"The Director's Blog"
(directorsblog.health.azdhs.gov)
(directorsblog.health.azdhs.gov)
Our Arizona State Hospital’s “Culture of Care” by Will Humble
Will Humble is the Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services(ADHS), which is the parent agency for the states' Behavioral Health Services branch (BHS), under which The Arizona State Hospital (ASH) maintains its substandard mental-medical health care and conditions as a matter of standard practice. As such, Mr. Humble is the ultimate authority over the administrators and clinicians who work at ASH and beyond, including in the ADHS Office of Grievances and Appeals.
On the ADHS public website, Mr. Humble maintains an allegedly open door policy in terms of communicating with the public via a "Director's Blog," wherein he states:
Welcome to the Arizona Department of Health Services Web site! We are continually striving to make this resource a friendlier, easier way of accessing the vast array of programs provided by the Department. You will also find a wealth of information about the state's residents here, as well as ways you can get involved in helping to improve the lives of all Arizonans.
We are happy to provide this service to you, and welcome your feedback on this site.
Thank you for spending some time with us,
Will Humble
Director
Arizona Department of Health Services
And yet, several good faith inquiries that I have sent to Mr. Humble in terms of some of my well grounded concerns about the substandard and of the unlawful conditions at ASH, as presented in my recent August 02, 2012 article (and again just below) remain unanswered, and in fact, cannot even be viewed yet by the general public, as the "your comment is awaiting moderation" disclaimer at the top of my comment below shows. I can access my own comment(s) via my computer, but so far as the discourse being something open to the public, it is apparent that only certain forms of public commentary are considered worthy of consideration.
Shown below are:
1) A July 27, 2012, blog entry posted on the ADHS website (entitled "Health Disparities"), as written by Mr. Humble, which discusses issues relating to racial/cultural disparity in public health care systems, which directly relates as well to an article I published on May 11, 2012, entitled "On Racial Discrimination At The Arizona State Hospital."
2) My August 02, 2012, request for comment by Mr. Humble in direct relation to the topic of racial disparity and/or discrimination in terms of the flow of mental health care services provided by ADHS/BHS at The Arizona State Hospital.
1) Health Disparities
July 27th, 2012 by Will HumbleNo comments »
Lots of risk factors contribute to health disparities… and many of the risk factors are called “social determinants of health.” A couple of months ago we (with our community partners), launched the Social Determinants of Health educational series to boost professional development and program planning so Arizona’s public health team can better address health equity and improve health status for vulnerable populations in Arizona. A wide range of speakers have presented and shared their knowledge and expertise. So far, nine sessions have been conducted, and three more sessions are on the way. Continuing education credits are available for all the sessions. Two PBS documentary programs, Race: The Power of an Illusion and UNNATURAL CAUSES are being used to guide an open discussion about race and the impact of social determinants on health.
Employees are encouraged to attend these dynamic and informative sessions for their professional development. Contact Hong Chartrand from the Arizona Health Disparities Center for more information.
2) From PJ Reed
2) From PJ Reed
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Dr. Mr. Humble: As of early 2012, the disparity of “race” in terms of individuals being treated in the civil section of the AZ State Hospital stood as follows:
caucasians 12/african americans 3/latino 5/other 5. Given that the majority of ASH patients enter the facility via the states’ criminal and civil courts, please explain to the citizens of AZ how it is that the statistics in this context so radically contrast the racial/cultural dynamics in the states’ corrections facilities, wherein people of color are condemned to prison time at a rate of 7:1 over caucasians. What’s the story here, sir? Do caucasians suffer from mental illness at this disproportionate a rate simply because people of color are so obviously more criminal in nature, or what? Or is it that economically founded racism exists at an endemic level of standing in ADHS/BHS, whereby mentally ill caucasians are the only ones so directly deserving of long term care in facilities like ASH? Again, and a clear worded response form you, Mr. Humble, will be greatly appreciated. ASAP. Thank you. PJ Reed.
caucasians 12/african americans 3/latino 5/other 5. Given that the majority of ASH patients enter the facility via the states’ criminal and civil courts, please explain to the citizens of AZ how it is that the statistics in this context so radically contrast the racial/cultural dynamics in the states’ corrections facilities, wherein people of color are condemned to prison time at a rate of 7:1 over caucasians. What’s the story here, sir? Do caucasians suffer from mental illness at this disproportionate a rate simply because people of color are so obviously more criminal in nature, or what? Or is it that economically founded racism exists at an endemic level of standing in ADHS/BHS, whereby mentally ill caucasians are the only ones so directly deserving of long term care in facilities like ASH? Again, and a clear worded response form you, Mr. Humble, will be greatly appreciated. ASAP. Thank you. PJ Reed.
(END OF DOCUMENT)
At every junction of my experiences at The Arizona State Hospital in terms of my efforts to advocate for my own rights and care needs as a seriously mentally ill human being and citizen of Arizona, I always initiated my concerns in the most civil manner that I possibly could, and in doing so, conducted my affairs in this context via nothing more complex than clear and open lines of communication between myself and the various ASH or AHDS representatives that I took my issues to. As such, I also followed all suggested means of resolution in strict accordance with well established protocol and and policy, as per the provisions of The Arizona Administrative Code and ASH' own standards. But throughout the entirety of my thirteen (13) full months of hospitalization at ASH, during which time I witnessed and experienced ongoing abuse of my rights (and those of my fellow patient-peers), the vast majority of my good faith attempts to communicate in this context were systematically ignored or otherwise pissed on as a matter of standard practice. And here today, via the ADHS website and the virtual presence of Mr. Will Humble, ADHS highest ranking supervisor, I seem to be running into the same insultingly close mouthed responses that I had to deal with while still a patient at ASH. All of this flies in the the face of my most basic expectations as a consumer and citizen, and clarifies my heartfelt concerns about how deeply mismanaged the care of the seriously mentally ill patients at The Arizona State Hospital is at this time.
I suggest that anybody sharing my concerns about these issues take full advantage of the Arizona Department of Health Services website. See: directorsblog.health.azdhs.gov and communicate in your own right with the ADHS director, Will Humble. Ask him about the ongoing patient abuse at The Arizona State Hospital and the directly related failure of ADHS/BHS to meaningfully address the myriad issues that I have thus far outlined in my writing (to date), and feel free if you so choose to include the fact that your awareness of this issue flows from your familiarity with this blog. Patient abuse is inhumane and highly criminal in nature, and the patients at ASH are continually subjected to substandard mental-medical health care as a matter of standard practice. It has to stop. Please do anything you can to support this cause today.
At every junction of my experiences at The Arizona State Hospital in terms of my efforts to advocate for my own rights and care needs as a seriously mentally ill human being and citizen of Arizona, I always initiated my concerns in the most civil manner that I possibly could, and in doing so, conducted my affairs in this context via nothing more complex than clear and open lines of communication between myself and the various ASH or AHDS representatives that I took my issues to. As such, I also followed all suggested means of resolution in strict accordance with well established protocol and and policy, as per the provisions of The Arizona Administrative Code and ASH' own standards. But throughout the entirety of my thirteen (13) full months of hospitalization at ASH, during which time I witnessed and experienced ongoing abuse of my rights (and those of my fellow patient-peers), the vast majority of my good faith attempts to communicate in this context were systematically ignored or otherwise pissed on as a matter of standard practice. And here today, via the ADHS website and the virtual presence of Mr. Will Humble, ADHS highest ranking supervisor, I seem to be running into the same insultingly close mouthed responses that I had to deal with while still a patient at ASH. All of this flies in the the face of my most basic expectations as a consumer and citizen, and clarifies my heartfelt concerns about how deeply mismanaged the care of the seriously mentally ill patients at The Arizona State Hospital is at this time.
I suggest that anybody sharing my concerns about these issues take full advantage of the Arizona Department of Health Services website. See: directorsblog.health.azdhs.gov and communicate in your own right with the ADHS director, Will Humble. Ask him about the ongoing patient abuse at The Arizona State Hospital and the directly related failure of ADHS/BHS to meaningfully address the myriad issues that I have thus far outlined in my writing (to date), and feel free if you so choose to include the fact that your awareness of this issue flows from your familiarity with this blog. Patient abuse is inhumane and highly criminal in nature, and the patients at ASH are continually subjected to substandard mental-medical health care as a matter of standard practice. It has to stop. Please do anything you can to support this cause today.
paoloreed@gmail.com
