Nowhere To Go
This is a personal account of a situation I encountered at work last week. As the events transpired, it occurred to me that I should write about it, and share the story with others. The lesson learned is unfortunately a sad one, but much needed none the less. It brought to my attention that the justice system is seriously lacking in resources for the mentally ill. I discovered first hand that so many people slip through the cracks, never getting the help they need. And I learned what it is like to want to help someone, only to discover that I lacked the resources to do so.
Recently, there has been a lot of focus on the battles that people affected by mental illness must fight with health care companies and HMOs. I've had my fair share of battles with HMOs myself, and I have written about my battle with a California car insurance company that employed discriminatory practices when insuring drivers with mental illness. Often times, various different organizations will point out the atrocities that occur when the mentally ill are unable to receive help that is crucial to their survival. These stories are fast becoming commonplace within the mental health community. I think that at one point in our lives, most of us have all slipped through the cracks or been denied help. We all know how it feels.
Last week, instead of being on the receiving end of denial, I was forced to be the one to deny help to someone else. It was a humbling experience, a difficult experience. It was something that each and every person who is in charge of making decisions about someone's mental health care and treatment should have to go through. Each congressman who refuses to sign bills that help the mentally ill, each member on utilization review boards, each and every insurance underwriter, should be forced to look into the eyes of a person who is in desperate need of help and tell them no. Only then will they have an idea of how horrible it is to deny someone care.
I work for the criminal justice system, within the county probation department. The facility I am employed at is a minimum security, dormitory style halfway house for non-violent offenders. The inmates we house are usually convicted of drug offenses, petty theft, and minor domestic violence disputes. Each inmate has contact with the community on a daily basis, as they are allowed to retain their jobs and occasionally visit their families while they are serving their sentence. It is a unique program, with many opportunities for inmates to better themselves and get their lives back on the right track. We offer such thing as GED courses, anger management, and group therapy. Should inmates need individual counseling, we can help get them referrals for that as well. When inmates leave our facility, they usually take with them the tools to cope with life's every day stressors.
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