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. In a nutshell, the current mental health system in the United States reduces the recovery rate of people diagnosed with serious mental illness from a possible 80% to 5% [03:18], and reduces average life spans by 20 years, all the while catastrophically diminishing people’s quality of life with no more than 10% of the people psychiatrically incarcerated meeting the legal criteria for doing so and no one drugged or electroshocked against their will in compliance with the U.S. Constitution because that requires it being in the person’s best interest and there are no less intrusive alternatives, which is never true. See, Report on Improving Mental Health Outcomes.
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 with their Protection and Advocacy agencies PAIMI priorities, policies, goals and objectives. In light of the immense harm that psychiatric incarceration and forced drugging and electroshock cause, enforcing people’s rights to not be subjected to these unwanted interventions should be the highest PAIMI priority.
This strategic collaboration between MindFreedom International (MFI) and the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights) seeks to empower these councils, whose membership is to include at least 60% who have received or are receiving mental health services or their family members to make enforcing people’s rights to not be subjected to these coercive practices the highest priority of their Protection and Advocacy agencies. This project empowers councils to insist 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 PAIMI Advisory Councils and Protection and Advocacy agencies to ensure that no one is confined or drugged or electroshocked 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