[Vision2020] Daily News Article?

[Saundra Lund]

Visionaries:

While at the store yesterday, I saw that the Daily News' Samantha Malott
wrote an article about our failing mental health system.  Unfortunately, I
wasn't able to read the entire article and am hoping someone could please
post it here for discussion.

This is an important topic, particularly here in Moscow where we've had two
mass shootings and serious mental illness reportedly played a role in both.
Which, BTW, makes Caroline Nilson Troy's political positions -- or
non-positions -- particularly inappropriate here, something I certainly hope
voters remember.

>From the part of the article I was able to read, I'm reminded how proud I am
that we have dedicated public defenders *and* a dedicated prosecuting
attorney's office *and* dedicated law enforcement officers who recognize
both the importance and the role in mental illness in those who come in
contact with the justice system *and* the necessity/importance of having
adequate community mental health resources.  I had the pleasure -- and it
was a real pleasure -- to attend MPD's Civilian Police Academy last year,
and I was extremely proud to find I live in a community where each time the
topic of mental illness came up (including during my ride-along), there
seemed to be a culture of keen awareness from the top down.  I'm personally
completely convinced that outcomes of situations I've been aware of
throughout the years likely would have been far different but for that
awareness, as we've seen in tragic cases around the country.


TIA,
Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

Every individual matters.  Every individual has a role to play.  Every
individual makes a difference.
~ Jane Goodall