MFI needs your help to continue and expand the Shield in 2023!
Shield alerts and updates
For updates on the latest MindFreedom Shield alerts, new Shield alerts, and recent victories, see our Shield Feed.
Forced Drugging Defense Package
Thanks to the assistance of Support Coalition member, the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights), MindFreedom Shield has assembled a Forced Drugging Defense Package, which you can download for free here.
Public Shield members
To view a list of MFI members who have chosen to make their Shield public, click here. You do not have to make your identity public when signing up.
Public members help us reach more people and de-stigmatize defending our human rights, but we understand there are many good reasons why people may want to be private until and unless being public is needed.
Register for the Shield
Anyone may sign up for our Shield program here regardless of whether or not they are currently a member of MFI. It’s free, although donations are always welcome!
For decades, MindFreedom International has sent out many human rights alerts to defend people who have been harmed by human rights violations in the mental health system.
This Shield system is supported by a campaign. While alerts are often sent out for individuals who are not pre-registered with the Shield, ideally everyone will pre-register if possible.
Anyone registered in the MindFreedom Shield program may quickly activate an international network of public alerts if they are ever threatened with involuntary psychiatric human rights violations!
By adding your name to the public directory of the MindFreedom Shield, you also make a statement that when any individual is threatened with forced psychiatry, we will all speak up together!
Please note that all alerts themselves, when activated, are always public.
Q: Why sign up for the Shield?
A: It takes only a moment, and it’s free for everyone.
Our organization seeks to help any individual at risk of psychiatric human rights violations, and you can make that process easier for both yourself and MFI by filling out a convenient online Shield form in advance.
Most MFI members have personally experienced human rights violations and are passionate about changing the mental health system. Here’s a chance to organize that people power together.
You may never use your Shield, but by registering you are still saying, “We are all in this together!”
Q: How does the Shield work?
A: If a Shield enrollee is threatened with or actively subjected to psychiatric treatment against their will, these three steps may occur:
- The enrollee can ask the MFI office to activate the MindFreedom Shield Solidarity Network.
- MFI’s Shield Campaign Committee evaluates the request, and then those on the Network may be encouraged to speak out, and forward an alert.
- The MindFreedom Shield may send out public human rights alerts to help expose the coercion and apply nonviolent pressure to defend the member’s human rights.
Anyone who is interested may also sign up for the Shield discussion list to help plan and volunteer on each campaign.
Q: Are there any examples of the Shield at work?
A: One example of a majorly successful MindFreedom Shield campaign is that of Ray Sandford. He was being forcibly subjected to outpatient electroshock therapy, but an international Shield campaign put an end to it by gathering widespread attention from both the public and the media.
Another example is Geetha Rathnamala‘s campaign, which helped her resist forced psychiatric drugging.
Gabe Hadd’s campaign is yet another example. He was once court-ordered to take psychiatric drugs in his own home. MFI sent out one of its first Shield alerts on his behalf, which enabled him to find resources to create an “underground railroad” over state lines and escape his forced outpatient drugging. His story was featured on the front page of a Wall St. Journal article.
Q: Is the Shield guaranteed?
A: No.
At the very least, a credible alert will reach the MindFreedom Shield coordinator for potential dissemination to the Shield committee and our solidarity network.
However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to launch a campaign on your behalf, nor can we guarantee the level of intensity of any campaign that we do launch.
Q: Can a Shield alert itself be private?
A: No. All Shield alerts are always public once a Shield is activated. Since alerts are sent out via the Internet, alerts can end up being public forever.
Your name can be kept private on the listing of all people with Shields, just indicate that preference when you fill out the form.
However, the nature of a human rights alert is to activate “people power.” MindFreedom does not have the resources to do private alerts. If you prefer absolute privacy, even when you are threatened by psychiatric coercion, please do not sign up for a MindFreedom Shield.
⚠️ Important disclaimers ⚠️
- MFI cannot always verify the accuracy of the information contained in Shield alerts.
- Registering for the Shield does not guarantee that a campaign can be activated on your behalf. MFI also cannot guarantee the scale of any campaigns that do get activated.
- Shield campaigns are not a substitute for professional legal assistance and do not provide any legal counsel.
- All Shield alerts, once approved, are always public and cannot be made private after publication.
- For more disclaimers, see the Shield registration form.
