Most Of the Time, They Do Not Even Have a Documented Psychiatric Diagnosis. 2023 has hardly started, and we just filed our second lawsuit of the year. This case was brought against the state of Maryland for its woeful lack of oversight in the administration of powerful psychotropic medications to children in foster care. These […]
Youth Assent to Psychotropic Medication in Foster Care is a Basic Human Right Originally posted on The American Bar Association, Human Rights Magazine, on October 12, 2021 “I was a zombie,” Jimmy said. “I was on seven psychotropic medications when I was 14 years old. I couldn’t eat. I had chest pain.” Jimmy knew even at […]
Sometimes things just click. Call it Kismet, call it karma, call it dumb luck. For me it happened in 2017, when I first met Children’s Rights. At the time, I had been working in Health Policy at Missouri Foundation for Health for 15 years. Our mission is to eliminate the underlying causes of health inequities, transform systems, […]
Most children have parents or family to watch after them and keep them safe. People who help them get ready for school each morning. Someone to make their favorite meals. And when their child is unwell or in need of care, they take them to doctor and counseling appointments and actively advocate for them and […]
A Dangerous Combination Observations from our work We have seen how psychotropics harm children in various foster care systems when not carefully administered. For example, in Missouri, we got to know KC. She was 12 years old and placed in a large congregate care facility. She was prescribed five psychotropics. Our adult client, Kris, when […]
For me, the COVID-19 crisis is happening on two levels. As a deputy with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Conroe Texas, my work life has adjusted, we are taking precautions, but it’s still basically business as usual. I am trained to keep people calm, caution them to take care, but not to panic. Our […]
Our lawsuit in Missouri, the first of its kind to singularly target this dangerous use of psychotropic drugs, represents an opportunity for change nationwide.
