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Mental Health Law: Mental Health Rights is Human Rights

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:32:01 +0000

Mental Health

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), George Voinovich (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and John Jerry (D-MA) announced the bi-partisan ENHANCED Act to establish national centers of excellence for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorders. These centers will create a national network to help diagnose people in need and improve access to quality evidence-based care.

In a press release from Debbie Stabenow’s office, “Depression and bipolar disorders affect one of every five people in the United States. Unfortunately, nearly half of all diagnoses are missed,” said Senator Stabenow. “This legislation will provide direct federal support to better treat people with depression and bipolar disorders. It will save lives and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans.”

More Americans suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders than from coronary heart disease and cancer combined. Yet with medication, therapy, or combined treatment, most disorders can be effectively treated. Yet an estimated one-third of those suffering from depression do not receive treatment because they cannot afford it, don’t know where to go, or are afraid of societal judgement.

Depression also has a significant economic impact, the estimated cost to the United States due to reduced productivity, absenteeism, and mortality is $83 billion anually.

This legislation is based on efforts started by the University of Michigan Depression Center with 15 other leading academic medical centers across the nation. Together, these universities created a network of depression centers positioned to take academic research and translate it into practice to more effectively treat and prevent recurrences of depression and bipolar disorders.

The ENHANCED Act of 2009 will:

1. Create a national network with a pathway for developing and expanding up to 30 depression centers of excellence in order to increase to the most appropriate and evidence-based care.

2. Develop evidence-based treatment standards, clinical guidelines, and protocols to improve accurate and timely diagnosis of depression and bipolar disorders.

3. Expand multidisciplinary, translational, and patient-oriented research by fostering the collaboration of academic and community-based service centers.

4. Establish a sustainable national resource for public and professional education and training, to advance knowledge and eradicate the stigma associated with depression and other mood disorders.

The ENHANCED Act comes at an especially critical time, during the recovery from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. During these times of economic uncertainty, rates of depression and suicide tend to climb and the ENHANCED Act may be the safety net many people are searching for.

Blogs Informing Society About Human Rights

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:58:33 +0000

Human Rights

It is imperative that every citizen is knowledgeable about what rights we are promised as human beings. Not everyone is well versed in law, and many people may not be aware if their rights are being breached. This is why keeping up on blogs regarding human rights can be very advantageous. There are several sites out there that have made it their duty to inform the general public about important or hot button issues that are being dealt with. The majority of these blogs are written and maintained by people that are right in the middle of the human rights struggle. There are sites updated by attorneys, politicians, and others that may be facing human rights violations now or have in the past. Getting different perspectives on these issues can be very interesting and informative at the same time.

Not only do human rights blogs cover controversies in the United States, they are concerned with any violations across the world. The main point is to raise awareness about what is happening to our fellow humans. Bringing attention to matters such as genocide or government corruption can help a great deal. The genocide in Darfur is an example of how acquainting the public has brought about positive effects. There is still plenty of work to be done, but at least there is a spotlight on the situation and actions are being taken to provide aid and more importantly hope to the people there. The Internet has helped make it more and more difficult for injustices to occur unnoticed. During the recent Iranian election for example, awareness of foul play was almost immediate due to the ease of use and efficiency of blogs and websites such as Twitter. As long as there are brave individuals that are willing to expose the crimes against humanity across the globe, there will always be somebody there willing to help the cause.
Having a bounty of resources at our fingertips will not have the desired effect if we do not make it a point to use them. All the hard work put in by these bloggers is so that information is passed from person to person, but to reach the masses we need to do our part. Apathy and inaction are not an option, especially when all it takes is keeping up with some of these sites and passing any important information along. I have included links to some of the major human rights blogs to get everyone started. Take a look and see which ones interest you, and hopefully we can get to a point where all citizens reach a certain level of awareness when it comes to global injustice.

Top 30 Human Rights Blogs

1. http://www.humanrightsblog.org/
2. http://www.aclu.org/blog
3. http://humanrights.foreignpolicyblogs.com/
4. http://human-rights.typepad.com/
5. http://www.ihrablog.net/
6. http://www.progressiveliberty.blogspot.com/
7. http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/blog/hrfblog/index.asp
8. http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/
9. http://peace_blog.blogspot.com/
10. http://archrights.wordpress.com/
11. http://cmcholocaustcenter.blogspot.com/
12. http://blog.amnestyusa.org/
13. http://www.globalissues.org/
14. http://echrblog.blogspot.com/
15. http://www.alternet.org/rights/
16. http://phrblog.org/
17. http://www.uusc.org/blog
18. http://blogfordarfur.org/
19. http://www.refugeesinternational.org/blog/
20. http://gazaeng.blogspot.com/
21. http://www.religionnewsblog.com/
22. http://china.hrw.org/action
23. http://www.religiousliberty.info/blog/
24. http://www.ucc.ie/law/blogs/ccjhr/
25. http://www.america.gov/
26. http://blogs.amnesty.org.uk/blogs.asp?bid=55
27. http://genocide.change.org/
28. http://www.antiwar.com/blog/
29. http://www.massrightsblog.org/2009/01/ices-blind-eye-to-human-rights.html
30. http://thepeacetree.blogspot.com/2009/08/respect-human-rights.html

Gay Rights is Human Rights

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:57:16 +0000

Gay Rights Is Human Rights

In May of 2008, the LGBT community and its supporters flooded the streets of California awaiting, then celebrating, the California Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the ban on gay marriage. The court ruled four to three that same-sex couples had a constitutional right to marry regardless of sexual orientation.

The court’s opinion, written by California Chief Justice Ron George, said that “the substantive right of two adults who share a loving relationship to join together to establish an officially recognized family of their own — and, if the couple chooses, to raise children within that family — constitutes a vitally important attribute of the fundamental interest in liberty and personal autonomy.”

However, during the November 2008 general election, a California ballot proposition – Proposition 8 – added a new section to the California Constitution. The new section reads: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

By restricting the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples, the proposition overturns the California Supreme Court’s ruling that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage.

The proposition went into immediate effect the day after the election.

Supporters of the constitutional amendment have been hawking to anyone who will listen that the “sanctity of marriage” has been saved. They also claimed that leaving the constitution unchanged would result in the children in our public schools being taught that “being gay was okay.”

Call me crazy, but this sounds akin to the argument that opponents of interracial marriages squawked about in the 60’s.

In the United States today, women’s right to vote raises no furor and interracial couples are easy to miss, but that’s only because the hawks have given up those issues in favor of gay-bashing.

It’s time to get over it and realize — gay rights are human rights too.

Blogs Changing the LGBT Landscape

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:54:30 +0000

LGBT

There has been some significant progress made in the last sixty years when it comes to gay rights. The community has moved past the time when homosexuality was seen as a psychological disease, when people were arrested for expressing their true selves in public, and when sex between two members of the same gender was considered a felony. While there have been many strides made towards the goal of complete equality, there is still quite a distance ahead. There are still many ignorant people out there that fear what they do not completely understand, but fortunately those views can be countered in a peaceful manner. There is no longer a question of whether the LGBT community will achieve equality in society, it is a question of when. The only way to battle ignorance is through the spread of information and education.

Significantly aiding in the spread of knowledge to the masses has been the advent of the Internet, especially blogs. There are several great blogs out there that are maintained by important figures in the gay rights movement, as well as the average person on the street. That is one of the great things about blogs; everyone can get their experiences, knowledge, and opinions out into the public with the click of a mouse. The rights of all humans are not so easily dismissed when there are faces given to the movement. We can read exactly how the poster feels about a variety of issues, from hospital visitation to the right to marry. Also, these blogs are a very convenient way to keep up on the latest news and hot-button topics. There are even some blogs that offer valuable advice and information about gay marriages and ideal honeymoon destinations for newlyweds.
One of the most important functions that blogs maintained by members of the LGBT community serve is providing an arena for discussion. No matter the age, gender, race, or any other factors, there are people out there in the same position and that alone can make it easier to get through some of the more difficult times. I have provided links to some of the blogs that I believe are right near the top when it comes to the issue of gay rights or they might simply be interesting LGBT sites. Some of these blogs are very popular and you may have heard of them, and some may not be receiving the recognition that they deserve. One thing that I can assure though, is the quality of these sites. Go ahead and check these out, you might find yourself anxiously awaiting each new update.

Top Thirty LGBT Blogs

1. http://blog.gayrightswatch.com/
2. http://gayrights.change.org/
3. http://www.jenburke.com/
4. http://beyondstraightandgaymarriage.blogspot.com/
5. http://www.opinionatedlesbian.com/bulletin/opinionatedlesbian/default.aspx
6. http://www.unitethefight.org/
7. http://straightnotnarrow.blogspot.com/
8. http://www.tips-q.com/category/news-sources/changeorg-gay-rights-blog
9. http://www.massrightsblog.org/
10. http://www.goodasyou.org/
11. http://www.pamspaulding.com/weblog/
12. http://christianglbtrights.blogspot.com/
13. http://gay.americablog.com/
14. http://www.purpleunions.com/blog/
15. http://www.aclu.org/2009/02/06/a-gay-rights-life/
16. http://www.debontherocks.com/
17. http://www.queerswithoutborders.com/wpmu/
18. http://www.lesbiandad.net/
19. http://sickntired08.blogspot.com/
20. http://www.queersunited.blogspot.com/
21. http://www.lesbilicious.co.uk/
22. http://wickedgayblog.blogspot.com/
23. http://www.trevorhoppe.com/blog/
24. http://gracethespot.com/
25. http://fromtheleft.wordpress.com/
26. http://www.wickedgayblog.com/
27. http://queensspeech.com/
28. http://marielynbernard.blogspot.com/
29. http://theroadbeststraddled.blogspot.com/
30. http://www.bilerico.com/

The Roles of a Civil Attorney During Divorce Proceedings

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:06:00 +0000

Divorce Attorney

A divorce attorney plays a very fundamental role in a divorce proceeding. There are several issues that need to be dealt with, and a divorce attorney is the type of civil attorney that will handle these issues. If the time comes where two people feel as though there are problems in their marriage that can’t be worked through, it is essential for the issues to be managed with minimal strain on the families and children of the couple. A civil attorney is there to make sure that everything is handled in the most appropriate manner possible. It would be difficult to be a divorce attorney if they did not have the skills necessary to diffuse a volatile situation between a divided husband and wife. Thankfully, a civil attorney is present and able to ease the tensions in the room. Here are four of the issues that will be dealt with by a divorce attorney during the proceedings.

1. Alimony – It is the duty of a divorce attorney to learn the incomes of the husband and wife, and then determine the equitable amount of spousal support necessary. The spouse with the lower income will then receive that support so that they may maintain the lifestyle they have been accustomed to. The civil attorney will try their hardest to make sure that the amount settled on is fair for both parties.

2. Custody – Child custody matters can be a brutal battle between spouses if an inexperience civil attorney is dealing with the case. It is difficult to know with parent would be a more suitable candidate for custody, but a divorce attorney will be there to campaign for their clients. This should be handled by a civil attorney in such a way that the children do not suffer the consequences of their parents’ actions. Children should have two parents that can at least stay in a room together without biting each others’ heads off. The divorce attorney will do what they can to help, but responsibility falls on the shoulders of the parents to be cordial with each other or their children may end up with emotional issues in the future.

3. Property – Much like in the case of alimony, the civil attorney will divide the property in a way that they deem fair to both parties. A divorce attorney should not be taking sides in a dispute, but they should do what they can so that their client gets their fair share.

4. Child Support – If one parent gets custody of the child or children, the civil attorney will determine the amount of child support that needs to be paid by the other parent. A divorce attorney will do what is best for the children.

A civil attorney will be by their client’s side throughout the course of the proceeding. Having to hire a divorce attorney can be a difficult time, but can be necessary. Choosing the right one can make all the difference.