The Baltimore Sun (1/8, Anderson, Walker) reported, “Mental health and law enforcement professionals say patients commonly wind up in emergency rooms and jails that are poorly equipped to handle their disorders, when earlier treatment might have prevented such crises. Even in Maryland, which advocates say is ahead of other states, tight budgets have led to fewer beds in mental health institutions and not enough community programs.” The Newtown, CT shootings have “elevated a long-simmering debate over how to provide care for the mentally ill, as treatment continues to shift from a system of government-run institutions to one that aims to keep people in their communities.” Complicating matters is the fact that funding for mental health programs has diminished considerably due to budgetary constraints over the past few years at the same time that more people have required services.
Related Links:
— “Dearth of mental health treatment options leads to emergencies,”Jessica Anderson, The Baltimore Sun, January 7, 2013.