Hi.
So Iâve been writing about my journey to try to get someone to hold the mental health agency that repeatedly and continues to violate my client rights accountable.
I have contacted many people, gone through many channels, taken the steps in the right order- twice. Iâve done this all twice. Because they didnât listen the first time
So I have an advocate now because my symptoms are so bad and they keep making me tell the story again and again and no one is documenting it or doing anything about it. Not the agency when I filed the grievances, and not the local mental health board.
The local board basically pushed me to the Ohio board because they werenât doing anything with my actual complaints and the person at the Ohio board who is in charge of client advocacy would be âmuch more helpful and knowledgeable.â
The thing is, she is basically refusing to engage with me or my advocate unless I have written up everything that happened, that I tried to do, and the thing I want out of the meeting.
This should have been done when I first reported it. Or the second or the 30th or the 100th time. I explained most of it in an email and so did my advocate and she still wants it in some kind of prescribed format which goes beyond my limitations with my disability. Which I have said every single time this comes up. Not only that- I did contact her last year and tried to get help last year and she didnât help and my recent email was very detailed with enough information that she could get an idea. My advocate also emailed her and explained the situation.
Now she is refusing to talk until this happens and she is pretty much making it seem like she will not help even if we do jump this hurdle. Here is an email where she is telling my advocate she wonât have a phone conversation with us despite us telling her all of the reasons why this needs to be done over the phone, specifically because of the âlong extensive historyâ which I already gave her enough of it to know itâs not some minor thing that happened. I have given her enough background, in writing, that would make it appropriate and necessary for her to follow up. It feels like I have to chase her to get her attention when this is her literal job.
As someone who knows accommodations for disabilities under ADA, I know that I am not wrong for repeatedly advocating for my capabilities in the moment, which at this time does not include repeating my detailed medical history in a thorough document for her to read. That is the reason these people are here. To help victims. And she is making it seem like I am the problem when it was the agency that failed me and the local board that refused to actually do anything but blame me.
Iâm tired of being the client who looks like a problem because I have needs beyond what they are willing to acknowledge. I am tired of being made to defend myself when I did nothing wrong and I have proof but the overseeing agencies wonât even listen to me. I am tired of putting in more work just to endure more discrimination and victimization by the people whose jobs are to help me get well. And to protect me from the things that are happening.
Itâs hard to re-engage and trust in services when I am also dealing with medical negligence from the agencies that oversee the new services I am receiving. Iâm trying though.
#Disability #PTSD #Anxiety #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #PostTraumaticStressDisorder #ADHD #Agoraphobia #PanicAttacks #MentalHealth #CheckInWithMe #ChronicVestibularMigraine #Migraine