A note to Deschutes County Behavioral Health

19 November 2023 - I fell out of touch with my counselor Leda Swick and never made re-contact. I didn't intend any disrespect. In fact, I had benefited greatly from her help dealing with emotional matters, a nerve injury, and family problems.

It was on the subject of family that I became confused and did not know how to proceed. I felt at the time that Ms. Swick was conflicted out of helping me because the growing worst problem I had was with my brother Jeff Edwards, who worked for the county.

I was doing my best to help Mom in her age; and my brothers Jeff and Doug were against me. They shouted when I talked about my injury. They wanted Mom to sell the property, only.

Leda and I had talked about Jeff's false report to the Department of Human Services, toward discrediting me. Jeff was histrionic about selling the property because "we" were going to "lose everything." The logic behind his thinking is anybody's guess. He shouted about it, and hissed and cursed. When Mom went to the hospital, Jeff reported me to Adult Protective Services. Doctor Harris at St. Charles Bend said this would complicate her chances of going home. Ater her transfer to Redmond I spent as much time with Mom as I could until my brothers got me barred from seeing her. Back at her property, where I'd been with Mom for several years, they instigated a disagreement and fabricated an assault report. They put me in jail on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. They did not intend for me to be okay. Mom was not okay.

I was able to get back into the house long enough to find my own place to live, after getting the first job I was able to hold after surgery. They had planned everything; even though I had pleaded down to harassment, they got me evicted accused of "extreme violence." It was evil; truly the most hateful and harmful thing anybody has ever done to me.

After that, I just felt like there was nothing to talk about. We weren't going to talk about the malfeasance of Jeff, Leda's colleague. That was too much trouble. I was afraid of everything, and certainly was not in a state to push for any kind of justice. I gave up.

Like I said, I didn't intend any disrespect.

Thank you,
Steve Edwards