Craigen Armstrong, Co-Author of “THE SOLUTION: Mental Health Assistants” provides an
exclusive inside look at the treatment of the mentally disabled inmates who are
under the care of their incarcerated counter-parts; general population inmates
(mental health assistant) that are free
of any mental illness. Craigen shares
his experience as a mental health assistant delivering peer to peer therapy to
some of the most impacted inmates. These are inmates who are locked-up in HIGH
OBSERVATION units inside the Los Angeles County Twin Towers Correctional
Facility.
It is a known fact that jail is not the ideal environment
for treating the mentally ill. Despite the environment, Craigen, his colleague,
fellow mental health assistant, Adrian
Berumen along with the team of mental health staff, have managed to create a
safe haven, inside the hellish walls of the Los Angeles County Jail; THE
FORENSIC IN-PATIENT STEP DOWN PROGRAM.
During his time working in this environment, Craigen has
realized the importance of this treatment, but is also keenly aware of the need
for an alternative approach, one that is tailored specially to match the
demands of the current crisis here in Los Angeles County; MASS METH-ABUSE
EPIDEMIC, affecting the mentally ill.
Currently, he is in the process of developing and establishing a new
method of treating the mentally ill with a groundbreaking approach. This approach will change the way treatment
is delivered in the state of California and ultimately the U.S. (preview in the
epilogue of THE SOLUTION)
He also created the mental assistants program; a program
that educates and train inmates on the basics of mental disease and how to
appropriately treat patients in the incarcerated environment.
Representing the mental health program, Craigen attended a
national conference, addressing mental illnesses and Covid-19 inside the jail.
He was invited to educate officials on the current conditions at LA County Twin
Towers, and to share precautionary measures exercised in his program. This was
to assist other states and municipalities with additional safety options. This is a link to the conference and
Craigen’s interview is at 1:17. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RkQ4Elgvrs)
Incarcerated since 2001, after spending 12 years on death
row, his conviction and sentence was overturned. He is currently awaiting a new
trial and still facing death. At a young adolescent growing up in inner city
Los Angeles/Inglewood, captivation by a gang culture ultimately placed him on
California Death Row. Craigen now want
to share these mistakes with youth who will eventually, without guidance,
follow his very same path. He attempts to educate these youth through his book;
“COMMON SENSE” that he plans to publish next year.
Craigen credits his desire for transformation to his mother,
son, and the realization of his actions and all those impacted. As a result, this “helps me make the best
decisions in the face of temptation or provocation.”
An aspiring writer
and artist, Co-Author Adrian Berumen has become influential on many levels amongst the
incarcerated population. In April of 2013 at the age of 17, he was arrested for a severe crime and
directly filed into the adult courts. Although he currently awaits trial, remorse
fuels his avid contributions of transformation, positivity, and joy. Since 2017 Adrian has applied ingenuity to the
most needed, The Department of Mental Health in the Los Angeles Twin Tower
Facility.
He gives motivational speeches and teaches a variety of life
skills on a daily basis. An effective leader , he guides 15-28 of the severely
mentally ill daily; many men who have been deemed irreparable.
Adrian has goals of revolutionizing the entrepreneurial
world, as well as the great problems of today’s society with thought provoking
ideas. He eagerly awaits to apply his skills. He dreams of owning acres of land,
having horses, and writing most of the
influential pieces of literature. He loves to read , exercise, and converse
opinion and strategy.
He is a firm believer in two being greater than one. And so
he knows he could never be as great as he should on his own. He hopes to have a
family some day.
Adrian is currently working on publishing motivational
material for the incarcerated: “On Becoming,
“ “The Process is Perfect” and “The Art of Seeking.”
Stay updated on Instagram @adriangreatstuff and on
Twitter @adrianberumen14.