The Palm Beach County deputy who responded to Linda Camberdella's 911 call about her teen-age son Michael had been trained and certified in how to handle violent situations involving persons with mental illness. But Michael ended up dead, nevertheless.
The teen's death in 2012 illustrates how mentally ill individuals and their families in Florida have relatively few resources to help them, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. The 18-year-old with the “mind of a 5-year-old” was on a waiting list to live in a group home.
The Department of Children & Families estimates that only 34 percent of the adults and 27 percent of the children who need help get it. The Sun-Sentinel cites reports saying that Florida’s investment on mental health, about $40 per resident, is just a third of the national average.