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Regional center stunt was irresponsible

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Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 12:36:42 am CDT

The Sarpy County judge who ordered sheriff’s deputies to leave a handcuffed and shackled prisoner in a lobby at the Lincoln Regional Center was out of line.

Judge Robert Wester had a legitimate concern, but he chose an irresponsible, risky way to draw attention to the problem.

Wester committed the 19-year-old prisoner to the regional center after the prisoner was deemed incompetent to stand trial.

Then he told Lt. Steve Grabowski of the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office to leave the prisoner at the regional center even if the center refused to admit him.

Then Wester left on a vacation, driving to Philadelphia to see his son graduate.

Grabowski followed orders.

Two deputies waited with the prisoner for three hours at the regional center. After three hours they drove away, heading back to Sarpy County with the man sitting, handcuffed and shackled, in the lobby.

The problem is a familiar one. The mental health system in Nebraska is inadequate, simply underfunded and understaffed.

Presumably this state of affairs exists because the governor and state senators have chosen this way to save money.

No one wants higher taxes, but if anyone thinks they’re saving money with the current system, they need to think again.

What’s happening is that people with mental problems end up staying in jail or going to hospital emergency rooms or even riding around in police cruisers for hours.

One way or another, taxpayers end up paying the bill, and paying more for their medical care as hospitals try to recover their expenses.

The regional center has had a waiting list for months. Last month, York County Judge Alan Gless threatened to hold Gov. Dave Heineman and other state officials in contempt of court if room was not found for a man who had been held in jail for two months after he was committed to the regional center. The man had been found not guilty by reason of insanity in a knife attack on his mother and sister.

The threat by Gless was a better way of raising public awareness than the route chosen by Wester.

At least it targeted people who are in a position to remedy the situation.

Wester laid the problem on the doorstep of the front-line caregivers who already are overworked and stressed. To their credit, they stepped up. State officials reported the man was being provided care, nourishment and respect.

Obviously there are many people in the system who are frustrated with state government’s inability to deal with this public safety issue. They must, however, find better ways to deal with the problem than pulling foolish stunts.


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Foolish Stunt or Necessary Evil wrote on May 11, 2008 1:55 am:
" This editorial is naive to purport that chaining this man to a lobby chair at the regional center was a 'stunt' and that there were other alternatives. In fact, there are not quick and safe alternatives.

The stigma of mental health issues and the denial of Nebraska state officials in providing viable mental health practices and safe alternatives is real. The judge was right to put the problem right back in the lap of those who are supposed to serve all the people at the state and fail miserably.

Only why punish the state workers at the Regional Center? Next time, chain and shackle these people up on the porches of state senators and other elected officials who put a lot of pork and energy into fluffy projects instead of basic human rights and dignity of the mentally challenged and other minorities. Maybe then these elected representatives will wake up from their privileged status' and smell the real coffee that the rest of us do. "

 Please help me with this wrote on May 11, 2008 8:09 am:
" i can't remember for sure, but didn't the state have additional facilities, such as one in Norfolk, which they closed down a couple of years ago? I was speaking with a doctor and recall that he predicted that the state would move the emphasis to Lincoln/Omaha, and then a few years later say that they needed additional funds for Lincoln/Omaha after they had cut the funding for Nebraska's more rural areas. Can anyone verify if this is what happened? "

 Get Ready wrote on May 11, 2008 3:07 pm:
" Get ready Lancaster County. When this jail bond issue does not pass on Tuesday, the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners are going to start looking at "non mandated" services for the axe to fall on budgetarily. If you think the problem is bad in Lincoln/Lancaster County right now, just wait until the Board of Commissioners looks to either drastically cut or get out of the mental health business altogether. Don't think that private non-profits are going to fix the problem either. Lancaster County residents get a bargain for what they pitch in for the Mental Health Center. Start contacting the County Board after the primary on Tuesday and URGE them not to even consider cutting funds to the Mental Health Center! "

 draegynn wrote on May 11, 2008 6:10 pm:
" Yes, the state did close a few regional centers in other cities. If I'm not mistaken, it was due to "not enough patients to warrant keeping them open." Interesting,....since now there isn't enough room. Can we say, more than likely the money to keep the other ones open went into the pockets of some in power??? "

 Tim wrote on May 11, 2008 6:18 pm:
" Stunts? The deputies waited 3 hours while waiting for the staff to do their job! Who was protecting the public while these two were babysitting this man? Which by the way is not their job. Strange after they handcuffed him and left a spot suddenly opened up for him. How about the staff there stop playing games with admissions and do their job from the beginning, not just when forced to. "

 whatever wrote on May 11, 2008 9:58 pm:
" JS, you are way off base. This isn't a "stunt" it's the reality of the Republican based "philosophy" and programs that began in earnest under your favorite son Johanns. JS, you simply don't have a grasp of the issues, but again you serve your "masters" well. Quit being part of the problem and advocate for viable solutions, not Republican talking points. "

 get real wrote on May 11, 2008 11:05 pm:
" The problem is more systemic & political. The solution does not include more crisis management at the extreme end, but rather a 21st century service system where the majority of clinicians provide trauma-informed care and the system is reformed into the recovery philosophy. That would mean: the governor & his cronies would have to go. They do not care about this vulnerable class of people. They want only the image of cost savings & re-election without a thought to the human rights violations they are perpetrating. Not to mention that the system actually keeps people in the system and sick due to antiquated attitudes, policies, practices, procedures & funding that pays for the crisis end, but not the preventative, therapeutic practices that would more likely keep people out of crisis. More people could go in, through, and out of the system. More people would not suffer the limitations of the system. THIS CURRENT SYSTEM WHICH THE GOVERNOR CONTINUES TO RATIONALIZE cannot be sustained. And shouldn't be encouraged to continue. Every Nebraskan should be outraged by the demeaning, inappropriate, harmful results from "budget management" rather than do what helps people get well. The struggling system & providers who do care and try to help need, deserve leadership from the state & money to transform the system, change the culture, and bring all sectors up to the modern knowledge of mental health services. We need a total revamping. Not to mention: HHS is legally responsible for appropriate services and standards. Button, button, who's got the button? Who's holding the Governor and HHS accountable? "

 Community Providers wrote on May 12, 2008 7:27 am:
" Actually, the other regional centers are around. They just don't have the acute beds. There has always been plenty of patients. The focus of the Johanns plan was to shift to community services and close the acute beds. The acute beds were closed but community resources have not been developed as was promised. It all sounded good in speeches, but the services were in effect, severely cut. "

 Pete wrote on May 12, 2008 8:48 am:
" Yes - this is the result of Johanns' "overhaul" from a few years back. Look at the patient from York who spent 4 years - FOUR YEARS!!! - in the county jail waiting for a bed at LRC. Talk to any of the county officials that are in charge of doing EPC's and see how well they like the 'reforms'. Please remember this when voting tomorrow. This is all on the shoulders of Mike Johanns. "

 One who knows wrote on May 12, 2008 8:58 am:
" First of all this person was not hadcuffed to a chair. This is not a stunt it was law enforcment following a court order. This really brings to light the sad state of the Mental Health System in Nebraska. IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. "

 peb wrote on May 12, 2008 9:37 am:
" And sounding good in speeches is exactly what Johanns' party is good at doing. Yes, let's talk about cutting costs and reducing taxes but in reality, there are costs that CANNOT be eliminated so the money has to come from somewhere else. Johanns did his thing with the mental health care in Nebraska and then moved on. It should be a prerequisite for Johanns to fix this mess before he can be a Senator. "

 yeah whatever wrote on May 12, 2008 12:23 pm:
" so this is, inevitably, the fault of Republicans and Mike Johanns. The decision to close Regional Centers did not come in Johanns administration. This incident happened due to poor decisions made by multiple sources. I didn't see in the article where it stated Johanns or John McCain did this to this guy. The liberal tree-huggers just need to keep trying - we don't buy this and you'll see that Tuesday. "

 mother to a Mentally Ill youngster wrote on May 12, 2008 12:40 pm:
" WOW! This is sick and sad!
My son is currently 9, but was diagnosed with ADHD & COBD (child on-set bi-polar disorder) at 5 years old. We struggle so much! My goal is to give him the appropriate treaments now (while he's young) so we don't have too many issues when he's an adult. But as an adult HE will be able to choose to STOP taking meds, STOP going to therapy, etc. And regardless of age - mental illness can be very unpredictable! So with all that said, when he is 19, if he has a "melt-down" (as we call them) what will happen to him?
HE WILL NOT SIT IN JAIL FOR 4 YEARS AND WAIST AWAY!!! Nor will he be hadcuffed to a chair in a lobby for several hours! Guarenteed, I will be there to ensure he is treated properly! But what if I don't get to have a say?
This state needs to get it together and serve the mentally ill much more appropriatley! Mental illness is one of the fastest growing medical problem in the US - and Nebraska needs to prepare NOW!!! How will our current systems work in 3 years when we have tripled the number of people needing services? We need a plan, take action, and have follow through! "

 Anya wrote on May 12, 2008 12:57 pm:
" Thank you, LJS, for this article! It corrects the mistake that the inmate was left handcuffed to a chair. And, yes, the staff at LRC did step up to deal with this potentially dangerous situation.
As for those of you who think it is so easy to make a bed magically appear in the secure unit (Forensic Mental Health Unit): I challenge you to do that job for a week! "

 Sex Offenders wrote on May 12, 2008 2:11 pm:
" are taking up too many beds at the Regional Center! Either send them to jail or fix it so they can't reoffend and them set them loose. Give those beds to men who really need them. "

 Kristine wrote on May 12, 2008 4:38 pm:
" Mental Health care is NOT a priority in the state of Nebraska, and it's really starting to rear its ugly head. Not only do we obviously need more facilities, but we need to attract quality people to work in those facilities. You won't get that by paying $10 an hour. And it will need to go further up into the people who control the facilities. HHS has an uncanny knack of 'dumping' people, and then having an 'out of sight, out of mind attitude' about it. It's horrifying. Shape up, Nebraska. "

 Bee wrote on May 12, 2008 4:41 pm:
" Your all fools, where do you think the money is going to come from, How many beds do you think there are at the Licoln Regional Center. You put murderes and rapest there, what do you think happens when it fills up??? Where do these people go, anyone want to take some home for the night?? You all have a fit when they escape from an outing at Barns and Noblesd. Get real people WAKE UP!It's going down as Johann's blunder that cost everyone more. "

 frustrated wrote on May 13, 2008 8:01 am:
" Personally I think the citiens of Nebraska should be outraged We have a government in Nebraska that is acting totally irresponsibly when it comes to all people with disabilities, no matter if it is people with mental illness or Developmental Disabilities.They were supposed to develop a system of community based care that was appropriste with the 21st century and close these antiquated facillities that the taxpayers are paying a fortune to keep open. However this never happened! The Governor and his cronies are more interested in maintaining the status quo then inproving a broken system. If a community based system was developed we would get funding from the Federal Government, about .60 cents to the $1.00. But, instead we continue with the antiquated system and the State of Nebraska foots the whole bill. That does not make alot of sense to me. When are the people of this state going to realize the Governor and his cronies are NOT serving their best interests but their own reelection goals! "

 Wont say hillbillies wrote on May 13, 2008 7:35 pm:
" The justice sysatem in Lancaster County is fundamentally dishonest, terribly backward and not very ethical. Abraham Lincoln surely
rolls over in his grave when he hears about judges like Gless.
"

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