Annual General Assembly 2016

The annual general assembly opened at 14:00 on Saturday 11 June 2016 in the community facility of Tesco Extra, Dundalk, with an extempore prayer from The Archbishop asking the spirit for guidance.

Present were: Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD; Sean Crudden; Francis McCormack, Edward S. Crudden.

Apologies were received from: Anne Muldowney; Leonard Hatrick, Kevin McGeough; Paul Smyth.

The minutes of the previous general assembly were read and adopted on the proposal of The Archbishop seconded by Teddy.

Discussion of Planning for The Future the expert report dated December 1984 included some of the following remarks.

Perfect plan for the doctors.

Patients are fighting dejection, struggling for motivation, drowned by stigma.

The Mental Health Commission not representing the interests of patients.

The MHC protects the system like TTIP protects business.

The MHC’s view is the one reflected all the time.

Giving the impression that they were even handed

Secret organisation

Psychiatric patients cannot even make a complaint to An Garda or Amnesty

Medication.  Stigma.  Incapacitated. Degenerate

Families have to cope with the fall-out of medication.

The whole of society is a mental hospital.

Medication is convenient not beneficial

Mental patients are less valued.

Reviews like A Vision for Change (2006) are only kicking the problem down the road.

Victims Charter and Disability Rights Law not ratified.

Representation is stitched up.

The following officers were elected unanimously for the coming year.

President: Leonard Hatrick PC

Chairperson: Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD

Vice-chairperson: Mrs. Anne M. Muldowney

Secretary: Sean Crudden

Treasurer: Edward Crudden

Francis McCormack will undertake the role of Mentor for at least the coming year.

The Autumn Interim meeting was fixed for Saturday 29 October 2016 at 14:00 in Tesco Extra

The Spring Interim Meeting was fixed for Saturday 25 February at 14:00

Next year’s Annual General Assembly was fixed for Saturday 17 June 2017 starting at 14:00

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Disinvitation: Dominate: Smoking Ban: Fear

The Spring interim meeting of IMPERO took place in Brian Muldoon’s Bar, Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland; on Saturday 20 February 2016 starting at 15:00.

Present were: Anne Muldowney, vice-chairperson; Seán Crudden, secretary; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD, chairperson; Leonard Hatrick PC, president; Francis McCormack; Domini Turley.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read aloud by Leonard Hatrick.  The minutes were adopted unanimously on the proposal of Leonard seconded by the Archbishop.

The article The Danish Girl http://www.indymedia.ie/article/105651 written by Seán was read aloud by Anne Muldowney.  Anne received compliments on the way she read the article.  There was some discussion on the meaning of the word “ersatz.”

Seán read aloud a series of e-mails, one from Olga Kalina chirperson of ENUSP, dealing with BPE’s proposal to disinvite the WPA congress in Berlin slated for 2017.  IMPERO seems happy to back the proposal of the German organisation BPE.  However there is no intention of dictating to ENUSP what its attitude should be.

There was some discussion about the power of psychiatry.  It was felt that it dominates the legal profession and human rights organisations.  Fear is used to control people the way it used to be used in the Catholic Church and in the police.  Anne Muldowney asserted, “the one thing patients should not have is fear.”

IMPERO has closed its account in Ulster Bank and opened instead a post office account in Jenkinstown PO.  To withdraw cash from the account two signatures are required.  Sean Crudden.  +M.D. Hynes.  There is €310 in the account.

Seán Crudden read aloud his journal for 13, 14, 15 December 2015 the days he attended the ENUSP empowerment seminar organised by MHE in Brussels.  “Interesting,” Leonard Hatrick commented.

The date 11 June 2016 was chosen for this year’s General Assembly of IMPERO.  Leonard will try to arrange a venue in Ardee subject to obtaining the correct indemnity insurance.

Leonard raised the practical problem of patients in Ardee Mental Hospital being forced by the smoking ban to go out to the gates of the hospital on the Kells road to smoke.

2015 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 400 times in 2015. If it were a cable car, it would take about 7 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Advancing Recovery in Ireland, UN, ENUSP

Photo: Sean Crudden

Leonard Hatrick, president; Mrs. Anne Muldowney, vice-chairperson; Paul Smyth, mentor; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD, chairperson: pictured after the IMPERO Autumn interim meeting held in Brian Muldoon’s Restaurant, Ardee, Co. Louth starting at 14:00 on Saturday 24 October, 2015

The Autumn interim meeting of IMPERO  took place in Brain Muldoon’s Bar in Ardee, on Saturday 24 October 2015.  Present were: Sean Crudden, secretary; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes; Francis McCormack; Paul Smyth; Leonard Hatrick PC; Mrs. Anne Muldowney.

Apologies were received from Kevin McGeough and Joan Hardy.

The chairperson, Michael Desmond Hynes, welcomed everyone and thanked Leonard for arranging the venue.

Sean read aloud the minutes of the previous interim meeting in February from the IMPERO site on the internet using his tablet computer.  The minutes were adopted on the proposal of Anne seconded by the Archbishop.

Sean asserted that mental patients had been degraded and suppressed over the past 70 years.  ARI is the latest vehicle to try to improve the situation.  Advancing Recovery in Ireland.  Sean pointed out that recovery in this context was a spurious or ersatz type of recovery maintained and bolstered up by strong medication.  It was not recovery in a true or absolute sense.  If drugs are the answer to the problem then newer and more acceptable drugs are required to replace the crude elixirs of the present day.  There was a noticeable feeling of paranoia in the meeting about ARI and someone expressed the hope that it would not be merely a whitewash.

Francis McCormack was delegated the task of trying to find our why IMPERO’s registration to attend the UN Summit on 25 September 2015 had been thwarted.  The summit which took place on the day Pope Francis visited the UN was held to launch the post 2015 sustainable development agenda.  IMPERO had taken an active part in the on-line discussions among Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) leading up to the development of the agenda.

Sean will attend the ENUSP empowerment seminar in Brussels from 13 —> 15 December 2015, DV.

There was a measure of discussion around the issue of the way mental patients are being represented in Ireland at the present time.

IMPERO has ~ €350 cash on deposit in a reserve business account in Ulster Bank, 100 Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk.

The next interim meeting of IMPERO will take place on Saturday 20 February 2016 in Brian Muldoon’s Restaurant, Ardee, starting at 15:00.

Photo: Francis McCormack

Seán Crudden pictured in Brian Muldoon’s Restaurant on Saturday 24 October 2015 after the IMPERO Autumn interim meeting.

IMPERO General Assembly, 2015

Arhbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD, Leonard Hatrick PC, Mark Doran, Edward S Crudden: pictured in the community facility, Tesco Extra, after the General Assembly

Photo: Sean Crudden

The General Assembly of IMPERO for 2015 took place in the community facility, Tesco Extra, Dundalk, starting at 14:00 on Saturday 13 June 2015.

Agenda

1. Minutes of General Assembly 2014
2. Matters Arising
3. Correspondence with Olga Kalina, chairperson of ENUSP
4. Financial Report
5. Election of officers and selection of mentor for the coming year
6. Strategy
7. Any other business

Present: Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes, Leonard Hatrick, Mark Doran, Sean Crudden, Edward S Crudden

Apologies: Michael O’Hanlon, Peter Murphy, Anne Muldowney, Kevin McGeough, Paul Smyth

Someone said that the EC is dominated by international drug companies.  Another remarked that the structure of the country affects mental health e.g. austerity.  Everyone agreed that there is no evidence that the European Union is doing anything to advance in Ireland the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

IMPERO reserve business account is in credit to the tune of €307.27.

It was felt that residential facilities like Ardee Mental Hospital should be kept open because many mental patients are operating at reduced capacity due to the effects of medication and increasing age and should not be expected to fend for themselves.

The following officers were elected unanimously.  President; Leonard Hatrick PC: Chairperson; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD: Vice-chairperson; Anne M. Muldowney: Secretary; Sean Crudden B.Sc., H dip in Ed: Treasurer; Kevin McGeough BBS: Auditor; Edward S. Crudden B Comm.

Paul Smyth was selected as mentor of IMPERO for the coming year.

The Autumn interim meeting was fixed for Saturday 24 October 2015 starting at 14:00 in Brian Muldoon’s Restaurant, Ardee.  The Spring interim meeting will be held in the community facility, Tesco Extra, Dundalk, starting at 14:00 on Saturday 20 February 2016.

Derek Pepper’s radio show on mental health on Dundalk FM 100 was mentioned.  Mark said there was a necessity to reduce suicide rates.  Sean promised to keep members up-to-date on the progress of ARI (Advancing Recovery in Ireland).

The meeting was unanimous in congratulating Leonard on his recent appointment as a Peace Commissioner.

Sean Crudden, secretary and founder of IMPERO, pictured after the meeting.

Photo: Leonard Hatrick

Spring Interim Meeting 2015

Our Lady of The Wayside Church, Jenkinstown.

Photo: Sean Crudden

Mrs. Anne Muldowney in the foyer of Our Lady of The Wayside Church after a successful meeting of IMPERO on 21 February 2015

Photo: Sean Crudden

Sean Crudden, secretary; Anne Muldowney, chairperson; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes, vice-chairperson: attended the meeting in the meeting room of Our Lady of The Wayside Church, Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland.  Apologies were received from Leonard Hatrick, president; Peter Murphy, mentor.

The meeting was opened by the archbishop who spoke an extempore prayer seeking help from above and hoping for a friendly meeting and a positive outcome.

The minutes of the previous meeting on 15 November 2014 were read aloud by the chairperson and were adopted on the proposal of the archbishop seconded by Anne. 

Arising from the minutes the secretary reported that the proposed reading of a play among ourselves had been put on the long finger due to the pressure of business. 

Sean read his journal for the four days he spent at the ENUSP international symposium and General Assembly which took place in Danhostel, Hillerod, from 11 December 2014 to 14 December 2014.

He said there had been a changing of the guard in ENUSP as a result of the general assembly.  John M. Kidney has replaced Seán as deputy board member for the NW Region of Europe.  The chairperson remarked that it was good to have an Irish representative on the board and complimented Seán on the work he had done since 2010 in and around the ENUSP board.  Sean remarked on the great work done by Karl Bach, Claus Beck, Gabriela Tanasan, in raising finance for and organising the General Assembly the first since Thessaloniki in 2010.  With a young, talented, largely female board prospects were good for the future of ENUSP he concluded

Some key phrases from the discussion on “Family, Stigma, Recreation” were as follows.  Practical supports.  Don’t get isolated.  Right not to be stigmatised.  Try to change the thinking on stigma.  What is it?  What does it mean?  Socially created.  Lack of awareness.  Accept cultures.  Stigma lessens with age.  Get in touch with your higher self.  Erase stigma.  Within families.  Jealousy, anger, revenge.  Why should one member of a family do that to another?  Ability to love and care for their family.  Not happening now.  Natural instincts.  Brainwashed.  Church?  Spiritual aspect.  Own spirituality.  People telling other people things that are not right.  Education?  Weigh things up better.  Do people down.  Humble. 

Seán said Joan Hardy had done a great job as mentor to IMPERO and pointed to a different but equally effective approach to mentoring by Professor Dennis Pringle who is current mentor of Cooley Environmental and Health Group.  Seán feels that the concept of mentoring might have a fruitful application for individuals in the situation of peer advocacy, peer support, assisted decision making.  The meeting decided to try to research the topic more fully at local level.

The archbishop and Anne agreed to cooperate in opening a Facebook page to try to improve IMPERO’s public relations.

IMPERO has ~ €290 in the bank.

It was decided to offer a meal of brown bread and salad before the General Assembly of IMPERO in June.  Those opting to avail of the meal would be expected to make a contribution of €10 each. 

The meeting adjourned sine die.

2014 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 530 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 9 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Winter Interim Meeting, 15 November 2014

Pictured in the foyer of Our Lady of The Wayside Church after the meeting Peter Murphy, Mentor, and on his left Leonard Hatrick, President of IMPERO.  Click to enlarge.

Photo: Seán Crudden

A winter interim meeting of IMPERO took place in Our Lady of The Wayside Church, Jenkinstown, on 15 November 2014 starting at 14:00.

Present: Francis McCormack; Paul Smyth; Leonard Hatrick, President; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD, Vice-chairperson; Kevin McGeough, Treasurer; Edward S. Crudden; Seán Crudden, Secretary; Peter Murphy, Mentor.

Apologies: Anne Muldowney

The archbishop took the chair in the absence of Anne Muldowney, chairperson.

The minutes of the Spring interim meeting were read aloud by the secretary and adopted on the proposal of the Archbishop seconded by Edward S. Crudden. The secretary also read out an account of the General Assembly of IMPERO which took place in June. For information of those present.

The archbishop reported that the North Louth Joint Policing Committee with the recent local elections has almost reached the end of its term. There will be a new structure replacing the Co. Louth Community and Voluntary Forum. It remains to be seen what this will be and how the new structure will involve contact with policing.

The secretary reported that the creative writing classes earlier in the year had concluded successfully. Thanks are due to tutor, Linda Newe, and also to Sinéad Fearon, community education officer with Louth/Meath Education and Training Board.

The secretary suggested that we might organise in the New Year the reading of a play among ourselves.

He reported that he had met in September Colette Nolan, CEO of Irish Advocacy Network, and her PA, Gráinne Ferris, at a graduation ceremony in DCU for Peer Advocates, at their invitation. It seems that IAN will be sending a delegate to the ENUSP 7^th General Assembly which will be held in Hillerӧd from 11 to 14 December 2014.

The question arose was tax payers money being spent wisely in the case of bodies like IAN and MHC or is all this merely cynical window dressing?

IMPERO has renewed its membership with ENUSP and update details for their site.

Seán Crudden was ratified as IMPERO delegate to Hillerӧd.

There was a lively and dramatic discussion on suicide prevention, crisis intervention, police. Francis suggested the use of a refuge or “half-way” house as an alternative or precursor to mental hospital. Clearly if a young person in crisis gets hooked into psychiatric drugs they are looking at a life-long dependency on these drugs with all the attendant disadvantages such as difficulty holding a job or damaged marriage prospects. So is it wise to plunge a young person directly into the psychiatric system? The mentor drew attention to the role of drug companies and suggested more alternatives and a more holistic approach to mental illness.

It was accepted that IMPERO should be diplomatic and refrain from accusing or condemning other organisations in the field. A mechanism for complaints was mentioned and the mentor suggested that for the moment IMPERO should ventilate its general concerns through its delegate to Hillerӧd.

The next interim meeting will take place in Spring, Saturday 21 February 2015, starting at 14:00, in Our Lady of The Wayside Church, Jenkinstown.

General Assembly 2014

Photo: Sean Crudden

Anne Muldowney trying to decide who to snap next

The annual assembly of IMPERO for 2014 took place in The Old Schoolhouse, Bellurgan, Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland, starting promptly at 14:00 on Saturday 14 June 2014.

Present: Anne Muldowney, chairperson; Seán Crudden, secretary; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes, mentor; Kevin McGeough, joint-treasurer; Peter Murphy.

Apologies were received from Leonard Hatrick and Joan Hardy, joint-treasurer.

The meeting reminisced about the two deceased members of the committee of IMPERO: Ita Daly, president; Michael Farrelly, vice-chairperson.  The archbishop concluded the discussion with a short extempore prayer, “May God give them rest.  We hope they are with The Lord.”

The chairperson read aloud the minutes of General Assembly 2013 which were adopted unanimously on the proposal of the archbishop seconded by Peter Murphy.

The minutes referred to initiatives in 2013 on mental health by Obama and by The Vatican.  The secretary admitted that he had no up-to-date information on where these initiatives had led.

The following team of officers for the coming year was approved unanimously.  Leonard Hatrick, president; Mrs. Anne M Muldowney, chairperson; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes, vice-chairperson; Seán Crudden, secretary: Kevin McGeough, treasurer; Peter Murphy, mentor.  The role of mentor was discussed and the secretary praised the ground-breaking work of Joan Hardy who filled the role extremely competently for a number of years in the past.

The chairperson thought that the main role of the psychiatrist was to motivate their patients.  “Do one deed every day to make someone else happy,” was her recipe.

The chairperson read aloud Mental Health Europe’s “Bucharest Manifesto.”  The secretary sounded a caveat about consulting mental patients about the construction of The American Psychiatric Association’s 5th edition of their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM 5) and about the forthcoming revision of The International Classification of Diseases (ICD 10).  “Personally I would not like to have anything to do with the composition of these manuals because I am only too well aware of the downstream effects of these manuals.”

Speaking on the Bill dealing with Mental Capacity and Assisted Decision Making currently on its way through The Oireachtas Seán Crudden said, “It is impenetrable, arcane, unserviceable, impractical.”

The meeting was keen to continue relations with the European Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP).  It also took a favourable view of efforts made in recent time in the field of adult education.  Appreciation was expressed for the work of Sinéad Fearon of Louth Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) who has given IMPERO great assistance in that regard during the past year.

Treasurer Kevin McGeough reported that there is €307 on deposit in the IMPERO reserve business account in Ulster Bank, 100 Clanbrassil Street Dundalk.  The secretary is owed a small amount due to out-of-pocket expenses.  Kevin agreed to draw up a statement of account for the year ending 31 December 2014.

Winter Interim Meeting, 14:00 Saturday 15 November 2014, Our Lady of The Wayside Church, Jenkinstown: Spring Interim Meeting, 14:00 Saturday 21 February 2015, OLOTW: General Assembly, 14:00 Saturday 13 June 2015, The Old Schoolhouse, Bellurgan.

The meeting lasted about an hour.  Those attending took part in a little photography at the end.

Photo: Seán Crudden

Outgoing mentor, Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD, seated, with incoming mentor, Peter Murphy.

Photo: Anne Muldowney

Seán Crudden and Archbishop Hynes with Lordship Credit Union in the background

Creative Writing Course Successfully Concluded

A series of classes from 19:00 to 21:00 on 5 successive Tuesdays concluded last night, 25 March 2014.  The classes took place in The Old Schoolhouse, Bellurgan, Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland.  The school by day is used as a creche.  The subject of the classes was creative writing.  The objective was to create confidence as well as to instil skills.

Photo: Seán Crudden

Left to right: Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD, Breege Treanor, Ann Connor, Bríd McDonnell

12 attended the first class in the series and 7 the last.  Students wrote a lot and read aloud their own work.  The technicalities of the craft of story writing were well-taught and put into practical execution.  Participants in the class learned the shape of haiku and sonnet and constructed some of their own. 

The atmosphere in each class was calm, businesslike, good humoured and everyone kept their eye on the ball.  Linda Newe the teacher encouraged every individual and maintained a positive and optimistic outlook.  Hers is the art which conceals art.  A teacher to the manner born.

Photo: Seán Crudden

Left to right: Ann Connor, Linda Newe, Bríd McDonnell

IMPERO is extremely grateful to Setanta, the local community development organisation, for the use of the old school and particularly to Tommie McGuinness. 

Photo: Seán Crudden

The series of classes was provided by Louth Meath Education and Training Board for IMPERO and organised by Sinéad Fearon, Community Education Facilitator, Louth Meath Education and Training Board.