Treatment Advocacy Center
Policy Director for the Treatment Advocacy Center, a national nonprofit organization that works to remove legal barriers to treatment for people with severe mental illness
PROFILE
Brian Stettin
Guest
FROM Brian Stettin
Which Way, L.A.?
Crime Prediction and Its Unintended Consequences With a big push from Governor Cuomo, the New York State Legislature passed a law this week requiring psychotherapists to report any client thought "likely to engage" in violent behavior, so authorities can confiscate weapons. That has produced a backlash from some practitioners. President Obama and Congress are looking for ways for mental health agencies to share information so law enforcement can take action. Is the next step preventive detention for people who've never committed crimes? Is prediction possible, or is there no choice but to wait for violence to happen? We hear about the scientific, legal and ethical controversies provoked by outrage over a rash of mass killings.
To the Point
Crime Prediction and Its Unintended Consequences With a big push from Governor Cuomo, the New York State Legislature passed a law this week requiring psychotherapists to report any client thought "likely to engage" in violent behavior, so authorities can confiscate weapons. That has produced a backlash from some practitioners. President Obama and Congress are looking for ways for mental health agencies to share information so law enforcement can take action. Is the next step preventive detention for people who've never committed crimes? Is prediction possible, or is there no choice but to wait for violence to happen? We hear about the scientific, legal and ethical controversies provoked by outrage over a rash of mass killings.
To the Point
Crime Prediction… and its Unintended Consequences… The latest mass killing has renewed multiple controversies about mobilizing science and medicine to prevent violent crime. With a big push from Governor Cuomo, the New York State Legislature passed a law this week requiring psychotherapists to report any client thought “likely to engage” in violent behavior. The police would then confiscate any weapons that person might have. That has produced a backlash from some practitioners. President Obama and Congress are looking for ways that mental health agencies to share information so law enforcement can take action. Is the next step preventive detention for people who’ve never committed crimes? Is prediction possible—or is there no choice but to wait for violence to happen?
Which Way, L.A.?
Mental Illness and the Threat of Violence in America During five disruptions in classrooms and libraries, Jared Loughner frightened teachers and classmates at Pima College. Police were used to deliver a letter telling him he couldn't come back unless he got "mental health clearance" indicating he was not "a danger to himself or others." In the aftermath of Saturday's shooting , did the college drop the ball? Could intervention have prevented the tragedy that has gripped the nation?
To the Point
Mental Illness and the Threat of Violence This weekend, Tucson joined Virginia Tech , Fort Hood and the Holocaust Museum as locations of mass killings that have rocked the nation. Were there warning signs that disturbed people might commit mayhem? During five disruptions in classrooms and libraries, Jared Loughner frightened teachers and classmates at Pima Community College . Police were used to deliver a letter telling him he couldn't come back unless he got "mental health clearance" indicating he was not "a danger to himself or others." In the aftermath of Saturday's shooting, were there signs that should have provoked action? Did the college drop the ball? Do laws about mental illness and privacy require that we wait too long, or are they needed to protect sick people from misunderstanding and over-reaction?
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To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
Left, Right & Center
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To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.