Justice to Decriminalize Mental Illness
- Theme: Express
Hank Ehlies - May 17, 2018
Most discussions of PTSD focus on veterans to the extent that many people who suffer from PTSD are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Since PTSD can masquerade as ADHD, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and even extreme stoicism, many people suffer without access to effective treatment modalities.
About Hank
Hank Ehlies, an attorney since 1975, is one of the nation's leading legal authorities on criminal court cases involving the mentally ill. As lead counsel on numerous landmark cases, he has twice filed briefs in cases pending before the Supreme Court of the United States related to mental illness and law enforcement within a three-year period.
Early in his career, Hank recognized the disproportionate number of individuals with mental illness incarcerated in our nation's prisons and their high rate of recidivism. Firmly believing that jails are not appropriate treatment facilities for mental illness, he established The Council on Law Enforcement and the Mentally Ill (CLEMI) in 2017. This national non-profit organization works to enact just and effective legislation and protocols to protect individuals with mental illness, law enforcement officers, and the public.
Hank maintains a full-time solo practice in Greenville, South Carolina, and holds the rare distinction of being published as a practicing attorney in the S.C. Law Review. He is a highly regarded resource for lawyers nationwide seeking assistance with cases involving law enforcement and mental illness. Hank frequently shares his expertise through national and local media appearances, and as a speaker at universities, prisons, churches, and various community organizations.