Waiting in Jail for Mental Health Treatment
About 430 people are currently waiting in Missouri’s jails to be transferred to state psychiatric hospitals, up from around 300 at this time last year.
They were primarily arrested for misdemeanor and low-level crimes and found incompetent to stand trial because of a serious mental illness. A judge court-ordered mental health treatment, and they wait in jails to be transferred to a hospital.
They wait an average of 14 months, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health has predicted that the number of people waiting and wait times will continue to grow.
To find out why, watch the full #NinePBSReports story here: https://youtu.be/sp2-e2x5V3Y
And keep up with Clara Bates’ ongoing investigation for the Missouri Independent on their website: missouriindependent.com. | via Leah Gullet for #NinePBSReports
Support for #NinePBS’s Mental Well-Being Initiative comes from Bank of America St. Louis, the Sidney Baer Jr. Foundation, and the Cigna Group Foundation. Additional community engagement support from BJC HealthCare. In partnership with Behavioral Health Response.
#MoNews #MentalHealth