Ann Corcoran

And I just think as people in the community, we should be outraged that our state is allowing this to happen because we have made it a public safety issue. When you have no means to treat people with serious mental illness and get them the help they need early on, we are putting everybody in the community at risk. It could be your neighbor.

Yeah, so what I've done in Massachusetts, so we have Darrell Harmon, which I know you're having on your show. He is a peer who has lived with schizophrenia successfully for over 40 years. He developed a wonderful guide to psychosis and psychotic illnesses, a peer perspective. So he explains exactly what psychosis is and what anosognosia is.

Yeah, so what I've done in Massachusetts, so we have Darrell Harmon, which I know you're having on your show. He is a peer who has lived with schizophrenia successfully for over 40 years. He developed a wonderful guide to psychosis and psychotic illnesses, a peer perspective. So he explains exactly what psychosis is and what anosognosia is.

Yeah, so what I've done in Massachusetts, so we have Darrell Harmon, which I know you're having on your show. He is a peer who has lived with schizophrenia successfully for over 40 years. He developed a wonderful guide to psychosis and psychotic illnesses, a peer perspective. So he explains exactly what psychosis is and what anosognosia is.

I have used that pamphlet, walked into DA's offices, explained to them, you know, gave them my elevator pitch of what's in that handbook and given them a few stories of the tragedies we've had in Massachusetts. And I can see it in their face. It's like a light bulb goes off and they suddenly understand why our state is failing terribly. And we're seeing all these tragedies happen in Massachusetts.

I have used that pamphlet, walked into DA's offices, explained to them, you know, gave them my elevator pitch of what's in that handbook and given them a few stories of the tragedies we've had in Massachusetts. And I can see it in their face. It's like a light bulb goes off and they suddenly understand why our state is failing terribly. And we're seeing all these tragedies happen in Massachusetts.

I have used that pamphlet, walked into DA's offices, explained to them, you know, gave them my elevator pitch of what's in that handbook and given them a few stories of the tragedies we've had in Massachusetts. And I can see it in their face. It's like a light bulb goes off and they suddenly understand why our state is failing terribly. And we're seeing all these tragedies happen in Massachusetts.

And I walk out with their support for this legislation. So it really is, you know, building those relationships and having these conversations with important people and our legislators as well so that they understand where, you know, why our laws aren't working in Massachusetts and what needs to change.

And I walk out with their support for this legislation. So it really is, you know, building those relationships and having these conversations with important people and our legislators as well so that they understand where, you know, why our laws aren't working in Massachusetts and what needs to change.

And I walk out with their support for this legislation. So it really is, you know, building those relationships and having these conversations with important people and our legislators as well so that they understand where, you know, why our laws aren't working in Massachusetts and what needs to change.

Yes. Well, you know, we're very fortunate in that we do have some champion legislators in Massachusetts for mental health and that have filed these bills and supported them. A lot of it goes back to the disability rights, you know, folks, because they will say, well, you know, somebody should have the autonomy to choose. But when we're allowing preventable suffering, that is not autonomy.

Yes. Well, you know, we're very fortunate in that we do have some champion legislators in Massachusetts for mental health and that have filed these bills and supported them. A lot of it goes back to the disability rights, you know, folks, because they will say, well, you know, somebody should have the autonomy to choose. But when we're allowing preventable suffering, that is not autonomy.

Yes. Well, you know, we're very fortunate in that we do have some champion legislators in Massachusetts for mental health and that have filed these bills and supported them. A lot of it goes back to the disability rights, you know, folks, because they will say, well, you know, somebody should have the autonomy to choose. But when we're allowing preventable suffering, that is not autonomy.

That's neglect. Another example is a lot of individuals that end up getting put in a state hospital for competency restoration. They'll go in and they're in psychosis and they have the CPCS lawyers fighting there for their right to choose whether or not they want to be treated. So they will keep going against the medical team's advice.

That's neglect. Another example is a lot of individuals that end up getting put in a state hospital for competency restoration. They'll go in and they're in psychosis and they have the CPCS lawyers fighting there for their right to choose whether or not they want to be treated. So they will keep going against the medical team's advice.

That's neglect. Another example is a lot of individuals that end up getting put in a state hospital for competency restoration. They'll go in and they're in psychosis and they have the CPCS lawyers fighting there for their right to choose whether or not they want to be treated. So they will keep going against the medical team's advice.

filing for extensions to postpone these civil commitments and leaving the individual in psychosis much longer than they ever should be. That really is the most inhumane thing you can do. And so you're talking about autonomy, but is that really autonomy when somebody is left in psychosis and is not competent? And in many of these situations...

filing for extensions to postpone these civil commitments and leaving the individual in psychosis much longer than they ever should be. That really is the most inhumane thing you can do. And so you're talking about autonomy, but is that really autonomy when somebody is left in psychosis and is not competent? And in many of these situations...

filing for extensions to postpone these civil commitments and leaving the individual in psychosis much longer than they ever should be. That really is the most inhumane thing you can do. And so you're talking about autonomy, but is that really autonomy when somebody is left in psychosis and is not competent? And in many of these situations...

Someone that might have gone in for a misdemeanor ends up committing a felony while in jail or in the state hospital while psychotic because they are really not in control of what they're doing.