I'M FURIOUS AT OUR CRIMINAL MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM by Sherry Hunter

I wasn't going to share this, but I feel like people need to realize our mental health system is seriously flawed.

Two weeks ago, my son, Mitchel, was admitted to Utah Valley Medical Regional Center's psychiatric unit. He's been experiencing full blown psychosis. The hospital had his records and knew his circumstances and history. They knew he was a threat to himself and others.

Instead of putting him with a one-on-one or even in isolation, they left him with other patients and staff members. In his psychosis, he assaulted an employee. The hospital called the police and had Mitchel arrested. He spent almost a week in jail psychotic and without care. The charges were dropped.

We took Mitchel to the ER in hopes to find placement (another facility that would be willing to take him on). No one wanted to treat him because he had neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) in January. (NMS is a life-threatening reaction that occasionally occurs in response to neuroleptic or antipsychotic medication.) Now, Mitchel's unable to take anti-psych medications due to the NMS.

Finally, Provo Canyon Behavioral Hospital decided they would take him. During his time there, the therapist and doctor called me a half dozen times looking for ways they could treat my son. I mean, who are the professionals here? I gave them history on what had worked in the past. Usually, when Mitchel's in full-blown psychosis, the only thing that works is keeping him away from others. Not that I wanted him to be put away in a room but, in order to keep others safe, I recommended that he be isolated.

Yesterday, the director of the local mental health facility, that regularly treats my son, called me. He said Provo Canyon Behavioral Hospital had Mitchel arrested due to a few incidents that had occurred. WTF? When a psychiatric hospital cannot treat a person with psychosis you know there is a problem with the mental health system. It's not just flawed. It's criminal.

Now, we wait to find out about Mitchel's new court date. Hopefully, the prosecutor will dismiss the charges and, this time, I have his doctor, from the state hospital, ready to admit him to the state hospital — again.

I'm crossing fingers the charges will be dropped or this could be a long, drawn out, debilitating process for my very sick son. He's sick. Nothing more. Nothing less. I'm furious at our mental health system for failing to help Mitchel and for dumping him into the prison system.

Mitchel in the ER

See other posts from Sherry Hunter about Mitchel on this blog:
October 19, 2016
November 30, 2016
March 28, 2017 (video)
June 21, 2017

LOSING FARRON by Mary Barksdale

My son was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at the age of 24. Over the next few years, he went on and off his meds and in and out of treatment. On January 2, 2004, he called 911 and asked for the FBI. The dispatcher told him she could not send the FBI but she would send police officers. He called back and requested that police should not come because he would not know the real ones from the fakes. When two officers pulled into my driveway, he killed them with an assault rifle through my front window.

My son spent the next 14 months in the drunk tank of a jail built in early 1960's in semi-solitary. When a new jail was built in 2005, he was placed in a cell block with other inmates. He had been on meds and the new jail gave him a safe place. He was taken on two day trips to our state hospital for examination by a psychiatrist. His family was also interviewed by this doctor and his diagnosis was paranoid schizophrenia. Same diagnosis as at least three other phychiatrists and multiple other mental health professionals.

He was sent back to this hospital for three months to determine if he was competent to stand trial. The original doctor from this hospital that was assigned to his case was taken off and a new one was assigned. He was sent back to jail with a diagnosis of Psychotic Not Otherwise Specified and was taken off his meds. Back in jail and off his meds, he went downhill. The DA offered him a plea bargain for life without possibility of parole (LWOP) and he accepted. 

Days after my son arrived at prison, I heard on the local news that he was in ICU because he had been beaten by guards. When I got to Montgomery to see him, he was comotose, on life support, footcuffed to the bed and was being watched by two prison guards. He'd been beaten, but that was not the reason he was on life support. Prison staff recognized his serious mental illness (SMI) and gave him psychotropic drugs with heat warnings. Then they put him in a cell with no air circulation when temps outside were 108 degrees. He died from neuroleptic malignant syndrome .

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a life threatening neurological disorder caused by an adverse reaction to neuroleptic or antipsychotic drugs. When these drugs are given and the person is in heat conditions, the chances of NMS increase.

We won an open records law suit that forced the Department of Corrections (DOC) to release their records on my son's death and made Alabama government more accountable. We also won a wrongful death lawsuit against the DOC.

Photo Credit: Mary Barksdale
Will, Farron and Phillip Barksdale