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Florida Times-Union

February 7, 2004

Reprinted with permission of the author. All rights reserved.

LETTER
Baker Act: Reform is necessary

Thanks for the editorial in support of Baker Act reform.

This issue is facing our legislators in this session, as it has in the past, and support will make a huge impact on the outcome.

My brother-in-law, Alan Mark Houseman, was killed by Tampa police after he was mistaken as a suspicious person.

In fact, he was a paranoid schizophrenic, off his medication, and less than one block from home. Alan had been in the system of the Baker Act for years. He had faced commitment through that system many times.

Unfortunately, outpatient treatment was not part of that system. Alan and his loved ones were caught in a system that did not work. His illness did not allow him to make rational decisions about his mental illness.

Without his consent to treatment, the catch-22 began anew, each and every time. The system failed Alan one last time.

As we mourn his passing, we strive to make a difference and help others not to have to live the nightmare.

Reform will give the mentally ill and their families the hope of a better future. A mentally ill person is not capable of making decisions about his treatment or his future. Without outpatient treatment, there is no future.

CEIDA S. HOUSEMAN

Clearwater Beach