Friday, May 14, 2004

Testimony of Eileen D. White, Vice-President, NAMI Consumer Council Before the Institute of Medicine Committee
Transcript of White's testimony, at the NAMI web site - "Your Committee has taken on the enormously important task of applying the "Crossing the Quality Chasm" report to mental health and addictive disorders. When it comes to the mental health system, the gap is indeed a chasm – and it looks like the Grand Canyon. For people living with mental illnesses, the mental health system is huge and daunting, and scary for those who don’t know their way through it. ... The sad reality today is that many people with serious mental illnesses don’t seek or participate in treatment because they have had negative, even traumatizing experiences with the mental health system in the past. I myself have had dehumanizing experiences while in treatment."