About this talk
Many years have passed since the broad scale deinstitutionalization of long term mental health care, but have these institutions really gone away? Laurie Hallmark, Mental Health Rights Defender, argues that deinstitutionalization simply turned old institutions into new ones — shifting those with serious mental illness from long term hospital care into homelessness, short term hospital commitments, and the criminal justice system. At its core, Laurie suggests, the systems in place to support those with mental illness have failed. Currently, the system takes a one size fits all approach, rather than recognizing the needs of individuals and using “sensible reality solutions” to meet folks where they are. Laurie has developed highly personalized Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) to support those with serious mental illness from a place of understanding, advocacy, and compassion.
With a human-centric approach, Laurie believes that the mental health system can be inverted to develop sustainable solutions that integrate those with serious mental illness into our society. Learn more about her approach by watching her TEDMED 2020 Talk “Advocating for people with serious mental illness”.
About Laurie Hallmark
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About Laurie
Laurie Hallmark is a mental health lawyer dedicated to advocating for people with serious mental illness. Her mission is to ensure they can get the support and services needed to live full lives in their communities. Laurie’s main strategy is to develop highly personalized Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs). These legal documents allow individuals to make their own decisions about their mental health care ahead of time, giving them control over their treatment. By using PADs, she aims to break the cycle of repeated hospitalization, homelessness, and incarceration that many people with mental illness face. As the Special Project Director for Mental Health Programs at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA), she serves a vast region of Texas. Through TRLA, she works to change the power structure of the mental healthcare system, holding it accountable to the people it is meant to help. Her expertise has also led to her becoming an advisor to the state of California on the use of PADs, showing her influence beyond her home state.
