General Resources / Legal Resources / Medical Resources / Briefing Papers / State Activity    
Hospital Closures / Preventable Tragedies / Press Room / Search Our Site / Home

The Washington Post

February 6, 2004

Reprinted with permission of the author. All rights reserved.

LETTER
Treatment gap in Maryland

It is not Maryland's deficit alone that limits options for people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Also contributing is Maryland's archaic treatment law ["Bottom Line for Mentally Ill: Md. Deficit Limiting Options for Care," Metro, Jan. 26] Maryland is one of only nine states in the country with a law that prevents the sickest of the sick from gaining access to what treatment is available.

Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary Nelson J. Sabatini notes that money saved by closing Crownsville Hospital Center will go toward expanding community-based treatment programs.

Unfortunately, voluntary community treatment is worthless for the many people with untreated severe mental illnesses -- more than half -- who lack insight into their own disease.

This is why so many of the mentally ill end up in our jails and prisons, homeless on our streets and dead by their own hand.

For those enrolled in New York's assisted-outpatient treatment program, there was a 63 percent reduction in repeated hospitalizations. Moving that population into the community with a mandatory treatment plan could free up remaining beds and ensure that persons fighting mental illness will not rotate back into the system.

MARY T. ZDANOWICZ

Executive Director
Treatment Advocacy Center
Arlington