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Holiday Madness

Looking for quick help, some patients instead found themselves locked in a county mental health unit and not going anywhere.

A A A Comments (8) By Margaret Downing Wednesday, Dec 23 2009

...continued from page 3

In a mental health crisis at an inconvenient hour with no excellent alternatives immediately at hand? Go to NPC, go to HCPC.

Chances are, there will be people working at both those places who are wonderful, dedicated and save lives. Some others, patients will just have to survive. Adam Hayes was occasionally uncomfortable, but profoundly grateful. Robertson got her medication adjusted, even if it did mean she became a prisoner.

Monica Fuentes

Kelly Robertson says she was trapped in the mental health care system.

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Attorney Bill Savoie says anyone "showing up at HCPC and expecting a shoulder to cry on or some sort of therapy to take place, I don't think that's going to happen at all."

But even Savoie, as upset as he is about what his friend Kelly Robertson went through, says: "At the end of the day, the system worked."

Thanks to Robertson and other courageous people like Hatton, Gonzales and Hayes who are forthcoming about their illnesses, we have been accorded a disturbing inside look at a stay at the county's two main facilities for emergency mental health care.

The system worked. It can work better. If you were trapped in there, wouldn't you want it to?

margaret.downing@houstonpress.com

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Mallory 02/12/2010 3:51:00 AM

Wow, a lot of these comments are so crass and mean. No wonder people have mental breakdowns. No one here knows what happened, please refrain from making judgements. And bottom line: if you have a meltdown at 1am there is NO WHERE to go to. Call your doctor and you will get an answering service, or be told to go to the Mental Health at Ben Taub. Go to Ben Taub and say you are depressed and you will be transferred to HCPC--whether or not you are suicidal. The teacher had "suicidal ideation"--which translates to suicidal THOUGHTS, not threats or actions. I would think the 'mental health professional' up there would know that.

Sean C. 01/17/2010 3:38:00 PM

What ever happened to friends and family for emotional support? I think there is a time for this type of facility and treatment... But when a middle age woman breaks up with her boyfriend over twitter and is "LIEK OMG SOOO SAAAAD!!11one"? And then she has the gall to get butthurt about treatment?

A mental health professional 12/29/2009 6:07:00 AM

HCPC is not a clinic nor is it there for long term treatment. I think this article was totally unnecessary, and more the belaborings of a professional who is upset that she spent time in a psych facility. Get over it - if you make threats to yourself or others you've earned your stay. Let's stay this case turned out differently - patient went begging for help at NPC and was turned back out on the streets only to kill herself - then we'd all here "NPC or HCPC doesn't care, they turned a suicidal patient out on the streets". Can't win for losing. Just suck it and go on with your life. Everybody goes through bad times, we've all been there and life does get better.

Lynn 12/28/2009 8:07:00 PM

What exactly did these people expect to get from their actions? I never thought of a county run psychiatric hospital as somewhere to run if I broke up with my lover, or had a big fight with my boyfriend. And if they had private doctors prescribing meds, why the hell didn't they call the doctors' service? I mean how naive are you people? Yep it's a big drama to have the police come and take you to get help, I'm sure it impressed the heck out of your loved ones....like holding your breath until you turn blue. Sheesh. Yeah the system worked how it was supposed to. Next time opt for your own doctor's help instead of all the drama. And don't yabber at me about depression. Been there done that forever. Stay on your meds and stop using taxpayers money to help you deal with your trifling little breakups or family arguments.

Gary Packwood 12/24/2009 12:51:00 AM

I can think of several 'set-your-hair-on-fire' challenges with the Harris County Mental Health Service System but this issue with NPC|HCPC is not one of them. Lack of services for children perhaps but a college professor and Technical DIRECTOR with advanced degrees in a ...meltdown? No way! If earning an advanced degree didn't drive her into a meltdown, I would have voted to place here in NPC|HCPC as the only option until someone figured out if they were dealing with drama or drugs or both. Looks like the system worked for the good professor. She is alive and functioning...apparently. Hopefully she will continue to stay on her medications as she begins again to work with college students who need a teacher and not a sometimes resident of NPC|HCPC :: GP

JT 12/24/2009 12:47:00 AM

"To be fair, depression wasn't the be-all and end-all of the problems Robertson and Hatton were experiencing. Robertson says she was having some "suicidal ideation," and Hatton, who hadn't been on her prescribed medicine for two months, says her older son says she told him she had a gun and was going to kill herself and her family � statements she denies making." That qualification kind of invalidates both examples right there.

Magi 12/23/2009 11:43:00 PM

Someone was inconvenienced on a holiday weekend? Grow up!! Be glad that you received intervention and you are still alive to complain. Mental health care involves making some tough calls and if there is even the slightest chance that someone could be suicidal then that person should receive mental health treatment, voluntary or involuntary. Bottom line: THE SYSTEM WORKED.

lynn 12/23/2009 10:25:00 PM

So people are involuntarily committed, if they are a danger to themselves or others? I am not sure what the real story is here. This place is an alternative to jail for many people who are suffering from mental illness and a much better alternative at that. It is an asset to the community. Thank goodness, these patients were being observed while they were feeling out of control. While not the most ideal situation, they are all still alive. Why would someone with health insurance want to access this facility? Why would someone want to go here unless taken there by the police (I thought that was how most people got there.) I think the story here should be to let us know where we can go, if ourselves, our friends, or our family is suffering a breakdown at 1 am. Otherwise, the information is a little bit useless. These people, who are so upset, seem to have no idea where they were going or what its purpose is.

Holiday Madness

Looking for quick help, some patients instead found themselves locked in a county mental health unit and not going anywhere.

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