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MHA/NC Letters By John Tote
An Advocate's Perspective:
What IF...?
Released: Monday, January 26th, 2009
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Greetings and Happy New Year! Welcome to the first edition of MHA/NC’s Advocate’s Perspective for 2009. This is an occasional series designed to provoke thought and discussion concerning public policies and public affairs surrounding
North Carolina ’s mental health, developmental disability and substance abuse system. This edition will focus on where we are and where we may go in 2009.
Having just finished the year end edition of Sports Illustrated (OK, OK, at least it isn’t the National Enquirer), one thought consumed me as I read with angst and then with joy of the story of Michael Vick’s dogs and how they went from trained killers to cuddly house pets. For those that may not know the story Michael Vick, he was a prized athlete who also had a grotesque fever for blood through the activity of dog fighting. Through this desire, he lost everything he had, perhaps rightfully so, including his reputation. His dogs, which were so terribly abused, were rehabilitated and farmed out to families across the country. Indeed, the outcry, again rightfully so, concerning the abuse these animals suffered was tremendous. However, as I said, my thoughts drifted in a different direction. My thoughts drifted to the question, “What if…?”
What if these dogs and the abuse they suffered were people? Would we have really cared that much? Unfortunately, many times the answer comes very easily: No, we wouldn’t. We see incredible abuse of human beings each day. Various forms of child abuse, domestic assault and more. It seems that man’s inhumanity to man often no one limits.
So what if these people also had a mental illness? Would we care? Do we care? It is a thought that has driven me, and will continue to drive me, throughout this year and many more to come.
Why do we allow, not only this kind of abuse, but any kind of abuse to happen? Why do we allow an individual in clear need, in clear danger, to sit unnoticed for 23 hours until his life’s breath drifts away? Why do we see the need to use fists and belts, handcuffs and shackles, when other possibilities exist for intervention? Why? The answer is that we really don’t care.
What if we had a mental health system in each community that sought to serve those in the most need while providing the kinds of early intervention and prevention strategies that we espouse on the “general” healthcare side of our system?
What if we had a judicial system and law enforcement network that had not only adequate, but proper training for handling a situation that is, or could be, a potentially crisis involving an individual with mental illness? What if we had a complete network of courts around the state, coupled with jail diversion initiatives that, once again, put a premium on health, wellness and recovery?
What if we had a state psychiatric hospital system that was rarely used because we had the kinds of community and regional programming from base level to crisis intervention that we truly need for our citizens? What if that hospital system was state-of-the-art with standard policies and procedures and with nationally recognized leadership in administrative and clinical areas? What if we then put a premium and high value on the lives of those who serve individuals with mental illness each day in healthcare technician positions? What if we gave people the opportunity to advance personally and professionally in a field in which they care more about people than the money they might receive providing this care?
What if we had a dedicated group of policy makers from the administrative and legislative areas that put a premium on best practices that drove funding concerns so that more people were served in a more effective and efficient manner? What if we had a legislator, a governor, a leader in our state say mental health care needs to be one of our top priorities? After all, the mental health system in N.C. is the second largest system, only behind our educational system.
What if we had employment initiatives that sought to bring proper training and education to individuals that want to work, that can work, and that have the skills to do remarkable things?
So what if Michael Vick’s dogs were people? We each have to answer that question in our own minds and lives. Collectively, we need to put the question before us all and we need to answer the questions that I have outlined above with another question, ‘why not?’ Why can’t we have the things that were outlined above? Why can’t mental health be a priority? These are important, life changing, and life saving concepts.
2009 – can it be fine with no drama and no trauma in an age of hope and change at the national, state and local levels? We can say - we must say – “what if?” and “why not?”. Our citizens deserve nothing less. 2009, let us, indeed, make it fine. This is one advocate’s perspective.
John Tote
Executive Director
MHA/NC
January 26, 2009
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