Mamie Hayes fights for drop-in center

Mamie Hayes is a proud woman. For much of her life, she has lived in Oroville, California. She, with many other mental health consumers, was looking forward to the opening of a client-run drop-in center in downtown Oroville. They knew the drop-in center would make it easier to get the peer support and advocacy services they wanted and needed.

City refuses to allow drop-in center

Hayes and the other consumers were dismayed when the City of Oroville refused to allow the drop-in center. Their insistence that the city allow the drop-in center led to a lawsuit - National Alliance for Mental Illness vs. Oroville. In that lawsuit, Hayes was PAI's individual plaintiff.

Hayes was adamant

With her laser focus and a healthy sense of humor, Hayes persevered. She endured months of negotiations with city and county defendants. Through it all, she was adamant that there would be a drop-in center.

Drop-in center a reality

As a result of Hayes' tenacity, the lawsuit settled. Drop-in center services became a reality in the City of Oroville.

A place to be yourself is worth fighting for

Hayes continues to remind her community, through her personal connections and her work with Stamp Out Stigma, that people with psychiatric disabilities have the same human and civil rights an anyone else. She believes deeply that having a place to feel safe to be yourself, to be free from discrimination, is worth fighting for.

Award recognizes Hayes for dedication and perseverance

At its Board of Directors meeting on December 3, 2005, PAI recognized Hayes for her dedication and perseverance. Sylvia Caras, president of the board, presented the award to Hayes on behalf of Californians with disabilities and their families. The last paragraph of the award expresses "our deep gratitude and profound respect for your dedication and perseverance and our recognition of the success of your advocacy which was fostered by your courage, judgment and integrity; and further, we feel privileged to have shared in this endeavor with you."