[marsh2]

I know that the numbers of mentally ill in our local jail are disproportionately high. A mental health court (similar to drug court) where they are sentenced to a program would be a relief for all, but those only exists is large counties because of the population needed to support them.

The mentally ill in CA pretty much only get triage, crisis and maintenance services. Most treatment now a days is chemical.

[livius]

The treatment is chemical, but somebody has to make sure that they take it, and the problem is that all of these people are roaming the streets hallucinating because nobody can legally make them take their meds and there is no system that can absorb them.

I read that the cost of the homeless mentally ill...between ER admissions, sanitation costs for cleaning up after them, police costs for crimes committed, and wages lost by the victims of their crimes ...is almost exponentially higher than the costs of a good residential treatment program.

And we’re not even talking about the emotional and psychological misery this would spare the mentally ill and their families.