Good Mansion Alternative

Billionaire Bill Gates and his wife Melinda have formed the famous Gates Foundation
as a way to help those in critical need. The Gates Foundation has asked the public
to submit ideas/dreams for them to consider in their mission to help solve society’s problems.

So, I have submitted the following idea, which we call the “Good Mansion”,
since disabled adults can afford to live in a real mansion by pooling their money,
and then also can hire full time nursing, part time doctors, and other staff.

From my letter to info@GatesFoundation.org :

Hi,

We heard that you wanted to hear some good ideas.

See our article on what is wrong with Group Homes now.

The Answer
We would like to see the mentally ill now living in very small Group Homes,
pool their Social Security Disability (SSA, SSI) monthly checks into having larger homes of 50-100 people where their monthly checks combine to get them full time nursing, doctors/dentists visits weekly, and much better living conditions.

The disabled mentally ill, when stabilized on their medicines are released
into the community to these unlicensed group homes, serving maybe 4-8 people
in each home, and making a profit for the landlords.

Unfortunately, when these patients, who get around $674 per month maximum,
pool their money, they could get much better results than the problems
found in the report we wrote for examiner.com quoted above .

Examples
1. 674/month times 100 people = $67,400.00 per month available for living.
2. 674/month times 50 people = $33,700.00 per month available for living.

So there is plenty of money to obtain a great standard of living
and reduce how many mentally ill people wind up in prison, costing
us all, when they wander away from the groups homes now, due to very poor conditions.

Please consider this idea to help these poor people, just by pooling their own money and
living in larger homes etc. with better staff, adequate food, and a decent life.

Someone just needs to organize this by obtaining/cosigning for the buildings, hiring the staff, and
these disabled people will come, they are all very unhappy with the current situation, as reported in my article.

Thanks for your time.

———— end of letter to Gates Foundation, sent 11-20-2010 ——————

Please spread the word to pray for this dream plan to move forward,
here is a list of benefits that could be obtained through this program called the

Good Mansion:

1. Reduced need for prison space for the mentally disabled.

2. New jobs for the public ! The Good Mansions will need management, nursing, and other staff.

3. Improved living conditions and improved benefits for the recipients of tax dollars for the disabled. The money is better spent as intended, with less going to third party landlords.

4. A solution for families that want long term safety for their loved ones, especially after the families are no longer alive or well enough to care for their disabled family members and friends.

5. Improve public safety by replacing unlicensed group homes with a secure place where the mentally disabled are not allowed to wander off into the community without supervision, as they do now, causing danger to self and to others.

6. Opportunity for researchers to study or live in this situation for identifying what works, social benefits and cures.

Group Homes in Tucson

It is a shame what is going on with Tucson’s so called “unlicensed Group Homes”.

Some homes are much better than others, thanks to those who care.

Try to avoid the others who don’t care !

Here is the list of what we found wrong in the 2008-2010 timeframe:

1.    Not clean, unsanitary conditions. Even dishes for eating are not clean. The patients are required
to clean up, which is usually not good enough, even when they try hard. They are mentally ill !

2.    Not fed enough. Even though they say 3 meals a day, not true ! Patients buy their own food
to eat enough.

3.    Rent is too high, usually $500-525 per month for room and board. The maximum income these patients have is $674 on Social security disability, many get even less to live on. No one advocates to get them their full amount, which is sometimes denied at the initial SSI process.

4.    No hot water !

5.    No toilet paper or napkins.

6.    Coed homes, where improper behavior between patients happens, even though against the rules.

7.    24 hour supervision is promised, but doesn’t always happen. These patients can have a psychotic relapse, and so must be monitored, and safety must be maintained for all the patients at the group home in event of problems.

8.    Patients are largely ignored, their needs are not met as human beings. No one checks on them
at least weekly, in order to make appointments for their medical and dental needs. No one asks
them if they need something, which they could get with their own money, eg. toiletries, deodorant, etc.

9.    No published rules. Verbal rules are ignored. Safety is reduced.

10.    Stealing is going on from mentally disabled, cigs, clothes, food, personals. Walmart sells lock boxes and a couple locks for around $20. It’s worth it.

11.    Paroled drug offenders (street people) are being housed with the mentally ill patients, and are taking advantage of them, “borrowing money” and other stealing.

12.    Alcoholic beverages sometimes are given to the mentally ill.

13.    Good living skills are not taught. Bad living skills are not always dealt with.

14.    The mentally challenged are being made fun of.

15.    The patients are threatened, in order to get money, meds, clothing, and personal items. Or they are just taken from them in a confrontational bullying style.

16.    Sheets, pillows, and blankets were not available for the beds, only bed covers.

17.    No rides provided. No assistance to get a ride provided.

18.    Some doctors and nurses don’t know enough about mentally disabled patients, so they are of minimal or no help for these patients who have trouble communicating. No one helps them to write down their needs, or be there for support, to get the help needed. Group home supervision is completely absent for these needs, or to even call someone for assistance.
When a patient relapses into psychosis (DANGER), some group homes take no action to call SAMHC at 520-622-6000 for help to get the patient into emergency free treatment.

19.    CPSA group home grievance procedures are a joke, although they will write warning letters to the homes. Copies of notes of verbal reports were not provided. Sexual abuse report ignored. Police reports of hospital abuse were ignored. All these were ignored by the CEO.

20.     Safety of patients not handled well by case management, with some exceptions. So don’t count on them to help with group home conditions.

21. Bed bugs !

Finally, these mentally disabled patients could use a Buddy, you ! Contact Tucson NAMI at 520-622-5582 to join their buddy program to check on these people, at least once per week for a phone call, and maybe a monthly in-person visit.

The mentally disabled need your help ! The above conditions are happening to them now. It’s discouraging to their spirits, and reduces effectiveness of treatment. The impact to society comes when they just give up, and stop taking their meds, and become a danger to self or others. Then they become at risk for going to prison. Our prisons have many mentally ill brothers and sisters there who may not have been dangerous if only they stayed on their meds (medicines). Please, let’s care more for each other, we need it !

Mental Illness Awareness Issues for 2010

Last year we posted some goals in an article on Mental health awareness and related TV programs.

In the Tucson area, improved conditions have caused us to revise the top issues list, so here it is.

Top Mental Illness Awareness areas for 2010:

1. Unlicensed group living homes improvements. Dealing with Group homes has improved this past year. This was a HUGE set of issues. Thanks to those out there that showed they care !  Most of adult mentally ill and rehab people live in this setting after release to the Tucson metro area.
2. CPSA Oversight progress, memos can be generated on request,  to unlicensed group homes, etc.
3. Therapy, especially to develop ongoing goals. Therapy, even for court ordered patients is still optional ! Request it from case management.
4. NAMI Buddy program, get people involved. Any adult can volunteer to check on a buddy preferably at least weekly phone call and a monthly visit, to insure they are OK. Act to surface issues on their behalf to case management, or SAMHC crisis line.
5. Food boxes, clothing distribution. They do need help getting things, clothing is available through Casa Maria, and churches.
6. Free Dental options (UMC Dental School, free exams/xrays specials at local dental offices).
7. Safety at facilities, especially transitions during active psychoses, and for all court ordered treatment.
8. Using grievance processes available.
9. Thinking Big, mega group home concept development. Pool resources to be able to have full time staff, dr, nurse, 24 x 7 therapy. Prevents the problems that land mentally ill people into prison when psychotic. The meds need tweaking periodically, someone has to pay attention ! This would provide an alternative to the unlicensed group homes.
10. Cost effectiveness, adult mental health vs. prisons expansion – Funding of prisons is much more costly than funding housing and therapy programs. We need to help these human beings before they wind up in trouble. A man was found this week naked after killing a young police officer in Phoenix, we need to prevent this now !
11. Access to medical scheduling and rides assistance. Sometimes as simple as phone call to case management of psychiatric or medical providers/plans. They have case assistance available to help. A buddy just needs to do the initial call, and follow up.
12. Support for case management by friends or family to volunteer as power-of-attorney representatives, and get records access for reviews using a signed medical release form. Be able to act on the patients behalf, especially for emergencies !
13. Medical Living Wills to assure of pain management. Otherwise they suffer when they cannot communicate for themselves.

The 2009 List:
1. Funding of prisons is much more costly than funding housing and therapy programs. We need to help these human beings before they wind up in trouble.
2. Many more caring people are needed for these jobs: case managers, group home managers/couples/teams, drivers, doctors, nurses, therapists, etc.
3. The impact of new medicines is phenomenal, these allow patients to come back to reality, and avoid psychotic acts.
4. Doctors and nurses need to gain awareness of the importance of improving communications with those intimately familiar with the patients, especially family members. Sometimes these poor ones cannot speak for themselves, or are in denial.
5. The need to create care options for mentally ill persons with no family left to look after them.
6. Teachers must be better informed to identify early signs of mental illness, and to stop persecution and stigma.
7. Better understanding of the feelings of mentally ill people is needed. Anyone can send stigma/persecution reports to the Tucson NAMI office.
8. Advocates are needed for reform of the mental health system, especially problem facilities lacking best practices, especially those without policies and procedures.

Now that school is out, please volunteer ! For those that want to do door to door visitations, most local Catholic churches have Legion of Mary chapters that train and equip people to get out and meet those in need. Praying (auxiliary) members are also accepted.

We have noted college students at Mt Saint Mary’s University are volunteering this way, as well as students in other states, go get ’em guys !

– learning classes
– ask for suggestions.
– procedures for the homes to avoid food poisoning, periodic cleaning, inspections, house rules, how-to’s eg. get help