Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "mental health"

Local youth reach out for Mental Health Month

2013-05-02T21:06:37Z

May is Mental Health Month, and the Sacramento County Division of Behavioral Health Services (DBHS) tasked local middle school children with opening discussion on the topic with their youth PSA contest, “Mental Illness: It’s not always what you think.”

Seven students from Arden Middle School created a short public service announcement that attempts to break the stigma surrounding the various forms of mental illness which, according to the DBHS, affects one in five children. The 30-second PSA will air between May 2nd and May 27th on local television stations.

From May 13th through May 17th, an art display along the outside of the governor’s office at the State Capitol will feature local artists who support mental health awareness. On May 23rd, Mental Health America of Northern California will be holding the Consumer Speaks Conference at the Holiday Inn Sacramento-Capitol Plaza from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event will feature several speakers discussing the recovery processes for mental illness patients, as well as free workshops, entertainment, lunch, and prizes.

For information beyond Mental Health Month, StopStigmaSacramento.org aims to educate the public on how to reduce stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness, and provides sources for support. People wanting to learn more about this issue can also visit StopStigmaSacramento’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Search continues for Linnea Lomax after two months

2012-08-28T14:17:16Z

More than two months after her disappearance, friends and family of 19-year old UC Davis student Linnea Lomax are still searching for clues to find her.

Lomax disappeared from an outpatient clinic on Howe Avenue in Sacramento June 26, leaving her wallet, cell phone and much-needed medication – but no clues as to where she was headed or why she vanished.

Nearly 90 people gathered Sunday in Placerville to show support and raise community awareness of the search, according to a press release from search organizers.

The crowd wore yellow to symbolize their longing for Lomax’s return and passed out missing posters and yellow ribbons to residents of the teen’s home town, the release said.

Lomax was last seen wearing green skinny jeans, a black sweatshirt with the word “Sweden” written across it in red letters, and flip-flops, according to the press release, and she suffers from a recent onset mental illness. Search warrants served on her social media and bank accounts have failed to turn up any leads.

A $10,000 reward is being offered to anyone who provides information that directly leads to the safe return of Linnea Lomax to her family or to the custody of law enforcement.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department at (530) 621-6600 or the family tip line at (916) 905-HELP. Tips can also be emailed to tips@helpfindlinnea.org.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

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MidLife GridLife - When Crazy Became Cool

2012-01-21T03:53:34Z

For most people, being told they were officially crazy might be a little frightening, a little offensive, or just plain fighting words!

I was tremendously relieved.

Since right around sixth grade, I had felt as though I was, to borrow from Kurt Vonnegut, becoming “unstuck.”

It was, in the grand scheme of things, a subtle process.

It became difficult to fall asleep (hence the late night calls to radio stations).

It became equally difficult to stay asleep.

I became fixated on unfathomable concepts like mortality, and the idea that we are all floating on a planet in space.

I could no longer stand to watch Star Trek.

I could no longer stand to watch anything that reminded me that we were all going to grow older and die—which was just about everything.

I learned to block a lot of the feelings out, to consciously avoid thinking about them.

I also began to drink heavily, ‘round about 13 or 14, which seemed to help.

Unless you count the hit and run at 16 and the DUI at 20.

Self-medication, in my experience, is seldom successful; that’s why they give the doctors the prescription pads, and they hardly ever prescribe an ongoing course of bourbon.

My break came as an adult, living on my own, unable to manage any longer. I went to County Mental Health and was interviewed by a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with Manic Depression, now called Bipolar Disorder.

He never actually used the word “crazy,” but that was how I felt. Having someone acknowledge that there was a medical reason for all of those years of emotional mayhem was the greatest gift anyone had ever given me.

If you could name it, you could fix it, right?

Not so fast.

Not so simple.

The side effects of the drugs available in the 80s were worse than my milder of the two forms of the disorder. Mood swings or tweaking? Swell.

Anyone with mental health challenges knows that finding the right medication in the right dosage is sometimes a very frustrating and lengthy process. Fortunately pharmaceuticals evolved and continue to improve.

Medication isn’t magic, but for someone whose brain is firing the right chemicals, it can be the foundation necessary for being able to focus enough to do the other things that need to happen.

Over the past twenty five years, I have been fortunate to have found the right cocktail of legal pharmaceuticals to maintain a healthy balance of fun and functionality in my life. Days of work missed due to my diagnosis have been extremely rare.

As my supervisor recently put it at a staff meeting,
“Elaine, I hope you don’t mind my just putting you out there, but, people, that is an example of a well-medicated person!”

Yes, I have become a poster child for mental health. I’m good with it.

In my line of work—human services, and currently, working with formerly homeless men and women as a sort of “guidance counselor” to help them set and achieve goals toward self-sustainability—I find being bipolar to be an asset.

It has given me an ability to empathize beyond what any education could have, and Appropriately sharing my own experience as a mental health consumer and the friend, daughter and family member of other who are bipolar allows me to build trust with clients that I might not otherwise achieve.

I am fortunate to have found work that I love in a field that allows me to be open about my challenges.

I am grateful for that.

But not everyone is as fortunate.

Mental health services are increasingly more difficult to access.

At Kaiser you can get a psychiatrist, but counseling has gone by the wayside. Group therapy is often your only option, unless you pose a threat to yourself or someone else.

I learned to fight for my mental health when I was with Kaiser. I often wondered how the really unstable people managed!
Private insurance will take your copayment for counseling, say twenty bucks, but a counselor isn’t always a good counselor. And sometimes a counselor isn’t even a real counselor, but an intern, a counselor-in-training.

Psychiatrists will dispense medication, but they don’t always feel obligated to explain why, how the medication works, or what happens when it isn’t working.

I’ve often thought I could give workshops on “Symptoms and Side Effects Your Doctor Didn’t Bother to Explain” and make a mint—if only the potential patrons weren’t so tough to market to and get to keep an appointment!

As previously mentioned, even when you get the meds going, there’s no guarantee that you get the right mix the first time. It can take some time to achieve the appropriate blend.

Frustrating as hell when you’re feeling crazy, but there it is.

All of that assumes you’re a member of mainstream society.

If you’re poor, on a subsidy, forget about counseling altogether.

You can get medication, but it’ll likely be from a primary care doctor who knows less about mental health than I do, and will be just as happy to give a little Vicodin chaser to round things out.

Even if you manage to beg, plead or scream your way into a relationship with a psychiatrist, those visits are few and far between, which is not the way it should work when you’re trying to find that magic medicinal mood cocktail.

It sucks to be poor.

I write about all of this because I’m determined to turn the elephant in the room into a pussycat.

It is true that people with bipolar disorder can become psychotic and require hospitalization. It is true that we can exhibit bizarre behavior, including a little OCD.

It is equally true that someone with BPD could have been sharing a cubicle with you for the past year, and you’d never have known they were affected. I know this, not only because people have said it about me, but because it happened to me recently.

Could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out the person I’d been sharing an office with has BPD! Three of us do, actually (the other one I’d known about), so that’s a force to be reckoned with—a temperamental triangle.

All parents.
All still working, even through a nightmare economy.

All popping prescriptions with psychiatric blessings, praying chemicals kick right in our heads another day.

Crazy, huh?

After Years of Psychiatric Problems, Steve Finally Had a PLAN

2011-05-31T20:37:16Z

Depressed. Overwhelmed. Internal voices blocking the outside world. Brian found it difficult to perform the most basic tasks. In 1991 at age 41, he had been in and out of acute psychiatric hospitals and non-supportive care homes.

Brian was in Stockton, but his brother, Steve, was in Georgia and felt helpless. The long distance calls with depressing news knotted Steve’s stomach and created anxious moments. After flying to Stockton, Steve was able to assist his brother and effectively communicate, but once Steve flew back home to Georgia, Brian’s situation quickly deteriorated.

But after years of mayhem, there finally was a PLAN!

Planned Lifetime Assistance Network (PLAN), also referred to as Proxy Parent Foundation, provides local support of a loved one when the family members cannot be present. The PLAN representative can perform a myriad of tasks from transporting a disabled family member to doctor’s appointments, advocating for the disabled member or just talking and providing support. The “pay as you go” plan allows for support when required.

In Brian’s case, his mother had passed away in 1984 and his father moved away to Montana in 1993 and was not active in Brian’s life. This meant that Brian’s only sibling Steve, who lived in Georgia, had to look out for this older brother. Brian has schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

In 1994 Steve had been married for several years with two children, so it was not practical to move to California. Although Steve was active in his brother’s life and called Brian weekly, Steve wanted to be more involved to help and protect his brother, but 2,500 miles separated them. After gaining conservatorship of Brian in 1993, a relative told Steve about the Proxy Parent/PLAN organization.

John Buck was the chief executive officer of Turning Point, the regional provider that was selected to provide services in Sacramento and San Joaquin counties. John took Brian under his wing and was instrumental in turning Brian’s life around. John researched and visited potential care homes for Brian, advised Steve of Brian’s legal rights, talked to Brian’s psychiatrist, recommended certain goals in Brian’s IPP to enhance Brian’s quality of life, intervened with the Regional Center when necessary and most importantly, was the caring friend who would visit Brian.

These visits were especially important when Brian was enduring acute psychiatric episodes. John tells that one time it took Brian 20 minutes to open the door and get into the car because he was bothered by voices that haunted him and caused his jerky and violent arm and hand movements.

Fortunately today, with the help of new medicine, a wonderful care home and day program, John’s support and the assistance of many other people, Brian is doing very well. In fact, at age 58, Brian has had sustained high performance without any major mental setbacks for ten years, which is the longest period in Brian’s entire life, and it all started with a PLAN!

For more information about PLAN of California, please contact Proxy Parent Foundation online at www.proxyparentfoundation.org or by phone at 888-574-1258.

Disclosure: Sandra Levy is employed by the Proxy Parent Foundation, a non-profit organization.

Community Program Explores LGBTQ Bullying in Sacramento

2011-01-31T07:57:05Z

Part 1 - A Local Gay Youth Tells His Story
By Ken Pierce

Note: This is the first of three articles about growing up gay in Sacramento. It is hoped that the reader gains a better insight into the problems facing LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender, Questioning) youth in our local schools and community.

In the studios of Access Sacramento the evening of January 4, 2011, Mental Health Matters, a monthly program airing on the Comcast Community Channel was taped. The show’s producer, Marilyn Hillerman invited members of Equality Action Now’s, “It Gets Better Sacramento” project to talk about the LGBTQ youth bullying problem which has been so much in the news lately.

On-air program host and Executive Director of Mental Health America of Northern California, Susan Gallagher opened the show by introducing Dr. Katie Polsky, PH. D., Clinical Psychologist and LGBT Specialist.

Dr. Polsky, whose wife is a therapist gave several daunting statistics, “Bullying is commonplace and most people don’t realize how much damage it does to young people. Bullying can affect those who are susceptible to depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, as well as so many other mental health issues. But even more dramatic is the number of suicides or attempted suicides of bullied youth. Four times as many LGBTQ youth attempt suicide relative to their heterosexual counter parts. That’s a huge number.”

Dr. Polsky continued, “In terms of bullying and harassment in schools, 86% of LGBTQ youth report and experience some sort of verbal or sexual harassment in school. 60% of youth report feeling unsafe in their schools. These are remarkable numbers no one should have to experience and these are the issues we are facing as a community and as a nation. It is important that we shed some light on this topic.”

John Wells 18, a Sacramento native and youth advocate and spokesperson for Equality Action Now really put a face to some of the depressing statistics Dr. Polsky stated. Wells spoke of his bullying in school, home life and how he got through it all.

Wells explained. “My parents were not alright with having a gay son and they first tried to deny it, and then they tried to change me. They put me into a Catholic High School. It was really difficult to fit in with friends once I began coming out to them about my being gay. There was a lot of reticule, bullying and lack of support of the people I came in contact with everyday, which put me in a really unsafe mental place. The bullying got so bad there were times I would self-injure myself and I even seriously considered suicide. In the end my parents kicked me out of the house when I turned 18.”

When asked by the moderator how he managed to get through all that depression and bullying Wells said, “A few things helped such as getting myself kicked out of Catholic School and moving to a public school where I joined a Gay-Straight Alliance club. I became close friends with the two senior leaders and in my junior year, became President of the club. Also local organizations like Equality Action Now allowed me to participate in their ‘It Gets Better Sacramento’ project; become their youth spokesperson and since I am taking communications in college now, their Public Relations Director is mentoring me in Media and Public Relations.”

Wells is an exception to the rule when it came to standing up to a bully. He told of an instance in school attending a pep-rally for the football team just before an important game. “I became really pumped up at the rally and excited and didn’t think about how my cheering may seem to others. A guy behind me became very irritated at me because he said I was cheering ‘like a girl’ and ended up punching me in the face in front of everyone.”

“I was hurt and humiliated but all I could do is cry and walk away. I decided to go to the Principal’s office and turn the guy in and he got in serious trouble. Walking away was the right thing to do and turning the guy in helped to identify someone who may have a problem with bullying. In my case the school was very supportive but I know that isn’t always true which is why we need strong legislation such AB-9, the bill Assemblyman Tom Ammiano has introduced to help stop school bullies.”

Smiling into the camera Wells concluded, “It still isn’t easy since I don’t have a job and I am going to be moving in with friends soon but at least I am not homeless like so many LGBT youth and I am going to college hopefully to go into counseling or communications. All-in-all though, it does get better.”

In the next few months you will hear about three other gay activists and a little about their lives growing up gay. By the conclusion of this series the reader should have a better understanding the problems facing LGBT youth here in our own community and how they survive.

Proud to be an American

2011-01-17T04:56:38Z

I am trying to hang on. Really, I am. I have not been sleeping regularly for a few weeks now and my psychiatrist just increased my anti-psychotic medication. I feel insanity is just a blink away. I don’t want to go to the mental institution. I never do. Every time I go, I get head lice. And I am afraid. Very afraid.

I usually go to Sierra Vista Hospital on Bruceville Road in Sacramento County (I like their food). One time several years ago, I was quite psychotic and called them up before my mom forced me to go to the hospital and asked what they were having for dinner. I exclaimed on the phone how I loved their mashed potatoes. When I was finally dragged to Sierra Vista Hospital, the nurse yelled at my mom and said that I could not be admitted because I liked the mashed potatoes! It was quite obvious to my family that I was not thinking correctly and would soon be a danger to myself and others, but I was turned away. I was sent back to my apartment and left alone.

Several days later my family could not find me and reported me missing. Finally, I was discovered roaming downtown by the police and escorted to Sacramento Mental Health Center on Stockton Boulevard. This place is Hell! They locked me behind a steel door in a cold room with a single bed with no pillow or blankets. All I could see was people’s heads staring at me through this small window. They left me there for hours and finally realized I had insurance and transferred me to Sierra Vista Hospital.

I have not been hospitalized in over eight years but fear it is near. In a phone interview with the intake person at Sierra Vista Hospital, I found out that you need to make an appointment Monday through Friday to be assessed. You will be seen by the doctor, and he will decide if you are to be admitted. Even if you come in on a voluntarily basis, the doctor can decide to keep you in the hospital for however long he deems necessary. You are to bring only three days’ worth of clothes and nothing electric, no shoe strings, no notebook paper and no cell phones. Well, at least I won’t be able to try and get a flight to Siam (Taiwan) to meet the king like I have done before (“Anna and the King” is one of my favorite movies besides “Beverly Hills Cop”).

I feel like all my rights are being taken away when I am in the hospital and I am being punished. I am not the Tucson Killer Jared Lee Loughner and don’t appreciate being put in the same category. President Obama said, “We cannot use this tragedy to turn on each other.” We need to realize that the majority of people who are mentally disturbed are not a danger to others.
In order to get help and be admitted into a psychiatric hospital, you have to be a danger to yourself and others and not be able to care for yourself, for example, not have shelter or food to eat. Well, right now I have my own apartment, food and am currently not having suicidal or homicidal thoughts.

I have never thought about hurting myself or others, but if I need help I need to say that I am having these thoughts. It is risky to say this, but when I am psychotic I do not know what I am doing and put myself in harm’s way. It is risky because I am using my real name. What if my landlord finds out and raises my rent, or asks me to leave because the other tenants are afraid of me? In the book by former first lady Rosalynn Carter, “Within Our Reach,” it states only 2 percent of all violent episodes in the United States can be attributed to those with mental illness, and that actually gender and age are greater predictors.

I understand people’s fears of those with mental illness. When I was first misdiagnosed as having schizophrenia, I was petrified and thought, “Now I have to hurt people?” Because of the media’s portrayal of those who suffer from mental illness, people are frightened of the unknown.

In 1997, I hand-wrote President Bill Clinton a 10-page letter regarding my mental illness and improvements needed for the mentally ill, such as fundraising and the desperate need for better medication. President Clinton wrote me back. In his letter, he said, “Please know that you are in my thoughts.” This made me feel special for a whole year. My own father, who I have not seen for over 30 years, does not even take the time to write or call me. President Clinton’s letter enlightened me to find the courage to speak on behalf of others like myself who have a mental illness.

When I was living in a homeless shelter for five months in 2000, I thought up my own organization: S.H.E.R. S.H.E.R. stands for Someone Hears Everybody’s Rights, where I write letters and encourage others to write letters to government officials giving a voice to those who are mentally ill and/or homeless.

I always thought that the worst thing that could happen to me personally was to be in a wheel chair, but actually it would be if my right to vote was taken from me. I am proud to be an American and proud of who I am. Like Obama said, we need to expand our moral imagination, have an instinct for empathy, and be kind, generous and compassionate etc. etc. etc.

I Have a Dream!

2010-10-16T01:16:15Z

I cried today. Happy tears, not sad. I guess that is what happens when your dreams are coming true. When YOU make your dreams happen.

I taught my first seminar today on mental health. I have a phobia of speaking in front of others, but I was determined to overcome this, and today I did.

I stumbled a little bit with my words in the beginning, but once I started talking, it was hard to stop.

Educating others on mental health has always been my dream. I originally wanted to become a professor, but my own mental illness interfered with school. The stress of college became too much, and I had to drop out of the masters program at Sacramento State twice due to the psychosis I experience with my bipolar disorder.

So, I found another way to educate others. I lecture at clinics and would like to expand it to psychiatric hospitals and eventually lecture at different colleges about my experience with mental illness and what I have learned from the extensive research that I have done.

It took me a long time to discuss my mental illness in front of strangers without worrying how I would be judged. I know there are a lot of misconceptions about people with mental illness. I am going to change this.

To be honest, I haven’t fully conquered the fear of being negatively judged by others, but I am working on it. For example, my high school reunion is Saturday, and I am not going.

I know my high school friends love me, as we have been catching up on Facebook…but I am not ready to let them see me. The main reason is I have gained so much weight on my psychiatric medications and feel very unattractive. Hopefully, by our next reunion I will be ready, and I plan to show up and hug all my friends.

Even though I was scared to teach my seminar, I made it happen. I spoke to the counselor about allowing me to speak in front of the group. I researched facts for two months and practiced what I was going to say in front of the mirror. I did forget a few things, but overall I was happy with how it turned out.

To lead a happy, productive life, it is important to have a dream and follow it even if circumstances or obstacles arise and you need to modify it.

My ultimate dream is to speak in front of Congress in Washington, D.C., regarding mental health issues. Wish me luck!

Mental Health Clinics Staying Open

2010-08-02T02:41:00Z

Two weeks ago I received a call from the county informing me that my psychiatric clinic, Northgate Point, will be closing, and I will receive a letter stating where I will be able to get continuing services. On July 21, as reported in The Sacramento Bee , Federal U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez said that shutting down the county’s community outpatient programs would cause “catastrophic harm” and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The next day I received another call from the county informing me that as of right now I need to continue my mental health services at my clinic Northgate Point.

I am confused. My previous psychiatrist left and I was told that due to budget cuts my clinic is closing. Now it isn’t? Where is the money going to come from to keep these outpatient clinics open? The California state budget has not passed and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stated that he may leave office without signing a budget?

I work diligently to stay well. I take my medication, I work very hard on leading a productive and happy life, and I am thankful that my clinic is staying open, but for how long?

I believe in educating others regarding mental illness and advocate on behalf of our rights. For example, as noted in Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s book “Within Our Reach,” only 2 percent of all violent episodes in the United States are attributed to those with mental illness. So why are people so afraid of those with mental illnesses? I believe if people viewed us as people with value and who deserve respect then maybe our services wouldn’t be on the chopping block!

My Story

2010-06-23T03:29:46Z

So, it is after 1 in the morning and I haven't slept in the last three days. Not good for someone with bipolar disorder. I am scared I might have a psychotic break and end up in the hospital. After all, with all the budget cuts and my psychiatrist leaving my clinic, I am deeply saddened. I really liked my doctor and it is so hard to find a doctor who you trust and is easy to talk to.

I just moved into my own little apartment, and I am making friends with all my neighbors. My next-door neighbor even brought me a stuffed animal and shared his Father’s Day cake with me. I worry that I am going to have an episode and act strangely, and my neighbors may not understand. In addition, I could be “asked” to leave my apartment and become homeless.

Thanks to the media, the mentally ill are portrayed as deranged people who are serial killers and outright dangerous to everyone. This is untrue. The mentally ill are more likely to be a danger to themselves than anyone else. People who have a mental illness are no more dangerous than the general population.

I have bipolar disorder with psychosis and take my medication faithfully. However, since there is no cure for bipolar, I still have episodes. My last one was two and a half years ago. I was ill for six weeks and I did all kinds of things, like rented a hotel room for five days (which I could not afford), gave all my savings away to perfect strangers, and forgot who I was. I do exhibit some forms of dissociative disorder as well, which is where I sometimes lose time, forget who I am and become lost.

In my past, dangerous things have happened. One time I “woke up” to find myself inside a dirty white pickup truck, and all the handles were removed inside the vehicle. I couldn’t get out. I don’t remember how I got out, and the next thing I remember is I was at Sierra Vista Hospital.

I have had this mental illness for over 20 years now and decided that it is OK to talk about it. I am using my real name and it is time people educated themselves about mental illness and to not rely on the media to give an accurate portrayal. We deserve respect. We are not less than, and our illness does not have to define who we are.

I know God is looking out for me, and I believe I am supposed to educate others on mental health and will dedicate my life to doing so.

Laura's Law

2010-06-14T02:48:23Z

Blame it on a mental illness:

Did the hostage situation involving Anthony Alvarez and his 16-month-old cousin in Sacramento County on June 9 have to happen? Alvarez was mentally ill and not taking antipsychotic medication for his bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. He was subsequently shot to death by the SWAT team and the little boy was rescued unharmed.

Have you heard of Kendra’s Law?

It was introduced in 1999 and is set to expire this month. New York Gov. George E. Pataki signed it into law after several violent incidents were committed by mentally ill people. The law is named after Kendra Webdale, who was killed in January 1999 after being pushed in front of a subway train by Andrew Goldstein, who was schizophrenic and not receiving proper treatment.

Kendra’s Law allows courts to order the seriously mentally ill to take medications that enable them to live safely in communities. When I first heard about forcing people with mental-health problems to take their medication, I was alarmed. What if that person were misdiagnosed and on the wrong medication? But after researching the law, I reconsidered.

Some of its criteria are as follows:

The person must be at least 18 and diagnosed with a severe mental illness by a doctor. It must be determined that he or she is unlikely to survive safely in the community without supervision, has a history of noncompliance with mental-health treatment and exhibits violent tendencies. In addition, the mentally ill person must be considered likely to relapse without Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) .

Researchers who conducted a face-to-face study with 76 OAT recipients found that 75 percent reported that AOT helped them gain control over their lives; 81 percent said it helped them to stay well; and 90 percent said the treatment made them more likely to take their medication and keep mental- health appointments.

If a person who has been court ordered to comply with Assisted Outpatient Treatment does not adhere to the criteria, he or she may be placed involuntarily in a psychiatric hospital for 72 hours.

Although Kendra’s Law or some form of it has been adopted by 44 states, not all states readily enforce it or have the funds to administer it. California has Laura’s Law, which is modeled after Kendra’s Law. Assembly Bill 1421, Laura’s Law, passed in 2002 and was signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis. The law was named after Laura Wilcox, a 19-year-old college student who was shot to death by a mental patient, Scott Harlan Thorpe, who refused treatment. The problem with this law is that it did not include state funds and the decision to implement it rests with counties. In 2004, only Los Angeles County had adopted Laura's Law. With the California budget as tight as it is now, the law is powerless. Moreover, the County Board of Supervisors must determine that implementing the law will not reduce voluntary services. This doesn’t make sense, since voluntary services, such as those in several Sacramento County mental health clinics, are being closed.

I think if Alvarez had been in an Assisted Outpatient Treatment program, he still might have been alive.

Mentally ill man holds baby hostage

2010-06-11T01:50:28Z

Anthony Alvarez, 25, is holding his female cousin’s 16-month-old baby boy, Michael Pittman Jr., hostage inside a downstairs apartment in the Arden Towne complex between Arden and Wright street in Sacramento.

According to his sister, Tessa Alvarez, her brother suffers from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. She said her brother was not taking his antipsychotic medication which helps him to not hear voices. In addition, she offered to go inside the apartment to get her brother to surrender, but that was deemed too dangerous.

According to Sacramento County Sheriff Department Sgt. Tim Curran, there was a number of gunfire exchanges between the suspect and police, but it was not yet determined if Alvarez was hit. A sniper fired at Alvarez at 9 a.m. but missed.

According to police and the SWAT team, they have not heard any noise for several hours regarding the toddler. At this point it cannot be determined if the baby is still alive.

Alvarez is also wanted in connection with three bank robberies in the Bay Area, a shooting at an officer in Concord during a traffic stop and a possible homicide in San Francisco.

Alvarez’s sister stated on KCRA Channel 3 that the family loves him and wants him to know that they are in this together and “will get through this, and everything will be OK.”

Updates for this story will be written in the comment section for this article.

Mentally ill Woman Shot to Death

2010-04-05T16:01:56Z

Mental health patient Linda Carol Clark was shot to death by a Placerville police officer last week after she stole an ambulance from Marshall Hospital and was followed by police. Witnesses said Clark was in a hospital gown and appeared confused. When she finally did stop, she put the ambulance into reverse and rammed three police cars. At this point, the officer shot Clark.

One witness said that he did not hear the police ask her to step out of the vehicle before shots were fired.

Clark called the police several times from November to February, once claiming that an intruder was trying to cut off her legs. It seemed as if she were suffering from some sort of mental illness and might not have received the help she needed.

A story in The Sacramento Bee said “the real culprit in this tragic, senseless death – the state's collapsing mental health infrastructure.”

I wonder how many more deaths have to occur before access to quality mental health care is considered crucial?
I called Sen. Darrell Steinberg’s office Thursday and spoke with a staff member who said that she was sure Steinberg would not leave the mentally ill with no place to go because of the proposed budget cuts. If enacted, several mental health clinics in Sacramento County will close, affecting thousands.

What is it going to take for these politicians to wake up and listen? How many more people have to end up without proper mental health care? How many will have to DIE?

More Budget Cuts for Mental Health

2010-03-27T01:17:11Z

Once again, it seems the mentally ill do not matter. The Sacramento News & Review reported Thursday that the remaining clinics in Sacramento County that offer psychiatric support and medication may close July 1 because of budget cuts. They include El Hogar, HRC, Northgate Point, TCore, Visions Unlimited and the Wellness and Recovery Center. Thousands of clients will be affected.

A client who receives services at Northgate Point expressed this view: “I am so angered by the prospect that my mental-health clinic will probably be closing. I keep my doctor appointments and take my medication like I am supposed to and now none of that will matter. If my clinic closes, I do not know where I will go to get these services as I rely on the county to provide me with them. If I am not able to get my medication, I fear that I will be hospitalized and even may end up homeless.”

This is heart-wrenching news. Left untreated, many clients will end up in an emergency room, a psychiatric hospital, jail or on the street. Some may even DIE!

In what kind of world are we living?

I encourage people to call or write to their representative in Congress. Go to www.congress.org and type in your ZIP code to learn who your representative is.

For more information about the clinic closures, visit www.sacdoc.org/help.

Dear Sacramento Police Department: Please Don't Kill Me!

2009-12-15T00:06:33Z

The chance of a person being killed by a police officer because he or she has a mental illness may rise due to budget cuts, lack of proper treatment and the police being unaware that the person suffers from a mental illness. If you need to call the police on a loved one or someone you know who has a mental illness because of erratic or psychotic behavior, let the police know that he or she suffers from a mental illness.

According to the Sacramento Bee, Giat Van Truong, a 35-year-old man who suffers from schizophrenia was shot to death while becoming violent with the arresting police officer. According to Sheriff Sgt. Tim Curran, the arresting officer was unaware that Giat was mentally ill, although Giat had been arrested on mental health holds (5150) several times throughout his life. It is also important to note, however, that Giat had a history of violent crimes as well. This was the third high-profile case in Sacramento County in the past two years regarding killing someone who exhibited signs of a mental illness.

In 2008 the Sheriff’s department came into contact with over 1,700 people known to have a mental illness or behaving in such a manner that it was assumed they could have a mental illness. With the lack of funding for specialized training in this area many police officers are not able to accurately determine if someone is violently resisting arrest or is scared, confused and may be psychotic due to a mental illness.

As noted by the National Institute of Mental Health:

Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people. Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion — about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 — who suffer from a serious mental illness. In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity.

I understand that the Police Department has many duties and there is not much money for training in the mental health field. However, it is important to consider that someone who is not acting rationally may be mentally ill and needs compassion and understanding rather than a bullet and death.

Leading Statewide Mental Health Organization Raises Funds and Awareness for Children’s Mental Health

2009-09-02T20:44:29Z

United Advocates for Children and Families (UACF), local business leaders and mental health advocates are raising awareness and funds for children’s mental health through UACF’s first annual awards dinner on September 18, 2009 in Sacramento. “Banquet with Business Leaders” promises an evening filled with fun, entertainment, live music, art show and awards for a great cause. All proceeds will be used to assist families in understanding the complexities of mental illness and to seek appropriate treatment for their children.

UACF will be honoring mental health heroes who have made a difference in the mental health community. The Staglin Family, owners of the Staglin Family Winery in Napa, will be presented with UACF’s highest recognition – the “Carolyn Cooper Award.” The Staglin Family has provided millions of dollars for brain research programs that otherwise would not be realized. UACF will also present awards for the “Youth of the Year” and “Parent Partner of the Year.”

Why:
Few businesses are escaping the economic pressures in California, and virtually no business or employer is avoiding the effects of mental illness in the workplace when children of employees are involved. More than 1 million young kids and teens in California will experience a behavioral or emotional disorder this year, and 600,000 will not receive adequate treatment. Studies show the impact of this on local businesses is dramatic.

In a survey of nearly 350 parents of children with emotional or behavioral challenges regarding their workplace experiences:
• 48 percent of parents had to quit work at some time to care for their child with an emotional or behavioral disorder;
• 27 percent were terminated due to work interruptions when caring for their loved ones; and
• 17 percent were unemployed.

Who:
The Staglin Family
Oscar Wright, Chief Executive Officer, United Advocates for Children and Families
Suzanne Fisher, Executive Director, California Association of School Psychologists
Sandra Naylor Goodwin, Ph.D., Executive Director, California Institute of Mental Health
Marc Roberts, President, Associated Pension Consultants
Perry Ghilarducci, Principal, Avaunt Ltd

When:
Friday, September 18, 2009
5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Where:
Le Rivage Hotel, one of Sacramento’s newest luxury hotels
4350 Riverside Boulevard, Sacramento 95822

For sponsorship opportunities or more information, visit www.uacf4hope.org.

Budget to close in on mental health

2009-04-08T00:49:25Z

Nearly 100 people stood outside the County Administration Center at 700 H Street on Tuesday at noon, while the County Board of Supervisors Meeting had its lunch break. Consisting of mental health patients, mental health clinicians, and their supporters, the gatherers protested proposed mental health budget cuts being discussed in the meeting.

"We have 2,400 clients, and by June 31, we have to cut our number of clients to 1,000; it's kind of hard to let go of all of those mental health patients," said Marilyn Washington, a member of the regional support team for Turning Point Community Programs, a mental health agency.

"It's going to cost the city more money, since we are the ones who help [the patients figure out their] SSI, medicare, and everything else, but the biggest issue is people ending up without mental health services," she added.

"Because of the impact on people receiving services, the county will lose more money since it will cost more for hospitals, law enforcement, and ER — some patients may even risk dying," added Amedu Kyubwa, a case manager for Turning Point. In addition to being a case manager, Kyubwa helped start a petition against cutting funds for mental health services which has gathered a total of 1200 signatures - 500 online, 700 by hand.

Kyubwa, who helped create the website savementalhealthservices.org, said that there was a good turnout at the rally by people who were in mental health services.

There was also a big turnout of mental health patients, like Lilian, who did not give her last name. "They cut services to people who need it most, like the mentally ill, disabled, and homeless, because they are not a large enough group," said Lilian, who lives in Cardosa Village, an apartment complex which provides transitional housing for the homeless who are diagnosed with a mental illness.

By 1 p.m. the crowd had thinned to several dozen people, and the crowd dispersed completely at 1:30, half an hour before the scheduled end of the rally, due to rain.