A Portland couple tried in vain to get their son mental health treatment. Then, he killed his mother

Watch Part Two of the Uncommitted series here: How Oregon effectively criminalized severe mental illness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO4UfSqrDTI

If a doctor and an attorney can not get mental Healthcare for their child any other parent has zero hope 😢

Years ago, I told my therapist that no one cares about mental health until someone dies. Sadly, nothing has gotten better.

My heart breaks for this poor man who lost his beautiful wife so tragically. Having been a mental health provider for 40 years, we must face the fact that our great experiment of de-institutionalizing those with mental illness has failed miserably. We need to admit this in order to make a broad and sweeping systems changes that will keep people safe.

I'm in tears when he said his son strangled his wife to death. My prayers go out this husband and father. I pray he finds healing.

“You shouldn’t have to commit murder to get mental health care.” Oregon failed this family and should be held accountable. I’ve lived here my whole life, and the atrocities I’ve seen the state enact through blind indifference is astounding and disgusting.

Schizophrenia starts in late teens, early 20s generally speaking

Tragic. My mother was treated terribly by my mentally ill brother. She finally got a restraining order. Sold her house and moved across country.

It’s not just Oregon, it’s everywhere. If your child is an adult there is precious little you can do to actually get them the help they need. Believe me, I know. My heart breaks for this family.

You didn't fail, Sir. You guys did everything you could. The system failed.

This is not an isolated story. Something similar happened in Berkeley years ago. A mentally ill young man killed a man at his home. His parents talked about all they'd tried to do to get their son help. But he was an adult who could check himself out of the mental hospital after 72 hours. And he couldn't be forced to take medication. Their hands were tied because no one could "force" him to submit to treatment. This is such a tragedy!

I hope the family sues the state of OREGON and the JUDGE who refused to commit him!

Sir, you and your wife did not fail Austen, the system did. My heart goes out to you, and hopefully this horrible event will bring some positive change to people like your family and son.

The mental healthcare system in this country is 100% broken. No one notices a change in a person's mental health better than direct family members. My mother developed acute psychosis in 2021. It was the most frightening thing that I have ever witnessed. We could get no one to believe us or admit her until she was almost at death's door. I was literally crying and begging the ems to take her. I say this as a RN and from personal experience. The mental health system needs to be totally dismantled and rebuilt. My heart goes out to this dad.

The first time my fiancé attempted suicide they sent cops who shot him multiple times with handgun and shotgun nonlethal rounds. The cops were laughing, acting like they were sport hunting. They let him out of the hospital 3-4 hour later…The day he succeeded in his attempts, he called White Birds Crisis line. I spent YEARS trying to get him help. My best friend I had had known since I was 11. He was failed by the Oregon State Child protective services, the Oregon state foster care system, the Oregon Justice system, and the post prison system, and finally tue crisis system. The majority of his depression stemmed from abuse from foster care.

This makes your heart break and your blood boil at the same time.

2003 my brother ended his life. There's been no solution for some time now. He had threatened to kill my folks, so I told my folks, but my brother never forgave me. I was afraid. He cracked one day, but took his life. He was failed

I don't understand how they found her dead and didn't see that she'd been strangled. I wonder what they thought she died of.

It’s time to get our mental institutions back.

Absolutely shameful. Those doctors that deemed him a non threat need to be investigated themselves. That family deserved so much better.