Patients Occupy Mental Health Clinic To Prevent Closure
Last edited Thu Apr 12, 2012, 10:31 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)
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Source: Care2
By Beth Buczynski
Members of Occupy Wall Street are reporting that dozens of people who use Chicago’s mental health clinics along with other advocates have barricaded themselves into the Woodlawn Clinic at 6337 S. Woodlawn, one of 6 clinics facing closure in the city.
The patients, family members, and mental health advocates say they intend to remain there until Mayor Rahm Emanuel agrees to keep all of Chicago’s public clinics open, fully funded and fully staffed.
According to the Chicago Tribune, some 5,100 patients receive services through the city’s network of mental health clinics. About 3,000 are uninsured or underinsured, and another 2,100 carry Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance. The plan to close the clinics was made toward the end of 2011, and will save taxpayers about $3 million, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health.
The City says it will refer the insured clients to nonprofit community mental health providers, but patients and their advocates have their doubts. Not to mention that thousands without insurance will be left to fend for themselves.
Read more:
http://www.care2.com/causes/breaking-patients-occupy-mental-health-clinic-to-prevent-closure.html
#occupytogether #occupyeverywhere #OWS
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Thanks to Cory777 for the top part of this post.. I saw this and felt it needed a repost in GD
http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/as-mental-health-clinics-face-cuts-the-affected-speak-out/
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/us/impact-of-chicago-mental-health-cuts-will-be-clear-soon-on-the-streets.html
http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/22/5/110.full
(my comments)
All the people that are affected by bad state policy and the closures and allies,staff,families friends etc...I admire those people fighting to keep the clinics open,to show up in masse and let the assholes know how we feel about THEIR decisions that harm OUR lives
If the clinic closures go nationwide maybe we should get together,walk into the chamber as "observers" Than ask some revealing questions of the political people cutting the clinics face to face,then I'd recommend they SHAME them all. And of course the media would be called and cell phones would record the truth and it would be all over the net.People with mental illness &psychiatric injuries SUFFER ENOUGH.
There was awhile ago an attack on mental health services ,they were closed overnight..nobody knew.
I know if they cut off my access to the clinic I attend, I would have nothing to lose,and I'd be ungodly pissed....Hell,I'm already pissed.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-12-28/health/ct-met-mental-health-closures-20111228_1_community-mental-health-board-public-health-activists-question
"Fight" by the cure.
Sometimes there's nothing to feel
Sometimes there's nothing to hold
Sometimes there's no time to run away
Sometimes you just feel so old
The times it hurts when you cry
The times it hurts just to breathe
And then it all seems like there's no-one left
And all you want is to sleep
Fight fight fight
Just push it away
Fight fight fight
Just push until it breaks
Fight fight fight
Don't cry at the pain
Fight fight fight
Or watch yourself burn again
Fight fight fight
Don't howl like a dog
Fight fight
Just fill up the sky
Fight fight fight
Fight til you drop
Fight fight fight
And never never
Never stop
Fight fight fight
Fight fight fight
So when the hurting starts
And when the nightmares begin
Remember you can fill up the sky
You don't have to give in
You don't have to give in
Never give in
Never give in
Never give in
