I was 12 when I started having problems at school. I really didn't fit in. I'm very moody sometimes, so I would flip out at the smallest remark or comment about anything I didn't like.
Everybody got to see these episodes, so I got labeled as like a psycho and I felt very low. So I just slowly declined to the point where it was like no return.
Health Law Advocates was appointed as Madeline's guardian at Lightham because they were concerned about what was going on at school and they're concerned about if she was getting enough services in the home.
By the time that we got involved in the case, she already had a few hospitalizations. Madeline is a very bright individual. She just had a lot of issues.
The first time I cut, I wasn't even planning on cutting. I was upset and I couldn't figure out what to do and I was like done with the world. I wasn't trying to kill myself in the spur of the moment.
I just cut myself and then I got that sudden rush and that release and I felt good for that moment and then it just kept happening where I would have moments where I'd be desperate and I'd be sad and I'd be lonely and I would feel like nothing was going right.
So then all of a sudden I find myself again in these spells of just cutting and cutting and cutting and next thing I knew I was addicted and it was like my drug.
When you deal with mental health issues in the system, to access these mental health programs, there are long waiting periods. Back in the year 2003, I attended a mental health conference.
I was approached by health law advocates. We were able to secure some funding and we started the pilot program.
We are attorneys and we are appointed by a juvenile court judge as a child's mental health guardian at Lightham. There are about 20 to 50% of kids that are before the juvenile court that have mental health needs.
Some kids get before the juvenile court because they have difficulties in school. Some kids get before the court because a parent is having a difficult time working with them at home. Sometimes they run away from home.
When I was 14, I got taken out of school. I actually went to a psych ward and then get out of the psych ward until I was 18. I was afraid to go back out into the real world.
Health law advocates, they didn't just get me into the school and then take me out of the psych ward. No, like my first week of school, I was still in the psych ward and that was actually Sam's idea of me being eased into school.
It's helped me so much to the point where now I can take care of myself and I don't need to be cradled without health law advocate. I don't think I'd be alive.
We've been doing the mental health guardian at Lightham project since 2005 and we've handled over 260 cases.
What health law advocates did is they cut down on the bureaucracy. They brought people together. They were there to follow up, to see if this was taking place, what the department meant to the whole children family.
The school department promised they had to deliver because they were being watched.
When I left the bench, I was looked at as a hero. I was no hero. The advocates were the heroes and I was just following their recommendations.
Now I'm a very mellow lay back chill person. I basically sit in my room and practice my guitar. I volunteer picking tomatoes for the homeless.
I'm looking forward to keeping up with my weight loss because I've lost 65 pounds the healthy way. I take good care of myself. I like to say life is good.
Thank you.
