The Treatment Advocacy Center (www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org) is a national nonprofit dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illnesses. TAC promotes laws, policies, and practices for the delivery of psychiatric care and supports the development of innovative treatments for and research into the causes of severe and persistent psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Friday, July 20, 2007
The need for reform is irrefutable
Today’s title is a quote from Richard Bonnie, discussing the state of Virginia’s mental health system before the Virginia Tech Review Panel. Professor Bonnie, chair of a parallel Virginia commission focusing on the mental health system, also addressed the utilization of outpatient commitment in Virginia. Bonnie suggested that increased use of outpatient commitment systems would be more effective and ultimately less costly than the current arrangement. We couldn’t agree more.