MARCH 20, 2026 ON MY CORNER MEET YOUR VENDOR My mental health service experiences Hello readers. In my experiChauncey Milligan, vendor No. 680 In one sentence, who are you? I am Chauncey Milligan, a go-getter and hard worker. Where do you usually sell Groundcover? Cherry Republic. When and why did you start selling Groundcover? July 2025. I wanted to stay busy and work on my people skills. What is your favorite thing to do in Ann Arbor? Make money! What is your favorite spot in Ann Arbor? Cherry Republic. What words do you live by? You got to spend money to make money. What is something about you that someone on the street wouldn’t know? I make things fun. What motivates you to work hard selling Groundcover News? Music. What is your superpower? Mouth. (I'm talkative!) What are you most likely to be famous for? Dancing. Milligan is pictured above with Laura Slater, Groundcover vendor No. 682. What would YOU ask? If you have a question or issue you would like Groundcover vendors to discuss, email us at contact@groundcovernews.com We will be featuring vendor responses in future issues. ence, some people do not fully understand or grasp the concept of what mental health means. Mental health is the overall intention to maintain or establish wellness of the mind. Just because an individual receives services from a mental health organization does not mean that they are incompetent or that they do not have the same civil or human rights as others. As a matter of fact, an individual who receives mental health services has additional protections under the federal Disability Discrimination Act. When I initially began seeking out a mental health provider, my symptoms were misdiagnosed. It is now clear that I have symptoms of PTSD due to compound traumas and abuses that I've endured and continue to experience. I’m sure that I’m not alone in this with the ever-increasing hardships going on in our community and places around the world today. Unfortunately, due to that, I have had my rights violated numerous times over a 14-year period. I have also been forcibly dehumanized and injected with drugs that I am allergic to and that could have been fatal. I'd constantly been ignored by some of the workers of my former mental health team regarding my reports of these wrong-doings. I’m grateful that I survived these cruelties. I no longer receive services from that agency and never want to go to that hospital that subjected me to treatment that was not respectful or dignified health care. One case manager tried to have me court-ordered to be injected with drugs that I’m allergic to and caused me to have a medical condition that I still have today. This case manager illegally shared and communicated with the doctor, and I ended up being held against my will and illegally for seven days. My carjacking happened only two months after purchasing my vehicle. I was taken to the psychiatric unit at one hospital for two days, then was transported to another psychiatric ward at Pontiac General Hospital where I was held against my will for an additional seven days before they released me. Thank GOD they got rid of that doctor who had done this to other female patients at the jail for a misdemeanor with a recommended sentence of only 93 days. Thank GOD once again, I only LA SHAWN COURTWRIGHT Groundcover writer facility, too. After nine days of captivity in the two hospitals, I was able to file a stolen car report in the hope that I would get my car back. My car and all of the possessions that I had during this ordeal were taken by people at a church that I won't name that I had attended that day. I did recover my car from the impound lot after about 13 days after the ordeal. It was discovered that after I had filed the stolen car report, my car had been parked across the street from the police station where I’d filed the report and it had been taken to the impound lot where I was able to recover it and all of its contents for about $225. Thanks to a friend giving me the extra $100 to do so — Thank you, David J. I am not ordered to take mental health medications; I choose to take a certain drug to aid with sleep because I have bouts of insomnia sometimes. When I don't get sufficient steady rest of at least six to eight hours of sleep it can have effects on concentration, irritability levels and tolerance towards some things that I could otherwise reasonably cope with. I believe this to be true for any human being. I have been judged and have had my medical information that was not accurate shared without an ROI (Release Of Information) in place. I once opted to participate in Mental Health Court due to misdemeanor charges for behaviors that were the direct result of being illegally injected with intravenous drugs, against the medical use standard of those drugs, and against my will and permission. Although Mental Health Court may be a better alternative for others, it was not for me. I had some struggles with some of the expectations of the Mental Health Court program and was sentenced to one year in stayed in jail a little over four months due to taking in-jail classes and completing them, earning me an early release. Jail is not healthy for someone experiencing mental health issues. It is a punishment. You do not get the care you need and the jail may not prescribe and administer your medicine. And some of the ones that they will issue are crushed when they are meant to be a time-released medication, which violates the American Medical Association standards. I'm not against Community Mental Health case managers, only those who grossly wrong or neglect the recipients. I have asked some of the providers if they know the rights of CMH recipients. You would be surprised how many providers do not or feign ignorance. My advice to anyone that is looking to or currently receiving mental health services is that you should most importantly obtain a copy of the Community Mental Health Rights booklet for the state that you reside in; find out if you are entitled to a person-centered plan that should not make you feel disrespected, unsafe or undignified. Of course the staff are there for healthy intervention and suggestions that should improve your mental health, not contribute to deterioration of your mind’s health. Some mental illnesses are a result of a brain disorder and do require continuing medical treatments. I personally benefit from oneon-one therapy. There, I can talk about things that may otherwise be used against me in another setting. Due to my experience with betrayal like that, other than one therapist that I had, I don't trust that easily anymore. Thank you Megan S. I hope that you are finding your new area of expertise or practice satisfying. Out of all my experience with CMH and other therapists, I benefitted from your methods the most. Mental health is an everyday duty. I’m determined to continue to improve and maintain my peace of mind. Thank you. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 3
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