What is Stigma? Why does it matter?

Stigma in other cultures

I’ve experienced discrimination. What should I do?

Individuals with mental illness often have a particularly difficult time finding employment or obtaining higher education due to stigma surrounding their illness. If you or a loved one are currently facing this problem, click here for an excellent source for support and guidance.

If you feel like you or a loved one have been discriminated against due to mental illness, the following information may be of assistance.

Where can I obtain free mental health advocacy and/or technical or legal assistance?

Each State, the District of Columbia, and the six Territories (American Indian Consortium, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) have a Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program. PAIMI programs safeguard the rights of people with significant mental illnesses who are at risk for abuse, neglect, or civil rights violations while receiving care or treatment in a public or private residential facility.

If a violation is found, PAIMI programs may pursue various remedies such as mediation, administrative hearings, and litigation (the remedy of last resort) to ensure protection of the rights of PAIMI-eligible clients.

People with mental illnesses who are not eligible for PAIMI services may be eligible for services from other programs within their State Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system, such as the Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR) Program, Client Assistance Program (CAP), Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) Program, Protection and Advocacy for Developmental Disabilities (PADD) Program, Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology (PAAT) Program, Protection and Advocacy for Voters Rights (PAVR) Program, and Protection and Advocacy for Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI) Program.

What can I do if I feel my employer, or a potential employer has discriminated against me because of my mental disability?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a legal tool to fight discrimination. Any person who believes he or she has experienced employment discrimination based on a psychiatric disability has a right to file an administrative "charge" or "complaint" with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or with a State or local anti-discrimination agency. Such individuals also may file a lawsuit in court, but only after filing an administrative charge.

For information on how to file a discrimination charge, the publication Filing an ADA Employment Discrimination Charge: Making It Work for You may be helpful.

What can I do if I have a complaint about the mental health treatment that someone is receiving?

You may want to start by contacting the facility or program administrators to make them aware of your complaint. If you cannot reach a resolution in this way, you may want to contact your State Mental Health Agency to determine if your State has a commission that reviews quality of care. If not, each State, the District of Columbia, and the six Territories have a Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program. PAIMI programs investigate reports of abuse, neglect, and civil rights violations in facilities providing mental health care or treatment. Other programs within your State Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system are listed in the answer to the first question.

Used by permission of SAMHSA. Visit this site on Patient Rights and Protections for more information and resources to help you handle stigma and discrimination.