Annual Rights Virtual Conference: September - October 2021
Five Webinars
Fall 2021
NARPA’S mission is to support people with psychiatric diagnoses to exercise legal and human rights, with the goals of abolishing forced treatment and ensuring autonomy, dignity, and choice.
- Register for each webinar you wish to attend.
- Webinars are free of charge for registrants.
- Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to NARPA as we do not accept government or corporate funding.
We plan to return to a face-to-face Rights Conference in Fall 2022. Plan to join us then as a member of our social justice community!
WEBINAR SCHEDULE AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Presenters: Nina Loewenstein, J.D., and Robert M. Factor, M.D., Ph.D.
"The Unacceptable Institutionalization of People with Psychiatric Disabilities in Nursing Homes"
People with psychiatric disabilities are more likely to be admitted to and stay long-term in nursing homes. How can aging people with psychiatric disabilities with possible medical conditions or physical disabilities be supported to live in the community under the Olmstead obligation? Presenters discuss the history of medicalized housing; transinsitutionalization of people from psychiatric centers to nursing homes and the federal government's role in driving institutionalization; and recent attempts to rebalance the system, catalyzed by COVID's destruction in congregate facilities. Community supports and services, informed by the recovery philosophy, make possible “No Person is Left Behind” in nursing homes.
Additional information and materials are available here. The video recording of this webinar is available on NARPA's YouTube channel.
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Presenters: Jennifer Chambers, Executive Director/The Empowerment Council; : Anita Szigeti, LLB; and Maya Kotob, LLB, LLM
"How to Create Change in Police Services: Transparency, Accountability, and Reform"
Recognizing policing has to change, alternative means of responding to people in crisis is a step forward, if free of the force common to traditional mental health services. But police are still going to be involved with people in crisis if other options are unavailable, or if there is a weapon or other situation that no mental health service will attend. How do we monitor police services and create accountability to the community? What external pressure can be brought to bear to influence police reform, such as inquests, and how can we advance our position to create good outcomes? This workshop will offer a framework for change.
Additional information and materials are available here. The video recording of this webinar is available on NARPA's YouTube channel.
Monday, October 4, 2021
Presenter: Asim Dietrich, J.D., and Maya Abela, J.D.
"Advocating for Equitable Health Care in a Public Health Emergency"
During the pandemic, many states implemented crisis standards to determine who will and will not receive lifesaving care if health care resource demands exceed supply. Such standards included discriminatory criteria, prohibited by federal non-discrimination laws, for healthcare providers to consider disability characteristics and assumptions on quality-of-life and social worth when making triage decisions. Presenters will discuss Arizona Center for Disability Law's (ACDL) advocacy to ensure COVID-19 crisis standards do not discriminate based on disability, race, color, sex or age.
Additional information and materials are available here. The video recording of this webinar is available on NARPA's YouTube channel.
Monday, September 27, 2021 Presenters: Leah Harris, Author/Facilitator; [Victoria (Vic) Welle]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-ZWRJ9au7c&t=40s
(https://www.narpa.org/bios/welle), Trainer/Facilitator; and Jess Stohlmann-Rainey, Director of Program Development/Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners
"The Promise and the Pitfalls of 988: Survivor Advocacy Perspectives"
Calling 911 can be a death sentence for people experiencing suicidal and mental health crises. The 2020 National Suicide Hotline Designation Act designates 988 an alternative to 911 for suicide and mental health emergencies. Many states received 988 planning grants requiring state/local planners to include people with lived experience in the process. This webinar features perspectives of three psychiatric survivors as active participants in their state’s 988 planning councils. They look at potential opportunities with 988; how it may replicate existing coercive systems; and what an ideal grassroots, civilian 911 alternative looks like.
Additional information and materials are available here. The video recording of this webinar is available on NARPA's YouTube channel.
Monday, September 13, 2021
Presenter: Susan Stefan, J.D.
"Advocating for Institutionalized People During COVID: The Massachusetts Experience"
Susan Stefan will discuss her work in Massachusetts to protect people from being involuntarily committed. We can all learn from Massachusetts because it is arguably the best system in the country. Attorney Stefan will specifically discuss the changes in this important work due to the pandemic.
Additional information and materials for this webinar are here. The video recording of this webinar is available on NARPA's YouTube channel.
- Each webinar presentation is 90 minutes.
- Upon request, NARPA will provide certificates of attendance for those wishing to seek continuing education units from their professional organizations.