Blog Archives

It's Time for Clinicians to "Science Up"

4/27/2016

I've sorta used the upcoming screening of "Healing Voices" as a pretext to "go off on" some pretty big concerns regarding the "Mental Health Profession" that are not normally voiced by the Mental Health Community; although they are voiced routinely in scientific circles.

   From my perspective -- the National Institute of Mental Health is having to save the Mental Health Profession from itself because it persists in this sad, bad old science DSM 5.

   What NIMH is trying to do with RDoC (Research Domain Criteria) represents such a higher understanding than most clinicians have of "mental illness."

   Well, so what? They're NIMH -- of course it represents a higher understanding.

The problem is that it is the Clinicians that treat the patients. AND our Clinicians are relying on outdated understandings -- AND they don't even know it.

   Further, many/some/whatever number of Mental Health professionals have become acclimated to dismissing the questions and concerns of "mental patients" --- who do not generally pose any real threat to their authority.

   Well, at this point some of those intellectual muscles are pretty flabby.

   What is the response to Neuroscientist David Anderson at Cal-Tech who observes that one of the reasons mental health medicines work so poorly is that they work on the brain globally rather than being specifically targeted to where they need to go?

Do you ignore it?
Honestly discuss the issue, including the limitations of the current state of knowledge?
Do you try to ram or inject something into the patient without a full examination of the difficult issues?

These are NOT easy issues. I think at bottom I would like to see:

Systems developed so that Clinicians could be more quickly brought in line with research from the National Institute of Mental Health;
That if Clinicians are forced to rely on bad, sad old science like the DSM 5 until RDoC is completed -- at least have a recognition of that and how seriously flawed DSM 5 really is;
Acknowledge the obvious -- the State of Knowledge is still very incomplete
A willingness to acknowledge the obvious may at least in some cases gain patient cooperation where it was previously withheld.

Toward A New Understanding of Mental Illness

Why Delayed Onset of Mental Illness

5 Mental Disorders Share Some of the Same Genes

Neuroscientist David Anderson -- Cal-Tech

Polite State Bad Faith

4/18/2016

Bad Faith
The fraudulent deception of another person; the intentional or malicious refusal to perform some duty or
contractual obligation.

I was just daydreaming -- I've gotten so nostalgic lately for VC -- not myself -- but, of course, former AG and HCPF Henchwoman Vivianne Chaumont.
   Vivianne, dear that she was -- was hardly polite or nice BUT she was a pretty straight shooter even if it was between your eyes.

I think it can be really hard to calibrate emotions and positions when one is constantly dealing with conflict.
   A lot of people CAN'T do what attorneys do. But even with attorneys unusual can be more the norm than one would expect:

In your face aggression (Vivianne Chaumont)
Polite State Bad Faith (current Asst. AG)
Website w/ Running Emotional Commentary (Val Corzine)

So from my standpoint, I'm looking for an Aristotelian Mean between in your face aggression and Polite State Bad Faith.

And if I had to choose, I'd take the aggressive straight shooter every day of the week.

So What is the Duty the State is Intentionally Refusing to Perform?

We're Talkin' duty to Fully Comply with current Federal Disability Civil Rights Law so that people with mental illness are not unnecessarily incarcerated, made homeless, etc. due to the State's willful failure to provide housing and intensive services, etc.

Process

Duty Not To Maintain Frivolous Defenses
Duty To Refrain From Undue Delay

REALLY OUR GREAT WAR/"HOLOCAUST" IN THE US TODAY IS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

4/14/2016

"There is nothing new under the sun."

   -----Seneca

   Well, there may not be anything new under the sun, and there is recombinant DNA. For those familiar with the Orchid website and blog, you know I use and recombine ideas and concepts in an effort to make my point/s.
   Additionally, I'm very "associational" -- grouping together ideas that may "seem" unrelated -- AND I'm "trying" to rifF on some "association" that I see.
   I'm starting off with this human rights troika because I wanted to start off with some thoughts/ideas from Tolstoy from "The"Kingdom of God is Within Us."
   Tolstoy laments the dissonance between the values in this case Christian values he was surrounded by in childhood and the war and horror that awaits the adult human person.
I don't know where Tolstoy gets these figures -- maybe somebody else knows -- and Tolstoy claims that at that time 60,000 people across Europe committed suicide. Tolstoy attributes this to the wars, etc.

IN US SOCIETY TODAY-- REALLY THE "GREAT WAR"/HOLOCAUST IS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM where one can find Many US Veterans or Homeless, a lot of Black & Brown People, & People who are Neurally Diverse

I GET REALLY CONCERNED WHEN THE CONCEPT OF "EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE" APPEARS TO BE USED TO GLOSS OVER OR JUSTIFY COWARDICE WHICH IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT IMMORAL & UNETHICAL SYSTEMS.

Leo Tolstoy, Russian Author

Gandhi

Martin Luther King, Jr

Education -- US School to Prison Pipeline

Micro-Aggressions

US Criminal Justice System

Administrative Segregation

In Logic, one would say something is not necessarily a contradiction if we are viewing it in a different respect.
   That's what we have been trying to do with the mess between mental health & the law -- it's really not tenable anymore.
   I think what has been going on for some years -- various diversion programs on a small scale.
   We really don't have to re-write the criminal law (right now)-- if we will fully implement the Americans with Disabilities Act & Olmstead decision, etc.

As a matter of full disclosure, if you act ethically or morally no one will necessarily save or reward you.

Virtue is its own reward.

AND as a further matter of full diclosure, in the observation of an ex-boyfriend -- I'm no Mother Teresa.

ACEs* & Giftedness in the Context of Homelessness, Incarceration & Hospitalization

4/9/2016

First, I'm NOT somebody who thinks that ALL psychiatric issues are explained by childhood abuse or adverse experiences.
Having said that, ACEs are a huge issue for many, many people -- including many of my clients.
One of the things that actually makes psychiatric issues so "interesting" is that there are so many factors:

Genetics
the Gut Biome
the Justness & Equity of the Society & Culture One Finds Oneself In
Altitude
Crossing Time Zones (If Your Concerned About Bipolar Disorder)
Being a Picky Eater
Etc.

*Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Many of my clients are "gifted." I don't know what it is -- but there is a lot of musical ability among people who are homeless on Denver Streets and in the Denver Detention Center.
   Further, I have a client who has been homeless for pretty much all but 11 years of his life and he has this unbelievable vocabulary.
   Additionally, for those who followed the "My Guy Debacle," who through a series of unfortunate events was discharged to homelessness from the Colorado Mental Health Institute @ Pueblo -- he has a Degree in Computer Science from the University of Texas.
   It is embarrassing to admit, and I had known My Guy for years before I knew about his educational accomplishments and how truly gifted he was and is.
   It is my opinion there are many "gifted" people who are homeless, incarcerated or in mental institutes. Focusing on their Strengths/Gifts is going to be necessary to avoid boredom and very likely depression and/or other psychiatric illnesses.

See www.sengifted.org

Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted

"It's not clear how or why picky eating may be tied to these conditions [anxiety, depression, ADHD, etc], but it may be that children who have heightened sensory experiences overall are also more sensitive to the food they eat, the researchers at Duke University wrote in their paper."

http://www.livescience.com/51732-picky-eating-children-depression-anxiety.html

P.S. I was an extremely picky eater as a child, and I'm only somewhat better as an adult.

My Mother was often consulting the pediatrician with regard to what to do to get me to eat vegetables, etc.

My parents did not force me to eat vegetables; although both my Mother and Father cautioned that my strange eating habits could hurt me socially as an adult, and that people would be offended if I didn't eat the food they prepared.

Further, what about people from other cultures -- surely I wasn't going to refuse to eat their food, my parents asked in horror?

Well, now I have a Website and a Facebook page Orchid Mental Health Policy: Global with over 200,000 Facebook friends from around world.

At some point I'm am going to have a dinner party with my picky-eating friends from around the world, and none of us are going to eat anything we don't want to.

The ADA "Trumps" TABOR

4/2/2016

One of the challenges in Colorado is TABOR, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. For our purposes, the main issue is that Colorado has a legal obligation to comply with Federal Law, specifically Federal Civil Rights Law. including the Americans with Disabilities Act, its interpretation by the US Supreme Court, and Enforcement Actions by the US Department of Justice.

   The BOTTOM LINE IS: The ADA "Trumps" TABOR under Article VI, Section II of the Constitution -- The Supremacy Clause. The Constitution -- that Document that all our State Officials Swore an Oath to Uphold.

They're NOT doing that -- Colorado State Officials are NOT upholding the US Constitution which they took an oath to do.

      I realize a lot of other states aren't either, AND we've got a case in Federal Court filed in the District of Colorado seeking relief. The US Department of Justice is also reviewing our Complaint.

There are a whole lot of individual human beings in intense pain because of the failure of Colorado to provide Housing and Intensive Services.

   At some point, Colorado is going to have to deal with this. From our stand point, the SOONER the BETTER.

Guidance from the US Department of Justice

http://www.ada.gov/olmstead/q&a_olmstead.htm

9. Can budget cuts violate the ADA and Olmstead?
A: Yes, budget cuts can violate the ADA and Olmstead when significant funding cuts to community services create a risk of institutionalization or segregation.

The most obvious example of such a risk is where budget cuts require the elimination or reduction of community services specifically designed for individuals who would be institutionalized without such services. In making such budget cuts, public entities have a duty to take all reasonable steps to avoid placing individuals at risk of institutionalization.

For example, public entities may be required to make exceptions to the service reductions or to provide alternative services to individuals who would be forced into institutions as a result of the cuts. If providing alternative services, public entities must ensure that those services are actually available and that individuals can actually secure them to avoid institutionalization.

14. What is the relevance of budgetary shortages to a fundamental alteration defense?
A: Public entities have the burden to show that immediate relief to the plaintiffs would effect a fundamental alteration of their program. Budgetary shortages are not, in and of themselves, evidence that such relief would constitute a fundamental alteration.

Even in times of budgetary constraints, public entities can often reasonably modify their programs by re-allocating funding from expensive segregated settings to cost-effective integrated settings.

Whether the public entity has sought additional federal resources available to support the provision of services in integrated settings for the particular group or individual requesting the modification – such as Medicaid, Money Follows the Person grants, and federal housing vouchers – is also relevant to a budgetary defense.

Val's Blog

It's Time for Clinicians to "Science Up"

Toward A New Understanding of Mental Illness

Why Delayed Onset of Mental Illness

5 Mental Disorders Share Some of the Same Genes

Neuroscientist David Anderson -- Cal-Tech

Polite State Bad Faith

So What is the Duty the State is Intentionally Refusing to Perform?

Process

REALLY OUR GREAT WAR/"HOLOCAUST" IN THE US TODAY IS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

IN US SOCIETY TODAY-- REALLY THE "GREAT WAR"/HOLOCAUST IS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM where one can find Many US Veterans or Homeless, a lot of Black & Brown People, & People who are Neurally Diverse

I GET REALLY CONCERNED WHEN THE CONCEPT OF "EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE" APPEARS TO BE USED TO GLOSS OVER OR JUSTIFY COWARDICE WHICH IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT IMMORAL & UNETHICAL SYSTEMS.

Education -- US School to Prison Pipeline

Micro-Aggressions

US Criminal Justice System

Administrative Segregation

As a matter of full disclosure, if you act ethically or morally no one will necessarily save or reward you.

Virtue is its own reward.

AND as a further matter of full diclosure, in the observation of an ex-boyfriend -- I'm no Mother Teresa.

ACEs* & Giftedness in the Context of Homelessness, Incarceration & Hospitalization

*Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

The ADA "Trumps" TABOR

Guidance from the US Department of Justice

Author

Archives

Categories

Val's Blog

It's Time for Clinicians to "Science Up"

Toward A New Understanding of Mental Illness

Why Delayed Onset of Mental Illness

5 Mental Disorders Share Some of the Same Genes

Neuroscientist David Anderson -- Cal-Tech

Polite State Bad Faith

So What is the Duty the State is Intentionally Refusing to Perform?

Process

REALLY OUR GREAT WAR/"HOLOCAUST" IN THE US TODAY IS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

IN US SOCIETY TODAY-- REALLY THE "GREAT WAR"/HOLOCAUST IS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM where one can find Many US Veterans or Homeless, a lot of Black & Brown People, & People who are Neurally Diverse

I GET REALLY CONCERNED WHEN THE CONCEPT OF "EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE" APPEARS TO BE USED TO GLOSS OVER OR JUSTIFY COWARDICE WHICH IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT IMMORAL & UNETHICAL SYSTEMS.

Education -- US School to Prison Pipeline

Micro-Aggressions

US Criminal Justice System

Administrative Segregation

As a matter of full disclosure, if you act ethically or morally no one will necessarily save or reward you.Virtue is its own reward.AND as a further matter of full diclosure, in the observation of an ex-boyfriend -- I'm no Mother Teresa.

ACEs* & Giftedness in the Context of Homelessness, Incarceration & Hospitalization

*Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

The ADA "Trumps" TABOR

Guidance from the US Department of Justice

Author

Archives

Categories

As a matter of full disclosure, if you act ethically or morally no one will necessarily save or reward you.

Virtue is its own reward.

AND as a further matter of full diclosure, in the observation of an ex-boyfriend -- I'm no Mother Teresa.