On the CBS Evening News (cbsnews.com) today, a tragic story was told. Apparently a man with a serious mental health problem was living on the streets of New Orleans, LA. A young female officer was attempting to interview him and he wrestled her gun away. Then he shot her 15 times. This brave young woman died doing her job. Trying to keep the peace in a community ravaged by nature and government neglect.
The story highlighted the shortage of mental health care in the state of Louisiana. Apparently, since Katrina, mental health care facilities have been boarded up and mental health care practitioners have left the state. The American Psychiatric Association in a recent publication discussed the exodus of providers from Louisiana because of terrible pay (December/07 Psychiatry News (pn.psychiatryonline.org/). It has been said before that you get what you pay for. There is no question that this young officers life is priceless to the loved one's she left behind. The life of all the homeless folks are in many ways lost also. To be homeless is to be cast away, a death of sorts. A national embarrassment.
When are we going to assume that people with mental health problems matter? All illnesses are costly. In the grand scheme of things, mental health care is cheap. It should be like all health care, an investment in people. Cars need maintenance and so do people. If your mind and brain are in distress, attention early on makes a difference. Costs increase and accumulate if you don't put oil in your cars motor. Ignoring mental health problems when something can be done, lends itself to death, destruction and tragedy. Heavy costs.
The costs of not paying up front won't allow us to escape paying at some point. Paying with the loss of a young, brave officers life and incarcerating a man with a serious problem is stupid and thoughtless. The outcome of excellent mental health care is amazing and must be pursued with vigor. Otherwise you will pay later, at a much higher cost.
For more information on my thoughts regarding health care costs, read the February 14th Carmel Valley News or on February 21st the Rancho Santa FE Review (sdranchcoastnews.com). Take care.
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Perhaps it is time to separate the medical professional from the mental health professional in terms of training and professional status. I fail to see what setting a broken bone (which the medical model handles fairly well) has to do with the complexities of a the melding of compassion and neuroscience.
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