The Poem Was Written On Behalf of Those Who Reside at Bridgewater State Hospital Can you hear pain?I can feel the pain inside my mindPain at the pain I’ve causedPain at not wanting or understanding whyMy brain isn’t working rightDidn’t ask for thisDidn’t want thisMaybe I’ll ask the gods that beIf they can hear my… Continue reading Hear Our Voices
In the January 2022 Report, DLC’s sweeping recommendations include the following: DOC must immediately remediate mold and assess for other environmental toxins existing in the BSH physical plant per expert recommendations and industry standards.The Commonwealth must commit to closing [BSH] and constructing a modern facility designed to provide psychiatric evaluations and treatment in a safe,… Continue reading Disability Law Center Calls for CHANGE at Bridgewater State Hospital
by Mike Walsh, FFIMI Member Thanks to the Disability Law Center (DLC) and their recent report regarding the poor physical conditions and inappropriate practices in the treatment of persons served at BSH, the situation has been receiving a lot of much needed attention from the public and State Legislators. As advocates for this extremely vulnerable… Continue reading FFIMI Calls for Action on Issues Raised by Disability Law Center’s Report of Bridgewater State Hospital!
Boston Globe - Opinion February 21, 2022 FFIMI agrees that the oversight of Bridgewater State Hospital belongs with the Department of Mental Health, and NOT the Department of Corrections. We agree with writer, Robert Weber of Newton, MA, that without this change, the conditions for the persons served at BSH will not improve. I am… Continue reading Bridgewater Hospital’s woes will go on without change in agency oversight
Potent drug cocktails replace physical restraints at the medium-security facility for people with mental illness. Boston Globe - By The Editorial Board - February 17, 2022 It was to have been a “culture change” for Bridgewater State Hospital, Governor Charlie Baker promised back in 2016. The medium-security facility for men suffering from mental illness who… Continue reading Mold, Benadryl, and antipsychotic drugs: New report raises alarms about a state mental facility
WBUR by Deborah Becker A new report shows clinic workers at the Bridgewater State Hospital often use chemical restraints and seclusion on people held there in violation of state law. Despite the Baker administration's reforms at Bridgewater State Hospital, the report says the facility has significant structural problems, and that staff members are improperly restraining… Continue reading Chemical restraints, isolation often used at Bridgewater State Hospital, new report says
~Tatum Pritchard, Disability Law Center Deeply disturbing findings from Disability Law Center continue to be a front-and-center concern for FFIMI. Not just the dilapidated, unhealthy facility - but equally, or more importantly, the lack of mental health treatment. As litigation director and acting executive director of the Disability Law Center, Tatum Pritchard, states: "It’s a… Continue reading FFIMI Continues to Sound the Alarm – DLC Report Calls For Shutdown of Bridgewater State Hospital and Move out from DOC to DMH – “It’s just a broken facility in terms of the physical plant but also in terms of the services it provides and does not provide.”
FFIMI is proud to announce that MA Senator, Cindy F. Friedman, has been named the Public Official of the Year by Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts. Congratulations Senator Friedman! Senator Friedman has certainly earned this accolade. Her work across the board, and most especially to our hearts, is her work on behalf of those with… Continue reading MA Senator, Cindy Friedman, is Named Public Official of the Year by the Women’s Bar Association
On February 9, 2022 the Disability Law Center (“DLC”) issued a public report summarizing its findings from its monitoring efforts at Bridgewater State Hospital (BSH) from July 2021 through December 2021. On January 31, 2022, DLC released a private, unredacted version of the report to select government officials, pursuant to its legislative authority to monitor… Continue reading Disability Law Center Finds Serious Health and Safety Concerns at Bridgewater State Hospital, Confirming Widespread Mold and Improper Use of Restraint
By Advocate and Family Member, Donna Winant Mental disorders and/or structural abnormalities of the brain comprise a broad range of problems with different symptoms. However, they are generally characterized by some combination of abnormal thoughts, emotions, behavior and relationships with others. These conditions are referred to as Serious Mental Illness (SMI) within the system of governance… Continue reading Judge Not
Family and Friends of Individuals with Mental Illness 