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 Collaborative Book On Mental Illness
FaithWorks is partnering with author Marijan Pejic to write and publish a book featuring experiences Georgians have had -- or are having -- with mental illness. Our goal is to raise awareness about mental illness in Georgia, and to humanize it through personal stories and impressions. Consumers, family members and health care providers are invited to submit first-person accounts. We are looking for stories than allow the reader to come closer to grasping what it is like raising a child with a mental illness…taking care of a sibling with a mental illness…taking care of a parent who is developing a mental illness as he or she ages….We request that every submission be accompanied by a relevant photograph, if possible, to further dramatize and humanize each story.
The collaborative book will be distributed primarily on the internet, although it will be available for purchase on a print-on-demand basis. While the computer versions of the book will be used primarily to raise awareness, printed versions will be used for fund-raising. There is no cost to submit an entry and the computer versions of the book will be available for free. The authors of the entries that are chosen to be included in the collaborative book will have their name accompany their entry—a permanent reminder of their contribution to raising awareness for mental health.
To see what a collaborative book looks like click here.
Petition
to Governor Perdue
We,
the undersigned clergy and nonprofit faith leaders, are gravely
concerned about the circumstances facing people with mental
and addictive illnesses who are under the state’s care.
We believe that all problems have a moral and just solution.
We, therefore, petition Georgia’s legislative leaders
to do their utmost to enact these solutions with respect to
the state mental health crisis.
Specifically, we support – and urge immediate action
on -- the following:
- Rejection
of for-profit privatization of state psychiatric hospitals.
The current plan will put profits ahead of quality care,
which is a moral dead end and not God’s way. Instead,
we need a plan based on the proven model of private, non-profit
hospitals which can reap the benefits of a true private-public
partnership.
- Stable-to-increased
funding for state mental health services.
Inadequate funding for community mental health will compound
existing pressure on the state’s psychiatric hospital
system, worsening the current crisis. At a minimum, there
should be no budget cuts for community mental health services
or the state’s psychiatric hospitals.
-
Sufficient funding for a mental health Ombudsman.
Our state owes patients (and their families) safety and
accountability. The Ombudsman tangibly manifests our state’s
ongoing commitment to both. To offer anything less is to
deny the right to quality care, leaving the helpless to
suffer in silence.
- Overt
compassion for families whose loved ones died in state psychiatric
hospitals. At least 136 families have suffered
a tremendous personal loss at the hands of the state. Extending
compassion is a moral obligation and a spiritual imperative.
We encourage you to meet with and console each family, both
to extend God’s love and to enable healing.
Governor
Perdue, we understand you are under tremendous pressure to
resolve this crisis. However, as a man who is guided spiritually
and ethically by his faith, we hope you will agree that only
moral and just solutions can have real meaning and value and
make a lasting difference in the lives of Georgia citizens.
Our faith traditions teach us that we are each created in
God’s image, and that we are compelled to love and care
for one another. We ask that you prayerfully consider this
petition for compassionate and decisive action on behalf of
those in our state who suffer from mental and addictive illnesses.
Download and Sign The FaithWorks Petition - Click
Here
Contact Governor Perdue:
The Office
of the Governor
State of Georgia
203 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Phone:
404-656-1776
Fax: 404-657-7332
Download and Send Letter To Governor Perdue - Click
Here
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