Does anyone know about this supposed mandatory mental health screening

Daily Courier ^ | 10/06//2004 | Debbie Thurman,

[Maceman]

I keep hearing about this on left-wing web sites, but I'm wondering if anyone knows what its about.

[BenLurkin]

"I keep hearing about this on left-wing web sites,"

Well . . .

[Maceman]

I know, I know. But still. What is it?

[valkyrieanne]

Read about it here on the White House web site. Now that the election is over, I feel I can say in good conscience that Pres. Bush's plan *stinks* and should be fought tooth and nail by American conservatives.

[Cobra64]

Probably because the Left needs mental health screening. They're not too bright, logical, nor coherent. Avg. IQ is probably igloo-room temperature in ANWR on a cold day in February.

[sheik yerbouty]

It's for die hard 'rats. It is prima facie evidence of mental illness.

[Ain Soph Aur]

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39078

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1212523/posts

Those should answer any questions.

[TheBattman]

A study/commission with the job of improving mental health care and delivery in the US. So far, it sounds ok.

I don't seen anything about testing or anything mandatory about the plan.

Is it the job of the Federal Gvt. to see that mental health care improves? Who pays for it?

[stopillegalimmigration]

Can see why left-wing nuts would fear diagnosis.

[jimthewiz]

It is the establishment of a study of the delivery of the mental health care in the country.
It was to expire after one year if not extended.
I don't know whether it was extended or not.

Sec. 7. Termination. The Commission shall terminate 1 year from the date of this order, unless extended by the President prior to that date.

GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 29, 2002.

[bdeaner]

Critics of the plan say it is a thinly veiled attempt by drug companies to provide a wider market for high-priced antidepressants and antipsychotic medication, and puts government in areas of Americans' lives where it does not belong.

Not good. The plan needs to be killed.

[Bearshouse]

Mission. The mission of the Commission shall be to conduct a comprehensive study of the United States mental health service delivery system, including public and private sector providers, and to advise the President on methods of improving the system.

Doesn't sound so scarey to me, what am I missing?

[BenLurkin]

Not scary. Just wasteful and 'extra-Consitutional'.

I kinda agree with Post #8.

[BenLurkin]

The Federal Government simply has no business doing this sort of thing.

We could have balanced budgets every year if all these wasteful kinds of programs were eliminated.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Pres. Bush's plan *stinks* and should be fought tooth and nail by American conservatives

I agree

[Cultural Jihad]

. . . improving the system.

No wonder leftists are fit to be tied.

[expatpat]

All those signed up on DU will undergo a mandatory mental-health check by the FBI, by order of John Ashcroft.

[Dianna]

We could have balanced budgets every year if all these wasteful kinds of programs were eliminated.

I certainly agree that this government commission is unlikely to see a problem and develop a real, workable plan to fix things. However, depression probably costs us quite a bit in productivity and certainly in overall quality of life issues.

I don't want the government involved, but if someone could find a way to lessen depression or help people get to the help they need, that would be a good thing.

[Coleus]

Shouldn't we contact President Bush who started this Nonsense?  Our mental health system is fine and it should be left up to the states as to what to do with their citizens.

President Says U.S. Must Make Commitment to Mental Health Care
      View the President's Remarks
     Listen to the President's Remarks

Mailing Address The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500
Phone Numbers Comments:   202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX:             202-456-2461	TTY/TDD Comments:      202-456-6213 Visitors Office: 202-456-2121

E-Mail

President George W. Bush: president@whitehouse.gov
Vice President Richard Cheney: vice.president@whitehouse.gov

Psychiatry and the State (Excerpt)
by Dennis Behreandt

The federal government plans a new role in delivering mental health care.  Historically, however, governments have used psychiatric techniques for harm rather than good.

On April 29, 2002, President George W. Bush issued an executive order creating a new commission charged with finding ways to “improve America’s mental health service delivery system.” One year later, the Orwellian-sounding New Freedom Commission on Mental Health released its findings.  Its final report recommended mental health screening for all Americans and, in a proposal that should alarm parents everywhere, recommended that the nation’s schools be used to assess the mental health of all schoolchildren.

President George W. Bush wants to have  American citizens, beginning with all school age children, examined by psychiatrists.

"The New Freedom Initiative is a plan to screen the entire U.S. population for mental illness and to provide a cradle-to-grave continuum of services for those identified as either mentally ill or at risk of becoming so. Under the plan, schools would become hubs of the screening process, not only for children, but for their parents and teachers. There are even components aimed at senior citizens, pregnant women, and new mothers.

"In April 2002, President Bush established the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health to conduct a 'comprehensive study of the United States mental health service delivery system.' The commission issued its recommendations in July 2003, chief among them being that schools are in a 'key position' to screen the 52 million students and 6 million adults who work at educational facilities."

This Draconian federal program began in Texas while G.W. Bush was Governor. It was called the Texas Medication Algorithm Project as an alliance between the pharmaceutical industry, the University of Texas, and the mental health and corrections systems of Texas. Now that Bush is President, he has begun implementing the program at the national level.

[COEXERJ145]

Hey look, they found yet another thing to whine about.

(Actually certain people on this site bring the topic up as a way to bash the President as much as the Democrats bring up Halliburton, Enron, and Abu Ghraib.