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[Editor's note 6/2000: All of my phone numbers, email,and addresses below are obsolete. None of the poetry contests etc. happened. The marriage ended.]-CAE

CHUCK'S NEWSLETTER TM
This is about Mental Health
7TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
11/7/94 - #21 (vol. 9, no. 1)
Since 1987 - 14 Years Ahead of Its Time
        (7 down, 7 to go)
Circulation: 2,000 on Internet
and 250 copies by mail
+Please read, post and/or circulate+
copyright 1994 acexpress los angeles
CRAZY U.S.A. TM
6161 el cajon bl. # 77
san diego, ca 92115
    (619) 265-76 77, ext. 77
    (800) 353-28 77, ext. 77
    Internet: ace7777777@aol.com

(paper edition has logo of falling maple
leaf)

a cyberpub TM from acexpress los angeles
COMPLIMENTARY COPY - Usually $3/issue, $12/year

FLASH!!!
CHUCK & DIANNE
MARRIED
March 20, 1993


SPECIAL THANK YOU'S
For law school recommendation letters:
Attorneys Mike Coleman, Jan Thomas, Jeff Elias & Kim Lewis
For special photos and gift:
L.A. Times Photographer Rob Gauthier
For posting this newsletter on the Internet:
Bob Bureau, National Empowerment Center
For In-Kind Donations to MIND*STAR, Inc.:
Nightingale Conant/American Psychiatric Association
National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse-
Alternatives '94


SONG CLIP FOR THE SEASON
"No autumn breeze, no falling leaves,
Not even time for birds to fly to Southern skies
No Libra sun, no Hallowe'en,
No giving thanks (to all the Christmas joy you bring)"
    I Just Called to Say "I Love You"--Stevie Wonder,
copyrighted
    reprinted from Chuck's Newsletter #16 (v5,n2), Fall 1989

In this Issue

    Intro . . . . . . . .2
    Wedding . . . . . . .2
        Article: Shadows . . 2
        Book: Crazy Pages . .3
        Back Issues . . . . .3
        On-Line Newsgroups . 3
        MIND*STAR . . . . . 3
        Advocacy . . . . . . 3
        Calendar . . . . . . 4
        Creativity . . . . . 4
        . . .Poetry, Photo, Art Contests
        Feedback . . . . . . .4


CARS FOR SALE - BEST OFFER
1981 Porsche 924
1984 Chevrolet Cavalier
Stationwagon
(619) 265-7677 or (800)
353-2877

INTRO
    Seven years ago today, 11/7/87, I started a newsletter and
called it, since all of the possible other names were taken,
Chuck's Newsletter. It started out literally as a letter home,
telling 10 friends and relatives how I was doing. In later issues
I started to tell about my experiences in the insane mental health
system but I was reluctant to use my name so I said "By XXX".
People I knew all knew it was me but, fortunately, people I worked
with didn't. I was often asked what the focus of the newsletter
was. It seemed that everyone wanted to know the focus. I finally
decided that the only possible focus could be mental health, what
it's like to be diagnosed mentally ill, or as we say in San Diego,
being a "mental health client" or just plain "client". I used my
real name and told about personal experiences.
    Sometimes Chuck's Newsletter came out monthly and some
people told me I would lapse into mental illness if I did it that
often. I always laughed at this and said, "No, not me." Well, I
did slow down to quarterly. Now it's every two years!! but I plan
to return to a monthly or quarterly format, depending on the
rigors of law school that I just started. (Western State
University School of Law, 4 years, expected graduation date, May
1998.)
    If you are receiving this by mail and have before, it's been
4 years since your last issue, #19. Tempis fugit when you're
having fun. Issue #20 departed from the usual newsletter format
and was entirely one article on my 60 days in County Mental
Health, for which I had 60 pages of hand-written notes. Everyone
always asked me why I was writing everything down. I said that
it's because I'm a writer and that's what I do. I only issued
about 20 copies of #20, CMH Diary, to people at a panel that I was
on in 1992 on quality assurance in hospitals.
    Now, here's Chuck's Newsletter #21. I'm averaging 3 issues
a year, so that ain't bad.

WEDDING
    On Christmas day 1992, I met a wonderful woman named Dianne
Smith. We were married on the First Day of Spring, March 20,
1993.

ARTICLE: SHADOWS
    I was featured in a Special Section on Mental Health in the
San Diego Union-Tribune entitled "Breakdown: Into the Shadows of
Mental Illness" which appeared on February 27, 1994. The
reporter, Clark Brooks, and photographer, Rob Gauthier (now with
the Los Angeles Times), followed me for more than a year. They
brought great sensitivity to the project and became very
knowledgeable about mental illness. They have won awards for the
Special Section from the San Diego Press Club and the San Diego
County Mental Health Services. The section received great
response and has been reprinted for free distribution at the
paper.
    One noteworthy response was a letter to the editor from Dr.
Tom Henley of County Mental Health Services in Oceanside, which
includes:

"A few days ago, a young man with severe mental
illness who had been rejected by his father told me
with tears of gratitude that his father had sought him
out and hugged him after reading the special report.
"I extend my gratitude to those mentioned in the
report, and to the people who love them, for helping
others even as they struggle to help themselves."

BOOK: CRAZY PAGES
    I spent five years writing a mostly-autobiographical book
about my and other people's experiences in the mental health
system. It's called CRAZY PAGES. It's the long version of
Chuck's Newsletter. I finished the 300-page draft of 100,000
words last December. I plan to market it electronically on the
Internet and/or commercial on-line systems soon. Some chapters
have appeared in the newsletter. When I have space, I'll list
some chapter titles so you can vote on which ones should appear in
the future.

BACK ISSUES, etc.: CHUCK'S NEWSLETTER
    Back issues will be available and will be described in
future issues. Donations for subscriptions are $12/year by check
made out to Chuck Elliot. Advertising space is available.
ON-LINE NEWSGROUPS (MESSAGE BOARDS)
    I have proposed 5 newsgroups on the Internet, subject to
approval. They are accessed through Usenet under the following
names:
    alt.acexpress.losangeles, alt.chuck's.newsletter,
alt.crazy.u.s.a.,     alt.crazy.pages, alt.go.mental
    My first message on alt.go.mental, just testing, was, "Go
mental, go mental, go, go, go."
    Someone else posted a new newsgroup called
alt.society.mental-health.

MIND*STAR TM
    I have founded a nonprofit corporation for mental health
called MIND*STAR, Inc. MIND*STAR's purposes include to provide
information to mental health clients, professionals, and the
general public through print and electronic publications and
education. MIND*STAR will have its own TV program and an on-line
information service. MIND*STAR is seeking grants and donations of
money and things (in-kind) to support our achieving of our
purposes. MIND*STAR is an IRS-approved nonprofit [501(c)(3)], so
contributions are tax-deductible. (Federal Employer ID#33-
0608220.) For more information, call: (619) 265-7677, write: 6161
El Cajon Bl. #77, San Diego, CA 92115, or email: mindstar@aol.com.
Donations: 800-764-MIND (764-6463).

ADVOCACY
    I am involved with mental health advocacy at several levels.
If you are interested in any of the groups that I mention, please
contact either the group or me for further information.
        I am on the board of the California Network of Mental Health
Clients which is possibly the largest client-run advocacy group in
the country. I am running for reelection and solicit your vote if
you are a member. If you live in California, are a client, and
not a member, call Carol or Carol at the network office for
membership and voting information, 800-626-7447. Non-clients can
contribute.
    I am the Legislative Trainer for the Network and am
developing a legislative training manual for clients and
legislators. I need volunteers to read my drafts and give me
feedback.
    I am affiliated with the President's Committee on Employment
of People with Disabilities (1331 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20004,
(202) 376-6200). I made a presentation about my two pet areas,
Social (In)Security
and Employment Services on their Southern California
teleconference. I was invited to the White House for the 4th
anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) but
couldn't find funding to go there.
    My wife Dianne and I were on the national advisory committee
for Alternatives '94 in Anaheim, the annual gathering of about
1,500 clients. We made presentations which are now available on
audiotape from the National Empowerment Center (NEC):
    #573 MIND*STAR, Inc. Development and Operation of a
Nonprofit     Client-Run Corporation ($4 for clients/$12 for non-
clients);
    #532 Training in Legislative Advocacy for Clients, Decision-
Makers     and Policy-Makers ($1/$3); and #518 Nicotine Education
($1/$3).
For additional information, request the Audiotape Catalog, 1994
edition from: NEC, 20 Ballard Road, Lawrence, MA 01843, 1-800-
POWER2U (769-3728).
    I consider running for office to be an evolution from
advocacy. I ran for City Council, District 7, in San Diego last
year on an unofficial write-in basis. My group was Team 7. This
year I ran for the County School Board and got over 10,000 votes
with a budget of under-$100. My group was Team 77. Each time I
add a 7 to the name.
    After the election, I decided to start a mental health
advocacy group, having been the chair of the local one here a
couple years ago. I decided to call it Advocate 77, after one of
my email addresses. Our scope is not local, but covers wherever
you can communicate from. (Some smart derriere will bounce a
signal off the moon.) Advocate 77 was officially announced on 7/7
at 7:07 a.m. this year. My wife Dianne is the president and
Robert Chinnis, Jr. is our vice president. We all have advocacy
issues of our own and will be taking on those of others. Email
address: advocate77@aol.com; mail address: #77; phone: (800)
ELECT77 (353-2877).

CALENDAR
        NARPA - The National Association for Rights Protection and
Advocacy, 13th Annual Conference, San Diego, Hanalei Hotel,
November 9-12, 1994, $190 or daily rate, (401) 434-2120, Fax:
(401) 431-0043.
        Send me your calendar listings, events, birthdays, etc.

CREATIVITY
        Watch next issue(s) for Poetry, Photo, and Art Contests.
YOUR FEEDBACK is solicited on any or all aspects of Chuck's
Newsletter. YOUR ADDRESS for email and regular mail is solicited
for adding to my mailing list (email preferable).

------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
Chuck's Newsletter #1 ended with a section titled "Second
Thoughts". It said:
"I think I'll just burn it & not send it. Or should I
burn it & then send it? The myriads of
permutations...
One more file, exercise today's new tires, and then
take 900 mgs of elemental and don't call me in the
morning.
All of the above was computer-generated based on my
fingerprints. I fine. How are you?....The rest is
silence.**
---------**Hamlet--Shakespeare; Hair--Rado, Radni,
McDermott"
Glad I didn't burn it.
------------------------------------------------------------------
---------

"[Have] a Thanksgiving dinner that can't be beat!"
    Arlo Guthrie, "Alice's Restaurant Massacree"
    copyright Warner Bros. Records Inc.

And now, my standard outro (exiting message):
PEACE - LOVE - CIAO - BYE

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