Nikyra McCann is a family woman who spends most of her time studying or in church.  She is an educational film maker, a graduate of Empire Beauty school and is currently earning her bachelors degree while managing her mental health and working as a spokesperson with Housing Initiatives.

On the weekend of January 13 2018, Nikyra needed help from Dane County and was instead met with rejection, negligence and a jail cell.  It all started when she was found in a delusional state and connected with crisis care.  The very next day she experienced a severe psych break after which her family tried to have her admitted to psych unit at a local hospital.  The hospital rejected Nikyra and left her the hands of her family who could not offer her the level of care she needed at that time.

Nikyra’s break escalated, the police were called and while, as promised, Dane County jail worked incessantly to have her taken to a hospital to no avail, she was consequently left in solitary confinement for almost 36 hours and it wasn’t until she had a physical altercation beyond her control that she was finally committed.

Nikyra was shackled, handcuffed and shipped 2 hours away in a squad car to Winnebago Mental Health where she knows no one at all. After 8 days, she was told she would have to stay in Winnebago for 6 months. On the 11th day she was told she could go home to a local Madison care facility for a few days but was instead dropped off at her home with an outpatient commitment.

Dane County’s inability to offer a proper mental health response set Nikyra McCann up for failure. Now District Attorney Ismael Ozanne is charging her criminally for a mental health crisis that was beyond her control. They are harming her in ways that have and could continue to change her life forever.

Please help us lighten the load for Nikyra and her family who have taken on a financial burden with visits to Winnebago and for reliable mental health care, consultations and legal assistance.