Planned DMH changes rile mental health advocates By Kevin Rothstein Monday, April 11, 2005 - Updated: 03:20 AM EST Proposed mental health regulations allowing psychiatric hospitals to control patients by withholding privileges and imposing other negative consequences has advocates worried.      ``For us it legitimizes a way for people to be treated I guess I would say in a negative way, and really doesn't provide certain rights we think people would need,'' said Christine Griffin, executive director of the Disability Law Center.      The proposed regulations floated by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health would allow psychiatric caregivers to impose negative consequences after positive behavioral supports have been tried. Common negative consequences are loss of smoking privileges or being kept from some portions of a unit.      DMH chief of staff Lester Blumberg said the agency wants to regulate what is already happening without state guidance.      DMH also wants to virtually eliminate the use of restraints and seclusion on wards. Some worry hospitals will replace those drastic measures with negative consequences.      ``We've seen repeated problems with the use of behavior plans in psychiatric facilities,'' Jennifer Honig, attorney with the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee, said in an e-mail.      Andrea Watson of Parents for Residential Reform said she was concerned with how negative consequences would be imposed.      ``Although well intended, people working the front lines working with these populations don't have masters degrees in psychiatry or psychology,'' she said.      Blumberg noted all the regulations are open for public comment and subject to change, including concern over human rights.      ``I have heard that criticism and that's an area that we have to look very carefully at,'' he said.