Educational Media Reviews Online

Why are mentally ill patients homeless or living in poorly funded institutions receiving minimal support? In this eye-opening program, Dr. Milt Kogan, speaks to mentally ill patients who are either living in the streets or residing in “board and care” facilities of Los Angeles, California. Mentally ill individuals face many challenges and society should be sensitive to their needs. Those who live on the streets are not getting the medical attention they need. Some suffer with schizophrenia others are bipolar. Medical attention refers to both medication and therapy. It is sad to hear someone say they actually prefer to live in the streets than in a residential facility were they are kept overly medicated. In most cases, patients are kept medicated to keep them idle because there are not enough health care providers working in the facility. For those facilities that are funded and get support from the neighboring communities, patients become productive members of society. I recommend that this program be viewed at community centers, mental health facilities, and by professionals and layman. It will raise awareness about the plight of our nation’s mentally ill patients.