Only one day after I had to listen to a full blown liar testify on behalf of Arizona's Behavioral Health Services (BHS) and The Arizona State Hospital (ASH) in order to defend the actions of a graphically abusive rogue Hospital technician named Elaine T. a new story hit the local waves this morning that openly endorses the ethical character of Arizona's degenerate governor, Jan Brewer, in specific relation to the needs of mentally ill persons in the state. But as I noted on May 05, 2012 (see Arnold v. Sarn), Governor Brewer (who also has a pseudo-secret history of driving and crashing her car while intoxicated.....
Brewer suspected of DUI in 1988 crash; case not pursued
The Republic obtained state Department of Public Safety records describing a 1988 car crash involving Jan Brewer, who was then a state senator.
AZ Fact Check looked at several issues in those documents, including whether Brewer was at fault in an alcohol-related crash and whether she received special treatment.
Brewer confirmed the basic details of the crash, as did the widow of the man Brewer hit. The DPS has not reproduced the records; The Republic obtained the records from another source.
......and who is still today (even as these most recent matters are being reported in the current papers) under investigation by the federal government for social security fraud in specific relation to her mentally ill son Ron.
I also noted in that prior article that Arizona officials just rubber stamped $38 million in funding that is to be funneled directly into out patient services and resources for the mentally ill, which in normal settings would surely be a good thing. But here in Arizona, I recognize this fiscal activity for what it is: Just one more vast waste of money, in essence, because the behavioral health care system here in Arizona is broken, with far too many middle level managers and certified paper pushers, which only belies the fact that more money to burn will only escalate the inefficiencies of the system.
Today's article goes even further in misrepresenting the facts about Governor Brewer and her alleged dedication to public interest issues such as this, declaring her a virtual champion of the mentally ill, while somehow failing to consider the fact that Brewer is very possibly involved in a criminal financial scheme specifically designed to milk/bilk the flow of federal finding resources that are supposed to directly and exclusively be of benefit to mentally ill adults.
THE FOLLOWING WAS IN TODAY'S AZ REPUBLIC NEWSPAPER. Note if you will both the golden shower of praise that Governor Brewer gets in the article, as well, as more importantly, attorney Chick Arnold's guarded comments concerning the questionably broad implications of the implied intent of the deal.
May 18, 2012 |
Interim deal OK'd in Arizona mental-health case
Gov. Jan Brewer, state health officials and attorneys for the seriously mentally ill today announced a two-year agreement in a landmark class-action lawsuit that governs treatment of some of the state's most vulnerable residents.
Key to the agreement was new funding for people with serious mental illnesses who don't qualify for Medicaid. Roughly 12,000 people lost about $50 million worth of services in 2010. The budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 includes $38.7 million for this population.
During the two-year agreement in the Arnold vs. Sarn lawsuit, the parties hope to negotiate an end to the 30-year-old case. (THE CASE WILL BE 32 YEARS OLD BY THEN!) The court still must approve the agreement; both parties said they expected the court to approve it. The agreement also calls for a regular quality review process by an independent entity, although officials did not say who or what that entity would be.
The agreement does not end legal proceedings in the long running case, but state officials say it does represent a significant step towards resolution.
The agreement does not end legal proceedings in the long running case, but state officials say it does represent a significant step towards resolution.
Chick Arnold, who filed the lawsuit in 1981, said the two-year deal restores critical services for the seriously mentally ill and helps restore confidence in the system for their families. He characterized it as a "landmark agreement" that redoubles commitment to that population.
"The system has undergone stress for years and years," Arnold said. "The last two years have been difficult because largely of the uncertainty that we've all been required to live with."
Arnold said the agreement allows patients and their families to have some "optimism" for the future.
In 2010, Brewer, a longtime mental health advocate, (SURE SHE IS! WHO WOULDN'T BE, WHEN YOU ARE WILLING TO EXPLOIT YOUR OWN MENTALLY ILL CHILD'S FINANCIAL RESERVES WITH LITTLE TO NO FEAR OF RETRIBUTION?!) called for a repeal of the law requiring the state to provide services to the seriously mentally ill to help balance the budget. As a compromise, the sides agreed to a two-year stay in the lawsuit that allowed the state to cut about $50 million in services for people who earned too much to qualify for Medicaid but kept intact the law that underpins Arnold vs. Sarn.
Hundreds of people with serious mental illnesses dropped out of sight, dozens lost housing and thousands lost access to group and individual therapy, transportation and community centers. Service providers laid off hundreds of case managers.
Brewer said the agreement reaffirms Arizona's commitment to addressing the needs of the seriously mentally ill.
"A vital part of my four cornerstones of reform has been to address the behavioral health needs in the state of Arizona," Brewer said. "In fact, as many of your know, this has been a critical issue for me for my entire political career." (MORE LIKE A CRITICAL "CORNERSTONE" IN HER OWN BANK ACCOUNT! ONLY IN GODDAMN ARIZONA, I TELL YOU, CIRCA THE 21st CENTURY!)
Her son, Ronald, has lived at the Arizona State Hospital for most of the past 20 years, following a court's determination that he was not guilty of sexual assault and kidnapping because of mental illness. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2012/05/17/20120517arizona-mental-health-case-interim-deal.html#ixzz1vFGO436y
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at ASH, and anonymous comments are fine. In any case, I am more than willing to value anybody's feelings about my writing, and I assure you that I will not intentionally exploit or otherwise abuse your right to express yourself as you deem fit. This topic is far, far too important for anything less. Thank you, whoever you are. Peace and Frogs.