DMH successfully pacifies the deaf patients, professionals and the community!
This rings true! This is what Missouri Department of Mental Health has been doing. This is how and why they gleefully let Steve Hamerdinger out the door. Steve Hamerdinger did work very hard to bring the real needed services to Missouri.
Nope! DMH refused to honor Missouri Deaf Community's wishes to have professional mental health services for the deaf.
Despite years and years of meetings, papers, advices and considerations, DMH continue to ignore the real needs of the deaf patients.
While doing research on mental heatlh issues and deaf community, I found this quote by Steve Hamerdinger when he was selected as Deaf Person of the Month November 2008 in DeafPeople.com (_http://www.deafpeople.com/dp_of_month/hamerdinger.html_)
"In Missouri the Mental Health Department there does “just enough” to pacify people without actually developing effective programs" quoted Steve Hamerdinger.
Steve Hamerdinger is correct about the way Missouri Department of Mental Health is treating the deaf community.
This is why, how, what and when I know it is important to knock on your doors and bring the message to you. The deaf community is screaming for HELP! We are dying and we are falling apart.
I know I have been getting nasty with DMH lately. It is because I see on streets daily that the deaf individuals are falling through cracks. Where are the services for them including me?
Please adopt Steve Hamerdinger's proposals that were developed by Missouri Deaf Community years ago. This is the paper we are begging for funds to cover.
Did you know that Department of Mental Health gleefully shut down the five offices of Deaf Services throughout the state of Missouri?
Did you know that Department of Mental Health turned deaf ear when Barry Critchfield explained the needs and did jump the hoops for them from A to Z? Barry Critchfield is the world authority on mental health for deaf.
Did you know that Department of Mental Health ignored Steve Hamerdinger's true answers to the needs of deaf mental health patients? Steve Hamerdinger is also the world authority on deaf and mental health.
Did you know that Department of Mental Health hired an interpreter with no background in mental health? This is a BIG joke on poor deaf community. Why hire an interpreter to do a serious job of mental health services? We got BURNED!
Did you know that the noose is tightening in the Missouri Deaf Community? It hurts and it is painful! We are suffocating and we are dying!
Where is our help?
Again, the Missouri Department of Mental Health chose to stick its head in the ground just much like an ostrich does!
Shame on you, guys at DMH! This is Keith Schafer, John Heskett and Stephanie Winslow! Time for their heads to roll!
How much longer? How much time is going to waste? How soon?
Same old baloney!
*sigh*
submitted by
Paul Kiel
a private citizen
January 25, 2009
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