Mentally ill son's request for help heartens mom
ColumbianJan 28, 2019
The news was an early Christmas present for Daniels, whose 23-year-old son,
His attorney had requested that his case -- two counts of third-degree assault -- be dismissed. Daniels, 40, feared her son would be released, just as sick as he was when he was arrested, and would have nowhere to go. But he surprised her when he turned to his attorney and asked for more treatment.
"To actually acknowledge him needing or wanting more treatment ..." Daniels started to say, before dissolving into tears. "Maybe he's scared, because it's cold, and he has no place to stay. I don't care; the fact is he asked for (help)."
Rodriguez was arrested
Daniels said she believes her son wished to die by suicide by cop.
Daniels had also called the county's crisis line three or four times in the days leading up to the
"Fighting with my son is difficult, but fighting the system was by far 10 times harder," Daniels said.
On
Despite being granted another go at competency restoration -- during which defendants are taught about the criminal justice system in an attempt for them to be found mentally fit to stand trial -- Rodriguez waited more than a month in the jail for a spot to open up at
Rodriguez is just one of thousands of people with mental illness in
For years, the state has failed to follow a federal court order in a class-action lawsuit, known as Trueblood, that enforces a person's constitutional right to timely competency evaluation and restoration services. The court in 2015 ordered the
In December, a federal judge gave final approval to a settlement agreement between DSHS and Disability Rights Washington to overhaul the state's mental health system: hiring more evaluators, increasing the number of beds available in state mental hospitals and providing more community-based services to keep mentally ill people out of the criminal justice system.
Daniels described her son's struggles as "the new normal."
"It's hard to look to the future when you're living day to day. I want him to be happy. I want him to be stable. I want to hang out with him -- go to the movies or dog park. I want him to have a somewhat normal life," she said. "The fact he asked (for help) gives me hope."
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