Phil Donahue provides a forum for a discussion on the healthcare options available to mentally ill individuals who pose a threat to themselves and/or others.
Joseph "Jay" Centifanti appears on the show to share his backstory and complain that he isn't allowed to practice law even after serving roughly 2 1/2 years in a mental hospital for the attempted murder of his wife Bronwen back in 1975.
Jay's daughter 18yearold Dana Centifanti is there for moral support and to express her concerns about her own mental health.
Dr. Timothy Michaels, M.D., a forensic psychiatrist, weighs in on Jay's predicament.
"Ed" and "Betty" (not their real names) are on the show to express the frustration stemming from the reality that their paranoid schizophrenic son wasn't being able to get the help he sought and needed until after he killed two people.
David Michael O'Brien, a patient at the Buffalo (NY) Psychiatric Center, complains about his own scheduled for release from the institute.
Dr. Jeffery Grace, M.D., Clinical Director of the Buffalo Psychiatric Center, explains to David, Phil and the audience that the ultimate goal is to restore mentally ill individuals to some level of normalcy and reintegrate them into society.
As I rewatched this episode, during the editing process, I thought Jay's harsh words about his exwife's 2nd husband were just born out of bitterness but perhaps he was on to something.
If you're interested in a much more extensive examination of Mr. Centifanti's crime and events after 1992, you can read about it on my crime blog https://asclosetocrime.blogspot.com/2...