Hello John,
The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting every American in innumerable ways. At the Treatment Advocacy Center, we are squarely focused on how it is exacerbating our nation’s failure to adequately care for people with severe mental illness.
From the heightened risk of infection of those warehoused in jails or prisons or left to fend for themselves on the streets, to the increased difficulty of finding a hospital bed at a moment of psychiatric crisis, there is now more reason than ever to worry about the fate of those not receiving essential mental health treatment. This year’s Mental Health Awareness Month could not have arrived at a more urgent moment.
Throughout this national emergency, with our staff dispersed but working diligently from the safety of their homes, the Treatment Advocacy Center will maintain its voice for those caught in the revolving door.
This issue of Catalyst was produced prior to the domestic outbreak of coronavirus, but reflects the many ways we are spearheading mental health reform at all levels. Our cover story details our leading role at a recent White House summit on mental health, which included Dr. Drew Pinsky emphatically urging all to read Dr. Torrey’s landmark book American Psychosis. (We agree.)
This Catalyst also features articles about amazing efforts taking place across the country to improve conditions for the folks we serve. Betsy Johnson shares impressions from her recent visit to the exemplary AOT program in San Antonio, and Elizabeth Hancq recounts her memorable “ridealong” with the Tucson police’s mental health support team. We also feature two great stories from Iowa: Leslie Carpenter chronicles her invaluable work on the presidential campaign trail, pressing candidates to articulate their mental health agendas, and Torrey Advocacy Commendation winner June Judge reflects on a lifetime of mental health advocacy.
In these uncertain times, we are even more grateful for the many ways you invest in the Treatment Advocacy Center. Thanks to you, we are well positioned to weather this storm and lead the long overdue (and ever more urgent) national conversation on mental health reform. That could not happen without you.
You can read the spring 2020 edition of Catalyst on our website now.
With continued gratitude for your support,
