Author Robert Whitaker to Speak on Mental Health Issues
2/27/09
Robert Whitaker, author of Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill, will speak at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, in the Maryville University Auditorium.
Throughout the month of March, Maryville University’s Rehabilitation Counseling program will observe its 10th anniversary. Whitaker’s visit, held in conjunction with those activities, is part of the Rehabilitation Speaker Series. A question-and-answer period, book signing and refreshments will follow the presentation. There is no admission charge.
Because it brings attention to the poor treatment of individuals with mental illness throughout history, Whitaker’s book serves as an important resource for health professionals, said Michael Kiener, Ph.D., CRC, assistant professor of rehabilitation counseling at Maryville University.
“One of the core principles of rehabilitation counseling is to have full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society,” Kiener said. “Robert Whitaker’s book raises questions centering on gate-keeping—who receives services and what type of services. As professionals, we have the ethical responsibility to be both competent and effective.”
The event is also sponsored by the Maryville University School of Health Professions.
Maryville University, founded in 1872, is a four-year, private university located in west St. Louis County. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s Best Colleges in the Masters-Midwest category, Maryville University students may choose from 50 academic programs, including degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Among recent graduates, 94 percent are employed or attending graduate school. More than 15,000 Maryville alumni work and live in the St. Louis region.