PAIMI Advisory Council Empowerment Project
PAIMI Symposium
October 6, 7 & 8, 2026
For decades, the mental health system has relied on a “standard of care” that, for many, results in a cycle of institutionalization and forced intervention. The federal Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness” (PAIMI) Act was enacted mainly to enforce the rights of “individuals with mental illness” and mandates The PAIMI Advisory Councils to jointly determine PAIMI priorities and policies whose membership is to include at least 60% of individuals who have received or are receiving mental health services or family members. As a general rule with some notable exceptions, the Protection and Advocacy agencies administering the PAIMI program have repressed the role of the Advisory Council resulting in their abject failure to protect people from unconstitutional psychiatric confinement, forced drugging and forced electroshock.
This strategic collaboration between MindFreedom International (MFI) and the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights) seeks to transform these councils from passive bodies into active engines of systemic change. By leveraging the “Report on Improving Mental Health Outcomes,” which documents how current coercive practices reduce recovery rates of people diagnosed with serious mental illness from a possible 80% down to 5% [03:18], this project empowers councils to demand that peoples’ rights not to be psychiatrically incarcerated or drugged or electroshocked against their will be enforced, “Big A” advocacy—systemic policy shifts—rather than just “little a” individual support.
We are calling upon the “sleeping giant” of the movement to enforce the constitutional and statutory rights of individuals, ensuring that no one is confined or drugged against their will in violation of their rights [12:55].
Symposium Agenda: PAIMI Advisory Council Empowerment Project
Dates: October 6, 7 & 8 on Zoom.
Day 1: October 6 (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Eastern Time) Register here.
Theme: Foundation and Education
- Welcome & Vision: Opening remarks from MindFreedom International and PsychRights on the “Sleeping Giant” strategy.
- PAIMI 101: A deep dive into the federal mandate to protect people’s rights and the role of the Advisory Councils in doing so. [12:19].
- The Evidence Base: Presentation on the Report on Improving Mental Health Outcomes.
- Analyzing the 80% vs. 5% recovery gap [11:19].
- The biological and social impact of neuroleptics (major tranquilizers) [03:40].
- Q&A Session: Addressing the legal and medical data.
Day 2: October 7 (6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Eastern Time) Judi’s Room Register here.
The middle day of the Symposium will be in the regular Judi’s Room time slot and which has a separate registration.
Theme: The Power of PAIMI in Action
- PAIMI Success Stories: Presentations from P&As and Advisory Councils that have successfully collaborated.
- Panel Discussion: Barriers to council effectiveness and how to overcome them.
Day 3: October 8 (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Eastern Time) Register here
Theme: Strategic Planning & Action Steps
- Defining “Big A” Priorities: Making enforcing people’s rights to not be psychiatrically incarcerated or drugged or electroshocked against their will the highest PAIMI Priority.
- Enforcement Strategies: Legal strategies for enforcing Procedural and Substantive Due Process rights of people to not be psychiatrically incarcerated or drugged or electroshocked against their will, including Least Restrictive and Least Intrusive Alternatives [22:55].
- Organizing Strategies: Organizing and recruiting like-minded lived-experience membership and family members on councils [18:20].
- Accountability Strategies: Leveraging the Advisory Council Annual Report as a tool for public accountability [22:44].
- Closing Commitment: Finalizing the roadmap for national PAIMI coordination and immediate action steps for attendees.
Reference Material: The Implications of the Report on Improving Mental Health Outcomes on PAIMI Priorities