PAIMI-Protection & Advocacy For Individuals With Mental Illness

Purpose

To protect and advocate for persons with “serious mental illness” in order to prevent or redress abuse, neglect and serious rights violations, including violations of state, federal and Constitutional law.

Eligibility

A person that has a significant “mental illness or emotional impairment” as determined by a mental health professional.

Priorities

The PAIMI Advisory Council votes every year on a list of priorites for the PAIMI program. All VP&A work must fall under one of the priorities. The priorities for 2008 are as follows:

• Investigation:  Investigate individual cases of abuse, neglect, and serious rights violations in inpatient facilities (VSH, designated hospitals, designated agencies, emergency rooms, facilities for minors), prisons/jails, and community settings.
  
  
• Reduce the use of Seclusion, Restraint, Coercion and Involuntary Procedures:  Reduce the use of seclusion, restraint, coercion and involuntary procedures through individual casework and systemic efforts. Continue systemic work to create trauma-informed, violence free and coercion free mental health treatment environments.
  
  
• Outreach:  Reach out to community settings, designated facilities, emergency rooms, prisons/jails, residential and therapeutic care homes. Monitor conditions and educate residents about rights and self-advocacy. Engage in systems work to improve conditions.
  
  
• Individual and Systems Advocacy:  Advocate for self-determination and access to alternative treatment options and community integration.  Use legal advocacy to enforce and expand rights across the State of Vermont. 

If you have an idea or suggestion for a PAIMI priority for 2009 please let us know.