The California Memorial Project

I've been wanting for a very long time to develop a collection of personal stories of people who were confined in these hospitals, and what happened to them after the hospitals were emptied in the 70s, and where they are now. I think it's essential that we document this for historical purposes.

Today I learned from Sally Zinman that there is a project underway to document the History of the mental health consumer/survivor movement in California.

The California Network of Mental Health Clients is collaborating with the Peer and Self Advocacy Unit of Protection and Advocacy on a California Memorial Project.

According to Sally, this project involves three components:

- Restoring the cemeteries of state hospitals where mental and developmentally disabled people are mostly in mass unmarked graves.

- Capturing patient stories of state hospital life (before it is too late).

- Documenting the history of California's consumer/survivor advocacy movement.

There is a fairly recent law, based on Senate Bill 1448 (Chesbro), that requires the cemetery restoration component of this effort.

I hope that the Prop. 63 campaign can help with this memorial project. If you have a story, or know someone who does, please email Sally at szinman@aol.com (it would be great if you would copy me at darrell@yeson63.org). If you have a story that you can post on our website, I would appreciate that very much.

I want to collect stories of people who were confined in the state hospitals, people who worked there, family members, people who provided the community-based care after the hospitals were closed, and anyone else who can contribute to this project.

Comments

[Jane]

Thank you Darrell for this invitation to people across California.

Unfortunately it took me 5 years to discover this webpage through a Google search, but am glad i did!

i'm looking forward to the upcoming Remembrance Day 2009.

it looks like the Ceremony will be in Santa Clara at Agnews Cemetary. perhaps other locations around the state too.

Please join us if you're able to on September 21, 2009.

1250 Hope Drive, Santa Clara
1pm-2pm.

Namasté,
jane

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