September 14th, 2016 by WCBC Radio
State health officials have significantly reduced a backlog of patients waiting for beds in mental health hospitals.
A dozen people now sit in jail waiting for a spot — down from 85 a few months ago, the state's health secretary told lawmakers on Tuesday.
The state-run psychiatric hospitals have released dozens of patients who were ready to be discharged to make room for court-ordered patients. And they're planning to add a few more spaces for patients by shuffling money and resources, said Secretary Van T. Mitchell during a briefing before members of four legislative committees.
Mitchell cautioned that more work is needed.
.jpg)
