Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde ValleySedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    • Home
    • Sedona News
    • Business Profiles
    • Opinion
    • Mind & Body
    • Arts
    • Elections
    • Contact
    • Cart
    Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde ValleySedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    Home » Decriminalizing Mental Illness and Addiction
    Yavapai County

    Decriminalizing Mental Illness and Addiction

    June 21, 2021Updated:June 15, 20211 Comment2 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Reddit WhatsApp
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email Reddit WhatsApp
    Place ads on Sedona.biz

    National Alliance on Mental Illness - YavapaiYavapai County AZ (June 21, 2021) – “Decriminalizing Mental Illness and Addiction” is the topic of Mental Health Monday on June 28th, 10-11:30 AM, via Zoom.  The program has been organized by NAMI Yavapai and the Northern Arizona Peer & Family Coalition and is free to the public. The program will feature three speakers as follows: 

    • Mary Lou Brncik: Founder and President of David’s Hope – Arizona Mental Health Criminal Justice Coalition. Mary Lou’s son David was diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder at the age of 23. Soon after, David’s life intersected with Arizona’s criminal justice system. These events led Mary Lou to years of battling both the mental health and criminal justice systems to get treatment for her son.
    • Beya Thayer: Executive Director of the Yavapai Justice and Mental Health Coalition. Beya works to develop and implement strategies that lead to the long-term and sustainable involvement of community institutions, organizations, and individuals within the intersections of justice and behavioral health – with the goal of addressing partnership and systems change.
    • Dorothy O’Brien: mother.  Dorothy’s story began 40 years ago when her beautiful, smart 2-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia. They were told she had a 65% chance of surviving if they agreed to their very aggressive protocol including chemotherapy and cranial radiation. Years later, she would begin to show signs of brain damage, often manifesting as mental illness. Today in 2021, she has been in the State Hospital Forensic Unit for almost five years after being charged with felonies related to her trying to remove an uninvited man from her apartment.

    The program is free by going to https://namiyavapai.org/mental-health-monday/ or contact NAMI at NAMIYavapai.org for more information.

    Place ads on Sedona.biz

    Scott mayor
    samaireformayor
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Reddit WhatsApp
    Sedona.biz Staff

    Related Posts

    YSCO K9 Units Seize Over 50,000 Fentanyl Pills in Two Traffic Stops

    August 8, 2022

    YCSO Receives Funding From State Attorney General For Reachout Program

    August 4, 2022

    August Primary Election 2022 Early Ballot Update

    August 1, 2022

    1 Comment

    1. Patrick Pickens on June 22, 2021 3:30 pm

      Hi. I am an established mental heath care activist, and an associate of Mary Lou Brncik from a number of years ago. I have been hospitalized at AZ State Hospital before. And I know that things there today are no better than were during my period of time at ASH. Circa 2011-2012, I witnessed from day one and was personally subject to before long in my own right, graphically unlawful abuses and gross violations of my (our) given civil and human rights, as it was condoned at the time by ASH administrators (Cory Nelson, Donna Noriega, et al), and senior medical providers at ASH (Laxman Patel, Steven Dingle, Pervaiz Akhter, etc.).

      Prior to my first diagnosis with serious mental illness in 2010, I was a practicing attorney, not for long (2 years), but long enough it has served well in making me a formidable adversary to these such issues. I have relied upon this as means to expose issues that I know to be unlawful and detrimental to the health and wellbeing of persons affected by mental illness, as am I.

      I am also an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, and during my time at ASH I befriended several younger natives who came from AZ based tribal nations. While my own father, a full good Chickasaw man (Jackson Reed Pickens), committed suicide in 1971, while still an active career officer in the US Navy, and when I was all of 10 years old. On this plainest of bases, what my family went through after my dad’s suicide, and very much including my struggles (as the youngest of four children) with mental illness (major depressive disorder, suicide attempts, etc). My work in recent years has extended towards a small range of specific concerns to American Indians in context, the need- for example- of state managed mental hospitals to provide traditntal native spiritual services, sweat lodges, e;g, as these services might be afforded to prison populations but not to American Indians who just happen to be hospitalized in these such hospitals- the natives I came to know at ASH expressed how meaningful it would be to their own recovery interests to be provided access to their own specific traditional spiritual practices. But like all things mental illness, as I have learned, few people so affected by mental illness draw the attention that persons not so affected have going for them. Adding to that the history of American Indians, the systemic prejudices against us, I am well aware that mental illness only furthers the foundation of these prejudices, in effect. A double harm, that is.

      And I definitely abhor the entire corrections industry as it feeds on those of us who are affected by serious mental illness, the direction that this issue has been going since the deinstitutionalization period in contemporary American history, etc..I appreciate beyond bounds your own dedication to these issues, and if there is anything at all that I might offer, please feel free to let me know (email [as provided] is my only means of direct contact).

      In April, 2012, I founded my first blog project, “PJ Reed. The Arizona State Hospital and Patient Abuse,” an essential documentation of my experiences at ASH with particular focus upon issues that I knew to be great concern, such abuses, coverups of some of the ugliest events at the time (e.g., the summer 2011, Jesus Rincon Murrieta’s violent escape from ASH), and a slew of hard document data including my copies of numerous grievances, of back and forth correspondence with AZDH (the grievance appeal process, namely), as well as direct contact and correspondence of federal authorities, inc.the specific Civil Right divisions of both the US Dept. of Justice (ADA concerns) and The US Dept. of Health and Huma Services (HIPAA concerns). And, as my effort to expose these things prevailed circa 2012-2014, crucially needed federal oversight and intervention came about in due fashion, and some seven ADHS employees working in direct association to the ASH operation were summarily fired as a result of my work.

      These things said, I heartily support and in fact applaud all that Mary Lou is doing today. I live in MT today (since 2014). MT has had one of the highest rates of suicide in the nation- more years than not- for at least as long as public health statistics have been compiled in the interest of public. This is a crisis of around significance, and it may be no surprise to you folks that MT based American Indians bear the highest in state percentage of deaths by suicide. In August, 2021, I founded a new project, “The Montana Suicide Rate Reduction Council” (MSRRC). a citizen generated direct action effort and demand that the highly entrusted health care officials in MT’s Dept. of Health and Human Services (MT DPHHS) and the elected state representatives who appoint those officials exercise due diligence with regard to this crisis. I have a working relationship at this time with one young man from the Blackfeet reservation, and a lesser ongoing association with a practicing psychiatrist who hales from and is employed by the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes.

      In my work today, I am looking at an abject lack ethos and breach of duty today that’s on point with I challenged in AZ, the ASH project, that is. And, of course (?), there are a handful of such officials who I know very well are behind this matter. Not that it is anyone’s fault, mind you. Rather that it is the responsibility of the state to do all that it can as means to provide the citizens of MT with the same level of suicide management that virtually all other states provide to their citizens, very much including MT tribes. To the extent that this is an issue with direct bearing on MT natives, I am looking for any level of support (and I DO NOT MEAN $$$) from all and any tribal entities aware of this issue, with very particular understanding of suicide in Indian Country today. It’s a tangle of jurisdictional issues (go figure) and health disparities that are by no means unique to MT. Any tribal person who has gone though what I know our natives are going through would be of great value to this project, from simple moral support to participation in the discourse, and so on. Likewise, any person and not necessarily those of native heritage who also share in the awareness of what suicide can amount to in any family or community, as well. Thanks, and sorry for any typos.

    Paid Political Ad Paid For by Samaire for Mayor
    Paid Political Ad for Samaire Armstrong
    Paid Political Announcement by Samaire For Mayor

     THE MOMENT IS UPON US

    Dear Sedona,

    The moment is upon us. The time for a united effort to shift the focus back to our community is now.

    The ability to thrive in our community, our environment, our workforce, and the tourist industry, is entirely possible because we have all the resources needed for success.

    Still, we need a council that isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions, that makes decisions based on data and facts, and through discussion, rather than moving and voting in group unison as they so regularly do.

    This is my home. I have been a part of the Sedona community for 28 years. I witnessed the road debacle, the lack of planning, the city circumventing the local businesses ability to thrive, while making choices to expand the local government and be in direct competition with private industry.

    I am a unique candidate because unlike the incumbents, I don’t believe the government should expand in size, nor in operations, nor would I attempt to micromanage every aspect of our community.

    City government should stay in its lane and allow the competitive market of local private industry to prosper. And it should defend our community from corporate takeover and infiltration of our town.

    I do not agree that we should sign onto International Building Codes and regulations by signing Sedona up to the ICC. It is imperative that we remain a sweet, rural community.

    Where are the arts? Where is this organic thriving element that we allege to be animated by. Where is our culture? Where is our community?

    The discord between the decision making process and the desires of the community have never been more clear. It has been nearly a decade in the making.

    It is time for a new era of energy to take charge. An energy that is reflective in the ability to succeed rather than be trapped in out of date consciousness.

    It has been a great honor meeting with each of you. I hear your concerns over the insane and out of control spending and I echo them. A budget of $105,000,000 in a town of 9700 residents is completely unacceptable. A parking structure (that looks like a shoe box) originally slated to cost 11 million, now projected to cost 18 million, is incomprehensible. Especially, considering there is no intention of charging for parking.

    For those who are concerned that I lack the political experience within our established system- that is precisely what Sedona needs… Not another politician, but instead a person who understands people, who listens to the voices within the community, and who will act in service on their behalf with accountability, for the highest good of Sedona. What I am not, will prove to be an asset as I navigate the entrenched bureaucracy with a fresh perspective. Business as usual, is over.

    Creative solutions require new energy.

    Every decision that is made by our local government, must contemplate Sedona first.

    • Does this decision benefit the residents?
    • Does this decision benefit the local businesses?
    • Does this decision actually help the environment?
    • Will this decision sustain benefit in the future, or will it bring more problems?

    What we have now is a city government that expands to 165 employees for 9700 residents. Palm Desert has 53,000 residents and 119 city employees. Majority of our city department heads are not even in town. I find this problematic.

    Efforts towards championing in and courting new solutions for our medical needs are imperative. We are losing our doctors. We must encourage competition with other facilities rather than be held hostage by NAH, who clearly have their own set of dysfunctions.

    We must remember that so many move to Sedona for its beauty, hiking, and small town charm. Bigger, faster, and more concrete does not, in broad strokes, fit the ethos of Sedona.

    The old world must remain strong here in balance, as that is what visitors want to experience. Too many have noted that Sedona has lost its edge and charm.

    As Mayor I will preserve the rural charm of our community, and push back against the urbanization that is planned for Sedona.

    As mayor I will make it a priority to create opportunities to support our youth.  After school healthy, enriching programs should be created for our kids, and available to the Sedona workforce regardless of residency and regardless of school they belong to.

    As Mayor, I will create an agenda to deliberately embody the consciousness of our collective needs here, allowing private industry to meet the needs of our community rather than bigger government.

    I hope to have your vote on Aug 2nd. I am excited and have the energy to take on this leadership role with new eyes, community perspective, and the thoughtful consciousness that reflects all ages of the human spectrum.

    Thank you deeply for your consideration.

    Sincerely,

    Samaire Armstrong

    Sedona elections
    Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    Ready to Rumble

    By Tommy Acosta
    In the Blue Corner stands Scott Jablow and in the Red Corner of the ring stands Samaire Armstrong, ready to rumble to the bitter end in their fight to become the next Sedona mayor. Jablow weighs in with 1,137 primary election votes (36.13%) under his belt, having wielded his advantage as sitting Sedona City Council vice-mayor to his favor. He brings his years of serving in that capacity into the fray and waged a solid fight in his campaign to make it to the run-off. Armstrong, however withstood a blistering smear campaign from the other opposing candidates and their supporters to make it to the final bout with 967 votes under her belt (30.73%), an amazing feat for a political newcomer. Unfortunately, for the other two candidates, Kurt Gehlbach and sitting mayor Sandy Moriarty, neither put up enough of a fight to make it to the championship bout. Read more→
    Recent Comments
    • Tony Tonsich on Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    • JJSedona on All Arizonans at Risk for Monkeypox; Stigmatizing Only Gives False Sense of Security to All
    • Tommy on Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    • liberty on Today’s Photo From Ted Grussing Photography: Farewell and Safe Journeys to One
    • West Sedona Dave on Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    Categories
    © 2022 All rights reserved. Sedona.biz.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.