Embargoed For Release: Friday, November 15, 2002 (10:00 AM)

Contact: Christopher Burley at 202-467-5730 x 133 or leec@bazelon.org

Lost In The System: Community Integration On Trial
Presented by The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

Event Looks at One Woman’s Civil Rights Journey through
America’s Mental Health System

Media Advisory -- Details on time, location, etc.

Washington DC (November 15, 2002) - America’s treatment of people with mental illnesses came before a mock “grand jury” hearing held today in Washington, DC.

“The testimony presented today demonstrates clearly that after thirty years and millions of dollars, deinstitutionalization’s promise has yet to be fulfilled,” said Bazelon Center executive director Bob Bernstein. “When it comes to real participation in America’s communities, the civil rights of people with mental illnesses are routinely swept under the rug by policymakers and the public who simply do not view this issue as a priority.”

The mock grand jury proceedings were presented as part of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law’s 30th anniversary celebration. The event, hosted by the Bazelon Center and the former law clerks of the late Judge David L. Bazelon, focused on one woman’s journey from involuntary commitment in a psychiatric hospital to her residence in a board-and-care home. In the matter of Sally Z, a fictional case, was presented to highlight the barriers people with mental illnesses face in participating in their communities.

“Sally’s story is fictional, but it represents what people with mental illnesses are going through across the country,” continued Bernstein. “We hope today personalizes the plight of all the people who have been trapped in a cycle of needless dependency by a system that lacks the political will to provide people with mental illnesses more than just medication management and a place to smoke.”

“Sally Z” was portrayed by Sally Zinman who is, in reality, director of the California Network of Mental Health Clients and an established national leader in the mental health consumer-survivor movement.

Ira Burnim, who is legal director at the Bazelon Center, led the proceedings, calling “expert witnesses.” A mock “grand jury” composed of experts from various fields and headed by retired federal judge Patricia Wald, discussed the barriers to community integration of people with mental illnesses presented during the testimony and explored ways to overcome them. In a unique twist, the audience was invited to vote on the proceeding’s outcome along with members of the “grand jury.”

“The good news is that solutions do exist,” concluded Bernstein. “We know that inclusion, productivity and stable community living for people with mental illnesses are possible, but the public and policymakers need to be informed about the problem. We hope this event will be a starting point for that education.”

Lost in the System: Community Integration on Trial
Mock Grand Jury Participants Scheduled to Appear

Expert witnesses* scheduled to appear included mental health advocate Tipper Gore appearing by videotape; Ann-Marie Louison, director of the Nathaniel Project (NY); Alabama Commissioner of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Kathy Sawyer and Georgetown University law professor Chai Feldblum.

Grand jurors* were led by The Honorable Patricia Wald (Chief Judge of D.C. Circuit Court, retired) and included Marianne Means (columnist, Hearst Newspapers); Clarence Sundram (consultant on mental health systems); Dr. William Goldman (United Behavioral Healthcare); J. Rock Johnson (mental health consumer/survivor activist) and Gary Gates, Ph.D. (Urban Institute).

Nancy Mathis (First Take Communications) moderated the program.

* Affiliations are for identification purposes only and do not imply endorsement by the entities listed of this or any other Bazelon Center statement or activity.

-30-

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is the nation’s leading legal advocate for people with mental disabilities. Since its founding in 1972, the nonprofit organization’s precedent-setting litigation and public-policy advocacy has successfully challenged many barriers and expanded access to public schools, workplaces, housing and many other opportunities for community life. For more information, please visit the Bazelon Center online at www.bazelon.org.