Please Say No to Closure of the Mental Health Clinic at 35 K Street, N.E.

Editor’s Note: As part of a move to privatize its delivery of outpatient mental health services over the next year, District officials say they plan to close the city’s Department of Mental Health Clinic on K Street Northeast. Officials say that the shift to private agencies would allow the city to serve more people, expand services and save money. But some users of the current system are concerned about the change. Street Sense vendor Jo Ann Jackson is among them.

The very first institution I was admitted to was St. Elizabeth’s. After spending six months there, I was sent to New Endeavors by Women. This is a transitional house to help women get a new start with their lives. They help with education, saving money, finding housing and help receiving psychological assistance if needed.

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After I left New Endeavors by Women, I was enrolled in DC General’s mental health clinic, then transferred to D.C. Department of Mental Health’s clinic at 35 K Street, N.E., where I’ve been coming ever since 1996. To whomever had the great idea of closing this clinic, it is a big mistake.

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First of all, you are not taking the patient’s well-being into consideration. Maybe you will understand after reading my short story. For me, like most people with mental health problems, it is hard to talk about my problems with anyone.

I would talk a little but only with my psychiatrist. I wouldn’t even talk to my family. And when it came to my case manager, I wouldn’t talk at all because I just didn’t trust anyone. It’s hard, very hard to talk about being sexually molested from ages ten to eighteen by your uncle.

Since coming to the clinic, I’ve been with this group of loving, concerned and caring individuals from the doctors down to the receptionists.

To be moved someplace else after all these years would cause a major problem for me and I’m sure it would for others, too.

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People with mental illness, we look forward to our monthly clinic visits. I don’t want to be shipped somewhere else where patients will be treated like a herd of cattle, where people who work there only think of making eight hours regardless of their patients’ well-being.

Please, for my sake and the sake of many others, don’t close 35 K Street, N.E.

It’s like a second home rather than a mental health clinic. The clinic has given me my life back in more ways than one. Have heart and find something else to pick on.

Jo Ann Jackson is a Street Sense vendor and proud grandmother.

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