Revisiting Mental Health Treatment within Vermont

(cross-posted from Beyond VSH blog, here; *Updated*: with the usual corrections)

Revisiting Mental Health Treatment within Vermont

Self-determination and independence versus force and dependency revisited

By Morgan W. Brown

The very nature of self-determination as well as independence would seem to dictate not merely having freedom of choice, but rather also include both the freedom and the right to ensure one's self-defined and self-expressed wishes, choices and decisions are not defined, limited, narrowed or controlled by outside influences, no matter how well-intended or well-meaning.

Each person needs to decide as well as do what is best for themselves and, as such, they are the only one who actually knows what that is during any given moment or circumstance.

When it comes to health care and, most particularly concerning mental health treatment and related matters, save (i.e., except for retaining one's own) true and actual freedom of choice regarding such decisions, this means that like most anything else in this life there are truly no absolutes, nor should there be any imposed on any person(s) by anyone else.

Read more (via Beyond VSH blog) ...

Question for Senator Bernie Sanders

Question posed via online video to US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) regarding housing and homelessness.

By the way, if you have not already done so yet, read Sue Allen's recent Talking Points column profiling me, here (via Times Argus; Monday, August 3, 2009).

Check out Senator Sanders Unfiltered:

Sen. Bernie Sanders will soon begin a weekly series of web-isodes on various topics with Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films. This program will be available on www.sanders.senate.gov on Monday, Aug. 10 and regularly on Thursdays thereafter.

[...]

Early Bird VT Gubernatorial Election Poll

Try this audience polling system at Poll Everywhere

Try this audience polling system at Poll Everywhere

Poll: Ending Homelessness

This week I will be among those attending a meeting concerning human services outreach to people living homeless within Washington County.

Please check out and vote in the following poll (This poll closes on Jul 8, 2009):

Budget Cutting Exercises

*Updated*

In light of pending Vermont budget cuts and, depending on what happens with the state budget and, whose budget plan(s) hold sway:

List both ten (10) things you could not manage to do without as well as ten (10) things you could manage to do without.

Then, list both ten (10) things you believe Vermont could not manage to do without as well as ten (10) things you believe Vermont could manage to do without.

While for some, this may prove to be more of a theoretical exercise and, others who are faced with such prioritizing to one degree or another, it is important to weigh the fact that there are those who do not always have such choices.

What to do about such can bring about tough questions, often ones with no easy answers, save the priorities given both when it comes to meeting basic human needs as well as properly maintaining and improving upon the basic infrastructure we as a society collectively depend upon.

Let us hope our state's political leaders and we as a society choose wisely.

*Update*: Having submitted the above as a letter to the editor to various newspapers across the state late last week, it has thus far been published within the Barre - Montpelier Times Argus, here and the Burlington Free Press (found on page 2 of 3), here.

[original post cross-posted to Green Mountain Daily, here]


*Note*: posted an update; last updated on Monday, June 1, 2009 at 4:41 AM (ET).