Nancy's world

Nancy Jensen, a mental health survivor for the past 30 years, is a certified peer specialist/trainer, and advocate for those who are being abused, neglected or exploited by mental health providers. In 2006, she received the Voice Award from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for speaking out about crimes committed against her and others by Arlen and Linda Kaufman while in residential treatment. In addition to being a key witness at their trial in federal court, Nancy successfully lobbied for the establishment of the Kansas Attorney General's Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Unit.

March 23, 2009

WHERE HAVE I BEEN AND WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING

I have not been blogging for a while plus i just got done cleaning up my blog.

I got a job working at the Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas as a Certified Peer Specialist. It is a good new adventure for all involve.

I am teaching “Common Ground with my peers during one of their groups. It is so neat when peers realize they have a voice in the care they want and what they do not want. That they have things inside them that they did not loose because they have a mental illness. That those things are important to them and they need to do whatever they can to not have the illness or the meds. or the therapy take those things away from them.

I have read some interesting books The one that has really left me a little upset is the one called The Lobotomist by Jack El-hai. It is about Dr Walter Freeman.

I read it because I had read a book called My Lobotomy by Howard Dully about how a stepmother arranged it. His father agreed to it and Dr Freeman performed it. Howard never understood why he was not violent He had never hurt anyone. He asked that question for 54 years. When he was 54 he found out. It was a very powerful book. I could really relate to it.

So I thought I wanted to read more about this Doctor since I had known someone else who played savior God to a lot of people to have it become total abuse that will be hard to overcome. Like the book The Lobotomist says “this was a maverick medical genius and his tragic quest to rid the world of mental illness” He never saw it has being awful thing to do after all he sold it to work to those who had to see there love ones suffer with mental illness.

Then I looked at “The Lobotomist” on American Experience on PBS. It really bothered me because in some ways Freeman and Kaufman look alike, to me anyway

I have also been reading The Shack By WM. Paul Young. I will talk about that in another blog.

Sure hope I might hear from the Carter’s soon and also hope I have stopped Kaufman for writing letters to others about me and other victims.

I love being a CPS and it sure is a eye opener

2 years ago • Notes