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Chuck
Albertson I am the host of a mental illness, schizoaffective disorder. It is more treatable today than it was fifteen years ago when I earned my MS from WSU. For thousands of years our understanding of mental illness didn’t change much. Now, a whole new world is possible because of publicly funded research. The time has come to use our knowledge. I have an MS degree, but my disability keeps me from working overtime or even full time. It was my experience that there’s no such thing as a good mental illness treatment system. Some flounder in it while others get by. Some die prematurely each year. Watching others at Rainbow Center here in Bellingham hold on to every shred of hope they can muster, I am moved to stay with them through volunteer work and service to the system. I choose to sacrifice for my fellow citizens. I serve on the Whatcom County Mental Health Advisory Board. I also serve on the NSMHA Advisory Board, the Quality Management Committee of our clinic, and the QMOC (Quality Management and Oversight Committee) of the RSN. From my perspective, increasing the funding of our system would save money by making us healthier citizens, more able to contribute to our and others’ well-being, and citizens who can be more responsible for our behavior, spending less time in jails and prisons. I find that the benefits of meeting the need almost greater than the need itself. I hope others will join me in my efforts to make the system better. I ask you to learn about our issues and lend your efforts to ours. Together we can make a change. |
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