ENCOUNTERS WITH THE CHRONICALLY MENTALLY ILL

What is it like to be chronically mentally ill?

How does it feel to watch a loved one struggle with a serious, long-term mental illness?

What are the problems in the system that result in many sufferers getting trapped in the revolving door of mental health care services?

In this documentary, a short dramatization highlights the situation of an artistic woman who, faced with a crisis in her comfortable, middle-class life, became disillusioned and depressed.  She never recovered, becoming instead withdrawn and psychotic.  She was treated in numerous hospitals and rehab programs without success, finally ending up on the streets, homeless.  Her daughter is shown trying to intervene in a system that seems to hinder more than help.

Following the drama, there is a discussion among caregivers from the community:  a recipient of mental health care, a family member, a police officer, a representative from the Canadian Mental Health Association, a nurse and a psychiatrist.  They share their experiences with the mental health care system and offer suggestions for improvement.  The underlying message of the documentary is that the system, despite its limitations, can provide effective care only if individual caregivers believe in the worth and dignity of every human being.