Mental Health care Rights

While we have come a long way, abuse and discrimination continue to be serious problems today. The shackling or restraining of children, keeping people out of work, and denying access to services are just a few examples of the way we continue to fail the 1 in 5 Americans that has a diagnosable mental health disorder.

This is not just a small issue for a small group of people: half of all Americans will experience a diagnosable mental health condition in their lifetime. If it is not us being directly impacted, it is likely that it will be our family members, friends, or loved ones-- whether we know it or not. Beyond struggles in education or employment, we see the loss of human dignity and even human life for the people we love and care about when we do not work to address abuses in the system.

As an organization, MHA is committed to the principles of human and civil rights inherent to the concept of equal justice under the law. This includes the rights of persons with mental health and substance use conditions to:

• liberty and autonomy,
• protection from seclusion and restraint,
• community inclusion
• access to services, and privacy.