Jessica Ferguson : Brother in Crisis: A Family's Desperate Fight for Mental Health Support

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Jessica Ferguson shares the deeply personal story of her brother's struggle with serious mental illness and how systemic failures led to his incarceration after being accused of a triple homicide when he should have been in psychiatric care.

• Her brother had been stable with his mental illness for a decade before showing concerning behavior changes in early 2023

• Despite three psychiatric hospitalizations within months, he was repeatedly discharged after 72-hour holds with no substantial care plan

• Family pleas for help were ignored as healthcare providers cited voluntary treatment requirements and HIPAA restrictions

• Only after being accused of a crime did he receive consistent psychiatric care

• The jail system provides minimal mental health support compared to psychiatric hospitals

• Families need healthcare proxy arrangements and better knowledge of resources before crises occur

• Massachusetts lacks Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) options that could mandate treatment

• Mental health systems must partner with families who know their loved ones best

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