My Point of View of Oregon's Mental Health Program

Mentally ill are not Criminals

2009-06-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

#3 series, On June 25th Brittany finely calls again after 7PM I was about to go to work. She said that she could not see she was forced to remove her contacts because she wore then for a week in jail had no way of cleaning them and needed cleaning solution and a way to hold them to take them out.The jail would not provide any of these things so she had to take them out and not wear them now she is half blind in jail and know one seem to care.She asked me to bring her reading glasses from home.I told her I don't think the jail people will let me bring them in.

The next day I called Brittany's attorney and ask him if he would take her the classes he got all pissed at me and told me that was not his problem and that I should work it out with the jail.I still think it is part his problem because he did not do anything to prevent her from being in jail.He also told me Brittany's appointment at the Oregon Mental Health Hospital is scheduled for 7-14-2009 and Brittany will stay in jail until that date and then will be sent down for the testing that will take about a half a day then will sent back to jail till another court date can be made and the Judge decides what to do with her next leaver in jail or who really knows with this judge. I still say no person suffering with Schizophrenia should be in jail unless they have killed or tried to kill someone and Brittany charge is Criminal Trespass.

That same day I called the attorney I also called the court appointed Mental Health Counselor which he never called me back.I wanted to know why they are holding her in jail and not giving her any medication that they were trying to do with this program.Now that she is a captive person that they could get her to do anything they wanted.2 weeks in jail and never once tried to give her any medication.

Today June27th finely after 2 weeks I and Joshua, Brittany's finely got to go in an visit her in jail. I and Joshua was not impressed.First off I called the jail to make sure we were on Brittany's visitors list we were and of course no one told us that the visit time was 7 PM we showed up around noon to be turned a way till 7M.When we were at the jail at noon I took Brittany her reading glasses and new contacts and holding cases and contact cleaning solution and gave all this to the jail personal at the front desk and the took it from me and told me they would run them back to her. What a lie 7 hours later when we talk to her during the visit I asked her if she got all the things I dropped off for her she said no no one had given her any of these things.

The visit was very emotional and nerve racking. I was ready to turn this world up side down.We should not have to live in a world that treats the mentally ill this way. Brittany started crying as soon as she seen us.Some days I really hate the world that we have made for our selves. The type of people that come up with rules that send people like Brittany to jail should not even live amongst us we would have a much better place to live in. We had to talk on a phone and look at each other through a small glass window just like you see on TV like Brittany is some hardened criminal when she is not.There was no personal contact something that Brittany could have used right at that moment.

We talk of why she was I jail because the court has not told her anything since getting in jail she did not even know when her appointment was at the state mental hospital.She just knows the days go by and no on e tells her anything and her attorney won't come and talk to her about and tell her anything about what is going on and is very up set she knows there is no real sold reason for keeping her in jail I my self have not been told a real reason either and most of the time no one calls me back.

Lets get down to her mental condition this ordeal has really to a toll on her mentally. When she is at the house she can try not to listen to the voices by cleaning house, watching TV, playing with the dogs, going shopping,making beads or some of the wild goose chases the got her in this jail mess occupying her time trying to ignore the voices. In jail she is kept in a cell there is no TV to watch nothing to entertain her just a small cell that she paces back and forth in all day. She could read a book but up to this day she could not see good enough to read a book.I hope the jail personal release the glasses and contacts to her so she at least can read something and not have to sit in that jail cell with nothing to do but listen to the voices in her head 24 hours a day 7 days a week.She says the the jail personal are not very nice and if she tries to ask for anything from them they get angry at her.

After talking with her I am afraid that this could drive her over the edge to suicide after this whole jail thing is over just because the time there will be to long for her to handle and she is not getting the counsel meetings that she would go to every week when at the house at the clinic in Sandy,OR. No one from the mental health counsel center has come to check on her to see how she is holding up.The jail personal just treat her like a criminal and when she tried to ask for any help from them she just get anger and punishment treats for bothering them. No mentally ill person deserves this kind of treatment for this long of time.

I received a letter from Oregon State Attorney Generals office on the complaints I made about how Judge Robert Selander of the Clackamas County Court runs the Mental Health Court and also how she has been treated in the Clackamas County jail system. The letter basically told me that they only handle public complaints if they involve a business they do nothing to help the public if the complaint is against a Government office of any kind. They will not step in and tell Judge Robert Selander or the Clackamas County Jail how to run there Departments even if it is effecting the public in a bad way. So my question is then who does because both these government agencys has some very series flaws that are effecting the mentally ill people of Oregon.

Even Brittany and I son Joshua stated that Oregons Mental Health Programs should not be anywhere near they Courts or Jails of Oregon they should be in different buildings staffed by people that are more quilified to handle the needs of the mentally ill, he is only 18 and made that observation in the car on the way home after our visit at the jail to see his mother. So why can't Oregon State Government figure that out and stop making excuses when dealing with mentally ill peoples lives.

44 Year Old Schizophrenic Woman Mistreated

2009-06-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Continence of first blog. On June 3,2009 I left the court room in a big rush to find Brittany so as to keep her out of jail on this all important day in her life.I was able to get her on her cell phone.I told her what kind of trouble she was in and because of her mental illness thinking she did not believe what I was trying to tell her.She new she had to go to Joshua's Graduation and was afraid to even go near the court after what the Judge had done to her the day before.I tried to explain to her that if she did not return to the court by 5Pm that day the police will come out to the house and arrest her about the time we were to go down for Joshua's Graduation celebration. Brittany would hot tell me were she was accused me of working with the court to get her in jail and all the other craze thinking that comes with this illness. This went on all morning call her on her cell phone she would keep hanging up on me.Finely about 1PM after I told her I give up she took her self to the court and filled out the court papers and the Judge dropped the warrant that day luckily.

We all made it to Joshua's Graduation and it made us both proud of him.Brittany's next court date was June 4.2009 she made it down there with out any problems. That day Brittany was given a new Mental health councilor one that is part of the Mental health court program.His office is located in Oregon City, Or real close to the court house his office is 50 miles round trip from were Brittany lives.On June 6, Brittany went to see him and find out what the next step would be in this Court Program. She came home that day all angry because this new counselor wanted her to drive down his office everyday so one of his staff could give her the medication the court wanted her to drive 50 miles everyday for as long as they tell her to do it. Brittany had been going over to a clinic in Sandy, OR about 6 miles away for about 3 years I said it would be better if they sent her over there everyday.I did not like her having to be driving that many miles everyday bad enough she has to drive over there for these court dates but those are not everyday.

On June 5th Brittany went down without a court date and sat in the Judge's court room until he would speak to her and asked if she could take the pills at the Sandy.OR clinic. The Judge told her she needed some more mental evaluation test and set her up for a court date June 8, everything seem to be going ok this week She went to her court date on Monday. I heard about no other court dates this week because no one will tell me about any of that unless I find paperwork around the house or can figure out how Brittany is interpreting what she was told at the court or other meetings she may be sent to.

Earler in the week I found out about court required meeting on Friday June 12th to meet with a MHC late in the day on Friday.When I went to work that morning I reminded Brittany to be at that meeting or the judge will sender her to jail again, she said that will never happen to her again. That night when I got home I asked her if she had gone to the meeting that day. She told me she tried to and when she arrived at the Sandy Clinic it was closed so she came home. This was around 7PM I asked her if she went to the right place she thought she had because this gal had seen her before at the Sandy Clinic before she got put in the Mental Court program.

I new she was in big trouble again just because I know how the Judge runs his program and a mistake like this will not matter to him.Program rules were broken. I asked Brittany to show me the paperwork telling her were she needed to be that Friday. It was in a office in Oregon City. So Brittany called the after hours number on the paperwork and left a message telling the MHC of the misunderstanding she had made.I also had Brittany call and set up a new appointment with this MHC which was done on Monday the 15th. I am not sure if Brittany had a court date for Monday the 15th because no one from the court will give me info about what she is doing in the program.

About 3Pm a MHC from the court program calling me asking were Brittany is because the Judge had issued a warrant for her arrest. I told him I did know I had been in Seattle all day last time I talk to her was when I left for work. He told me she needed to contact the court and turn her self in. I called Brittany told her what was going on with the Judge again. She did not believe me because she already took care of all that and had set up a new appointment time with Karen the MHC she was suppose to have seen last Friday. I still told her to contact the court any way. She kind of in her mental way said she would but still thought that she did not need to.

At 6PM Monday night I arrived home I asked her if she had taken care of the warrant at the court she told me no she did not call them.I told her she will be arrested that night because it was to late to contact to court.She still did not believe it because she had already contacted Karen the MHC about all this and solved all the problems. About 7:15 Pm that night 3 police cars showed up out here and took Brittany to jail on the warrant on June 15th 2009 she is still in jail today.

The next day I started calling her Attorney, her mental health counselor,no one would call me back so each night I would call the jail to make sure she was still there they would tell me a little about what was going on.She had 2 court dates after being taken to jail and each time I heard about a court date I figured that day she would be released from jail.Also from day one after being arrested Brittany has been sitting in jail on no bail.She is mentally ill not a criminal .

Then on Thursday June 18th I received a call from a court program MHC Brittany's new MHC and he said that the Judge has decided to send Brittany down to Salem to the Oregon Mental Health Hospital for some test and evaluation which should take a half a day to complete.I asked him when this was going to take place he told me he was not sure.Then 45 min after this call Brittany's Attorney called me and told me basically the same store except that he informed me that the State Mental Hospital has a 40 day back log because of budget cuts and layoffs at the hospital and the Judge stated that Brittany will have to stay in Clackamas county jail till she get this evaluation. I am outraged or parents are siblings are outraged and this Judge is not budging on his decision he just said he did not want her to stay in jail any longer then she needed to. Come on she is mentally ill she should have never been put in jail in the first place.

Since she was put in jail on June 15th I have contacted the Associated Press about this story, The Oregonian Newspaper, Katu channel 2, The Oregon Attorney Generals office, Even sent a e-mail to the President of the United Stated. Today Katu channel 2 sent me a e-mail showing some interest in Brittany's story.

Now I will tell you about how Brittany is getting treated in jail and how Brittany is going to end up sitting in jail for 2 weeks from her arrest date with out any family visits because of rules that are designed for the bad people in jail very bad rules in place the hurt confused mentally ill people in the jail system and no one seems to care even though the jail is taking care of the mentally ill in Oregon with out proper training or jail rules in place to help the mentally ill stuck in a ordeal were they get put in Clackamas County Jail System.

I have no way of contacting Brittany in jail and the people running the jail will not take messages for her from me against jail rules. Luckily Brittany called me Thursday the 18th and I told her about how the Judge is going to hold for another 40 days no one had told her about this decision. When I talk to her she wanted me to come visit her I was working on Friday and would not be able to come to the jail till Saturday. On Saturday when I went to the jail to see Brittany the personal told me I could not see her.A woman that is severely mentally ill and has never been to jail before and has been in jail for 5 days without any family contact except a couple of short phone calls over the last 5 days.

The jail personal told me Brittany had to fill out some paperwork requesting a visitor and she can only have visitors on Saturday and Tuesday jail rules.I asked jail personal if Brittany was told about this form she needed to fill out.They told me she was given a paper about jail rules when she was brought in on Monday the 15th.I asked this person if any verbally told her about this paper she needs to fill out this person said no that is against jail rules. I explained to this person that she suffers from mental illness and needs a little help with that kind of stuff. This person at the jail looked up Brittany's jail records and verified the the jail records indicated that Brittany was mentally ill and I was not lying to the jail personal.This person also told that there is a 2 day waiting period for approval and she will need basic information about the visitor when she figures out she needs to fill out this form to get visitors.

Before I left the jail that day I nicely asked this jail worker to please go back and tell Brittany about the form I asked 3 different times and was told no every time that is against jail rules.So I put money on Brittany's jail commissary account so she could get shampoo for her hair and maybe a candy bar.She wanted a brush for her hair but jail personal will not let me bring anything from home for her I hope they have one for her to buy at the jail. I can't bring her any magazines, books nothing against jail rules. I have been waiting for Brittany to call so I could tell her about the paper she needs to fill out but I have not received a call from her since when I talk to her on Thursday the 18th if even if she calls me tonight it is already to late to get a visit approved for Tuesday Brittany's only other visitors day.The next day will be Saturday the 27 th that will be 13 days in jail for a mentally ill person that has never been in jail in her life.But those are jail rules.

When I got home from my visit to the jail I contacted the Oregon Attorney Generals office asking them to investigate how jail rules maybe wrongfully made up and could be hurting mentally ill people housed in the Clackamas County jail system. I have not heard back from them yet. Well this is all I know so far I will return with any and all up dated as long as Brittany stays in jail and my fight to get her out and fight this flawed system.Even after Brittany get out of jail I will up date the Blog with what goes on with this Judge and this really really flawed Mental Health Court Program that Brittany will most likely have to stay in for a least a year maybe longer. Thanks for reading up to this point from Author Dean

Mentally ill woman treated as criminal .

2009-06-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

This blog is about Brittany age 44 a woman that lives in Oregon and has had severe schizophrenia for the last 4 years.She is a very wonderful person most of her life I have loved her for many many years and we have a son together.Our son is name Joshua my name is Dean we all live together in Eagle Creek,Oregon on a private 10 acre property.Brittany and I were married for 14 years and even worked together as sleeper team couple driving truck from Oregon out to Idaho for 8 years and yes Brittany would drive over the mountain passes on I-84 even in the winter months. She was a really good truck driver.Then in 1997 we went and bought our own truck and started our own family business within 2 years end of 1999 Brittany and I got a divorce and ended our 14 year marriage.Brittany wanted it because she could not handle the stress of running a family business and was also lured by some guy named Scott that lived in American Fork, Utah that Brittany had been communicating with over the internet.

Brittany got her divorce rented a truck emptied the house of all our belongings we had accumulated over our 14 year marriage and loaded our son up now 8 and headed to Utah. 7 months later after they left for Utah Brittany sent our son Joshua back to Eagle Creek to live with me. Joshua did not like Scott at all and was rebelling.So then I was forced to take Joshua in the truck with me when I could and my father help take care of Joshua when I was going to be gone to long that Joshua would miss school my father would stay at my place and care for Joshua and get him to school every day.

Scott and Brittany were spouse to get married but it never happened for what ever reason only Scott and Brittany really know.July 2003 Brittany left Scott she bought a car and just started traveling around living in the car staying were ever not sure were to go.I think that the mental illness may have started over in Utah I cant be sure of that because I have never spoken to Scott. Plus Brittany was really starting to miss Joshua and he refused to come back to Utah to live with her and Scott.By August 2003 she was back in Oregon to visit and has never left. We have always stayed friends throughout the divorce for our sons sake.

When Brittany started living with us again it was like when we were first married we were in love all over again it was a great feeling we went on a weeks vacation to Shasta Lake,Ca. Stayed on a house boat with friends of my from the company that I do most of my business with.My son was with us it was like old times. But when we got home from the vacation I started noticing things where not the same with Brittany. She had paranoid thoughts ,though the government and other people were watching her. That was not as bad after a while or maybe Josh and I just got use to all that I don't know.

Around late March early April 2005 she started having one voice in her head. When the voice started it turned her live up side down that was a rough year for all of us. She was getting hauled to the hospital at least once a month no one would help her the way she needed to get helped. She even tried to kill her self 3 times that year but was unsuccessful all 3 times luckily. She got put in the Clackamas Mental Health system but it was not working for her they could not seem to help her no matter how hard they tried.

In to 2006 and 2007 Brittany began to have multiple voice talking in her head to this day she really can't get any sleep because the group of voices she says never stops talking 24 hours a day 7 days a week one of her voices will be talking. The only time she really falls a sleep is watching TV in the family room because she is so tired from not able to sleep when she needs to. It has been so sad to see her having to deal with this illness.

In 2008 she had so many voices in her head I lost count and so did Brittany and she started calling the her talk group or for short The group. By this time the voices are running her life telling her what to do sending her on wild goose chases everyday.The voices insult her tell her she fat or don't eat that what ever insult they can come up with. She is still like this to this day.

In 2008 was when the trouble started with the police and when I really found out how bad the system is against the Mentally ill in Clackamas County and the rest of Oregon. This is the year that Brittany discovered a brand new house being built about 4 miles from were me live and she started going over to the construction site when ever she had a chance to watch the house being built.I did not know any thing about this house or that she was over there just about everyday.Well this went on for 10 months while the house was being built. She was over there so much the contractors thought she was family of the owner of the house.

When the house was completed and the owners were just days from moving into the home is were everything went terrible wrong and Brittany ended up in jail. Brittany I guess was over at the house when the owners were there asking them when she could move in to her house. In the time she was watching the house be built her voices group started telling her the house was being built for her and even today she still thinks that is her house. She can't figure out why everyone keeps stopping her from moving in and why the police keep sending her to jail for being over there. That night Brittany was charged with Criminal Trespass and went to jail for about 3 hours that night.

The arresting officer called me and told me that sending her to jail should scare her into never going over to the house again I told him she was mentally ill and he was very aware of that and what he called Catch and Release jail time with a treat of more jail time should put a end to this problem. I bet you can guess that it did not.She kept going over there sometimes she would stand at the road and look at what she still thinks is her house.The owners of the house had custom made signs put at the end of both sides of there driveway.Stating that,
No Trespassing,Brittany this is not your house in big letters.

Brittany's case went through regular court for 6 months she would go down to the Clackamas County Court every other week but nothing ever happaned just kept dragging a long. Then the end of May 2009 her case was getting sent to Clackamas County Mental Court.I and Joshua thought she might get some help even her mental health councilor thought she would finely get the help she needed.We were all wrong.Terrible wrong what has happened could have never been guessed by any one.

First court date in Mental Health Court,Brittany's mental health councilor came out to the house to pick her up and take her to court plus she was asked to come by the new Judge the date was June 2,2009. So we had all the people that know first had about Brittany's case MHC,the attornery and everyone was ready to help the Judge figure out how to handle her case.As so as Brittany entered the court room the Judge had her arrested,her attorney was surprised as was her MHC.The judge claimed that the people called in to the police the day before claiming Brittany had got close enough to the house to touch it back to jail she went for 4 hous this time. I had to stop from leaving town I got the call when I was walking out to my truck to leave on a trip.

After I got her out of jail I took her home and left for a trip to New Port, Oregon which took all night.The next morning Brittany was to be back in court at 9 AM or this new Judge was going to send her to jail again.I new that Brittany would not show up for court after what had happened the day before and how they arrested her with in minutes of arriving at the court room the day before.I tried calling her at 8:30AM to make sure she was going to show up in court she would not anwser her cell phone. I headed over to the court room I wanted to have it out with this Judge that is suppose to be in charge of the Mental Health Court Program. Plus June 3,2009 was a very special day in Brittany's life and she could not be sent to jail that day no matter what I had to stop this Judge.

June 3,2009 was Jushua's Graduation day from high school that only happens once in a life time event and Joshua is Brittany's only son. I explained the evening event to the Judge asked him to put her in jail the next day if that was what the court had to do for her for not showing up and I explained to him about the way she thinks because of her illness he did not care and ordered a warrant for her arrest because I did not know were she was but if I could find her and bring her to court and agree to come to court the next day he would drop the warrant on her.

I am going to stop here its getting late and I need to go trucking in the early morning heading for Seattle.