MindFreedom International News - 05 May 2009

http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/psych-drug-corp/nami 

 

US Senate Probe Discovers:

Most NAMI Money is From Psychiatric Drug Industry

by MindFreedom News

 

NAMI has admitted to a US Senate probe that a majority of their funds 

over the last five years, 56 percent on average, have been from drug 

corporations. NAMI has agreed with the probe to immediately begin 

quarterly postings to their web site with a list of drug company 

donations and amounts.

 

MindFreedom obtained a letter sent last week by NAMI executive 

director Michael J. Fitzpatrick  to "NAMI Leaders and Members." The 

letter is a response to the probe of NAMI by US Senator Charles 

Grassley (R-IA) initiated on 6 April 2009.

 

In the 28 April letter, copied below, Mr. Fitzpatrick wrote, "As 

reported to Senator Grassley, pharmaceutical companies contributed an 

average of 56% of national NAMI's budget annually for the period 2005 

- 2009."

 

Mr. Fitzpatrick passionately defends the drug company donations, but 

says NAMI has a strategic plan to lower the percentage.

 

Commented MindFreedom director, David Oaks, "The NAMI board should 

have listened to its own Consumer Council which voted for full 

disclosure many years ago, but was ignored."

 

MindFreedom maintains a count of the number of times the NAMI web site 

uses the phrase "biologically based" when referring to mental health 

problems. Said Oaks, "There are as many theories about the cause of 

extreme mental problems as there are colors in the rainbow. 

Unfortunately, NAMI's rainbow is mainly green -- drug company money 

green. Now we know why."

 

MindFreedom is encouraging an international "thank you" from everyone 

to Senator Grassley for investigating psychiatric drug money 

corruption, click here: http://grassley.senate.gov/contact.cfm

 

Listen and call-in live to a special free online MindFreedom web radio 

show this Saturday, 9 May 2009, about protesting psychiatric drug 

company corruption. More info is available here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/davidwoaks

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Letter from NAMI executive director Michael J. Fitzpatrick:

 

April 28, 2009

 

Dear NAMI Leaders and Members,

 

On April 6, 2009 Senator Charles Grassley asked NAMI national to 

provide information about support it receives from pharmaceutical 

companies. For the last three years, Senator Grassley has been 

interested in various aspects of the pharmaceutical industry and has 

made similar requests to other non-profit groups.

 

NAMI shares Senator Grassley's interest in transparency and has 

cooperated fully with this request. Since the request was made, three 

basic questions have been posed that are worth sharing and answering.

 

Does NAMI accept contributions from pharmaceutical companies?

 

Yes, we do -- and we're delighted to have this critical support for 

our many programs and important work all across the country.

 

NAMI accepts charitable contributions from individuals, foundations 

and corporations, including the pharmaceutical industry, for one 

purpose -- to improve the lives of people with mental illness and 

their families. These relationships are governed by NAMI's Guidelines 

for Business Support Relationships, a NAMI policy originally developed 

and approved by the Board of Directors in 2004. This policy ensures 

that at all times NAMI will maintain an independent position on issues 

affecting the welfare of people with mental illness. A copy of this 

policy is available online at http://www.nami.org/BusinessGuidelines.

 

As you know from our strategic plan ( http://www.nami.org/stratplan  ), 

NAMI's goal is to reduce the percentage of our budget that is 

supported by charitable donations from pharmaceutical companies.

 

While we deeply appreciate the support we have received, we set this 

goal because we understand the value of diversifying our funding 

sources -- both for fiscal stability and because we want to shed any 

lingering, unfair accusations that somehow NAMI has been "bought" -- I 

can assure you: nothing could be further from the truth. NAMI's 

advocacy voice is loud and clear and uncompromised.

 

As reported to Senator Grassley, pharmaceutical companies contributed 

an average of 56% of national NAMI's budget annually for the period 

2005 to 2009. Many of NAMI's signature education programs, including 

Family-to-Family, Peer-to-Peer, NAMI Connection, In Our Own Voice and 

NAMI Basics have national corporate sponsors.

 

These programs are the essence of your work in your communities. They 

are offered free of charge to thousands of consumers and families who 

participate in them each year. Without support of these companies, we 

would be hard-pressed to bring you these vital programs. Corporate 

grants and charitable contributions also support the NAMI Web site, 

Mental Illness Awareness Week, and other public education and advocacy 

efforts.

 

Can we see who is giving NAMI what?

 

Yes, you can.

 

NAMI National has long made public lists of major corporate and 

foundation donors in our annual reports, which you can view online:

http://www.nami.org/governance .

In 2009, we have begun posting on the NAMI Web site on a quarterly 

basis all foundation and corporate grants and corporate contributions 

over $5,000 received by NAMI national. The first list covers January-

March 2009 and can also be viewed at http://www.nami.org/governance.

 

Now what?

 

We continue our incredibly important work together, at the national, 

state and local level, on behalf of one of the most vulnerable and 

discriminated against populations in our country.

 

NAMI has long enjoyed a great national reputation. In fact, NAMI is 

one of only 248 national non-profit organizations that received the 

BBB Wise Giving Alliance Charity Seal this year from the charity 

monitoring organization affiliated with the Better Business Bureau. 

Perhaps you saw BBB‚Äôs ad in USA Today two weeks ago which heralded 

the exclusive list. NAMI also received three out of four stars from 

Charity Navigator and is its number one rated mental health 

organization.

 

Thank you for the tremendous work you do, day in and day out. If you 

have any thoughts or questions, I hope you will be in touch.

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

 

Michael J. Fitzpatrick, MSW

Executive Director

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300

Arlington, VA 2201

mfitzpatrick@nami.org

703-516-7977

 

- End letter  -

 

More Info:

 To track the number of "biologically based" references on the 

NAMI web site over the years click here: http://tinyurl.com/nami-biologically-based

 

For a news report by Bloomberg from 6 April 2009 about the letter 

by Sen. Grassley to NAMI click here: http://tinyurl.com/grassley-to-nami

 

To thank Sen. Grassley for investigating NAMI funding click here: 

http://grassley.senate.gov/contact.cfm

 

To read the above alert online with live links and photo, click 

here: http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/psych-drug-corp/nami

---

DENDRITE is a public Internet alert system about human rights in psychiatry, sponsored by Support Coalition International, sending out notices to thousands of concerned people, many of whom take ACTION NOW!