Story:
Founded in 1988, the U.S. Psychiatric & Mental Health Congress is one of the largest annual meetings in the mental health field. On 1/2/02 I emailed the organizers, a company called CME, politely asking if I could attend as a mental health consumer advocate. I received a response from Pamela Dosch who told me "The Psychiatric Congress is for Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Nurses, Social Workers and Pharmacists. It is not intended for consumers."My feeling is that although there certainly are more pressing issues in the consumer movement, we need to begin demanding inclusion and participation in activities central to our treatment. At times we are treated more like meal tickets than peers by those tasked with our care. --Marc