17,250 Twenty-three percentof direct payroll for FICA, FUTA, ESC, etc., and health insurance allowance has been budgeted for these costs. Total $92,250 Travel & Lodging $6,000 This is for travel within Alaska on behalf of beneficary clients and possible for attending a conference. Total $6,000 Facility Expense Rent $9,000 Rent calculated at $750 per month. Telephone $3,000 Estimated Telephone and Internet charges Total $12,000 Other Operating Costs E&O Insurance $2,500 This is the estimated amount for Errors and Omissions (Malpractice) insurance. Liability Insurance $1,500 This is a standard general/comprehensive, liability policy. Westlaw $3,000 This is to pay PsychRights' Westlaw charges, which is an electronic electronic legal research database, which is essential to any serious legal practice these days. Supplies $2,750 This is the amount budged for supples. Representation Costs $30,000 This is to pay representation costs for beneficiary clients, such as for depositions, transcripts, filing fees, expert witnesses and the like. Since FY 2007's budget is light some of this might roll over into FY 2007, if possible. Total $39,750 TOTAL FY 2006 COSTS $150,000 FY 2007 Personal Services Attorney $60,000 The attorney's $60,000 per year salary Assistant $30,000 The assistant's 30,000 per year salary Fringe (23%) $20,700 Twenty-three percentof direct payroll for FICA, FUTA, ESC, etc., and health insurance allowance has been budgeted for these costs. Total $110,700 Travel & Lodging $6,000 This is for travel within Alaska on behalf of beneficary clients and possible for attending a conference. Total $6,000 Facility Expense Rent $9,000 Rent calculated at $750 per month. Telephone $3,000 Estimated Telephone and Internet charges Total $12,000 Other Operating Costs E&O Insurance $2,500 This is the estimated amount for Errors and Omissions (Malpractice) insurance. Liability Insurance $1,500 This is a standard general/comprehensive, liability policy. Westlaw $3,000 This is to pay PsychRights' Westlaw charges, which is an electronic electronic legal research database, which is essential to any serious legal practice these days. Supplies $1,000 This is the amount budged for supples. Representation Costs $13,300 This is to pay representation costs for beneficiary clients, such as for depositions, transcripts, filing fees, expert witnesses and the like. Total $21,300 TOTAL FY 2007 COSTS $150,000 GRAND TOTAL $300,000 |
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| Other Funds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please list the other funds that will be used in this project | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This would be a
Trust funded project, except to the extent of cost overruns, which will be
covered by other PsychRights funds, which are primarily private
donations. |
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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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Without doubt,
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. 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. |
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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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Project is completed/accomplished - 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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other -- The main
source of potential outside funding would seem to be attorney fee awards,
such as under Alaska Rule of Civil Procedure 82. Project is completed/accomplished. This particular project 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. |
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