National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy

Leah Ida Harris

Leah Harris is an activist, writer, daughter of a mother and father who were both labeled as mentally ill, and is herself a survivor of psychiatric abuse as a child and teen. She is a board member of NARPA and Mental Disability Rights International.  She is a past Chair of the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Advisory Council.  Her writings on mental health issues have been published in New York City Voices, A Consumer Journal for Mental Health Advocacy, Adbusters.org, Off Our Backs: a Feminist Newsjournal, Theicarusproject.net, and Street Spirit. Leah was a participant and editor of  MindFreedom Support Coaltion International Oral History Project. She is currently working on a memoir about her experiences in the mental health system, and lives in Washington, DC.