I wrote this letter to the director of Shasta County Mental Health, it will take millions of people to fight to make a change...I'm grieving but I"m talking this as an opportunity to help kids.

April 25, 2013

Cindy Valdez
24088 Old Forty Four Drive
Millville, CA 96062
530-638-6000

Hello my name is Cindy Valdez; I’m the mother of the 14 year old boy that committed suicide April 5th, Josh Valdez. We went to Redding Shasta Community Health April 2nd. Josh and his father David Valdez talked to the worker Joanne, where Josh told her he felt suicidal every day. She immediately called a code blue and the social worker Janet Vo-Vu (Associate # ASW2773) came in. Vo-Vu came in with a very intimidating approach, she told him in a brash manor that Josh will be taken to a lock down facility down south, Vo-Vu then proceeded to tell Josh that any people that provided him with a substance will go to jail. After feeling threatened about being locked down far away and family or friends in jeopardy Josh stopped talking. Despite his file saying, "Suicide" on it the worker sent him home. The policy should have been to send him to the emergency room or set up a lock down elsewhere. Josh was sent home to follow up with counseling at Remi Vista (a place not set up to handle someone on the verge of suicide and their worker are interns with little experience). Josh went to Remi Vista that Friday April 5th and told the lady the same thing. He feels suicidal every day. We almost were sent home that day due to a double booking. Josh was given a contract to sign and sent home. On the way home he asked his dad, "Doesn't anybody take this serious?” Josh committed suicide several hours later. I filed a grievance and talked to the supervisor of the youth program. My impression was that the social worker made the sole decision. Despite minutes before Josh telling someone that he was suicidal, Vo-Vu did not recognize it as an emergency. She had no tact and did not appear to be qualified to decide what an emergency was. A child crying out for help and threatening their life in an emergency. Josh attempted to choke himself out just days before. A month prior he was hit by a truck, and a witness stated that Josh did not move out of the way...and that it was Josh's fault. Josh's dad would have testified that Josh was purposely walking into danger. This worker did not ask questions, she intimidated Josh and many other children. Other witness's that have been to mental health have been intimidated into tears by this worker. I'm seeking justice and do not think children are safe being treated this way, Josh could of had help, and our family could of had help in our emergency....instead we were treated as if this was not an emergency by Vo-Vu who was in charge.
Please add that the criteria of having a plan be over ruled with children. When Mrs. Vo-Vu intimidated Josh with fear and threats without first asking how he was feeling... Josh shut down. A child that's already on the fence, dangling between crying for help and committing suicide cannot be expected to understand that the major criteria of receiving help is to "Have a Plan".
A trained professional would have been alerted, when they saw in the paper work that Josh was prescribed Prozac just months before. Prozac is a known to cause suicidal thoughts. Another serious problem is that doctors’ offices are asking fourteen year olds if they would like to be seen without their parents and then children are leaving out information. In Josh’s case he told the doctor he had insomnia. The doctors file should state his impression of Josh’s appearing depressed.