TeenScreen nightmare...

[Guest guest]

SSRI-Research@

Sat, 18 Jun 2005 14:34:15 -0000

[sSRI-Research] TeenScreen nightmare...

 

 

 

Health Supreme - http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/

 

TeenScreen, a program to screen America's school children for " mental

illness " to be treated with often addictive drugs prescribed by a

pharma-driven treatment algorithm, is making waves. The parents of a

girl who was given a questionaire and subsequently diagnosed with

obsessive compulsive and social anxiety disorder are up in arms about

the testing and say they will take all legal remedies available to

them. Evelyn Pringle discusses the case and the screening program's

backgroundhere. According to a recent message of Vera Hassner Sharav

of the Alliance for Human Research Protection, the parents have found

a good lawyer to take on the case:

 

The high profile civil libertarian Rutherford Institute has taken up

the case of Mike and Teresa Rhoades whose15-year old daughter was

screened in her Indiana school for mental illness -- without their

permission. John Whitehead, the founder of the Institute who is a

high profile constitutional lawyer believes that there are " clear

constitutional and privacy violations involved. " The aggressive

tactics of TeenScreen and its blatant disregard for the rights of

parents to make decisions for the minor children is being watched

across the nation. The Coles County (Illinois) Leader reports that

the school by-passed parental rights, side-stepping federal laws that

empower parents to give permission for their children for medical and

psychological issues. Instead the school had the minor child sign

an " assent form " whose legitimacy and legal standing will, no doubt,

be argued in court -- since parents, not children have the

responsibility of making decisions affecting their welfare.

 

Whitehead, who called mandatory screening an " Orwellian Nightmare "

said he considers the opposition to be formidable foes, " because of

the financial backing of pharmaceutical companies and the Bush

administration's support through the New Freedom Commission on Mental

Health. "

 

In a previous comment, Hassner Sharav also says that Senators Chuck

Grassley and Max Baucus are looking into the pharmaceutical funding,

by " educational grants " , that seems to have influenced the drafting

of the treatment guidelines. (6/17/2005 3:49:03 PM)

 

 

----

 

 

 

Drug-Free School Zone? Just Say NO to Prozac for Children.

 

 

 

 

* To visit group on the web, go to:

SSRI-Research/