This is also my story, two of my four
children have mental illness: paranoid schizophrenia and
schizo-effective disorder. Between the two, I've experienced everything
that was talked about in the video(including homelessness, and suicide
attempts-none successful). Neither are getting the appropriate help and
support to do well in the community. I want to get this message out to
the right people. There is a district attorney that I have had multiple
contact with. He is proactive with my son and I am going to send this
video to him. If there is more I can do please advise. Thanks for
getting this message out.
-Father of loved ones with severe mental illness
Our son went through the court
system in
conjunction with our local mental health facility due to a run in with
the law. I don't know what would have happened had he not had this
opportunity. The courts worked with his treatment as well as held him
accountable during his probation. We are so grateful that he was given
the chance to prove himself without incarceration.
-Mother of a loved one with
severe mental illness
Thanks for the DVD – greatly
appreciated! It really offered the first rays of hope for our family
dealing with a perennially bleak situation. I plan on watching it with
my family this weekend, since they still don’t understand how AOT can
help my sister obtain the help she so desperately needs, and break the
cycle of endless hospitalizations. The DVD also provides a clear
example of how AOT is supposed to work if implemented properly, and all
parties involved put the patient’s needs above their own privileged
professional status and egos. Without the political will and moral
toughness of these professionals, especially the presiding judge over
an AOT proceeding, the current ‘revolving-door’ outpatient treatment
standard will never change. True reform of a broken system is never
easy, but I believe AOT can literally help save peoples’ lives, which I
feel is worth fighting for.
-Father of a loved one with
severe mental illness
This is to thank you for sending
the video Stopping the Revolving Door. We identify with stories that
are told and believe in the need for changes that are described. We
thank you for the permission to duplicate the video and we plan to do
that and to circulate copies among service providers in our area.
-Family members of someone with
severe mental illness