Mental Illness - Juvenile Punishment per State of Arizona

What I am about to share with you is a true story that my friends have been battling for years. For the purposes of all they are going through in the courts, I am going to change their names. I have their permission to share their story with you. It's a story I definitely think needs to be told.

I have known Jack, Gracie for approximately 25 years, they have become more like family to me than friends. All of their other children are either married or not living at home with the exception of their two youngest which is Sandi who is 18 years old and Kelsey who is 15. Up until Kelsey was 13 years old, she was a straight A student in school and there was never a problem with her. Sandi on the other hand had her share of problems. You know the typical, hanging out with the wrong crowd.

At 13 years old Sandi and Kelseys grandmother passed away, and they were very close to her as she baby sat them while they were little and growing up while Jack worked hard operating his repair facility and Gracie worked at Smittys as a waitress and also at times she worked two jobs. Today Gracie works for a major corporation and her husband Jack is disabled.

Shortly after Kelsey's grandmother passed away, there waa a little girl that Kelsey was extremely close to and her family found out she had cancer. While struggling with cancer, we come to find out she blamed Kelsey for having the cancer. Now, we all know that wasn't even a possibility. It was right around that time that Kelsey started having some problems. Being that Gracie had good medical benefits, in time she took Kelsey in for counseling. The counselors diagnosed her problem not as being caused by her losses in her young life.

Kelsey started to have major mood swings. When she was up, she was awesome, and when she took her dive down, she was what some today would csll out of control. Well, I could go on for days with all the what's why's and how's, but, to make this long story short, I'm just looking at all that's been going on in their lives. It is mind boggling. Katie at thirteen would run away and Jack and Gracie would be up all night running around the streets and looking for their daughter. They would do all the right thing that parents are supposed to to do try and keep their children safe and secure. They were good parents to the girls, and tried to show them examples of lessons they needed to know in life and were trying to teach them how to grow up and become responsible women.

Sometimes Kelsey would be gone overnight, sometimes for days on end.Kelsey after a time started expiramenting with drugs with some of her friends. Jack and Gracie did every thing in their power to get help for her. They put her into private drug rehab programs and intensive counseling. It was just a matter of time that Kelsey was out past curfew and started being picked up by the police for curfew violations. After I have no idea how many times, Kelsey was picked up, it was just a matter of her ending up on juvenile probation. It was during one of Kelseys vacations at the Juvenile Detention Center and in the midst of a counseling session that she was diagnosed as being bi-polar. Wow, now, maybe they can get her on the right medication and she will come back down to earth.

Kelsey was put into Juvenile Detention many times by the State of Arizona. Amazing isn't it, that while in State Custody they couldn't get control of her because of her medication probably not being the right type or dosage, and they couldn't keep her long enough to get it right. Kelsey would even escape from the supposed to be unescapable Durango Juvenile facility.

Jack and Gracie would have to take her prescriptions to the state facilities where she was being held. The state of Arizona was then responsible for monitoring her medications.

Everytime Kelsey and her family went through the court hearings and was released to home, she promised to be good and change. The state even put ankle monitoring bracelets on her leg from time to time. she woud be good for a little bit and then, if her parents backs were turned she was gone like the wind. Because of the good insurance policy her mother had, the state charged them for the stays in the state facilities along with all the counseling and probation fees and any extras the state decided to throw in. Many times while Kelsey was in state custody, Jack and Gracie would get phone calls in the middle of the night with Kelsey panicking and saying come and get me. They would ask where she was, and it was usually in a neighborhood that was most unsafe, and they would go get their crying hysterical daughter.

Back to court, more fees, more counseling, more medical costs. More to the point that the majority of Gracies paychecks ere going out to take care of Kelsey state required needs. Then a compromise was accomplished, Gracies insurance would put Kelsey in private secured housing and intensive counseling. Once again, came the call we need her meds and no we won't accept the prescription you have, we need and require a brand new prescription. Kelsey was in, everything moving smoothly, and wham, Kelsey escapes again. Kelsey flees back home. Now, don't let this give you the wrong idea that Kelsey wanted to be home, because that's not the case. Kelsey was running away with men that were old enough to be charged with molesting her, however we're sure that she never told them her real age as she could pass for a 21 year old at times. Now, yes, she's also sexually active.

The real story is this, Kelsey, believe it or not in societys standards is not a criminal. She is not stealing, not beating anyone up, not robbing anyone, not breaking and entering into peoples homes, not stealing cars, not robbing stores and not robbing banks, along the the fact she has never shot, or stabbed anyone nor killed them. Kelsey has an extemely severe case of Bi-Polar disease. Her parents have done all any parent could be expected to do, plus more. Kelsey was on social security disability, and due to the fact that going to many psychiatric appointments she would be in ankle bracelets or handcuffs, they would get 100 miles away to the court ordered sessions to be told we can''t see her like this it's against our policy, but, you still have to pay for the appointment that was broken.

There was a point where the State of Arizona wanted to take Kelsey out of the custody of her parents and put her into state custody. They wanted to take Jack and Gracies parental rights away from them. I talked to Gracie before that court hearing and recommended some things to say to the court, and whether it was my suggestion or things Gracie said on her own, custody was not taken away, but, however her social security was. So, now, Gracie is at her insurance limit for this child and is now having to pay out of pocket for her daughters needs. The only thing I didn't mention is that when Kelsey is home she will fight violently with her sister and mom and dad. She has had some fights were it takes 5 full grown adults to hold her down. She will bust holes through walls, and do whatever it takes.

Kelsey has no fear of running off with strange men, to her it's fun. To her, it's exciting, to a parent it's their worst nightmare. When Kelsey escapes private or state institutions she comes out running with what's on her back. When Gracie goes to collect her things, she also needs Kelseys medications and they say we're sorry, but they are gone. When someone leaves our facility, we throw them away.l

This whole situation makes no sense to me. Kelsey has a mental illlness that is out of control. Her parents have done everything they can do. They still have to fight to keep her out of State facilities and not lose parental rights, because after all these years, the State has done no better to meet this childs needs and help her and her family. This child needs help, this family needs help, and since when does our government take away social security from someone and that social security was helping to buffer some of the outrageous bills. She is on SSI Disability, and she definitely has a disability problem. Since when does the State of Arizona play ring around the rosie pockets full of your money, ashes, ashes, we'lll fall down.

Who is the criminal here? The parents, I think not. They love this child with all their heart and soul. Their hearts are broken for wanting to get Kelsey the right help and do the right thing. Since when does the State of Arizona make rules and set up probation fees and counseling and whatever else they throw in and keep doing the same vicious cycle over and over and over again. This child has a sever mental problem and is not a criminal.

Truly, Gracie and Jack, keep hunting and searching for different things that might work, and try they. The State of Arizona keeps doing the same things over and over, and someone told me that if you do the same thing over and over again, expecting to get a different result and don't that that is the ultimate explanation of Stupid. I would say it's not stupid. The state and some of their policies are written of criminal, bankrupting intent.

Don't get me wrong, please, because there are many many areas that I am thankful that the State of Arizona was with me on my side. I have a lot of respect for many of Arizona's officials in high places. I just, as a parent think it's criminal to over charge, over tax, over burden and over work parents of children like this to the point that they can't survive. I'm proud of Arizona. We have the AHCCCS Medical Program. That is Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System that could pick up some of these bills for families while families are going through this, so that they too may be able to survive. AHCHSS has a standard set fee for all doctors, psychiaqtrists and psycholoogists, and it is a fee that doesn't allow the physicians to make an overtly insane profit margin on their services. I would think it a bright and smart move for the State of Arizona to help and allow AHCCCS to assit families like my friends, so they don't feel like they are losing everything they own, and keep going through their own cycle.

I guess, also, this circumstance would fall right in line with federally needed medical care in this great and wonderful country of ours.

If anyone has any suggestions for my friends, let me know, because we are all beside ourselves.

God Bless Each of You,
Sher