The Albury salon owner who rescued a homeless man from the streets has condemned the catastrophic “system failures” that have catapulted her young charge back into crisis.
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Kate Young wept this week as she described the merry-go-round of bureaucratic bungling she claims has sent the 24-year-old spiralling into an extremely fragile mental state.
I refuse to give up on him ... this has been going on for 16 years.
- Kate Young
The young man, who underwent a life-affirming transformation under the hairdresser’s vigilant care in the past seven months, has fled as he wrestles with the “trauma in his head”.
Kate said she held grave fears for his safety after exhausting every avenue to get him prescribed the right medication and critical intervention from mental health services since Christmas, 2017.
“Multiple departments have facilitated another failure for him,” she said.
“I feel completely powerless to help him.
“You need to be an alligator to tear apart this system to get someone help. I’m pretty ferocious on social justice but I’m at a loss.”
The Border community had come to embrace the story of the troubled man Kate rescued from the streets of Lavington in August, 2017.
His incredible transformation from a hooded haunted figure to a healthy, clean-shaven human with a beaming smile was extensively reported by this newspaper and received widespread support online.
Now The Border Mail is unable to publish his name due to the threat of legal action by the NSW Office of the Public Guardian.
Once again rendered invisible … once again a lost soul plummeting through the craters of a fatally flawed health system.
The events that led to the dramatic decline in the man’s condition began the weekend of Australia Day when an emergency trip to Albury Base Hospital resulted in him being admitted overnight, according to Kate.
“I thought this was a good thing as we would be able to get him proper medical treatment,” she said.
Her relief was short-lived when the pair learned a Liverpool mental health service had failed to pass on medical records, that his Community Treatment Order had lapsed and he was therefore unable to be given medication he needed to stay on an even keel.
Discharged and with a “highly distressed and agitated” person on her hands, Kate was directed to a local mental health service for assessment.
“We were both crying when we left the hospital because we knew what was going to happen,” Kate said.
With three tablets to administer to her troubled friend in the meantime, his determined advocate set about securing the help desperately needed.
Kate’s optimism turned to horror as she encountered a revolving door of procedures, policies and impotent medical personnel.
“All the while he was getting more distressed and more difficult to manage as his mental health declined,” Kate said.
The hairdresser with a big heart recalls one particularly soul-destroying encounter in recent weeks where she orchestrated an appointment with a GP in Wodonga whom she alerted to her young friend’s mental state.
“The doctor organised for an ambulance to take him to Wodonga Hospital but it took over 40 minutes to arrive,” Kate said.
“In the meantime the doctor suggested we sit patiently in the waiting room – at which point a highly agitated man took flight … again.”
Kate is wringing her hands over her dealings with the public guardian appointed to oversee and make decisions related to her young charge’s care.
“There is not one hospital in Australia that should not have this person’s records on file,” she said.
“He needs to be in hospital; he needs to be reassessed and monitored but I am unable to get this to happen.
“The guardian sitting in Sydney suggested I ring police if I’m worried; but they have their hands tied as he is not obviously suicidal and has not (yet) committed a crime.”
It tears Kate apart to see this vulnerable person back at square one.
Under her roof, he had found a home – and importantly, hope.
“We all know he was able to be happy, to work and to try to build a new life,” Kate said.
“I refuse to give up on him … this has been going on for 16 years.
Kate is adamant her friend could have a peaceful existence – “I believe he could live a calm life in his head”.
“But these so-called custodians can’t even organise the paperwork to jab him in the bum with the right needle.”
The young man has run from Kate’s home again but rang her from Wagga and apologised, saying he did not want to add further stress to her life.
“He is mortally afraid of being put back in a brutal facility ... afraid of being drugged to the eyeballs and losing all belief that he can ever be anything other than broken.”
Kate wants to take over as her friend’s guardian; it is unlikely she will be given that opportunity.
On Thursday a desperate little person told his staunchest advocate that he felt like he didn’t deserve to live.
“He said, ‘I don’t deserve you to keep loving me’,” said Kate, crying openly.
“I might as well go back to life on the streets ... that’s all I’m worth.”