M-POWER'S SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE YEARS
In 1997 M-POWER was instrumental in the passage of a Bill of Rights for clients in the hospital.
As a direct result of our work the following significant accomplishments were achieved, please note that in several of the following, M-POWER engaged other statewide leaders and organizations in its activities.
1989: The Lowell Regional Transportation Authority instituted an evening transportation service for people with all disabilities including psychiatric disabilities.
1989: The MBTA and its client Wentworth Institute removed a stigmatizing advertisement from the subways.
1990: The Lindemann Mental Health Center instituted a policy allowing a family member, friend and/or significant other chosen by the consumer/survivor to accompany the person during any or all of the evaluation and admission procedure desired.
1991: The Boston Housing Authority retracted a stated goal to reduce the number of people with psychiatric disabilities housed in Boston public housing developments.
1992: Community Health Link in Worcester removed a metal detector that had been installed to search consumers/survivors only that entered the clinic and day center.
1993: The Department of Mental Health established a policy with further guidance for restraint and seclusion.
1994: A statewide plenary meeting was held of 30 consumer/survivors, most of which were DMH clients, where statewide issues were identified and prioritized.
1995: Current and former psychiatric patients participated in an introductory way in the review and selection of the Managed Care Organization responsible to manage the carve out of Medicaid mental health services.
1995 - 1998: M-POWER collaborate with the Department of Mental Health and other stake-holders to create and pilot a consumer-centered crisis prevention planning process.
1996: The Department of Mental Health established and implemented a procedural policy for informed consent to treatment.
1997: M-POWER and Coalition leaders worked successfully with others to protect five specific psychiatric patients'/community program participants' rights in law.
1997: Consumers/survivors established quarterly working meetings with the Commissioner Sudders of Mental Health, Commissioner Bullen of Medical Assistance and Richard Sheola, the CEO of the Managed Care Organization called The Partnership.
1998: M-POWER was awarded, on behalf of statewide leadership, two federal grants and a private foundation grant to develop a statewide leadership training academy, a prejudice reduction and cultural competence program, and a statewide network of consumer/survivors and their organizations. And the consumer/survivor/ex-patient publication In a Nutshell came back on the scene in 1998. Though the Nutshell's name changed to Voices for CHANGE in 2001, it has remained on the scene (written, produced, and distributed by a volunteer staff of consumer/survivors) without interuption since 1999.
1999: M-POWER organized and hosted the Imagine Care Conference. In November of 1999 M-POWER hosted a statewide conference for Massachusetts' c/s/x. The conference was one step towards M-POWER's goal of creating a statewide network of c/s/x advocates and friends in Massachusetts. Nan Donald wrote an excellent report describing the event. Also in 1999 M-POWER planted the seeds for the Consumer Satisfaction Team, "the CST", as it was then known, surveyed the consumers of various mental health programs regarding their level of satisfaction with the treatment and living conditions at these programs. Today this work continues under the CST's new name: Consumer Quality Initiatives, or CQI for short. Amongst other significant achievements in 1999, M-POWER held it's first Leadership Academy in 1999, and in November M-POWER presented a day long conference on legal issues pertaining to Consumers/Survivors and ex-patients for an assemblage of 100+ attorneys working in mental health law in Massachusetts.
2000: In the year 2000 several M-POWER members worked with Moe Armstrong helping him to promote and implement the Peer Educator's Project. The Boston, Lowell and Worcester Chapter's of M-POWER continued to work on patient's rights campaigns and legislative advocacy. And the Peer Advocacy classes began in the year 2000, these classes were taught by a variety of seasoned advocates, activists, and educators from within the consumer/survivor movement, in order to train consumers in hands on advocacy skills. Graduates of the peer advocacy classes have worked at a variety of programs as peer-advocates since the classes began.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION
In addition, In M-POWER's ten years of existence, a minimum of seven hundred workshops, speeches, and radio/TV appearances created and delivered by its members have been carried out with a cross section of the community. Audiences range from consumer/survivor organizations to mental health provider and professional groups to senior citizen tenants' associations, to college students studying in a variety of disciplines, to religious organizations, to potential funders, to family and friends groups and more.