A standing-room-only crowd gathered Thursday evening at Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church in Portland for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights' (CCHR) traveling exhibit, "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death." The event comes at a time when Oregon's mental health system is under heightened public scrutiny, with the Oregon State Hospital facing investigations, whistleblower allegations, and legislative concerns over patient care, including prolonged seclusion practices and medical neglect.
Hosted by the church, the exhibit examines the history of psychiatry, patient rights, documented abuses, and efforts to advance human rights and informed consent in mental health care through displays, documentary films, and educational presentations. Dr. Dave Carothers, President of CCHR Oregon, welcomed attendees and thanked Pastor Dr. J.W. Matt Hennessee and the congregation for hosting. "This exhibit is intended to educate the public about the history of psychiatry, documented human rights violations, and the need for continued reform and protection of patient rights," Carothers said.
CCHR, founded in 1969 by psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz and the Church of Scientology, is an international mental health watchdog organization dedicated to protecting patient rights and promoting informed consent. Pastor Hennessee emphasized the importance of confronting difficult history: "We must understand the mistakes and harms of the past so they are never repeated."
The keynote address featured Ginny Burton, a national author and criminal justice reform advocate, who shared personal experiences with addiction, incarceration, family trauma, and the loss of her son by suicide while on psychiatric drugs. She urged careful examination of current mental health and addiction treatments.
The ribbon-cutting was performed by Carothers, Pastor Hennessee, Burton, and Church of Scientology community representative Benjamin Klevit. Attendees toured the exhibit, viewed documentaries, and engaged in extended discussions. Organizers described the event as an overwhelming success, with strong community desire for dialogue on patient rights and reform. The exhibit features educational panels on psychiatry's history, psychiatric drugs, patient rights, eugenics, and institutional abuses. Admission is free; the exhibit is open daily through July 13 from 9am-8pm and July 14 from 9am-5pm before moving to Seattle, Washington.
This CCHR exhibit travels through major Western U.S. cities, warning that psychiatric treatments can kill. For more information, visit the CCHR website or watch documentaries on the Scientology Network. CCHR Commissioners include physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, lawyers, legislators, and civil rights representatives, inspired by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard's commitment to abolishing damaging practices in mental health.
