Although there have been a number of advances toward acceptance of  lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning individuals, it is still not easy for LGBTQ youth. In addition to struggling with their own identity, many young people face discrimination and bullying. In its most recent surveyof LGBTQ youth, the Trevor Project found that 40% of respondents said they have seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. The number is even higher for transgender and nonbinary youth. This is a staggering number and points to a mental health crisis that must be addressed.
 
Hurdles to Overcome
 
Even with advancements in legislation, policy, and culture, the LGBTQ community still has hurdles to overcome. LGBTQ youth still face discrimination and rejection from their families and the community at large. Add to that the hateful rhetoric that has become increasingly pervasive in recent years, and there is a recipe for disaster. Transgender and nonbinary (people who do not identify as male or female) youth face even greater discrimination and misunderstanding. As a result, LGBTQ youth are more than four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers.
 
Social media seems to be a mixed bag when it comes to the feelings of rejection for LGBTQ youth. They have become more exposed to hateful rhetoric and rejecting comments. However, many LGBTQ young people feel alone, and being able to make a helpful connection through social media can go a long way toward making someone feel accepted.  
 
Addressing the Issue
 
The best way to address the issue of mental health and LGBTQ youth is to provide adequate treatment for these young people. Mental health professionals who specialize in LGBTQ issues are necessary to provide a safe place where young people can feel free to express themselves and their feelings. Providing specialized training to mental health professionals can make this a reality. In addition, LGBTQ community centers can help provide affirming messages of acceptance to young people, which can help change their outlook.
 
If you or someone you know is feeling helpless or suicidal, the Trevor Project has a confidential suicide hotline. The Trevor Lifeline is available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7836. Online counseling is also available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now/.
 
If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental disabilities. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.

A traumatic brain injury can be life-changing for sufferers in a number of different ways. It can change the way they function and behave, and it can even change their personality. But can traumatic brain injury lead someone to commit a violent crime? Some studies show this may be the case.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

 A traumatic brain injury (TBI) typically results from a violent jolt or blow to the head. An object, like a bullet, penetrating the skull and brain tissue can also result in a TBI. A mild TBI may affect a person's brain cells temporarily. A more serious TBI can result in torn tissue, bruising, bleeding, and other physical damage to the brain. A serious TBI can result in long-term complications. An estimated 1.7 million people annually sustain a TBI. 

Linked to Crime?

The link between TBI and violent crime is a controversial subject that we are still struggling to understand. A number of studies have found a link between TBI and violence. A 2009 study found an increase in aggression among people who suffered a TBI. This aggression was believed to be linked to a change in psychosocial functioning and changes in personality. Another study found that young people who suffered a recent head injury were more likely to report violent behavior. 

Aggressive behavior associated with TBI includes explosive outbursts that can be set off with minimal provocation. These outbursts can range in severity for irritability to property damage or assaults on others. Cognitive and behavioral problems associated with TBI can result in aggressive behavior that leads to violence. In addition, a lack of insight and judgment can also lead to behavior in which the person would never have engaged if they did not suffer from a TBI. In fact, these same conditions can also make those with TBIs more likely to be victims of violent crime which can perpetuate the cycle. Violence as both a cause and consequence of TBI is a serious problem that must be addressed.

 If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental disabilities. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.

​New York State Bar Association President Henry Greenberg recently announced a call to action to consider removing mental health questions from bar applications. Greenberg noted“time in law school is marked by extreme stress, anxiety, overwhelming expectations, and financial uncertainty. Many students admit they are not seeking help because they are concerned that doing so will negatively impact their bar admission.” 
 
Bar Applications
 
On the current New York State application for admission to the Bar, applicants are asked to disclose information about their mental health status and substance abuse history. The questions are part of the character and fitness section of the application and imply that people with mental health issues are not fit to practice law. An applicant bears the burden of proving that they are fit to practice law. The question asks: “Do you currently have any condition or impairment including, but not limited to a mental, emotional, psychiatric, nervous or behavioral disorder or condition, or an alcohol, drug or other substance abuse condition or impairment or gambling addiction, which in any way impairs or limits your ability to practice law?” In contrast, bar applicants are not asked to disclose any physical illnesses.
 
Removing the Question
 
Currently, 40 states have similar mental health questions on their bar applications. There is a growing movement nationwide to remove these inquiries from the application process. Many law students forgo treatment for mental health conditions because they are afraid of the adverse effect such treatment could have on their admission. According to an American Bar Association survey, almost half of law students suffering from a mental health condition feared that seeking treatment could pose a threat to their bar admission. 
 
The New York Unified Court System will review the applications to determine if a change needs to be made to the inquiries. The application is continually updated and revised. Inquiries into the character and fitness of bar applicants should focus more on an individual’s conduct and behavior and less on their mental health treatment. Removing the mental health question could lead to an improvement in law student well-being as more people will feel comfortable accessing treatment. 
 
If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental disabilities. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.

​The mental health of children in California is in crisis. A 2018 reportfrom the California Health Care Foundation noted that an increasing number of teens in the state suffer from major depression. According to the report, in 2015, 1 in 9 teenage girls attempted suicide. The problem is compounded by the fact that people in their teens and early twenties are less likely to receive mental health treatment than other groups. A new bill introduced in the California legislature hopes to provide some help with this crisis. 
 
Senate Bill 12
 
Senate Bill 12, introduced by Democratic Senators Jim Beall and Anthony Portantino, seeks to create 100 youth drop-in centers across the state that can help support young people with mental health, substance abuse, and physical health issues. The centers would be created under a new initiative called the Integrated Youth Mental Health Program and would provide one-stop support to youth ages 12 to 25 who are too embarrassed or unable to seek help in a traditional school or medical setting. 
 
The drop-in centers would be designed in a way that would be inviting to teens and young people. They would provide mental health and substance abuse treatment, as well as educational and vocational support and peer mentoring. The initiative is modeled after similar programs found in Australia and Canada and would be the first of its kind in the United States.
 
The bill requests $200 million in the budget to fund the centers. These funds could be combined with additional funds from the federal government. Senator Beall also introduced a bill to increase mental health services in California schools. However, not all young people want help from their school, or are not in school, so in the drop-in centers are important.
 
The Importance of Mental Health Treatment
 
Mental health issues are likely to first present themselves in people who are in their late teens and early twenties. This is an essential time to link young people with mental health services. Addressing and treating these concerns early can help prevent issues from escalating and becoming more difficult to treat later in life.  
 
If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental disabilities. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.

​The men and women who honorably serve our country are true heroes. However, sometimes, these heroes return home changed people. The stress from the job, along with the difficulty of adjusting to civilian life, can have a serious impact on a veteran's well-being. In some cases, veterans come home with conditions like PTSD and substance abuse issues. A lack of support can place some of these veterans on the wrong side of the law.
 
Veterans’ Treatment Courts
 
Similar to drug courts and mental health courts, Veterans’ Treatment Courts seek to provide a better option for veterans who have been charged with a crime. The goal of these courts is to help veterans in trouble with the law regain stability, mental health, and sobriety. The courts are a way of diverting veterans from the typical criminal justice system and offer them assistance with the factors that may have led to their crime. Veterans are linked to community-based services to assist with addiction and mental health issues. They are also given access to agencies that specialize in veterans’ affairs.
 
In New York, Veterans' Treatment Courts take a team approach to address the needs of the veterans. Mental health providers, addiction counselors, veteran's affairs agencies, and peer mentors all work together to assist the veterans. Peer mentors are a critical part of the team approach. They are individuals who have military service and work toward helping fellow veterans in the criminal justice system. Veterans' Treatment Courts have been very successful in assisting veterans and preventing recidivism and future involvement with the criminal justice system.
 
Expansion
 
There are currently 33 Veterans’ Treatment Courts throughout the state of New York. These courts have been very successful, but more work needs to be done. There are currently 37 counties in New York that do not have a Veterans’ Treatment Court. Some counties lack the resources to support these courts. New York is now looking to change the law to allow criminal cases involving veterans to be transferred to a Veterans’ Treatment Court in an adjacent county. This could go a long way to helping even more veterans get their lives back on track.  
 
If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental disabilities. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.

​In June of 2019, the Ohio House passed a billthat would end the use of the death penalty on individuals who suffer from severe mental illness. The bill received bipartisan support and is the result of a task force that reviewed the state’s administration of the death penalty. 
 
Severe Mental Illness
 
Under the bill, severe mental illness includes conditions such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and delusional disorder. If an offender suffers from one of these conditions at the time they committed the crime, they could avoid the death penalty. 
 
In Ohio, individuals who commit aggravated murder are subject to the death penalty. If a defendant argues that they suffered from a serious mental illness at the time of the aggravated murder, a court can order a psychological evaluation. If the person is ultimately found guilty of aggravated murder, they may be sentenced to life without parole instead of the death penalty if it is found that they had a serious mental illness at the time.
 
Opposition to the Bill
 
The Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association has been opposed to the bill. They believe that there are already safeguards in place to help people with mental illness or developmental disabilities from being subject to the death penalty. They believe that the bill would only help those whose mental illness is so minor that they failed to create reasonable doubt in the minds of a jury that they were not guilty by reason of insanity.
 
Moving Forward
 
The bill is intended to be retroactive. This means that individuals who are currently on death row in Ohio can seek an evaluation regarding their mental health and have their sentence reduced to life without parole. There are currently 142 people on death row in Ohio. Ohio executions are currently on hold as officials search for a new means of administering the death penalty. A federal magistrate ruled that the old three-drug cocktail method was unconstitutional.
 
House Bill 136 now moves to the Ohio Senate for consideration.
 
If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.

​All parents get anxious when their teen driver gets behind the wheel. Car accidents are the number onecause of death for teens. However, parents of teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have even more to worry about. A new studyin the Journal Pediatrics found that teen drivers with ADHD have a higher risk of being involved in a crash and are more likely to get traffic tickets.
 
Higher Risk
 
The study found that in the first month of driving, a teen with ADHD is 62% more likely to be involved in an auto accident than other teen drivers. The study also showed that over the course of four years, teen drivers with ADHD were two times more likely to be involved in an alcohol-related crash than a teen driver without ADHD. It was also discovered that teen drivers with ADHD were more likely to get traffic tickets for infractions such as driving distracted, speeding, and failing to wear a seatbelt. Around 36% of drivers with ADHD received a traffic ticket compared to 25% for drivers without ADHD.
 
Reasons for the Risk
 
There are a number of reasons related to an ADHD diagnosis that can contribute to the increased driving risk. ADHD symptoms include hyperactivity, impulsivity, and issues with attention and focus. As a result, many of the necessary skills needed for safe driving are lacking in teens with ADHD. It is clear that a teen driver with ADHD would be more prone to distraction while driving and would be more likely to engage in risky, impulsive behaviors.
 
Reducing the Risk
 
There may be a need for significant intervention at the driver training stage for teen drivers with ADHD in order to reduce the risk of accidents and tickets. Parents should get involved early and ensure that their teen has plenty of practice behind the wheel. In addition, driver education programs should be modified to emphasize the importance of avoiding distraction and risky behavior. If a teen lacks good judgment and is not mature enough to handle driving, then parents should not be afraid to discourage their teen from driving. In addition, parents can limit distractions by forcing their teen to turn off their cellphone while driving and discourage them from driving with teen passengers, can also help reduce the danger. 
 
If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.

​For individuals with mental disabilities, encounters with law enforcement can quickly escalate into serious situations. Issues with communication can exacerbate the problem. Individuals with communication barriers can be arrested or even become the victims of the use of force by a police officer solely as a result of their disability. The passage of Ohio’s House Bill 115hopes to help avoid dangerous situations between police officers and individuals with communication disabilities.
 
Communication Disability Registry
 
Under the law, which went into effect in August of last year, any individual with a disability that affects their communications skills can voluntarily submit a verification form which would identify them as having a communication disability. The form requires a physician’s signature verifying the communication disability and a parent’s signature if the individual is under 18 years old. This information is placed in the Law Enforcement Automated Data System (LEADS) and made available to all state and local law enforcement officers. When a police officer runs an individual’s driver’s license or license plate, the information about the communication disability should be indicated. Only general information about the communication disability is disclosed and not the diagnosis of the individual.
 
Communication disabilities can range from hearing impairment to conditions such as PTSD and autism. These conditions are not always understood by law enforcement officers and can become barriers to effective communication. The availability of a registry identifying an individual's communication issue can go a long way toward preventing the escalation of law enforcement interactions. However, along with the information in the registry, law enforcement needs to be given the proper training on how to interact with individuals who have communication disabilities.
 
Participation in the registry is entirely voluntary, and Ohio is taking steps to increase awareness of the program. Law enforcement and other agencies have used social media and other avenues to spread the word. The program will only have a significant impact on the quality of police interactions if it is utilized in a widespread manner.
 
If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental disabilities. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.

​Mental health on college campuses has gained more awareness. An increasing number of college students suffer from mental health issues and require help from professionals. A 2014 National Survey of College Counseling Centersfound that 52% of the respondent’s clients had severe psychological problems. As a result, colleges are expanding services for students battling conditions such as depression and anxiety. Better and accessible screening, as well as earlier diagnosis, are important factors in improving the quality of mental health care on college campuses.
 
Accessible Screening and Services
 
Late adolescence and early adulthood are times when many mental health issues begin to manifest. Therefore, in addition to adjusting to college life, many students are coping with the onset of conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Many students may not know what is happening to them, and it is important for college campuses to conduct screenings to determine whether a student is in need of help. On-campus screenings for possible depression and other conditions can help point students towards services.In addition, access to crisis care can be essential to students with mental disabilities. Crisis hotlines staffed with after hour counselors can be used to triage issues and direct students in crisis to the services they need.
 
The most important quality in mental health services on campus is accessibility to all students. Many campuses simply don't have enough staff to accommodate the students who need help, and students languish on waiting lists. Ensuring that mental health centers have adequate numbers of properly trained staff to help students is an essential duty of any college campus.
 
Early Diagnosis
 
In addition to accessibility, it is important that the staff in campus mental health centers are adequately trained to recognize the symptoms of serious mental illness in college students. Individuals with conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder benefit from early treatment and diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis can lead to serious problems with academics and social skills and can lead to college students failing to succeed. If staff are adequately prepared to treat the mental illness of college students, they should have the capability of referring students to providers in the community who can help.
 
If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental disabilities. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.

​It has become a cliché to say that the jail and prison systems in the United States have become the largest mental health facilities in the country. Mental illness runs rampant throughout correction facilities, and frequently county jails become dumping grounds for those with mental illness. Most jailers don't have the appropriate training to handle inmates with mental illness, and this can result in tragic consequences. Texas has initiated a mental health training program that can hopefully give jailers better tools for dealing with the unique challenges presented by inmates with mental illness.
 
Training Program
 
At the Brazos County Detention Center, jailers from four Texas counties underwent training on techniques for dealing with inmates who have mental disabilities. Master trainers from the Sheriff’s Office, along with a case manager from the Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority (MHMR) helped to conduct the training which had been developed by the National Institute of Corrections and the Correctional Management Institute of Texas.
 
During the training, actors were used to help demonstrate the situations jailers may encounter with a prisoner with mental illness. In one instance an “inmate” told the jailer that he wanted to be moved to a different cell because the loud sounds of the slamming doors were hard for him to deal with. The jailer spoke calmly to the “inmate” and quickly determined that the “inmate” was a military veteran suffering from PTSD. The jailer was then taught techniques on how to be empathetic and helpful to the “inmate” rather than dismissive. 
 
The officers undergoing these training sessions hope to become certified for serving on jail crisis intervention teams. Brazos County’s jail currently has two or three crisis trained deputies on every shift to help handle escalated situations often involving inmates with mental disabilities. These crisis intervention teams meet once a week to discuss the special needs of the inmates and those who have mental health and behavioral issues. 
 
While Brazos County has made real strides towards training their jailers on how to address the needs of mentally disabled inmates, the program is not widespread enough. Jails across the country need to provide comprehensive training to their officers on how to handle crisis situations and the special needs of these inmates. 
 
If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illness or intellectual/developmental disability. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.