Robert Whittaker was born at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley, but is now making his presence known by amplifying what he calls mistreatment of mental health patients within the facility.
Whittaker said, while carrying a protest sign, “I’m a mental health advocate by profession; I actually am a full time content creator. I make free mental health videos for the world to enjoy and I have about a quarter million followers and videos with millions of views.”
Beginning last Friday at 7 a.m. and intending to end well after the 5 p.m. hour, Whittaker planned on staking his place at the corner of Catherine Lane and Glasson Way in an effort to spread the word about what he feels is incompetence within the mental health care system at our local hospital.
“I have lists of grievances,” Whittaker said while waving to passing vehicles. “I’ll go over that with the hospital in due time.”
Whittaker said in the past he has visited the hospital in his most vulnerable, potentially dangerous moments but was disappointed—for lack of a better term—at the treatment he received.
“It’s sad because I have severe mental illness myself; that’s why I advocate,” Whittaker said. “When I need help, my option is to drive to Sacramento? People want me driving on the road when I am psychotic? I just don’t see that as a win-win, but I can’t seek the care that I need here.”
Whittaker’s claims extend to the care not only of himself but those who experience mental illness and health issues.
“People go there when they are at their absolute worst and they cannot advocate for themselves,” he said. “They say, I need help, and the hospital completely dismisses that (and) treats them like absolute animals, and either just sends them off to some hospital in Sacramento, or they have what’s called a Crisis Stabilization Unit here which was just probably some of the worst treatment I’ve received.”
The Crisis Stabilization Unit, although operated just adjacent to the hospital, is a county-run entity offering 24-hour services to any individual adult or child in the community in a behavioral health or emotional crisis, along with 24/7 mobile crisis services, phone counseling for individuals in a mental health crisis or urgent situation, and in-person assessment for individuals during a behavioral health crisis at the local emergency room.
The unit provides care that the Emergency Department at Sierra Nevada might not be able to, depending on the circumstances. Mobile Crisis services are available 24/7 to all individuals within Nevada County who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
Whittaker said that isn’t enough.
“They need to fire probably half their staff,” said Whittaker of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. “They need to do much more thorough training, they need to have people that actually live with mental illness that come in and talk about what it’s like to live with it and experience it because all they’re doing is operating on theory and textbook. The way they are treating people is like an assembly line, and they’re literally sending people out the door worse than when they came in. That’s what I am advocating for is quality of life and that’s the bottom line.”
Brian Stoltey, Director of Mission Integration and Community Health for Dignity Health Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, said that the hospital has been responding to Whittaker’s claims as well as they can, and from a compassionate frame of mind. They aren’t interested in impeding on Whittaker’s first amendment rights, allowing him to take his stance and share his thoughts.
Due to HIPAA regulations, Stoltey couldn’t confirm or deny that Whittaker has ever been a patient at the hospital.
“Our staff and leadership has been welcoming in terms of providing him cold water, and brought a chair out to him I believe,” said Stoltey. “We’re trying to make sure that he’s staying safe because it’s so hot outside right now. We’re concerned for his wellbeing. It’s a tricky situation trying to figure out how to support him but at the same time have him not be too exposed to the elements; it’s been pretty hot.”
Stoley continued: “Our mission statement speaks to the fact that we want to take care of everyone, especially those who are most vulnerable among us. When you see a sign that that is referencing people with mental illness, I recognize that population is very vulnerable. We want to show genuine kindness and love to anyone that is suffering from mental illness.”
Whittaker, however, said he isn’t done.
“Administrators came out; they’re basically begging me to stop,” he said. “(They are) asking me if there is some kind of ‘diplomatic solution’ that would work out for everyone and I told them, yeah, better educating the staff and getting rid of the people who mistreated me. And if the right person reaches out and contacts me I am open to some conversations and dialogue about what could make things better because this isn’t just about kicking a hornet’s nest—it’s about trying to make change. Until I get satisfied—and I’m not satisfied easily—so I will probably be here for a while.”
If you or someone you know are struggling with mental health issues, you are encouraged to call Nevada County Behavioral Health at 530-265-5811. Calls are routed through the Crisis Triage Line.
