Go figure.

[cornermouse]

First Chainsaw Matt took a attacked the Department of Health's budget. Then he started closing mental health facilities. Now he's created a task force to find a "cure" for the problem that he greatly exacerbated in the first place.

http://gov.missouri.gov/press/MHTF061606.htm

Go figure.

[usregimechange]

1. On the job training, at best.

[cornermouse]

2. Last night they said there were 21 deaths over the last 6 years.

I'm curious about the ration of how many died before Blunt got into the governor's mansion as opposed to how many died after. What effect closure of facilities might have had. Did families have to take them home? Did they become victims of crime after facility closure? Are they living on the streets? Have some of them become inmates rather than patients and are now being victimized behind bars? What effect cutting funding and therefore probably cheaper wages for those working with the patients might have had in regards to abuse.

Families try their best, but sometimes the illness/disability can be more than they can handle; particularly as the parents age.

[loyalsister]

3. Not sure this is something that you can blame on Blunt

This has been a growing problem and I suspect it may have more to do with mental health and health care internal practices than policies. There are major problems with the way so many mental health providers treat their patients as less than human.

>Did families have to take them home?
There are different possibilities and the solution depends on the person.

Some would move in with family members. Some would have been moved into more independent living situation.

>Are they living on the streets?
If they lost their other living arrangement, possibly.

>Have some of them become inmates rather than patients and are now being victimized behind bars?
People with mental illnesses definitely contribute to the prison population. Missouri has a "mental health court" which is designed to help minimize incarceration because of illness.

>What effect cutting funding and therefore probably cheaper wages for those working with the patients might have had in regards to abuse.

State workers just got a raise, actually.

[ikojo]

4. I have a friend who worked in mental health...he was

forced into retirement earlier this year. He said there has been an effort to privatize the MO Mental Health system for quite some time, even under Governor Holden.