Conditions in Ohio's state-run psychiatric hospital system
Roughly 90% of patients in Ohio's state-run psychiatric hospitals are tied to criminal cases, up from just 50% 20 years ago. That's according to extensive, year-long reporting from The Marshall Project - Cleveland and KFF Health News that was published last month.
The situation is limiting care options for those who need treatment before becoming entangled in the justice system.
This shift, combined with a steep decline in total patients served and long wait times for beds, means many people with severe mental illness end up stuck in jails or turned away rather than receiving timely care.
Reporters spoke with families and advocates who describe the system as failing to provide meaningful treatment, and in turn, creating extensions of the criminal justice system rather than therapeutic and reformative care facilities.
Thursday on the "Sound of Ideas," we'll dive deeper into this investigation and hear firsthand from an individual who is currently living at one of the state's facilities.
Guests:
- Doug Livingston, Staff Writer, The Marshall Project - Cleveland
- Christine Julian, Supervising Attorney for Specialty Dockets, Cuyahoga County Public Defender's Office
- Jan Dyer, Mother and Advocate
- Patrick Heltzel, Patient, Heartland Behavioral Healthcare
- Joe Burke, Judge, Rocky River Municipal Court
- Tyeesha Ferguson, Mother and Advocate
"Shuffle"
Later, we'll bring you a new installment of the music podcast, "Shuffle." This week, host Amanda Rabinowitz is joined by Cleveland Heights musician Nate Eberhardt of Nature Nvoke.
Guests:
- Amanda Rabinowitz, Host, Ideastream Public Media
- Nate Eberhardt, Musician, Nature Nvoke
