A 48 day stay at Western State Mental Hospital was down right scary. The hospital CEO was replaced. The staff is severly understaffed now on the books they most likely have bare minimum of personel. The first week I was there I was assaulted by another lovely guest who liked to extort food from the smaller guests. Well I took the hit and did not fight back untill I was asked if I wanted to press charges and I asked if he had asaulted any other people there and the answer was yes and so my answer was yes as well. This person was returned to jail by the end of the week. Some times turning the other cheek has the benifit of being able to use your mouth in stead of your fists.
Now in the hospital the is something called a "code GREEN" this is a call for help by staff across all wards (sections) from any and all avalible staff usally to combat a fight, an attack, or some other emergency. I was in Ward Forensic 6 or F6. There were 2 Code Green that occured that endangered both staff and guest which totaled 29 including myself. The first Code Green happened when there was only one staff member in the Ward (1 staff for 29 guest???) it was not as critical as the latter call for help. The second Code Green was the critical one as patient was threatening staff and moderatly injured a staff member's knee in the malay and another staff member recieved very minor injury. This took place in a three day period with the day in the middle being interesting as well you see a Lakewood Police officer was dispached to the hospital and put one of the staff from F6 in handcuffs in the ward infront of some of the patients and was escorted off property. My point is what would have been the outcome if the violent Code Green had happened when the was but one staff member one the ward!
Remember Gideon (1963)
Patients have right or do they?
Not quite a nice stay at Western State Hospital
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A little back ground info on my stay at Western State.
When the court decided to commit me to Western State for competency restoration I made a Pro Se appeal to the judge (with out the help of my state appointed lawyer) for the right not to be medicated under the Charles Sell decision. The judge said "Oh you know the law" and granted me the stipulation. The lines in the commitment papers referring to psychiatric medication were crossed out both parts (to medicate and to force medicate). But you are at the will of the staff both those who do their job and the employees who don't like the staff member taken away in handcuffs. There were threats of having to stay a full 90 days if I did not take the drugs they were trying to push on me. They really rely on the meds to control the people there a staff member gave me a great quote "what does the judge think we do here wave a magic wand" in reference to the few people who make the argument I had. By the way my stay has a price tag of $25,000 plus ($519/day avg) that's more than 2½ years income for a disabled person. My experience advocating in Sacramento dealing with rights of the disabled and patients rights was key to not staying the full 90 days.
Phi Theta Kappa - Alpha Gamma Sigma
American River College
Correction - But you are at the will of the staff both those who do their job and the employees who don't, >>> like the staff member taken away in handcuffs.
Sorry that little elusive comma can really change things ?¡?