Usa "wellness checks"...what happens?

[EveHarrington]

I had to call in a wellness check on a couple of different occasions.- not sure what prompted...

I'm trying to remember that it ultimately means someone cares. I'm not angry anymore, just trying to deal with the fear. :-(

 

[Recovery4Me]

My phone has an setting that allows certain numbers to come through when I hit the 'donot disturb' setting or sleep setting.

Ask them (said authorities) if perhaps they can supply a number that is a constant number that will be used thus allowed through as you do not need the added stress to your PTSD.:hug: Also perhaps get the person's name that you spoke to if they do meet you half way.

Hopefully they will comply and your phone service tech can help you set it up. Glad you are healing.

 

[joeylittle]

I had a wellness check once. I could have murdered the psych that called it on me because it was completely and utterly without cause.

So, they got to my apartment; they needed to come in and look around. I kept calm and was a good hostess - one stayed with me, asking questions related to the call for the check while the other walked through the whole apt looking for anything wrong.

Then, the one who had been looking talked to me while the other called back the psych who had initiated it.

He put me on the phone w/psych, I told psych I was ok, phone went back to cop, cop asked psych if I was ok.

I think psych said yes, because at that point they said they could leave.

It took about 20 minutes altogether.

 

[anthony]

All sounds like a serious load of shit and invasion of personal space to me. I would be shocked if cops even bothered with such here in Australia, as they have better things to do, like catch bad people and stop them doing bad shit.

 

[joeylittle]

All sounds like a serious load of shit and invasion of personal space to me.

I was incredibly surprised that they were not going to leave without coming in, and then that one of them kept me busy while the other looked around.

It's likely these protocols vary state by state in the US, possibly county by county.

And it was all because the psych overseeing my second round of TMS treatments got antsy when I overslept an appointment.

When he also knew I was in the middle of trying to calibrate new night meds.

f*cking jumped the gun, that one did. Grrr.

On the other hand - when someone takes a bottle of pills, tops them off with booze, and calls someone to say goodbye, or posts a note to social media - that wellness check is often the difference between making a full recovery with all organs and limbs intact, or not. I'd be surprised if they ultimately don't help more often than hurt - just looking at stats on the patterns of suicidal gestures.

 

[anthony]

when someone takes a bottle of pills, tops them off with booze, and calls someone to say goodbye, or posts a note to social media

Police make an effort for that here... but they don't if the person isn't answering a mobile phone or some such nonsense, just because someone rings them worried. Here... they would tell you to get off your arse and go see them yourself, or call a neighbour or such. If you had evidence that someone is killing themselves, then sure, police here would be on it immediately. Very different scenarios though.

 

[Suzetig]

Yeah, the police here will only do a wellbeing check if someone has a history of suicidal behaviour and a credible source phones them, usually meaning a CPN or helpline. I worked for a helpline for a number of years and would ask the police to check when we had a very good reason to question someone's safety and because our assessment processes were sound they would take us very seriously.

Me, phoning in my private capacity would be told to get my arse in gear and go check.

 

[scout86]

But - there is such a thing known as "suicide by cop"

There is. I wasn't present at either of these scenes, so what I've heard is second hand and might not be reliable. The way I heard it, but cases, subject had a gun and wanted to be left alone. (Most people around here have guns and LOTS of us want to be left alone.) It turned into something of a standoff. Ultimately, the subject refused to surrender their weapon, one or more of the officers perceived a threat, and the officers opened fire. Neither subject fired a shot, as far as I know.

I'm going to guess they do wellness checks all the time around here, and no one gets hurt, but this was definitely food for thought. I'm not sure I could manage to be a good hostess, if someone wanted to come into my house uninvited.

 

[The Albatross]

Where I was, NW Florida, police will do a wellness check pretty liberally. At one point we had a wellness check on my mister's friend (and hermit) after 3 warnings and no check in. After that, he knows he'd better check in... and he does. Smaller places with good resources can do that though. Metro? No way.

 

[EmmaOwl]

There is. I wasn't present at either of these scenes, so what I've heard is second hand and might not b...

It's tragic.
I honestly think the lesson is: if a cop tells you to drop a gun, you drop the gun. Carefully.

 

[EmmaOwl]

Eve I'm sorry I directed this a little side issue and not exactly to do with you - so back on topic: I know it's scary but I'm glad you realize, it means that there are people who care.

Did you ever see the movie "Magnolia"? From 1999 - it was one of my favorites; John C. Reilly plays a cop sent over to check on a young woman who is, actually, suicidal, and sitting in her apartment doing coke and listening to loud music. One of the neighbors called saying she hadn't been seen in a while. And the character, the cop, HAD to take a look all through the apartment (she cleaned up the coke first, whether you want to think of that as good or bad). Very carefully he takes a quick look through each room. It was required, now that I think of it.

One of the worries was that she was being kept home against her will - they had to make sure there was no one else there. That is why I'd imagine someone has to check each room as @joeylittle described.

 

[EmmaOwl]

And it was all because the psych overseeing my second round of TMS treatments got antsy when I overslept an appointment.

THAT is the silly part.