Western State Hospital said to free psychotics (Seattle Times)

[icymist]

Friday, February 04, 2005 - Page updated at 12:49 A.M.



Western State Hospital said to free psychotics

By Jonathan Martin and Nick Perry

Seattle Times staff reporters

Western State Hospital is being accused of dumping unstable, mentally ill patients onto the streets of Tacoma, homeless shelters, even to soup kitchens.

As part of a 2-year-old lawsuit, attorneys for Pierce County filed evidence yesterday alleging that nearly half the hospital's patient discharges were inadequate and some patients were even hallucinating when they left. Nearly one-third of discharged patients returned to the Lakewood mental facility within three months.

Dozens of individual stories contained in court papers portray the hospital's release process as chaotic and mismanaged, accelerating the spiral of chronic mental illness instead of helping recovering patients find stable homes.

Pierce County and mental-health watchdog groups also requested an injunction that would ban substandard discharges and appoint an outside expert to monitor patient releases.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results," said Dave Stewart, Pierce County mental-health administrator. "That's a component of what's happening with Western State Hospital discharge planning right now."

More:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002170431_western04m.html

~~~
Could this definition of insanity be describing anyone we all know? Hmmm!

[qazplm]

1. that is too bad and sad

however, I will admit, that for a moment, I thought you said Psychics, not psychotics.

[Tace]

2. "Nearly 1/3 of discharged patients returned to the Lakewood mental...

facility within three months.

Another third got jobs at the White House, and the other third got jobs making $2,000/day as private contractors (mercenaries) in Iraq.

[NVMojo]

3. lived there in Lakewood area years ago and many times

patients escaped or were dumped into the local area who were sexual predators. Tragedy ensued.

This is the same hospital that "allegedly" lobotomized Francis Farmer, the outspoken actress portrayed in a movie by Jessica Lange a few years ago.

[kurtyboy]

7. Actually, I think the hospital where Farmer was incarcerated was

Northern State, in Sedro-Woolley. It's been shut down for three decades, but the Farmer history is a local matter of "pride", if you will. The hospital grounds now serve host to a few mental patients, a lot of recovering drug users, and job corps.

[thecai]

8. Northern State Hospital...

...Has quite a history, including ghost-stories. It is now home of PCN (Pioneer Center North), a court-appointed rehab, and Job Corps. It is a creepy place, always has been, prolly always will be.

[The empressof all]

4. Problems of an incentive based system

Counties in WA state are potentially financially penalized if they exceed their designated quota of patients hospitalized at Western. Placement staff both inpatient and in the community are under a great deal of pressure to keep the "bed days" down. It impacts job performance evaluations. Just another consequence of running social services with "business sense".

[sarcasmo]

5. They do that here in Grand Raids, Michigan. As a driver who picks up the

Mentally challenged from the local mental hospital it is very scary.
I picked up a women they had released from our local hospital, which I will not name. The women did not have the fare to get to Holland the hospital would not pay for it which they usually charge the fee to us. She had enough to get to the hotel room and stay the night. I gave her a break out of sure sadness for this women.
If your insurance does not cover your stay they will throw you out in the streets. Our homeless population is probably half substance abuse, and half mentally ill with a few other exceptions. We are in for a cruel state in another twenty years.

[freeplessinseattle]

6. My good friend was made worse by their incompetence

He is bipolar and suicidal, had been in and out of WSH a couple times in recent months, the last time, a few weeks ago, after a few days they suddenly decided that since he has a CA driver's license and birth certificate they'd transfer him to a place in CA. (he has lived here for years, but visits CA alot, the point is, they treated him before, then bam! off to CA) that wouldn't be so bad, except that when the CA place, called the Atascdero institution, something like that, discharged him this past Sunday they just kicked him out without any way to get home. he had no money even for a phone call, (I have dial-up, so he wasn't able to get thru on my home phine by calling collect) so he spent the night outside, un-fucking-believable, and was able to email me the next day, so I sent him some $ to get home, and food, since he hadn't eaten in over a day and needed to take the lithium the hospital had prescribed him. he was trying very hard not to slip into a deep depression, but damn the system sure makes it challenging, he would have been better off not going at all, why bother treating someone if they're just going to be tossed out on the street to fend for themselves? I am so freaking pissed at both WSH and Atascerdero right now I want to go down there and give them a piece of my mind

[AuntiBush]

9. Maybe they should give all of them a free ride up to the HILL!

Can't think of a better place where they could mingle w/like minds.

Edited to add: "respectfully speaking." Do not want to compare these poor sick folks w/the Hill freepers.