For refugees, bowl often half empty

(BUFFALO – NY] The man from Iran seemed deeply disturbed.

He walked the halls of Vive La Casa in the middle of the night and talked to himself for hours on end, said Angela Jordan-Mosely, the executive director of the refugee shelter on the East Side of Buffalo.

He liked Jordan-Mosely so he was nice to her. But to other staff members, especially those who were white, he acted aggressively.

Recognizing that the man appeared to have serious mental health problems, Vive tried to get him help at local hospitals. It took until the third trip to an emergency room when he was finally admitted and held for six days. He was released with a two-week supply of psychiatric drugs that seemed to help him. He also had a prescription for a refill. It would cost $1,800 for another two-week supply.

“We can’t do that,” Jordan-Mosely said of the high cost.

Buffalo News 10-19-2012

By: MAKI BECKER