Mental Health: Round 2
From the lede of a story on local mental health agencies scheduled to run today (Sunday):
GREENSBORO -- One worker played the "tripping game" with his mentally ill clients. Another staffer used belts and hangers to smack a troubled teenager. And still another allowed a 16-year-old girl with bipolar disorder to wander through a local park unsupervised.The girl got into a car with two men and was later raped.
All three incidents occurred at Guilford County group homes for the mentally ill that were founded in the past five years and described in reports by investigators with the state's Division of Health Service Regulations.
They are some of the unforeseen consequences of the state's efforts to remake its mental health safety net, which have relied heavily on newly formed private companies to care for some of the state's most vulnerable citizens.
Click here for the full story.
And you can click here for links to earlier reporting on the mental health system.
I'll be out of the office and out of the state until next week. Until then, your comments are welcome below.