As our pop culture goes into Halloween mode for a few more days, we will see a fantasy play out. It includes zombies and the "walking dead". But there is a less-hip manifestation of incoherent people roaming the streets. They are the homeless mentally ill who live in a dark world of psychosis. Many of them can be helped. But it takes a level of compassion and ambition from society. Masses of Americans will spend significant money to complete their favorite costume for the Halloween festivities. Some of us are donating a commensurate amount to the local homeless ministries who are impacting the lives of those who suffer mental illness on the streets. That's not to say all the homeless are ill. It's cold outside. A few years ago my son befriended a homeless orphan who was in foster care until his 18th birthday. Then young 'Micky' was dumped by the state and his untreated mental illness led to a paranoia which kept many people from helping him. I built a tiny shelter for him and dropped it off one cold October evening, near the cardboard box Micky was sleeping in. That led to increased trust and more people helping him. Eventually, the Department of Mental Health helped him (through one of their contractor agencies). Micky soon moved into a room they provided. He got minimal healthcare and some treatment for his condition. That same state mental health contractor hired him to maintain the residential complex and his life was progressively enriched in many ways. The local agency helped him reconnect with distant relatives and Micky eventually moved to another state where his relatives could provide that intangible support which no govt. or healthcare professional could. | It starts with little things that ordinary people do. Mental health care doesn't start with big government. It starts with us. But a sensible public safety policy includes a cheaper solution than criminal incarceration (which is the default current policy, because of the lack of a clinical infrastructure with the means of handling the current population). |
My personal involvement with this... My volunteer work extends deeply into the area of mental health advocacy and training. I volunteer my time to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) through the Oklahoma organization and I serve on the Tulsa affiliate's board. As the Chairman of the Legislative and Public Policy Committee, I spent a good deal of time at the capitol and in meetings with govt. officials from all levels. A strategic decision was made by lawmakers to take away about 1/4 of the general revenue funding to ODMHSAS and instead, earmark about the same amount to come from the controversial new tobacco tax hike. I was repeatedly asked to advocate for this new tax. That pressure came from lawmakers, lobbyists, Contracted mental health providers, and other citizen advocates. But that earmarked money would only apply to the current fiscal year. After that, ODMHSAS would have to fight for sustaining capital from other means... perhaps some other new tax. It's a way to get passionate advocates to do the work of activism for free. It's also a way to get the public to insist on the new funding because of the dire predictions of what the consequences would otherwise be. Teachers in our public schools are very aware of this, because they have been played in much the same way. Remember how our education problem would be fixed, if only we'd approve of:
I continually said 'No' to those who asked me to advocate for the new tobacco tax. The truth is that the existing tobacco tax and TSET settlement money is sitting in the banks and the state will not let that $1Billion+ fund be used for addiction related care. Instead that trust is wasting it on frivolous ad campaigns about drinking enough water and other 'feel good' initiatives. I advocated a change in state code and policy so that TSET money could be accessed in a more responsible manner. Lawmakers ignored that idea. Now the lawmakers are preparing a narrative for a special session and the rhetoric will heat up for even more tax schemes. We could just put the matter before the citizens for a vote. But they don't seem to trust us anymore. Well, we don't seem to trust them very much, anymore... so the feeling seems mutual. I'll speak for myself. I am insulted that lawmakers, lobbyists, and corporate contractors would exploit the many families who care for loved ones with chronic mental illness. Public mental health is a constitutional role of the state and it's equitable funding is mandated in our state constitution. If you think it's more than you want to pay, then consider the high cost of not paying. When the state abdicates it's constitutional role, the counties are forced to get them off the streets through criminalizing their disoriented behavior and spending way more through county and municipal agencies. It is abject inhumanity. Making these heroic families and individuals help push new taxes so the politicians can divert them to other programs, is highly unethical and indicates a lack of compassion for the suffering among us. This is a public safety mandate and we need to count on all govt. officials to understand that a sensible treatment hospital is far more essential to the state than a Pops Museum or High Speed Rail venture. - David Van Risseghem How Sexual Trauma Is Connected To Mental Illnesses
by David Van Risseghem - The Tulsa Frontier reports that Tulsa County avoided another embarrassing lawsuit over a sad tragedy. A young man of questionable mental health missed a court hearing on a nonviolent charge. He was summarily hauled into the jail for failure to appear. No mental health concern was ever followed up on. Then they found him hanging in his cell.
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Sooner Politics
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