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Presidential Executive Orders in Mental Health: A History of Failures

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking.

Numerous Presidential Executive orders and millions in appropriations for Mental Health in Connecticut have produced nothing but failure and may actually be harmful. Hundreds-of-millions more tax dollars have been promised with no hope of real change.   Despite the enormous amount of money being funneled into mental health, the big return seems to be little more than semantics – merely changing words rather than policy.

The State of Connecticut was one of 13 States to receive a federal “mental health transformation” grant under President Bush. The grant was issued as an executive order to “transform” the broken mental health system and was funded through 2010.  And, what was the return on the investment?  Connecticut suffers the largest mass murder/suicide in United States history within years of this “new improved mental health delivery system.”

Patricia Rehmer, the Commissioner of Mental Health in Connecticut, touts on her resume the fact she had oversight of the $13.7 million granted to Connecticut to then revamp the mental health delivery system.  Ablechild participated in all the committee hearings on that grant and called for disclosure to the consumer on the link between the increased risk of suicide, violence and psychiatric drugs.  Ablechild encouraged the State to educate the public on the MEDWATCH program, and to provide alternatives to psychiatric drugs and forced mental health services.  Ablechild also wrote to then Governor Rell requesting an accounting of how the funds were distributed and whether the public would be advised of the results. The Governor denied Ablechild’s request.

Despite tens-of-millions poured into the State’s mental health system with little or no accountability as to how those funds were spent, in the wake of Sandy Hook, President Obama has promised another $100 million thru an executive order to “make it easier to access mental health services.”  That’s great. But what happened to the $13.7 million from President Bush’s grant?

Are you doing the math?  Are you following the insane process?

On December 20, 2012, within weeks of the Sandy Hook shooting, Senator Scott Frantz stated on WCBS to Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau that mental health providers will get a “slight boost” in the wake of the shootings and will have no funding cuts despite the fact that, “it has not been determined if there was direct connection between that and the massacre.”

Recall that Lanza’s mental health, educational records, and full toxicology report are being withheld from the public by the state of Connecticut.

The push, apparently, is to use this $100 million dollars to improve access to mental health services. However, according to the Hartford Courant’s article of June 20, 2013, Adam Lanza’s Medical Records Reveal Growing Anxiety” Lanza did have access to mental health services for many years. Lanza had been “screened” and released as not being a harm to himself or others.

Ablechild is taking the lead in calling for Lanza’s records to be made public, which will be crucial during the upcoming Connecticut legislative session.  The goal is to protect public safety and stop the mismanagement of taxpayer funds.  Is the increased mental health helping or hurting the public? Not everyone is convinced that more money spent on mental health access will have a positive effect – at least, to date, the State cannot prove that the tens-of-millions spent so far has shown any improvement.

For example, Dr. Hank Schwarts, psychiatrist-in-chief of the Institute of Living in Hartford said in regard to mental health issues, “to write a report now, with what we have, would almost be embarrassing.”http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-state-police-drag-feet-on-newtown-report-20131224,0,6056179.story

 

Ablechild Supporters

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Lawmaking.

Dear Ablechild Supporters,

It has been an amazing year!  Your help has brought the mission of Informed Consent relating to psychiatric drugs to a new level.  In order to keep up the continued fight, we are in need of your generous donations.

We are one of the only organizations in the United States that has been on the front lines of this war against our basic parental rights.  One of the most fierce engagements we had was with the State of Connecticut over the disclosure of Adam Lanza’s mental health, special education, and toxicology report.  We appeared before the freedom of information commission and forced the State to admit the reason why they did not want to disclose the records.

Our website continues to receive increased traffic and the media often seeks us out for our opinion.  This upcoming legislative session in Connecticut and throughout the Country will be totally focused on mental health.  The multi-billion dollar mental health and drug industry will be setting the agenda, we cannot let this happen.  Their agenda has already been spelled out to massively screen ALL children within the public education system for mental illnesses.  As we know, there is no test.   It is totally subjective and will traffic children into an unmanageable whirlwind of drug use.  As we have witnessed time and again the deadly school shootings ending with the shooter’s suicide, we cannot stand by and allow this to happen.

Although the economy is in a deep recession, we cannot think of a better cause then to stop the violence these drugs are inducing into our society.  We urge you to support Ablechild and its continued mission of informed consent by making a year end contribution that is tax deductible.  Knowledge is power, share the information.

We wish you a healthy and happy New Year.

The Ablechild Team

 

 

 

NEWTOWN ONE YEAR LATER, THE MISSING LINK

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Sandy Hook.

In one of a long string of mass murders ending with the killer committing suicide, Sandy Hook, Newtown grabbed the attention of the entire world on December 14, 2012 when yet another mental health client went on a killing spree.

President Obama went to Newtown, Connecticut during the time families were mourning the loss of their children and before their burials.  The President took to the stage at the Newtown High School blocks from the deadly killings and delivered a powerful, moving heartfelt speech where he began to launch a very targeted campaign.  The President said, “We as a nation, we are left with some hard questions.”

As Steve Peoples from the Associated Press writes in his article, Year after Newtown, Gun control Groups keep hope”, “A divided Congress denied President Barack Obama’s calls for change.”  The Associated Press article describes the movement being led by President Obama.  What is not mentioned in the article, this political movement is being built on the backdrop of mourning parents, a failed investigation, a State unwilling to release the shooter’s mental health and special education records, with an incomplete release of a toxicology summary.

The AP report discloses a battle plan of a national operation backed by an alliance of well-funded organizations set up to pressure Congress ahead of next fall’s elections. The groups are sending dozens of paid staff into key states, enlisting thousands of volunteer activists preparing to spend tens of millions of dollars against politicians who stand in the way of their goals.

As the Cofounder of Ablechild, during a Fox News interview with Douglas Kennedy in the aftermath of the Red Lake massacre, Douglas Kennedy asked me, “What do you want?”  I responded, “A federal hearing into to link between psychiatric drugs and school shootings”.

We are not alone in asking the hard question. In Congresswoman Betty McCollum’s home district town hall meeting in Minnesota, again the same question, “What is the link to the shootings and the psychiatric drugs?”

The Congresswoman’s response is stunning. She said that the CDC, the Center for Disease Control, has a “rule” that prohibits the Congress from studying the link between psychiatric drugs and mass shootings. (video 39.30).

Is that true? No.

The CDC is a federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services.  It certainly doesn’t have the power of “rule” making over Congress.

Ablechild reached out for clarification to her office regarding her comments on this CDC rule.  We received back an article about President Obama and gun control that had nothing to do with our quest for clarification on the CDC rule.  We were asked to put our request in writing; we did and as of yet have not received a response.

Congresswoman McCollum’s home State of Minnesota on March 21, 2005 suffered a killing spree called the “Red Lake Massacre” that occurred in two places on the Ojibwa Red Lake reservation.

A 16 year old, Jeffrey Wiese killed his grandfather, a tribal police officer and his grandfather’s girlfriend at their home, before going to Red lake Senior High School where he killed seven people, and wounded five others, then committed suicide.

According to relatives the teenager was taking the antidepressant Prozac, 20 milligrams 3 times a day.

Congresswoman McCollum has a great opportunity to respond to her district and push for federal hearings on mass murders and their link to psychiatric drugs.

Ablechild will continue to push for these federal hearings.  We plan to participate in the upcoming Connecticut February short legislative session to ensure the toxicology panels at the medical examiner’s office are updated and include clinical trial drugs, as well as to obtain a transparent policy  regarding toxicology reports, mental health records, and the associated link to mental health treatments in the aftermath of mass murders and suicides.

This type of legislation will ensure the public has the compelling data that already exists allowing the public to fully participate in the legislative process and to produce life saving public policies.

We agree with President Obama, it is time to ask hard questions.  We, however, don’t think it is a time to build a political movement, pass executive orders giving more funding to an unregulated and unaccountable mental health industry without asking the hard questions.  This is a vital pubic health and safety issue.

We encourage Congresswoman McCollum along with her district voters to help us obtain those federal hearings and welcome her response on our inquiry.

 

Dramatic Health Recovery for GMO-Free Dieters

Written by AbleChild on . Posted in Articles.

Medical patients who follow strict GMO-free diets experience dramatic health recovery

August 2012

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews)

In their quest to achieve better health, many patients with chronic illness are finding that genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) are one of the primary culprits responsible for exacerbating and even causing their persistent conditions. And patients who see doctors that understand nutrition are also discovering that eliminating GMOs from their diets is effectively reversing and even curing these illnesses, without the need for pharmaceutical drugs.

In a thorough analysis recently published in  Vitality Magazine, Jeffrey Smith, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT), explains how doctors who prescribe their ill patients GMO-free diets are witnessing dramatic recoveries in their patients, many in as little as just a few days of eating only clean, natural foods. Patients who were told they would have to take pills every day for the rest of their lives are now experiencing full recovery simply by avoiding GMOs.

“I tell my patients to avoid genetically-modified foods because in my experience, with those foods there is more allergies and asthma,” says Dr. Emily Lindner, an internist with 27 years of medical experience and practice in internal medicine. Dr. Lindner has seen dramatic improvements in many of her patients with chronic illness who adhere to strict, GMO-free diets.

“When I change people from a GMO diet to a GMO-free diet, I see results instantaneously in people who have foggy thinking and people who have gut symptoms like bloating, gas, irritation. In terms of allergies, it might take two to five days (to see relief). In terms of depression, it starts to lift almost instantaneously. It takes from a day, to certainly within two weeks.”

Smith outlines several documented cases in which patients with bowel conditions, cramps, cold hands and feet, allergies, congestion, migraine headaches, asthma, and various other conditions have essentially been healed as a result of going GMO-free. This is the same diet the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) recommended back in 2009 when it called for an indefinite moratorium on GMOs. (http://www.naturalnews.com/028245_GM_food_side_effects.html)
You can read Smith’s entire report here: http://vitalitymagazine.com

The connection between GMOs, inflammation, and autism

Interestingly enough, science continues to show that GMOs trigger an inflammatory response throughout the body, which is the foundation upon which chronic illness arises. Dr. Martha Grout from the Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine in Scottsdale is one of many progressive doctors who recognizes that the body essentially rejects GMOs and their foreign DNA as a poison.
Animal studies in which GMOs have been proven to elicit clear behavioral, neurological, and psychological changes can also be transposed to humans. After giving a talk back in 2011 about the harm caused by GMOs, for instance, Dr. Don Huber, Ph.D., a professor emeritus at Purdue University in Indiana, was approached by a doctor who explained that he had been observing the exact same detrimental side effects in his autistic patients. (http://www.responsibletechnology.org/autism)

Numerous animal studies verify that GMOs induce erratic behavior, including a tendency towards hyperactivity. At the same time, GMOs also tear up the digestive tract and lead to chronic bowel symptoms. Both of these conditions are common amongst children that have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, and many doctors are convinced that GMOs are a major cause of autism symptoms.

Lacing the food supply with GMOs and not labeling them as such is not only causing widespread illness, but it is also illegally depriving individuals of their lawful right to informed consent. GMOs are not the same as natural food, and have repeatedly been shown to cause serious and long-term health problems — and individuals have a right to know whether or not the foods they buy contain GMOs.

Be sure to check out IRT’s Non-GMO Shopping Guide for tips on how to avoid buying and inadvertently consuming GMOs: http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/ 

Also, consider joining the Label It Yourself initiative to proactively raise awareness about the presence of GMOs throughout the food supply: http://labelityourself.org/ 

Sources for this article include:
http://vitalitymagazine.com
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/10-Reasons-to-Avoid-GMOs

A Miracle at Wisconsin High

Written by AbleChild on . Posted in Articles.

October 2002

APPLETON, Wisconsin —

A revolution has occurred. It’s taken place in the Central Alternative High School. The kids now behave. The hallways aren’t frantic. Even the teachers are happy. The school used to be out of control. Kids packed weapons. Discipline problems swamped the principal’s office. But not since 1997.

What happened? Did they line every inch of space with cops? Did they spray valium gas in the classrooms? Did they install metal detectors in the bathrooms? Did they build holding cells in the gym?

Afraid not. In 1997, a private group called Natural Ovens began installing a healthy lunch program. Huh? Fast-food burgers, fries, and burritos gave way to fresh salads, vegetables “prepared with old-fashioned recipes,” and whole grain bread. Fresh fruits were added to the menu. Good drinking water arrived. Vending machines were removed.

As reported in a newsletter called Pure Facts, “Grades are up, truancy is no longer a problem, arguments are rare, and teachers are able to spend their time teaching.” Principal LuAnn Coenen, who files annual reports with the state of Wisconsin, has turned in some staggering figures since 1997. Drop-outs? Students expelled? Students discovered to be using drugs? Carrying weapons? Committing suicide? Every category has come up ZERO. Every year. Mary Bruyette, a teacher, states, “I don’t have to deal with daily discipline issues. I don’t have disruptions in class or the difficulties with student behavior I experienced before we started the food program.” One student asserted, “Now that I can concentrate I think it’s easier to get along with people”

What a concept—eating healthier food increases concentration. Principal Coenen sums it up: “I can’t buy the argument that it’s too costly for schools to provide good nutrition for their students. I found that one cost will reduce another. I don’t have the vandalism. I don’t have the litter. I don’t have the need for high security.” At a nearby middle school, the new food program is catching on. A teacher there, Dennis Abram, reports, “I’ve taught here almost 30 years. I see the kids this year as calmer, easier to talk to. They just seem more rational. I had thought about retiring this year and basically I’ve decided to teach another year — I’m having too much fun!”

Pure Facts, the newsletter that ran this story, is published by a non-profit organization called The Feingold Association, which has existed since 1976. Part of its mission is to “generate public awareness of the potential role of foods and synthetic additives in behavior, learning and health problems. The [Feingold] program is based on a diet eliminating synthetic colors, synthetic flavors, and the preservatives BHA, BHT, and TBHQ.” Thirty years ago there was a Dr. Feingold. His breakthrough work proved the connection between these negative factors in food and the lives of children. Hailed as a revolutionary advance, Feingold’s findings were soon trashed by the medical cartel, since those findings threatened the drugs-for-everything, disease-model concept of modern healthcare. But Feingold’s followers have kept his work alive.

If what happened in Appleton, Wisconsin, takes hold in many other communities across America, perhaps the ravenous corporations who invade school space with their vending machines and junk food will be tossed out on their behinds. It could happen. And perhaps ADHD will become a dinosaur. A non-disease that was once attributed to errant brain chemistry. And perhaps Ritalin will be seen as just another toxic chemical that was added to the bodies of kids in a crazed attempt to put a lid on behavior that, in part, was the result of a subversion of the food supply.

For those readers who ask me about solutions to the problems we face — here is a real solution. Help these groups. Get involved. Step into the fray. Stand up and be counted. The drug companies aren’t going to do it. They’re busy estimating the size of their potential markets. They’re building their chemical pipelines into the minds and bodies of the young. Every great revolution starts with a foothold. Sounds like Natural Ovens and The Feingold Association have made strong cuts into the big rock of ignorance and greed.

“How many canaries: thoughts provoked by a recent school shooting.” published by Ablechild Board of Director, Dr. Tebbs

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Violence.

ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN GERMANY by DR. TREVOR TEBBS, Ph.D., ABLECHILD BOARD OF DIRECTOR

Tebbs, Trevor J. “How many canaries: Thoughts provoked by a recent school shooting.” Labyrinth ( Deutche Gesellschaft fur das hochbegabte Kind e.V.) 34, no. 117
(August, 2013): 16-18

HOW MANY MORE CANARIES

– So who pulls the trigger……and WHY

ARTICLE LINK: Canaries

BACKGROUND: Board of Director – Trevor James Tebbs, Ph.D.

Dr. Tebbs’ interest in Ablechild springs from his direct experience of dysfunctional young people battling against a labeled and “medicated” history from their early years in school. Convinced of a more holistic approach in which personal engagement and informed decision-making contributes to healthy educational and emotional development, he views “medication” as the primary means of treating various “disorders” both troublesome and potentially unhealthy. He believes we are in the midst of a cultural phenomenon of young people, and their parents deserve to know more.

With almost 40 years experience and qualifications in art, special & regular education Dr. Tebbs has taught K – 16+ students in regular, special, art, gifted, primary, secondary, and post secondary educational settings in the both the UK and USA . His educational psychology doctoral degree from the University of Connecticut concentrates on gifted education and counseling. He studied with Dr. Joseph Renzulli at the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented.

ABLECHILD’S APPEAL FOR NEWTOWN SHOOTER’S MEDICAL RECORDS & TOXICOLOGY REPORT GOES TO FULL CT FIO COMMISSION

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Sandy Hook.

Within the last few days, Ablechild submitted to the full Freedom of Information Commission our objections to the hearing officer’s proposed final decision.  It is our plan to follow every legal procedure and avenue to secure the critical information being denied to the public relating to the mass murderous actions and suicide of Adam Lanza and their link to psychiatric drugs, which have been shown to increase the risk of violence and suicide.  In fact, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence to establish this link.  There is an obvious growing increase in mass murders and suicides throughout this nation, and yet the public remains in the dark.  We are all probably aware that a large part of this is due to the pharmaceutical industry giant, a profit driven machine with many vested interests, one of which is in keeping us uninformed.

“Toxic relationship have been long established between big pharma, mainstream media, and government.  What is perfectly clear is that all of the conflicts of interest that result from these relationships play a direct role in compromising our health and safety.” Says Patricia Weathers, Cofounder of Ablechild.

Despite this obstacle, Ablechild has and will continue fulfilling its mission of full informed consent because it strongly believes that the public HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW.  It is simple, without the public given the information they are left being unable to make informed decisions.

This disclosure of information is shown to be never more critical when we watched the impulsive, immediate legislative reaction of the State of Connecticut in the aftermath of the mass murders and suicide in Newtown, which was its push for more mental health screening and psychiatric drug treatment for children despite its obvious lack of information and facts.  Wrongful and improper legislation will continue to have dire consequences on our children health and the publics as a whole.  This is just one more reason why we continue to rally for our right to full informed consent, and of course our children’s safety!

Docket No. FIC 2013-197

Ablechild Notice Submission
Ablechild Objections
Ablechild Original Appeal to FOI

 

CT Hearing on FOI, Sandy Hook – October 9, 2013

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Sandy Hook.

FOI TASK FORCE USES VICTIMS TO AVIOD DISCLOSURE OF CRITICAL INFORMATION NEEDED TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC

The task force that met Wednesday night was created as part of a law that State legislators rushed through the Capitol to block the release of some records from the shootings.

This law was passed without public notice, or a public hearing. Citizens should be very concerned by this growing foreign style of government and the journalists who endorse it. It is not a law, if it doesn’t follow due process, and open hearings for the people to participate in the passing of that law. The Connecticut Post and other papers seem to validate this “task force” and gloss over the lack of authority and massive amounts of “conflicts of interest” the members of this task force hold.

According to the Connecticut Post article, Parents, others plead for privacy, the panel co-chairman, Don DesCesare, indicated that task force members would likely begin writing their final report in November. “He said that he believes they will have enough time to make recommendations for changes in state law, rather than simply giving approval to the law that is already on the state’s books. If it was our intent to second the legislature, we would not have all these meetings,” he said.

This obviously is an attempt by the State to backdraft their lack of public hearings, and public notice on the law they claim is on the books now.

Ablechild followed up with reporter on our concerns relating to the initial law that was passed without due process, we didn’t seem to get an argument there. However, when we asked why our testimony wasn’t a part of his article, we were told quite frankly that it was “to complicated” and all the task members had “blank faces” after we testified.

Honestly, requesting the toxicology and medical records of the school shooter doesn’t seem that complicated. We encouraged the reporter to read our FOIA docket case and educate himself.

It was so sad to see these victims used by the State of Connecticut so that the State can continue to avoid answering questions relating to their role in the psychiatric and drug treatment of Adam Lanza prior to his mass murders and suicide.

Of course, the public doesn’t want to put these families through any further hardship and neither do we. It is the State that uses them for emotional impact to pass unconstitutional laws. These laws do not serve the public but serve to protect special interest groups i.e. the drug companies and psychiatric industry that are donating to these bloated politicians filled with their own sense of importance.

Nothing the State will ever do with bring those children back to their parents. I believe the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy would be shocked to learn the role the State played in the path of Adam Lanza prior to that deadly day.

The fact that the Mayor of Bridgeport, Bill Finch, considers the first amendment right a “maturation” is obviously a statement we fully disagree with and most Americans would as well.

Ablechild Releases FOI Post Hearing Documents

Written by Sheila Matthews on . Posted in Sandy Hook.

Both the State of Connecticut and Ablechild have submitted final documents in post hearing briefs as requested by the FOI Commission. See links below.

2013-9-12 – AbleChild Post-Hearing Brief

STATESLASTSUB

Ablechild’s mission is Informed Consent.   Our goal is to ensure that every parent, caregiver, and decision maker has all the information before placing their children or child onto mind-altering drugs, and to ensure they are told as part of the “reality” of informed consent that psychiatric disorders are subjective in nature – a fact the State of Connecticut seems to want to ignore and seems filled with shame to disclose.

The famous, renowned medical doctor and former Ablechild board member put it best into words.

Dr. William Glasser,  “Clearly to diagnose a mental illness such as those described in the DSM-IV, one of the basic tenets of the medical model is completely ignored. In those instances, mental illness is diagnosed from symptoms alone and no supportive pathology is required. This misuse of the medical model has led to the present ever-increasing assortment of diagnoses and treatments, none of which even comes close to meeting the requirements of medical science.”

Reference: Defining Mental Health as a Public Health Issue, A New leadership role for the helping and teaching professions, William Glasser, M.D. 

Immediately after the Newtown, Sandy Hook mass murder/suicide, Ablechild was contacted not only by parents within Sandy Hook, Newtown, Connecticut but throughout the Country urging us to obtain valuable information to ensure that this type of senseless loss of life never happens again.

Seeing beautiful young babies snubbed out, we committed ourselves to that task.  The post hearing briefs linked within are historical and will forever be within the records of history.  We dedicate our efforts to all parents and children.  We will continue to keep you updated on our efforts.

Sincerely,
Ablechild.org