Archive for the ‘Mental Health’ Category

Mentally Disabled & Being a Non-consentable Person

This is Post #3 to follow-up on my two posts published on July 25 & 27, 2010

My cousin’s brother is one of the primary advocates for my cousin.  My cousin’s sister (who lives a thousand miles away) is another primary advocate.

This is the email I received today Tuesday, July 27, 2010 from my cousin’s brother (San Francisco):

“I just got off the phone with Detective ____ from Alameda County Sheriff’s department.

He told me that he will be handling the case. First thing he will do is to contact BART for the video. I already told him it’s from Contra Costa County (not Alameda County).

He mentioned that other than Sis’s mental capacity, there is no crime because she went willingly and based on Sis’s statements, the suspect stopped when asked to.

I told him that the SFGH examiner said Sis is a non-consentable person, meaning her “yes” answers do not qualify as consent. This is similar to a child consenting for sex. It still does not qualify as a real “yes”.

He will contact me after investigating.

I asked for a case number but he has not generated one yet because it is not yet determined how this will be handled.”

* * *

We are not going to give up on our family member or our community. The man in the car who stopped my cousin (between late night July 22 and early morning of July 23) asked her “Do you need help?” and she said “Yes.”  His not calling the police but taking her to his home, sexually battering her, and keeping her there until morning is helping ???

My cousins are brave and I am going to continue to support their efforts. I am contacting NAMI http://www.nami.org ,  Community Violence Solutions  http://www.cvsolutions.org/ and other agencies.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

From the National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI’s website, I found the “How You Can Help” page http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?section=Take_Action :

Contact Your Representatives

It is important that you contact your state and national representatives to ensure they are working for people with mental illness.

A list of current legislation impacting mental health is available along with an easy way to contact your representative with just a few clicks of a mouse.

(For California  http://www.ca.gov http://www.senate.ca.gov/ http://www.assembly.ca.gov/)

Issues and Legislation http://capwiz.com/nami/issues/

The NAMI Newsroom http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=press_room the place for reporters, advocates and other media professionals. NAMI’s communications services team is available around-the-clock to news media for:

• Expert analysis on a wide range of issues related to severe mental illnesses or brain disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder/manic-depression, major depression, and anxiety disorders.
• Current data on research, treatments, rates of prevalence
• Interviews with national spokespersons and technical experts
• Access to persons with serious mental illness and their families who are willing to share personal stories with the media
• Comment on breaking news

Christine Armstrong, Media Relations Associate
Colonial Place Three
2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201-3042
Telephone: (703) 524-7600 · FAX: (703) 516-7238  ·
Email:  christinea@nami.org

We Didn’t Know What Questions to Ask the Police – Missing Person

Speaking Up & Asking for Help on Behalf of Folks Who Cannot Speak for Themselves

To follow up on my July 25, 2010 post . . .

My cousin (mentally disabled adult—capacity of a ten-year-old or younger) was reported as “missing.”

She had never left the house by herself but she did this particular night (around midnight)

She was in her slippers, denim trousers and fleece jacket.

She was recovering from surgery.

To help your loved ones when working with the police… If we had prior experience with “missing person” these would be the questions to ask the police:

• Will other counties be alerted?
• Will public transportation systems in our county and other counties be alerted? How about BART?
• What if she got into a stranger’s car?
• Will hospital emergency rooms be alerted?
• How can we work fast to ask neighbors if they saw our loved one around the time of the disappearance?  How do we disseminate fliers?

• Also, get names of officers, phone numbers, and report/case numbers.
• Ask “What will happen next?” “Then what?”  “Who will be in charge then?”

Thank you, San Francisco Police Dept.!      http://sf-police.org/

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Please be careful. Please call 911 when you see/hear/sense anything that tells you “something isn’t right” because you could be preventing or stopping a crime.

My cousin (a Chinese woman in her thirties, mentally disabled) lives with her family in the outer Sunset area in San Francisco, CA.  She has never left the house by herself.

Between 11:30pm and midnight Thursday night, July 22, 2010, she had gone to her bedroom. Around midnight, a family member realized that she wasn’t in her room. She was nowhere inside the house. The front door was left opened.  The SF police was called.

My cousin was wearing her slippers and a fleece jacket. She was recovering from surgery.  How far could she have walked in her condition?

My cousin’s brother drove all over the neighborhood for 5 hours.

In the morning, my cousin’s sister called me.  I raced to San Francisco.  Our plan of action was to make hundreds of copies of the Missing Person flyer (with a photo of my cousin; my uncle had added Chinese words “Please help us find our daughter”)  and we would fan out and ask neighbors if they saw anyone walking late last night.

My cousin is now home, safe.  My cousin (who has never ridden public transportation by herself) was reported to be riding on a AC Transit bus.  The bus driver had noticed her riding for a couple of hours, back and forth; he remembered seeing her board at Downtown Berkeley; he called AC Transit Police; Alameda County Sheriff’s Department responded). However Alameda County had no record of her as a “missing person.”

How did she get there?  According to my cousin’s report to her brother approximately 24 hours later:

She had walked only a couple of blocks (remember–this is outer Sunset district in San Francisco) when a man in a car asked if she needed help.  She said “Yes.”  My cousin has the mental capacity of a child.  Instead of helping her by calling the police, the man took her to his home in the East Bay and sexually assaulted her and kept her there until morning when he took her to BART (Contra Costa County), bought her a ticket and told her to go home.

After hearing this from my cousin, my cousin’s brother called the police again. The police took my cousin to SF General Hospital for physical examination and interview.

This case is complicated – my cousin might have gotten into the man’s vehicle in San Francisco County; the BART ticket originated in Contra Costa County; she was found in Alameda County. Three counties.  Who’s case is it?  That BART ticket is a key evidence.

The main message in this post is this:

Family members didn’t hear my cousin leave her room, walk down the stairs, or open the front door. No one thought she would ever leave the house by herself. Friday night we asked the police how we could make the house safer (probably the same concern that families of Alzheimer’s patients have).  One tip:  use an alarm system so that other people in the house would be alerted when the alarm is tripped. Be safe, everyone. Talk to public safety representatives in your neighborhoods.

I thank our angels and the kind people who helped find our cousin.

Here’s the website for the Taraval Police district of San Francisco http://sf-police.org/index.aspx?page=858 Click on Community Updates http://www.sf-police.org/index.aspx?page=3323 to get a list of police stations that offer newsletters which inform residents of incidents occurring in their districts.

List of Stations in SF:

Central Station
Southern Station
Bayview Station
Mission Station
Northern Station
Park Station
Richmond Station
Ingleside Station
Taraval Station
Tenderloin Station

San Francisco Police Department Missing Persons

http://www.sf-police.org/index.aspx?page=84

Contact the police department in your city and ask to receive Community Updates.

Thank You to My Husband

Two days ago I received this email:

Dear Ms. Ryan,

I am commissioned by Scarecrow Press to write Historical Dictionary of Asian American lit and theater and would very much like to include you . . .  I have found all necessary info from your website, except for your educational background. Would you mind providing me with your degrees, majors, and universities?

Many thanks,
Wenying

Wenying Xu, Ph.D
Professor & Chair
Department of English
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL 33431

My reply:

Dear Professor Xu,

Thank you for wanting to include my profile in your project.

May I see your final write-up of my profile before you submit it to Scarecrow Press?

I’d be honored if you could include my favorite quote:

Author Teresa LeYung Ryan says: “You have the power to materialize your dearest dreams. Transform Your Personal Experiences Into Potent Stories.”

Education:
Lowell High School, San Francisco
I do not have a college degree; I have taken courses at City College of San Francisco, Skyline College, U.C. Berkeley Extension; I have attended many writing workshops; I have created and delivered many writing workshops; I believe that the more I read the better writer I become.

Again, thank you for wanting to include me in the Historical Dictionary of Asian American lit and theater.

How did you find me?

Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan

Why am I entitling this post “Thank You to My Husband” ?

Because . . . I work hard as a writer, and, I work well when I’m in lovely space that has “good vibrations.”  My husband helped me get to the place where I am today and I thank him!

As an author and community spirit, Teresa LeYung Ryan speaks out for public libraries, honors immigrant-stories, advocates compassion for mental illness, and helps survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.

Writers Take Care of Ourselves!

“20 Fun, Easy & Effective Ways To Manage and Reduce Stress”.

Get Access Here: http://www.premiersummits.com/cmd.php?Clk=3822318

Premier Summits Live Event: July 20-26, 2010

Remember, all live events are updated at 9am Eastern Time (2 PM Greenwich Mean Time) every day. The events of the day will only be available starting at that time, for the next 24 hours.

I listened to Diana Fletcher “Stress Reducing Strategies for a Busy & Hectic Lifestyle”

Top points I gained from Diana:

• Make time to breathe deeply – put one hand on belly; inhale through the nose & exhale through the mouth
• Drink water – to hydrate the body; to correct false-cravings for food
• Create buffer time – after turning off electronic gadgets (including TV or computer), give myself quiet time before going to sleep.

I listened to Elizabeth Diamond “How to Create the Life of Your Dreams Using the Intentional Scrapbooking Method^TM”

Top points I gained from Elizabeth:

• Identity the picture of what success looks like and create the scrapbook page/vision board (or “collage” as Mary E. Knippel of Open Up To Your Creativity would say); find material for the platform (paper, cardboard, T-shirt . . . )
• Feel the joy when I use “I statement” to see my dream in my mind’s eye (Teresa’s example:  “I am the female business owner who has given millions of dollars to thousands of charities worldwide.”  This is my dream–to help people on the planet by being a creator of prosperity–like philanthropist Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation.)
• Take a photo of myself while I am looking at my scrapbook page/vision board/collage and feeling the sensations of success; use the photo as inspiration. (Teresa’s example:  “Before I found my agent and before my publisher found me through my agent, I did create ‘This is what I would look like as a published author’ pictures for myself.  I’m happy to say that I celebrated my novel’s seventh anniversary in October)

Thank you to my sister who told me about Premier Summits –  free online audio events!

Thank you, Tom Nicoli for hosting and Keith Jennison for producer the series!

Thank you to all the presenters!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Author Teresa LeYung Ryan wears two hats.

• As a novelist, she uses her book Love Made of Heart to inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.
• As a writing career coach and creator of Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published, Teresa helps writers identify their mission statements to attract agents, publishers and fans.

Her website WritingCoachTeresa.com offers resources for writers and readers.

Uncle Bernie & Uncle Bill!

This summer my sister introduced me to The Bernie Mac Show which ran from 2001 to 2006.  I found a dozen episodes on YouTube.

What a character!  What an uncle!  Bernie Mac (a comedian) and his wife Wanda take in his sister’s 3 kids and he does his best as a “Mr. Mom” to his nephew and two nieces.   Wanda reminds Bernie the meaning of “family” by her generous acts whenever he gets overwhelmed.

Bernie Mac is played by Bernard Jeffrey McCullough http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Mac and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285341/

I thank the writers of The Bernie Mac Show for the funny lines that carry powerful messages; I thank Bernie Mac for entertaining “America.”

Turn back the calendar to 1966-1971  Another uncle who makes sacrifices is the character Bill Davis in Family Affair when he takes in 3 kids (2 nieces and 1 nephew).  Mr. French is the real hero though—his role as Davis’s gentleman’s gentleman is transformed into Mr. Nanny + Housekeeper.  Davis is portrayed by Brian Kieth and Mr. French by Sebastian Cabot.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059982/ The writers of Family Affair also wrote memorable lines. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Author Teresa LeYung Ryan wears two hats.

• As a novelist, she uses her book Love Made of Heart to inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.
• As a writing career coach and creator of Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published, Teresa helps writers identify their mission statements to attract agents, publishers and fans.

WritingCoachTeresa.com offers resources for writers and readers.

My first experiences with hypnosis and self-hypnosis came from Angie Choi.  http://alivehypnosis.com/ I’ll talk more about remarkable Angie in another post.

Today I wish to share this information (lead came from my sister) with everyone who is connecting through my blog posts.  Writers need to manage and reduce stress too:

Free Online Audio Event • July 20 – 26, 2010

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hi Teresa,
It’s Tom Nicoli here. In this crazy economy and busy lifestyle
we all could use some ways to reduce everyday stress.

20 top professionals have come together for a free online
event. They are all sharing great information. It’s called
“20 Fun, Easy & Effective Ways To Manage and Reduce Stress”.

Get Access Here: http://www.premiersummits.com/cmd.php?Clk=3822318

I’m going to be there. Remember, it’s all free, and it
starting really soon. After you sign in to get all the
information for free, tell everyone you know. They’ll
want to know about this too.

All the best,
Tom
Hypnosis World Summit

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan

As a writing career coach and creator of Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published, Teresa LeYung Ryan helps writers identify their mission statements to attract agents, publishers and fans.  http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

As the author of Love Made of Heart and community spirit, Teresa LeYung Ryan speaks out for public libraries, honors immigrant-stories, advocates compassion for mental illness, and helps survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.  http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

Another Day in the Life of a Published Author/Presenter/Advocate of Literacy

Dear Writers,

I encourage everyone to finish writing that story or that book and find ways to get your work published in print form.  When I first set out to write Love Made of Heart (originally entitled Grace) over 20 years ago, my dream was to someday touch readers the way Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior had touched me.

Since Love Made of Heart got published in October 2002 by Kensington Publishing Corp., New York, I have had the opportunities to make connections with readers not only with the book but also through personal appearances at community events, writers’ conferences, writers’ organizations, schools and libraries.  Connecting with people through promoting literacy is my favorite role as an author.

Today I received this email which made me sad, but, I got a chance to offer a piece of me as an author. Thank you, Donna, for emailing me.

Hello Teresa!  My name is Donna Axelson. I am on the board of the non-profit Veterans Memorial that was built in 2007 in Cupertino, CA. I became involved with this project because my son, Matthew Axelson, a Navy SEAL, was killed in Afghanistan in 2005. If you have read the New York Times Bestseller Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell you have read about Matthew and Operation Redwing.

One of my major jobs with the non-profit is to chair the annual golf tournament that supports the Memorial. This is our fifth year to hold the golf tournament and one of the most sought after auction items is children’s books signed by local authors. I’m hoping you would be willing to donate a copy of one of your books this year for the auction. The golf tournament this year is Monday, August 23 @ the Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club. You can reach me at ____ and you can view our website at www.cupertinoveteransmemorial.org

Are you a golfer? We’d love to have you join us for golf or how about coming just for the dinner, auctions, and program. See attachment.  http://www.cupertinoveteransmemorial.org/golf_tournament.html

Thank you!

Donna Axelson

This is my reply to Donna:

Tue, Jul 13, 2010

Dear Donna,

My heart is heavy as I read your email about how you got involved with Veterans Memorial.

Donna, I would be honored to donate a copy of Love Made of Heart (to honor your love for Matthew); however my book is not a children’s book. It is recommended by the California Reading Association and the California School Library Association (for high-school and college level); it’s archived at the San Francisco History Center. The main character is in her twenties.

This link has more information about the book:
http://lovemadeofheart.com/Love-Made-of-Heart-journey-of-an-adult-child-of-a-mentally-ill-parent.html

• Do let me know if you still want a copy of Love Made of Heart.

• I am the creator of “Heroes, Tricksters, and Villains” (a writing workshop for children). If you ever want such a presentation for another fundraiser, please invite me.

• You might want to also contact Frances Kakugawa, the author of Wordsworth the Poet and Wordsworth Dances The Waltz.    http://www.francesk.org/homepage.html Please tell Frances hello for me if you email her.

• Donna, are you a writer?  There must be a branch of California Writers Club near you. http://calwriters.org/

• Lastly, how did you find me?

Sincerely,
Teresa
Teresa LeYung Ryan

The following day, Donna emailed again:

Teresa,

I looked up your book so know a bit about it already. We have at least one foursome of high school and college age golfers plus parents of those same age young people golf. Plus our CEO is involved with the Organization of Special Needs families in our area. I think your book would be a wonderful addition to our auction. Please send it to the address below % CVM Golf Tournament.

I will contact Frances. Thank you for her information.

Last year when I went to the Linden Tree in Los Altos (Dennis and Linda always donate books for the auction.) I purchased a book 2007 Writers and Illustrators Network Guide [Authors and Illustrators Network Guide] and you were in that book.

Fondly,

Donna Axelson

c/o Cupertino Veterans Memorial Golf Tournament

So, I inscribed a hardcover copy of Love Made of Heart to “The Cupertino Veterans Memorial Hearts” and attached a personal note to Donna and mailed the package out.

Dear Writers,

On my wesite is a page “Writers Resources”  http://lovemadeofheart.com/Writers-Resources.html I attend many of the events sponsored by Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter.

See you at a community event or on cyberspace!

Sincerely,

Teresa

As an author and community spirit, Teresa LeYung Ryan speaks out for public libraries, honors immigrant-stories, advocates compassion for mental illness, and helps survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.

Love Made of Heart inspires adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.  http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published is the 22 minutes for 22 days workbook.  Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan says: “Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name.” http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

Saturday, July 31, 2010, 10am – 5pm
Northern California Storybook & Literature Festival

http://www.roseville.ca.us/library/programs_n_events/lit_fest.asp
Maidu Library & Maidu Community Center, 1530 Maidu Drive, Roseville, CA 95661

10:20-11:20am Reception Hall - Teresa LeYung Ryan, Tanya Egan Gibson, Laurel Anne Hill, Jeff Carlson & Jack L. Parker; moderator will be Gail McGrath
11:30am-12:30pm Teresa will be autographing books at outdoor booth I-7
1:00-2:00pm Meeting Room 2 – Teresa LeYung Ryan will present her signature workshop “Transform Your Personal Experiences Into Potent Stories”

The author of Love Made of Heart will give you simple tools to craft a short story with an enticing beginning, engaging middle, and a satisfying ending. Teresa says: “My short stories were the building-blocks for my book.”

2:30-5:00pm Teresa will be autographing books at outdoor booth I-7

noon – 1:00 p.m  buddy/colleague Mary E. Knippel will be moderating the “Healthy Living” panel – B. Lynn Goodwin, Davis Liu, MD, Jennifer Martin, Joanne Neft, Richard Simmons.

I am so looking forward to July 31, 2010 (the same date as a loved one’s birthday)

Thank you again, Margie Yee Webb, Jamie Finley, Dena Grover, City of Roseville Library, and California Writers Club.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan
As an author and community spirit, Teresa LeYung Ryan speaks out for public libraries, honors immigrant-stories, advocates compassion for mental illness, and helps survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.

Love Made of Heart inspires adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.  http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published is the 22 minutes for 22 days workbook.  Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan says: “Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name.” http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

Invite Coach Teresa to conduct “Major League Tryouts to Build Your Name” at your writers’ club or group. http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

• identify your mission statement, the scope of the project, and the perfect book title
• build your name to attract the right agent or publisher or more fans
• design and grow your blog (to showcase your expertise and experiences)

I am happy to announce that my trademark is finally being used at Love Made of Heart online store where you’ll find gift items for yourselves, women, children, moms, grandmas, babies, friends and pets. http://lovemadeofheart.com/Love-Made-of-Heart-Online-Store-&-Gift-Shop.html

Artist Who Is a Writer Who Expresses Profound Beauty

http://flyingpaintproductions.blogspot.com/

Chandra Garsson’s artwork has been shown both nationally and internationally. Her paintings and sculptures have been featured at the Bedroom Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic, Berlin, Germany, Manukan City, New Zealand, and Art Forum Gallery in Singapore. Closer to home, her art has been seen over the years at Morphos Gallery, Olga Dollar Gallery, Fobbo Gallery, in San Francisco, and more recently at Expressions Gallery, in Berkeley. The Union Gallery featured Chandra’s work in a solo exhibition at San Jose State University. Her art has also been exhibited at the Oakland Museum Sculpture court, The Jewish Museum in San Francisco, and The Triton Museum in Santa Clara, California. Chandra’s artwork and writing also features prominently in Bittersweet Legacy, Creative responses to the Holocaust, an anthology edited by Cynthia Brody, forwarded by Michael Berenbaum, University Press of America. Her book, Insomnia (Awakening), was published by Meridian PressWorks in conjunction with a major retrospective exhibition of the same title at ProArts Gallery in Oakland, California in 2004. www.darksecretlove.com/chandra www.vspcity.com/insomnia

The photo above shows colleagues Mary E. Knippel, Luisa Adams, Martha Alderson, Lori Noack, Linda Lee, Rebecca Martin and me with the magnificent bookcase painted by Chandra Garsson.  The face of the Asian woman and side panels are Chandra’s interpretation of my novel Love Made of Heart. Thank you, Chandra, for turning an unfinished piece of furniture into exquisite treasure.

Sincerely,

Teresa

Teresa LeYung Ryan uses her novel Love Made of Heart to:

• celebrate immigrants
• inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer
• help survivors of family violence find their own voices

http://www.lovemadeofheart.com/