Airs Sunday, August 10 at 6 p.m. The California killings committed by Eliot Rodger in May have renewed the debate over how and whether to require people with serious mental illness to receive psychiatric care. How does Louisiana determine if someone is a danger to themselves or others? How difficult is it to intervene if an afflicted individual refuses treatment? Are prisons adequately prepared to handle mentally ill offenders? What services exist in the state for persons with mental health issues and have funding cuts reduced their availability? Louisiana Public Square looks for answers to these questions and more on Defining “Dangerous.”
Our panelists are:
• William “Beau” Clark, M.D., Coroner, East Baton Rouge Parish
• Rochelle Head-Dunham, M.D., Office of Behavioral Health, La. Dept. of Health & Hospitals
• Michael S. Blue, M.D., Forensic Psychiatrist, Tulane University
• Sheriff Michael Waguespack, Assumption Parish; President of the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association
The program also includes interviews with Nick Richard, Executive Director of the St. Tammany Parish Chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness; Bill O’Quin, the father of a young man suffering with paranoid schizophrenia who died while in prison; Kevin Robshaw, Director of Louisiana Mental Health Advocacy Services, and Tracey Moseley, an individual in recovery.
Beth Courtney, LPB CEO, and Charlie Whinham, LPB news anchor, moderate the discussion.
Additional Resources
Louisiana Mental Health Services – Link to Office of Behavioral Health
State Resources – from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Louisiana NAMI Chapter
Test your mental health – Online tool to anonymously measure mood disorders
Warning signs of potential for violence – Provided to parents by American Psychological Association
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – Federal Agency
Minority Mental Health Resources – July is Minority Mental Health Month