There are over 22 million Americans diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness (SMI):
- An estimated 14.1 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States. 5.5% of all U.S. Adults.
- 8 million children.
- Higher among females (7.0%) than males (4.0%).
- Young adults aged 18-25 years had the highest prevalence (11.4%), compared to adults aged 26-49 years (7.1%), and 50 and older (2.5%).
- Prevalence of SMI diagnoses was highest among adults reporting two or more races (8.2%), followed by American Indian / Alaskan Native (AI/AN) adults (9.3%), and lowest among Asian adults (2.8%).
Mental health issues are pervasive in every legal practice area and in all communities.
Jails and prisons are the largest mental health “providers” in Oklahoma and across the nation. There are not enough appropriate solutions, and the legal profession hasn’t been taught all the laws in place to protect and serve their clients dealing with these complex diagnoses.
William Jeffrey Welton (“WJW”) is the inspiration for establishing this organization, and for this groundbreaking event. When Jeff suddenly passed away this summer at age 54, he had spent 34 years disabled and indigent in the Oklahoma mental health system. Jeff’s life will be honored by using decades of his records and personal experiences – which represent all those like him being criminalized, enduring homeless, and lacking in proper support.
In his lifetime, Jeff was incarcerated in over a dozen jails and prisons, and treated at over fifty (50) psychiatric facilities - some multiple inpatient admissions. He survived on the streets and sometimes in shelters for many years during this struggle. These events now bring unique opportunities for education, as he and his family of advocates hope to use his legacy to bring positive change, starting with this CLE as a turning point.
Much can be learned from the challenges Jeff faced within a punitive system, including how the the millions of tax-payer dollars were spent on this one human being.
Jeff was kind, generous, gifted and loved. His family founded this organization in his honor.
