News Is Nevada Solving Its Mental Health Crisis by Busing Patients to Other States?

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Nevada's public psychiatric hospital has faced significant budget cuts, leading to the controversial practice of "dumping" mental health patients by sending them on buses to other states, primarily California. Over the past five years, more than 1,500 patients have been transported, often with little support or connections to their new locations. The case of James Flavy Coy Brown, who arrived at a Sacramento homeless shelter confused and suicidal after being discharged with minimal guidance, has drawn attention to this issue, raising concerns about neglect and accountability. The discussion highlights a historical pattern of deinstitutionalization and the challenges faced by mental health systems, including the risk of homelessness and incarceration for vulnerable individuals. Participants express outrage over the lack of care and the ethical implications of such practices, questioning the societal responsibilities towards those with mental health issues amidst budget constraints.
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"Dumping" Mental Health Patients

State budget cuts making it tough to afford to care for your state's (Nevada's) mental patients? No problem, just drop them off at the bus stop with a ticket to California! Problem solved!
Faced with deep budget cuts, Nevada's main public psychiatric hospital has bused more than 1,500 patients from Las Vegas to other states during the past five years, a Sacramento Bee investigation has found.

Some patients apparently had no family in or connections to the 176 cities in 45 states where Greyhound buses deposited them after one-way trips from Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital. About one third wound up in California...

The state's actions came under scrutiny in February after 48-year-old James Flavy Coy Brown, who is diagnosed with schizophrenia, turned up at a Sacramento homeless shelter confused and suicidal. He had been to the California capital and knew no one.

His papers from Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services read: "Discharge to Greyhound bus station by taxi with 3 day supply of medication" and provided a vague suggestion for further treatment: "Follow up with medical doctor in California." Brown said staff at Rawson-Neal advised him to call 911 when he arrived in Sacramento.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/17/nevada-buses-mentally-ill/2091727/

Sounds like criminal neglect to me.
 
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russ_watters said:
Sounds like criminal neglect to me.

This is totally ridiculous...
 
They should at least be shipped to Washington, where they're fit right in.
 
russ_watters said:
State budget cuts making it tough to afford to care for your state's (Nevada's) mental patients? No problem, just drop them off at the bus stop with a ticket to California! Problem solved! http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/17/nevada-buses-mentally-ill/2091727/

Sounds like criminal neglect to me.
This is nothing new - it happened duing the 1980s when the Federal government reduced support to states, and states started cutting budgets, and the mentally ill were deinstitutionalized. Some metropolitan areas put people on buses and sent them elsewhere. It was certainly a problem in Texas, where I lived, and homeless people in large and medium size cities increased. My wife worked in a mental health facility, and they experienced a dramatic rise in case load during the late 80s compared to earlier in the decade.
 
Astronuc said:
This is nothing new - it happened duing the 1980s

Thatcher started a similar "care in the community" policy in the UK, based on some policy strategy reports going back to the 1950s. I wonder if she gave Reagan the idea :smile:

But the UK didn't bother issuing bus tickets, AFAIK.
 
As someone who suffers with mental health issues, what has been done to these people really pisses me off.

Someone better become accountable to this. I will do further research and make the necessary calls/emails to voice my opinion on the matter.

COMPLETELY unacceptable.
 
As much as it goes against the image of Canucks, a lot of our mentally challenged people end up homeless or incarcerated simply because they were misdiagnosed or otherwise fell through the cracks in the health care system. We don't bus them anywhere, but our assistance methods could use a bit of a boost. Unfortunately, it is by far the worst for aboriginals.
 
russ_watters said:
Sounds like criminal neglect to me.

But if he were cared for, citizens of Nevada would have suffered a tax burden possibly equaling five cents apiece.
 
What is your philosophy on tax revenue? Should it only be spent on those who contribute to it, or what?
 
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I wonder how long until these unfortunate souls end up in jail...
 

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