May 2014 Group Watch: Nowhere to Go
The mentally ill who have nowhere to go and find little help from those around them often land hard in emergency rooms, county jails and city streets. The lucky ones find homes with family; those not so lucky show up in the morgue. States looking to save money have chipped away at both the community mental health services and the hospital care needed to help heal after a crisis. For decades, states have been reducing hospital beds due to pressures from insurance companies as well as a desire to provide more care outside institutions. Tight budgets during the recession caused devastating cuts related to mental health services in this country. It is estimated that states cut $5 billion from 2009-12. Nearly half of adults with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia receive no treatment, and most suicides result from untreated mental disease. It’s an issue that deserves attention and action.
