Sunday, July 10, 2005

Florida mental health advocates go on offensive to protect patient rights Sun-Sentinel story - "Advocates for the mentally ill in Florida are finding it hard to keep quiet. Actor Tom Cruise, a fervent disciple of the Church of Scientology, caught recent national attention for railing against psychiatry and antidepressants. Mental health advocates say they might ordinarily dismiss the outbursts of the War of the Worlds star as ravings of an eccentric celebrity. Not this time, they say, because his views -- or at least sentiments much like them -- found unexpectedly strong support in this year's Florida legislative process. State legislators alarmed mental health advocates nationwide this spring by approving bills backed by an offshoot of the Church of Scientology that aimed to discourage public school students from seeking mental health services. The legislation, which Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed, surfaced as patient advocates were distracted by another legislative battle -- a separate state move to cut costs in the Medicaid budget by restricting access to certain name brand drugs used to treat mental illnesses."