How Our Government Spending Is Effecting Our Mentally Ill and Our Future: A Personal View

By Dawn Todd M.S.

There are several different ways that the American Government spends our tax payers monies without us knowing about it. Some of this Government spending is ridiculous when looking at the bigger picture of what is actually going on in the United States. The mentally ill need more help and that can only be met by Community Mental Health (CMH) receiving more monies. If that was to happen there could be less false complaints to Child Protective Services (CPS) and also less monies put into the Criminal Justice System. There are several inmates in our prisons and jails that are mentally ill and not receiving the treatment that they need, which leads to more recidivism.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514474891

Dawn Todd M.S.

My name is Dawn Todd and I received two girls through the court system, one was 8 years old and the other was 2 years old. They are now 26 and 20 years old. The 26 year old has finished college is a wife and has a beautiful baby boy, the 20 year old has a lot of mental issues and is the reason that my fight with the mental health system began. It was not until then that I realized how bad our mental health system is. I also have a nephew that was adopted and he has FAS, which there is still a lot of research to be completed on FAS. I also have two step grandsons that have Autism, so our family is involved in the mental health system at several different levels. None of these individuals are receiving the help that they need. This is why I changed the direction that I was going in college. At first I wanted to work in a crime lab, so I received my Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. But the older that my youngest was getting and the more trouble that we had with her receiving the proper help, I changed my course and received a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology. However, I cannot get licensed in the state of Michigan because my course did not require a practicum. I have several different ideas for research, but cannot do them until I receive my PhD in Psychology. Our mental health system is broken and I want to help fix it.

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Copyright © 2016 by Dawn Todd, M.S..

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-5144-7490-7

                eBook         978-1-5144-7489-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 03/11/2016

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Abstract

Introduction

Government Spending

Mental Health Issues in the U.S.

Community Mental Health

Educational System

Children Protective Services

Justice System

My Family’s Experience

References

DEDICATION

T his book is dedicated to all the individuals that have some form of mental defect and for their family/caregivers that have given up their lives to take care of these individuals. These individuals need more appropriate help and the only way that this can happen is if more monies are put into our mental health system and more research being completed. The children of today is our country’s future, if we as a society do not make the government accountable for the budget cuts to our mental health system the budget cuts will continue and the help will become less available. With the right kind of help our high functioning mentally ill can become productive individuals in our communities. These individuals have the same feelings that everybody else has. The question to ask is: If your child had cancer would you want them to get the appropriate treatment or just be treated like second class citizens that would never have a chance to be a productive citizen? Just because individuals are different it does not give our government the right to discriminate.

ABSTRACT

T here are several different ways that the American Government spends our tax payer’s monies without us knowing about it. Some of this Government spending is ridiculous when looking at the bigger picture of what is actually going on in the United States. The mentally ill need more help and that can only be met by Community Mental Health (CMH) receiving more monies. If that was to happen there could be less false complaints to Child Protective Services (CPS) and also less monies put into the Criminal Justice System. There are several inmates in our prisons and jails that are mentally ill and not receiving the treatment that they need, which leads to more recidivism.

INTRODUCTION

I am an American Citizen; I was born in Flint, Michigan. I am now 48 years old and have been working since I have been 16. I now have a herniated disc, bulging disc. Scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease, I have had two Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA), spondylosis, and severe recurrent major depression. I have applied for disability, because of the physical pain that I am in and am not able to do what I used to. Most of my working history has been in manufacturing.

I have completed schooling for a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology. However, after I received my Bachelor’s Degree I wanted to work in a Crime Lab, but did not have experience so I was denied. Then I went on to receive my Master’s in Forensic Psychology in research and planning through Walden University online. Through that program I did not receive a practicum or internship, because for research you are not supposed to have to be licensed. This was told to me by the State of Michigan. However, I have tried to find a job in research in psychology with no avail, because I am not licensed. I now have a student loan debt of about $138,000.00 with no aspect of finding a job.