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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

Update from the NCIL Mental Health Civil Rights Task Force

Force Is Not Recovery 2012 protest signDuring NCIL’s Annual Conference this past July, the NCIL Mental Health Civil Rights Task Force presented two workshops – one on Centers for Independent Living (CILs) providing peer support to consumers with mental health disabilities, and one about responding to incidents of mass-violence without profiling people with disabilities. Thank you to all who attended. The Task Force is currently following up on the resolution opposing disability profiling, which NCIL membership adopted during the 2013 Annual Meeting.

Recently, the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery and the National Disability Rights Network launched an online petition opposing threats to funding for federal mental health recovery programs and the PAIMI program. Sign the petition.

In late September, the show 60 Minutes aired a segment negatively portraying people with mental health disabilities. Several disability rights organizations are responding to counter the show, including sending a letter to 60 Minutes to which NCIL is a signatory.

The NCIL Mental Health Civil Rights Task Force usually meets on the first Thursday of the month at 3:00 Eastern. For more information, please contact Krista Erickson [email protected] or Shoshanna Fawley at [email protected].