Sylvia Turns Seventy

I was so focused on not creating extravagant attention to an annual event that even Facebook didn't tell you that I turned 80 yesterday. Family and close friends respected my wish for no gifts and a low key acknowledgment. (I did get emails from Canadian Pharmacies, Medicare, and FlyerTalk.) But in so stressing no big parties, no big focus, no surprises, NPR's pledge drive today helped me realize that I didn't think about what I would like. As a way to mark the day, I'd appreciate donations to build up the MHCAN reserve account. I recently joined the board, and one aim is to strengthen our financial stability by building the reserve account up to $60,000. Then, when government is late in paying for our contracted services, we still comfortably pay bills and meet payroll. http://www.mhcan.org/ (NB: page has sound accompaniment.) Scroll down to donate link – PayPal or Credit Card.

Here's my acceptance:

I appreciate the recognition that this award conveys and it’s especially nice to receive it here in Boston, where I spent the first half of my life.

It’s been hard to interest consumers in this work and I’m glad to see that the section keeps trying.

I felt respected and included here and more than a diagnosis. Through you, and our work, I learned about a perspective that goes beyond individuals to look at population health.

Today most attention is directed downstream at treatment and rehabilitation. But rescue medicine is not enough. We can use primary prevention to reduce the number of people upstream, the number coming into the system and wanting services. Healthy lifestyles in healthy
communities can reduce the impact of risk factors and create local peer support.

You know this.

I’d like to use this chance to focus on a foundation of health, ... to wonder out loud when hitting one’s partner or having sex with one’s kids became an American tradition, a behavior to not be questioned until it is glaring. I think the mission of this section could be to start with social violence, to end the permission to mistreat each other, just as long as it’s at home.

Studies consistently confirm a very high rate of sexual and physical
abuse among persons who later get diagnosed with mental illness. If this kind of trauma were reduced, I anticipate a significant parallel reduction in the rates of suicide attempts, psychological distress, and long-term trauma based illness.

An aspirational value of public health must be the opportunity for each person to have a safe and valued place in order to achieve their own promise.

Thank you

And here's a handout I prepared for the 'new paternalism - caring coercion':

http://www.peoplewho.org/readingroom/caras.rights

At it's annual meeting, NMHA (rebranding to Mental Health America) www.nmha.org awarded me the Clifford Beers Award.

I put the core of the application and a draft of my acceptance remarks online here http://www.peoplewho.org/beers/

The program reads

"Legendary mental health advocate Sylvia Caras, PhD, is this year's winner of
NMHA's most prestigious award for her work to improve the rights of
mental health consumers through outspoken advocacy and by sharing her
own experiences. Her pioneering efforts as the founder of People Who has
spread the meaning of "nothing about us without us" across the
the movement, and have empowered mental health consumers
nationally and internationally."

Here's the NMHA press release:

http://www1.nmha.org/newsroom/system/news.vw.cfm?do=vw&rid=847

There have been three spam comments to Zoe's first message; I've deleted them. I've closed the first message to new comments and of course it is still available to read. If people would still like to post here with more wishes and connections, this thread is open.

Sylvia, 70 plus 12 days, and feeling cherished