I Loved It! ~ Patients Rights Advocacy

Loved shadowing an MHA Hearing Advocate earlier today. Look forward to learning more. Great opportunity for me to make use of my experience having been psychiatrically hospitalized for bipolar disorder (albeit voluntarily), while dusting off old knowledge and skills from my education and the careers of my early adulthood. After all, I have a BA in Legal Studies and experience as a legal assistant, an MA in Psychology and counseling skills gained as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and advocacy skills. Those careers date back to my twenties. I’m 51 now. In between, I spent a decade working in commercial real estate and a decade on disability, sometimes struggling to do something as simple as make dinner.

Californians with mental illnesses who are receiving treatment in mental health facilities, including those persons subject to involuntary commitment, are guaranteed numerous rights under State and federal laws, including the right to be free from abuse and neglect, the right to privacy, dignity, and humane care, and the right to basic procedural protections in the commitment process.

~ http://www.dsh.ca.gov/Publications/Patients_Rights/


Comments

14 responses to “I Loved It! ~ Patients Rights Advocacy”

  1. […] training shadowing a Hearing Advocate last Friday either excited or overstimulated me. There can be a fine line between the two. Since […]

  2. It is well. Some day those laws will work.

  3. Amazing how God works, isn’t it?

  4. I am so glad. My son is now in high school, but he still likes to have me around. Competing demands are difficult to juggle even for the “healthiest” of us. Also, I DID get overstimulated and found it difficult to go to sleep last night. Finally, I took sleeping meds to calm down and fall asleep.

  5. Thank you, Sandy Sue.

  6. California does not provide adequate shelter or care for the homeless mentally ill. We have a long way to go. Nor do we offer enough disability income to pay for food and shelter. If not for the grace of God, and a supportive husband and extended family, there go I.

  7. I had no idea what your educational background is, nor how appropriate it is for your volunteer work. How exciting! Just a guess on my part, but God may have been preparing you, all those years ago, for helping people now.

  8. I really love what you are doing, Kitt. I want to get more into advocacy work like this once my kiddos are in school. Ladies like you, Dyane and Walker truly inspire me.

  9. So glad it was a positive experience. Well done, you!

  10. I hope the world adopts Californian strategies in mental issues. It’ll be better, here in Ghana some of them roam the street, hungry, being abused, ill clothed with no shelter.

  11. the details of your post is making even more interesting!

  12. Thank you! I’m flattered that your mother is reading my posts.

  13. your positive energy will bring a success and accomplishments! My mother reading every articles, keep with your mission and success!

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