I find this very interesting.

I know someone who lives in Alaska, and over the years she has flown to Seattle for meds as well as pdocs for herself and 2 sons. She always talked about how hard it was and rare, to find good psychiatric care in that State.

Also, this causes me to wonder:

Do the patients have to remain in the long term care facility, but not on meds?

After seeing how all psychiatric hospitals my daughter lived in work...I can safely say those places would be outta business if they didn't have psych medications, due to the fact that is the baseline therapy.

Especially in the state long term care, Western State. That is pretty much how the day goes; meds, take a break, meds, take a break, meds, take a break, PRNs go to sleep.

As much as I want 'freedoms of everything' for everyone, I sigh at the thought of psychs in these places actually embracing least restrictive alternatives, or even adding a therapist or 2 to their wards/units/floors.

I had a staff ask me to write a letter requesting a therapist be signed on to the ward staff at Western State Hospital.

He told me how they are not trained therapists, that they are pretty much there to break up fights. He said they do the best they can to talk to the patients and uplift them, but he seriously wanted help "besides the medications for these people."

Jim Gottstein should be disbarred. Not only did he defy Judge Weinsteins order, he is involved heavily in non-drug treatment in Alaska. He owns properties that serve the mentally ill, and has friends to whom he caters and with whom he serves on various boards and quite possibly represents. His friends benefit from the vast amounts of money that is raised by one group and is then funneled into another. There is corruption and conflict of interest in treating the so-called mentally ill in Alaska. Some people fake it with the help of noted psychiatrists, and there seems to be no oversight.

I hope that your friend gets the help she needs. There are many ligitimate programs in Alaska. Just AVOID Ionia (www.ionia.org) and anyone with whom they are associated. They are scammers and fakers. And any of you reading this, beware of making any contributions to them.