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Mental Patients' Association

Mental Patients' Association

| 28 min

This short documentary is a fascinating portrait of the Vancouver Mental Patients' Association (MPA), a unique, democratically-organized advocacy and support group for people who have sought care in the mental health system. While client-centred care and advocacy in mental health are relatively more common now, they were unfamiliar concepts in the 1970s, and this film sheds light on the birth of this nascent movement. The MPA provides support and a space for discussion, which helps those dealing with mental health problems to re-integrate into their communities after sojourns in hospitals or other institutions. Members' comments afford some insight into what has been called the "mental health industry."


Credits
  • director
    Richard Patton
  • producer
    Shelah Reljic
    Peter Jones
  • executive producer
    John Taylor
  • photography
    Tony Westman
  • sound
    Ralph Parker
    Richard Patton
  • editing
    Shelah Reljic
  • re-recording
    Barry P. Jones
  • music
    Martin Fossum

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