Oregon Public Broadcasting

1st congressional district 2012 election 2012 session agriculture art arts author beer births books budget business central oregon college congress crime culture death penalty eastern oregon economy education employment energy environment eugene fishing food gangs gay rights health health care high school history homeless housing jobs law legislature literature living media mental health military movies music native americans obama occupy portland occupy wall street onthejob oregon our town outdoors parenting police politics portland portland business journal portland mayor pregnancy prison public health race rebroadcast recess recession religion republicans rural schools science shooting sports supreme court talking business technology teen theater unemployment union university of oregon washington water weekend women youth

I'd like to see or hear about exact numbers from each school of how many drop outs they have.

The total number for the state has little meaning for me at least as my knee jerk reaction is "Oh they are probably from some where else."

Would this direct school by school information help communities battle higher drop out rates?

posted 1 year, 12 months ago
view in context

I had a friend with mental illness who sadly commited suicide last year. He did seek treatment but felt like the treatment facility he was at wasnt working for him as he felt normal compared to the other people at this facility. Another problem he faced in this was his family faced with the social stigma of mental illness in the family sought to hide his disease and lied to everyone about him, and his condition.

Last summer after a 8 month hiatus of not hearing from him in any way he called all of us. (a group of about 8 friends all close knit) and we had a few weeks of going out and him finally sharing with us (the friends) his true problems with mental illness.

Two weeks later I was called and told he had shot himself at home.

should he have been commited even though treatment "wasnt working for him?"

Its a question for the ages. He wouldnt go to treatment, his family wouldnt send him to treatment who else is there to regulate that?

Mental illness is very difficult not only for the person who has it but for everyone else becuase of social stigma against mental illnesses and becuase treatment for mental illness is isolation from population bases often and moving into a community of mental illness. In a community of the mentally ill there is no 'normal' or accepted behavior role models for the patients to really stay in touch with.

For involuntary commitment to work for that for any commitment for mental health to work there needs to be a better base of health care for it and with that said theres just no money for it being put out by states or bussinesses. Those dollars go to sexier problems like cancer awareness or muscular dystrophy, not to say these diseases dont also need funding but there again lies the social stigma against mental illness.

I feel that involuntary commitment is very much like a hiding of mental illness. moving the disease away from the public eye for treatment with no clear direction. Mental illness is a life chaging battle and you need a social support group to help you. I'd like to see a change in the commitment process that not only commits the person with the mental illness but also commits the family and friends to come and help be a part of treatment in helping that person accept, and learn how to cope with their disease.

a plan like this may have saved my friends life.

posted 2 years ago
view in context

I'm a nursing student here in Portland about to graduate on august 7th. All along in school we've been told to think about the cost of care you are providing, and how can we help lower that cost. One comment I heard from your guests was they were taught to not even consider cost. Where does that paradigm shift from Physican training to Nurse training not consider cost?

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
view in context