Madelaine Cobb talks about the start of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Urban Los Angeles, which was founded in 2003. Cobb has a son afflicted with a mental health illness, which is how she first connected with NAMI. She is now a board member for the L.A. affiliate.
When Madelaine Cobb found out her son, who was in his mid-twenties at the time, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, she was stricken with bewilderment.
“The son I felt like I had raised -- he became a whole different person once he was afflicted with mental illness,” she said. “I thought, this is not my child. This is someone else.
He was in the streets and I didn’t have a clue what a mental illness was," she continued. "In fact, I was afraid of it.”
Cobb said she went through a period of crying and feeling uncertain about the diagnosis. Later, someone referred her to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
She decided to enroll in the free courses NAMI offers, which target families that have individuals in their lives who suffer from mental health illness. She went through the program and helped her son get off the streets.
A study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that one in five adults suffered from mental illness in 2011. Young adults are more apt to be diagnosed than those 50 years or older, the study noted.
Harold Turner, the program coordinator for regional affiliate NAMI Urban Los Angeles, said people of ages 16-24 are the most afflicted with mental issues in the L.A. community.
“They’re having all this stress and the exposure they’re having, possibly, to drugs and [those] sort of thing[s],” said Cobb, who is now a NAMI Urban Los Angeles board member. “We’re not exactly sure why mental illness occurs [in this age range].”
Taylor Ryn, a 23-year-old South L.A. local, said she is not surprised at the high number of young adult diagnoses of mental illnesses. She said there are many vaccinations and treatments that the public should be skeptical about before administering them to children.
NAMI's national organization has local and state chapters in all 50 states, including one in South L.A.
NAMI Urban Los Angeles, founded in 2003 and located in Leimert Park, caters free resources, workshops and training to families that are impacted by severe mental issues in the L.A. community. Some of the illnesses they focus on are schizophrenia, major depression and bipolar disorder. They also advocate for research in the mental health field and connect residents to mental institutions or evaluation centers. All services provided remain subject to confidentiality.
“A cornerstone in what we do is confidentiality so people can feel safe in coming to us and asking for help,” said Turner.
The non-profit helps families through week-based programs and support groups led by volunteers who have undergone training, that take place both in their office and outside locations. They often partner with other mental health, community and religious organizations to accommodate clients, who cannot make it to Leimert Park’s location due to distance and transportation circumstances.
NAMI is in the process of incorporating Spanish-language programs to provide services to the Latino community. “The stigma of mental illness is strong in mostly particular underserved communities,” said Turner.
NAMI Urban Los Angeles is also active within the penal system, educating prison administrators on mental health issues and guiding families and individuals through obtaining conservatorship, to care for an afflicted adult.
“Most people who are out on the streets who are suffering from mental illness wind up dealing with the police -- especially young men,” said Cobb. “We will go with the family to court and put them in contact with attorneys.”
Cobb said the “biggest challenge is helping that person understand they have an illness because it’s the brain.” She is still helping her now-31-year-old son, while balancing her job, personal life and leadership at NAMI.
“It’s still difficult," she said "I still deal with my son and it’s been 12 years. I'm still working with my son to lead him to recovery, keep him on track and keep out of jail."
