St. Helens police search for missing at-risk woman
ST. HELENS, Ore. - St. Helens Police are asking the public to help them find a missing woman they say may be at risk due to mental health issues.
Lynn Paan-Saephan, 29, disappeared last Tuesday from a residential mental health facility in St. Helens, according to Lt. Terry Moss.
Paan-Saephan is an Asian female who stands 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 110 pounds. She may be wearing grey sweat pants, a tan long-sleeved sweatshirt and high-heeled shoes.
"Because Ms. Paan-Saephan has a recent history of mental illness and may be delusional, she is considered at risk," Lt. Moss said in an email.
If you see Paan-Saephan, contact the St. Helens Police Department at 503-397-3333 or 503-397-1521.
I hope she is found soon and not hurt. This could happen to any of us.
When stories like these involve full-grown adults, I can't help but wonder if the person is delusional, or if the relatives of the individual are nightmareishly controlling and intrusive. Hope all is well for everyone concerned.
 @SarahKalenda Thanks to the incredibly skilled folks working in psych medicine, delusional psychosis isn't often a misdiagnosis of a persons condition no matter how controlling and manipulative a relative, or any third party may be.Â
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A diagnosis isn't made unless a Psychologist or his/her staff observe the behavior.Â
Feel better?
Every story about mental illness is a chance to learn more about brain chemistry, behavioral disorders, etc.
www.nami.org
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I hope she is well and found very soon.
She walked away last Tuesday and they just discovered her missing today?
I hope she turns out to be okay, and she's very pretty.
Apparently this residential care facility has an open door policy?
 @jpk I don't know - I think the law is, you can't have a person in a lock-down facility unless they are deemed a serious threat to themselves or others (that would be unlawful imprisonment).  It is not a crime to be mentally ill, and many mentally ill people that need help with managing their day to day life are still capable of going shopping, going to church, the library, etc.
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My mom is schizo and lives in an assisted care facility, but she isn't dangerous, just nuts. Â She goes to church, the library, etc. Â She just needs someone to make sure she gets her meds every day, and feeds her and stuff.
@oregonchick76 What constitutes a serious threat to self or others though? Isn't it part of the responsibility of the care facility to make sure she remains and gets care? I would think that an open door policy is just in place to gather money from the client and then not care if he/she walks out the door. Whatever happened to care-giver responsibility for their charges or patients? If they can come and go as they please, are they really serving the best interests of their residents? My 93 year old mother is in a care facility, but on the second floor. She can't get to the elevator and flee should she want to. If the patient is identified as having a mental health problem, there should be no avenue of escape available for them. They are not in a hotel facility!Â
A very open door policy. It is a crying shame that a "care facility" has so many people just walking out.