#ShatteringSilence4SMI- Sharing a final reflection of our family’s 2017 Christmas Miracle. I think it is clear that Danny enjoyed being home with family and friends and we enjoyed having him home.
I was able to sit alone with him on Christmas morning and show him his Facebook fan club. He had never seen a Facebook page. He loved the picture of me holding the “My Danny Matters” sign. He loved reading the comments from old friends and new friends. He loves knowing that people care.
He was sad to pack up and go back to California Psychiatric Transitions (CPT)* but he knows that he has to complete the program before he can step down to community placement. We made the two-hour drive back feeling love and gratitude for the time we had together while holding onto big hopes and dreams for 2018.
We arrived back at CPT to see families like ours visiting their loved ones onsite. We were welcomed back with such kindness by staff and observed how they helped Danny transition back behind the locked doors. A final big hug for mom and dad and he was gone from sight.
I drove home while my exhausted husband slept feeling at peace but knowing that the road ahead for our Danny will be bumpy. I will be working on smoothing out Danny’s future journey and hopefully, we will find the right path for him and all families like ours. I will also never forget those who have no family to pick them up and bring them home to sleep in their own bed.
I will never give up the fight for #OneCare #Everywhere because I love someone with a serious mental illness.
Thank you all so much for the #DannyLove ❤️
*CPT is a mental health rehabilitation center in Delhi, California, Merced County (cptmhrc.com). Teresa says, "We need a CPT in every county in the state and yet our Governor and legislature cut the budget for these facilities in the 2017 budget. These are also the facilities that the Feds refuse to fund because of the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Disease (IMD) Exclusion.** Discrimination!"
**The Medicaid Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion prohibits the use of federal Medicaid financing for care provided to most patients in mental health and substance use disorder residential treatment facilities larger than 16 beds. This limits the number of beds available for the those with serious mental illness. For an overview go to lac.org
Danny with his Mom & Dad Christmas 2017