Closing VSH Canteen "Last Straw" for Mental Health Advocates

by: norsehorse

Sat Nov 07, 2009 at 21:26:30 PM EST

vtdigger: Closing the Vermont State Hospital's Canteen the "last straw" for mental health advocates (here)

Advocates, employees and former patients are outraged by Douglas administration's decision to close the Canteen at the Vermont State Hospital. They say it's the only place left for patients to get a break from the hospital's locked down wards.

In order of appearance: Malcolm Sawyer, former VSH patient; Joe Yoder, a psychiatric technician for VSH; Sarah Lunderville, executive director of the Vermont Center for Independent Living; Curtis Sinclair, Canteen coordinator; and Michael Sabourin, a patient advocate.

Check out the blog post where the video was originally blogged up and also to read comments that have been posted concerning it (including mine, which is posted below), here (via vtdigger).

Although I am among those who have long been working to have VSH closed down as well as at the same time working to have built and putting into place a very different system of providing for the actual needs of those either currently or previously as well as in the future who could be incarcerated there and, will not shy away from continuing to do so at all; while it does remain open, I have come down on the side of opposing the closure of the VSH canteen out of respect for each and every one of those currently as well as formerly incarcerated at VSH who it is reported have indicated the canteen is needed for the time being as their one small bright light at the end of the tunnel, even if only a glimmer of hope is provided by such.

These needs include real, safe, decent and affordable housing, income, training, employment, transportation and other such supports and services that allow one to live independently where and how they may choose to reside.

This is of course versus what has basically been the sole focus of the commissioner and his supporters to chiefly replace the role of VSH and merely moving what is done there in the form of institutionalization elsewhere in one form or another, while mostly providing poor lip service to providing truly community-based opportunities and real inclusion for people that too many within our society would rather keep out of sight out of mind, unless the plan is to allow them to rot on the street or in jails and prisons, etc., which already happens often enough already.

The fact is that dumping people without their being offered basic housing as well as independent living opportunities and supports or services they can freely choose from when they are without such is no solution either. Not everyone has the means to provide for and support themselves after being released from such incarceration, particularly right away or so easily.

The current administration in office and the commissioner of mental health and his supporters have their priorities mixed up and have been headed in the wrong direction for quite some time.

Even though closing VSH and, not merely moving its functions elsewhere, is highly desirable and sorely needed in order to move ahead with what will be required, the closure of the canteen while the facility remains open is not, certainly not by those who are incarcerated there, nor those of us who stand in solidarity with them anyway.