| Date: | Fri, 29 Oct 1999 21:06:59 -0700 |
| To: | "California InterNetwork of Mental Health Clients" <cinmhc@lyris.peoplewho.net> |
| From: | "Andrew Phelps" <starfish@northcoast.com> |
| Subject: | [cinmhc] Consumer Self-Help Conference |
On Friday October 29 the Santa Clara clients and some mental health staff held a conference in a hotel in downtown San Jose. The purposes of this conference were (1) to develop mission statement(s) and principles for three self-help centers in North, Central, and South County, and (2) to discuss the parameters for the creation of an Office of Client Concerns. The self-help centers have been funded through County General Funds already, the ‘OCC’ is at an earlier stage in the process. Approximately 105 persons attended this event.
County M.H. Director Allan Rawland gave a general introduction. By deliberate decision, local speakers were provided for the self-help discussion. Jose Rangel talked about the nature of self-help and Tom Jurgensen talked to the topic of mission and principles. Then Tom and Deputy Director Nancy Pena and Alma Alicia Castillo led an extended discussion on what people would like to see and how they would like to see it, in regards self-help centers. The discussion went very smoothly and at a very serious level. The one moment of contention was handled by appeal to Edna Elkins, a veteran local client activist, and Bonnie Schell, who spoke to the experience of the Santa Cruz Network MHCAN.
The keynote speaker was Ron Schraiber, Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) of Los Angeles County. He thrilled everyone with his complex and articulate description of the issues of the clients and what the role of the LA OCA is in taking up these matters. Ron is an old-timer and he has evidently thought a lot about various matters related to the clients movement.
After lunch we had small group discussions for each of the three (in-county) regional self-help groups, plus one for the ‘OCC’ question. Then there was a wrap-up plenary, and a draft mission statement was accepted by the group. The text of that will be made available soon. The self-help center proposals will go to RFP soon, with careful safeguards to make sure they remain genuinely client-run. The Santa Clara clients seem to be onto the slogan of ‘measure your cloth nine times’, as they are into getting things right. More ‘measurement’ is clearly needed in the case of the ‘OCC’ — but this too has moved ahead significantly.
It seemed to me that people were impressed by the coherence and good work energy generally exhibited there. George Vizvary, the client hired to organize this event and event MC as well, did one very fine job and clearly has helped move forward the cause of the clients in Santa Clara County.
Respectfully
Andrew Phelps
http://www.northcoast.com/~starfish