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Lawyers Who Break The Law: What Congress Can Do To Prevent Mental Health Patient Advocates From Violating Federal Legislation, Amanda J. Peters
Lawyers Who Break The Law: What Congress Can Do To Prevent Mental Health Patient Advocates From Violating Federal Legislation, Amanda J. Peters
Amanda J Peters
In 1986, Congress enacted the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Act (PAIMI). PAIMI created a national, federally-funded system of patient advocacy for individuals with mental illness. Patient advocates are lawyers who are charged with protecting individuals who have mental illness from abuse, neglect, and civil rights violations. Congress will review and revise PAIMI in 2011.
Over the past twenty-four years, advocates have saved countless individuals from abuse and death. However, numerous federal Department of Justice investigations reveal that patient advocates are not always carrying out their PAIMI responsibilities. Instead, patient advocates frequently engage in activities that are …