Bottlenecks in the mental health system create costly and dangerous problems across the state

     Everybody has had a bad day.
     Some people's bad days are worse than others.
     Some people react to their bad days worse than others.
     Sometimes people react to their bad days so poorly that law enforcement has to step in. When a person has become a danger to themselves or others, they can be ordered by the court to be taken to a mental health facility where they can get the care and attention they need. This may mean a couple days of observation for them to calm down and get their head on straight, or it may mean addressing some long term issues.
     But in either case, finding a place for people who need mental health care has become a difficult and time consuming task in recent years as mental health resources have declined across the state, creating a variety of problems for everybody involved in the system, particularly when it comes to emergency committals.
     Read the full article in the October 19 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.