TOWARD PEER-FRIENDLY PUBLIC POLICY
Jonathan Dosick is a peer specialist living and working in Central Massachusetts. For the last decade, he has also been an active advocate for human rights reform in the mental health system. In 2003, he founded the “fresh air rights” campaign in Massachusetts, and the “fresh air bill” is now in its fourth session of filing at the Massachusetts State House. More recently, this effort was merged with another that would create a means of appeal for the violation of a State Law, 13 years old, which guarantees the most basic civil liberties to peers in hospitals and residences – a law that is almost never followed.
Jonathan has presented at National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA)’s 2005 Annual Conference, and the National Empowerment Center’s 2008 “Alternatives” conference. He was recently awarded the Karl Ackerman “Ox” Award by the (Massachusetts) Transformation Center, in honor of his achievements, and he writes a blog about human rights and psychiatric hospitals. He can be reached at [email protected]. (Blog URL: civilrightspsychiatrichospital.blogspot.com)
