News and Events
ATTORNEY ANN RENAUD CALLS FOR SWEEPING CHANGES IN COURT SYSTEM TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS
East Brunswick attorney Ann Renaud discussed the challenges mentally ill people face when dealing with the legal system at a meeting today of the Ocean County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Ms. Renaud said the judicial system needs to be remade in a way that deals with mental health issues and drug dependency with compassion and understanding.
“The system is radically broken, but I am by nature a believer that if a problem exists it can be solved,” she said. “There is no continuity in the system. It sucks the life out of treatment rather than assisting in providing it. The criminal justice system has been substituted for the mental health hospitals. We’re just handing over our mentally ill to prosecutors and judges who have no training at all in solving these problems.”
ATTORNEY TO SPEAK ON CHANGES NEEDED IN JUSTICE SYSTEM TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
East Brunswick attorney and mental health advocate Ann Renaud will speak at the monthly membership meeting of the Ocean County Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 13, in the cafeteria of the Ocean County Administration Office, 129 Hooper Ave., Toms River. The meeting is open to the public and admission is free.
“As an attorney and a former municipal court judge, I’ve seen firsthand the suffering that occurs when people with mental illness or substance abuse, or both, get caught up in a legal system that is not set up to deal with their problems,” Ms. Renaud said. “Too often, people with mental illnesses or developmental disabilities are viewed solely in terms of their special needs by a system that has neither the expertise nor the resources to effectively deal with them. The result is unnecessary suffering to the individuals and harm to our society as a whole.”
Attorney Ann Renaud Says Legal System Is Not Meeting Needs of People with Mental Health Issues
East Brunswick attorney Ann Renaud told a group of people in Burlington County today the judicial system in New Jersey needs to be changed to make it more effective in dealing with cases involving people with mental health issues.
Ms. Renaud was the guest speaker at a meeting of the Family Support Organization of Burlington in Lumberton. Family Support Organizations (FSO’s) are family-run, county-based organizations that provide direct family-to-family support and other services to family members of children with emotional and behavioral problems.
Ann Renaud Calls for Changes in Legal System to Aid People With Mental Health Issues
East Brunswick attorney Ann Renaud called today for changes in New Jersey’s legal system while speaking at a program in Long Branch sponsored by the Family Based Services Association of New Jersey.
Ms. Renaud said the judicial system needs to be remade in a way that deals with mental health issues and drug dependency with compassion and understanding.
“Instead of viewing people as problems that need to be managed, we should all become their advocates and take on the challenge of unleashing the possibilities that exist within them,” she said.
Ann Renaud to Speak at Family Based Services Association of New Jersey
Ann Renaud, an East Brunswick attorney and mental health advocate who is passionate about protecting the rights of those with mental health issues, will speak at a special program sponsored by the Family Based Services Association of New Jersey on Thursday, July 29, from 7 – 9 p.m. Her talk at the association’s offices at 279 Broadway, Suite 400, Long Branch, NJ, 07740, is open to the public.
“We need to make changes in our court system to take a more compassionate approach in dealing with people who have mental health issues or need drug rehabilitation,” Ms. Renaud said. “I’ve worked in the judicial system as an advocate and as a former municipal court judge. I’ve seen the suffering that can be caused by a system that is not equipped to deal with people with these kinds of issues. It causes them unnecessary suffering and hurts us as a society.”
Ann Renaud Keynote Address at Special Program Rescheduled
Mental health advocate Ann Renaud will deliver the keynote comments at a special program co-sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the Intensive Family Support Services of Hunterdon Medical Center Behavioral Health and the Family Support Organization of Somerset Hunterdon and Warren.
The event was originally scheduled for February 9, but was canceled because of bad weather. The rescheduled program will be held Wednesday, April 21, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Hunterdon Medical Center, 2100 Wescott Drive, Flemington, NJ. It is open to the public and free of charge.
Ann Renaud Continues to Campaign on Behalf of the Mentally Ill
Ann Renaud, an outspoken advocate for the legal rights of those with mental health issues, continues to campaign on their behalf, addressing a special meeting of Easter Seals and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Ann will deliver the keynote address at the joint session, focusing on the ways those with mental health and substance abuse problems can advocate for themselves and use available public and private resources.
As Ann noted in her blog post for December 31, 2009, “Many of my clients are people who would likely have benefited years earlier if our justice system had included a more compassionate and effective public drug rehabilitation and mental health care component.”
The joint meeting will take place at 7 p.m., Monday, February 22, at the Easter Seals office, 21 Davenport Street, Somerville. It is open to the public free of charge.
Ann Renaud to Address Joint Session of New Jersey Mental Health Agencies
A passionate spokesperson about protecting the legal rights of those challenged by mental health issues, Ann Renaud will address a joint session of three New Jersey agencies that work with the mentally ill.
The subject of her keynote address is building compassion into the justice system.
“We should all become advocates for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, seeing them not as problems to be managed but as possibilities to be unleashed,” Ann says. “As a longstanding advocate for people caught in the legal system because of substance abuse, mental illness or a combination of both, I believe the justice system should be remodeled to include a more compassionate system, with effective drug rehabilitation and mental health care components.”
Star-Ledger Publishes Ann Renaud’s Column
The Star Ledger, New Jersey’s largest newspaper, published an opinion piece by Ann Renaud on December 30, 2009.
The column reflects Ann’s longstanding concern with creating a more compassionate and effective public drug rehabilitation component to the justice system.
In her op-ed piece, Ann applauds Governor-elect Chris Christie for advocating drug rehabilitation and vocational training for nonviolent drug offenders. She also calls on him to establish mental health courts.
Ann Renaud Provides Pro Bono Training for The Arc of New Jersey
Mental health law advocate Ann Renaud is providing pro bono training for the staff of The Arc of New Jersey to help them better prepare and support their constituents who face criminal charges. The session will take place at the New Brunswick, NJ, offices of The Arc of New Jersey, a private, nonprofit advocacy organization committed to enhancing the lives of those living with intellectual and other developmental disabilities and their families.
“All too frequently those with intellectual disabilities and mental health challenges find themselves tangled in legal issues. Communication is key to assuring an appropriate outcome in court,” said Renaud, a partner with Ramp Renaud & Hlavenka of East Brunswick. “Many of my clients face nearly overwhelming challenges, including alcoholism, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, intellectual disabilities, drug addiction, and schizophrenia. These disabilities can sometimes lead to unintended but inappropriate behavior. When that behavior results in criminal charges, it’s critically important to ensure that the courts fully understand what is going on in defendants’ lives.”
