Karen (Step One)

Karen is the mother of Wes.

History
Karen came into the practice with her son, Wes. He had a painting he wanted to give the doctors, but when he got to the practice, he refused to go upstairs. He was schizophrenic and had to stop seeing Violet when she was suspended and had since started declining because he refused to take his meds.

Violet went to see Wes in the park where he was painting. She tried to talk to him and get him to start taking his meds again, because in addition to his psychiatric condition, he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Sam recommended a psychiatric hold for Wes, but Karen said that it made his condition worse and when he went off his meds afterward, he trusted her less and the only way she could be there for him was if he trusted her.

Wes came into the ER after collapsing in the street. He had an arrhythmia from not taking his heart meds for so long. They stabilized him, but he still needed continuous care. His mother was told she could apply for conservatorship and make his decisions for him, but she refused to do it. She said keeping him drugged up and locked up was the same as him disappearing.

After he was discharged, she gave him some money and her phone number and they parted ways.

Familial
She loves her son, but refused to institutionalize him because it made him trust her less and the only way she was able to help him was if he trusted her.