The Office of Protection & Advocacy for Individual with Disabilities (OPAD) in collaboration with the Veterans Affairs Medical Clinic provided an Overview of Mental Illness workshop for Department of Public Safety officers recently.

OPAD’s deputy director, Brian Thompson, told Samoa News that Dr. Fred Urhle with the local VA Clinic and Dr. Ernest Alaimalo of the VA Clinic in Hawaii provided the education and training as part of the local VA’s commitment to “Strengthening Communities through Community Service”.

Dr. Alaimalo, who is a Board Certified Psychiatrist, covered topics that included specific types of mental illnesses and different approaches to deal with and handle someone with a mental illness. “Dr. Alaimalo covered the cultural perspective and myths that may impede individuals from seeking help for these types of illnesses,” said Thompson.

Thompson explained that since there are no suitable facilities locally to house individuals with mental illness some are serving time at the Tafuna Correctional Facility or the Juvenile Detention Center and our local correctional officers are left with the task of trying to cope and come up with strategies for handling these individuals.

According to Thompson, OPAD’s Mental Illness Program Director, Denise Thomsen emphasized that DPS Commissioner William Haleck contacted OPAD Director Matautu Dr. Peter Tinitali for assistance in dealing with individuals with disabilities. Thompson said Thomsen noted that they were able to reach out to our local VA Clinic to provide assistance, and thankfully under the leadership of Dr. Urhle and the local VA Clinic, the agency secured the expertise of  Dr Alaimalo.

During the training, Dr Alaimalo noted that in addition to allowing the VA Clinic an opportunity to provide outreach and education on mental illness, it allowed officers to gain insight into mental illnesses and disorders so individuals with mental illness could be treated with respect and understanding of their illnesses and rights.

OPAD’s deputy said this was truly a combined effort to assist not only the Department of Public Safety, but also our Local Government as a whole enabling it to build a staff of well-trained professional to serve our communities.