A Bad State of Mind: Minnesota's fractured mental health system An 'ugly' process The long wait On the front lines Managing the illness The elderly's struggles Five people who make a difference Resources Resources National Alliance for the Mentally Ill - Minnesota Respond to this story Talk about this story in the MPR News Forum Submit a commentary Help us cover this story

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People who make a difference
by Bob Collins, Minnesota Public Radio
January 9, 2004

In a fractured system, leadership often comes at the "grassroots" levels. Those most familiar with living with mental illness find themselves teaching the professionals and health care workers about it. These five people are an example.

"To judge any illness or lay blame for any illness — that really is crazy."	Pete Feigal is a native of a small town in Minnesota. He was diagnosed with major depression at 13, hospitalized at 15, and spent nearly a quarter of his life in Minnesota's mental health care system. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 26. "I still battle everyday with my mental illness," he says. "But I'm at the point now where I realize these are gifts and meditations in my life, wanted or not." He spends much of his time speaking to individuals and groups about living with mental illness and disability.
	My name is Pete Feigal Are you really sick? The good and the bad Our names are not our illness What kids ask vs. what adults ask Why?

"Eventually you open yourself up to learning and that's when I figured out that everything I was interracting with him on was wrong."	Mary Meyer is a police officer for the city of Woodbury, currently assigned as Homeland Security Intelligence Coordinator for the Department of Public Safety. As a police officer, she specializes in police response to incidents involving the mentally ill, and conducts training for other officers. Her brother suffers from mental illness. "I probably spent 10 years doing everything wrong," she says. "We had family who were in denial — couldn't, wouldn't talk about it. Eventually you open yourself up to learning and that's when I figured out that everything I was interracting with him on was wrong. I've learned so from him about myself. It has been an honor to accompany him on his — or our — journey."
	Learning empathy Developing relationships My brother "Please don't kill him"

"No one is held accountable when a child's needs go unmet."	Louise Brown is director of Minnesota's Children's Mental Health Partnership, a coalition of parents, educators, human service workers, politicians, and criminal justice system workers. She was critical in the passage of Minnesota's Children's Mental Health Act in 1989. According to a recent Citizen's League report, however, "the law's promise remains "utterly unfilled... No one is in charge of Minnesota's mental health system ... No one is held accountable when a child's needs go unmet." Louise Brown says until the partnership was formed, there wasn't even an agreement on where to begin to fix Minnesota's fractured mental health system for children. She says the state needs a system with uniform services across counties.
	"Sometimes I have to remember we've made progress." Priorities to build a mental health system in Minnesota It's a health care issue, not a social service issue How to find help

"They belong in treatment; they don't belong in a prison."	The Zwacks co-founded the Forensic committee of the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. Their son, Kyle, was imprisoned in Texas after a shootout with police. He suffers from schizophrenia and had stopped taking medication prior to the incident (About 50 percent of those suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar do not recognize that they are mentally ill). With no treatment provided to prisoners in Texas, the Zwacks worked to have their son moved to a prison in Minnesota. Even there, his mental illness was misdiagnosed. They've worked to change the Minnesota system and raise awareness of needs the mentally ill in prison. In addition to editing a newsletter, the Zwacks host a support group, and serve on several committees trying to implement changes in the system. They received a Champions of Health Award from Blue Cross Blue Shield in 2003.
	The Stampley case "They belong in treatment; they don't belong in a prison." On the difficulty of getting police properly trained

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