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Release
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Cover Article
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Meeting Announcement
Harrisburg State Hospital To Close:
State funding Cited as Vital
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Article Courtesy of MEGAN
WALDE
Of The
Patriot-News
When area advocates for the mentally ill contemplate
closing Harrisburg State Hospital, their thoughts boil down to a
two-letter word.
It could work, they say ... if.
If patients are screened and properly placed.
If the money is there for communities to support those with mental
illness.
Basically, if the state "gets it right."
"We want to make sure there are comprehensive plans, not just
on paper, that are properly funded," said James Jordan, executive
director of NAMI Pennsylvania.
NAMI was formerly known as the National Alliance for the Mentally
Ill.
State hospitals have been the traditional place for treating people
with severe forms of mental illness, such as schizophrenia and bipolar
disorder, said Sue Walther, executive director of the Mental Health
Association in Pennsylvania.
But long-term stays can lead to institutionalization, in which patients
don't learn to cope with the real world or how to relate to other
people, advocates said.
Yet there has been little money available for programs to bring
the mentally ill back into the community, said Steve Suroviec, executive
director of The Arc, which advocates for people with mental retardation.
The Arc has lobbied for closing state mental retardation centers,
Suroviec said. The challenge is always the money.
"While it's a good thing to close these institutions, it's
very important for the Rendell administration to also back it up
with community funding," he said.
Without money to establish a support network, the mentally ill can
quickly go from patients to inmates, said Dauphin County Commissioner
George Hartwick III, who oversees the county's human services.
Bryan Yesilonis, executive director of the Bethesda Mission, has
seen it happen.
A man is released from a long-term facility with a lifetime prescription
for lithium or thorazine. He moves into the shelter. He stops taking
his medication or loses the prescription. He starts directing traffic
one day. A police officer tries to get him to safety, and the man
punches the officer.
"They go from the mental health system to the criminal justice
system," Yesilonis said. "So my concern is proper placement."
"Right now, there isn't the money needed for community services
because the money is being spent in the hospital," Walther
said. "The trick is to begin to reallocate and to develop those
services."
Many of the mentally ill can be treated in facilities in their communities,
advocates said.
But some people need inpatient care for a month or six weeks, and
that type of care "doesn't exist unless you're extremely wealthy,"
said Taylor P. Andrews, a public defender and president of the Cumberland
and Perry County chapter of NAMI Pennsylvania.
Most private insurance companies provide for two or three days of
inpatient treatment, he said. "For someone who's having a terrible
psychiatric breakdown, that's not enough time," he said.
Walther said the state has a good record on closing hospitals.
"Philly was the first time it was done, and it took a few starts
and stops to do it well, but they learned how to do it," she
said. "They know how to do it right, and it's the right thing
to do."
Staff Writer David Wenner contributed to this report.
MEGAN WALDE: 255-8454
or mwalde@patriot-news.com
Copyright 2005 PennLive.com.
All Rights Reserved.
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