Reply to Why no Involuntary Commitment in DC?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think the problem is that at some point living in the streets was normalized. Even from the POV of well-being of those that live there, let alone not caring how it affects healthy people around them (mostly poor and non white btw, because encampments aren’t near McMansions through in SF it can be the case now).
There needs to be a stance that it’s not normal and that their lives need to be closely monitored. Nobody wants cages, more like a nursing home. Why is it ok to “confine” the elderly but not the mentally ill?[/quote]

I think that came with the defunding of mental health services.  There was a big move a couple of decades ago to get mental hospitals in DC closed.  But, the people don't magically disappear.

I think that the people who are posting here have no idea how limited resources are to deal with mental health issues.  And, then finding someone to pay for the services can be nearly impossible.  For things to change, we as a society have to decide that we want to fund mental health services and make them accessible to the masses.

To give you an example, in any given month, I spend close to $1k on mental health services for my young adult child, plus I pay for everything else that  most parents are no longer paying for due to mental health issues.  In prior years, when there were institutionalizations, my costs were closer to $50k.  Most people that I know can't do that.  We were lucky that we had savings.  I am not complaining.  Just sharing the reality.[/quote]

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