Rep. Amabile Bullied BHA Employees Over Newsletter Content
In the world of advocacy and policymaking, the power of personal experience can be a driving force for change. Often, individuals who have directly encountered challenging situations or personal hardships become powerful advocates for others who share similar struggles. This approach, rooted in empathy and personal connection, is essential for building understanding and driving positive change.
One such advocate is Representative Amabile, a parent of a Colorado resident living with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI). Her lived experience has been a cornerstone of her advocacy work, and she shares it at every opportunity in order to establish her credibility. On the surface, this commitment to advocating for those facing similar challenges is commendable. However, there is more to this story.
Sources within the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) have expressed concerns about the way Representative Amabile utilizes her lived experience in her advocacy efforts. They claim that she weaponizes her connection to mental health and her position as a legislative member to push her own agenda. She has been observed as failing to acknowledge the lived experiences of others within the BHA team who may have family members with similar diagnoses.
It appears that Representative Amabile's privilege and position sometimes overshadow the lived experiences of those doing the operational work. This approach can be harmful and creates a hierarchy where her experiences are more important or deserving of attention than others. It raises questions about whether her advocacy is genuinely inclusive and empathetic.
One former BHA staff member with a family member living with a SMI, shared their perspective on the matter with JFM after yesterday’s drop about Rep. Amabile’s public disparagement of Dr. Medlock. Their family member, who is courageously working in therapy to acknowledge their diagnosis and learn to thrive alongside their SMI, does not publicly disclose their condition. The source expressed thoughtful caution when speaking about this family member’s needs because they believe it is not their story to tell. The source continued to share that they rely on behavioral health services in Colorado contributing to their lived experience, and are also very involved in supporting a friend with a SMI as they navigate through the Colorado behavioral health system which can understandably feel overwhelming, even for a BHA employee. Rep. Amabile may have a golden ticket to the front of the line through her legislative connections and seat of power, but that is not a benefit afforded to the public servants who are working tirelessly to transform the system.
Furthermore, this former BHA employee described feeling challenged, not supported, by Representative Amabile and her advocacy group of mothers with children with SMI (self-labeled). They felt that their work and strategies were often undermined, suggesting that Representative Amabile's approach to lived experience advocacy may only align with the best interests of those she claims to represent.
A second source recalls Rep. Amabile using her network to try and influence official BHA communications with stakeholders. In an email, Rep. Amabile forwarded the BHA’s community newsletter to her network with BHA team members cc’d. Amabile and her mean girls proceeded to callously criticize the content based on their perception of BHA’s priorities, seemingly annoyed at a lack of SMI education. Rep. Amabile requested that more content be included based on what her stakeholders felt was important regardless of BHA team strategy grounded in data.
In the email to staff, Rep. Amabile asked if the “shrinking comms team” could do as she requested. The jab to the team came after Mexican-American Deputy Commissioner Maureen Maycheco resigned due to Dr. Medlock’s unjust removal and after being promoted from the Communications Director position. Amabile was asked on the email thread to provide content she felt was appropriate for consideration but never replied to the staff member demonstrating a lack of respect for the BHA team and BHA’s institutionally-underserved leadership she now feels empowered to criticize. All records of this exchange are CORA’ble.
The JFM collective recognizes and celebrates the current and former members of the BHA team who bring their personal life experiences into their work, enabling them to better connect with the people of Colorado. It's disheartening that a legislative representative in Colorado seems to lack empathy when centering their personal experience of supporting a family member with a SMI. Instead, Rep. Amabile appears to prioritize her own self-serving perspective. JFM finds Rep. Amabile’s behavior criticizing the BHA’s former leadership and progress absurdly hypocritical now that is revealed that she was working behind the scenes to bully employees and inject her own agenda. The BHA is hiring many positions Rep. Amabile, although it is easy to imagine from the stories shared in this drop that you wouldn’t want to give up your comfortable legislative throne dictating BHA newsletter content from Boulder.
Using lived experiences in advocacy is a powerful tool for driving change, but it must be handled with care and empathy. Representative Amabile's case serves as a reminder that while lived experiences are essential, they should not be weaponized or used to guilt people into agreeing with her opinions. True advocacy seeks to uplift all voices and experiences, creating a more inclusive and empathetic path toward change. It is crucial for advocates and policymakers to tread carefully and respectfully when navigating the complex terrain of personal experiences and privilege in advocacy efforts.
Representative Amabile has been an advocate for a cause she holds dear, drawing upon her personal experiences to drive change. However, it is equally important for elected officials to recognize the broader perspective, to acknowledge that their intentions and the impact of their actions may not always align.
Together, we must create an environment where lived experiences are not weaponized or prioritized over others, but are honored and respected, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic path forward.
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Sign the Petition to Reinstate Dr. Medlock: Demand justice for Dr. Medlock signed the petition for Governor Polis to bring her back as the Commissioner of the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA).
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On Monday, April 17, 2023, Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) Commissioner, Morgan Medlock, MD, MDiv, MPH, a Black community leader, was unjustly removed from her Colorado cabinet position without cause. Her removal risks the lives of millions of people in Colorado who deserve accessible, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive behavioral health care. It also perpetuates the message that strong, qualified Women of Color are vulnerable to the whims of political systems and cabinet leadership.
Demand justice for Dr. Medlock by signing the petition for Governor Polis to bring her back as the Commissioner of the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA).