I’ve been talking about mental illness as well as criminal justice reform. Today I want to bring SARDAA to your attention (Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America).
From their email, SARDAA is the only national voice exclusively representing people diagnosed with serious neuropsychiatric illnesses – schizophrenia and related brain disorders. Among their goals are to eliminate stigma and discrimination and to increase research and improve treatment. Another goal is to reclassify schizophrenia as a neurological brain disorder which will lead to more scientific research, access to hospital beds and improve treatment outcomes.
Currently 200,000 – 400,000 people with severe neuropsychiatric brain illnesses are incarcerated (!) with only 37,679 State hospital beds. SARDAA works to stop incarceration of people with brain illnesses and start providing treatment. Schizophrenia is a neurological brain disorder that requires treatment, NOT incarceration or a result in homeless!
This coming April 2018 in Houston, Texas there will be their 10th annual conference. For more information on this or any related topic, email: info@sardaa.org.