We really are doing a disservice to our people when we put them in jail," said Bill Farrington, president of the state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness…
Even if there's bed space available, the civil commitment process can be so time-consuming that police officers who encounter the mentally ill are often reluctant to use it, Farrington said.
"They recognize that it's a mental health issue, but they also recognize that 'I brought this person in three times before for the same thing' " on a civil commitment order, he said. "So the easier thing to do is to take them to jail and let the jail deal with it."
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.
Monday, October 15, 2007
The new mental institutions
Today's Roanoke Times explores an alarming reality of today's forensic system. When the mental health community abdicates its responsibility to treat people with severe mental illnesses, the responsibility too often falls on those who can't say no - jails and prisions.