It’s time for change, starting with more beds in hospitals

The day before the Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds was assaulted by his son, Austin Deeds, Austin underwent a psychiatric evaluation, but was not admitted to a hospital because there were no beds available, according to NY Daily News.

Senator Creigh Deeds and son Austin Deeds.

It was reported that 24-year-old Gus Deeds died after he attacked his father and then shot himself directly afterwards. Austin stabbed his father in the chest and the face, and the Washington Post reported that investigators suspected it was an attempted murder and suicide.

According to the Post, the attack on the senator brought new scrutiny to Virginia’s mental-health system. Austin was issued an emergency custody order on Monday, after he was evaluated by officials at the Rockbridge County Community Services Board, said Mary Ann Bergeron, the executive director of the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards.

Then, the Rockbridge officials called hospitals in the area looking for a bed but were unable to find one, according to the Huffington Post.

This tragedy could have been avoided if more beds were available. It was apparent that Austin Deeds needed help, based off the medical tests, and it is very sad to hear he was released and to wonder if all of this could have been avoided and a life saved.

“I can tell you right now, it was multiple hospitals that they called,” said Bergeron. “That is a very rural area. The hospitals are few and far between.”

Tuesday morning, after the stabbing took place, Creigh Deed’s was found stumbling down his driveway, when a cousin of his saw him and drove him to a safe place for a helicopter to come, according to the Huffington Post. Austin was reported to have been suffering from the gun-shot wound, and had died before they could stabilize him.

Not only was this crime a tragedy for the Deed’s family, it was a tragedy as well for the neighbors, family friends and the surrounding community.

“. . . His pains will go away, but he will never get over losing a child,” said Bestsy Byrd, a neighborhood friend. “His heart must be broken. All of our hearts are broken.”

Family and friends knew of Austin’s mental health, and reports have shown that his father has always tried to help. A close friend of the senator’s, David J. Toscano, spent the day at the hospital with the family.

“He was very close to his son and spent a lot of time trying to help him,” said Toscano.

According to TIME, research from the Treatment Advocacy Center, a national nonprofit focused on eliminating barriers to treatment of severe mental illness, reported that it is estimated that a person with severe mental illness is three times more likely to be in a state prison than a psychiatric hospital.

Fox News reported that police have talked with Deeds at the hospital, but they have not revealed what he said or any motive for the attack.

This is a developing story, so more information will be coming.

Trial Date set for the murder of Kelly Thomas: Cops drunk on their own power vs. Cameras

The trial for a murder that took place in 2011 is finally almost here, where two cowardly and cruel ex-police officers will be put in front of a room full of well  thought out and picked jurors. 

Former Fullerton, California, police officers, Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli, are preparing for their trial which is tentatively set for Dec. 2. Both officers are accused in the beating and murder of Kelly Thomas, a mentally ill homeless man who was a well-known figure in the city’s downtown area, according to the LA Times.

If you are unfamiliar with this criminal act, you can read the Orange County Register’s article from September, here. This was the first time in Orange County Police history that a cops have been charged with killing someone while on duty.

In the stages leading up to picking the final group of jurors, a pool of 118 potential jurors were given a 13-page questionnaire to complete. The questionnaire contained a variety of questions which all involved their experiences with homeless people, mental health issues and excessive use of force by police.

LA Times also reported that the questionnaire asked if the fact that Tony Rackauckas, Orange County’s longtime district attorney, was the lead trial lawyer for the prosecution, would it affect their decision. Potential jurors were asked many other questions on whether they have had negative or positive interactions with homeless men and women and whether they believed that law enforcement officers were “always” truthful.
Video surveillance caught the whole crime on tape. It shows both Ramos and Cicinelli revealingly beating the victim, Thomas, as he calls out for help.

“Dad, they are killing me,” LA Times reported he yelled at one point.

The original video went on for over 3o minutes and can we viewed below. [Skip to 14:30 where cops show up—graphic]

“You are covered in blood, dude,” one officer can be heard saying to another.

Former Officer Manuel Ramos is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter and former Cpl. Jay Cicinelli with involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force in the July 2011 death of the 37-year-old Thomas.

Updates of the trial will be reported on Dec. 2.

Homeless family campground in California forcibly shut down

Hangtown Haven’s Director, Arthur Edwards, or as the residents jokingly call him, the “godfather,” remembers his mother feeding the homeless during the Depression.

“She told me never to turn my back on those in need,” Edwards said.

After putting his dreams to action, Edwards created Hangtown Haven, a California self-governed campground for homeless people.

On Friday, November 15, after 16 months, Hangtown Haven was forced to shut down, according to the Los Angeles Times.

KCRA News reported that Hangtown Haven opened in Placerville, California, in July 2012 on a private land. Placerville has a poplularion of 10,000 and this campground served dozens of homeless people, which also consisted of its own community council and a library.

This campground offered special nights with different “themes.” Wednesdays were family night where approximately 30 to 40 residents watched DVDs on mammoth outdoor TV.

Besides all the fun that these movie nights consisted of, the residents also nursed one another through drug and alcohol detoxification and other struggles of life that a person may be going through, all while in their tents.

These tents came with an approved heater and fire extinguishers hung every few feet along the fence. Water from the 400-foot well went through a filtration system. Each resident had gone through background checks prior to living on the campgrounds. The residents of Hangtown Haven set their own rules: no alcohol, drugs or panhandling, and no sex offenders.

The LA Times reported that the mayor encouraged this campgrounds mission, churches embraced it and even one police chief said it brought down crime.

“This was the most functional family I ever had by far,” said Becky Nylander, a member of the camp’s community council.

Friday, when Hangtown Haven was shut down, it left people upset, confused and for the residents of Hangtown Haven, back to the streets.

“People shouldn’t have to live in tents,” said Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness in Washington, D.C. “We can do better.”

With the colds of winter just around the corner, why was this the right time for Hangtown Haven to be forcibly shut down? The neighborhoods complain about the campground, BUT the council has done everything they can for the residents of Hangtown Haven as well as the surrounding neighborhoods, by placing their location that is not in plain view. Many of their residents have overcome their addictions while living there, learned of appropriate ways to handle their mental illnesses and in some cases, became part of a family they may have not have had otherwise.

 The Sacramento Bee and Fox both reported the forced shut down was due to neighborhood complaints.

“We had a good run,” Nylander said. “They think if we go away, all the homeless will go away.We absolutely were part of the solution, not the problem.”

The Haven’s closing comes after complaints from the neighborhood that the effort also drew an influx of transients, still more illegal campgrounds and increased litter and property crime in the town of 10,000 residents. However, police said people at Hangtown Haven weren’t to blame for the troubles. More complaints were: the lagging economy; early release of more jail inmates after California began sending state prisoners to live in county facilities; and “a misconception,” apparently fanned among homeless wanderers, “that Placerville has become a destination point,” The Sacramento Bee stated.

The Daily Republic reported that Placerville has become a destination point for people as far as from New York.

To help out during this time, approximately a dozen Placerville-area churches opened a rotating shelter system to provide nighttime lodging for a limited number of homeless people, including displaced Hangtown Haven residents, during the winter months, reported The Sacramento Bee.

“The homeless population is not going to go away,” Nylander said. “And they’re pulling the rug out from under 30 people. This place worked. It was a miracle. And it worked.”

Shenae Grimes stars in new movie “Sugar,” spreading awareness on teen homelessness

Leading actress, Shenae Grimes, from the hit series 90210, stars in a new dramatic movie called Sugar. This film follows the lives of a group of homeless teens who venture to Venice Beach, California, where they are faced with temptation, the struggles of poverty and meeting friends that would in time change their lives.

The movie premiered in Washington D.C. on Thursday, November 14, which according to Sugar’s twitter, Sugar was a sold out screening. The movie will screen around the country, with its next stop being Los Angeles California on November 22.

The film was inspired by true events, according to the writer and director, Rotimi Rainwater. Rainwater spoke at the premiere event and explained his own life journey and how he incorporated his character traits throughout the personalities of the group of characters in the film. Sugar is inspired by true events and has hopes of spreading awareness of youth homelessness throughout America. Rainwaters story can be read here http://www.thesugarmovie.com/directors-story.html

Many teens in America are lucky enough to have a warm bed to come home to. However, many do not as well. The issue of youth homelessness needs to be addressed. Advocacy groups are one way of expressing these needs, but movies are another great way. Who doesn’t love going to the movies? Who doesn’t enjoy movies based on true events, especially where they can learn something new? Exactly. Rainwater had a life that wasn’t the most glamours, BUT he made it the best he could and rose to where he knew his potential was.

This could just be the beginning of the change that America needs to take.

Watch the trailer of Sugar below.

Homeless Veterans: New Report

According to the New York Times, a new report was just released by an advocacy group called the “100,000 Homes Campaign.”  The 100,000 Homes Campaign is a national movement of communities working together to find permanent homes for 100,000 homeless Americans by July of 2013. To date, 102 communities have joined the Campaign, and these communities have collectively housed 11,225 homeless individuals nationwide.

photo courtesy Social Innovation

The new report showed that once veterans become homeless, they are likely to remain homeless longer than non-veterans—and are more likely to report having serious health problems.

Although this report found no clear data, it did come up with interesting data. This study was based on surveys with 23,000 homeless people conducted over several years. The NY Times reported that the study was to look at why veterans are disproportionately represented among homeless population. Roughly 3,500 of the 23,000 homeless people surveyed were veterans.

The NY Times reported that, “older people tend to be homeless longer — and indeed the survey found that 21 percent of the veterans in its sample were over 60 years old, while only about 9 percent of the non-veterans were over that age. But the report asserted that age alone could not explain why veterans seem to be living on the street or in shelters longer than other people, as researchers found that even after controlling for age, veterans were homeless longer.”

When a person deals with homelessness, they in many cases, deal with a great deal more as well. A federal report from last month, found that homeless veterans were more likely to have disabilities.

The survey was conducted by volunteers trained by community organizations or by the campaign itself, which is a project of Community Solutions, a nonprofit group. The year-old campaign has set a goal of working to help communities find permanent housing for 100,000 homeless people by 2013.

The campaign director, Becky Kanis, said the group is focusing on reducing the time it takes for veterans to receive housing vouchers through the federal government, known as Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing. Just like many other assistance programs, the application process can take months and sometimes years.

The NY Times ended their reporting by explaining that New York City and Los Angeles have eliminated steps and improved coordination between various local and federal agencies involved in approving the hosuing vouchers, by cutting out two months of their processing time.

“Two months is a long time when you’re on the street,” Kanis said.

For the full report: http://100khomes.org/sites/default/files/images/NationalSurveyofHomelessVeterans.pdf

New rules to cover treatment of mental health

The Obama administration announced new rules on Friday that will require insurers to cover the treatment of mental health and substance abuse.

Below, Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, spoke at the Rosalyn Carter Symposium on Mental Health at the Carter Center on Friday.

The regulations would cover “most” of the 85 percent of Americans who have health insurance, according to The New York Times.

Homeless U.S. Army Veteran Undergoes Amazing Transformation

According to the Huffington Post, Jim Wolf struggled with homelessness and alcoholism, but due to a unique initiative by Dégagé Ministries, Wolf was recently given the opportunity for a complete makeover.

In the time-lapse video below, it captures the transformation of a homeless United States Army veteran.

Another shooting, another reason for stronger mental health treatment

A shooting at a popular New Jersey Mall, Westfield Garden State Plaza, has ended in a tragedy as a young 20 year old man took his life and was later found by authorities at 3am on Tuesday morning.

A likable young man, Richard Shoop, who authorities identified as the gunman, is believed to have come to the mall to end his own life, according to NBC News.

After shooting 6 rounds, all of which hit an elevator, several storefronts and an escalator, Governor Chris Christie said no people were hit or injured, but stressed this could have ended much worse. NBC News also reported that Christie announced Tuesday that this incident demonstrates the need to strengthen mental health treatment.

“We need to get at these root causes,” Christie said. “And it is not the sexiest thing in the world to talk about, to be more aggressive in the mental health area. Everybody likes to brandish guns and put them on tables and say we’re gonna ban this or that.”

NBC reported that Christie also added another statement.

“What we really need to get to is, every one of these involved a deeply disturbed person who was not getting treatment. We need to get to that, we have a better chance of preventing some of these incidents.”

I agree with Christie. The death of a 20 year old man is a tragedy, but there could have been more lives lost that night. I believe stronger mental health treatment is needed.

The Bergen prosecutor said Shoop used a weapon he had stolen from his brother to kill himself. Shoop had a drug history, but there was no indiction why he carried out the shooting, according to NBC New York.

At the home of Shoop’s family, police found a note, but did not disclose what it said.

“This was a sporadic act,” Kevin Shoop, brother of Richard Shoop, said. “This was something none of us saw coming. We are not sure what caused him to do this and we are all devastated.”

NBC also reported a comment from Paramus Mayor Richard LaBarbiera on the incident. LaBarbiera said he was told that Shoop said to people in the mall “don’t worry, just get out of the way.”

With the death of a young man, what can we do to stop incidents like this from happening? I believe making it known what help is available is the doorway to change. Yes, the debate over gun control will most likely come to mind when people hear of the tragedy, but what needs to be handled first and foremost is the safety, security and stability of these young and sick adults.

The “Hemingway Curse”- Can it be broken?

Many of us have found fascination in learning about our family tree and ancestors. Who were they? Were they famous? Did they leave a positive influence on the world? Finding the talents our ancestors passed down makes it even more interesting.

For Mariel Hemingway, learning of her traits passed down by her grandfather, Ernest Hemingway, has not always been easy. Learning of his depression and mental illness that led to his suicide, has affected the Hemingway family in many ways.

Ernest Hemingway

“Running From Crazy,” a new documentary from director Barbara Kopple, explored the so-called “Hemingway Curse.” It features actress and model Mariel Hemingway as she shares the battles her own family has faced.

Two of Mariel’s sisters have had similar battles to their grandfathers. One sister, Margaux, committed suicide, and her other sister, Muffet, has been diagnosed as bipolar and schizophrenic. With these tragedies surrounding Mariel, it has left her searching to find ways to stay healthy.

“When Margaux died, I though, Oh, no, it’s my turn. I’m going to get the sickness,” Hemingway told the New York Times. “Honestly, I thought I could catch it.”

Mariel hopes by speaking about her family’s history with mental health issues, it will help others cope and feel comfortable talking about their problems and normalize the stigma that surrounds issues like depression and suicide. Focusing on organic foods, yoga, and plenty of early morning sunshine, she hopes it will achieve a lasting mental peace.

Sharing her story in detail with director Barbara Kopple has come easy. Mariel was honest and inspiring, according to Kopple.

“I think that what I want people to get from the movie is, here’s a family that has gone through a lot,” Kopple said. “And here’s a family that’s really putting a lot on the line right now. And if this could end some of the stigma of what mental health and suicide is all about and get people talking about it, and get people to express more love to each other, I think we would’ve succeeded tremendously.”

D.C. in the dark 80’s: Cool ‘Disco’ Dan, graffiti artist, shares his story

For those who know of Cool ‘Disco’ Dan, you would know of his iconic graffiti around the metropolitan area in Washington, D.C. But who is the face behind the artist? In the documentary titled, “The Legend of Cool ‘Disco’ Dan, which has been screening all around the country this year, it gave an inside look through interviews at what politicians, celebrities, friends, family and artists thought of this graffiti era and what D.C. was like during the dark and historic times of the 1980’s.

For years, his identity had been a fascination of local press who were always on the hunt trying to discover who “Cool Disco Dan” was.

According to the producers and directors of the movie, many viewed Dan as a symbol of survival and normality during DC’s darker days. People from all walks and neighborhoods would recognize and wonder about the man behind the tag.

“At the peak of his reign, he drew the admiration of police officers, drug lords, politicians, and sheltered suburbanites alike,” Roger Gastman, Executive Producer said. “Nobody knew who COOL “DISCO” DAN was, but when Washingtonians saw his name, they knew they were home.”

Through time and through the documentary, the public learned of the man behind the paint can and that he was actually quiet and reserved. Starting as a fun hobby amongst friends, it later became a way for Danny Hogg, also known as Cool ‘Disco’ Dan, to stay out of the drug and gang violence that was a growing problem in the 80’s.

However, just like the city, Hogg experienced some darker days that caused him to at times be estranged from his family and live on the streets.

This now movie-star, with no permanent place to call home, was again reported in the news.

Just this week, the Washington Post reported news on Cool ‘Disco’ Dan, and how this normally quiet and shy man decided to speak out. But what did he need to speak out about?

“I’ve been diagnosed with personality disorder, bipolar and schizophrenia. And people who don’t understand me, I lash out at people when I feel threatened or disrespected. And it caused a bunch of people to dislike me; due to people not understanding what I have is a mental illness. So I’m on medication to keep from having outbursts. But due to me having outbursts when not taking my medication, it caused about 70 percent of people in my life to dislike me.”

Hogg’s illness is mentioned in the movie but in a vague manner. That was in deference to his privacy and also out of respect for the difficulty of his situation. But he speaks in no uncertain terms about what his life is like.

“I keep a lot of anger bottled up inside me. And it comes out when I have a confrontation with somebody. I may overreact to something that’s not a big deal,” Hogg says.

Hogg is likable as he speaks straightforwardly about his struggles with disease, fame and the city. His life became less stable as his illness took hold. Hogg says painting is not something he plans to get back to and although he likes the murals in the city, it’s an art that’s behind him.

Washington Post reported that on the way back to the theater for the last screening of the night; Hogg looked up and saw his name in lights, scrolling across the theater’s marquee.

“He finally cracks a beaming smile,” Washington Post reported.

Through Facebook, you can read updates, find movie screenings and more: https://www.facebook.com/TheLegendOfCoolDiscoDan