Our response to Mental Health Act reform announcement
“Autistic People will continue to being trapped in hospitals even with the Government’s proposal to limit hospital detention to a 28-day mental disorder assessment.”
Simone Aspis, Free Our People Now Manager, warns the Government that the Mental Health Bill will not stop us from being locked up, abused, tortured, treated inhumanely and left to die in psychiatric hospitals.
The Government has announced major reforms of the Mental Health Act.
The Mental Health Bill will continue to keep Autistic people and people with Learning Difficulties in psychiatric hospitals against their wishes.
Autistic People will continue to being trapped in hospitals even with the Government’s proposal to limit hospital detention to a 28-day mental disorder assessment.
“70% of Autistic individuals has at least one more mental health condition. 40% of Autistic individuals has two or more mental health conditions. 52% of people with a learning disability have a mental health condition. Most of us will end up being assessed as having one or more mental disorders, which are used to justify treating us in hospital against our wishes for a long time. These assessments tend to ignore the real reasons for our mental health distress, which is often connected to other medical conditions and to living without any, good or enough support to have good lives in the community” says Simone Aspis.
Autistic People and those with Learning Difficulties who are in hospital for a mental disorder assessment do not have a right to aftercare services.
“Without the right to aftercare support and services, we are concerned that many Autistic people and people with Learning Difficulties will continue to be on the merry-go-around of being in and out of hospital” says Simone Aspis.
Free Our People Now would welcome a Mental Health Bill that is in line with our UN human rights as Disabled people. This would focus on stopping us being locked up in the first place, and keeping us out of psychiatric hospitals for good.
We need a bill that focuses on giving people with Learning Difficulties and Autistic people the right to the support we need, to live great lives in the community.
Our Bring People Home From Psychiatric Hospital network has created a list of Government Asks, for what we need to see in the Mental Health Bill, to stop us being locked up and help us to thrive in our communities. About Free Our People Now
Free Our People Now is a project led by Autistic people and people with Learning Difficulties, to get us out of psychiatric hospitals.
We are a part of Inclusion London, which is a Deaf and Disabled People-led Organisation (DDPO). We support other DDPOs across London and nationally, and campaign for change.
Contact:
Simone Aspis, Free Our People Now project manager
Mobile: 07749 892 843
Email: simone.aspis@inclusionlondon.org.uk
Editor’s notes:
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| Mental Health Foundation
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Dimensions Briefing on Mental Health Detention of People who have a Learning Disability and/or Autism – Dimensions
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