I screamed, “Please
don’t kill my brother!”
Then I woke up.
But awake doesn’t mean the nightmare is gone. It’s actually worse.
In dreams, the psyche tries to work out life’s
stressors, in the subconscious.
But THIS stressor is real. It is keen and all too conscious.
The real and looming concerns are a living nightmare for
this family.
This isn’t something a sister should ever have to think, or say.
Nor should our mother have to worry her only son could
be shot dead on a public street, due to the delusional life that
has been thrust on him.
No parent should.
Moreover, delusional people should be dealt compassion, not a round of
lead.
I get it. It’s scary.
WE KNOW. This is "Jackie’s Public Service Announcement, op
ed"
~ because there HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY.
We will not rest until there is.
Current scenario:
Our loved one is currently INPATIENT at one
of the facilities where people in mental crisis are taken in an Emergency Order of Detention - to avert danger (and/or disaster). Under the law, EOD happens when a person is “danger to self or
others.”
It’s a temporary stay no matter
what, because there are no long-term hospitals any more. Nowhere. We desperately need them…albiet much better ones than those long gone. That’s another story for another day.
The process at the crisis facility goes like
this:
Mental health court, being
informed by the medical professional at said facility, saying the “consumer” (< a horrible term now used instead of
“patient”) is “sick”, so they are kept for a short amount of time. It is
a mere 72-hour window for the doctor to determine the person has “cleared." Then, although they haven't been cured or healed, the
person is discharged. Meds are used like band-aids to simply "cover" symptoms. So, discharge does not necessarily mean they
are well. Oftentimes, quite the
contrary. If the “consumer” (the patient
>>> the PERSON!) has nowhere
else to go, they end up back on the street, HOMELESS. Under the law, one of the definitions of “danger to self” is not being able to take care of themselves. Three days clear
(<whatever “clear” means) is NOT sufficient to prove readiness to take care of themselves! That’s just another rung on the long ladder
of systemic failure…ugh. These suffering souls are often discharged way too
soon, and that, in itself, can create danger.
That, in itself, HAS created
disaster for our family member.
And it’s not just in our case…oh
HECK no. Read on.
Our loved one is Jeff.
He is my brother.
Our sister is Penny.
Marilyn and Jack are our parents.
We are real people,
and Jeff’s story is an
endless tale
of injury and injustice.
He represents many thousands of others in Oklahoma, and across the USA. The failing system
is massive and massively expensive. The issues boil down
to a lack of money, paired with GREED and - as it
was explained to me - a culture of arrogance.
Complex issues.
Today's focus: consequences of the failed system.
💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
As mentioned, the long-term hospitals no longer exist.
They were all shut down when Community Mental
Health Centers started.
So far, this fifty-five
year experiment has proven a failure for Jeff’s “life.”
Jeff HAS NO
LIFE.
He has never owned a home or a car. He will never have a family.
Mr. Invisible to society.
Jeff has been ground up in an INCOMPETENT system, too arrogant to even consider
that this FAMILY MIGHT
ACTALLY KNOW what we’re talking about.
The
“system” is CRAZY.
It’s as BROKE as it
is BROKEN.
Still, those running it keep
doing the same thing over and over -
expecting a different result.
That is the very definition of insanity.
As I said… #crazy.
Merriam-Webster defines crazy as:
“full of
cracks or flaws; unsound; crooked; askew.”
An apt description of mental health "care" in
the USA: cracked, flawed, askew and crooked.
Oklahoma is at the bottom of this
dungheap.
There is no room for arrogance in a pile of……abject failure.
My husband, John, is an executive in a prominent healthcare
company. He runs one-third of the
country and deals with hospitals and their administrators every day. When I was
catching him up on recent events in the life of Jeff this week, he said
something that hit home:
“Good thing the
psychiatric facilities don’t get paid by results.”
Spot on. We have fiscal records for Jeff’s
hospitalizations during the 18 months prior to his arrest, showing $288K wasted
while Jeff only got WORSE. How many
“Jeff’s” are out there? Thousands...or millions? Astronomical numbers!!
Think about that, broke Oklahoma.
You are probably wondering why Jeff can’t live with family. I’ll explain
it as simply as I can; After almost three decades, Jeff’s delusions are now fixed and the brain damage, exponentially worse. Jeff doesn’t understand we ARE his family much
of the time. His delusions tell him we
are imposters that either killed or allowed his real family to be killed.
This angers him, and at times, he lashes out. But this isn’t our REAL JEFF. Our Jeff is superbly and wonderfully kind and
generous. It’s the forcing of possibly
inappropriate medicines that has caused this, and that’s the only “treatment”
they ever administer under the current medical model in Oklahoma. A chemical
guessing game, with no checks and balances. So, the whole
family suffers due to the arrogant system, too.
Thanks.
Adding insult to injury, there will be NOWHERE for Jeff to go when the hospital discharges him. We recently learned the Mental Health
Association Oklahoma can no longer offer Jeff a subsidized apartment, even
though we were promised (I have the email) they would save an apartment for
Jeff when the farce of his
criminalization ended. On February 9, Jeff’s “criminal” charges were
dropped, but then the news we got floored us. The U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development rules say, if someone is incarcerated over 90 days, they
lose their eligibility for housing. Jeff has been officially mentally disabled for almost
three decades. He was criminalized
FOR HIS DISABILITY and punished by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for
18 months for committing NO CRIME. The STATE of OKLAHOMA asked for the charges
to be dismissed, and DUE TO THIS JAILING
OF AN INNOCENT MAN, HUD says
NO, you can no longer have a place to live.
HOW WRONG CAN THIS GET?!!! THIS
MUST CHANGE.
Legislators????????!!!!!!
We’ve heard the “crisis facility” has a date in mind
for Jeff’s discharge - April 29, 2018.
Where they came up with THAT is beyond me. JEFF IS
DECLINING.
IT IS SCARY. How on earth
do they think they know when he’ll be ready for discharge on a specific
date?! WTH?!
Arrogance doesn’t know it is arrogant.
That must be it.
#MirrorNeeded #BenefitOfTheDoubt?
And get THIS! David
L. Moss Criminal Justice Center (aka
Tulsa County Jail) told mom last month they lost all of the personal belongings
Jeff arrived there with. She went to
pick up his things after DLMCJC transferred him to the crisis facility, but all
they gave mom was a small bag of Jeff’s papers.
His clothes, his shoes, his prescription eyeglasses and his
wallet, all LOST. Even the Salvation
Army homeless shelter will not take Jeff without an ID and a TB card. THE JAIL LOST THEM. This is where Oklahoma and AMERICA’s chronic
“mentally ill” HOMELESS comes from. Jeff
is indigent. System failure at every turn. (More
on this at a later date.)
THERE IS NO WINNING
*****
Today is DAY 51, inpatient. The medicines never fix Jeff's delusions. This is how it always goes.
At best,
psychotropic drugs mask symptoms and only serve to temporarily tranquilize.
In Jeff’s case, they make him worse.
* We have ASKED the current facility to have Jeff’s DNA tested for RX
tolerance.
* We have INFORMED the
facility of Jeff's multiple past state hospital medical diagnoses that manifest in psych
symptoms.
* We have REQUESTED one simple urine draw and a simple blood test to help
them avoid harming Jeff, further,
* and WE OFFERED TO PAY FOR THESE TESTS, but -
WE WERE REFUSED.
This begs the question –
WHY?
Are they afraid of more information that could prove
they’ve been wrong all these years?
I
can think of no other reason.
To be clear, Jeff does NOT have a dual diagnosis. He has never used street drugs. He tests CLEAN, every time. This situation is not a consequence of any “bad choice” Jeff made, nor is it a lifestyle or culture issue. Jeff does not abuse substances. But the neuroleptic drugs that have been forced on him for 29 years ARE DEPENDENT drugs, and he has to endure DETOX every time they stop or change the RX. This happens ALL THE TIME. Oklahoma doesn’t seem to know it’s necessary to very slowly titrate incrementally off these drugs, lest the patient suffers permanent brain damage.
This bears repeating.
We treat those
with mental illness labels inhumanely.
Animals are treated better. My brother has been locked up since he was wrongly
arrested on July 26, 2016. Have you ever seen a tiger pacing back and
forth at the zoo? That beautiful
creature longs for freedom, just like Jeff longs for freedom from being forced
to endure neurotoxins that are
accomplishing nothing more than a
CHEMICAL LOBOTOMY!
This family
has everything documented.
The “medical model” medication protocol DOES NOT WORK
FOR EVERYONE,
and the culture of arrogance in Psychiatry is precisely why the
statistics are rising for the mentally disabled in the United States, since the 1950s, when first generation
“anti-psychotic” drugs were brought into the market, and then exponentially
rising since the advent of the newer class of drugs and the diagnosis expansion
of the DSM-5.
Is Psychiatric Accuracy A Challenge?
Use DSM-5 Cautiously, if at all:
Jeff might be damaged beyond repair.
We pray
not. But with each round of forced brain
toxins, he becomes more delusional.
There have been many times that the police
have had to step in.
We are GRATEFUL BEYOND WORDS when police (in whatever city) have helped during a crisis. Many times. On the other hand, Jeff has
been thrown in jail or prison for his disability (i.e., delusions). This is
wrong. The delusions are REAL to the person suffering them, and the U.S. Government
acknowledged this years ago when they approved his Social Security Disability
Income as a “mentally ill” disabled citizen. (Now don’t
get your dander up, Jeff is indigent. He gets a whopping $750/month to survive
since he CANNOT hold a job.) As I’ve
said before, justice is blind. But we
hope to open the eyes of justice, by continuing to tell Jeff’s harrowing, lifelong
story. His truth just might help improve
things for everyone! That is our dream.
Our current dilemna = no
options except homelessness is UNACCEPTABLE.
And because
Jeff will still be delusional when discharged, the fear of Jeff being killed by law
enforcement sits in the forefront of
my mind. I have PTSD
over this.
I see “Jeff” in every person one of these incidents.
They are all someone’s brother, father or
son, needing a public outcry.
We will be their voice.
I've engaged in Facebook "debates" with police officers, in comments under news articles when mentally ill citizens have been killed by LEO. Here are some screenshots:
My position is this: Why
can’t LEO develop a new
dart gun to tranquilize someone they KNOW is “mental” – even if brandishing machetes … Or how about developing a NET to cast over a “deranged”
individual, instead of SHOOTING AND KILLING THEM! If only we had
the WILL to DEVELOP such devices, we could solve this! Again, they tell me it’s a money issue. Well, if it were THEIR SON or BROTHER, they’d
get the money. I've engaged in Facebook "debates" with police officers, in comments under news articles when mentally ill citizens have been killed by LEO. Here are some screenshots:
Does anyone think in 100 years we won’t have better
options? If so, THAT’S A HUGE
PROBLEM. THIS ISN’T THE WILD WEST. The more this
happens and opens MY eyes to truths, the more I’m wishing we could get the hell
outta Dodge! Alas…Oklahoma is HOME. We’d
rather SAVE IT than run from it. That’s what we’re striving for; to change
things for the better, instead of accepting “2018 status quo” as
the end-all, be all. Status quo is sorely lacking.
DO BETTER, WE MUST. Much MUCH
Better.
I BELIEVE the next generations will find these
solutions, despite current stuck and stubborn mindsets that think “we
can’t”. Where there’s a WILL there’s a
WAY.
And MY FAMILY’S “WILL” IS BIG
ENOUGH FOR ALL of the naysayers.
WE CAN.
And WE WILL.
Just watch.
****************************************************************************
~Disturbing~
Below are links
to various instances in Oklahoma where suffering MENTALLY ILL ended up dying or being killed by law enforcement, some while in jail.
I can’t imagine
this is accepted as normal across the United States.
These are just the ones I found easily the past 5 years. How many more are there?
WE DO NOT WANT THIS TO BE JEFF!
Cruel,
uncivilized, primitive, subhuman.
Positively medieval.
UNACCEPTABLE
*********************
In honor of these mentally ill, who died too soon.
Marconia Kessee, mentally ill man, age 34
died after cruel treatment,
Jan. 16, 2018
Rest In Peace
TITLE:
Oklahoma cops cruelly mocked mentally
ill man for ‘faking’ illness —
but he died in their custody
but he died in their custody
VIDEO:
And MORE:
'You can stop with the show': Body cam footage shows
Norman police taunting man later found dead in jail.
by -Jan 26, 201
**************************************************
Jacob Craig, mentally ill/substance
abuse, age 31
Killed Christmas Day 12/25/17
Rest In Peace
TITLE: Man fatally shot by Tulsa officer battled
mental illness, mother says
Dec 26, 2017
*************************************************
Dustin Pigeon, mentally ill/suicidal man, killed 11/15/17 Age 29
Rest in Peace
TITLE: Disturbing Body Cam Shows Cop Murder Unarmed
Mentally Ill Man With Hands Up—Cop Charged
An Oklahoma
City police officer has been charged with 2nd-degree murder for killing an
unarmed mentally-ill man on video .
By- Jack Burns - December 6, 2017
****************************************************
Charlton
Cash Chrisman, 40, mentally ill inmate
died April 19, 2017
According to an autopsy report, a
contributing factor in the death was
"multiple pepper ball injuries."
Rest In Peace
TITLE: Video shows pepper ball shooting of Oklahoma County jail inmate
by Nolan Clay
Published: December 18, 2017 5:01 PM CDT
Updated: December 18, 2017 7:28 PM
CDT
************************************************
My brother in law in
McAlester told me about this man, his childhood neighbor...
William Frost, mentally ill
man, age 58
Killed October 21, 2016
Rest in Peace
TITLE:
Police Release Name Of Man Killed In
Officer-Involved Shooting
Posted: Oct 23, 2016 4:18 PM EDT Updated: Oct 23, 2016 5:05 PM EDT
http://www.newson6.com/story/33455410/police-release-name-of-man-killed-in-officer-involved-shooting
VIDEO:
Posted: Oct 21, 2016 5:52 PM EDT Updated: Oct 21, 2016 10:07 PM EDT
BY: ANNIE CHANG, NEWS ON 6
http://www.newson6.com/story/33448877/tulsa-police-officer-shoots-suspect
***************************************************
Joshua Barre,
mentally ill man, age 29
Killed June 9,
2017
Rest In Peace
TITLE: Tulsa police kill man armed with knives after
mental health call
By Nicole Chavez, CNN
Updated 11:14 AM ET, Sat
June 10, 2017
https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/10/us/tulsa-police-fatal-shooting-oklahoma/index.html
TITLE: Oklahoma Law Enforcement Officers
Kill Man, Sparking Protest
3 law enforcement officers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, fatally shoot
man while trying to pick him up for mental
health issue, triggering
protest.
By JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS, Associated Press June 9,
2017, at 11:02 p.m.
TITLE: Protests
erupt after police shoot, kill Tulsa man
By- Rick Jervis, USA TODAY Published 6:58 a.m. ET June 10, 2017 |
Updated 11:21 a.m. ET June 10, 2017
Dozens of
law enforcement officers in riot gear responded to protests Friday
in Tulsa, Okla., following a police shooting of a knife-wielding man with mental
health issues.
VIDEO:
TITLE: Shooting of mentally
ill Tulsa man raises policing questions
*******************************************************
Anthony Huff age 59
hallucinating/alcohol detox
Left “to remain in the restraint
chair for over 48 hours without adequate food or water in OKC jail."
Pronounced
dead on June 8, 2016
Rest in Peace
TITLE: Oklahoma sheriff & staff face
manslaughter charges over inmate’s death
Published
time: 26 Jul, 2017 20:57 Edited
time: 27 Jul, 2017 09:07
TITLE: Oklahoma Sheriff indicted in death of
hallucinating inmate restrained in chair for over 48 hours
by- NICOLE HENSLEY NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, July 26, 2017, 4:59 AM
**********************************************************
One of the most egregious deaths
happened in David
L. Moss, Tulsa County Jail:
Elliott
Earl Williams, mentally ill inmate, age 37
pronounced dead in his cell
at 11:21 a.m. Oct. 27, 2011
REST IN PEACE
TITLE:
Mentally Ill Man Dies, Injured and Alone in a Tulsa Jail Cell
By- Jean Casella and James Ridgeway, November 5, 2012
TITLE: Jury awards $10.25 million to Elliott Williams' estate
after his death in Tulsa Jail
By Curtis Killman and Kyle Hinchey Tulsa World - Mar 21, 2017
*************************************************
Most police
departments do their own internal investigations after
officer-involved
shootings.
Do
students in college grade their own tests? No.
That pales in comparison, but you get my
drift.
JUST
SHOULDN’T HAPPEN, PERIOD!!!
Legislators???!!!!!!!!!
Kudos to Sand Springs PD
for mandating an objective
investigation.
TITLE: “Sand Springs becomes first Oklahoma city to stop investigating
their own officer-involved shootings”
********************
"GO REST HIGH ON THAT MOUNTAIN"
By- Vince Gill (Oklahoman)
I know your life on earth was troubled, and
only you could know the pain
You weren't afraid to face the devil-You were no stranger to the rain
on that mountain
Son, your work
on earth is done
Go to heaven a shoutin'
Love for the Father and the Son...
Son, your work
on earth is done
Go to heaven a shoutin'
Love for the Father and the Son...
Oh, how we cried the day you left us, We gathered round your grave to grieve
I wish I could see the angels faces when they hear your sweet voice sing
In closing: GOOD GOAL! Thanks, NASHVILLE.
Every city should prevent the mentally ill from being criminalized.
TITLE: Summit Examines Why Mentally Ill End Up in Nashville Jails
Sarah McCarthy - 7:39 PM, Mar 5, 2018
"Our goal is to never have law enforcement involved, we need pre-arrest, pre-involvement intervention," Sheriff Daron Hall said. When we see someone out on the streets seeing things that aren’t there, screaming and yelling, we need to not view that as a criminal justice matter, we need to view that as mental illness."
Sincerely,
Jackie Welton DiPillo
