NMHA Warns Public, Scientologists Not Qualified to Provide Mental Healthcare
Statement by Michael M. Faenza, President and CEO of the National Mental Health Association
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (February 15, 2002) Today NMHA warns people in need of mental health support to beware of Church of Scientology representatives claiming to provide mental healthcare. Almost six months after the Sept. 11 tragedy, with the economy in recession and the war on terrorism continuing, the Church of Scientology is using this time of uncertainty to recruit new members.
The Church of Scientology has announced a campaign to offer free assistance to those still troubled by the attacks of Sept. 11, with billboards publicizing their toll-free number and the message "Something Can Be Done About It," in New York, Washington D.C., and other select cities across the country.
For a Church of Scientology volunteer to be certified as a minister, he or she is required only to read The Scientology Handbook and pass a short examination in a Scientology church or mission.
A qualified mental health provider has years of education and post-education training, a degree from an accredited program, and is usually required to be licensed by the state in which they work. NMHA advises people seeking mental health treatment to check their providers' credentials and affiliations.
This isn't the first time we at NMHA have urged the Church of Scientology to stay out of mental health. In the wake of September's attacks, Fox News broadcast a toll-free help-line for "National Mental Health Assistance," unaware that the number connected callers to the Scientologist's headquarters in Los Angeles. Scientologists also sent 450 counselors to ground zero under the guise of providing mental health assistance.
Claiming to provide quality mental health support to people in emotional crisis for dubious reasons is unethical and can be harmful to those needing real assistance.
The National Mental Health Association is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness. With more than 340 affiliates nationwide, NMHA works to improve the mental health of all Americans through advocacy, education, research and service.
NMHA provides mental health assistance to American communities through its local affiliates. For mental health information and referrals contact us at 800-969-NMHA (6642) or www.nmha.org.
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