The U.S. mental health system treats all mental illness as short-term, easy to solve problems of ‘behavior’.
Most mental health coverage in the U.S. rules out long-term hospital stays, as well as long-term psychotherapy.
For profit psychiatry took the treatment protocols for substance abuse disorders and decided to use them for everyone, regardless of diagnosis.
I am the first to concede that practicing mindfulness makes life better in general.
But it is not the first line treatment for illnesses that rob the brain of its ability concentrate and use reason.
People sick enough to become homeless need intensive case management and long-term structured treatment facilities.
The ‘prison industry’ wants to fill that need for ‘long term’ treatment.
“Mental health problems are rampant in local jails, often because the illness was a primary factor in the offensive conduct. The cost of caring for and supervising mentally ill inmates makes them two to three times more expensive to house. Once released, they often stop taking their medications, which lands them in trouble with the law and back behind bars.” NYT FEB. 27, 2017
Mental Illness, untreated Behind Bars
An alarming trend has emerged giving private prison profiteers control of person’s fate for life, not just the term of a prison sentence.
The CEOs who built billion dollar empires as partners in ‘tough on crime’ policies are adapting to prison reforms by re branding themselves ‘treatment’ providers.
They see the collapse of our public mental health system as an opportunity
to expand and profit from long-term psychiatric hospitals, civil commitment centers, and ‘correctional’ treatments.
Correct Care Solutions, formerly known as GEO Care, a spin-off of GEO Group, has deep roots in the private prison industry. Although the company has shifted and changed numerous times over the last few years, CCS currently runs seven “treatment” facilities in Florida, Texas and South Carolina, including five mental health facilities and two civil commitment centers.
See more at: Incorrect Care
(c) Rob Goldstein 2017 All Rights Reserved
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Art by Rob Goldstein 