Activists Launch a Nationwide Call to Action to Stop Forced "Mental Health" Treatment

Awareness-Raising Tour & Membership Drive Begins in Brooklyn, NY; will cross the U.S.

BROOKLYN, NY (09/04/2009)(readMedia)-- A new national campaign against forced "mental health" treatment kicks off today at King's County Hospital Center Psychiatric Emergency Room, the institution where Esmin Green, who was involuntarily detained, was neglected to death in July 2008.

The campaign is inspired in large part by the murder-by-neglect of Ms. Green, and activists are currently awaiting the results of a Grand Jury inquiry regarding her death.

Sanford Rubenstein, attorney for the family of Esmin Green, said, "The most important thing to the family of Esmin Green is that all those responsible for her wrongful death and the attempt to cover it up be held responsible for any criminal acts they committed. The family has confidence in District Attorney Hynes and is fully cooperating with the Grand Jury probe."

The activist campaign and membership drive kickoff which will be attended by activists, psychiatric survivors, lawyers, doctors and allies, is meant to raise awareness across the country about the dangers of forced psychiatric institutionalization, drugging, electroshock and other involuntary forms of "treatment." Instead, it promotes non-coercive, choices of alternatives to the corecive medical model of psychiatry - "mental health".A new website, www.stopforcenow.org, has been created to elaborate on the principles of the campaign, and provides action materials and organizing tools, including a petition for community members to sign and send to their state mental health commissioners, calling for an end of forced psychiatric treatments.

"We need to end the silence around the scourge of forced psychiatric 'treatment' in this country," said Leah Harris, one of the campaign organizers. "Real change begins at the local, community level. The Stop Forced 'Mental Health' Treatment Nationwide Organizing Call to Action is designed to spark grassroots dialogues and to inspire people to speak out and take action to end force for good."

WHO:

Civil and human rights activists and allies awaiting the results of the Grand Jury probe into Esmin Green's death at Kings County Hospital Center Psychiatric Emergency Room (June 19, 2008) are kicking off a Nationwide Organizing Call to Action: Stop Forced "Mental Health" Treatment.
WHAT:

Demonstration and Launch of Nationwide Organizing Call to Action: Stop Forced "Mental Health" Treatment - Awareness Raising Campaign and Membership Drive.
WHEN: Friday September 04, 2009 at 06:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: Kings County Hospital Center
Psychiatric Emergency Room Building R
410 Winthrop Street
Brooklyn, New York 11203
NOTES:

Demonstration from 4-9 PM, Press Conference @ 6 PM

For a full schedule of the 10 city Nationwide Tour, see: www.stopforcenow.org/events.html

For video of recent demonstrations: www.opalprojectmedia.blip.tv, www.stopforcenow.org/video.html