suicide mission

person w suicide's facts:

1. multiple primary mental health diagnoses

2. has been seeking appropriate care for 10+ years

3. has private insurance

4. originally hospitalized at a psych ER in crisis or, more inappropriately termed by the industry, for a “psychotic break” [the stigma and lack of awareness in mental health is devastating]

5. verification of benefits done with multiple potential in network primary mental health treatment programs prior to admission at the psych ER

6. denied a choice in being transferred from the psych ER to a verified in network primary mental health program [was sent to the first county behavioral health facility w an open bed]

7. currently denied admission to previously verified in network primary mental health programs bc of level of stability [has no confidence or hope that appropriate care exists]

8. will be discharged to the parking lot outside the hospital at the end of a 30 day involuntary psych hold w no housing, no continuing care, no income 

9. had no suicide upon admission to psych ER [considering suicide upon discharge from locked county behavioral health facility]

2 weeks after admission to the original locked county behavioral health facility, i started receiving calls from this person’s case manager and the clinical director asking for my help in getting the patient transferred out. the suicide person’s insurance would no longer cover care at their facility. 2 weeks earlier, i left both staff members multiple unanswered voicemails about getting this person placed in a primary mental health program rather than their facility. i flew to northern ca and was at the facility the day this suicide person was admitted w the intention of transporting them to the appropriate care we had planned. i was not allowed to meet w the person or speak to anyone. 

individuals w a primary mental health diagnosis are dying from the behavioral health care they’re being involuntarily held and subjected to. 

there are solutions available right now but no awareness that this epidemic exists. we need standardized language industry wide starting with diagnosis. behavioral health care is not mental health care. treatment for the two are different. we need education to build awareness professionally within the industry and for the individuals seeking care. we need universal access to our data that’s already being collected for billing so we can efficiently identify appropriate providers. we need to understand available care options and patient safety before calling a crisis hotline.

we need to understand mental health care on an individual basis or risk not understanding it at all. 

understanding needs is critical to planning and providing appropriate care. treating primary mental health patients with behavioral health care is an epidemic that renders the linkedin version of suicide september fake af.

thank you to this person with suicide for offering their story for the evolution of mental health.

#suicide #suicideprevention #suicideawareness #suicidesept #recovery #healing #mentalhealth #theantidoterecovery