Bedlam: Florida mental health care shameful - Tallahassee Democrat

Article published Nov 27, 2006

Back in the Middle Ages, an era lacking in enlightenment, a London hospital for the insane, whose name included "Bethlehem," became known in popular speech as "Bedlam."

The word evolved to its modern-day meaning: a place or condition of noise and confusion.

It's an apt description of Florida's at times dysfunctional treatment of mentally ill people who wind up behind bars as a result of their disease.

This month, the Department of Children & Families - which is part of the problem, but certainly not the source of it - has been on the receiving end of attorneys' and judges' anger because of this statewide inadequacy, which ultimately requires a legislative solution.

Under the gun, DCF last week agreed to spend an extra $5 million to comply with state law that requires mentally ill inmates who qualify for involuntary commitment to be placed in mental-health facilities within 15 days of a judge's order. More than 300 had been reported to be in jails across the state because the agency said it didn't have the money to find them beds.

In Hillsborough, Pinellas, Broward, Miami-Dade and possibly other counties, DCF faces legal problems because of its failure to comply. DCF Secretary Lucy Hadi was even slapped with an order to appear in a Pinellas courtroom next month to face possible contempt-of-court charges.

DCF has said the problem was due to an unanticipated increase in the number of mentally ill inmates, but a Miami-Dade judge placed the lion's share of responsibility on the Legislature.

"We have the most absurd system in the world," Associate Administrative Judge Steve Leitman told The Tampa Tribune. "Who's sicker, the mentally ill person trying to navigate the system or us? We devised a system you have to fail in" before getting help.

While few would argue that DCF doesn't deserve some of the blame, dumping all of it on the agency and its administrators is simply a cop-out. The real culprits here are lawmakers who've failed to address this issue sufficiently, leaving many of the most powerless, helpless citizens to languish in jail while their mental disease is inadequately treated.

Two years ago, Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell told Tallahassee Democrat reporter Diane Hirth, "It shouldn't be against the law to be crazy, but right now they're treated as a law violator because they're unable to interact with society. They end up breaking the rules, and end up in my 'hotel.' ”

Sounds like bedlam to us.