SANDPOINT - Mental health issues are often fraught with confusion and misinformation, which can be magnified when sufferers enter into the criminal justice system.

Noted journalist Pete Earley was thrust into just that situation when his son, Mike, was declared mentally ill. As he attempted to navigate his way through his son's diagnosis and treatment, Early was "thrown headlong into the maze of contradictions, disparities and Catch-22s that make up America's mental health system."

The product of his investigation - both personal and into the convergence of mental health and the criminal justice system - led Earley to write his book, "Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness."

In an event cosponsored by the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force and the Far North chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Earley will attend a reading and book signing Thursday at the Panida Theater.

The event, which is part of a month-long community reading program, is meant to educate residents about various issues surrounding mental illness, said Dr. Ann Wimberley, a volunteer for NAMI Far North.

"Mental illnesses are stigmatized and have been criminalized," Wimberley said. "They are also very common. Mental illnesses are biologically-based diseases, just like diabetes. Serious mental illnesses affect one out of 17 individuals, which makes them more common than diabetes."

A 2007 finalist for the Pulitzer prize, Earley's book is an ideal fit for the event because it transcends its genre by humanizing a subject that is often dry and clinical, said Christine Holbert, president of the task force.

"(The book) skips back and forth. You're getting an education that's being sweetened by this very personal story that can touch a lot of people," Holbert said. "Pete Earley's personal story draws you in, and then you learn the statistics."

Since writing the book, Earley has become a staunch advocate for mental health awareness, especially in the field of crisis intervention training for law enforcement officers, which is currently unavailable in Idaho.

As part of their collaboration, NAMI and the task force were awarded a $54,000 grant to implement a CIT program in North Idaho. The money will be used to give 48 law enforcement officers specialized training to respond quickly and safely to people with serious mental illness in crisis. Officers will learn to recognize the signs of psychiatric distress and how to de-escalate a crisis non-violently.

The 7 p.m. reading is free to the public, although a $10 donation is suggested. For more information, contact NAMI Far North at (208) 597-2047