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October 19, 2009 in City
Advocate for mentally ill discusses reaction to the Paul escape
Ron Anderson is a retired mental health counselor and president of the Spokane affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
(Full-size photo)
A month ago, an Eastern State Hospital patient made headlines across the nation when he walked away from a field trip to the Spokane County Interstate Fair. Some questioned whether Phillip A. Paul, who had been committed after being found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1987 killing of a retired Sunnyside, Wash., schoolteacher, was an acceptable candidate for such an outing. Paul was captured on Sept. 20, three days after his escape. But the investigation into the policies and procedures of state mental institutions continues. Review of media coverage of the incident also merits a critical look, according to Ron Anderson, a retired mental health counselor and president of the Spokane affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness whom The Spokesman-Review interviewed last week.
Q.Is it appropriate for forensic mentally ill patients to attend public outings?
A.If you look at the goal of recovery as being returned to the community, it would seem appropriate. That is the goal of recovery, to get people back into society.
Q.Do you think the public reaction to the escape of Phillip Paul was appropriate?
A.The public reaction that I saw was fear, but I thought that was the product of the media coverage of it.
Q.What is your opinion of the media handling of this story?
A.When you use the words “paranoid schizophrenic killer” or “criminally insane killer on the loose,” it sounds like he was on a killing spree at the time.
He was in recovery. He was taking his medications. He wasn’t a criminally insane killer on the loose; he was a man who was in recovery with other patients and walked away.
Q.How do you rate the state’s handling of this event?
A.At first they were reactionary, but I think they had to say something to show they were on top of it and they were going to make some changes. So far I don’t know what the state reaction is. They are still reviewing and they are still trying to come up with a better plan as far as supervision. (Meanwhile, he added, all state mental patients, not only the forensic unit, have lost privileges as a result of the incident.)
Q.Did this event improve or set back awareness and understanding of mental illness?
A.It’s a scary world for them (those with mental illness) anyway, and now to be stigmatized that way … is dangerous. We are dealing with life-threatening illness here (because of the risk of suicide). By increasing the stigma in a community like this, it gives the people who aren’t in treatment even more reason not to seek it.
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rshroll on October 19 at 12:18 p.m.
Very true! My 15 year old daughter thought people were probably killed at the fair and also believed it was very likely he would kill again and again if he had the slightest opportunity. This was due to some brief media blurbs she heard/read. Then a week or so later a man committed double homicide in Spokane after being in prison for torture/assault (not sure what the actual charge was called) and was on the loose. This man was a million times more dangerous, but nobody would have ever known it.
omaha on October 19 at 12:20 p.m.
So this guy questions the media’s use of the term “paranoid schizophrenic killer.”
Let’s break that down and apply it to Phillip Paul:
Paranoid - Check
Schizophrenic - Check
Killer - Check
Sure the media sensationalizes things and they generally do a poor job; however, it is hard to fault the media for using accurate words to describe Philip Paul.
Jess24 on October 19 at 12:33 p.m.
That place should be held responsible!
Betty on October 19 at 1:06 p.m.
Then if the goal is to return to society while they are out there in Medical Lake facilities, shouldn’t they immediately be judged sane before they leave there on an “outing” and tried for the crime they got out of being tried for by declaring themselves insane, regardless of the semantics of the professionals? I have gone to the Fair for the last time and perhaps to other venues where I think they may be taken for their enjoyment and enlightenment as to what those in charge want them to be released into, but if the inmates think they are being punished for the actions of one of their own kind, then think of some of us who would have been defenseless in a parking lot should he have decided to take a car—it is a shame that all of this is a travesty on the law including those in charge who seem to be indignant that their judgment has been questioned. Keep him and the rest of us safe by having him locked up. I sure don’t want to mingle and socialize him.
PlanB on October 19 at 1:44 p.m.
I’d like to thank the Spokesman-Review for interviewing someone that actually has knowledge on the subject.
Apparently most of the people who commented here didn’t read the article. But hey, why listen to experts? That wouldn’t feed your own irrational delusional paranoia.