To: Governor Kate Brown
change mental health law
Save lives, allow first-degree family members to request a hold for an emergency mental health evaluation and/or treatment if schizophrenia is known or suspected.
Why is this important?
Change the mental health law -- as the law reads at this time, someone who is mentally ill has to either request help themselves or the court has to force them to go in response to an attempt to end their lives. But that's not enough. I'm asking for a change in that law that will allow a first-degree family member (parents, siblings, spouse, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or first cousins) to request a mental health evaluation for someone. This will allow an accurate assessment of someone who may not be in the position mentally to seek help when the family notices a critical change in their personality
The average age of onset of schizophrenia is 18 in men and 25 in women. Schizophrenia onset is quite rare for people under 10 years of age. Persons with this mental disorder see and hear things that we do not (delusions). They believe they are real. They also are paranoid of pretty much every thing and everyone. Persons with this disorder don't know they are sick; they only believe their reality. So the probability of someone with this disorder walking in on their own is zero. And since this disease doesn't start in childhood, it cannot be detected and treated while under a parent's discretion.
We (the adopted parents, and I, biological mother) started noticing our son was having delusions of crazy events and supposed conversations he claimed having with us in January. And he grew more isolated and paranoid over the weeks. One of his delusions had him threatening his grandfather's life, as he was afraid for his own life for no apparent reason other than what he believed. Soon he thought everyone that loved him was out to get him. We both tried to get him help but his paranoia and lack of capability to trust made it impossible . He even had contact with the Clackamas County sheriff's office, that he called himself (his cry for help). They called me and acknowledged his psychotic behavior and suggested he be seen, but couldn't do anything but hoped we could coax him into a mental health clinic because of the law. I called him in as a missing person April 20th 2014. April 22 2014, I got a knock on my door. My Baby, my only son who just graduated Helensveiw High school; Brandon Alex Mandeville committed suicide April 19th 2014 off Hwy 99 in Aurora, Oregon. He was all alone and believed he had no one; in the dark and cold, and all alone he hung himself.
What we didn't know was that he beleived that every one that cared about him was setting him up for a bank robbery , murder, and rape. He made a video of himself telling about it. And he really believed it. That was only one of an unknown number of delusions he was acting out. He had no food except for 1 can of Pork and Beans and his wallet with his E.B.T food card wasn't on his person. His coat was drenched from the pouring rain, and he no longer had a cell phone. He was afraid of the dark and yet had no flash light with him. Also he told the Deputy Sherif that he was heading to California to be a telagrapher just several days before . Prior to the delusions he was trying to make sense of why he was hearing voices and was seeking help. I would not say he was able to make safe decisions for himself. This Petition is no way written to infringe on anyone's rights in any way, but only to get them the proper medical help they need and a fighting chance at beating this illness .
Don't let his life be in vain. A law shouldn't have stood in the way of him living. We couldn't save his life, but we can save others This could be your son or daughter or mom or dad or you.
The average age of onset of schizophrenia is 18 in men and 25 in women. Schizophrenia onset is quite rare for people under 10 years of age. Persons with this mental disorder see and hear things that we do not (delusions). They believe they are real. They also are paranoid of pretty much every thing and everyone. Persons with this disorder don't know they are sick; they only believe their reality. So the probability of someone with this disorder walking in on their own is zero. And since this disease doesn't start in childhood, it cannot be detected and treated while under a parent's discretion.
We (the adopted parents, and I, biological mother) started noticing our son was having delusions of crazy events and supposed conversations he claimed having with us in January. And he grew more isolated and paranoid over the weeks. One of his delusions had him threatening his grandfather's life, as he was afraid for his own life for no apparent reason other than what he believed. Soon he thought everyone that loved him was out to get him. We both tried to get him help but his paranoia and lack of capability to trust made it impossible . He even had contact with the Clackamas County sheriff's office, that he called himself (his cry for help). They called me and acknowledged his psychotic behavior and suggested he be seen, but couldn't do anything but hoped we could coax him into a mental health clinic because of the law. I called him in as a missing person April 20th 2014. April 22 2014, I got a knock on my door. My Baby, my only son who just graduated Helensveiw High school; Brandon Alex Mandeville committed suicide April 19th 2014 off Hwy 99 in Aurora, Oregon. He was all alone and believed he had no one; in the dark and cold, and all alone he hung himself.
What we didn't know was that he beleived that every one that cared about him was setting him up for a bank robbery , murder, and rape. He made a video of himself telling about it. And he really believed it. That was only one of an unknown number of delusions he was acting out. He had no food except for 1 can of Pork and Beans and his wallet with his E.B.T food card wasn't on his person. His coat was drenched from the pouring rain, and he no longer had a cell phone. He was afraid of the dark and yet had no flash light with him. Also he told the Deputy Sherif that he was heading to California to be a telagrapher just several days before . Prior to the delusions he was trying to make sense of why he was hearing voices and was seeking help. I would not say he was able to make safe decisions for himself. This Petition is no way written to infringe on anyone's rights in any way, but only to get them the proper medical help they need and a fighting chance at beating this illness .
Don't let his life be in vain. A law shouldn't have stood in the way of him living. We couldn't save his life, but we can save others This could be your son or daughter or mom or dad or you.