​Digital technology has the potential to transform mental health care. Thousands of apps are on the market with promises to help soothe mental health issues. Smartphones allow for the continuous monitoring of people with mental illness. Now officials in California are looking at a new approach to technology and its use to help those with mental illness. 
 
For the past year, California state and county mental health officials have been working with Mindstrong, a venture co-founded by a former director of the National Institute of Mental Health. These entities have been working together to test new smartphone apps for people receiving care through the state’s mental health system. The apps being tested are already available to the public. 
 
Digital Fire Alarms
 
Most of the users involved in the testing have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The apps monitor the users’ activity on their phones to determine whether they may be on the verge of a mental health crisis. An alternate keyboard is digitally installed on the phone and monitors the moment-to-moment activity on the phone. People with borderline personality disorder often have trouble determining when they are in crisis. These digital fire alarm apps can indicate when they may be in crisis based on their phone usage. Users can then use the skills they’ve learned to help lessen the crisis or to seek help.
 
Other apps provide users in distress with trained listeners who will chat with the user by text. The trained listener then judges the severity of the user’s problem and connects them with necessary resources such as a counselor. The app gives a person the opportunity to discuss their issues with another person and potentially obtain the help they need. 
 
Growing Pains
 
We're still a long way away from these apps being used on a regular basis to solve mental health crises. Questions about privacy and the effectiveness of the apps still arise. People may not be ready to share their personal mental health information with the companies that provide the apps. Further tests regarding the effectiveness of the apps are still needed.
 
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 United States has the worst rate of maternal deaths among developed countries. As a pregnant woman in the United States, you are more likely to die from pregnancy-related problems than in any other developed nation. While many of these maternal deaths are the result of obstetric health issues, a new study finds that a significant number of new mothers die by suicide within a year after the birth of their child. 
 
Study
 
The study out of Michigan State University and the University of California tracked one million California moms for a year after their child was born. Three hundred of the women in the study died during that time. While obstetric issues were the number one cause of death, drug overdose and suicide factored significantly in causes of death. Drug overdoses were the second leading cause of death, and suicide was the seventh.  
 
This study reflects that drug addiction and mental health issues among new mothers must be addressed. Many new moms feel helpless and alone after giving birth and may be afraid to seek help for their addiction or mental health issues. Postpartum depression and anxiety are common, and physicians in this country must do a better job of screening new moms for these conditions.
 
Treatment for postpartum mental health issues should continue beyond the first few months after giving birth. Most insurance plans cover a six-week postpartum checkup, but beyond that point, moms are on their own. According to the study, the majority of deaths occurred more than six months after the moms had given birth.
 
Fear of seeking help is another major factor in why women are suffering from addiction and mental health issues. Many women fear that if they admit that their mental health is suffering, then their child will be taken away from them. This keeps many women from seeking the help they need. We need to provide new moms with better supports and help to prevent them from suffering and to help reduce the overall maternal mortality rate in this country.
 
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.

​Children in rural counties across the country experience the same mental health issues as other children. Yet they don’t have the same access to mental health resources as children in urban and suburban counties do. In some cases, the nearest therapist can be hours away. This lack of support may change with the use of telehealth therapy.
 
What is Telehealth Therapy?
 
Telehealth therapy is typically performed through the use of video teleconferencing. However, it can also be performed through text messaging, email, or by telephone. Telehealth therapy has been found to be just as effective as in-person therapy and improves access to care for people who can't easily obtain it.
 
Children in Rural Counties
 
Children should be able to access the mental health treatment they need, and the use of telehealth therapy is making that easier. States such as North Dakota,where over 90% of counties lack sufficient mental health services, have instituted programs to increase access to telehealth technology. With the state's Telehealth Outreach Program, providers in larger cities can connect with children in areas where there are few or no available mental health supports. The service is currently available free of charge to children aged 7 to 18 who have experienced trauma. Families receive special "locked down" iPads to be used for therapy only. 
 
In addition, telehealth therapy for children often involves the use of toys and other supplies such as journals and coloring supplies. Younger children often respond better to play therapy than traditional talk therapy. Families in the North Dakota program receive boxes containing these materials so they can be used during therapy. 
 
North Dakota has found that more children participate in and complete therapy when they are given access to telehealth therapy. This is because parents are not forced to miss work or taking the time to drive hours away in order to attend sessions. The consistency and convenience of telehealth therapy make it more helpful and less stressful for children and their families.
 
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.

​For almost forty years in California, the Lanterman Act has helped people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) by providing a network of centers that offer specialized care. Hundreds of thousands of individuals with I/DD depend on the Act for the support they need to lead independent lives. Now advocates, including state senators and assemblymen, are calling for an increase in funding for the Act. 
 
The advocate group, calling themselves the Lanterman Act Coalition, is seeking an 8% increase in funding for the Act. This increase included $290 million to restore and stabilize the system. Instead of an 8% increase, the governor's revision of the state budget included an increase of only 4.85%. Advocates state that a further increase is needed in order to ensure that individuals with I/DD have the ability to live full, integrated lives and that their caretakers are paid a living wage. 
 
Current Supports
 
As it currently stands, the support structure for individuals with I/DD in California is lacking. Almost half of providers have to waitlist or turn away individuals seeking services. This leads to many people being denied the care they need. The amount of available services has been declining with an estimated 28,000 programs having closed in the last few years. Funding shortages result in individuals languishing on waiting lists and programs encountering problems hiring professional staff. 
 
Parents of individuals with I/DD support the increase in funding. Many parents have experienced great strides being made to help their children while they are in school but fear for the future when their children become adults. The lack of adequate supports can lead to more pressure on parents. 
 
In addition, many individuals with I/DD have been involved in their support programs for decades. The people that care for them have been like family. As more programs close or move, these individuals face a great upheaval in their lives, which can be detrimental to their success. It is clear that this increase in funding is crucial to the successful support of individuals with I/DD.
 
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.

​July 2019 marked one year since New York State’s mandate of mental health education among K-12 students. The mandate was the first in the country and was designed with the hope that education would create an environment of mental health awareness. The requirement recognized the fact that mental well-being is just as important as physical health. It came amongst research demonstrating an alarming increase in rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide among American teens.
 
Is it Working?
 
While it may be too soon to tell the impact this education is really having on students, school districts believe it’s helping. The quality of mental health education depends on the individual school districts. The mandate does not specify the manner in which the education should be administered and doesn’t dictate a curriculum. School districts have quite a bit of latitude when deciding the programs they put in place. 
 
The downside of this lack of uniformity is that some programs work, and some don't. Students in districts where the program doesn't work are unfortunately not experiencing the full benefit of well-developed mental health education. Some school districts have developed peer mentoring and advocacy programs. Others, such as the Niagara Fallsschool district have chosen to implement mental health education by increasing extracurricular programs for students. This in stark contrast to many school districts who have simply added mental health education as a subject that is discussed in one day in health class. 
 
The State hoped that the addition of mental health education in the school would lead to the development of an environment of support. The State envisioned peer support groups, peer advocacy, and greater mental health awareness as part of the program. It is clear that this type of education is necessary. Most mental illnesses develop during the teen years, and early intervention and treatment can lead to better outcomes. If a teen with a mental health problem is recognized early through the environment created by a mental health education program, then future issues can be properly 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.

​In the face of a rising rate of suicides among veterans, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs has decided to approve the use of a new, expensive drug to treat depression. This is despite concerns among doctors and other experts regarding the effectiveness of the drug. The drug is called Spravato and is manufactured by a division of Johnson & Johnson. The VA has approved the use of the drug, also known as esketamine, by doctors in its more than 1,000 clinics across the nation. 
 
Spravato
 
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Spravato for severe depression in March of 2019. The drug represents a new direction in depression treatment. Spravato is a nasal spray derived from an anesthetic called ketamine. The drug is a departure from the usual antidepressants such as Prozac. 
 
The nasal spray contains esketamine, an active part of the ketamine molecule. It is recommended that it be taken twice a week for four weeks with later boosters as needed. The drug is usually taken in conjunction with more traditional antidepressants. People taking Spravato are monitored in the doctor’s office for two hours after taking the drug due to side effects such as hallucinations.
 
Issues With the Drug
 
Experts are not completely convinced of the effectiveness of Spravato in treating severe depression. The development of the drug came after a number of small studies found that generic ketamine provided fast relief to some severely depressed people who failed to respond to other treatments. Doctors believe that, since Spravato is different from generic ketamine, further trials and studies should be conducted.
 
Generic ketamine has been available for some time and is used by a number of doctors to treat severe depression. It is administered through a number of intravenous doses that cost about $400 per dose. Spravato, on the other hand, costs up to $7,000 for a course of treatment and additional clinic costs due to the monitoring that must take place. 
 
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 New York Police Department is in the midst of a mental health crisis after another officer died by suicide. This latest death brings the total number of suicide deaths at the NYPD up to nine as of August 2019. Since 2014, in New York City, an average of five officers have died by suicide each year. These deaths have prompted commanders to urge despondent officers to seek counseling and help. However, there is a mental health stigma in the department and other barriers that may be preventing officers from getting the help they need.
 
Mental Health Stigma
 
Despite strides being made in the community as a whole, there is still shame and stigma surrounding mental illness in the NYPD. Officers who seek mental health counseling are sometimes seen as weak. Officers are expected to handle their issues themselves and not seek help. Bravery and courage are part of being a police officer, and admitting what is seen as a weakness can have a negative influence on one’s appearance among colleagues. Some officers fear their careers will suffer if they seek counseling. 
 
Studies have shown that first responders are more likely to die by suicide than to be killed in the line of duty. Officers should be made to feel comfortable seeking help. They should also receive mandatory counseling after responding to tragic situations or when experiencing an overwhelming life event. The NYPD has had limited success encouraging officers to seek help. Officers have different avenues available to them to seek assistance, including peer counseling, hotlines, and department chaplains. For most officers, however, the idea of vulnerability is incompatible with the image they have of being heroes.
 
Other Barriers
 
In addition to the stigma surrounding mental health in the NYPD, there are other barriers that prevent officers from receiving the help they need. While there are a number of department resources available to officers, there is clearly not enough anonymous help out there. Officers need a place where they can feel safe and free from judgment when seeking help. Hotlines and chaplains are not enough. Trained counselors available to officers for free would be a more helpful solution.
 
In addition, the City's insurance makes it difficult for officers to seek mental health care outside of the job. The insurance pays therapists a low fee, and many therapists refuse to take the insurance. Some therapists agree to take the low paying insurance in an effort to help the community, but therapists also need to make a living and can't work with the fees that are offered. The City clearly needs to make sure that all employees have adequate mental health coverage.
 
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.

Tragedy struck in June at a Corona, California Costco, when a 32-year old man was fatally shot by an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer. The officer also wounded the parents of Kenneth French. The officer's gun was the only one involved in the incident. While it is unclear what provoked the shooting, witnesses had stated that Kenneth French initiated the interaction when he pushed the officer who was holding his toddler son. The action was unprovoked.

Kenneth French's parents attempted to intervene and explain that their son had a mental disability. French was a man who was schizophrenic, nonverbal, and suffered from an intellectual disability. French had been experiencing a medication change at the time. When French’s mother stepped in between the officer and her son, she was shot in the back. French’s father was also shot during the incident. French was ultimately killed by the officer. The officer was placed on administrative leave.

Need for Training

This tragic incident underscores the need for law enforcement officers to be trained on how to handle situations involving people with mental disabilities. Once the officer was informed that French had a mental disability, the officer should have handled the situation differently. With proper training, he may have been able to defuse the situation without violence. Law enforcement should be trained on appropriate de-escalation tactics to use when faced with a person who has a mental disability.

While LAPD officers do receive some training on how to handle mental health crises, it is clear that more education is needed. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities sometimes act out their frustrations physically rather than verbally. They don't interpret their environment the same way other people do. Yelling or getting into an argument with the person is not the answer. Family members often know how to defuse the situation properly, but in this case, French's family was shot rather than given the opportunity to calm their son down. Officers should be trained to take cues from family members and caretakers when handling mental health crises.

Unfortunately, without proper training of law enforcement officer, the world becomes a dangerous place for those with mental disabilities. Their lives are in jeopardy every time they leave their homes. Individuals with mental disabilities should be able to look to law enforcement for help in a crisis and not be afraid they will be injured if they approach a police officer. 
​
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.

​Schizophrenia is a mental illness characterized by delusions and hallucinations, such as hearing voices. People with schizophrenia also experience confusion and memory problems. Symptoms of schizophrenia typically begin to emerge when an individual is in their early 20s. Often, however, people go undiagnosed for years. New artificial intelligence technology may be able to predict the symptoms of schizophrenia earlier, which can help people with the condition get early treatment.
 
Speech Recognition
 
Harvard and Emory University researchers have developeda machine-learning approach to analyzing an individual's language for signs of psychosis. The system can detect subtle characteristics in the way someone speaks, which can be indicative of future mental illness. The system has been able to successfully evaluate the use of words and the semantic density to predict which individuals would develop future psychosis. Individuals who develop mental psychosis tend to have a vagueness to their language that the system can detect. They also implicitly talk about voices and sounds in their head. Using a technique called vector unpacking, researchers were able to measure a sentence's richness by dividing it into component vectors. 
 
Researchers developed a “norm” for language using the online conversations of 30,000 Reddit users. It analyzed hundreds of conversations and developed a norm that consisted of 401 million words. The study then compared the language of the test subjects to this norm to determine if there were any differences. 
 
Researchers then studied 40 participants who had been evaluated for schizophrenia. These individuals were then tested using the language system. Follow-ups were conducted every six months until they developed psychosis. Video recordings of interviews were taken, and then the artificial intelligence (AI) system evaluated the speech to determine if there were predictors of psychosis. The system was able to predict psychosis with 93% accuracy.
 
Earlier Treatment
 
The use of this AI technology can help predict psychosis before it happens. This can lead to much needed mental health treatment for individuals with schizophrenia. Stopping the psychosis before it happens can help prevent negative outcomes and issues for those with schizophrenia. Researchers are hopeful that the technology can be used for other mental conditions and that it will become part of the future of mental health 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.

A bill signed into law in July by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy would restrict the use of solitary confinement in the state’s prison system. When signing the law, the governor stated: "I am proud to stand together with New Jersey’s criminal justice reform advocates and legislators to advance a humane correctional system that allows for the safe operation of facilities and focuses on strengthening reentry initiatives, substance use disorder treatment, and recovery programs.” 
 
Comprehensive Controls
 
This new law is thought to be among the most comprehensive controls of the practice of placing inmates in isolation in the United States. The state Legislature had been debating the issue for years. Corrections officials assert that the use of solitary confinement has been strictly controlled through prison policies and practices but that the new law ensures that these practices will remain permanent. 
 
Prison critics, however, believe that some New Jersey prisons were still using isolation as a means of punishing inmates. Advocacy groups collected the testimony of inmates who had been in isolation for months. Reports also found that prisoners who were isolated were typically kept in segregation units for more than 30 days. These groups believe the controls were essential.
 
Now inmates can only be placed in isolation if there is reasonable cause to believe that the inmate or others would be at substantial risk of serious harm. It also prohibits isolation for vulnerable populations such as those under 21 years old, over 65 years old, pregnant, LGBTQ, or with disabilities. Prisons are also required to screen inmates for mental illness before and after confinement. Confinement will be limited to 20 straight days or 30 nonconsecutive days over two months. This is a huge reduction from the indefinite sentences inmates received in the past. 
 
The Damage of Solitary Confinement
 
It has been well-documented the use of solitary confinement is detrimental to the mental health of inmates. Inmates with existing mental health issues are especially prone to harm. These negative psychological effects are often irreversible. There is now a growing trend nationwide towards restricting the use of solitary confinement, although New Jersey has been the most successful.  
 
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.