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Bravo Renee!
It drives me up a wall that service providers and those in need in service are
treated as one in the same. They are not. Service providers are always the
one's at the table speaking as if they were the clients. The bottom line needs
of service providers are at times in direct conflict with the needs of clients.
In a discussion concerning police response, you can be assured that service
providers would want the police to act as their agents when dealing with their
clients.
Good Job!
Chuck
-----Original Message-----
From: Renee Jenson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Stpaul@mnforum.org
Sent: Wed, 4 May 2005 17:15:24 -0500
Subject: [StPaul] The Police Roundtable
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I walked out of the police roundtable discussion today right after the
introductions and a clarification of the mission. Let me tell you why.
The police roundtable discussions were set up a few years ago to help the
police
get a better understanding of the mentally ill and figure out more efficient
and
safer ways to meet their needs and the needs of the police.
The meeting I attended today had one representative from the St.Paul police
department, about 15 representatives from different mental health service
agencies in the city, one representative from the Ramsey County chapter of
N.A.M.I. (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill- her son has a mental illness)
and me (the Co-Chair of the Ramsey County Mental Health Advisory Committee and
the only one who stated I had a mental illness).
Before the meeting started I listened to a couple of the people talking. One
of
the men was saying he had been somewhere and was stading in line with a couple
of guys that looked like they were "clients" of the other guy.
When the meeting started we all introduced ourselves and I asked for a
clarification of the mission of the roundtable meetings. They told me it was
to
work with the the police to find the best way to deliver services and help
those
struggling with mental illness. I pointed out that there seemed to be a
scarcity of both police and people with mental illness at the table.
I had the understanding that the roundtable was to get a better dialogue
between
the police and people with mental illness. I didn't know they just wanted to
talk ABOUT us not WITH us. Boy am I stupid.
Anyway, when i figured that out, I told them that the meeting was a waste of my
time and I left.
If Chief Harrington and his people, and any of the other law enforcement
agencies in Ramsey County, ever really want to open up that dialogue there are
lots of strong, courageous people in this city who live everyday of their life
with mental illness.
Until till, don't claim that you are trying to understand our problems and
needs
by talking to people who might know us. We're ill, not stupid.
Renee Jenson
Como
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