DOJ ADA Complaint Letter Template

Would you be willing to write a quick letter to end mental health discrimination by med boards? The DOJ is investigating physician civil rights violations by boards’ illegal mental health questions. Even if you experienced invasive questions years ago, your letter is crucial to our success now. Just 4 paragraphs. Should take 30 min. Here’s a simple template:

DOJ ADA Complaint Letter Template

 

PARAGRAPH 1  (3 sentences)

My name is _________.  I’m a (specialist) in (state). I believe I’ve suffered Title II ADA violation(s) by (state board).

Example: My name is Emma Powers, M.D. I’m a cardiologist in Alabama. I believe I’ve suffered Title II ADA violations by the Alabama State Board of Medical Examiners.

 

PARAGRAPH 2  (1-5 sentences)

Detail specific med board question violation and, if possible, include actual wording of your board’s question(s). If you don’t have access to your states’ application, reference questions here.

Example: The Alabama medical licensing application asks, “Have you received any therapy or treatment for alcohol or drug use, sexual boundary issues or mental health issues?

 

PARAGRAPH 3  (2-5 sentences)

Whether you answered YES or NO to board questions, explain impact of harms you’ve experienced as a result.

YES Example:
Because I answered YES to this question, my license was delayed by six months, and I was forced to undergo an evaluation by an “approved” (and expensive!) psychiatrist. It had been twenty years since I sought treatment for anxiety, yet they still ordered me to endure an embarrassing assessment. I have never had sexual boundary issues, nor have I abused substances–why is anxiety categorized with these?

NO Example:
I answered NO to this question for fear of the potential repercussions of answering honestly. Ironically, the guilt of lying, coupled with my fear of being “caught” caused me so much suffering that I wish I had answered honestly. I feel like a criminal–and the crime was not divulging that I have fully recovered from the anxiety of my teen years.

NOTE: I answered NO. I didn’t think I was harmed, yet here’s my letter.

 

LAST PARAGRAPH  (2-4 sentences)

State CTA (call to action) you wish DOJ attorneys take after reading letter. Read DOJ demand letter with official CTA from 3 US senators.

Example: I implore the DOJ to investigate the widespread medical licensing board violations of Title II, so physicians can get the mental health care they deserve. Given our US physician shortage, we can’t allow boards to harm doctors. When physicians would rather die by suicide than get mental health care–it’s clear something is very broken.

NOTE:   Aim for < 500 words. Provide more info upon DOJ request by including one last sentence: “For more information, please contact me.”  At very end carbon copy (cc) the letter to Senators Ron Wyden, Jeffrey Merkley, Cory Booker.

CAUTION: If letter contains Protected Health Information (PHI) you do not wish to have disclosed, either exclude PHI from letter, or (if needed for complaint) demarcate PHI section with [brackets] and redaction instructions.

ATTN: My complaint contains [PHI demarcated in brackets]. Please treat with utmost confidentiality in case of internal disclosure. If subject to public FOIA release, please redact [bracketed PHI].

HOW TO SEND YOUR LETTER

Submit your < 500-word letter confidentially to Dr. Wible here. I can edit your letter & get you confidential help for violations to your rights on Sundays @ 6 pm ET in our confidential group here.

PLEASE MAIL by USPS priority to DOJ (and all 3 senators):

1) U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.
20530-0001

2) Senator Ron Wyden
United States Senate
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510

3) Senator Jeffrey Merkley
United States Senate
531 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510

4) Senator Cory Booker
United States Senate
717 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510

I recommend you also submit online to: DOJ, and Senators Ron Wyden, Jeffrey Merkley, Cory Booker.

Thank you for helping end violations to physicians’ rights by medical boards and punitive physician health programs.


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6 comments on “DOJ ADA Complaint Letter Template
  1. Trevor Wesson says:

    Could you send me the Zoom link for the PHP meeting for tonight? And how to pay?
    And how to get lessons from you for health coaching? Thanks!

  2. Trevor Wesson says:

    Can you send me the link to click on again? I put my new UK address in for the billing address and it won’t accept my credit card as a result….and I can’t erase it and start over!!!

    • Pamela Wible MD says:

      Try with another browser or you can email me your cc info and I can try for you though we are starting in 12 minutes.

  3. Karen Shackelford MD says:

    The Mississippi State Board of Licensure asked for years in the same sentence, “Have you ever been convicted of a felony or treated for a mental illness?” Their PHP has been run in success by two men who each continued to insist others undergo months of prohibitively expensive treatment that they admit never worked for them, both having relapsed multiple times.

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