[Mpls] Priorities

[Louise Bouta]

This is in answer to the post on January 26th titled "Priorities"=20
wondering about "the Mpls program to train and better deal with people=20=

who have mental problems."

Sorry, I was out of commission for a while due to my sensitivity to=20
toxic materials in cleaning products and air freshener -- not in MY=20
home, certainly.

My take on it is that the program is ill-begotten in the first place.=20
The police should not be given the job of being judge and jury in=20
split-second timing to decide whether the person calling the police or=20=

the person being called about is more deserving of having the police=20
apprehend her/him, providing lock-up, drug treatment, and the life-long=20=

disability which sometimes ensues.

Many times, these are inter-family squabbles. The police cannot be=20
expected to know, in a few minutes, which is the aggressor and which=20
the aggressee, i.e. which is being unreasonable, trying to run=20
another's life, and whether the other is justified in running away from=20=

that.

Another concern is whether the police would be cooperating to bring=20
harm to someone.

A better way, and far cheaper, would be to allow the people brought=20
into the system to have their choice of treatment. More than half of=20
the US population uses holistic health cares integrated with modern=20
medicine.  We should allow people accused of being =93mentally ill=94 to=20=

see health practitioners of their choice, have thorough health=20
examinations, and treatment of their choice for whatever health=20
challenge is found. This would save untold trillions of dollars.

The Quakers in the 1870s had a 70 percent success rate in treating=20
people who had mental disorders. They used kindness. Various treatment=20=

centers have the same luck now but they are private-pay =97 not =
available=20
for people who must use Medical Assistance. See www.hriptc.org and=20
www.AlternativeMentalHealth.com Other sites are available.
Louise Bouta
Kingfield
Well Mind Association of Minnesota
4003 Pillsbury Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55409
612-823-8249
wellmindmn at earthlink.net
www.wellmindminnesota.org=