To: Private List
From: "Andrew Phelps" <starfish@northcoast.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2010 17:19:56 -0700
Subject: Re: [xxx] SF Chron June 3, 2010 Time for San Francisco to implement Laura's Law
Rqp:
As I was saying in the workshop José and I did May 19 at the Bay Area Regional Forum, it's important to move forward the critique of the "clinical gaze." Carla here has moved forward her argument as best as its fundamental mis-truth will permit. I don't think "kicking up a storm" is likely to be a successful plan; somehow recognizing that we are being "attitude managed" by way of being considered "behavior objects" needing management should come into play. Unfortunately approaches to this conundrum like the "Arnieville" protest described here, while helpful, do not rise to the level of infrastructure change as is needed.
I wish you'd make more of an effort to address that kind of concern.
Best
Andrew Phelps
http://www.batstar.net/gaze
Rqp wrote:
Time for San Francisco to implement Laura's Law
Carla Jacobs
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Rarely can a law or a government program save money and lives, but San Francisco can do both by adopting Laura's Law. Until now, the city's leaders have refused to implement this commonsense and effective measure.
Enacted by the state Legislature in 2002, Laura's Law is California's statute for assisted outpatient treatment of the mentally ill. The program this law creates is only for the most severely mentally ill, allowing people incapacitated by the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to receive intensive, court-ordered treatment in the community.
Currently, we discriminate against these people. The public health and court system requires them to be well enough to recognize their need for treatment before we will help them, which is an often tragic catch-22 for illnesses that can compromise rationality.