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From a story in the April 11, 2006 edition
of the Lincoln Journal Star:
Around 200 people gathered on the north
steps of the Capitol Monday morning to celebrate the transformation
of the state’s mental health system and their own transformation
from illness to recovery.
“We’re celebrating the changes
that have been made so far (in the state mental health system)
and to keep up the pressure for reform, said Pat Talbot, of
Lincoln, an active volunteer on mental health issues who attended
the rally.
Since the Legislature adopted mental health
reform two years ago, the state has reduced the number of
adults at state psychiatric hospitals in Norfolk and Hastings
and provided an additional $25 million a year for community
services, according to a fact sheet from the Health and Human
Services System.
This first Statewide Celebration of Transformation, which
drew people from Scottsbluff to Omaha, also encouraged participants
to focus on their own transformation.
Part of that transformation is the belief
that adults with mental illness can take charge of their own
lives and care, said Wanda Finch, representing the federal
agency, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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