Read on Twitter
Here is a thread of just a /few/ scenarios I can think of that describe how the privacy proposals in Kamala Harris's mental health proposal could impact people in domestic violence situations. (Content warning for DV, procedural abuse) 1/ https://twitter.com/alittleleader/status/1199166738769829890
Person experiencing domestic violence needs mental health services but is too afraid to access them because they know their abuser can be told anything about their treatment and what they've said to a provider at any time. 2/
Person experiencing domestic violence sees therapist. Abuser calls therapist to report the person is having severe symptoms that are not having. Person is put in residential treatment they don't need. (This could impact child custody, too.) 3/
Abuser calls therapist to find out person experiencing violences anxieties, triggers, and worries. Uses these as tools of further abuse. 4/
Abuser finds out through therapist that person experiencing violence has been behaving contrary to their wishes (unfaithful, breaking abuser's "rules," etc.) and punishes the person based on that knowledge. 5/
Abuser finds out diagnosis of the person experiencing violence and uses it to discredit person's perspective. (I.e. I'm not hurting you; you just have PTSD and you think everyone is out to get you because of that.) 6/
Abuser learns person experiencing violence is thinking of leaving, thwarts plan to leave. 7/
Abuser learns person experiencing violence's treatment regimen (what meds when, other expected treatment) and is able to sabotage it by witholding needed meds or other items needed for treatment. 8/
Abuser shares person experiencing violence's diagnosis or health concerns with their employer, family, or friends without permission. 9/
Provider is unaware the abuser and person experiencing violence have separated and provides abuser information about other person's treatment, whereabouts, etc. 10/
Pretty much I could do this all night. Abusers are so good at exploiting systems as tools of abuse, and they already use mental health to abuse so often as it is. She couldn't have designed something that serves abusers' goals of power/control better if she tried.
