|
|
| SC Cuts More Than $73M From Mental Health Department |
| By wltx.com - Steven Dial |
| Published: 11/11/2011 |
|
Columbia, SC (WLTX) - South Carolina cut more than $70 million from The Mental Health Department in the past three years. "They are going to wind up in the emergency room, and that could affect the wait time for anyone who has a physical illness or is in a car accident," said Department of Mental Health Deputy Director Mark Binkley. Binkley says cutting help to mental health patients affect us all. "They are going to potentially wind up in jail, and that's going to affect property taxes and budgets of local government," said Binkley. South Carolina cut funds in the mental health budget deeper than any other state. "So, its important for any state to meet the needs of its citizens with serious mental illness including mental health." Bill Lindsey with the National Alliance on Mental Illness says cuts to mental health can mean not only overcrowded jails but a much higher cost. "Department of Corrections says on their website that it cost about $17,000 a year to treat somebody there, and if you do it in one of our local mental health centers, which there are 17 around the state, it's about $2,400 a year. So it's seven times more expensive after the fact than it is if we take care of them before the fact," said Lindsey. Read More. |
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think