Kathleen: 作为一名患有精神分裂症儿子的母亲,Kathleen讲述了其为儿子Vinny寻求精神病院帮助的艰难历程,以及由此带来的巨大挫折感。她描述了Vinny的精神状态,以及她为让Vinny接受治疗所做的努力,突显了现有医疗体系的不足和流程的繁琐。她强调了及时干预的重要性,以及她对儿子生命安全的担忧。
Narrator: 本集探讨了美国各地简化强制送医流程的努力,以及由此引发的关于个人权利与社会责任的伦理困境。叙述者介绍了强制送医的法律标准,即需要证明患者对其自身、他人或财产构成危险,或无法自理以致生命受到威胁。这道门槛很高,对许多家庭来说难以逾越。
Lauren Richards: 作为一名指定危机应对者(DCR)主管,Lauren Richards解释了DCRs在强制送医流程中的作用,以及资源匮乏如何影响他们的工作效率。她指出,DCRs的工作不仅是将需要帮助的人送入医院,还要确保那些不符合条件的人不会被强制送医。她还谈到了DCRs的工作压力和人员短缺问题,以及由此导致的响应时间过长。
Richard Emery: Richard Emery律师介绍了华盛顿州非自愿治疗法案的历史背景,以及该法案旨在保护个人自由,防止强制送医滥用的初衷。他回顾了该法案出台之前,强制送医标准过于宽松,容易被滥用的情况。他认为,虽然该法案旨在保护个人权利,但同时也需要平衡社会对精神疾病患者福祉的关切。
Nathan Bays: 作为一名公共辩护人,Nathan Bays讲述了他在非自愿治疗法庭(ITA)的工作经历,以及他在法庭上为精神疾病患者辩护的经验。他强调了公共辩护人在保护患者权利方面的关键作用,以及在平衡患者权利与社会利益之间的挑战。他指出,ITA法庭的程序虽然旨在保护患者权利,但其流程的复杂性和资源的匮乏,仍然给患者及其家庭带来了巨大的压力和痛苦。
Kathleen: The frustration of trying to get help for her son with schizophrenia, the multiple times she had to call the police, and the feeling of being defeated in her attempts to get him committed to a psychiatric hospital. She describes her son's psychotic breaks and the difficulties in navigating the system. She emphasizes the importance of timely intervention and her fear for her son's life.
Narrator: The delicate balance between individual rights and society's belief in what's best for someone, particularly regarding involuntary commitment to psychiatric hospitals. The high bar to clear to prove someone is a danger to themselves or others, and the frustration of families who feel stuck in a broken system.
Lauren Richards: The role of Designated Crisis Responders (DCRs) in involuntary commitment, the resource constraints affecting their response times, and the importance of balancing the need to provide help with protecting individual rights. She discusses the high call volume, long response times, and the difficulties of the job, leading to staff shortages.
Richard Emery: The history of Washington State's Involuntary Treatment Act, its aim to protect individual liberties and prevent abuse, and the contrast with the previous system where involuntary commitment was far too easy. He highlights the need to balance individual rights with societal concerns for the well-being of individuals with mental illness.
Nathan Bays: The role of public defenders in involuntary treatment courts (ITA), advocating for the rights of individuals facing commitment. He emphasizes the importance of providing a voice for those detained, the challenges of balancing patient rights and societal interests, and the difficulties faced by families navigating the complex and resource-constrained system.
Across the U.S., efforts are underway to make it easier to involuntarily commit people to psychiatric hospitals. It's a reaction to the sight of seriously mentally ill people on the streets and the cries of families who say it's too hard to get a loved one help when they're in crisis. But this gets at one of the most delicate questions our society has faced: When does our belief about what's best for someone override someone's right to decide for themselves?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)