THE VOICE OF MODESTO

Last week, I got a dreaded phone call from a dear friend. She told me that her daughter, Beth, had been shot dead while in a psychotic episode. She was threatening police in a school yard. We, who have mentally ill loved ones, always expect to get a phone call about our loved one at one time or another, but this was an especially difficult one since it involved a death, police, school personnel, and children. Needless to say, my phone was always ringing with my friends who belong to NAMI, National Alliance on Mentally Illness, and offering their respect and condolences to the Kropps. “So, what are we going to do now”, they say????

I have pondered this all week. First of all, we offer love, and respect and sympathy to the family. I have worked with Judy for years on panels, education teams and NAMI meetings and she has always been very professional and outspoken about the need for more education, advocacy and support. In fact, she meets quite often with consumers and family members in her hometown to offer just that.

Our NAMI Provider education program states that Community programs in place which have benefited people with mental illness are in serious jeopardy due to the cutbacks in federal funding. Also, the public, per se, denies that the human affliction of brain disease persists on every level of social organization. Society has not acknowledged the human pain and tragedy in these mental disorders, nor have they shown any interest in assuming the long term responsibility for care and cure of these human afflictions. In 2006, NAMI issued Grading the States: A Report on America’s Health Care System for Serious Mental Illness, which was the first comprehensive analysis of the nation’s mental health care system in 15 years. On the basis of 39 specific criteria, the report determined the national grade average was a D with 8 states rated as F. California ranked a C with only 5 states receiving grades in the B range; no state received an A. What are we to do???

We need to educate the public, our friends, family and officials. Teaching many family classes, and just in daily life, I realize that most people are afraid to mention mental illness because of the stigma attached. In our NAMI education programs, we teach that mental illness is a brain disease and can be helped with the proper treatment. Years ago when the mentally ill were locked in institutions, they did have more care and supervision. But, since 1970, when these institutions were closed, we have relied on county programs to offer services to the mentally ill and this became a budget item which has fluctuated throughout the four decades.

How does this help the Beth’s of this world? If the average caseload of a caseworker is over 50 clients, imagine trying to monitor, treat and track the whereabouts of the mentally ill. Imagine how it would be if Beth would have had a special mentor that could check in on her daily. Imagine how it would be if she had a special place to go daily to stimulate her personal skills; writing, speaking and sharing with others. Also, if we could have every police officer trained in the CIT training (Crises Intervention Training), imagine how different the situation could have been with Beth.

Many of our mentally ill in recovery are working, going to school and volunteering. You don’t hear about those. We need to be more sensitive to the ones who are loners and not participating in groups or activities. This is a wake up call for all of us!

NAMI offers education, support and advocacy and also a place to go for people who want an empathetic ear. We are here for the Kropps, and will continue to advocate for people who experience mental illness or are family members of a mentally ill loved one. Honor Elizabeth (Beth) by coming to the memorial service at the State Theater, Wednesday, December 23 at 11:30 a.m.

Lynn Padlo

NAMI President

Lpadlo234@comcast.net