With the downsizing of state-run psychiatric institutions and better psychotropic medication, an increasing number of mentally ill persons are returning to the community. At the same time, limited community resources and constraints imposed by managed care organizations are limiting the quality and quantity of services provided to the mentally ill. Therefore, counselors must develop creative strategies for meeting the needs of their mentally ill clients. This theme paper describes how counselors can access and use advocacy groups, whose services are typically provided free of charge, to assist their mentally ill clients.
Advocacy groups are a diverse collection of organizations, people, and agendas.
Although many advocacy groups join together to work in coalitions or meet common goals, they do not always act as a united front. The agendas and tactics of groups vary as do the groups' members, people, and issues they serve. Some advocacy groups have substantial political respect, while others are considered more radical, taking extreme stances on issues such as opposition to psychiatry or the nature of mental illnesses. The make-up of organizations also varies. Generally, psychiatric survivors reject the system and oppose forced treatment laws and the use of psychotropic medications.