As we approach May, I draw your attention to May being Mental
Health Awareness Month. What do you
think of when you hear the term “mental illness?” Do you think it is only people you see who
you think have an obvious mental illness?
Do you think of only certain classes of illness or what you see in the
movies? Do you think it certainly can’t
be me? Do you think that certainly a
person of faith will not have a mental illness?
This is just the surface of the stereotypes and stigma that goes along
with mental illness. It is often hard to
acknowledge that help is needed, but that is the first and critical step on the
road to recovery.
There are many reports of arrests and mistreatment of
those who have called for help due to an exacerbation of symptoms of mental
illness and the end result is prison or death.
The criminalization of the mentally ill must stop.
Many members of society charged with a crime suffer from
mental illness and in spite of the views of many members of society, the United
States Constitution states people charged with a crime, whether a minor offense
or a major criminal act must still be afforded their basic human rights. According
to the American Civil Liberties Union those rights
include:
- The right to
adequate medical and mental health care,
- The right to
informed consent to treatment
- The right to
have regular and timely access to medical and mental health staff that is
culturally competent and qualified to provide adequate treatment and
supervision.
- The right to be
free from corporal punishment, chemical restraints, and sexual abuse or
coercion.
- The right to an
individualized written treatment plan periodically reviewed and revised
based on the prisoner’s needs
Far too many prisoners are held in deplorable conditions
and treated less than human.
For mental health treatment to be successful within the
prison population these and all other rights must be adhered to,
decriminalization of mental health must continue to be advocated for. Prison diversion programs are designed to
prevent the incarceration of mentally ill offenders and to promote their
transition into an appropriate community-based treatment. Here the limitations of public policy and
legislative actions hinder diversion programs’ success.
Realizing the availability of mental health services in
correctional facilities is limited; community advocates continue to seek
funding opportunities to build mental health facilities staffed with trained
professionals. For example, the Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC) has
called for a true Community Benefits Agreement with the Q Arena Expansion and
part of that proposal calls for (1) a Community Equity Fund for distressed
neighborhoods for jobs, youth and capital projects (2) two Mental Health
Substance Abuse Crisis Centers on the CLE East and West Side (3) $35M
Philanthropic Investment from Rock Ventures CEO and Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert to
initially capitalize the fund and initiate the mental health and substance
abuse crisis center projects
We continue to fight to eradicate the stigma associated
with mental illness, we continue the fight to ensure our communities are equipped
with mental health professionals and facilities, we continue the fight to
ensure our police force is properly trained in dealing with mental illness.
More people are finding the courage and bravery to come
forward and acknowledge that they have a mental health problem; as a result they
are often met with the stigma of discrimination and stereotypes whereas it
should be met with hope, encouragement, and support. I urge you during the month of May for Mental
Health Awareness Month, to be observant, be accepting, to be an advocate.
If you know someone with a mental health problem or if you
know that it is you in need of a mental health professional, tear down the scaffolding
of the shame, fear, and stereotypes and seek the help that is needed. A few online resources are listed here for
you.
Peace,
SharB~TTSD
