(May 31, 2017) Longtime Treatment Advocacy Center supporters no doubt know the name, DJ Jaffe.
DJ is many things: a caring supporter of a loved one with a severe mental illness, a driving force behind the passage of New York’s Kendra’s Law, an unwavering champion for mental health reform, a former Treatment Advocacy Center board member, and now a published author.
His new book, Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill, is a substantial indictment of much of what we know as the mental health system in the United States. Through a wealth of studies, research and media reports, DJ identifies the many failures plaguing our mental health system, failures which will no doubt be familiar to frequent readers of this blog. He recounts how a system overwhelmingly weighted away from treating severe mental illness “forces the most seriously ill to fend for themselves” with devastating societal consequences too often the result. He also dedicates a substantial portion of the book to potential solutions, including vitally important but too often overlooked issues such as the reform of the IMD exclusion.
Currently, DJ is on the road with his book tour, sharing his treatise and passion with advocates. If you missed his recent appearances in California or New York City, read our blog post and listen to his interview on the Manhattan Institute's podcast, 10 Blocks.
A copy of DJ’s book is available from a bookseller near you or via Amazon.