LOVE group's HISTORY...: A group of mental health consumers (in the Lawrence, MA, USA area) got together as an organizing committee and formed a group-the Lawrence Organizing Voices for Empowerment-the (LOVE) group, and a founding convention was held on May 21, 1992. Over 40 (mental health) consumers attended this convention and became founding members of Lawrence Organizing Voices for Empowerment-the LOVE group. At this convention it was decided that the LOVE group's first issue campaign(-here it means planned action(s) to get doctor's to listen to us (as mental health consumers) and tell us about the side efffects of medication(s) so that we CAN give OUR INFORMED CONSENT or REFUSAL to take the medication(s). Then the LOVE group created two SUB-COMMITTEE's... 1) The STEERING committee-for more info. on this committee, see page4b... go to page4b 2) The STRATEGY committee-for more info. on the strategy committee, see page4a... go to page4a Next, The STRATEGY committee met and drafted a document that is called the LOVE mental health consumer/doctor guidelines, which were developed so that we (and ALL (mental health consumers)) can receive respectful treatment. It took over a year to write these guidelines, as we tried to include the important issues concerning quality of care and informed consent. Our first target campaign..., (--now, here,-it means the agency(ies)) we are working with (or have, in the past, worked with) so that ALL their patients can and WILL receive better care...)...was with the Greater Lawrence Mental Health Center-(GLMHC). The LOVE group then had several meetings with Joe Campione, the director of the Greater Lawrence Mental Health Center-(GLMHC). Finally a press conference was held on Dec. 13, 1993. Joe Campione was at the press conference and during it he agreed that the GLMHC would 'SIGN' onto The LOVE mental health consumer/doctor gudelines. We celebrated this with a VICTORY PARTY that day, at the Lawrence Public Library. For more info on LOVE's campaign with the GLMHC, see page3... CLICK HERE to go to page3 Our second target campaign was with New England Neurological Associates-(NENA)-(of North Andover, MA, USA), we are STILL (after three years) FIGHTING with them to 'sign' onto the LOVE mental health consumer/doctor guidelines. For more info. on LOVE's campaign with NENA, see page2a... CLICK HERE to go to page2a To view the LOVE mental health consumer/doctor guidelines, see page4... CLICK HERE to go to page4 Or you may CLICK HERE to go back to page1a