The recent article by Jason Laughlin (“Mass. forced medication bill sparks intense debate,” Metro, July 1) raises important questions for how best to approach the treatment of serious mental illnesses.
Psychiatric hospitals in Massachusetts have thousands of employees who have dedicated their careers to the treatment of those suffering from mental illness. Unfortunately, there are instances that arise when patients refuse a physician-recommended course of treatment that may be in their best interest. When this happens, these patients can spend weeks in psychiatric units with no treatment at all as they wait for the legal process to be completed.
S.2785, sponsored by state Senator Cindy Friedman and state Representative Kay Khan, would not remove the legal rights for patients who desperately need treatment; rather it would allow physicians to prevent an “immediate, substantial, and irreversible deterioration of the person’s mental illness.”
Advertisement
The passage of this legislation would help patients who are suffering from serious mental illness receive necessary treatment, and we remain optimistic that the Legislature will support this bill in the remaining days of the legislative session.
David Matteodo
Belmont
The writer is the executive director of the Mass. Association of Behavioral Health Systems.
As an advanced practice psychiatric nurse and state representative, mental health has been a top priority throughout my entire career. I am pleased to see Jason Laughlin’s article “Mass. forced medication bill sparks intense debate” putting a spotlight on the legislation, S.2785, that I’ve sponsored along with state Senator Cindy Friedman.
I have been a longtime champion of disability rights, and I would never support legislation that I believed to be detrimental to those suffering from serious mental illnesses or living with disabilities. The status quo is doing a great deal of harm in our communities, inflicting trauma on families who must cope with the heartbreak of seeing their loved ones deteriorate without timely treatment, often a pipeline to incarceration.
Though I recognize this is a polarizing topic, I firmly believe this legislation is the way forward. To the advocates who disagree with the proposed legislation — I invite you to come to the table and discuss alternative solutions.
Kay Khan
Boston
Advertisement
The writer is the state representative for the 11th Middlesex District.
