JANE SAYS .. chapter26

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Chapter 26 !!!!!!!!!!!!

Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>

Question regarding Mental-Health System Review

Marissa Varcho <[email protected]> Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 1:35 PMTo: [email protected]: Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>

Hi Carolyn,

I spoke with you yesterday on the phone about potential opportunities with the AG's office as it relates to the task-force and what I have to offer as a mental-health consumer/attorney/legislative advocate. I am working on puttingthat proposal together with my ideas for your review, but wanted to ask one quick question in the meantime if that'sokay...

That Dispatch article last November about the attorney general's hometown-- the title mentioned that he wascalling for an "independent" review of Ohio's mental-health system. Do you know what he meant specifically, by"independent"?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Marissa K. Varcho4799 Seven Lakes PlacePowell, Ohio 43065(614) 633-5155


FYI - Dispatch - AD Dewine's call for independent examination of MH system

Marissa Varcho <[email protected]> Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 2:06 PMTo: Alan Johnson <[email protected]>Bcc: Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>

Alan,

You wrote this article...do you happen to know what DeWine meant by "independent" study?

I'm curious..

I emailed Carolyn Bevins at his office today regarding same, with whom I spoke on the phone yesterday. But Iwondered if you had any insight, being the author of the article itself...

Marissa

Marissa K. [email protected]://thecultivationofbeauty.comhttp://janesaysrise.com[Quoted text hidden]


Status of Mental-Health Legislation - re: IP Meeting Today...

Alan Johnson <[email protected]> Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 2:13 PM

To: Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>

The person you should address your inquiry email to is Glenn Sheller, our editorial page editor. I would suggest

you contact him before writing to be sure it is something they will consider for publication.

His email is [email protected]

Thanks,

Alan

From: Marissa Varcho [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 1:04 PM

[Quoted text hidden]



FYI - Dispatch - AD Dewine's call for independent examination of MH system

Alan Johnson <[email protected]> Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 2:20 PMTo: Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>

No, I don’t… and DeWine is still working behind the scenes to get something done….I keep track of it regularly.

From: Marissa Varcho [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 2:06 PMTo: Alan JohnsonSubject: Fwd: FYI - Dispatch - AD Dewine's call for independent examination of MH system



Referral from Alan Johnson re: Pending Mental-Health Legislation Op-Ed Pitch

Marissa Varcho <[email protected]> Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 4:48 PMTo: [email protected]: Alan Johnson <[email protected]>Bcc: Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>, Geoffrey Collver <[email protected]>, MichaelKirkman <[email protected]>, Rachel Varcho <[email protected]>, April Friedman<[email protected]>

Dear Mr. Sheller,

I obtained your contact information from Alan Johnson, who I worked with last week in regard to the mental-health debate article that ran on the front page of The Dispatch this past Monday. My name is Marissa Varchoand I am an attorney here in the state of Ohio. I became involved in advocating for mental-health consumer'srights as it relates to the mental-health legislation currently pending in Ohio's legislature (SB43/SubHB104) lastOctober, when I learned that my civil rights were in danger, being a person who lives with a "serious mentalillness" called Bipolar I Disorder. I have attached the Written Testimony that I submitted to the Ohio Senate CivilJustice Committee last October-- which explains my status as a consumer and the factors which motivated me toofficially involve myself in the debate.

As of late, I have become significantly involved in the proceedings, working with Senator Coley, Chairman of theOhio Senate CJC personally, to advocate for a compromise agreement between the legislation's proponents andopponents-- which addresses each sides' highest-priority goals and in the process, serves the best-interests of ourmentally-ill population. I have attached the 3-page summary of my AOT-Law Compromise which I submitted toSenator Coley for the interested-parties meeting held this morning, which I attended to introduce my position.

While the article this past Monday on the debate was a great start in bringing the consumer-perspective to light,highlighting that there is another side to this story-- I think I could help elaborate and highlight in a little morespecific detail, the consumer position as it relates specifically to the proposed legislation. This would be helpful inallowing our general population a fresh take on the issue, noting the legitimate points that consumers have as itrelates to governmental-forced mental-health treatment -- most notably:

1. The oftentimes, significantly debilitating short-term side-effects and long-term health dangers

risked in taking psychiatric medications;;

2. The general incompetencies and conflicts-of-interest plaguing Ohio's mental-health medical

support network-- including the following issues with which our mentally-ill population routinely

struggle:

2(a) Shortage of available treatment providers generally;

2(b) Severe shortage in psychiatrists and their corresponding ability to provide competent services to consumers--due to low reimbursement rates and time-limitations imposed by insurance companies;

2(c) Extensive instances of misdiagnoses-- oftentimes resulting from the discretion of less-educated, and thereforeless expensive social workers imposed by insurance companies as barriers to obtaining competent psychiatrictreatment from board-licensed psychologists and psychiatrists;

2(d) Post-misdiagnosis-- medical mistreatment with incorrectly prescribed psychiatric medications, whichoftentimes aggravate underlying psychiatric conditions and thereby actually enhance symptomatic behavioralissues as a result;

2(e) Difficulties in maintaining consistent psychiatric medication regimes-- imposed by duplicative pharmacybackground check procedures, pre-authorization requirements by insurance companies, overall slow coordination

between pharmacies, insurance companies, and overburdened psychiatrist office personnel (due to shortage of

psychiatrists as per 2(b) above);

2(f) Overall need for additional medical research into brain-chemistry functioning and brain-chemistry structures,

which could enhance the competency within the fields of psychiatry and psychology in understanding what it

actually means to have a "serious mental illness", and thereby enhance knowledge as to more effective short-term

and long-term treatment measures and techniques to assist the mentally-ill in mental-health recovery; and

(3) The sociological pressures in place right now due to our society's mental-illness stigma, whichpose as barriers between persons struggling with mental-illness and the treatment they need, dueto fear of societal retaliation/ramifications--i.e.:

(3)(a) Job loss in light of disclosure of mental-illness-- and resulting implications in terms of inability to pay for

health insurance necessary to obtain treatment in the first place, and especially for mentally-ill adults who may not

be able to take such a risk without also risking additional harm to their families' wellbeing;

(3)(b) Fear of ramifications threatened by the pending legislation that seeks to report all such persons receiving

mental-health treatment to the bureau of criminal investigation;

(3)(c) Fear of social isolation which often results, due to the current sociologically-justified stigmatic

discrimination against the mentally ill-- as can been seen in the pending legislation which unjustifiably causes a

legal link between the mentally-ill and gun violence, as well as a legal link between the mentally-ill and criminal

activity.

The list goes on, but hopefully that is sufficient to convey the message. The main problem with the pending

legislation is that it seeks for force incompetent mental-health medical treatment upon the mentally-ill, thereby

reinforcing this societal stigma that the mentally-ill are all just hopeless victims that don't want to better ourselves

so that we can become productive citizens with something to offer back to our society. In promoting a more well-

balanced awareness of this issue though, namely-- why the system is simply not even workable for the mentally-

ill, then I think we can begin to reframe the issue and work to reduce the sociological stigma and barriers keeping

the mentally-ill from obtaining the competent medical treatment that they want and need.

I can assure you as a mental-health consumer living with a "serious mental-illness" myself-- we are not all just

hopeless, helpless, defective human beings. It's just that we have a different set of strengths and weaknesses than

the "norm" and unfortunately, the "norm" too often sees our difficulties in fulfilling their strengths, and then

quickly dismisses us as incompetent persons lacking "self-will" (despite their simultaneous acknowledgment that

the stigma does in fact, exist). I feel like we are not even being given a chance to adequately explain our side of the

story, which is why I am writing you today.

It is my hope to write an op-ed piece for this Sunday's Dispatch (if possible--due to the speed at which the

legislature is moving on the pending legislation-- or another date, if not), highlighting some of the strengths of the

consumer-argument against forced treatment, and highlighting some of my ideas for this compromise for the

pending legislation-- which could move it from a "feel-good" yet meaningless-legislative-measure, to an actual

plan with short and long-term benefits to the mentally-ill and our society at large. I am very flexible and can work

to write a piece within any political restrictions and/or rules/regulations/etc. as would be necessary and

appropriate for publication.

In closing, I greatly appreciate your taking the time to listen and consider my idea. Please feel free to contact me by

email or by phone at (614) 633-5155 to let me know if you have any interest in running such an op-ed idea.

Very Truly Yours,

Marissa K. Varcho

[email protected]

4799 Seven Lakes Place

Powell, Ohio 43065

(614) 633-5155

2 attachments

MKV-SB43 Written Testimony (final).pdf230K

MKV-AOTcompromise-THEORY.pdf71K



Marissa Varcho <[email protected]> Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 4:52 PMTo: Alan Johnson <[email protected]>Bcc: Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>

Hi Alan,

I just sent out the op-ed pitch. I basically ended up writing the whole idea out ;0) I didn't know how else to get the

idea across. Not a big deal either way, it was helpful if nothing else, to clear up the thought and I can always use it

to pitch elsewhere if it's not a good fit for The Dispatch. I appreciate all of your help today-- more than you know.

Sincerely,

Marissa

Marissa K. Varcho

[email protected]

http://thecultivationofbeauty.com

http://janesaysrise.com




Alan Johnson <[email protected]> Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 4:54 PMTo: Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>

I am so glad to help. Watching your video, I could see you’ve been through a lot.

I urge to you stay healthy during this…You can’t fight another day if you don’t!

Best,

Alan

From: Marissa Varcho [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 4:52 PM




Meeting w/ Sen. Coley

Groseclose, Emily <[email protected]> Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 5:56 PM

To: "Varcho, Marissa" <[email protected]>

Hi Marissa,

Would you be available to meet with Senator Coley this Tuesday, February 4th at 10:30 am?

Emily Groseclose

Legislative Aide

Senator William P. Coley, II

4th Ohio Senate District

614.466.8072

[email protected]

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JANE SAYS .. chapter26