We need to get our Second Wind  to address the emergency in mental health -- NOW
​

 Description of DJ Jaffee's new book "Insane Consequences"  --

"It lays out a road map to spend less on mental "health" and more on mental "illness"--replace mission creep with mission control and return the mental health system to a focus on the most seriously ill.   It is not money that is lacking; it's   leadership. ​"

​We agree that the urgent priority has to be providing necessary services to people with mental illness who are homeless or incarcerated.  

• One of the corollaries to that is that:  services need to be provided in the "least restrictive environment."

 

• While DJ Jaffee of the Mental Illness Policy Organization and Dr. Torrey of the Treatment Advocacy Center are largely focused on increasing bed space, etc. -- the reality is the crisis in bed space is horribly exacerbated by the Crisis in Medicaid Community Mental Health.

 

• The Scale of Discrimination Against People with Serious Mental Illness by Most States, including by Colorado, in their Medicaid programs is nothing less than unconscionable.

 

• ​ From our perspective, we've got an evidenced based treatment that is the gold standard in intensive community mental health which is Assertive Community Treatment (ACT).   States do tend to provide some ACT just not near what's required and that leads to some "insane consequences" and IRREPARABLE HARM.  

     

• The Deal is most states including Colorado recognize the problem of people with mental illness who are homeless and incarcerated.  Further, some states including Colorado are trying to do a lot of good things to address these problems.

 

• We are really beyond concerned about what certain people with mental illness and typically prior convictions and very complicated situations are facing in the criminal justice system.


• ​We need to get our (that's including the State's) Second Wind to Address This As The Emergency It Really is.

 First female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002.

​Perspective is critical -- It changes over time --

That's a problem when People don't have time

             There are a lot of distinctions between the Japanese Internment and the mass incarceration of people with mental illness in the US.
               One similarity is that there has been an evolution of thought when it comes to the appropriateness of the conduct.
                Right now we would say most people including the State are against having people with mental illness unnecessarily incarcerated.
                 Further, most people think it's important to do something about it.
                 But who is it an Emergency to?
                 Well, it's an Emergency to the person incarcerated that's who.  Maybe family members, if they have any around.
                 AND  we have to have a government that recognizes the rights of that person.