"My cousin Jeff was a brilliant, funny and handsome young man with untreated mental illness that he 'treated' with alcohol and various drugs.  He had a job, his own place to live, a girlfriend and a young son.  As with many people who have untreated mental illness and use drugs, he got in trouble with the law and spent three months in the Wayne County Jail.  After being released, he lived in constant fear of being re-arrested and became paranoid, threatening to commit suicide repeatedly and refused to get help.  One night after arguing with his girlfriend, he walked down a busy street with his 2 year old and a shot gun threatening to kill himself if she called the police.  It was an untenable situation for everyone involved.

A few weeks later, Jeff died by suicide.  He believed his young son and everyone else would be better off without him.

I believe that if an Assisted Outpatient Treatment order were available at that time, Jeff may be alive today.  Jeff's death by suicide over ten years ago still effects our family today."

-Jeff's cousin