This week, another preventable tragedy in North Carolina. From WWAY NC:
A Boiling Springs Lake father says his son was murdered by police this afternoon. Mark Wilsey called police when his 18-year-old, 90 lb. son had a screwdriver that he would not let go…his son, Keith Vidal, had schizophrenia and was having an episode Sunday afternoon…
Southport police officers responded to the scene after reports that Keith had threatened to harm his mother. The situation was reportedly almost under control when another police officer arrived and ordered the other officers to tase Keith. It was a fateful decision. A scuffle ensued. When it was over Keith Vidal had been fatally shot.
Keith Vidal, dead at 18.
Officer-involved shootings of people with untreated mental illnesses are becoming more and more frequent. As mental health resources have evaporated, police find themselves at the forward edge of the state mental health system. The front lines of mental health used to be manned by people with lab coats and clipboards. Today, they are manned by people with handcuffs and guns. The results have been as predictable as they are devastating. Mentally ill people frequently end up in jail or prison. Others are injured or killed in encounters with law enforcement officers. Untreated severe mental illness also jeopardizes police officers on duty. In 1998, police officers were more likely to be killed by a person with untreated mental illness than by a person with a prior record of resisting arrest or assaulting law enforcement officers.
Public safety agencies across North Carolina have tried manfully to adapt to their new role. Today, 307 law enforcement agencies have officers who are trained in Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) techniques, which teach officers to recognize and handle situations involving mental illness. CIT improves officer safety outcomes and helps people with severe mental illness get into treatment. However, as of last year only about 22 percent of the state’s law enforcement officers had received CIT training. In this week’s incident in Boiling Springs Lake, the Southport police officer who shot Keith Vidal was not CIT-trained. The Southport police chief, Jerry Dove, told Civitas that only 2 of his officers (18 percent of the department) had CIT training. Neither officer was present when Keith was shot. In order to reduce the incidence of preventable tragedies, the state should make CIT training mandatory for all sworn law enforcement officers.
CIT is excellent training, but it will not magically fix the state mental health system. CIT is a Band-Aid on a hemorrhaging system. Even with enhanced training, preventable tragedies will continue to happen. The reason is simple: Officers are trained to respond to deadly threats with deadly force. If a person carrying a weapon and acting erratically confronts police, that is a recipe for disaster, CIT training or not.
The best way to prevent tragedies like the death of Keith Vidal is to ensure the continuity of care for people with severe mental illnesses. People who are not taking medication or receiving treatment are much more likely to suffer serious consequences like homelessness, incarceration, or violence. As a result, it is crucial for the mental health system to intervene before there is a crisis.
There are many things that the state can do to ensure continuous care for people with severe mental illnesses. At the direction of Governor McCrory, the state Department of Health and Human Services has convened a new “Crisis Solutions Initiative” to find innovative fixes for the state’s mental health system. It is a long-awaited opportunity to address the most glaring shortcomings of the mental health system. Specifically, the state should increase the number of inpatient resources in North Carolina, and move to implement assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) for people who are unable to seek treatment on their own.
The death of Keith Vidal is tragic, and all the more so because it was utterly preventable. There is nothing more that can be done for Keith. His family will live with the agony of their son’s loss. But for thousands of people with untreated severe mental illnesses in North Carolina, there is something that can be done.
When members of the Crisis Solutions Coalition meet to discuss fixes to the mental health later this month, Keith Vidal should be on their minds.
We can thank Ronald Reagan for this. Reagan unilaterally ENDED support, funding and tax breaks for mental institutions, guaranteeing the rise of the insane roaming the streets. And once they were ON the streets, he ENDED Federal support and funding for homeless shelters and outreach, stating heartlessly
“Some people just LIKE to ‘camp out’ “!
Mike Easley’s reforms were unsuccessful due to CONservative opposition and gelding of the financial aspect of the effort.
Cons sowed the wind, now they reap the whirlwind.
This article does a good job of highlighting a big issue but a poor job of identifying a solution. the article states that there is a need to increase inpatient resources and implement Assisted Outpatient Treatment. There is absolutely NO evidence that backs these approaches. AOT is not a substitution for treatment. There have only been 2 studies (one in NC and one in NYC) on the effectiveness of AOT. The one in NYC determined there was no differences in outcome of folks voluntarily receiving treatment and those receiving treatment through AOT. The NC study did show improved outcomes HOWEVER those on a AOT in NC were also receiving Assertive Community Treatment Team services (an EBP that has been shown to improve outcomes). So, it is unclear if the AOT or ACTT is what created the improved outcomes.
Have also heard the argument around not enough money to provide adequate services. I disagree with this as well. We spend tons of money on MH services. The real issue is that we fund the right types of programs. If we want to create powerful effective services in NC we need to focus our dollars on programs that have been shown to be effective. Peer Support Services, Peer Bridger, Citizenship Interventions, Mental Health Outreach are a few. Regardless of the programs we decide to go with if they are not based in Psychiatric Rehabilitation values and beliefs they will not accomplish what we need them to. Instead, they will build dependence on a system that will continually collapse because it is impossible to adequately fund a system that promotes dependency rather than self-determination.