The parents of an Omaha woman say the state's mental health system failed her. She is currently in the hospital for allegedly stabbing her father and breaking into a church. Police said 29-year-old Noemi Guzman entered her St. Francis Cabrini home Sunday morning with a knife. At that time there was a priest in the parsonage. He was able to hide and call 911. After a standoff, police arrested the woman. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: A woman is accused of breaking into a church parsonage, cutting her father and trying to set fire to her home. Read the story here. Guzman's parents, who asked us not to use her name, say they have made every effort to get their daughter help, including filing a petition with the Mental Health Commission. They weren't the only ones calling Tuesday. “She's not right, she's not right. She needs help,” Guzman's father said. The scars speak for themselves. He showed KETV Newswatch 7 knife wounds on his hands, neck and face. “She sprayed pepper spray in my face and jumped over me with a knife,” he said. On Sunday, his adult daughter allegedly stabbed him and forced him to drink water. Guzman's mother said her daughter's mental state has been spiraling out of control for 10 years. She has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. “She didn't want to leave her room,” she said. “It was a year ago that I saw her face. And when I looked at her, she had gained 100 pounds.” Guzman's father said she broke a window. , said she thought people would come after her. He filed her petition with the Mental Health Commission last year to get her help, he said. Guzman was discharged from the hospital in five days, he said, but was never given a treatment plan for him. “They never called me and never asked me if she was getting better, still the same, or getting worse.” They never asked me that. I never ask,” Guzman said. Since Ms. Guzman is an adult, her parents cannot force her to seek her help. “It's terrible to feel powerless to help your children,” Guzman's mother said. “I feel like I can't find the resources for her to get her help.” And that's the reality in Nebraska. The Douglas County Sheriff has said multiple times that the state does not have the infrastructure to help acute care patients. “We don't have bed space, and even if we do have bed space, we may not have the staff,” Sheriff Aaron Hanson said. Douglas County District Court, which handles the Mental Health Commission's petition, agreed, stating: “The tools at the mental health board's disposal are limited. To provide these patients with the care they need, we need more beds, more drugs and more doctors,” District Court Clerk Crystal Rose said. Stated. The proportion of people in the Mental Health Commission system who are never admitted to hospital against their will. “That might be appropriate, and maybe all those people are self-correcting, but I think the data and experience shows that's not the case,” he said. By 2023, the number of Mental Health Commission petitions processed had jumped from 899 to 1,020. Hanson says it's not just the number of beds. The sheriff said lawmakers need to consider mental health commission statutes, state law and mental health infrastructure, including hospital bed capacity. “But we have to dig deeper. I think policymakers at the state level have to find real solutions,” he said. Guzman's parents say something needs to change. “I'll talk to anyone I need to talk to.'' “Right now it's my daughter, but there are so many people who need help,'' Noemi's mother said. Guzman remained hospitalized Tuesday, and police say charges against her are pending. She thinks her mother wants lawmakers to actually find a solution.Click here for the latest headlines on KETV NewsWatch 7
The parents of an Omaha woman say the state's mental health system failed her. She is currently in the hospital for allegedly stabbing her father and breaking into a church.
Police said 29-year-old Noemi Guzman entered St. Francis Cabrini Sunday morning armed with a knife. At that time there was a priest in the parsonage. The man took cover and called 911. Police arrested the woman after a standoff.
Previous coverage: A woman was charged with breaking into a church parsonage, cutting her father, and attempting to set a house on fire. See the story here.
Guzmán's parents, who asked us not to name them, said they did everything possible to get their daughter help, including filing a petition with the Mental Health Commission.
They're not the only ones calling for mental health reform Tuesday.
“She's not right, she's not right, she needs help,” Guzman's father said.
The scars tell the story. He showed KETV News Watch 7 the knife wounds he sustained on his hand, neck and face.
“She pepper sprayed me in the face and jumped over me with a knife,” he said.
He said his adult daughter broke into St. Francis Cabrini on Sunday after stabbing him, dousing him with lighter fluid and trying to set his house on fire.
Guzman's mother said her daughter's mental state had been spiraling out of control for 10 years. She has been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
“She didn't want to leave the room,” she says. “It was a year ago that I saw her face. And when I saw her, she had gained 100 pounds.”
Guzman's father said he thought people were coming after him because he was breaking windows. He said he filed her petition with the Mental Health Commission last year to get her help. He said Guzman was discharged from the hospital within five days, but he did not receive a treatment plan for her.
“They never called me, they never asked me. Is she better, is she still the same, or is she getting worse? They never asked me that. ” he said.
Because Guzman is an adult, her parents cannot force her to seek help.
“It's terrible to feel like you can't help your children,” Guzman's mother said. She said, “She feels like she can't find the resources to ask for her help.”
And that's the reality in Nebraska.
The Douglas County Sheriff has said multiple times that the state does not have the infrastructure to help acutely ill patients.
“We don't have bed space, and even if we do have bed space, we may not have the staff,” Sheriff Aaron Hanson said.
Douglas County District Court, which handles the Mental Health Commission's petition, agreed, stating:
“Mental health boards have limited tools at their disposal. We need more beds, more medicine, more doctors to provide the care these patients need,” District Court Clerk Crystal Rose said. said.
Mr Hanson said statistics show that 90 per cent of people in the mental health board system are never admitted to hospital against their will.
“Maybe that's appropriate and maybe those people are all self-correcting, but I think the data and experience shows that's not the case,” he said.
From 2022 to 2023, the number of petitions processed by the Mental Health Commission jumped from 899 to 1020.
Hanson says it's not just the number of beds. The Mental Health Commission needs casework support.
“That doesn't exist right now,” he said.
The sheriff said lawmakers need to consider mental health commission statutes, state law and mental health infrastructure, including hospital bed capacity.
“But we have to dig. I think policymakers at the state level need to find real solutions,” he said.
Guzman's parents say something needs to change.
Noemi's mother said: “I'm going to talk to whoever I need to talk to. It's my daughter right now, but there are a lot of people who need help.”
Guzman remained hospitalized Tuesday, and police said charges were pending.
Her mother wants lawmakers to actually find a solution.
Click here for the latest headlines on KETV NewsWatch 7
