"Forwards, Not Backwards": How the U.S. Supreme Court May Save the Plight of Individuals with Mental Disabilities.

Abstract

When federal district court Judge Carlton Reeves penned his opinion in U.S. v. Mississippi,1 the case that seemed poised to overhaul Mississippi's suffering mental health system, he began with the story of Ms. Melanie Worsham, a mental health patient, also a certified peer support specialist. Ms. Worsham works to help those like herself who suffer with lifelong serious mental illness (SMI) to "overcome the obstacles that might be getting in their way of living the life they want to live." She also assists those with SMI by aiding in "navigating the system, to find resources, and then just being moral support."2.