“ JFK emptied the mental hospitals”
? JFK. Care to cite any evidence?
The last bill that JFK signed emptied the mental hospitals and put them on the streets as JFK tried to federalize mental health and take it away from the states.
“Two events that took place near the middle of the twentieth century can arguably be blamed for the convergence of homelessness and mental illness. These events, fueled by a constellation of additional circumstances, sent society on an irreversible trajectory that has resulted in the explosion of the population of homeless people who struggle with mental illness.
They are:
In 1954 a drug called chlorpromazine (more commonly known as Thorazine) hit the market.
In 1963 President John F. Kennedy signed The Community Mental Health Act.”
“Armed with misinformation and backed by psychiatrists who over sold the idea, President John F. Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Act of 1963. The legislation, which was supported by members of academia, medicine and the political community, was designed to integrate people with mental illness back into society. It was intended to provide federal funding for community health centers and research facilities that would treat patients locally while allowing them to work and live at home. This resulted in widespread deinstitutionalization and despite enthusiasm for the plan, many people returned to communities where there were no facilities in place to deal with them. Tranquilizing drugs like chlorpromazine became the panacea for the mentally ill. Unfortunately, this plan was never fully funded and only half of the proposed centers were ever built. Many states simply closed their mental hospitals without spending any money on community-based care. This led to legions of mentally ill homeless people.”
https://drdrew.com/2019/homelessness-mental-illness-affects-everyone/