Further, such Medical Care Advisory Committee shall include as members at least one person who has directly experienced a mental illness and at least one person who is a direct family member of a person with mental illness. There should be adequate mental illness consumer and family involvement on all state human services advisory committees, such as social services, child welfare, and special education, and all managed care program advisory panels. All planning and advisory panels must conduct a public planning process, must conduct public hearings, and must make all documents conveniently available to the public. People with serious brain disorders and their families have access to necessary treatment, services and supports shown to be effective. Treatment, services, and systems provide care in such a way so as to promote the best quality of life desired and possible for a consumer.
Consumers have a right to be protected from abuse and have meaningful access to due process.
Severe mental illness is treated as an illness and a disability rather than as a crime. States, local mental authority, and health plans provide an unduplicated count of persons served by diagnosis and volume and type of services. Consumer and family peer education courses on mental illness and its management shall be made regularly available in all regions of the state, and sufficient funds shall be appropriated for this purpose. These peer education courses shall be organized and taught by consumers of mental health services and family members of persons with mental illness.