Alison Jens and Emily Lewis
10 minutes ago
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Gov. Mike DeWine says nine out of 10 beds in Ohio’s mental health hospitals are occupied by criminal suspects.
A new task force Mr. DeWine has formed will focus on new ways to address mental health and crime. This could be beneficial at the state and even local level.
“This is something that Montgomery County ADAMHS takes very seriously,” said Tina Rezas Rogal, ADAMHS Director of Strategic Initiatives and Communications.
For more than a year, Montgomery County ADAMHS has been identifying people in need and connecting them to mental health and support services.
“If an individual is trying to manage a mental health issue or diagnosis, it is critical that they have access to resources and are not seeking that treatment in prison,” Rezas Rogal said.
In the state’s six psychiatric hospitals, 93 percent of the beds are occupied by people referred from criminal courts.
Governor DeWine established a working group to develop recommendations to help these people and reduce the burden on county jails.
“Is there more support that we as a state can provide to our local jails and local sheriffs, or are there better places these people can go?” DeWine said. Ta.
Dr. Adam Sorensen, director of the Logan and Champaign Counties Mental Health Commission, said he looks forward to seeing the group work on an outpatient program.
“To increase access to private inpatient beds, we need to create other options for law enforcement personnel,” Sorensen said.
Sorensen also said state and local agencies need to work together to change the situation.
“That’s really the goal of all of this, for people to live well in the communities they come from, with their friends and family,” Sorensen said.
