This upcoming free event will bring together influential voices in the mental health field to discuss key issues surrounding psychiatric care and reform. On March 2nd at 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (7:00 PM Central European Time), attorney and mental health advocate Jim Gottstein will share insights from the recently published Report on Improving Mental Health Outcomes, his extensive experience as lawyer defending human rights in mental health, and his book The Zyprexa Papers. The session will be co-hosted by Daniel Álvarez Rossell, leader of the Spanish and Catalan Soteria Network.
Featured Speaker: Jim Gottstein
Jim Gottstein is a Harvard-educated lawyer and founder of the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights). His legal advocacy has focused on challenging involuntary psychiatric treatments and promoting rights-based mental health care. His book, The Zyprexa Papers, provides an inside look into the legal battles exposing concealed risks associated with the neuroleptic drug Zyprexa and the broader implications for mental health policy (Gottstein, 2020).
Event Highlights
This session will feature a discussion of the Report on Improving Mental Health Outcomes, a comprehensive review co-authored by leading experts in the field. The report argues for an urgent shift away from coercive psychiatric practices toward humane, voluntary alternatives, including Peer Respites, Soteria Houses, and Open Dialogue (Gottstein et al., 2023). Additionally, Gottstein will present findings from The Zyprexa Papers, detailing the legal and ethical concerns surrounding the pharmaceutical industry’s handling of psychiatric drugs and the suppression of critical safety information (Gottstein, 2020).
How to Attend
The event is scheduled for March 2nd at 1:00 PM EST (7:00 PM CET). It will be hosted on Microsoft Teams. To join the session, simply follow the instructions on the linked publication. The event will be recorded and posted to YouTube later on. While confirmation of attendance is not required, it is highly encouraged. Please email henning.garcia@urv.cat to confirm your participation and/or propose questions to the speaker.