The state of Alabama has decided to close four of its state mental hospitals, simultaneously laying off 948 staff members. Alabama has already reduced funding for health by 36 percent since 2009, and closing these hospitals is a further cost-cutting measure. Two hospitals will remain in operation, one for the penal system and one for elderly patients. The stated plan is to provide care for the mentally ill through group homes and through other, private hospitals. However, there are not yet details in place as to how this change would work. Judge Alan King, who often oversees commitment proceedings, argues that there are already not enough spaces for mentally ill suspects here. The New York Times discusses the closures in this article.
Commentary
Public Domain
These cuts are related to recent cuts to the Medicare program, and I have covered those cuts and their effects in
this article. However, what Alabama is doing is especially extreme, given that they are cutting
most of their hospital beds for the mentally ill in one fell swoop. This will be extremely disruptive to the system. The state’s claim that the mentally ill will now be cared for in other ways seems suspect, given that this is stated to be a cost-cutting measure, they are laying off employees without hiring more, and there do not seem to be any clear plans in place as to how this would work. It will also backfire. The mentally ill don’t just disappear when they aren’t taken care of. Instead, they end up in prisons and emergency rooms, where they get inferior care for a higher price.
Related posts:
- State Mental Health Funding Cut By $1.1B Since 2009
- Glenn Close: Advocate For Mental Health
- Alberta Inquiry Recommends Giving Mental Health Records to Police
- Chicago Police Develop New Protocols For Mental Illness
- Iowa Mental Health Court Helps Keep Mentally Ill out of Prison
