Date: Sun Aug 20, 2000 3:50pm
To: private list
From: "Gerald Minsk" <birdnest@mciworld.com>
Subject: Re: [xxx] Intro ..

Dear Yyy,

I am very impressed with your credentials and accomplishments over the years with not only your own personal struggles with manic-depression, which I do have, and have had for the last 30 years. I also try my best to be aware as much as I can of my insight of my illness, sleep deprivation, aniexty, agitation, mood swings, flight of ideas and anger.

I have been an advocate for approximately 15 years. I volunteered for Mental Health Advocacy Services, a public interest law firm introducing me to advocacy and the client movement. I have been involved over the years with various client/consumer groups such as L.A. Network of Mental Health Clients, co-facilitator of Project Return: the Next Step, advisory board member to Project Bac-Up, a county-contracted consumer run benefits assistance project. Have continued to stay active with the California Network of Mental Health Clients, and the L.A. County Coalition of Mental Health Clients.

I have been involved in, within the last two years, as a consultant for the reorganization of the L.A. County Dept. of Mental Health; I am a sitting member of CREMIO (Crime Reduction for Mentally Ill Offenders) Advisory Board, which is a pilot project to reduce recividism for dually diagnosed mentally ill inmates of county jail who are at risk of returning to state prison. This project is about to become operational and is funded by the State of California Dept. of Corrections in conjunction with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Dept. and the L.A. County Dept. of Mental Health and L.A. County Probation Dept. I have also been a member of a number of successful interagency task forces that have created positive systemic changes within our county targeted in the areas of linkages, case management and restoring government benefits to discharged inmates from this country’s largest psychiatric facility, the L.A. County Twin Towers/Men's Central Jail. For the last ten years I have worked for three non-profit continuum of care social model mental health provider givers, Step-Up-On-Second Street in Santa Monica, Oasis House in So. Central Los Angeles, and LAMP, Inc., where I have worked for a total of approximately seven years as a staff advocate specializing in providing basic human services using a fail-safe, harm reduction model of treatment. Some of my primary responsibility continues to be as an intensive case manager, benefits assistance and working with consumers as well as being a member of a continued intercity outreach team, working to bring in multi-diagnosed, treatment resistant homeless consumers by gaining trust and accessing them to services they want in a voluntary, respectful approach.

My credentials are certainly nowhere near yours academically, however, I do have a Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Counseling from U.C.L.A. and I'm also involved in drug and alcohol recovery at my agency. I think I've been published once last year in response to the shooting death at the hands of the Los Angeles Police Dept. of a homeless woman by the name of Margaret Laverne Mitchell. Also last year, after appearing at a Town Meeting held at the U.C.L.A. Neuropsychiatric Hospital facilitated by Tipper Gore, I was featured in an article in TIME MAGAZINE (June 7, 1999). It was an honor and privilege to meet Tipper and appear on the very distinguished panel of professionals and experts. I did manage to have a chance to be included in the dialogue and express certain public policy statements regarding homelessness, mental illness and the media's perpetuating the myth of mentally ill people as more violent than the general public. Last month I again appeared with Tipper and Sharon Davis, wife of California Governor Gray Davis in another similar event. Although I did not get a chance to speak, it was still a privilege to be invited and be part of the process.

Two years ago, in conjunction with Petra Brando and LAMP, Inc. Petra financed and produced a controversial and comprehensive documentary called “Cursing the Sun” which depicts what works and what doesn’t in relationship to one of the biggest issues facing this country regarding the civil rights of consumers, being voluntary versus involuntary treatment. During this process, we went into the field doing our normal outreach work, and filmed, with the consent of our clients, including a lot of footage and interviews of our guest population and including interviews with some of the staff of our agency. The film was shown on the local public broadcasting station and by most accounts has received a positive response. I would be more than happy to send you a copy. I would warn you that the audio in some parts of the film is poor.

As far as Tipper and Al are concerned, it never hurts to have friends in high places regarding mental health issues. However, I wouldn’t be naive in understanding that Tipper Gore has used and continues to use mental health for political purposes. Every first lady has chosen an issue for a “pet project.” If we can somehow use this to our advantage by getting more funding, and to continue to de-stigmatize mental illness, which Tipper has done, and I do give her credit for that, then all the better. The bottom line still is that nationally, and locally, we have a long way to go and we need to have a national priority regarding more flexible mental health policy, and funding, including multi-diagnosed programs, social model programs that have demonstrated not only cost-effectiveness but are successful, voluntary and non-coercive. The criminalization of the mentally ill, the lack of affordable supportive housing, the reform of Social Security and SSI programs, this list could go on and on and on. So as you can see, I remain a bit skeptical about politicians who appear to be advocates for extremely complicated issues during political campaigns.

I too am new to the list, and I can be reached at LAMP, Inc. 526 So. San Pedro St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Gerald N. Minsk
LAMP Staff Advocate