Gov. DeWine releases recommendations for creating space at state psychiatric hospitals

A work group looking at how to free up beds at Ohio’s psychiatric hospitals recommends creating local programs to proactively respond to mentally ill individuals who interact repeatedly with the criminal justice system (Source: “Gov. DeWine announces recommendations to create space at near-capacity state psychiatric hospitals,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, Nov. 21).
 
The group came up with this and other recommendations in a report that Gov. Mike DeWine released this week.
 
Ohio’s six state-operated regional psychiatric hospitals are currently at 96% capacity. Their populations are almost exclusively made up of people who arrived from the criminal justice system. This includes people who transferred from jails, those ordered for restoration to competency to stand trial, and those ordered for treatment after a not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity acquittal.
 
DeWine convened the work group earlier this year, seeking recommendations to free up more beds and expand local options for mental health treatment and support across Ohio. Members of the group came from the fields of behavioral health, criminal justice and psychology, along with leaders from state agencies, community organizations and other local partners.