Yesterday I met with a team member from an organization called Crisis Response Project, LA. Their mission is to intervene in emergency situations with clients who have developmental disabilities or mental health issues, to avoid police response. (I am going to give you a moment to digest that.) There is an entire organization created to help families avoid calling police for help. In December, if you follow me religiously like I know you all do, you might recall that I declined the opportunity to attend a rally to protest against the murder of Kelly Thomas, because I could not stomach the idea of looking into the face of my sons potential murderer. Police have not been properly trained to deal with the myriad presentations of disability and mental illness, and their responses tend toward the kill. Families members must decide between protecting themselves and choosing an action, like calling 911, that may cause the death of their already suffering child or sibling. It is a lose-lose situation that adds to the misery and heartache of trying to navigate the dismal mental health system (and I use that phrase lightly).
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 17:17:10 +0000