WJW Mental Health Legal Fund

PROJECT PURPOSE

WJW Mental Health Legal Fund (WJWMHLF) works to ease criminalization of those diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), that are currently filling jails and prisons. The costly process of holding SMI in jail as pretrial detainees awaiting competency exam and treatment options, all prior to trial, is excessively long. These suffering citizens get worse under solitary confinement, with either no mental health treatment nor consistency of treatment(s), without counselling, trauma support, no visitors allowed during COVID restrictions, without proper eyeglasses to see to read, being misunderstood, vilified, and even cases of not being allowed to attend a parent's funeral. These are disabled people, not convicted, in a torturous holding pattern leading to further mental illness decline. WJWMHLF works to bring solutions for the penal system, the mental health system, Oklahoma families, homeless shelters, ease the burden on the state and public defenders, and mostly help these vulnerable patients, each needing a spectrum of care, including medical issues that compound mental illnesses. WJWMHLF's mission is all encompassing. This organization does what no other entity is doing. We represent these indigent, while filling the gaps in an overrun system that needs the assistance this nonprofit provides. We can solve this, together.

EVIDENCE

1. Mental Disability Law Treatise, by Michael Perlin, Esquire. For more: http://www.narpa.org/bios/perlin 2. https://genesight.com 3. BOOK: "Insane, America's Criminal Treatment of the Mental Illness" by Alisa Roth - New York Times review: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/books/review/insane-alisa-roth.html 4. New 2022 PBS documentary "Medicating Normal" (available on Amazon Prime Video): https://medicatingnormal.com 5. Email from OKLAHOMA Department of Corrections (DOC) Chief Mental Health Officer, Janna Morgan stating: The most recent data for Fiscal Year 2021 (6/30/2021): 15,027 (70%) had a history of or current symptom/s requiring mental health treatment 9,193 (43%) were currently receiving mental health treatment 280 (1%) identified as having an intellectual disability

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Persons diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and Serious and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) in need of legal assistance for law-related matters. WJW Mental Health Legal Fun (WJWMHLF) pursues legal cases intending to end the criminalization of the mentally ill. SMI and SPMI - the most severe mental health diagnoses, includes: ? Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) ? Bipolar disorders ? Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) ? Schizophrenia spectrum disorders, including Schizoaffective disorder Those diagnosed SMI or SPMI, mostly indigent, many times homeless, severely neglected and oftentimes punished for their disability by the current broken system. The pandemic has been especially hard on this segment that may be suffering from delusions, as even maintaining/wearing a mask (at times required to ride public bus transit if they own no car), and without needed family connection if incarcerated. Some lost housing at Residential Care Facilities (RCF) during COVID lock-downs as their delusions and sometimes paranoia caused them to leave the facility, thereby not being allowed back in. Homeless shelters were full, so jail was only option. Unacceptable. WJWMHLF procures humane solutions. Outside of the cr5iminalizatio issue, for elderly SMI/SPMI, difficult to find Skilled Nursing (SNF) or Long-term care with a coronavirus outbreak. They weren?t accepting patients.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

WJW Mental Health Legal Fund contracts Lawyers dedicated and trained in Mental Health/Mental Disability Law to take case by case for the most chronic, indigent, criminalized citizens diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) out of the overworked Public Defender as their only option for legal representation, to move the needle forward expeditiously and effectively toward better outcomes. Also to make sure Mental Health statutes (Title 43) are upheld per current Oklahoma law. Lawyers keep vigilant, measurable records. Data collection includes records requests from hospitals, jails, prisons, OHCA, crisis centers, hiring psychiatric and pharmacogenomic experts and utilizing peer-reviewed, double-blind scholarly studies.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

Corporate matching (including three top philanthropic foundations associated with top level global corporations we are approved and in partnership with). Also, public fundraising efforts.

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Not able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma