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“A Blessing in
Disguise”
By Nancy Toland
Last February, while on a drill team trip in Orlando with Ellen,
I received a 1:00 a.m. phone call. It’s been our family’s
experience that any call after midnight is seldom “good” news.
(My immediate response is “hospital or jail?”) True to my
expectations it was a combination of the two. My son,
Kelley, had been picked-up by the Boulder police in a park and
had been taken to the mental hospital. Kel has been
struggling with mental illness for several years and was in the
midst of a major bad “episode.”
Upon hearing this news I broke into tears of worry and
frustration. In the past (here in Texas) this meant the
hospital would keep him for 48 hours observation and then
release him no better off than he was. Anyone who has had a
loved one with mental illness knows this scenario. But in
the days that followed, it was obvious that something was very
different in Colorado. This time I had his doctor calling
me to say that Kel had been declared “certifiable” and that he
would remain in the hospital until they could find him a space
at Warner House. (An outpatient house) Kelley had agreed
to take medication, which in his case is a shot every two weeks.
As
promised Kel was transferred to Warner House after a week’s time
and his whole demeanor began to transform. Warner House is
a beautifully planned new facility (although it’s been around
for years’) that houses 15-20 individuals who are transitioning
from the hospital to society. There are doctors, social
workers and therapists assigned to every patient and every
person is expected to help with chores like cooking and such.
Residents are allowed to come and go, but are expected to be at
all their appointments and therapy sessions. It is more
like a house than a hospital. While there, Kel was given
every type of help including help in being accepted to The
Chinook Club House. Chinook is a place where the “stable”
mentally ill can go 5 days a week to meet, eat, receive help
with job placement, use computers and participate in activities.
Possibly the most impressive aspect of The Chinook Club House is
the food! For $1.00 the members are given a gourmet lunch.
The counselors are wonderful people who truly care about all the
members.
I
just returned from a week with Kelley. He spent eight
weeks at Warner House and is now back in his apartment. He
bikes to Chinook everyday where he eats lunch and participates
in all the club’s activities. They have him writing and
proofing the Clubhouse newsletter and they have lined up a
part-time job for him at CU in August. The Mental Health
Clinic has matched him with a wonderful team of a doctor,
therapist and social worker. They are helping him with all
his finances and securing him all the services available to him,
including a lawyer for his SSI Appeal. Kelley told
his doctor that he feels 90% “back.” The doctor thinks
Kelley will eventually be stable and able to go back to school,
have a career and family and be off all benefits.
Once again, life has shown me how something good can come out of
something bad. Getting picked-up by the police was the
best thing that could have happened to Kel. His future is
bright and if he’ll continue to get his medication, we will
continue to be hopeful.
Boulder, Colorado has a system to help the mentally ill that
should be a model for the rest of the country. It’s sad
that Texas sits at 48th in the Nation when it comes
to helping the mentally ill. Warner House and Chinook have
in many ways saved my son’s life and will be getting my support
in anyway I can from here on out. These are good people!
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