Political Discussions With Children - Feb 2018

I noticed when Granddaughter Carson was visiting this past weekend that she was aware of the school shooting in Florida. She was able to discuss the issue from a ten year old child's perspective. Many would tell you that children should not listen to the news, nor get involved in political discussions at home. I totally disagree. In my opinion, if families are not discussing their own political beliefs and stating reasons why they hold them, children are totally vulnerable to the teachings in the classroom, which may be in direct opposition of a family's opinion. In other words, the family influenced side of the brain would be a blank slate, and the community at large influence would be filled with the teachings of the beliefs of others. Family political discussions allow children the opportunity to ask questions, and in most cases, leads to a discussion of history ... as it really happened. 

Watching the news keeps children apprised of current events, which should always be topics of discussions within the family structure. When I was born, my oldest bother was a Marine fighting on the front lines in all of those well known historical battle grounds. My father had two brothers and a son over there risking their lives daily fighting for the freedom of others, so he never missed a news report that he could get on the radio. From as early as 3 or 4 years old, I recall hearing the daily news, including Paul Harvey out of Chicago saying "Bad news tonight" as he began the war news report. My father would raise one finger in the air, and if I didn't see it, he would say, "Sister ...Be quiet so Daddy can hear the news." That meant I was quiet and listening. He was always ready to explain what it meant if I asked. 

When we all gathered around our family dinner table every night, there were many topics of conversation. Instead of Family Dinner, we could have appropriately called those times Family Value System Training Sessions. When enjoying Mother's delicious meals and discussing our individual experiences of each day, it seemed a perfect time in such a relaxing environment to have philosophical, political and religious discussions. There was no prohibited subjects. Sufficient time was given to all concerns. 

It is a choice that parents make, of course, but I strongly recommend that people realize what you are not teaching in the home will be discussed outside the home. You may want to think about making sure your opinions are given equal opportunity in your children's brains.~DrJ51

Mental Health 2018

The tragic school shooting in Florida on Valentine's Day, which has resulted thus far in the death of 17 people.  I am reminded of our failing mental health system throughout America ...

So many families try to get help for their loved ones when they know mental health treatment is needed. It can be an impossible assignment. Often, families are told "we can't do anything until he or she does something." In the heat of the moment of my mental health advocacy days, I often would say, "I believe we have given the mentally ill population the right to live on the streets and starve too death." 

Why does this country support spending billions on relocating non citizens here and helping people who live in other nations around the world while we literally ignore an insidious disease that affects almost every family in America in some way? Is it because mentally ill people cannot be looked upon by politicians as a dependable voting base? I have watched California, a state that even proudly announces it offers sanctuary to people illegally entering our borders, toss the responsibility for mental health services back and forth between Sacramento and local counties as if it is a hot football. It is a controversial issue for politicians, and they just don't want to get involved with something which doesn't guarantee votes in their next election and actually could cost them votes. Mental health professionals and families share in the responsibility for the failure of the mental health system. Instead of standing united for common causes and needs of the mentally ill, professionals bicker over territory, and families criticize the services they do have until they influence providers into serving other populations. 

When then Governor Reagan supported serving mentally ill people in the community in the 1970's, the Unions fought hard to keep mental health dollars in the state hospitals and psychiatric medical facilities throughout the state. The Unions won, and the patients lost. That resulted in the patients returning to the community, but the dollars did not follow them. Those newly released patients had to pay for halfway housing with the money they received from Supplemental Security Income (aka SSI). SSI was funded by federal dollars with the state providing a small additional amount. It barely covers the cost of a room today and certainly doesn't leave any dollars for food, not to even mention other of life's necessities.

On the other hand, when the State Department of Developmental Services began transferring developmentally disabled clients out of the state hospitals, they literally sent the money from the state hospital budgets to local 24 hour centers. A broad array of ancillary services also were developed at the same time to support all identifiable needs during and following the transition to the community. The advocacy network for the developmentally disabled population did stand united and still do today when seeking funding for developmentally disabled citizens.

When removing people from 24 hour supervised medical facility settings that provide food and shelter, common sense would tell us that same need for 24 hour supervision and food and shelter should be funded in the community in rehabilitation settings. 24 hour services should have priority when developing appropriate mental health systems in the communities. That is exactly what was done when designing a community system for developmentally disabled citizens. 24 hour services are always the first priority when removing developmentally disabled people from 24 hour supervised medical facilities, and the ancillary services are developed as needs arise and money is available. Unfortunately, the mental health dollars that should be used to fund 24 hour services and a broad array of ancillary services as is done for the developmentally disabled in California seem to get lost somewhere along the way between Sacramento and the patients. 

The bottom line is you have two distinct populations in California who have a multitude of similar needs for housing and assistance with their daily needs. Yet, one is being funded appropriately and the other has been left to make it on their own. When they do try to access mental health services, most are turned away today. When a family is fortunate enough to get someone admitted to a psychiatric hospital, they meet up with another set of complicated rules and laws which are supposed to protect the patient, but instead, they ultimately cause harm to the patient and their families.~DrJ51